Civil Services Mentor August 2011 WWW - Upscportal

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CONTENTS
Articles:
8 London Riots: Cause & Cure 8 Rising Food Prices Worldwide Causes & Cure
Cirrent Affairs:
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
National Issues International Issues Economy India & The World Science & Technology Sports Awards & Prizes Persons in News
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Causes & Cure

Controversy continues to surround the death of 29-year-old Mark Duggan in north London on Thursday evening. His shooting at the hands of police while he was travelling in a taxi cab sparked rioting and looting in Tottenham on Saturday. The unrest subsequently spread across London and other parts of the UK in what police have described as copycat attacks. Officers from Operation Trident the Metropolitan Police unit that deals with gun crime in London's black communities stopped the cab Duggan was travelling in during a pre-planned operation. Duggan died of a single gunshot wound to the chest, an inquest at north London Coroner's Court heard on Tuesday.The fact that a bullet had lodged in a police radio worn by an officer at the scene, raising speculation he might have been fired at from the vehicle. A non-police issue handgun was also recovered at the scene where Duggan was shot dead, the IPCC said. However, a report said that initial tests by the National Ballistics Intelligence Service on the bullet found lodged in the police radio suggested that the bullet fragments were from police-issue ammunition, meaning they could not have been from a weapon fired by Duggan, casting doubt on claims that he was killed in an exchange of gunfire. 120 people, including members of Duggan's family and community workers, marched to Tottenham police station in north London, only a short distance from the scene of the shooting.The march was peaceful according to reports, with protesters calling for "justice" and an investigation. Local roads were closed and traffic diverted. What sparked the rioting is still unclear but police said that certain elements, who were not involved with the vigil, took the opportunity to commit disorder and physically attack police officers, verbally abuse fire brigade personnel and destroy vehicles and buildings. "Police say the subsequent riots in other parts of London and the UK are copycat events that have little or nothing to do with the death of Duggan. Rioting had taken place in several London locations, including Battersea in south London, Ealing in the west and Hackney in east London. Disturbances were also reported in Birmingham in central England, Bristol in the southwest and Liverpool in northwest
England.Rioting and looting was reported from several other parts of London, including Brixton in south London, Enfield in north London and Oxford Street in central London, the capital's main shopping district. Yet the riots we are seeing now are fundamentally different from those that have gone before. They might, ostensibly, have been triggered by the police shooting of Mark Duggan, a notorious gangster, in north London; but they are fuelled by pure greed, by a belief that something can be had for nothing. The usual brakes on such behaviour either an appreciation that it is wrong, or by the prospect that the culprit will be caught and punished are largely absent. The police introduced special powers in four areas of London -- Lambeth, Haringey, Enfield and Waltham Forest -- allowing stop and search without reasonable suspicion in a bid to keep rioters off the streets.In theory, parliament could invoke powers to implement curfews, use water canons or even call in the armed forces.However, senior politicians and police officers have said that these options are unlikely to be used unless the situation got significantly worse.The government has yet to respond, most of them are sunning themselves on beaches across the globe but the Prime Minister doubtless to promise terrible retribution be visited upon those caught rioting. He will also say that there is no excuse for rioting or stealing and he will set up an enquiry which will doubtless be headed by somebody who has never been unemployed, lived on a squalid council estate. They will cite poverty and unemployment but will not accept that immigration has played any part or that ill-discipline in schools and indeed in many homes has any baring. They will not accept that reducing the role of motherhood to something to be fitted around work has caused havoc in society for these people by and large have their own agenda which has the unfortunate pitfall of being utterly un-costed. Printing money and handing it out for free would not solve the problems faced. Epithets like rabble or riff-raff are too mild for the lawless, feckless, mindless and amoral thugs who forced passers-by to strip naked while they stole their clothes; or who torched a furniture warehouse that had withstood the Blitz; or who ransacked shops across London. But the question is what is the root cause behind this ruthless and nonsensical riots. The causes are many and varied. They certainly include the failure of successive governments to more fairly distribute the nations wealth and the draconian measures being taken to cut the social security budget,
but they also include the interpretation of womens rights, the willingness of governments to allow factory fodder to be imported because business sector insists on paying salaries so low that governments have to top up those wages simply in order to ensure people can live and the ill-discipline of generations of latch key children. Of course not all such kids are rioting and not all rioters are unemployed but it is the atmosphere created which leads to these problems. It is of course no coincidence that Mr.cameroons very philosophy is to reduce the role of the state, meaning that assistance is harder to get and takes longer to get. They appear to believe that social safety nets can be fixed on the cheap but if the rioters believe that their actions will change this philosophy they are deluded. The solution must lie in long term if not life long employment being found for the people which pays well and includes provision for both health care and old age. This will involve a deal of planning from the cradle to the grave but the alternative, to leave people increasingly to their own devices is surely not an option? Such a massive undertaking would require change in all sectors of the community. We must distribute wealth more evenly and we cannot continue to refuse to use legislation to make it happen. Of course many business people will tell you that they would be forced to move abroad in such circumstances but the time has come to treat such threats as what they are unpatriotic and based on greed.They must also stop all immigration immediately. This is not a racial point or one of human rights. The truth is that the population is already too big for a nation of their size to sustain both moves to tackle serious deprivation and support further immigration our services cannot stretch to it. Perhaps in the future Britain may once more be in a position to offer safety and solace to those less fortunate, but at this juncture in they cannot continue to countenance such ideas. Attitudes on all sides then must change but sadly there is little sign of compromise. The camps are set up, lines are drawn, those who have intend to keep and those who have not intend to take from those who have, it is a spiral which can only lead to greater and greater unrest. My consolation is my age which may prevent me from having to witness the culmination of this madness but I also hope against hope that somebody will emerge with the power and the vision to drag us back from the abyss. As yet he/she are keeping their own counsel but you never know.
If ever we wanted proof that Britain has been divided into two nations, then here it was. But hasnt it always been? You did not need to look far beneath the surface at any time over the past 200 years or more to find people ready to loot and rob and steal. After all, the London mob is hardly a new phenomenon. The word itself was coined in the late 17th century as the citys population grew and aggressive crowds, fuelled by alcohol and perceived grievance, took to the streets with alarming regularity.
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Rising Food Prices Worldwide

Causes & Cure
A sharp increase in food prices over the past couple of years, intensifying in early 2008, has raised serious concerns about food and nutrition for many poor people in developing countries. The key affected areas are Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Central America. There are also related concerns about inflation, and in some countries about civil unrest. The current situation is distinctive because it is not just a select few but nearly all major food and feed commodities that are seeing a concurrence of the hike in world prices. Real prices are higher than they have been since the 1974 price spike. When adjusted for inflation and the recent decline of the dollar, the foodprice increases are smaller but still dramatic, carrying serious consequences for the purchasing power of the poor. Dramatic increases in international agricultural commodity prices began in 2006 and peaked in July 2008. An equally remarkable and rapid decline of those prices then ensued, accompanied by extreme volatility in those prices. The trend in food prices lagged the rapid increases in other commodity prices,with rice among the most expensive at the peak and rising as much as crude oil. High commodity prices quickly raised farmgate prices in developed countries. In developing countries, poor market integration and border barriers may have limited pass-through of these prices to the farmgate, but there was more rapid food price and general inflation than occurred in many developed countries. Countries were impacted to differing extents, and food riots occurred in the most affected cases. In response to the crisis, countries from India and Egypt to Vietnam and Indonesia banned exports of rice, a staple for half the world. World food prices rose to a record in December on higher sugar, grain and oilseed costs, the United Nations said.An index of 55 food commodities tracked by the Food and Agriculture Organization gained for a sixth month to 214.7 points, above the previous all-time high of 213.5 in June 2008, the Rome-based UN agency said in a monthly report. Moreover, debate persists on the exogenous mechanisms driving these changes, which are often interrelated (e.g., worldwide economic boom and then global recession, speculation in commodities). The goal will be to identify factors likely to drive commodity
prices in the future and to provide some understanding of the dynamics and persistence of the observed global price changes. There is an emerging and reasonable consensus among experts and academics about the range of causes. However, debate is ongoing about the relative contribution of these causes. There is certainly no one, single cause; rather, many factors are interacting in different, locally specific ways. Causes vary between different places and over time, as has happened in previous commodity booms. Some are cyclical, some are structural and some are unique The cost of food climbed 25 percent from a year earlier in December, based on the FAO figures.The agencys food-price indicator rose from 206 points in November. Record fuel prices, weather- related crop problems, increasing demand from the growing Indian and Chinese middle classes, and the push to grow corn for ethanol fuel all contributed to the crisis that year. Global food production will have to rise 70 percent by 2050 as the world population expands to 9.1 billion people from about 6.8 billion people in 2010, the FAO has said. Main factors responsible for the recent rises in food prices:-
believe that the effect of this on world prices has been exaggerated.
Topsoil erosion: modern ploughing, overgrazing,

fertiliser and pesticide use result in the steady depletion of worldwide topsoil. Water and winds carry away the soil, when it is not fixed by plant cover. An estimated 25 billion tons of topsoil are lost to erosion each year. The UN estimates that erosion has now seriously degraded about 40 per cent of the worlds agricultural land.
Increasing urbanisation often means that more

Food in Figures
people are becoming purchasers rather than producers of food.
93,000,000 Acres of corn planted by US farmers

last year, up 19 per cent on 2006.
76% Amount of US corn used for animal feed. 8kg Amount of grain it takes to produce 1kg of
beef. lion gallons of ethanol in 2006-07.
Weather disruptions, including serious droughts, 20% Portion of US corn used to produce five bilhave affected output in several key producing countries (Australia, Turkey, Ukraine and parts of North America) in the mid-2000s. This has led to two successive years of negative growth in world cereal production. cultural innovation.
50kg Quantity of meat consumed annually by the

average Chinese person, up from 20kg in 1985. port in the EU by 2020.
10% Anticipated share of biofuels used for transfall this year, in attempting to feed 89 million needy people. It's 6.6bn now.
Under-investment in rural infrastructure and agri- $500m The UN World Food Programme's short Increased demand due to use of food crops in biofuel
production has resulted in reduced soybean and wheat cultivation.
9.2bn The world's predicted population by 2050.
World production of cereals has slowed, causing a 130% The rise in the cost of wheat in 12 months. decline in stocks over the last decade. This has weakened the ability of the world food system to cope with 16 times The overall food consumption of the
shocks and created conditions in which short-term shocks cause large price increases (Wiggins, 2008).High cost of oil and energy is affecting transportation of agricultural inputs and outputs, mechanical cultivation, fertilisers and pesticides. dia, due to economic growth, has led to increased consumer purchasing power and consequent shifts away from traditional staples and toward higher-value foods like meat and milk. However, some analysts year.
world's richest 20 per cent compared with that of the poorest 20 per cent.
58% Jump in the price of pork in China in the past

up 30 per cent in a month.
Increasing and changing demand in China and In- $900 The cost of one tonne of Thai premier rice,
It has been argued that by 2030 there will be 600 million more chronically under-nourished people in the
world due to continued pressure on prices, in part due to the conversion of maize away from food uses to ethanol production. Demand for agricultural commodities food, feed, and fuel is likely to continue to escalate. Climate change and rising energy demand could re-accelerate food prices in the future. Ad-hoc market and trade policies such as export bans and import subsidies add further volatility in the international food market. Higher food prices can have radically different effects across countries and population groups. A recent IFPRI report provides a conceptual framework for understanding these impacts, which powerfully highlights the complexity of cause and effect. Broadly speaking, at the country level, net food exporters will benefit from improved terms of trade, although the benefits may be offset in situations where exports are being banned to protect consumers. Net food-importing nations, however, will struggle to meet domestic food demand. An FAO report published in June 2008 highlights twenty two developing countries that are especially vulnerable due to a combination of high levels of chronic hunger (more than 30 per cent under-nourishment), and high dependence on imports of petroleum products (100 per cent in most countries) and, in many cases, also of major grains (rice, wheat and maize) for domestic consumption. Food-price increases are having serious consequences for the purchasing power of the poor. Affected groups include the rural landless, pastoralists, small-scale farmers and the urban poor. Despite the various causes of food crises, the hardships that individuals and communities face have striking similarities across disparate groups and settings. These include: caloric intake
The rise in global commodity prices is fueling inflation everywhere particularly in developing countries where food and energy forms a major percentage of the inflation basket.This has forced countries like India and China to accelerate interest rate hikes to cool down inflation.Rising Food Prices has caused distress in a number of places leading to food riots in Africa and have been said to be a leading cause of the revolutions in the Middle East.Oil Prices continues to increase unabated as dollar decreases with US Money Printing.Commodities are touching new all time peaks as rising global demand,finite resources,money printing by developed countries fuel price hikes.Silver has been increasing in a parabolic manner with other commodities too showing heart-stopping jumps in prices.The rise in global wheat,rice prices has been at a record as well.Almost all commodities have seen sharp prices increase. Specific policies are needed to deal with the changing causes and consequences of high food prices, to help the most vulnerable people in the short term, while working to stabilise food prices by increasing agricultural production in the long term. A detailed set of policy prescriptions has been laid out in the Comprehensive Framework for Action (CFA), developed by the High Level Task Force on the Global Food Crisis. The CFA highlights two major objectives meeting immediate needs, and building longer-term resilience with related outcomes and actions.
Inability to afford food, and related lack of adequate Distress sales of productive assets Migration of household members in search of work Reduced household spending on healthcare, education and other necessities.
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NATIONAL ISSUES
Drive to Detect Fake Driving Licenses
The national register and national transport portal was launched which will make detection of fake driving licenses and tracking stolen vehicles easier. It will provide information to the transport department, police department and automobile dealers.The national registry is a central pool of all driving licenses (DLs) and vehicles registered in India. It could be accessed for a quick verification by all states and road transport offices. This could be used to prosecute errant drivers.This system will be completely IT based which will also leave no room for officials to make any mistake. Act was intended to ban the use of adulterated and misbranded products. Therefore, this rule could not be invoked to ban sale of non-iodised salt. The court stated that if the government wanted to ban noniodised salt it should have come out with different legislation.The Supreme Court gave the above ruling in response to the writ petition filed by the Academy of Nutrition Improvement challenging the ban on non-iodised salt.The government had made the consumption of only iodised salt mandatory on the basis that deficiency of iodine caused a lot of disorders like dwarfism, squint eye, lower IQ and mental retardation.
HRD Ministry Took Over NCTE

The HRD (Human Resource Development) ministry superseded the National Council for Teacher Education through a gazette notification. All members of the NCTE were asked to vacate their office. Now all powers and duties would now be carried out by officials appointed by the HRD ministry.The HRD ministry took this step because it found the large scale irregularities in the grant of recognition to teacher training institutes.
Gorkhaland Territorial Administration

A tripartite agreement was signed between the Centre, West Bengal government and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha(GJM) at Pintail village near Siliguri paving the way for the setting up of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration( GTA), an elected body for the Darjeeling hills. The new set-up will have 50 members; 45 of them will be elected and the rest nominated. A Bill for this will be moved in the state assembly and it will be sent to the President for assent. Elections to the new body would be held within six months.
Special Investigation Team On Black Money By SC

The Supreme Court of India appointed SIT (Special Investigation Team), a committee of two of its retired judges to follow the trail of black money stashed in foreign banks. It also asked the govt. to rev the names of those who have accounts in foreign banks and against whom inquiries have been started. SIT comprised Justice Jeevan Reddy and Justice MB Shah. The committee set up by the Union government will be part of the judicial panel. It will include economists who have been asked by the governments to make a strategy to trace and bring back money stashed in foreign banks.The Court asked the government to issue the necessary notifications for the SIT, which will report to the court. All govern-
Ban on Non-Iodised Salt Unconstitutional

The Supreme Court of India held in its recent judgment that the prohibition imposed by the centre on non-iodised salt for human consumption is unconstitutional. The court however said that the ban will continue for six months.A bench of Supreme Court including Justice B Sudershan Reddy (since retired) and Justice Raveendran held that Rule 44-I of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules, 1955, was unconstitutional. The Prevention of Food Adulteration
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ment authorities were told to cooperate with the SIT. The panel has been given power to travel to other countries and to gather information from government agencies.The step taken by the Supreme Court is a snub to the government which has set up its own committee to find black money and bring it back to India.
Work on 2 Units of Atomic Power Station Inaugurated in Rajasthan
Construction work on two more units of 700 MW each at the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS) was inaugurated by Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Srikumar Banerjee. Exploratory works unveiled uranium deposits at another site, Tummalapalle spread over 35 km. At present, the country is estimated to have a total reserve of about 175000 tonnes of uranium. The findings are deemed as a major development. Nuclear power is considered to be absolutely essential to meet the growing energy needs of the country. If the economy has to grow by 9 per cent per annum, 10 per cent growth in electricity production will be required.The two new nuclear units at Rawatbhata being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs. 12000 crore and scheduled to be ready in five years are on the lines of the two 700 MW reactors under construction at Kakrapar in Gujarat.The reactors were designed by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited by scaling up the 540 MW reactors operating at Tarapur in Maharashtra since 2005.The reactors are known to have advanced safety features, including passive safety systems that work on natural principles such as gravity, and natural convection and do not need operator intervention or motive power to ensure reactor safety under any state of operations. There are two independent and diverse systems to shut down the reactor, a passive decay heat removal system to ensure cooling of the reactor core even in case of total loss of power and steel-lined containment to contain the entire radioactivity within the reactor building even in a severe accident scenario.
ers in the unorganized sector. The fund will be administered by the National Social Security Board. The fund was announced during the budget 2010-11 by the Union Finance minister Pranav Mukherjee. The Ministry of Labour & Employment will be the nodal Ministry for the operation of the Fund. According to an estimate done by the National Sample Survey Organisation total unemployment in both organised and unorganized sector is 45.9 crore workers. Out of them, 43.3 crore workers belong to unorganized sectorThere is an absence of social security protection for unorganised workers in India despite the fact they form the most significant part of total workers in the country.
India is 10th Largest Exporter of Services

According to a latest World Trade organisation (WTO) report India achieved tenth rank in export of services worldwide and emerged as the 20th biggest merchandise exporter in 2010. India stood 12th and 22nd position globally in services and goods exports, respectively in 2009. In value terms India exported services and merchandise worth $110 billion and $216 billion, respectively in 2010. India's goods exports went up by 31 per cent in 2010, helping the country to expand its market share to 1.4 per cent from 1.2 per cent in 2009.Engineering and petroleum exports contribute about 40% of Indias total exports.The increase in export was attributed to increasing demand for Indian goods in new markets like Latin America and Africa. According to apex exporters body Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), the diversification of India's exports basket also helped in increasing the shipments.India's services exports share in the world exports increased to 3 per cent in 2010 from 2.6 per cent in 2009.The report ranked China first in terms of merchandise exports followed by the U.S. and Germany. In services export, the U.S. is on the top slot followed by Germany and the U.K.
National Social Security Fund (NSSF)
Renuka Dam Project Held Up By NGT Orders

The national green tribunal ordered Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (HPPCL) to stop all construction work related to the Renuka Dam project.The dam on the Giri river will offer a storage capacity of 542 million cubic metres of water and an installed power capacity of 40 MW. The proposed Renuka Dam
The Union Cabinet of India gave its approval for setting up a national level security fund (NSSF) for unorganized sectors named as National Social Security Fund. The fund is likely to benefit 43.3 crore work-
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Project is one of the largest projects in the backward district of Sirmour in Himachal Pradesh. The state governments of Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 12 May, 1994 for the utilization and allocation of the waters of the Upper Yamuna . As a part of this agreement, a storage dam was to be constructed across Giri river, a tributary of the Yamuna, at Renukaji in Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh. Forest clearance to the project was cancelled by the ministry of environment and forests in October, 2010. The assessment report mentions that about 308 families will be displaced and about 37 villages will be impacted because of the Renuka Dam project.
ducted for all pregnant women irrespective of their age and for all people who are above the age of 30 years.
Governments Lokpal Bill, 2011

The Union Cabinet of India approved the proposal for the enactment of a new legislation in the form of the Lokpal Bill, 2011. The Bill provides for the establishment of the institution of Lokpal to inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The Lokpal will consist of a Chairperson and 8 members. Half of the members shall be judicial members. The Chairperson would be from the judiciary and only a serving or retired Chief Justice of India or a Judge of the Supreme Court would be eligible for being appointed as Chairperson. It will have its own Investigation Wing and Prosecution Wing with such officers and staff as are necessary to carry out its functions. The All Party Meeting on Lok Pal bill agreed that Government should bring before the monsoon session of Parliament a strong and effective Lokpal Bill following the established procedures.The Lokpal shall inquire into allegations of corruption made in respect of Prime Minister, after he has demitted office; a Minister of the Union; a Member of Parliament; any Group 'A' officer or equivalent; Chairperson or member or officer equivalent to Group 'A' in any body/ Board/ corporation/ authority/ company/ society/ trust/ autonomous body established by an Act of Parliament or wholly or partly financed or controlled by the Central Government; any director, manager, secretary or other officer of a society or association of persons or trust wholly or partly financed or aided by the Government or in receipt of any donations from the public and whose annual income exceeds such amount as the Central Government may by notification specify. However, the organisations created for religious purposes and receiving public donations would be outside the purview of Lokpal.The Lokpal shall not require sanction or approval under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 or Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, in cases where prosecution is proposed. The Lokpal will also have powers to attach the property of corrupt public servants acquired through corrupt means. The bill was
20 Percent Rise in Tiger Population

India registered a 20 per cent increase in tiger population in 2010, according to a report- Status of tigers, co-predators and prey in India-2010 .The report stated that the estimated population of 1, 706 individual tigers represents a 20 per cent increase from the last survey in 2006, which estimated a number of 1,411 tigers. The assessment of tigers included 17 States with tiger population. The assessment of tigers is done once every four years and is a collaborative initiative between the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the Wildlife Institute of India, tiger States and outside expertise.The increase in the numbers happened because of the fact that tiger populations in Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka have shown an increase in their density.However, the report warned that tigers are still in danger due to an overall 12.6 per cent loss of habitat. It could result into a lack of dispersal and consequent loss of genetic exchange between populations, and an increase in human-tiger conflict.
Campaign Against Diabetes and Hypertension

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad launched a campaign against diabetes and hypertension in slums of Delhi on 19 July 2011. The mass screening programme will cover slum clusters in Delhi to detect people affected with diabetes and hypertension. The ministry decided to screen around five crore people before September 2011. The UN General Assembly will hold a special session to discuss means to control these diseases.The screening will be con-
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introduced in 2005 during the UPA-one regime and is part of the Common Minimum Programme.
36% Indians Suffered From MDE

World Health Organization-sponsored study on Major Depressive Episode (MDE) published in the BMC Medicine journal revealed that Indians are among the worlds most depressed. 9% of people in India reported having an extended period of depression within their lifetime, nearly 36% suffered from what is called Major Depressive Episode (MDE). According to the study, the average lifetime and 12-month prevalence estimates of MDE were 14.6% and 5.5% in the 10 high-income and 11.1% and 5.9% in the eight low to middle-income countries. The average age of onset ascertained retrospectively was 25.7 in the high-income and 24 in low to middle income countries. The female: male ratio was about 2:1.Lowest prevalence of MDE was in China (12%). The average age of depression in India is 31.9 years compared to 18.8 years in China, and 22.7 years in the US. Increased stress, lonely lives and the falling apart of the social support systems like joint families was cited as a major cause of growing depression among Indians.The study based on interviews of more than 89000 people in 18 different countries by 20 different researchers stated that depression affects nearly 121 million people worldwide. It is the second contributor to shorter lifespan for individuals in the 1544 age group.The percentage of respondents, who had lifetime MDE was higher in high-income (28.1%) than in low to middle-income (19.8%) countries. When it came to lifetime prevalence rates of depression, France (21%) and the US (19.2%) reported the highest rates of depression. Women, according to the study are twice as likely to suffer depression as men and the loss of a partner, whether from death or divorce, was a main factor, the study reveals. What is MDE? MDE is characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy and poor concentration, besides feeling depressed. This is the feeling of tremendous helplessness, and worthlessness. Planned suicide is the highest among those suffering from MDE. Those suffering from MDE dont have the strength to conduct day-to-day chores and become dysfunctional.
142 Crore For 6 DD Channels

The Information & Broadcasting (I&B) ministry in July 2011 approved Prasar Bharatis proposal to commission and produce new content for DD- Urdu, regional language satellite channels like DD-Oriya, DD-India, DD-Bharati, DD-News and DDArchives.The decision was taken considering the growing popularity of regional language channels and DD-Urdu. DD-Urdu was targeted at south Asian neighborhood and Indian diaspora in West Asia, Europe, America and Central Asia. Sources said DDUrdu is being run with repeat Urdu programmes acquired in 2007-08.The government decided to invest Rs 142 crore to revamp content for six Doordarshan channels, including DD-Urdu. The new project is expected to revitalize the channels by introducing new programming.DD-India, the state broadcasters international channel, suffered the worst neglect over the years. The I&B ministry is therefore working with the ministry of external affairs to coordinate with multi-system operators, who can receive DD-India signal in the concerned country.
Water Allocation is Not A Matter of Judicial Review

The Supreme Court of India on 25 July 2011 stated in its ruling that water allocated by a state for a particular region is not a matter of judicial review. A Supreme Court bench including Justice Markandey Katju and Justice CK Prasad gave the ruling.The bench gave the ruling while dismissing a plea for a direction for allocation of adequate water in Kachchh district in Gujarat. The Kachchh Jal Sankat Nivara had filed the petition asking for release of water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam by the State government to the district.The Bench pointed out that all these decisions required delicate balancing and consideration of complex social and economical issues which could not be brought under judicial scrutiny.
Challenge to Uniform Syllabus

Tamil Nadu state government filed a leave petition in the Supreme Court which challenged the Madras high court order to implement Samacheer Kalvi(uniform syllabus education system) in schools
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across Tamil Nadu.In its order on 18 July 2011, the Madras High Court struck down Section 3 of the Uniform System of School Education (Amendment Act 2010) as unconstitutional. This was passed by the State government seeking to defer the implementation of Samacheer Kalvi which was introduced by the previous Tamil Nadu government for the Academic year 2011-12.
India Accepted International Norms to Limit Ship Pollution

India on 21 July 2011 accepted international norms for the prevention of air pollution emanating from ships. The norms were proposed under a 1997 protocol of the International Maritime organisation. The 1997 protocol set limits on sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide emissions and prohibits emissions of ozone depleting fumes.International Maritime Organisation is an agency of the United Nations which has been formed to promote maritime safety. It was formally established by an international conference in Geneva in 1948. The 1997 protocol includes Annex VI titled Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships. Annex VI came into force in the year 2005.
Comprehensive Survey On Sex Workers' Number

The Supreme Court of India on 19 July 2011 directed the Centre, States and Union Territories to carry out a comprehensive survey to determine the number of sex workers in India who are agreeable for rehabilitation. A bench including Justice Markandeya Katju and Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra in an order also directed the Centre and States to file affidavits within two weeks on suggestions and recommendations for improving the lot of sex workers. The Supreme Court constituted a panel comprising senior advocates and NGOs to assist the court in monitoring the rehabilitation work for sex workers.The apex court passed the direction while dealing with a petition relating to the plight of sex workers, in which the bench had appointed senior counsel Jayant Bhushan as an amicus curiae.
MPLADs Incresed to 5 Crore Rupees

The Union Cabinet of India in its meeting on 7 July 2011 decided to increase the development funds allocated to Members of Parliament under Local Area Development (MPLAD) Scheme from the existing 2 crore to 5 crore rupees from the financial year 201112. The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The enhanced total expenditure will amount to 3950 crore rupees an increase of 2370 crore rupees from the earlier 1580 crore per annum.The cabinet also approved annual administrative expenses of 2 percent of the annual outlay under MPLAD scheme to be given to the states and districts so that the scheme could be monitored and implemented properly.The MPLAD scheme was launched in 199394. The project funded include creation of infrastructure to provide education, public health, drinking water, sanitation and roads. It should be noted that under MPLAD scheme, funds are allocated to MPs of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
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INTERNATIONAL ISSUES
Hina Rabbani Khar is Paks New Foreign Minister
Hina Rabbani Khar was appointed as Pakistans new foreign minister. Khar ,34, is the youngest minister to accept the post. This came as a big surprise for the people. Khar was elected twice to the national assembly during Musharrafs reign in 2002 and during Benazirs stint in the year 2008. She never went public to win campaign. Since she belongs to a political family it is said that for any years the seat was with held by her father Ghulam Noor Rabbani Khar and she gives her winning credit to her political father. Rabbabi offers hope to a number of women in Pakistan not in terms of their lifestyle but in terms of their way to choose their lives. We have in the past few years the evolvement of women in Pakistan. The list includes the likes of Fatima Jinnah to Benazir Bhutto, Asma Jahangir, Sherry Rehman and now Hina Rabbani Khar. Now women are rejecting the roles that many men try to cast them in. Since her appointment as the foreign minister of Pakistan Khar has been continuously criticised because to is too young to handle foreign affairs of Pakistan and that she holds a degree in hospitality management and she even has a degree in economics. But with a country with young population Khar seems to be making place for herself. nalist Saleem Shahzad who wrote about infiltration of the military by extremists. US suspension of aid could be a result of this killing.
Asia-Europe (ASEM) Meeting

A two-day meeting of foreign ministers of the 46nation Asia-Europe (ASEM) held in Godollo, Hungary. This was the 10th ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The summit was chaired by Catherine Ashton, the foreign policy chief of the European Union (EU) while Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi took over the chair on 5 July 2011. Hungary is the current holder of the EU's rotating presidency.Asian and European foreign ministers on 5 July 2011 reached an agreement to cooperate closer in dealing with the non-traditional security challenges. The meeting focused on increasing international collaboration in dealing with a cluster of nontraditional security threats ranging from terrorism and piracy to food and energy security, climate change, disaster relief and management, illegal migration and infectious diseases.Next Asia-Europe (ASEM) meet will be held in India in 2013, while an ASEM summit will be held in Vientiane, Laos in 2012.
9.2 Percent Unemployment in USA

The United States Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) revealed that the unemployment in US increased to 9.2 percent for the month of June and over 14 million people were jobless.This reflects the recent slowdown of economic growth. The sectors which showed the increase in unemployment are- health care and manufacturing, leisure and hospitality and manufacturing. USA Suspended Military Aid to Pakistan USA announced that it withheld the 800 million dollars aid to the Pakistans military. This action taken by the US government suggests that US doesnt rely completely on Pakistan in its fight against terrorism.The Security forces of Pakistan were alleged to play a role in the killing of Pakistani jour-
Salient Features of ASEM Meet
The meeting held discussions on regional and in A separate plenary session was devoted to global
ternational issues of common interest, including developments in Europe, Asia, Middle-East and the Arab world. issues such as UN Reforms, sustainable development, environment protection, non-proliferation and disarmament, G-8, G-20 etc.
ASEM meet further exchanged views on, matters
relating to economic governance and the reform of the international financial system, as well as, ongoing efforts in Europe and Asia to overcome the consequences of the economic and financial crisis.
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Indias Response: At the ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Godollo on 5 July 2011, India announced that it would host the meeting of ASEM forum in 2013. India also announced its decision to hike its financial contribution, a 20 percent increase to the inter-regional forum, ASEM. What is ASEM ? ASEM represents over half of the global population and accounts for more than half of the global GDP.ASEM was set up in 1996.It held its first summit meeting at Bangkok.It is a forum of 46 Asian and European countries. 27 countries are from the EU and 19 countries are from Asia India has been participating in ASEM meetings since 2007.ASEM also comprises two international organisations, i.e. the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union, for expanding political and security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation. Outside of the government-level meetings, ASEM also brings together, in individual fora, lawmakers, businesses and civil society groups.In the key achievements of ASEM, the Trans-Eurasia Information Network (TEIN) a ground-breaking research and education network connecting researchers in both continents are included.
State on June 28 2006 after it gained its independence from Serbia.
Resolutions And Recommendations:
The Republic of South Sudan accepted the obligations contained in the Charter of the United Nations and solemnly undertook to fulfill them.
Any recommendations for admission must receive

the affirmative votes of nine of the Councils 15 members, provided that none of its five permanent members i.e. China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and United States voted against the application.
The Un Security Council decided on 11 July 2011,
to close the six-year-old UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), which was set up to assist the parties in implementing the CPA, and called on the SecretaryGeneral of the UN to complete the withdrawal of all its uniformed and civilian personnel, except those needed for its liquidation, by 31 August 2011.
In an unanimously adopted resolution, the Council
emphasized the need for an orderly withdrawal of UNMIS following the termination of its mandate to pave the way for the new UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS).
South Sudan is Independent

The United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur welcomed the agreement signed on 14 July 2011, between the Sudanese Government and the rebel Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM). The agreement was based on the Doha Document for Peace of the Security Council of the UN. The General Assembly of the United Nations admitted the Republic of South Sudan as the 193rd member of the United Nations on 14 July 2011. It welcomed independent South Sudan to the community of nations. The protocol agreement was signed in the Qatari capital, Doha. The agreement was a commitment on the part of the Sudanese Government and the LJM to the draft document that was required to form the basis of a permanent ceasefire and a comprehensive peace agreement to end the fighting that began in 2003. An estimated 300,000 people were killed since conflict erupted in Darfur in 2003.After the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to acclaim the independence South Sudan became Africas newest country. The last country to join the world body was Montenegro, which became the 192nd UN Member
The Council also looked forward to transfer ap-
propriate staff and supplies, including the logistics necessary for achieving the new scope of functions to be performed from UNMIS to the new Mission and to the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). The agreement signed between the north and the south Sudan in June 2010, held that their respective forces which clashed repeatedly in the disputed region are to withdraw from Abyei. UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) was given the initial task of monitoring the complete withdrawal of forces from all of Abyei.
World Hepatitis Day

The first official World Health Organizationsupported World Hepatitis Day being coordinated in partnership with the World Hepatitis Alliance was observed on 28 July 2011. The theme for the World Hepatitis Day was This is hepatitis. The slogan for World hepatitis Day 2011 was Know it. Confront it. Hepatitis affects everyone, everywhere.World Hepatitis Day was observed on 28 July 2011 to raise glo-
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bal awareness of hepatitis B and hepatitis C and encourage prevention, diagnosis and treatment. World Hepatitis Day serves to provide an opportunity to recognise viral hepatitis as a major global health problem in order to advance prevention and control. The World Hepatitis Alliance and the WHO jointly agreed that the core global objectives of the World Hepatitis Day campaign are to:
Raise awareness and understanding of hepatitis

among the general public
The country that saw the maximum FDI inflow in 2010 was the United States at $228 billion. China stood at 2nd position with inflows totalling $106 billion in 2010, and Brazil stood at 5th position with inflows at $48 billion.According to UNCTAD, foreign direct investment inflows worldwide climbed 5 per cent to about USD 1.24 trillion in 2010 compared to 2009. FDI to South Asia declined to USD 32 billion in 2010. The report stated that half of the top 20 host economies for FDI in 2010 were developing and transition economies. UNCTAD report projected foreign direct investments worldwide to return to pre-crisis levels this year, with inflows expected to be up to $1.6 trillion.Cross border non-equity modes (NEMs) including contract manufacturing, services outsourcing, contract farming were found to be increasingly shaping the global value chains.
Secure continual support for World Hepatitis Day Generate a sense of urgency amongst all stakeholders to prioritise action
2011 Declared World Veterinary Year

FDAs Center for Veterinary Medicine together with other national and international veterinary groups declared 2011 as the World Veterinary Year. 2011 marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the worlds first veterinary school in Lyon, France. World Veterinary Year, or Vet2011 is to celebrate the rich history of the veterinary profession and the veterinarians around the world who continue to protect human and animal health.The worlds first veterinary school was founded in Lyon, France, in 1761. The Alfort veterinary school was next to come up near Paris in 1764. Both the schools were founded at the initiative of French veterinarian Claude Bourgelat. Thus the year 2011 marks the 250th world anniversary of veterinary education. By setting up the worlds first veterinary training institutions, Bourgelat also created the veterinary profession itself. Thus, 2011 also marks the 250th world anniversary of the veterinary profession.Bourgelat was also the first scientist who dared to suggest that studying animal biology and pathology would help to improve understanding of human biology and pathology. 2011 also marks the 250th anniversary of the concept of comparative biopathology.
Missile Defence Shield for Russia

Russia made an announcement on 22 July 2011 that it built a missile defence shield which covers two-thirds of the country. The new system is designed to provide protection against missile attacks on Moscow and central Russia. Most of the industry is located in this area. The missile defence system features S-300 and S-400 long-range anti-missiles.The system is likely to become operational by 1 December 2011.
Truong Tan Sang is Vietnams 9th President

Vietnams lawmaking National Assembly appointed Truong Tan Sang as the communist countrys new president on 25 July 2011 following Vietnams 13th National Assembly election. Sang, an arch rival of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is the ninth president f the country, the first being revered founding father Ho Chi Minh. Sang succeeded Nguyen Minh Triet, who served one term.Sang had been the ruling Communist Party's de facto number two since 2006. He had mounted an aggressive challenge for the prime minister's job before the party's January congress, which determined top leadership posts. Sang, a native of southern Vietnam and a student militant imprisoned by the then US-backed South Vietnam regime, Sang went on to become became mayor of Ho Chi Minh City. He had most recently served as the de
World Investment Report 2011

The World Investment Report 2011 was released by UNCTAD on 26 July 2011. According to the report, Indias position among the top 20 FDI recipients fell to 14th position, from 8th in 2009.
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facto No. 2 in charge of the Communist Party, running the day-to-day affairs.Sang was imprisoned from 1971-73 by the U.S.-backed South Vietnamese government when he served as a communist fighter for the north during the Vietnam War. It ended in 1975 when the north seized control of the former southern capital, Saigon, reunifying the country.
Besides, the nations agreed points,which is as follows:-
on
some
The summit agreed to pour another 159 billion eu-
Ban on Wearing Veils in Public in Italy

An Italian parliamentary commission approved a draft law banning women from wearing veils that cover their faces in public.The draft passed by the constitutional affairs commission prohibits women from wearing a burqa, naqib or any other garb that covers the face.Italy is the latest European country to approve a law against the burqa. Belgium and France have already banned the wearing of burqa in public.This recent step banning veil has ignited heated debate about multiculturism in Europe. Its related to issues of religious freedom, secular traditions, female equality and fears of terrorism.
ros into Greece to stop debt contagion across Europe. To ease Greece's debt repayments on its loans, the summit agreed to extend them from 7.5 years to between 15 and 30 years in some cases, and at a rate of 3.5 percent, down from 4.5 percent.
The Eurozone leaders welcomed the measures un-
dertaken by the Greek government to stabilize public finances and reform the economy as well as the new package of measures including privatization recently adopted by the Greek Parliament.
The Eurozone leaders agreed to support a new
programme for Greece. This programme will be designed notably through lower interest rates and extended maturities, to decisively improve the debt sustainability and refinancing profile of Greece.
It was decided to lengthen the maturity of future
UNSC Codemned The Syrian Government

The UN Security Council condemned the Syrian government for a deadly crackdown on protesters. The council statement condemned the widespread violations of human rights and the use of force against civilians by the Syrian authorities.This comes as the Syrian army attack Hama, a centre of the opposition protest, with reports of much loss of life.Dozens of people are believed to have been killed in the action against Hama, with residents saying that and army tanks have now entered into Assi Square, in the centre of the city of 800,000 people.
EFSF loans to Greece to the maximum extent possible from the current 7.5 years to a minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years with a grace period of 10 years.
All euro area Member States will adhere strictly
to the agreed fiscal targets, improve competitiveness and address macro-economic imbalances. Public deficits in all countries except those under a programme will be brought below 3 percent by 2013 at the latest. the end of 2012 national fiscal frameworks as foreseen in the fiscal frameworks directive.
The summit made a commitment to introduce by

Muammar Gadhafis Regime Declared Illigetimate
The Libya Contact Group in its fourth meeting held in Istanbul, Turkey declared Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafis regime no longer legitimate. This will potentially free up cash that the rebels fighting Libyan forces urgently need. In addition to the USA, the 32nation Contact Group on Libya includes members of NATO, the EU and the Arab League. The Group also formally recognized the main opposition group National Transitional Council(NTC) as the countrys legitimate government until a new authority is created.
Euro Zone Summit

17-nation Euro Zone Summit was held in Brussels, capital of Belgium with the objective of finalizing a second rescue package for debt plagued Greece and calm the financial markets of Europe. The participating nations agreed on Marshall Plan for Europe to revive the financial markets of Europe.
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New Visa Category In Britain

Britain announced a new visa category to facilitate the immigration for exceptionally talented people from India and other non-EU countries in the fields of humanities, engineering, arts and science.The new Tier 1(exceptional talent) category will open on 9 August 2011 and it will have 1000 places in the first year of operation.There will be 500 places available between the 9 August and 30 November and a further 500 places available from the December 1 to March 31, 2012. The immigration category will be overseen by four competent bodies. These competent bodies will advise the UK border agency to make sure that the migrants are the best and brightest in their field.
Famine in Two Regions of Southern Somalia

On 20 July 2011 the United Nations declared a famine, occurring in the Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions of southern Somalia. The UN formally declared a famine in five districts in Southern Somalia. It also appealed for 300 million US dollars by August and September 2011, to bolster its response in the affected areas of Somalia.Parts of southern Somalia suffered from the worst famine in a generation, affecting over 3.7 million people. More than 166,000 desperate Somalis are estimated to have fled their country to neighbouring Kenya or Ethiopia.The UN estimated that humanitarian agencies needed 1.6 billion US dollars for Somalia alone. Tens of thousands of people died across the region, most of them were children.The last time similar conditions took place in Somalia in 1992, when hundreds of thousands of Somalis starved to death.Al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-affiliated group which controlled large swathes of south and central Somalia, had imposed a ban on foreign aid agencies in its territories in 2009. However, later it had allowed limited access. An estimated 10 million people are affected in East Africa by the worst drought in more than half a century.
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ECONOMY ISSUES
RBIs 3rd Financial Stability Report
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released its third Financial Stability Report. The report reflected RBI's continuing endeavour to communicate its assessment of the incipient risks to financial sector stability. The Financial Stability Report is published twice a year under the guidance of the interim Financial Policy Committee. The report includes Committee's assessment of the outlook for the stability and resilience of the financial sector at the time of preparation of the Report, and the policy actions it advises to reduce and mitigate risks to stability. FSR main findings are as follows:1. The banking sector in India by far the most dominant portion of the Indian financial sector continues to be stable and 2. The domestic financial markets have remained stress free recently. However, a few caveats are in order. the tune of USD 106 billion in 2010. China stood at 2nd position with inflows totalling $106 billion in 2010, and Brazil stood at 5th position with inflows at $48 billion.The country that saw the maximum FDI inflow in 2010 was the United States at $228 billion
Essar Agreement With Jurong Aromatics

Essar Projects Ltd (EPL) announced that secured an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract worth $320 million from Jurong Aromatics Corp. (JAC) of Singapore. The contract forms part of a USD 2.4-billion grassroot aromatics complex in Jurong Island, Singapore, being executed by JAC. The scope of EPLs contract includes constructing storage tankages, jetties with loading and unloading arms, pipeline systems as well as the utilities for the entire complex. The project is to be executed by a subsidiary company of EPL in Singapore.The Jurong project has participation from global petrochemical players like Glencore, SK Engineering, Sanhai and Vinmar and involves the development of a condensate splitter and aromatics facility. The JAC project involves the development of a condensate splitter and aromatics facility in Singapores Jurong Island.
India Fell To 14th From 8th in FDI

The World Investment Report 2011 was released by UNCTAD. According to the report, Indias position among the top 20 FDI recipients fell to 14th position, from 8th in 2009 at a time when other countries in Asia were setting new records in foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows. Indias FDI inflow went down to $25 billion in 2010 from $36 billion in 2009, according to a UN report.However, according to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, FDI inflows rose to more than $7.9 billion during April-June quarter of 2011, which was almost twice the amount received during the year-ago period. During the last 10 years, India received total foreign direct investment of $176 billion, while Indian companies have invested $76 billion outside. India saw FDI inflows of USD 19.42 billion in 2010-11. Foreign direct investment flows into India are currently sluggish given the uncertain global economic conditions.India is ranked way below neighbouring China, which saw FDI inflows to
Standard Chartered Bank Appoinyed as Custodian

The Central Board of Trustees (CBT) of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) approved the appointment of Standard Chartered Bank as the custodian of securities of the EPFO. The Central Board of Trustees (CBT) is the apex body of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation. At the 196th meeting of the CBT, it also approved the appointment of Mumbai-based Chandbhoy and Jassoobhoy as External Concurrent Auditor to audit the investments of the EPFO funds.A total of five crore employees came under the EPFO. The total fund size was Rs.3.50 lakh crore. Of this, about Rs.60000 crore was reinvested every year, while Rs.40000 crore was collected annually.
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SEBI Okayed All-Important Takeover Code

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) board okayed the all-important Takeover Code accepting the recommendations of the Takeover Regulations Advisory Committee (TRAC).According to the Takeover Code passed by SEBI, mandatory open offer size was raised to 26% from 20% and the trigger point for buyout was made to stand at 25% as against 15% in the past. With the passing of the Takeover Code, companies will now need to make mandatory open offer for further 26% stake from public shareholders after buying 25% in takeovers.SEBI however, abolished non-compete fees to be paid by acquirers in takeover deals. Highlights of Takeover Code: Mandatory open offer size was raised to 26% from 20% and the trigger point for buyout was made to stand at 25%.
man, RBI governor, PFRDA chairman, and finance secretary and chief economic advisor. The financial regulators were of the opinion that high inflation will not be conducive to short-term growthThe relationship between inflation and growth was treated as a cause of concern. Although the group felt that in long term, Indias growth prospects are bright but in the short term it seemed crucial to tackle inflation.While the economy is expected to grow between 8 and 8.5 per cent in 2011-12, the persistently high inflation and subsequent interest rate hikes by the RBI curtailed India Incs expansion plans and led to fears of a possible slowdown. Rising fiscal deficit along with current 8% repo rate announced by the RBI was also deemed as a potential threat to the economy.
Repo Rate Hiked to 8%

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in a bid to tame inflationary pressure hiked the short-term indicative policy rate (repo rate) by 50 basis points from 7.5 per cent to 8 per cent. The RBI Governor D. Subbarao also announced the first quarter review of Monetary Policy for 2011-12.The first quarter review of Monetary Policy for 2011-12 revealed that headline wholesale price index (WPI) inflation rate for the first quarter of 2011-12 remained stubbornly close to double digits and inflationary pressures continued to be broadbased.The decision to raise the rate by 50 basis points, beating the market expectation of 25 basis points was taken to drive home the fact that in the absence of complementary policy responses on demand and supply sides, stronger monetary policy actions are required.With the hike in repo rate (the rate at which banks borrow from the central bank) the reverse repo rate (the rate at which banks park their funds with the RBI), with a spread of 100 basis points below the repo rate settled at 7 per cent. Similarly, the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate, with a spread of 100 basis points above the repo rate, stood recalibrated at 9 per cent.The hike by the central bank in rates is expected to put further pressure on consumers as lending rates of banks will be higher in the coming days.
Merchant banks to disclose track record to IPO investors
IPO forms to be made shorter and simpler. Non-compete fees to be paid by acquirers in takeover deals abolished.
Public shareholders were required to be given an
exit opportunity when promoters of target company sell out their stake to acquirers.
SEBI did not accept the recommendation of TRAC Sebi board decided that the existing definition of
control of offers would be retained as it is. all stock market transactions.
to provide delisting pursuant to an offer and proportionate acceptance.
The SEBI board approved uniform KYC norms for

FSDC Reviewed Economic Situation
The Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee reviewed the general economic situation in the light of steep rate hike by RBI. The meeting was attended by all financial sector regulators including Sebi chair-
Duty Entitlement Pass Book (DEPB) Scheme

The Union government announced restoration of the popular duty entitlement pass book (DEPB) scheme for export of cotton with retrospective effect from 1 April 2011 and on cotton yarn from 1 October 2010.
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The announcement was made in the backdrop following a sharp fall in the domestic and international prices of these commodities.Cotton yarn had been placed under Open General Licence for exports from April 2011. The DEPB scheme for exporters had therefore been made effective from 1 April 2011. The government had withdrawn the scheme on cotton and cotton yarn in April 2010.The governments decision was welcomed by Confederation of Indian Textiles Industry that felt the move would provide relief to the cotton yarn sector as it was making losses due to withdrawal of export incentives and had huge inventories.Exports of cotton were dis-incentivised by virtue of export tax, following a sharp rise in prices in January 2011. The DEPB scheme has also been restored with easing of export curbs. What is DEPB? DEPB Scheme incorporates the concept of the old Pass Book but with simplified procedures and greater coverage and transparency in the matter of giving credit entitlements. The entitlement rate will be pre-determined so that the exporters at the time of exports can do their costing accordingly. Being a transparent scheme it does away with any discretion to the Licensing Authority or Custom Authority and can be availed on Pre-Export/Post-Export basis.
auctions.The final report merely stated that allocation of spectrum, the airwaves on which all communication signals travel, should be done through a suitable market-related process evolved by the telecoms department and the telecoms regulator.Analysts are of the opinion that Chawla's move to overturn the draft recommendations amounts to toeing the telecoms department's line which already rejected the auction approach for awarding second generation (2G) airwaves. The telecom department also added that the committee's recommendations will allow the government to choose the benchmark for pricing airwaves.The exact quantum to be levied would be determined by the telecoms department in consultations with regulator TRAI.The panels draft had also added that if the road map for future release of spectrum through auctions were to be made available, it would temper bids in future auctions.
EPFO Appointed 4 Mangers For Pension Fund Corpus

The labour ministry-controlled Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) appointed four fund managers for its 3.5 trillion pension fund corpus. EPFO however dropped top performer ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co. Ltd from the list.The central board of trustees (CBT), the apex decision-making body of the EPFO in its meeting in New Delhi, decided to appoint State Bank of India (SBI), Reliance Capital, HSBC Asset Management and ICICI Securities Primary Dealership Ltd. The CBT after consideration approved four fund managers for managing EPFO funds for a period of three years beginning 1 September 2011.
Anti-Dumping Duty On Imports of Gas

The Revenue Department announced its decision to impose anti-dumping duty of up to USD 1.41 per kg on imports of a gas, used primarily for refrigeration purpose with an objective to protect domestic players from cheap Chinese and Japanese shipments. The duty would range from between USD 0.69 per kg and USD 1.41 per kg on imports of the gas from Japan and China.The restrictive duty on the import of 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane or R-134a is to be imposed for a period of five years.The imposition of duty was recommended by Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD)
Oil Ministries Action Against Cairn India

The oil ministry blocked Cairn Indias plans to begin oil production from the Bhagyam oilfield which is the second biggest find in the Rajasthan block. Cairn had planned to put the Bhagyam oilfield into production by October to take total output from the Rajasthan block to 175,000 barrels per day.At the meeting of the panel that oversees operations of the block on 10 June 2011, the panel had stonewalled 2011-12 production rate, work programme and budget for the Bhagyam field. The ministry wanted Cairn to calcu-
Ashok Chawla Panels Report

A government panel, headed by former finance secretary Ashok Chawla, set up to recommend rules for pricing of all natural resources submitted final report. In the final report, the panel did not suggest that all future allocations of airwaves must be through
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late profit from the Rajasthan block after treating royalty as cost recoverable item.Cairn believed that royalty, which is paid by state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), is a licensee obligation and hence not cost recoverable from revenues. Cairns views were contested by the oil ministry which made cost recovery of royalty as a precondition for allowing Cairn Energy to sell 40% stake in Cairn India to Vedanta Resources.The ministry insisted that it will not approve further programme on Bhagyam unless Cairn calculates profits to be divided among stakeholders and the government after adding royalty to the cost.
to good monsoon, higher minimum support price to farmers and focussed policy approach, particularly to enhance production of pulses and oilseeds.As per the data prepared by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, the record output was achieved despite drought in 90 districts in the eastern belt, excessive rains in parts of Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh and yellow rust in some wheat-growing pockets.
Wheat Output was Estimated to be Higher by 5.13 Million Tonnes in 2010-11

Rice output was estimated at 95.32 million tonnes as against 89.09 million tonnes harvested in 2009-10. Pulses production enhanced by 3.43 million tonnes with gram at 8.25 million tones, urad at 1.74 million tonnes and moong 1.82 million tonnes recording significant increases. Oilseeds production was estimated at 31.1 million tonnes against 24.8 million tonnes in the previous crop year with a record soyabean output of 12.66 million tonnes. Coarse cereals output was recorded at 42.22 million tonnes as compared to 33.55 million tonnes produced in 2009-10. A record output of 21.28 million tonnes of maize this year against 16.72 million tonnes produced in 2009-10 contributed hugely to higher coarse cereals out. Cotton production surged to 33.43 million bales (of 170 kg each) from 24.22 million bales. Sugarcane output was up at 339.17 million tonnes against 292.3 million tonnes in 2009-10. Total foodgrains output for rabi and kharif in 200910 was 218.11 million tonnes. The highest production in recent years was 234.47 million tonnes in 2008-09. The 12th Five Year Plan will contain all measures to accelerate the agriculture sector growth to meet future demands. The need for a broad-based, inclusive and sustainable second Green Revolution has therefore been highlighted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.India needs two per cent per annum growth in food grain production to meet the projected demand of 281 million tonnes by 2021.
CEIB a Nodal Agency to Share Black Money Information

The committee set up to review the role and structure of Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) recommended that the CEIB maintain a national database of economic offences investigated by various agencies at the Centre and in states. Maintenance of national database by CIEB will ensure effective coordination among the various enforcement and regulatory agencies. The four member committee to study the role of CEIB was set up in March 2011 by the Finance Ministry and was headed by S. S. Khan, retired member, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).The Union government opined that in the face of growing complexity and sophistication of economic offences better collaboration among various agencies is required for combating tax evasion and other serious economic offences.The panel also recommended a hub and spoke structure between the CEIB and enforcement agencies at the central and state levels with the CEIB as the nodal agency for better collection and dissemination of financial intelligence.
India Set For Bumper Foodgrains Production in the 2010-11

According to the fourth advance estimates released by the Agriculture Ministry, India is set for a bumer foodgrains production in the 2010-11 crop year at 241.56 million tones,which will be a record. Wheat and pulses output are estimated to touch an all time high of 85.93 million tonnes and 18.09 million tonnes respectively. The record production was attributed
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DoT Cleared NOFN For Broadband Connectivity

The Central Department of Telecommunications (DoT) approved Rs 30000-crore National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) for broadband connectivity to 2500 Panchayats in India.The Telecom Commission (DoT's decision-making arm) approved the project that will be funded through the Universal Service Obligation [USO] Fund. The project will be completed by 2014-15 through a special purpose vehicle (SPV). The Universal Service Obligation Fund was created to fund those operators who go into the rural and non-remunerative areas to offer telecom network. Private telecom companies contribute 5 per cent of their annual revenues towards this fund.NFON is expected to help the government implement its various e-governance initiatives such as e-health, e-banking and e-education, facilitating inclusive growth. 33 new major applications will be built using the open source code. These applications will use NOFN to connect rural areas with educational institutions, health service and central government services.The broadband project will initially be executed by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and other PSUs like RailTel.
Chaturvedi Committees Suggestions

The committee set up by the Group of Ministers (GoM) to examine the go and no-go system for coal mining and chaired by Planning Commission Member B K Chaturvedi submitted its report. The committee recommended that all projects stranded due to the classification must be treated on their merits and cleared sans restrictions if located at the fringes of the forests.The committee asked the union environment ministry to amend its directive mandating developers to compulsorily secure Stage-I clearance as well as facilitate green clearances in a time-bound manner. The committee highlighted that the system of go and no go has no legal sanction.The committee suggested that the ministries of coal and environment work jointly and evolve a strategy to ensure that genuine cases are cleared and also the interests of the tribals be protected.
1200 Crore into Air India

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved equity infusion of Rs.1200 crore into the cash-strapped national carrier Air India. Air India had so far received financial assistance amounting to Rs 2000 crore in the last two financial years while its cumulative loss and debt burden is around Rs 67000 crore.The equity induction would not only ease the cash flow situation of the company Air India which is passing through critical financial crunch. The cash flow would also preclude borrowings from the markets at high costs.The airline has a debt of Rs.4695 crore on an equity base of Rs.2145 crore.
Amendment to Customs Act, 1962

The Indian Cabinet approved the amendment to Customs Act, 1962 to help the exchequer safeguard its revenues. The cabinet decided to put forth the amendment bill in the 2011 winter session of the parliament.The amendment will permit specifically recognised customs officers to assess import duty. The recognition to customs officials would be from retrospective effect. The amendment bill will help the government to recover customs duty worth several thousands of crores, Soni added. Officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) will alone have issued notices involving customs duty to the tune of over Rs 7500 crore. Also tax evaders will not get benefited at the expense of exchequer on a mere technical ground.
Damodaran Panels Suggestions

The report on Customer Service in Banks by a committee chaired by M. Damodaran, former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) was released on 3 July 2011. The Reserve Bank of India panel recommended an increased deposit insurance cover of Rs.5 lakh so as to encourage individuals to keep all their deposits in banks. The Damodaran panel mentioned that in case of sick banks, a possibility to enable customers to immediately avail themselves of a part of their insured deposits before the final fate of sick banks is decided should be explored.
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The recommendations were made in 3 broad categories:
loading the survey schedule from RBIs official website. What is CERPA? CERPA was established in 1972 and conducts social science research, provides consultancy on developmental issues, helps planners and policymakers and provides charitable services to the disadvantaged and poor sections of the country.
Home Loans: The panel recommended that banks should not impose exorbitant penal rates towards foreclosure of home loans. A policy should be devised to ensure that customers are not denied of opportunity to enhance their economic welfare by making choices such as switching to other banks/financial entities to enjoy the benefits conferred by market competition. Measures to stop practices of discriminating between new and old customers with identical risk profiles on the basis of interest rate offers were to be initiated. Senior Citizens: There should be prioritised service to senior citizens, physically handicapped persons by effective crowd/people management available at all branches. The panel suggested introduction of provision of the SMS alerts service about balance in the account at periodic intervals and about due dates for submission of important documents. Automatic updation of the customers to the senior citizen category based on the date of birth would be introduced. Pensioner may be allowed to submit the annual life certificate at any of the (linked) branches and not necessarily at the home branch. Rural Areas: According to the panel banks should ensure proper currency exchange facilities and also the quality of notes in circulation in rural areas. Branches should be made functioning at a time convenient to the customers (agricultural labourers, workers and artisans).
Finance Ministries Steps to Combat Black Money Menace

The Finance Ministry under pressure to unearth black money modified the format for reporting suspicious transactions to help enforcement and regulatory agencies take prompt action to deal with the menace.The new reporting formats such as Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs), Cash Transaction Reports (CTRs), Counterfeit Currency Reports (CCRs) and Non-Profit Organisation Transaction Reports (NTRs) -- were introduced after the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) made operational its ambitious intelligence network project sanctioned in 2006.The earlier prescribed multiple data files reporting format is set to be replaced by a new XML file format. Three new formats -account-based reporting, format and transaction-based reporting format for filing STRs , CTRs and NTRs and a separate reporting format to file CCRs were introduced and notified to RBI , SEBI and IRDA and other relevant entities.The new network, called FINnet ( Financial Intelligence Network )deployed to tackle the menace of black money is a technology-based secure platform for bringing together investigative and enforcement agencies to collect, analyse and disseminate valuable financial information for combating money laundering and related crimes.The civil society in the recent past stepped up pressure on the government to unearth black money and introduced various measures to crack down on financial scams, frauds and large-scale tax evasion.
Industrial Outlook Survey

The Reserve Bank of India launched its Industrial Outlook Survey for the July-September 2011 period. The Industrial Outlook Survey provides for an insight into the perception of non-financial public and private limited companies that are engaged in manufacturing activities about their performance and future prospects.The responsibility for conducting the research on behalf of the central bank was bestowed on Centre for Research Planning and Action (CERPA). The CERPA is to get in touch with several manufacturing companies during the quarter July-September for seeking their valuable feedback so that it can be included in the survey. The survey is to cover nonfinancial private and public limited companies with a good size/industry representation. Those manufacturing companies which are not approached by CERPA can also participate in the survey by down-
PSBs to Boost Credit to Small Industry & Farmers

The Union government suggested the state-run banks to focus on traditionally-credit starved areas, such as small industry and agriculture, while credit demand
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from big industry moderates. Reserve Bank of India revised the credit growth target to 18% from 19% in 2011-12 after it raised the key rates by sharp 0. 5 percentage points in its monetary policy review on 26 July 2011. The RBI raised the repo rate for the eleventh time since March 2010 to curb runaway inflation. Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee also raised the issue of increased lending in the agriculture sector. Currently, the banking system only covers 50% of the farmers in India. The government set a target of Rs. 475000 crore bank credit for the farm sector in 2011-12. Banks that did not meet the targets for agriculture lending in the last three years were asked to step up their loan portfolios.
mitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month, the PMEAC had maintained that headline inflation would remain at 9 per cent or higher till October 2011 and thereafter ease to 6.5 per cent by the end of March 2012. The Council estimated the headline WPI inflation rate to continue to be at 9 per cent or higher in the months of July-October 2011.The country's agriculture output was projected to grow at 3 per cent in the current fiscal 2011-12 as against 6.6 per cent in 2010-11. The 2011 monsoon was projected to be in the range of 90 to 96 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA). As a result, the farm sector output expected to grow at 3 per cent.
SEBI Proposed Regulations For Alternative Investment Funds

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) proposed to create regulations for alternative investment funds under the title SEBI (Alternative Investment Fund) Regulations.These alternative investment fund (AIF) raise capital from a number of high networth investors (HNIs) with an objective of investing in accordance with a defined investment policy for the benefit of those investors.The funds which would come under the proposed regulation include- Venture Capital Funds, PIPE Funds, Private Equity Fund, Debt Funds, Infrastructure Equity Fund, Real Estate Fund, SME Fund, Social Venture Funds, Strategy Fund.SEBI made it mandatory for all types of private pools of capital or investment funds to seek registration with SEBI. The funds could be formed as companies, trusts or body corporate including LLP structure.
Uniform Licence Fee For Telecom Operators

Telecom Commission, the apex decision-making body of the Department of Telecom in a meeting held permitted imposition of a uniform licence fee of 8.5 per cent on all telecom operators.Operators currently pay between 6 per cent and 10 per cent of their annual revenues as licence fee. Though the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India had recommended bringing down the licence fee to a uniform 6 per cent, a panel set up by the DoT pegged this at 8.5 per cent with an objective to protect Government income. The Telecom Commission overruled the TRAI suggestions and ratified the views of the DoT committee with regard to pegging license fee at 8.5%.
India's Exports Rose By 46.45 Per cent in 2011

According to the figures released by the Commerce Ministry on 1 August 2011 India's exports rose by 46.45 per cent to $29.21 billion during June 2011. The increase in export was registered amid concerns that the upward growth could be hit by the troubled economic situation in the U.S. and the European zone in the second-half. In May, exports had grown by 56.9 per cent year-on-year to $25.9 billion.Owing to the spectacular rise of export in June 2011, exports grew by a hefty 45.7 per cent to $79 billion in the first quarter of the current fiscal 2011-12. Sectors including petroleum products, readymade garments, engineering or pharmaceuticals posted robust expansion.
Growth Rate Projection to 8.2 % For 2011-12 For India

The Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) scaled down its projection for the growth rate of the economy in 2011-12 to 8.2 per cent from 8.5 per cent earlier. The estimates were made in the backdrop of a grim economic scenario resulting from uncertain global outlook and high domestic inflation coupled with a subdued trend in investment and factory output.The report stated that the inflation rate would come down to 6.5 per cent by March 2012. In its Economic Outlook for 2011-12, which was sub-
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Disclosure of Share Dealings is Mandatory

SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) board decided to make it mandatory for all promoter entities to disclose any considerable purchase or sale of shares by them. The decision was taken with an objective to rein in insider trading by promoters without investors' knowledge.Currently, directors and top executives of listed companies are required to make these disclosures. However following SEBIs decision in this regard, all the promoters and persons who are part of the promoter group of a listed company would also be required to disclose their share dealings.The promoters would be required to make initial disclosures relating to their shareholding at the time of becoming promoter or part of promoter group.
Food Inflation Feclined To 7.33 %

Food inflation declined to a 20 months low of 7.33 per cent for the week ended 16 July 2011. The fall in food inflation by 0.25 percent in comparison to the week ended 9 July 2011. The dip in food inflation was a result of cheaper pulses. For the week ended 9 July 2011 food inflation stood at 7.58 per cent.During the week ended 16 July 2011, prices of pulses fell by 8 per cent year-on-year. However, prices of other items went up. Onions became more expensive by 22.66 per cent and fruits became 13.90 per cent dearer on an annual basis. Potatoes became 10.55 per cent costlier, while milk was up 9.96 per cent. Vegetable prices were up 7.59 per cent yearon-year.
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INDIA & THE WORLD

Science and Technology Coordination Between India & USA
India and the United States on 18 July 2011 agreed to step up Science and Technology coordination in New Delhi. The areas where the coordination will be intensified include energy, agriculture, healthcare, nutrition and monsoon forecasting. This was agreed upon during a meeting between Assistant to the US President for Science & Technology John P. Holdren and Minister of State for Planning, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Ashwani Kumar. The meeting was held in the context of the ongoing Indo-US Strategic Dialogue.The Meeting stressed upon the need to work towards making agriculture resilient and for further research on forecasting various hazards like cyclones. Education and Outsourcing Centre in Ulaanbaatar. Besides, India will also upgrade and modernize the Rajiv Gandhi Art and Production School and the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Centre of Excellence in Information and Communication Technology.This is the first Indian Presidential visit after a gap of 23 years; the last was by President R. Venkataraman.Mongolia is a land locked central Asian country. It is also described as land of the blue skies. India still awaits the womens reservation bill while Mongolia has 25 percent reservation for women in its Parliament.
India - Lithuania
The Government of India signed an Agreement and Protocol for Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital (DTAA) with Government of Lithuania in New Delhi. Lithuania is the first Baltic country with which DTAA has been signed by India.The Agreement and the Protocol were signed by Prakash Chandra, Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes, on behalf of the Government of India and Petras Simeliunas, Ambassador, Republic of Lithuania to India, on behalf of the Government of Lithuania. The Agreement further incorporates provisions for effective exchange of information between tax authorities of the two countries in line with latest international standard, including exchange of banking information and supplying of information without recourse to domestic interest. Further, the Agreement provides for sharing of information to other agencies with the consent of supplying state.The Agreement also has an article on assistance in collection of taxes. This article also includes provision for taking measures of conservancy. The Agreement incorporates anti-abuse (limitation of benefits) provisions to ensure that the benefits of the Agreement are availed of by the genuine residents of the two countries. The Agreement will provide tax stability to the residents of India and Lithuania and will facilitate mutual economic cooperation between the two countries. It will also stimulate the flow of investment, technology and services between India and Lithuania.
Advisory For Germans Coming to Kashmir

Germany on 25 July 2011 revised an advisory that had cautioned against trips to Kashmir. Germany thus became the first European nation since 1995 to allow its citizens to visit Kashmir. Germany stated that the situation in the Valley has calmed down considerably and that foreigners were not the direct target of violence. The decision was taken following a visit made by German ambassador Thomas Matussek to Kashmir. Kashmir used to be a favourite destination for western tourists especially Germans before the outbreak of militancy in 1990.
India & Mongolia

India and Mongolia signed three agreements which includes defence cooperation, media exchanges and cooperation between their planning commissions during the visit of Indian President Prtibha Patil to Mongolia. India also announced that it would extend a 20 million US dollars line of credit for setting up an India - Mongolia Joint Information Technology,
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India - Japan
India- Japan CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) enters into force . This is Indias 3rd Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (after Singapore and South Korea) and Indias first with a developed country. The Agreement is most comprehensive of all the agreements concluded by India so far as it covers more than 90% of trade, a vast gamut of services, investment, IPR, customs and other trade-related issues. Under the India- Japan CEPA only 17.4% of the tariff-lines have been offered for immediate reduction of tariff to zero % by India. Tariffs will be brought to zero in 10 years on 66.32% of tariff lines to give sufficient time to industry to adjust to the trade liberalization.The Japanese side has put 87% of its tariff lines under immediate reduction of tariff to zero. A large number of these items are of Indias export interest e.g. seafood, agricultural products such as mangoes, citrus fruits, spices, instant tea, most spirits such as rum, whiskies, vodka etc, textile products such as woven fabrics, yarns, synthetic yarn, readymade garments, petro chemical &chemicals products, cement, jewellery, etc.The exclusion list of Japan (where no tariff concessions are proposed) mainly consists of items such as rice, wheat, oil, milk, sugar, leather and leather products. The trade volume of items in the Japanese exclusion list is only 2.93%.Indias exclusion list contains 1538(13.62%) lines at the 8 digit level. Auto parts and agricultural and other sensitive items have been kept out of the liberalization schedule. Under India-Japan CEPA the Japanese government shall accord no less favourable treatment to the applications of Indian companies than that it accords to the like applications of its own persons for drug registration. This will greatly help Indian pharmaceutical companies. Under India-Japan CEPA, Indian professionals will be able to provide their services and contribute towards further development of Japans IT Sector. Japanese side has also agreed to conclude Social Security Agreement within a specified period (3 years). Contractual Service Suppliers (CSS), Independent Professionals (IPs) such as Accounting, R& D Services, Tourist Guide, Market Research; and Management Consulting firms now can provide services in Japan. Under the India-Japan CEPA, India will be benefited by Japanese investments, technology and world-class management practices that come with it. Japan can
take advantage of Indias huge and growing market and resources, especially its human resources. The Agreement which is comprehensive in nature will further strengthen India- Japan economic ties to the benefit of both countries immensely. CEPA provides a win-win situation for both the countries. The India Japan CEPA was signed on 16th Feb, 2011 in Tokyo. The current bilateral trade between India and Japan is a little over 12.6 billion US dollars and it is expected that it will touch 25 billion US dollars by 2014.
India & Pakistan

Indias foreign minister SM Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar agreed to simplify travel procedures and increase the frequency of bus services for people of the divided Jammu and Kashmir during the visit of latter to India. As per the agreement, the number of trading days will be incresed from two to four a week and travel for both tourism and religious purposes will be encouraged. Besides, the nations agreed to respect the list of 21 products of permissible items for cross-LoC trade. In addition, both sides agreed to further specify permissible items.India and Pakistan also agreed to convene separate meetings of the expert groups on nuclear and conventional confidence building measures in Islamabad in September 2011. Both nations decided to reconvene the meeting of the joint commission that will identify future areas of cooperation. The two nations also laid emphasis in setting time lines to ensure regular meetings at the administration levels to sort out visa and trading permit problems.In regard to the resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan in February 2011, the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan expressed their satisfaction on the holding of meetings, at appropriate levels, on the outstanding issues between the two countries.
India & European Union

India and the European Union finalised an interim settlement to make sure that Made in India consignments of generic medicines will not be detained while transiting through Europe.India had moved the WTO after consignments of generic medicines shipped to Latin America were seized by European customs authorities on charges of intellectual property rights violations. About 17 detentions took place between October-December 2008 at Amsterdam.As per the bilateral understanding between India and EU, EU
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would not only stop such detentions but also amend its regulation under which its member countries acted like this. The settlement is interim as the EU parliament is expected to take about 12-18 months to amend the legislation.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment for con-
India & South Korea

The President of India Pratibha Devisingh Patil visited South Korea as a part of her two-nation tour which also includes Mongolia. The state visit of the Indian President was aimed at accelerating Indias cooperation with South Korea. During this visit, India and Korea signed the following agreements: 1. Agreement between India and Korea for cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. 2. MoU signed between the Ministry of External Affairs of India and the Ministry of Culture, sports and tourism of Korea on Media exchanges. 3. Administrative Arrangement for Social Security arrangeent. Besides these agreements, India and Korea discussed the possibilities of cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. The two nations also discussed the expansion of defence cooperation between our countries In particular India and South Korea agreed to enhance cooperation and coordination in the East Asia Summit Process as also on issues pertaining to the Asia Pacific. Both nations also examined ways of working together in other international fora.The movement of people between the two countries had increased considerably and today apparently a 100,000 Koreans are visiting India every year, and about 50,000 Indians are visiting Korea every year. The Republic of Korea (South Korea) is an important partner of India in North East Asia.
sultation, coordination, and cooperation on Afghanistan, and to work jointly in Afghanistan in capacity building, agriculture, and womens empowerment, expanding on work already underway. Both sides agreed to Afghan-led, Afghan-owned, and inclusive reconciliation.
The two sides intend to promote food security in
Africa through a triangular cooperation program with Liberia, Malawi, and Kenya.
The United States looks forward to a reformed UN
Security Council that includes India as a permanent member.
India-USA reiterated their commitment to further

strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation, including through intelligence sharing, information exchange, operational cooperation, and access to advanced counter-terrorism technology and equipment.
India -USA reiterated that success in Afghanistan
and regional and global security requires elimination of safe havens and infrastructure for terrorism and violent extremism in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The two sides reiterated their commitment on com The United States welcomed Indias decision to
prehensive sharing of information on the investigations and trials relating to the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack. chair a plenary of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia in 2012.
The two governments signed a Bilateral Aviation

Safety Agreement (BASA) on July 18. for September 2011 in New Delhi.
The Womens Empowerment Dialogue is planned The United States created the Passport to India iniThe Importance of Indo-US Strategic dialogue
The Strategic Dialogue provides an opportunity to take stock of the progress in bilateral relationship, bilateral cooperation, as well as to consult on global and regional issues of interest, besides charting out a short to medium-term roadmap of cooperation in pritiative to encourage an increase in the number of American students studying and interning in India.
India - US Strategic Dialogue

The Second annual meeting of the India-US strategic dialogue was held in New Delhi on 19 July 2011 to strengthen the India-US global strategic partnership. The dialogue was held during the official visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to India. The two nations issued a joint statement at the end of the dialogue. The main features of the statement are as following:
India, the United States, and Japan plan to commence a trilateral dialogue at senior official level.
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ority sectors for India-US. The strategic dialogue mechanism has come to be regarded as one of the very effective mechanisms to maintain the momentum of deepening and expanding global strategic partnership between India and US. It was outlined by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President Obama during Prime Ministers state visit to Washington in November, 2009. Note: The next meeting of the Indo-US Strategic Dialogue is planned for Washington D.C. in 2012. The inaugural Strategic Dialogue was held in June 2010.
Ashok K Kanth.As per the agreement, India is to provide equipment and facilities worth 200 million rupees to Sri Lanka. Moreover, India will also provide more than 2.6 million rupees to develop vocational training centres in Jaffna, Vayuniya, Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts.
India and US Signed Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement

The Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) between India and the USA was signed by Nasim Zaidi, Secretary, Civil Aviation and J Randolph Babbitt, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in New Delhi.The signing took place in the presence of Senior Officers from the Ministry, DGCA, AAI from the Indian side and FAA and USTDA from the US side. BASA will facilitate reciprocal airworthiness certification of civil aeronautical products imported/exported between the two signatory authorities. Indian standards would be comparable to global standards and its aeronautical products would be accepted by the U.S. The nascent aircraft manufacturing industry in India would be hugely benefitted and it would encourage trade between the two nations. It would demonstrate that India has the capability to develop FAA certifiable aircraft articles/appliances. It would boost the civil aeronautical products industry which will eventually lead to self sufficiency in the sector. BASA would encourage indigenous aircraft and aeronautical products industry and the US acceptance of Indian products will help their global acceptance. It would lessen the economic burden imposed on the aviation industry and operators by redundant technical inspections, evaluations and testing.Prior to this the USA has signed BASA with 24 countries.
China Agreed to Issue Visas to Karatekas

China agreed to issue visas to karatekas from Arunachal Pradesh, who will represent India in the 11th Asian Karate-do Championship. The championship is scheduled to be held at Quanghou City in Fujjian province from 20 July 2011 to 25 July 2011. The five-member team includes three karatekas- Tage Sea (65kg junior boys), Rei Yadi( 53 kg junior girls) and Likha Lej(52 kg cadet boys).China had issued stapled visas to Indian weightlifting Federations joint secretary Abraham K Techi and a weightlifter from Arunachal Pradesh.China considers Arunachal Pradesh a part of its territories and accuses India of illegally occupying it. Therefore, it denies visa to any person from Arunachal Pradesh.
India & Sri Lanka

India and Sri Lanka on 12 July 2011 signed an agreement in Colombo according to which India is to help Sri Lanka in upgrading its vocational training centres in the Nuwara-Eliya district. The agreement was signed by the Sri Lankan minister Dallas Alahapperuma and the Indian High Commissioner
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SCIENCE & TECH

Worlds First Double Leg Transplant
Doctors in Spain performed on 15 July 2011 the worlds first double-leg transplant, giving two new legs to a man whose legs were severed in an accident.The man lost both of his legs above the knee in an accident and the attempts to fit him with artificial limbs were not successful.Pedro Cavadas of La Fe hospital in Valencia performed the operation. He is the first doctor in the world to successfully transplant a jaw and a new tongue while doing a face transplant. Reactors (PHWR) which uses natural UO2 fuels and SEU/MOX fuels, the second stage there are Fsat Breeder Reactors(FBRs) which use MOX/MC/ metallic fuel and the third stage uses thorium with THU233 closed cycle.
GSAT-12 Reached Its Orbit

India's communication satellite GSAT-12, which was put in orbit on 15 July 2011, reached its home in a circular geo-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 36,000 km on 18 July 2011. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C17) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which lifted off from the space station at Sriharikota on 15 July 2011, put the 1,410 kg GSAT-12 in a sub geo-synchronous transfer orbit (sub-GTO) with an apogee of 21,020 km and a perigee of 284 km.GSAT-12 was launched to be useful in tele-education, tele-medicine, disaster management support, telephone services along with 12 extended C-band transponders.
BARC Established Largest Nuclear Desalination Plant

The Human Development Index (HDI) is directly dependent on two main parameters: Per Capita Electricity Consumption and Female Literacy. Delivering his keynote address on Energy Technologies, Energy Securities and Climate Change, Dr R Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Adviser to Government of India and DAE-Homi Bhabha Professor, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, said, For India to become a developed country, the per capita electricity consumption has to increase manifold. Nuclear has to play an important role in this increase as India looks for a low-carbon path for its electricity production growth. India is aiming for an electricity capacity of over a million MW by 2050. Expanded use of nuclear technologies offers immense potential to meet important development needs. In fact, to satisfy energy demands and to mitigate the threat of climate change two of the 21st centurys greatest challenges there are major opportunities for expansion of nuclear energy in those countries that choose to have it. Dr Chidambaram said that there should not be any fear related to nuclear energy. Lessons will be learnt from the recent Fukushima accident and more stringent security measures are being taken in the country and all over the world. Explaining three Stage Indian Nuclear Programme, Dr Chidambaram said, In the first stage, we have Pressurised Heavy Water
Challenges of The GSAT-12 operation

After GSAT-12 was put in a sub-GTO (sub geo-synchronous transfer orbit), the liquid apogee motor (LAM) on board was fired once each day from July 16 to July 19 2011 to circularise the orbit at an altitude of 36,000 km. On July 16 and July 17, commands were given from the Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka to the LAM to take the satellite's apogee from 21,020 km to 36,000 km when the satellite was at its perigee. Similarly, the commands to the LAM to fire to take the perigee from 284 km to 36,000 km were given on July 18 and July 19 when the satellite was at its apogee. What is Apogee and Perigee? Apogee and perigee refer to the distance from the Earth to the moon.
Apogee is the furthest point from the earth.
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Perigee is the closest point to the earth and it is in

this stage that the moon appears larger.
growing demand for air-conditioning in India in highly efficient and cost effective way through use of direct solar energy.
Source of the Water in Saturn's Upper Atmosphere

A team of Scientists led by Paul Hartogh of Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research recently solved a 14-year mystery by discovering the source of the water in Saturns upper atmosphere. The scientists discovered that giant jets of vapour from the planets moon Enceladus is responsible for Saturns water. Enceladus is Saturns sixth largest moon and it is covered with ice and is providing water to Saturn. The water vapours appear as tiger-like stripes of gas and ice that escape at the southern pole of the moon and act as a main water-source vapour for Saturn's upper atmosphere. Enceladus consists of icy geysers that release water into space, forming a donut-shaped region. Due to the incremental amount of water entering Saturn's lower levels, clouds cannot be observed after it condenses.
Solar Energy as a Solution

Therefore, while looking for making life more comfortable for ourselves we must not ignore these impacts and must also look for solutions to overcome the same. India being in the sunny regions of the world with most parts of the country receiving 4-7wh (kilowatt-hour) of solar radiation per square meter per day 250-300 sunny days in a year, Solar Energy indeed can be a solution! But is it possible to turn the hot sun into an air-conditioning system?
EndoBarrier to Cure Diabetes

British scientists developed an implanted sleeve which can cure diabetes. The implanted sleeve looks like a giant sausage skin. Its two feet long device which can reverse diabetes. The sleeve is made from a thin plastic.The new device is called the EndoBarrier. It is designed to have the same effects as the surgery but far safer. It is a plastic sleeve that lines the duodenum, meaning food can only be absorbed lower down the intestine. The sleeve is inserted through the mouth and passed into the digestive tract using a thin tube. The implant also decreases cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Worlds Highest Efficiency STCS

Recently worlds highest efficiency solar thermal cooling system was inaugurated at the Solar Energy Centre in Gurgaon in Haryana. The new 100 kW Solar Air-Conditioning System works at 30 % higher efficiency than the current available systems and has several unique features. It is based on the new triple effect absorption cooling technology. The system has indigenously built medium temperature high efficiency parabolic troughs for collection of solar energy and effective solar thermal energy storage in the form of Phase Change Materials.The present system will cater to air-conditioning needs of 13 rooms of Solar Energy Centre. To achieve this, 288 sq meter of Solar Collector area has been installed which generates nearly 60 kW of 210 o C Pressurized hot water. This heat is used in Vapour Absorption Machine to generate 7 o C Chilled water which in turn circulates through the Fan coil unit installed in the thirteen rooms. The major attraction of this system is that the hottest days have the greatest need for cooling and simultaneously, offer the maximum possible solar energy gain.The system has been developed in joint collaboration by Solar energy Centre with M/s Thermax Limited, Pune and is expected to meet the
A Software to Prevent Stampedes

Scientists have developed a new software which can accurately detect when crowds are starting to build up to dangerous levels a feat they say could help prevent stampede deaths that often occur during festivals and mass celebrations.German researchers who developed the new software said that it will give security staff the chance to disperse crowds to safety by pre-empting the problem.Lead researcher Barbara Krausz, from the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems in Sankt Augustin, Germany, said when people become trapped in a highly congested area, they sway slowly from side to side in an effort to keep their balance.
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Evidence of Water on The Planet Mars

NASA scientists announced on 5 August 2011 that they had found the first evidence of flowing water on Mars. NASA confirmed that the evidence gathered by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter would be the first discovery of active liquid water in the ground on the red planet.The US space agency said the orbiter circling Mars since 2006 had monitored numerous instances of what appeared to be water flows occurring in several locations during the Martian spring and summer.Time-sequence imagery of the Newton crater in the southern mid-latitude region showed finger-like markings spreading along several steep slopes and then fading again once colder temperatures move in.
dicted but never discovered until now. A Trojan asteroid shares an orbit with a larger planet or moon, but does not collide with the planet because it orbits around one of two Lagrangian points.The asteroid is 300 meters in diameter. It has an unusual orbit that traces a complex motion near the L4 point. The object is about 80 million kilometers from Earth. The asteroids orbit is well-defined and for at least the next 100 years, it will not come closer to Earth than 24 million kilometers.
Egg Sized Robots

Egg sized Robots developed by the scientists, can directly monitor nuclear reactors and pinpoint corrosion. These robots are underwater patrollers with cameras which can withstand a reactors extreme radioactive environment, transmitting images in real time from within. At present, ultrasound is used by the plant inspectors to screen lengths of pipe for cracks.Egg sized Robots were developed by Harry Asada and his team. Harry Asada is a professor of mechanical engineering at Massachussetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Oxygen Molecules in Orion Constellation of Stars

For the first time, molecular variety of Oxygen has been discovered in space in Orion constellation of stars which forms clouds.While atomic oxygen has been long known in warm regions of space, previous missions looking for the molecular variety two atoms of oxygen bonding together came up largely empty-handed.NASAs Submillimetre Wave Astronomy Satellite and Swedens Odin mission have both searched for molecular oxygen and established that its presence is much lower than expected.
Science Cities Being Established

National Council of Science Museums, an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture is responsible for establishment of Science Centres (including Science Cities) based on proposals received from the concerned State Governments, subject to fulfillment of norms.In the approved norms an estimated expenditure of Rs.50 crores is incurred for establishment of a Science City. Other salient features of the approved norms are as under:i) The location of the Science City should be either a State Capital or an important city of the State having a sizeable population of not less than 50 lakh inclusive its vicinity; ii) While deciding location for a Science City, the primary concern shall be to ensure that it can draw at least 10 lakh visitors per year; iii) The new Science Cities are set up preferably only in those places where no major Science Centre exists.
Chemical UDCA
Sceintists found a chemical named UDCA that could prevent abnormal heart rhythm or arrhythmia, both in people who've had a heart attack , and in foetuses. It changes the electrical properties of myofibroblast cells, which are existing in the foetal heart and in patients who suffered heart attack.UDCA could help the heart muscle conduct electrical signals more normally.
Asteriod 2010TK7 Discovered

Astronomers using WISE telescope found the asteroid, named 2010TK7 which is the first known Trojan asteroid in Earths orbit. Trojan asteroids were pre-
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Genetic Change that Causes Male Infertility

Scientists found a genetic change which makes men less fertile. The genetic change was found in a gene called DEFB126. This gene codes for a protein that clings to sperm, helping them swim through a womans body to fertilize the egg. Sperm lacking in the substance find it harder to swim to the egg.However, according to the scientists a man with the altered gene can also get his partner pregnant but taking a longer time.
Prahar which was first unveilled in 2010 in scalemodel form at the Larsen & Toubro stall during DEFEXPO 2010, would fill the gap for a battlefield weapon system in the country's missile arsenal and would replace the unguided Pinaka and Smerch rockets (90 km range).
Lophiomys Imhausi Makes Its Own Poison

A species of rat makes its own poison by gnawing on a toxic tree and then slathering poisonous spit onto special absorbent hairs on its flanks, a team of Oxford University and East African scientists have discovered.The Crested Rat, Lophiomys imhausi, is the first mammal ever found to acquire lethal toxin from a plant. It acquires the poison, ouabain, from the bark of Poison-arrow trees, Acokanthera, socalled because human hunters extract ouabain from them to coat arrows that can kill an elephant.A report of the research appears this week in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Prahar Successfully Test-Fired

Short-range surface-to-surface missile developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation, Prahar was successfully test-fired on 21 July 2011 from the Integrated Test Range in Balasore. Prahar which is a single stage missile with a range of 150 km and fuelled by solid propellants took off from a road mobile launcher in Launch Complex 3 of ITR in Chandipur.Several Prahar missile like multiplerocket system Pinaka missile can be fired in one salvo. Prahar with greater accuracy will fill the gap between Pinaka, the multi-barrel rocket system, which has a range of 45 km and the Prithvi missile that can attack targets 250 km to 350 km away.Prahar can image, take out multiple targets and can be moved to any place. It can also carry conventional warheads. Prahar will be used as a road-mobile weapon similar to the BrahMos supersonic multi-role cruise missile with each motorised transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) carrying six cannisterised, vertically-launched missiles armed with conventional warheads. A separate wheeled vehicle is being developed to act as a missile resupply station, carrying six cannistered missile rounds.Unlike Prithvi, Prahaar boasts of a three-element flight-control system, with the third and final stage comprising only the manoeuvring warhead section. Prahaar is expected to replace all existing Prithvi SS-150 missiles that are now deployed by the three Missile Groups attached to the Indian Armys two Field Artillery Divisions.Prahar will be extremely useful in emergency situations as it is multidirectional and auto loading in nature. Its launch time is estimated to be two to three minutes and no preparation is required.
Atlantis Reached Kennedy Space Centre

With the Atlantis touching down at the Kennedy Space Centre on Thursday, NASAs 30-year-old space shuttle programme drew to a close. The shuttle fleet has been retired on account of the American governments budget cuts, though it has announced a programme of manned missions farther off in outer space, including to Marss orbit. For destinations in closer proximity to the Earth for instance, the International Space Mission they foresee the availability of commercial craft to ferry astronauts. And till such services are on offer, Americans will rely on berths in Russias Soviet-era craft.
Antarctica Lake
Deep beneath the Antarctica ice sheets are at least 145 lakes that are teeming with micro scopicorganisms. The ice sheets are up to 4km thick. They are considered one of the greatest unexplored frontiers on Earth. Scientists are engaged in a long term programme to understand what type of life may survive in the lake water, sediments below and ice above. Current efforts are focused on the ice above, which includes lake water frozen to the ice sheet bot-
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tom, known as accreted ice.Antarctic continent along with its surrounding ocean influences the climate not just in thehigh latitudes but across the entire planet. The Polar regions are the first to be affected by changes in climate, both in terms of rapidity and intensity. Among the various proxies that archive the information on palaeoclimate, the Antarctic lake sediments play a pivotal role in palaeoclimate investigations.
To help Test Drugs Human Like Liver to Be Transplanted in Mice

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA developed an artificial liver that could be transplanted into mice and allow them to metabolize drugs as if they are humans beings. It could result into more accurate and efficient drug testing.To create this artificial liver, researchers cultured human liver cells, called hepatocytes, in a controlled environment with other factors, such as mouse skin cells.Afterwards scientists implanted the liver under the skin or inside the body cavity of mice and recreated many of the functions of a human liver.
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Blood Test to Diagnose TB Can Be Dangerous

A 12-month analysis reveals that currently available commercial blood tests for diagnosing active TB often lead to misdiagnosis, mistreatment and potential harm to public health. WHO is urging countries to ban these tests and instead rely on accurate microbiological or molecular tests.The use of currently available commercial blood (serological) tests to diagnose active tuberculosis (TB) often leads to misdiagnosis, mistreatment and potential harm to public health, says WHO in a policy recommendation issued today. WHO is urging countries to ban the inaccurate and unapproved blood tests and instead rely on accurate microbiological or molecular tests, as recommended by WHO.
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SPORTS
Football
Women's Football World Cup: Japan lifted the women's football World Cup by defeating USA in a dramatic final in Frankfurt, Germany. The victory delivered a boost to the morale of a country which is still coping with the earthquake and tsunami aftermath.Goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori made two saves and the final was settled by a penalty shoot-out before defender Saki Kumagai converted the spot-kick to give Japan its first World Cup title. Under captain Homare Sawa, Japan won the hearts of fans with impressive displays.The dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over the United States helped Japan beat the USA for the first time at the 26th attempt. UEFA European Under-19 Championship: Spain won the tenth edition of the UEFA European Under19 Championship title in Romania beating the Czech Republic 3-2. Spain become the first country to hold both u-19 and u-21 title in the same year. Spain which is European and World champion at senior level defeated Switzerland 2-0 in the under-21 final on 25 June 2011.Paco Alccer score twice in the final 12 minutes and played a significant role in helping Spain attain the title.Spain was Champion in European Under-19 Championship in the years 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007. The victory achieved on 1 August marked the fourth for their coach, the irrepressible Gins Melndez. Copa America Cup: Uruguay won the Copa Amrica for a record 15th time on by defeating Paraguay, 3-0, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. With the victory Uruguay became the competition's most successful team. scar Tabrez coached Uruguay. Luis Suarez scored goal for Uruguay in the 12th minute. Forln scored in the 42nd and the final minute of the match for Uruguay to win the tilte.Paraguayans have been aiming to win their first Copa America since 1979. Paraguay had recorded draws against Ecuador, Brazil and Venezuela in the group stages before beating Brazil and Venezuela after penalties in the knock-out rounds. Most valued team in the world is Manchester United The Manchester United has been named as the worlds most valued team. The Red Devils have been estimated for a total amount of 1.165 billion pounds overshadowing American Franchises like the New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys. The assessment has been made based keeping in mind the total income they get and the various sponsorship deals they make throughout the year. This has come as the good news for the Glazer family who bought the Club for 790 million pounds in the year 2005, how they are still in debt but this does not deter them from being happy for making their club the most valued in the world.
Cricket
ICCs Peoples Dream XI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) released the list of Alltime Greatest Test team. The ICCs list includes four Indian cricketers namely- batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag. Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag were included for opening slot while Indian batting maestro, Sachin Tendulkar found the place in middle order.Four Australians, two West Indians and one Pakistani also made it to Peoples' Dream XI as more than a quarter of million people voted on ICC's official website. Tendulkar occupied the No. 4 batting spot, one slot down Australian legend Don Bradman and one above West Indian Brian Lara, who was chosen at No. 5. Kapil was chosen as the lone all-rounder beating the likes of Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee, Jacques Kallis, Imran Khan, Gary Sobers and Frank Worrell. Australian Adam Gilchrist won the poll for the wicket-keeping slot while spinner Shane Warne got the nod of online voters ahead of the likes of India's Bishan Bedi and Anil Kumble and Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan. Wasim Akram, Curtly Ambrose and Glenn McGrath were named in the three fast bowlers' slots.Sir Don Bradman, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Brian Lara, Curtly Ambrose and Wasim Akram are the other players in the list.
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Swimming
2011 World Swimming Championship
200m Butterfly: Americas Michael Phelps won gold in the 200m butterfly event in the World Swimming Championship in Shanghai.The victory helped olympic champion, Michael Phelps break his gold medal drought in Shanghai.With the victory he won his third straight world title in his favourite 200m butterfly event.The world record-holder stormed ahead and fought off challenge by Japan's Takeshi Matsuda, clocking a winning time of 1min 53.34sec.Matsuda timed 1:54.01 came second. Mens 10m Synchronised Diving: Chinas Huo Liang clinched his third successive world title in the mens 10m synchronised diving. Combining with new partner Qiu Bo, he gave China its second gold medal of the world swimming championships. Huo and Qiu won the title with 480.03 points. Huo, the first man to win three world titles in the synchronised platform event, had won his previous two championships with Lin Yue.Germany's Patrick Hausding and Sascha Klein finished second on 443.01. Solo Free: Russias Natalia Ishchenko won her third gold at the Shanghai world championships with victory in the solo free. Ishchenko had already won the solo technical and then the duet technical with Svetlana Romashina in the main pool of the Oriental Sports Centre. She won 13th world championships gold in total when she scored 98.550 points.Spains Andrea Fuentes, who had secured three bronze medals in the Shanghai world competition so far, won silver on 96.520, while Chinas Sun Wenyan clinched bronze on 95.840 points in the solo free category.Greek swimmer Spyros Gianniotis dethroned German title-holder Thomas Lurz to win the 10km crown. Gianniotis, who has repeatedly lost out to Lurz finally topped the podium after touching in 1hr 54min 24.7sec in baking conditions at Jinshan City Beach. 50m & 100m Butterfly: Brazil's Cesar Cielo and American Dana Vollmer won gold medals in butterfly events at the 2011 World Swimming Championships in Shanghai.Cielo claimed the men's 50-meter butterfly in a time of 23.10 seconds moving past Australians Matthew Targett and Geoff Huegill. The vic-
tory came only a few days after Cielo was cleared of doping charges by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.Dana Vollmer on the other hand captured the women's 100-meter butterfly, edging Alicia Coutts of Australia by just 7/100ths of a second.Alicia Coutts finished second in the women's 200-meter individual medley, behind China's Ye Shiwen, who went from fifth to first on the final leg and touched the wall in a time of two minutes, 8.90 seconds. Coutts was 1/10th of a second behind, while 2009 world champ Ariana Kukors of the United States placed third after leading on the final leg. Beijing Olympics gold medal winner Stephanie Rice of Australia was fourth.Norway's Alexander Dale Oen won the men's 100-meter breaststroke. He finished in a time of 58.71 Italy's Fabio Scozzoli stood second. 200m Individual Medley: America's Ryan Lochte broke a 19-month record drought when he won a thrilling 200m individual medley at the FINA World championships in Shanghai.Lochte out-duelled Olympic champion Phelps of America to win the medley in 1min 54.00sec surpassing his 2009 World record. Phelps stood second and Hungary's Laszlo Cseh ranked third.In a high-tempo evening at Oriental Sports Centre, Australian hotshot James Magnussen delivered a fifth-to-first victory in the 100m freestyle.Jiao Liuyang claimed China's fourth swimming gold in the women's 200m butterfly.
Hockey
Single Administrative Body to control Hockey in India: A deal was struck in a meeting between Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) president RK Shetty and Hockey India (HI) secretary Narinder Batra, according to which hockey will be managed by a single administrative body in India.The deal struck is expected to This will help thwart an increasingly aggressive sports ministry from taking a decision on the sports future into its hands as well as streamlining the preparations for 2012 Olympics.As per the new agreement signed, a Joint Executive Board (JEB) is to be put in place which will be responsible for Indias representation in all international and national events. The JEB will have 39 members (20 from HI and 19 from IHF) while a joint Working Committee of eight members (4 each) will be formed simultaneously, and include joint sub-committees, to look after other areas. Both HI and IHF will continue to exist simultaneously in the country. However the joint working committee will govern hockey like select-
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ing, training and fielding teams in international events and conduct national tournaments, including the national championships.
Athletics
Folksam Grand Prix Meet : Tintu Luka coached by P. T. Usha opened her European tour with a victory in the Folksam Grand Prix meet at Karlstad, Sweden. The Indian record holder, Tintu Luka clocked 2:02.58, a shade under her season best (2:02.55 at Kobe) in the 800 metres event. Luka remained behind Lithuanian Egle Balciunate (personal best 1:59.47) for most of the race before moving ahead during the final 200 metres. Luka won 5000 Swedish Kroner (Rs 34,000) for her win. Baluciante came second in 2:02.72 while Melissa Bishop of Canada was third in 2:02.80. The other Indian runner in the fray in the Karlstad meet, Ghamanda Ram, came fifth in the men's 800m race in a time of 1:47.25s. Briton Mukhtar Mohammed (1:45.90) took the gold and was followed by Sudan's Ahmad Ismail, the Beijing Olympics silver medallist, in 1:46.09 and Denmark's Andreas Bube, at 1:46.49. Asian Athletics Championship: India finishes 8th with a total of 11 medals in 19th Asian Athletics Championships 2011held in Kobe, Japan
he secured Ferrari's first win since 2010 Korean Grand Prix. The victory marked Alonsos 27th career victory and it drew him closer to three-time winner of the British Grand Prix, Jackie Stewarts record.Vettel finished second ahead of his Red Bull teammate and pole setter Mark Webber, with McLaren's home favourite Lewis Hamilton finished fourth.Vettel, who crossed the line over 16 seconds behind Alonso, retained his lead in the drivers' championship on 204 points from Webber on 124 with Alonso moving up into third on 112.
Tennis
Canadian U-18 ITF Junior World Ranking Championship: Fourth-seed Ambika Pande became the first Indian tennis player ever to win the Canadian U-18 ITF Junior World Ranking Championship. She defeated Canadas third seed Gloria Liang 6-4 46 7-6(5) in the final to win the ITF juniors U-18 event in Vancouver.Ambika, who entered the tournament as a lucky loser, then pulled off five straight wins. Fourth seeded Indian had defeated eighth seed Tracy Dong of Canada 7-6 6-4 in the semifinals. This is the first-ever win by an Indian junior player at this prestigious tournament.Ambika trains at DLTA in New Delhi and is coached by former Indian Davis Cup player Vishaal Uppal. Ambika is an active player on the Indian junior circuit and has won junior national series and championship series titles.
Motor Racing
Hungarian Grand Prix: McLaren's Jenson Button won the Hungarian Grand Prix. His victory marked the celebration of his 200th Formula One start. The victory at Hungarian Grand Prix marked his second victory of 2011. He had won his first Grand Prix in 2006 in Hungary. He has 11 Grand Prix races in a career that started with team Williams in 2000.Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel was second despite and increased his championship lead over teammate Mark Webber to 85 points. Vettel moved closer to defending his title with eight races left after the mid-season break. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was third.Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) stood fourth while Red Bulls Mark Webber finished at number five. British Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso won the British Grand Prix thereby delivering Ferrari's longawaited first win of 2011.The 29-year-old Spaniard had in the past won the British race for Renault in 2006 and woth his victory in the British Grand Prix
Archery
Archery World Championship: The Indian trio of Deepika Kumari, Laishram Bombayla Devi and Chekrovolu Swuro settled for a silver medal in the Archery World Championship at Turin after losing the recurve event final to their Italian opponents. The Indians lost out 207-210 even though they had a onepoint lead at half-way stage.The Indians succumbed to the pressure and even the presence of Deepika, the reigning world cadet individual champion, did not inspire the Indians as they shot a very poor third end for a score of 50 points out of 60. The Italians turned the table on their rivals with a fine round of 55 that eventually gave them four-point cushion that stood the team well. Italy won silver at Beijing 2001 and won the world title in 1999 in Riom, France. They had met the Indians seven times before with 4-3 record on the head to head clash. Italians had defeated India at the Porec
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2010 and Shanghai 2009 World Cup. The only positive the Indians carried into the final was their semifinal victory over World champions Korea.This was the best finish by the women in the history of the Championships. Their previous best was a fourth place at Madrid in 2005, where they had lost to Russia in the bronze medal play-off.The silver is the only medal India won in the championship as the men failed to get past the first elimination round and none of the six archers made it to the quarterfinals in the individual events. Ronjan Sodhi ranked No.1: Double-trap shooter and Asian Games gold medalist Sodhi ranked No.1 in the world by the International Shooting Sport Federation(ISSF).Sodhi won gold in the World Cup Finals in Turkey in 2010.He recently won the silver medal in the Beijing World Cup to reserve a seat in the Olympics.
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AWARDS & PRIZES

Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards 2010
The Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna Sadasyata) and Akademi Award (Akademi Puraskar) are the most coveted national honours conferred on performing artists, gurus and scholars of the performing arts. These honours are decided by the Akademi's General Council, the apex body consisting of eminent artists, scholars and nominees of the Government of India and of different States and Union Territories of India. The Sangeet Natak Akademi is the countrys apex cultural body for music, dance, theatre and the arts. Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Akademi Awards for 2010 were presented by Vice-President of India, M. Hamid Ansari. Four eminent personalities were conferred the Akademi's Fellowships, while thirty-six artists and two scholars received the Akademi Awards for 2010.The highest honour of Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna Sadasyata) was conferred on eminent vocalist Girija Devi, renowned dance guru Nataraja Ramakrishna, Dhrupad maestro Rahim Fahimuddin Dagar, and Mridangam vidwan T. K. Murthy. The winners of the Akademy Fellowship received purse money of Rupees three lakh, besides an angavastram and a tamrapatra. The Fellowship of the Akademi is a rare honour, which is bestowed on a very limited number of artists and scholars at a given time. In the field of music, nine artists received the award. The awardees are as follows:-Chhanu Lal Mishra and Yashpaul for Hindustani Vocal Music, Budhaditya Mukherjee (Sitar) and Nityanand Haldipur (Flute) for Hindustani Instrumental Music, Suguna Purushothaman and Mysore Nagamani Srinath for Carnatic Vocal music, Nagai R Muralidharan (Violin) and Srimushnam V. Rajarao (Mridangam) for Carnatic Instrumental Music, and M. V. Simhachala Sastry (Harikatha) for Other Major Traditions of Music. In the field of dance, nine practitioners received the award. The winners are:-Malabika Mitra (Kathak), Kalamandalam Kombil Gopala Vasudevan Nair (Kathakali), Phanjoubam Iboton Singh (Manipuri), Rathna Kumar (Kuchipudi), Aruna Mohanty (Odissi), Manik Borbayan (Sattriya), Uttara Asha Coorlawala (Creative & Experimental), Kalamandalam Raman Chakyar (Other Major Traditions of Dance & Dance Theatre - Kutiyattam), and S Rajeswari (Music for Dance Bharatanatyam) In the field of theatre also, eight persons were honoured. They winners include playwrights D Vizai Bhaskar (Telugu) and Atamjit Singh (Punjabi), directors Veenapani Chawla and Urmil Kumar Thapaliyal, and actors Dilip Phabhavalkar, Banwari Taneja, Maya Krishna Rao and Swatilekha Sengupta. Harbhajan Singh Namdhari, Nazeer Ahmad Khan Warsi & Naseer Ahmad Khan Warsi, Dwijen Mukherjee, T.Somasundaram, Krishna Kumari, Chandatai Jagdish Tiwadi (Bharud folk theatre of Maharashtra), K. Chinna Anjanamma were some of the artists to receive the award for their contribution to other Traditional/Folk/ Tribal Music/ Dance/ Theatre forms.Ashok D. Ranade was honoured with the Award for his scholarship in music and Jaidev Taneja for his overall contribution to theatre. Note:-The eminent representatives of music, dance and theatre honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 2010 received purse money of Rupees one lakh, an angavastram and tamrapatra.
National Award of Ministry of Earth Sciences

The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) conferred its national awards for outstanding lifetime contributions on the foundation of MoES which is on 27 July. The award was conferred upon the former Director of the Hyderabad-based National Remote Sensing Agency, B. L. Deekshatulu, and the former Director of the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, R. N. Keshavamurthy.Dr. Deekshatulu won the award for his work in ocean science and technology while Dr. Keshavamurthy received it for his contributions in atmospheric science and technology. The awards conferred by Union
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Minister for Earth Sciences Vilasrao Deshmukh carry a cash prize of Rs.1 lakh each and a citation.
Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2011

Two Indians -Nileema Mishra, a lender to the poor in Maharashtra and US-trained Indian engineer Harish Hande who revolutionized the use of solar lights were among six people to have received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2011.The two Indians were honoured for their effort to harness technologies to empower their countrymen and create waves of progressive change across Asia.Bangalore-based energy engineer and entrepreneur, Harish Hande runs a solar electricity firm that has lit up over 125000 households to emerge as India's leading solar technology firm.He is a graduate from IIT Kharagpur and a PhD from the University of Massachusetts in the US. During his graduation, he visited the Dominican Republic, a leader in energy initiatives in the Caribbean. The experience he gathered there and in Sri Lanka inspired him to put up smallscale, standalone solar installations. He established the company SELCO India in Bangalore in 1995. His company provides affordable renewable energy services to poor villagers along with doorstep financing and services. Nileema Mishra was recognized for her purposedriven zeal to work tirelessly with villagers in Maharashtra. She stove to address both aspirations and adversities of the villagers through collective action and heightened confidence. She founded the Bhagini Nivedita Gramin Vigyan Niketan in Maharashtra's Bahadarpur village which has a population of around 10000. Mishra's gramin vigyan niketan provides rotating interest- free loans to farmers. Other Winners: Filipino charity group Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Hasanain Juaini, who set up an Islamic school for girls in Indonesia, fellow Indonesian Tri Mumpuni who promoted micro hydropower technology and Koul Panah who toils to restore democracy in Cambodia were the other winners of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2011.
list includes 13 books. Four first time novelists and three Canadian writers were shortlisted. The list also includes three new publishers to the prize - Oneworld, Sandstone Press and Seren Books. One former Man Booker Prize winner, two previously shortlisted writers and one long listed author was also named in the list.The titles were chosen by a panel of five judges chaired by author and former Director-General of MI5, Dame Stella Rimington. A total of 138 books, seven of which were called in by the judges, were considered for the Man Booker Dozen longlist.The four first time novelists on the list are Stephen Kelman for Pigeon Engli , AD Miller, Yvvette Edwards for A Cupboard Full of Coats and Patrick McGuinness for The Last Hundred Days.Canadian author Alison Pick, like McGuinness, is a published poet and is joined by fellow Canadians, Patrick deWitt and Esi Edugyan, on the longlist. The list includes one former winner, Alan Hollinghurst, who won the prize in 2004 for The Line of Beauty. He was also shortlisted in 1994 for The Folding Star. Two previously shortlisted authors also make the list- Irish writer Sebastian Barry (The Secret Scripture, 2008 and A Long Long Way, 2005) and Julian Barnes (Arthur and George, 2005, England, England, 1998 and Flaubert's Parrot, 1984). Carol Birch was longlisted in 2003 for Turn Again Home. The winner will receive 50,000 and each of the six shortlisted authors, including the winner, will receive 2,500 and a designer bound edition of their book.
Swadhinata Sammanona Award

Former Indian Prime MinisterIndira Gandhiwas honoured posthumously with the highest Bangladesh award the Bangladesh Swadhinata Sammanona (Bangladesh Freedom Honour ). The award was meant to honour Indira Gandhis for her outstanding contributions to Bangladesh's Liberation War fought in 1971. During the tumultuous days of 1971, the great Indian leader Indira Gandhi had taken a firm, principled stand to side with the oppressed people of then East Pakistan. Under Indira Gandhis leadership India sheltered 10 million Bangladeshi war refugees, lobbied for Bangladesh internationally, secured the release of Sheikh Mujib from a Pakistani jail as well as risked a war to hasten Bangladeshs freedom.The award included a 200 tola gold medal and a citation.Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman presented the award, the highest honour for any foreign
Man Booker Prize 2011

The longlist for the 2011 Man Booker Prize for Fiction - the Man Booker Dozen was announced. The
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national after 40 years of Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan. The award was received by her daughter-in-law Sonia Gandhi who visited Bangladesh at the invitation of Sheikh Hasina. The award recognised Indira Gandhis direct support, cooperation, her strong role and unique contribution to Bangladeshs independence. Bangladesh set up the honours to decorate 47 foreigners who helped the country during its struggle for independence and mark the 40th anniversary of its achievement.
Dhyan Chand Award Shabbir Ali

Former India strikerShabbir Ali, who took up fulltime coaching after retirement on 26 June 2011 became the first footballer to win the prestigious Dhyan Chand award as recognition for his lifetime achievement in sports. Shabbir recently helped Bengal successfully defend the Santosh Trophy in Guwahati.The Dhyan Chand Award is Indias highest award for lifetime achievement in sports and was instituted in 2002. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh, a statuette, a ceremonial dress and a scroll of honour. Bengals Aparna Ghosh (basketball) was the first recipient of this award along with Ashok Diwan (hockey) and Shahuraj Birajdar (boxing).The All India Football Federation (AIFF) could not nominate Shabbir for the Dronacharya award as the guidelines stipulate that aspirants should have coached the national team.Syed Nayeemuddin remains the only football coach to recieve Dronacharya honour (1990).
kabaddi teams, Rakesh Kumar and Tejaswini Bai, were chosen for the award.Tejaswini Sawant, who won the world championship gold in shooting, also made the list. Archer Rahul Banerjee, a gold medallist in World Cups and individual champion in the Commonwealth Games, was chosen for the honour as well.Asian champion and gold medallist in the Commonwealth Games, boxer Suranjoy Singh, GrecoRoman wrestler Ravinder Singh, winner of the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games, and weightlifter K. Ravi Kumar, providing a silver lining to the troubled sport got for the award.Hockey captain Rajpal Singh, badminton ace Jwala Gutta, volleyball player Sanjay Kumar, footballer Sunil Chetri, who almost got it last year, and wushu silver medallist in the Asian Games, Sandhya Rani Devi, were the others to be chosen for the Arjuna award.
Dronacharya Award
Five coaches were chosen for the Dronacharya award. The awardees are as follows: Ram Phal (wrestling), Devendra Kumar Rathore (gymnastics), I. Venkateswara Rao (boxing), Rajender Singh (hockey) and Kunthal Kumar Roy (athletics).Yashvir Singh, long-time coach of world champion and Olympic bronze medallist wrestler Sushil Kumar, withdrew his nomination on 21 July evening thereby clearing the route for Ram Phal, coach of Yogeshwar Dutt.Gagan Narang was selected for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
Mphasis Universal Design Awards 2011

The National Centre for Promotion of Empowerment of Disabled People (NCPEDP) in association with AccessAbility and BarrierBreak Technologies announced the winners of the NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Awards-2011 in July 2011.The awards honour organisations and individuals for their exemplary work in promoting the cause of accessibility for the disabled. The awards are given out in three categories -- persons with disabilities, working professionals, and companies and organisations on the eve of Independence Day (15 August).The Awards will cover accessibility in the following fields: Built Environment, Transport, Information and Communication Technology, Services and Aids and Appliances.
Arjuna Awards for 2010

The Dinesh Khanna-led Arjuna award panel had recommended increasing the number of Arjuna awards to 19 instead of the normal 15.The selection of cricketer Zaheer Khan and Ashish Kumar, who bagged the first medals for the country in gymnastics in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, came as no surprise.Swimmer Virdhawal Khade, who won the elusive Asian Games medal in Guangzhou, the first for the country after Khajan Singh's effort in 1986 in Seoul, was also chosen for the award.Swimmer Prasanta Karmakar who had the distinction of winning the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games medals, was selected for the award in the paralympic category. The captains of the men's and women's
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Ordre National Du Merite

A female Pakistani DMG officer, Amna Imran Khan was awarded the Ordre National du Merite by President Nicholas Sarkozy of France. She was awarded the awarded the prestigious French knighthood for distinguished and extra ordinary services for strengthening and promoting cooperation between the Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan and France.The Ambassador of France lauded the dynamic manner in which she pioneered a wide range of programmes for capacity building of the Law Enforcement Agencies and Civil Armed Forces of Pakistan with the assistance of French Authorities. The French Ambassador at the award ceremony highlighted rich experience of Amna Imran in her capacity as a public servant including her posting as Public Relations Officer with Prime Minister, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Assistant Commissioner, Islamabad, Abbottabad, Deputy Director Anti Narcotics force, Deputy Secretary Ministry of Interior, Joint Secretary to Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award

SPIC MACAY is an organization,which is promoting Indian classical music and culture. 19th Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award to be presented to the SPIC MACAY for its outstanding contribution towards the promotion of communal harmony, peace and goodwill.The award is given annually on 20th August
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PERSONS IN NEWS
INS Sharabh
The oldest commissioned ship of the Indian Navy INS Sharabh decommissioned at the Naval Jetty at Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.Commissioned in January 1976, at Gdynia, Poland Ship had the merit of participating in many amphibious operations both on the eastern and western seaboard of the country and landed troops and materials on all major landing sites in the Andaman sea region. swimmer to qualify for the 2012 mega event in the 100 metres breaststroke event.Sharath Gayakwad had earlier qualified for the London Paralympics 2012 in the 100m breaststroke event.As a result of their phenomenal performances at the World Championships, Khade and Sejwal currently are a part of the Top 150 list. Khade is ranked 122 in the 50m butterfly event while Sandeep is 128th in the 100m breaststroke event.
Rajiv Awas Yojana

The Rajiv Awas Yojana is anticipated to cover about 250 cities nationwide by the end of 2017.The scheme was launched in pursuance of the Governments vision of creating a slum-free India in June 2011.The States to select the cities in consultation with the Centre. States to include all cities with over 3 Lakh population as per the 2001 Census.Scheme meant to benefit slum-dwellers and the urban poor.
Nirupama Rao
Ms Nirupama Rao (Former Foreign Secretary and U.S. Ambassador-designate) selected for the yearly annual award instituted by the Sree Chithira Tirunal Trust for the year 2011. Award constitutes Rs.1 lakh and a citationMs. Rao selected for the award for her role in shaping the countrys Foreign Policy and her rich understanding of the India-China border issue.
M.F Hussain Passes Away

Indias famous artist M.F.Hussain passed away in London on July 03. M.F. Hussain took Indian art to the global stage but not without controversies. The eccentric painter who lived barefoot died at the Brompton and Harfield NHS foundation in London after months of prolonged illness. Born in Maharashtra Hussain began his career as a painter by painting film posters. He was popularly known as Picasso of India and was once a member of Rajya Sabha. He has been awarded the nations 2nd highest Padma Vibhushan.The Picasso of India courted controversy after he showed hindu deities in nude in his paintings, and from then he was being considered as an anti-Hindu. After getting death threats in India he imposed exile on himself from the year 2006. Later in the year 2010 he accepted the citizenship of Qatar that was offered to him. The painter courted another biggest controversy by portraying mother India as a naked woman. His paintings have often courted controversies and wrath of people as his work often depicted gods and goddesses in nude form. He was a great fan of Madhuri Dixit such that he made a film with her called Gaja Gamini.
Norman Anil Kumar Browne

Mr. Norman Anil Kumar Browne is New Air Chief Marshal.He took charge as Indias 23rd Chief of the Air Staff. He succeeded Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik.Nick-named-Charlie Browne in Air Force Circles.Currently appointed as one of the Honorary Aides De Camp to the President of India.Built the Indian Defence Wing in Tel Aviv in 1997 and served as the DefenceAttache till July 2000
Virdhawal Khade
Indian swimmer Virdhawal Khade on 27 July 2011 became the second Indian swimmer to qualify for 2012 London Olympics clocking 50.34s in the 100m freestyle event at the 14th FINA World Championships in Shanghai. He qualified for the 2012 London Olympics in the 100-metre freestyle event.Khade though could not make the semifinals at FINA, managed to cross the qualifying mark. He covered the 50m distance in 24.08s. He finished tied 41st overall out of 105 competitors. Sandeep Sejwal was the first
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Pradeep Kumar
Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar chosen as CVC (Chief Vigilance Commissioner). Mr. Pradeep Kumar, retires as Defence Secretary on July 31 He was chosen by consensus by a panel comprising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P Chidambaram and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj. Mr. Kumar, a Haryana cadre IAS officer of the 1972 batch.
Pyeongchang
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that Pyeongchang (South Korea) won the vote to be the host city for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Pyeongchang defeated Munich (Germany) and France's Annecy in the voting held in Durban, South Africa. Pyeongchang received a massive 63 of the 95 votes cast in the first round of the secret ballot in Durban. Munich received 25 and Annecy seven.Pyeongchang is the ski resort area located 180km east of Seol. The Winter Olympics will likely put South Korea on the map as a winter sports hot spot.Only two of 21 previous Winter Games have been in Asia after Japan hosted the event in Sapporo in 1972 and again in Nagano in 1998.
R.T.Agarwal
R.T. Agarwal is appointed as the new Director (Finance) Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd.
Ashok Parija
Members of the Bar Council of India (BCI) unanimously elected Ashok Parija as the new Chairman and Zafar Ahmed Khan as the new Vice-Chairman. Ashok Parija succeeded Gopal Subramaniam who laid down office upon his resignation as Solicitor General of the country.The newly elected Chairman and Vice Chairman shall continue in office along with the other office bearers till April 2012.Ashok Parija is a member from the State Bar Council of Orissa while Zafar Ahmed Khan is BCI member from the State Bar Council of Madhya Pradesh.Election was held only for these two offices in which all 19 members of the BCI were unanimous in expressing their choice for posts of Chairman and Vice Chairman.
Mamta Sharma
Mamta Sharma succeeded Ms Girija Vyas as the new chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW).Ms Sharma was a member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly and President of Rajasthan State Women Congress Committee.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was honoured with Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters from the French government by the Ambassador of France in New Delhi, Jerome Bonnafont on 13 July 2011. Aishwarya will now receive the award on the eve of the National Day of France. Bastille Day is the French National Day, which is celebrated on 14 July of each year.The award, meant to honour her contribution to the world of cinema, was to be conferred in 2008. However she could not receive it then due to her father's illness. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan had won the Miss World title in 1994 and starred in more than 40 Hindi-language films and a number of English-language films, including the Steve Martin remake of the Pink Panther.Aishwarya is the first Asian actress and the youngest Indian to win the honour.
Mitul Desai
Mitul Desai (an Indian-American), appointed as Senior Adviser in the U.S. State Departments South and Central Asia Bureau to strengthen ties with the Diaspora groups. Mr. Mitul in charge for working out means to facilitate the US Government to put together an alignment of groups to make it comfortable for Indians in the Diaspora as well as other Diaspora communities to make contributions to growth
Sadananda Gowda
CM of Karnataka D V Sadananda Gowda,Elected as leader of the BJP legislature party through secret ballot & thus became the CM of Karnataka.
Rajan Mathai
Rajan Mathai took charge New Foreign Secretary of India.Mr. Mathai was Indias former ambassador to France.He is to hold office for a two-year term.He succeeds Nirupama Rao, who has been named Indias ambassador to the US.Mr. Rakesh Sood, Indias am-
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bassador to Nepal, will succeed Mathai as New Delhis envoy in Paris.
Sadhana Amte
A senior social worker wife of the Magsaysay Award winner late Shri Baba Amte popularly known as Sadhana-`tai, Sadhana Amte (86) passed away after prolonged illness.She is survived by sons Dr Vikas, and Magsaysay Award winner Dr Prakash Amte.She supported her husband in establishing a rehabilitation colony for leprosy patients, `Anandwan, several decades ago.She also stood by her Husband all through the struggle and turbulent phases of life including the Narmada Bachao Andolan.She and her Husband dreamt for humankind and their struggle to put life For the recognition of her Service she was Conferred upon many awards including Chaturang Lifetime Achievement Award in the year 2007 for her notable contribution in the field of social work
tral Bank of India.Usha started her career with another public sector lender BoB in 1982 as a specialist officer in planning division. She worked in various capacities as zonal head (southern zone), life insurance joint venture formation and secretary of the board of directors, before rising to the post of general manager.
M V Tanksale
The Union government appointed M V Tanksale, executive director of the country's No. 2 state-run lender Punjab National Bank (PNB), as the new chairman and managing director of Central Bank of India. Tanksale who began his term on 29 June 2011 will remain in office till 31 July 2013.
J.C.D. Prabhakar
The All India Chess Federation (AICF) elected J.C.D. Prabhakar as president for the term 2011-2014 at its annual general body meeting.
Brahmasree Malliyoor Sankaran Namboothiri Passed Away

Eminent Sanskrit scholar and Bhagavatham proponent Malliyoor Sankaran Namboothiri passed away in Kuruppanthara, near Kottayam BhagavataHamsam Brahmasree Malliyoor Shankaran Namboothiri (91) was a well known proponent of ritual narration of Bhagavatam-stories.
Nirupama Rao
Nirupama Rao (Foreign Secretary) appointed the ambassador to the USA.Ms Rao succeeds Meera Shankar as the US Ambassador.1973-batch IFS officer took over the office of the ForeignSecretary on August 1, 2009, becoming the second woman to head the Indian Foreign Secretary after Chokila Iyer. She was to retire in December in 2010 at the age of 60 but wasgiven an extension till July-end as the Government fixed a two-year term for the post of foreign secretaryMs Raos appointment as the next ambassador to USA comes as a significant development in the backdrop of crucial Indo-US ties. Ms Rao, the first woman spokesperson of the MoEA (Ministry of External Affairs), was countrys ambassador to Sri Lanka and China before being appointed as the foreign secretary.
Naved Masood
Naved Masood took over as the New Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.Naved Masood is a 1977 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre.Mr. Masood substituted Mr. D.K.Mittal who was appointed as Secretary Department of Financial Services in the Ministry of Finance.
Naresh Chandra
Government set up Task Force to review the existing National Security System.The Task force to suggest the measures to fortify the security machinery in the non-conventional areas of the Country.The Task Force set up under the chairmanship of former Cabinet Secretary Mr. Naresh Chandra.
Usha Ananthasubramanian
The Government of India appointed Usha Ananthasubramanian, former general manager of Bank of Baroda (BoB) as executive director of public sector lender Punjab National Bank (PNB). She replaced M V Tanksale, who was elevated to the position of Chairman and Managing Director of the Cen-
Vilasrao Deshmukh
Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh defeated former Indian Captain Dilip Vengsarkar, by 47 votes to become the president of the Mumbai Cricket Association for the term of two years.
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UPSCPORTAL Current Affairs : http://upscportal.com/civilservices/current-affairs

IAS MAINS STUDY KIT

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Causes & Cure

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LATEST BOOKS BY UPSCPORTAL.COM

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Rising Food Prices Worldwide

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Topsoil erosion: modern ploughing, overgrazing,

Increasing urbanisation often means that more

people are becoming purchasers rather than producers of food.

93,000,000 Acres of corn planted by US farmers

50kg Quantity of meat consumed annually by the

9.2bn The world's predicted population by 2050.

58% Jump in the price of pork in China in the past

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HRD Ministry Took Over NCTE

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration

Special Investigation Team On Black Money By SC

Ban on Non-Iodised Salt Unconstitutional

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Work on 2 Units of Atomic Power Station Inaugurated in Rajasthan

India is 10th Largest Exporter of Services

National Social Security Fund (NSSF)

Renuka Dam Project Held Up By NGT Orders

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Governments Lokpal Bill, 2011

20 Percent Rise in Tiger Population

Campaign Against Diabetes and Hypertension

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36% Indians Suffered From MDE

142 Crore For 6 DD Channels

Water Allocation is Not A Matter of Judicial Review

Challenge to Uniform Syllabus

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India Accepted International Norms to Limit Ship Pollution

Comprehensive Survey On Sex Workers' Number

MPLADs Incresed to 5 Crore Rupees

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Asia-Europe (ASEM) Meeting

9.2 Percent Unemployment in USA

Salient Features of ASEM Meet

ASEM meet further exchanged views on, matters

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State on June 28 2006 after it gained its independence from Serbia.

Resolutions And Recommendations: