October 2012 Current Affairs Study Material

October 2012 Current Affairs Study Material-- INTERNATIONAL ___________________________________________________________________ Imran Khan on anti-drone ‘peace march’ to tribal belt Imran Khan on 6th October 2012 set off on a motorcade “peace march” to the terrorists-riddled South Waziristan to protest US drone strikes in the tribal belt. ___________________________________________________________________ Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Re-Elected for fourth term Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been re-elected for the third term. Mr Chavez defeated opposition leader Henrique Capriles. Mr Chavez garnered 54.42 per cent of the vote while his rival bagged 44 per cent votes. ___________________________________________________________________ Pakistani youth support Malala Yousufzai Pakistani teenaged rights campaigner, Malala Yousafzai, who was on 14th October 2012 shot by the Taliban for publicly opposing them against the girl education.She got the support from all over the world. Ali Zidan elected Libya PM Libya’s 200-member General National Congress has elected a former congressman and human rights lawyer Ali Zidan as the country’s new Prime Minister on 14th October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ Austrian skydiver breaks sound barrier Austrian national Felix Baumgartner, who jumped from a height of 39 km, became the first skydiver to record the highest ever freefall and also the first human to go faster than the speed of sound. ___________________________________________________________________ Five New Non-Permanent Member Countries Elected to UN Security Council UN General Assembly elected five new non-permanent members to the Security Council. The New Members are South Korea, Luxembourg, Argentina, Australia and Rwanda. ___________________________________________________________________ Iran bans export of 50 basic foods to preserve supplies Iran has banned the export of around 50 basic goods in order to preserve supplies of essential items in the wake of tightening Western sanctions. ___________________________________________________________________ INDIA & WORLD India, Australia signs MoU to strengthen bilateral cooperation India and Austrlia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 1st October 2012 for strengthening long-term relationship and bilateral Cooperation on Road and Rail Infrastructure.The agreement was signed between the Minister of Railways and Road Transport and Highways, Dr. C.P.Joshi and visiting Federal Minister of Transport, Innovation and Technology of Austrlia, Mrs. Doris Burse in New Delhi. ___________________________________________________________________ India, Austrlia tie up to develop ‘smart cities’ India tie up with Austrlia to develop two “smart cities” in all states with a host of modern features like intelligent transport and carbon neutral status in each of the states in the second phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal mission.Initially half a million to one million population cities will be developed as smart cities with the help of Austrian Institute of Technology who is expertise in this field. ___________________________________________________________________ India gets $500 mn World Bank fund for secondary education World Bank, the multilateral lending agency, and the government of India 5th October signed a loan agreement worth $ 500 million for Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) in the country. ___________________________________________________________________ India lags behind China, Pak in reducing hunger level India lags behind neighbouring China, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in reducing hunger level, says the 2012 Global Hunger Index (GHI) released by US-based International Food Policy and Research Institute.India is ranked 65th out of 79 countries in GHI, behind China at 2nd place, Pakistan at 57 and Sri Lanka at 37. ___________________________________________________________________ IOC signs MoU with Korea Gas Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), on 17th October 2012, entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Korea Gas Corporation (Kogas) for jointly exploring opportunities in exploration of oil and gas and LNG business. Cabinet clears Rs 8,000cr missile purchase for armed forces Proposals worth over Rs 8,000 crore for procuring around 10,000 ‘Invar’ missiles from Russia for the Army’s T-90 tanks and over 200 air-launched versions of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles for the IAF were cleared on 18th October 2012 by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). ___________________________________________________________________ India and Australia Sign Four Agreements of Cooperation India and Australia agreed to expand cooperation in security and Defence including fight against terrorism.They also agreed to begin negotiations for an agreement on Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation which will precede actual cooperation. Both the countries also signed four agreements in the field of space science technology and education, cooperation in student mobility and welfare, skill development and textiles. ___________________________________________________________________ Iran to complete gas pipeline work by year-end Iran has said it was for India and Pakistan to sort out issues related to the proposed Indo-Iran gas pipeline, even as it committed itself to complete its part of 800 km of gas pipeline to India till Irani boundaries by the end of this year. ___________________________________________________________________ India, New Zealand sign five pacts to cooperate in field of education India and New Zealand signed five Memoranda of Understanding in the different fields of education on 19th October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ India, Switzerland to cooperate in Transport sector India and Switzerland on 19th October 2012 discussed ways and means for enhancing cooperation in the field of Transport sector including roads and Railways. ___________________________________________________________________ India & Pakistan may introduce a common currency called “Papee” After taking into consideration the decade long success of Euro, and due to increasing demands of businessmen of India (and terrorists of Pakistan), both countries’ ruling leaders (i.e. India’s UPA, and Pakistan’s Military) are thinking about introducing a common currency for India and Pakistan.The name with the highest votes , is a word derived by adding “pa” from ‘Pa’kistan and “pee” from Indian Ru’pee’ i.e. “Papee” Hyderabad is world’s 3rd best city to visit in 2013 Hyderabad has been named as one of the best cities in the world to visit in 2013 by travel guide book Lonely Planet published on 22nd October 2012.The top 10 cities according to Lonely Planet to visit in 2013 are San Francisco, Amsterdam, Hyderabad, Derry/Londonderry, Beijing, Christchurch, Hobart, Montreal, Addis Ababa and Puerto Iguazu. ___________________________________________________________________ India, Japan focus on expanding defence cooperation India and Japan on 22nd October 2012 discussed ways to expand their security and defence cooperation at a meeting of their foreign and defence secretaries in Tokyo. ___________________________________________________________________ ‘Super 30’ ties up with Tokyo University The ‘Super 30’ programme for training students of the backward sections for the IIT-JEE tied up on 24th October 2012 with the University of Tokyo, which will sponsor study of its students in Japan.This agreement is a follow-up of the Japanese Government Program named Global 30, of engagement with Super 30 for increasing the flow of Indian Students to Japan. –7th SAFF begins in Goa The Seventh South Asia Film Festival (SAFF)-2012 held at Panaji in Goa from. ___________________________________________________________________ India-US-Japan trilateral meet The US’ ‘pivot-to-Asia’ policy, Iran, China-Japan maritime dispute and South China Sea will be among the issues to be discussed during the 3rd round of India-US-Japan Trilateral dialogue in New Delhi on 29th October 2012. The meet will also focus on finding areas of cooperation between the three countries. ___________________________________________________________________ India to give financial assistance to Nepal’s Palpa District India is to provide an assistance of four crore and thirty-three lakh Nepali rupees for Palpa District in Western Nepal on 31st October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ NATIONAL FICCI urges Centre to ban bauxite exports Trade body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has urged the Union ministry of commerce and industry to ban bauxite exports fearing closure of alumina refineries for shortage of the key raw material required to produce alumina. ___________________________________________________________________ Supreme Court directs Centre and states to provide basic facilities to students The Supreme Court on 3rd October 2012 directed all schools across the country to provide basic infrastructure facilities like drinking water and toilets to school children within six months and failure to implement will be viewed seriously. The order was passed on a petition filed by an NGO Environmental and Consumer Protection Foundation. ___________________________________________________________________ Kejriwal forms political party, promises to change the system Social activist Arvind Kejriwal added a new dimension to his movement against corruption as he formally launched his political party and said it belonged to the people of the nation. ___________________________________________________________________ Ministry of Rural Development Launched Nirmal Bharat Yatra Ministry of rural development on 3 October 2012 started a campaign named Nirmal Bharat Yatra which focuses on making the country free from open defecation.The yatra will begin from Wardha District of Maharashtra from 3 october 2012 and will go through Indore, Kota, Gwalior, and Gorakhpur and end up in Bettiah district of Bihar on November 17, covering about 2000 km of distance. ___________________________________________________________________ SC orders new survey to identify bonded labour The Supreme Court on 15th October 2012 directed all states and Union Territories to conduct fresh surveys to identify bonded labour problems in the country and regretted that a large number of children continue to work as domestic help even after the enactment of the Right to Education Act. ___________________________________________________________________ Centre to launch Aadhaar based delivery system The much awaited Aadhaar enabled system for direct cash transfer to beneficiaries under social schemes such as MNREGA and pension will be launched on 19th October 2012 by PM Manmohan Singh at Dudu, Rajasthan. ___________________________________________________________________ India’s infant mortality rate drops India’s infant mortality rate (IMR) has come down by three points from 47 to 44 deaths per 1,000 live births during 2011. ___________________________________________________________________ Centre, states sign MoU for broadband linking of villages The Central government has signed a tripartite agreement with 16 states and union territories and a special purpose vehicle Bharat Broadband Network Ltd (BBNL) has been launched to expedite the mission of connecting every gram panchayat with broadband network. ___________________________________________________________________ Reshuffling of Central Cabinet Cabinet Ministers Portfolio M. Veeerappa Moily Petroleum & Natural Gas S. Jaipal Reddy Science & Technology and Earth Science Kamal Nath Urban Development & Parliamentary Affairs Vayalar Ravi Overseas Indian Affairs Kapil Sibal Communications & Information Technology C.P. Joshi Road Transport & Highways Kumar Selja Social Justice & Empowerment Pawan Kumar Bansal Railways Salman Khursheed External Affairs Jairam Ramesh Rural Development K. Rahman Khan Minority Affairs Dinsha J. Patel Mines Ajay Maken Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation M.M. Pallam Raju Human Resource Development Ashwani Kumar Law & Justice Harish Rawat Water Resources Chandresh Kumar Katoch Culture Ministers of State with Independent Charge Portfolio Jyotiraditya Madharao Scindia Power K.H. Muniappa Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Sachin Pilot Corporate Affairs Jitendra Singh Youth Affairs & Sports Manish Tewari Information & Broadcasting K. Chiranjeevi Tourism Ministers of State Portfolio E. Ahamed External Affairs D. Purandeswari Commerce & Industry Jitin Prasada Defence & Human Resource Development S. Jagathrakshakan New & Renewable Energy R.P.N. Singh Home K.C. Venugopal Civil Aviation Rajeev Shukla Parliamentary Affairs & Planning Shashi Tharoor Human Resource Development Kodikunni Suresh Labour & Employment Tariq Anwar Agriculture & Food Processing Industries K.J. Surya Prakash Reddy Railways Ranee Narah Tribal Affairs Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Railways A.H. Khan Choudhury Health & Family Welfare Sarvey Sathyanarayana Road Transport & Highways Ninong Ering Minority Affairs Deepa Dasmunsi Urban Development Porika Balram Naik Social Justice & Empowerment Kruparani Killi Communication & Inforamtion Technology Lalchand Kataria Defence ___________________________________________________________________ Resigned Cabinet Ministers Portfolio S.M. Krishna External Affairs Ambika Soni Information and Broadcasting Mukul Wasnik Tourism Mahadev Khandela Minister of State Justice and Empowerment ___________________________________________________________________ STATES Door-to-door cancer campaign in Punjab Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal sanctioned the “biggest ever” door-to-door campaign for a symptoms-based early detection and awareness about cancer.At least 50,000 personnel and volunteers would visit 54 lakh households in 12,603 villages and 217 census towns, for the exercise that begins in Faridkot district on October 2. ___________________________________________________________________ In Goa Housewives with family income less than Rs 3 lakh to get Rs 1000 to fight inflation Housewives in Goa just got a breather from rising inflation, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government on 2nd October 2012 launched a scheme to provide an allowance of Rs 1,000 a month to housewives in households whose annual incomes are less than Rs 3 lakh. ___________________________________________________________________ EC announces dates for assembly polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh The Election Commission on 3rd October 2012 announced dates for Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections. While Gujarat will have elections in two phases – December 13 and 17, Himachal Pradesh will vote on November 4. The counting for both the assembly elections will take place on December 20. ___________________________________________________________________ UP government announces ban on gutka industry from April 2013 On 3rd October 2012 Uttar Pradesh government decided to impose a ban on gutka industry in the state with effect from April 2013. ___________________________________________________________________ Supreme Court bans mining activities in Goa In Goa, the Supreme Court imposed a complete ban on the mining activities as well as transportation of iron and manganese ore on 5th October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ Arvind Kejriwal launches ‘bijli-paani satyagraha’ in Delhi Activist Arvind Kejriwal on 6th Octomber 2012 launched a ‘bijli-paani satyagraha’ in Delhi to protest against “inflated” power and water bills and hike in tariffs by restoring electricity connection to the household of a labourer which was disconnected for non-payment of bills. ___________________________________________________________________ EC fiat to Himachal Pradesh On 7th October 2012 The Election Commission (EC) stopped the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh from distributing free PDS bags carrying photographs of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Maharashtra tribals demand ban on alcohol Tribal women from Maharashtra’s Chandrapur have sent 80,000 postcards to Chief Miniter Prithviraj Chavan asking to make the district liquor-free. ___________________________________________________________________ UPRVUNL, NLC to set up thermal plant at Ghatampur The UP Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (UPRVUNL) and the central government PSU Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd (NLCL) signed a joint venture agreement (JVA) to set up a 2,000 MW thermal power plant at Ghatampur (Kanpur) on 7th October 2012 . ___________________________________________________________________ Union Government ruled out the decision of Cauvery River Authority Decision of the Cauvery River Authority was ruled out by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 8 October 2012. The Prime Minister ordered Karnataka to release 9000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu every day, till 20 October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ Railways put 400 CCTVs at 10 stations to improve security system The Delhi division of Northern Railway authorities have completed the installation of 400 CCTVs at 10 stations with Rs. 20 crore to ensure better security and mobility at its stations.Only in the New Delhi Railway station they installed more than 100 CCTV cameras as part of an integrated security system (ISS). ___________________________________________________________________ President’s son Abhijit Mukherjee wins Jangipur Lok Sabha by-poll Abhijit Mukherjee, son of President Pranab Mukherjee and Congress candidate, on 13th October 2012 won the Jangipur Lok Sabha by-election by 2,536 votes defeating the CPI-M rival Muzaffar Hussain. ___________________________________________________________________ Union Power Ministry gave its Nod to Implement Islanding Scheme in Delhi The Union Power Minister Veerapa Moily on 17 October 2012 announced the implementation of Islanding Scheme for Delhi by January 2013 to protect it from massive disruptions caused due to grid failures in power supply. The scheme of Delhi is different to that of the existing ones in cities like Mumbai and Kolkata because the transmission lines of different states is routed through Delhi. ___________________________________________________________________ Haryana to give Rs.11,000 to couples at mass weddings The Haryana Government has announced on 20th October 2012 that it will give Rs.11,000 to each newly wedding couple at a mass marriage. ___________________________________________________________________ Uttarakhand Named best Performing States in terms of Environmental standards The state of Uttarakhand on 29 October 2012 tops the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) list of being best-performing States and Union territories in terms of environmental well-being released by Planning Commission. ___________________________________________________________________ CONFERENCES The international biodiversity meet in Hyderabad The XI Conference of Parties (CoP-11) on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) being hosted by India at Hyderabad starts on 1st October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ Asia Co-operation Dialogue Summit held in Kuwait Asia Co-operation Dialogue Summit has given a call for stronger co-operation among member nations and to work for the improvement of living conditions.Leaders from 32 countries pledged to focus on key areas to fulfill the aspirations of the people. These include sustainable energy and development, economic growth, food security, trade and commerce, health care, climate change and co-operation in financial and education sectors. ___________________________________________________________________ South Korea to host next UN biodiversity meet in 2014 South Korea will host the 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP12) to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2014, it was announced in Hyderabad on 19th October 2012. Third Worldwide Cybersecurity Summit The 3rd Worldwide Cybersecurity Summit organized by EastWest Institute, a New York based think-and-do tank, kick-started in the New Delhi on 30th October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ AWARDS & HONOURS President Confers Shastri awards to ISRO scientist Tessy Thomas On 1st October 2012 President Pranab Mukherjee conferred the prestigious Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award 2012 to ISRO scientist Tessy Thomas at an award function in Rashtrapati Bhawan. Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award is conferred every year for doing excellent work in the field of Public Administration, Academics and Management. ___________________________________________________________________ Banaras Hindu University VC wins MV Pylee award for best academician Banaras Hindu University (BHU) vice chancellor and renowned molecular biology scientist Dr Lalji Singh has won the 7th MV Pylee award for the best academician. The MV Pylee award was constituted in year 1996 in honour of Cochin University’s former vice chancellor MV Pylee. The award includes Rs 2 lakh, a memento and citation for excellence in teaching and research and contribution to academic community. It is awarded once every three years. ___________________________________________________________________ S.No Department Name of the Person/ Organization Country Field of Research 1. PHYSICS Serge Haroche and France For ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems David J. Wineland America 2. CHEMISTRY Robert J. Lefkowitz and America For studies of G-Protein-coupled receptors Brain K. Kobilka America 3. PHYSIOLOGY OR MEDICINE Sir John B. Gurdon and Britan For the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent Shinya Yamanaka Japan 4. ECONOMIC SCIENCES Alvin E. Roth and America For the theory of stable allocations and the practice of market design Lioyd S. Shapley America 5. LITERATURE Mo Yan China Who with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary 6. PEACE PRIZE European Union (EU) Europe For over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation. Democracy and human rights in Europe. Sachin Tendulkar to be made member of Order of Australia Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard made the announcement on 16th October 2012 that the first Indian sportsperson Tendulkar to be conferred with the Membership of the Order of Australia, an honour “rarely” bestowed on non-Australians. ___________________________________________________________________ First-ever India Biodiversity Awards presented The women who led the ecological restoration of Gundlaba village in Odisha’s Puri district after the 1999 super cyclone are among the four winners of the first India Biodiversity Awards. The awards, instituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP). ___________________________________________________________________ Vijay Kumar honoured with ‘Services Best Sportsman’ London Olympics silver medallist shooter Vijay Kumar was named as the ‘Services Best Sportsman’ award for 2012 at the Army Headquarters in New Delhi.The award is given to best sportsman from out of all the three services-Army, Air Force Navy. ___________________________________________________________________ Bangladesh honours fifty-two Indians Bangladesh has honoured foreign friends who contributed to achieve the nation’s independence from Pakistan in 1971.Of the 61 recipients of the award in the third phase, 52 are from India and the rest are from Nepal, the United States, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, Australia, Sweden, and Italy.The former Indian Prime Minister, I.K. Gujral, and the former Nepalese Prime Minister, the late Girija Prasad Koirala, received the Bangladesh Muktijuddho Sammanana. ___________________________________________________________________ Singham Bravery Award Posthumously given to IAS and Security Personnel Narendra Kumar the IPS officer who was brutally killed by illegal mining mafia in Madhya Pradesh and many other Security Personnel who had laid down their life for fighting against Maoists and anti Social element on 21 October 2012 were awarded with Singham Bravery Awards. ___________________________________________________________________ Bangladesh honours Babu Jagjivan Ram Former Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of India, late Babu Jagjivan Ram has been awarded with the “Friends of Liberation War Honour” by the Government of Bangladesh for his contribution in the 1971 War. ___________________________________________________________________ Narayan Murthy honoured with Hoover Medal IT giant Infosys founder, N.R. Narayan Murthy honoured with Hoover Medal for promoting science at Global Humanitarian Technology Conference in Washington. ___________________________________________________________________ Gavaskar to receive BCCI’s lifetime achievement award Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar will be conferred the Col C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award at the annual BCCI awards function on 25th October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ Amitabh Bachchan gets best TV host award for Kaun Banega Crorepati Amitabh Bachchan has won the best television host award for the popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati. ___________________________________________________________________ Lord Indarjit Singh conferred Punjab Ratan Award Lord Indarjit Singh, the first member of the House of Lords to wear a turban, has been presented with the ‘Punjab Ratan’ (Jewel of Punjab) award by the World Punjabi Organisation, in recognition of his contribution to promoting Punjabi culture, heritage and inter-faith services. Delhi Metro bags JICA President Award The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was awarded the prestigious Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) President’s Award 2012 on 29th October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ Noted film lyricist and poet Gulzar presented with Indira Gandhi award for National Integration The Indira Gandhi award for National Integration for 2011 has been given to noted film lyricist and poet Gulzar in recognition of his contribution to national integration. ___________________________________________________________________ SPORTS & GAMES Indian judokas win 2 silver, 3 bronze in Asian Championship Indian judokas bagged two silver and three bronze in the Asian Youth and Junior Championships held in Chinese Taipei.In the Youth Championships, Vijay Kumar Yadav and Besto Rani Devi won a silver each in boys’ 60kg and girls’ 48kg categories respectively.Preety and Mongjam Kabita Devi won a bronze each in gilrs’ 40kg and 44kg respectively in the September 28-30 event.Khaidem Rashi Devi bagged a bronze in 70kg category in the junior section.Indian judokas had won one gold, four silver and two bronze in the Asian Youth and Junior Championships in Lebanon last year. ___________________________________________________________________ India move up to 2nd spot in T20 rankings India might have failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the ongoing ICC World Twenty20, but four wins out of five matches have pushed the India by one place to the second spot in the latest T20 International team rankings released on 3rd October 2012.India now trail Sri Lanka (129) by nine points and are followed by Pakistan (118) and England (118). ___________________________________________________________________ India 168th in FIFA rankings Indian football team moved a place up to be 168th in the latest FIFA rankings, India, who last month won a hat-trick of Nehru Cup titles, have 114 points. Red Bull driver Vettel wins Japanese Grand Prix Sebastian Vettel ,the driver Red Bull won the Japanese Grand Prix 2012 on 7th Ocober 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ Australia retain women’s World Twenty20 title The Australian Women Cricket team on 7 October 2012 defeated England by four runs to retain the Women T-20 world cup title. West Indies won the ICC World Twenty20 Tournament West Indies 7th October 2012 clinched the ICC World Twenty20 crown with a comfortable 36-run victory over Sri Lanka. ___________________________________________________________________ Kaltenborn becomes first female F1 team principal India born Monisha Kalterborn is set to become Formula 1′s first woman team principal after she takes charges from founder of Sauber chief Peter Sauber on 12th October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ Jeevan Neduncheziyan and Prerna Bhambri emerge champions Jeevan Neduncheziyan and Prerna Bhambri emerge champions in the Fenesta Open national tennis championship at the RK Khanna Stadium in New Delhi on 13th October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ Hat-trick for Vettel Sebastian Vettel has claimed his third successive victory at the Korean GP on 14h October 2012.He is already won the Singapore and Japan GP titles. ___________________________________________________________________ Novak Djokovic beats Andy Murray to win Shanghai Masters Novak Djokovic beated British Tennis Player Andy Murray, on 14 October 2012 saving five match points to seal a stunning 5- 7, 7- 6 ( 13/ 11), 6- 3 victory in the Shanghai Rolex Masters final. ___________________________________________________________________ Bhullar wins Macau Open golf India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar completed a commanding start-to-finish victory at the Venetian Macau Open golf on 14th October 2012. India’s Saina Nehwal win Denmark Open Badminton Title Indian badminton player and Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal has won the Denmark Open Super Series Premier trophy on 21st October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ Martin Guptill wins NZ top cricket award Opening batsman of New Zealand Cricket team Martin Guptill on 18 October 2012 claimed the top honour at the New Zealand Cricket Awards in Auckland, winning the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal for 2011-12. Martin Guptill was also named ODI and Twenty20 player of the year, based on performances between 1 September 2011 and 31 August 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ Anaka Alankamony clinches her second WISPA title Asian junior gold medallist Anaka Alankamony today claimed her second title and first one abroad in the women’s professional squash tour when she beaten the top seed Kylie Lindsay of New Zealand in the final of the Ipswich Open in Queensland. ___________________________________________________________________ Lance Armstrong stripped of his 7 Tour de France titles, banned for life Cycling’s governing body agreed on 22nd October 2012 to strip Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles and ban him for life, following a report from the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that accused him of leading a massive doping program on his teams. ___________________________________________________________________ Women’s Indian Golf Open from November 30 The creme-de-la-creme of Indian women’s golf will be up against a strong international field, including the likes of Laura Davies and defending champion Caroline Hedwall, when the tri-sanctioned Hero Women’s Golf Open tees off from November 30. ___________________________________________________________________ Sun TV Network Acquired Hyderabad IPL Franchise Chennai based SUN TV Network acquired the Indian Premier League (IPL) Hyderabad franchise on 25 October 2012 for an enormous amount of 85.05 crore Rupees per year. ___________________________________________________________________ Sebastian Vettel won F1 Second Indian Grand Prix Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel won the Indian Grand Prix 2012 on 28 October 2012 at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) for the second time in a row extending his Formula One championship lead.This is his fourth consecutive success in this year. ___________________________________________________________________ Pankaj Advani defeats Russell, clinches seventh World Billiards Championship title India`s Pankaj Advani won his seventh World billiards title when he outclassed defending champion Mike Russell 1,895-1,216 in the final on 28th October 2012. Joshna Chinappa wins Penang Open squash title India’s top squash player Joshna Chinappa claimed the IJM Land Penang Open, defeating top seed and local favourite Siti Munirah Jusoh in straight games on 28th October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ India retains third spot in ICC ODI ranking India retains the third spot in the ICC ODI ranking after England and South Africa. England has retained the top spot in the latest ODI rankings with 121 points followed by South Africa. The latest ICC rankings were released in Dubai on 30th October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ India lifts the Asian Cricket Council Women’s Twenty-20 trophy at Guangzhou in China Indian women lifted the title of Asian Cricket Council Women’s Twenty-20 Asia Cup cricket tournament by defeatingthe Pakistan by 18 runs in the final match at Guangzhou in China. ___________________________________________________________________ ECONOMY Govt approves 49% FDI in insurance & pension sectors On 4th October 2012 The Cabinet has cleared proposals to allow more Foreign Direct Investment or FDI in the insurance and pension sectors.In both the sectors government approves 49% of FDI’s. Govt approves 12th Five-Year Plan On 4th October 2012 Government approved the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17) document that aims to achieve annual average economic growth rate of 8.2 per cent, down from 9 per cent envisaged earlier, in view of fragile global recovery. ___________________________________________________________________ HDFC Bank partners Indian Oil Corporation to offer rural banking services HDFC Bank has partnered Indian Oil Corporation to provide banking services in the rural areas where IOC’s petrol pump outlets Kisan Seva Kendras will act as the business correspondents for the banks. ___________________________________________________________________ IMF cuts India’s Growth Forecast for 2012 to 4.9 Percentm The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has slashed India’s growth forecast to 4.9 per cent for 2012 due to low business confidence and “sluggish structural reforms”. India-US trade to touch $100 bn Bilateral trade between India and the US is expected to touch USD 100 billion in the coming years on increasing economic engagement between the countries. ___________________________________________________________________ Rangarajan lowers FY13 GDP growth forecast to 6% Prime Minister’s key advisor C Rangarajan 25th October 2012 lowered the growth projection for the current fiscal to 6 per cent from 6.7 per cent estimated earlier. ___________________________________________________________________ SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Scientists discover bacteria that can produce 24-carat gold Scientists have discovered a bacteria that has the ability to withstand incredible amounts of toxicity and can be the key to creating 24-carat gold.Researchers from the Michigan State University have found that the metal-tolerant bacteria ‘Cupriavidus metallidurans’ can grow on massive concentrations of gold chloride or liquid gold, a toxic chemical compound found in nature. ___________________________________________________________________ India sucessfully test-fires Prithvi-II ballistic missile On 4th October 2012 India sucessfully test-fired surface-to-surface Prithvi-II ballistic missile from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur of Balasore district off Odisha coast. India successfully test-fires nuclear-capable Dhanush missile A day after the launch of Prithvi-II, India successfully test-fired nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic missile for its full range of 350 km from a naval ship off Odisha on 5th October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ Australia launches world’s fastest radio telescope In the remote Australian outback, scientists have launched the world’s fastest radio telescope which will exponentially increase astronomers’ ability to survey the universe, mapping black holes and shedding new light on the origins of galaxies.The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), located near the region of Murchison about 650 kilometres north of Perth, was officially opened 5th October 2012 by Science Minister Chris Evans. ___________________________________________________________________ Indian navy successfully test-fires BrahMos supersonic cruise missile The Indian Navy on 7th October 2012 successfully test-fired the 290-km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, capable of carrying a conventional warhead of 300 kg, from a warship off the Goa coast. ___________________________________________________________________ The Barcode Turns 60 Years Old October 7, 2012 marks the 60th anniversary of the registration of the first bar code patent. The original patent for what we know today as the modern barcode was granted on October 7, 1952 to Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver, its inventors. ___________________________________________________________________ New planet discovered in Earth’s backyard Astronomers have found a new planet called exoplanet in Alpha Centauri , the closest yet outside our solar system and just an astronomical stone’s throw away at four light years.Alpha Centauri is a three-star system consisting of two stars similar to our sun and a faint red star called Proxima Centauriand another one is the Alpha Centauri B.The Exoplanet orbits Alpha Centauri B. ___________________________________________________________________ PERSONS IN NEWS a) Appointments Congress selects Raja, Suresh Kalmadi and Kanimozhi as members of standing committee The congress on 3 October 2012 nominated the former Union Minister, A. Raja, Kanimozhi and Suresh Kalmadi as the members of the Parliamentary Standing Committees on Energy, Home Affairs and External Affairs respectively.Raja was arrested in the 2G scam case on February 2 last year and is on bail since 15 May 2012. Suresh Kalmadi, who was accused in the Commonwealth Games scam case, spent about nine months in jail and was released on bail on 19 January 2012. DMK MP Kanimozhi, also an accused in some cases related to the 2G spectrum allocation, was nominated to the Standing Committee on Home Affairs. ___________________________________________________________________ Ajit Saran Appointed as Secretary in National Commission for Women Senior IAS officer Ajit M Sharan was appointed as Member Secretary in National Commission for Women (NCW). Ajit Sharan is a 1979 batch officer of Haryana cadre. Vivek Rae appointed new MSME secretary On 5th October 2012 the government appointed Vivek Rae as secretary, ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises. Rae, a 1978 batch IAS officer of the UT cadre, is currently director general, acquisition, defence ministry. He will take over from RK Mathur. ___________________________________________________________________ Anil Kumble appointed chairman of ICC Cricket Committee Former India captain Anil Kumble was unanimously appointed chairman of ICC`s Cricket Committee by the game`s governing body, replacing West Indies great Clive Lloyd on 11th October 2012. Jaspal Rana appointed junior pistol chief coach Multiple Asian Games gold medallist, Jaspal Rana, has been appointed chief coach for junior pistol shooters by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) on 16th October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ Ashok Kumar appointed India’s ambassador to Brazil Mr. Ashok Tomar has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Brazil on 31st October 2012. b). Resigns Michael Schumacher announces retirement from Formula One Michael Schumacher has announced that he will retire from Formula One at the end of the season.Schumacher’s announcement follows news last week that he will be replaced at Mercedes by Lewis Hamilton in 2013. ___________________________________________________________________ UP revenue minister resigns due involved in CMO abduction UP revenue minister Vinod Singh was forced to resign on 12th October 2012 for his alleged involvement in the abduction of Gonda chief medical officer (CMO) SP Singh. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna resigned External Affairs Minister SM Krishna has resigned from his post ahead of on 28th October 2012 cabinet reshuffle. ___________________________________________________________________ Badminton Player Peter Gade Retired From International Career Danish legend Baminton Player, Peter Gade on 30 October 2012 retired from international badminton. c). Deaths Historian Eric Hobsbawm dies, aged 95 Eric Hobsbawm, one of Britain’s most eminent historians, has died at the age of 95, on 1st October 2012 at the Royal Free Hospital in London .Mr Hobsbawm, a historian in the Marxist tradition, wrote more than 30 books.He published his final book, “How to Change the World”, in 2011. ___________________________________________________________________ Freedom fighter, ex-Governor Satyanarayana is dead Freedom fighter and former governor of Uttar Pradesh B Satyanarayana Reddy died at a hospital in Hyderabad on 6th October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ Zimbabwe cricket coach Kevin Curran passes away Kevin Curran, the former Zimbabwean all rounder and coach, has died in Mutare on 10th Ocober 2012. Cambodia ex-king Sihanouk dies Cambodia’s former king Norodom Sihanouk died on 15th October 2012 in China at Beijing. ___________________________________________________________________ Bandya Kakade dead Bandya Kakade, former India football goalkeeper, passed away here on 18th October 2012 evening. Kakade and Kuppuswami Sampath (MEG, Bangalore) were the two goalkeepers of the Indian team that won the bronze medal at the 1970 Bangkok Asian Games. Kakade was also part of the Indian team Yash Chopra, the ‘King of Romance’ passes away Yash Chopra, one of Bollywood’s most well-known filmmakers, died of dengue fever on 21st October 2012. Eminent litterateur Sunil Gangopadhyay passes away Eminent litterateur and Sahitya Akademi President Sunil Gangopadhyay died at his South Kolkata residence on 23rd October 2012 following a massive heart attack. ___________________________________________________________________ d). Visitors U.S. Treasury Secretary Geithner to visit India on Oct. 9 U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner visit India on 9th October 2012 to participate in the third annual meeting of the U.S.-India Economic and Financial Partnership with Finance Minister P. Chidambaram. ___________________________________________________________________ Australia PM Julia Gillard begins India visit Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has begun a three-day visit to India.The two countries are expected to announce negotiations on civil nuclear co-operation during Ms Gillard’s visit. Suu Kyi to visit India next month After 40 years, Myanmar’s Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi will travel to India on November 13. She will deliver the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Lecture in New Delhi on November 14. ___________________________________________________________________ Steven Joyce, Minister for Tertiary Education, New Zealand visited India Hon. Steven Joyce, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, New Zealand visited the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi on 18th October 2012. Ex-Bangladeshi PM Khaleda Zia to meet PM Manmohan Singh Bangladesh’s former prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Begum Khaleda Zia, who is on a week-long trip to India, will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singhin New Delhi on 28th October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ e). Miscellaneous Pakistan spinner Rehman hit with ban after failed drug test Pakistan’s Abdur Rehman has been banned from cricket for 12 weeks after testing positive for cannabis during his recent stint with Somerset. ___________________________________________________________________ Mukesh Ambani richest Indian The China-based research firm Hurun releases a report on 10th October 2012 declared Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani is the richest person in India. ___________________________________________________________________ Hyderabad’s last Nizam named all-time richest Indian Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam (or ruler) of Hyderabad is India’s all-time richest person.According to a new inflation-adjusted list of the world’s richest people of all time, the Nizam, who ruled Hyderabad between 1886-1967, was ranked sixth with $ 236 billion. Mukesh Ambani tops Forbes India rich list Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani is the richest Indian for the fifth year in a row with a net worth of $21 billion, according to the Forbes India rich list. Manju Seth appointed as next Ambassador of India to Madagascar Ms Manju Seth has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Madagascar.She is presently Consul General of India in Reunion Island, which is a French-administered territory in the Indian Ocean between Mauritius and Madagaskar. ___________________________________________________________________ PLACES IN NEWS Shadman Chowk renamed as Bhagat Singh Chowk in Lahore Pakistan government has finally renamed Shadman Chowk as Bhagat Singh Chowk in Lahore as a mark of respect to the martyr and an acknowledgement of his role in the struggle against British rule. ___________________________________________________________________ Mercedes-Benz rolls out M-Class luxury SUV from Pune facility Mercedes-Benz India has rolled out its first locally manufactured M-Class luxury SUV from its facility in Chakan, Pune. The company has also declared the start of operations of its paint shop at the same location.India is the only country outside of the USA where the German luxury car maker has begun production out of the new ML-Class. ___________________________________________________________________ 44 killed in Syrian air strikes At least 44 people were killed in air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held town of Maaret al-Numan on 18th October 2012. 5.5 magnitude earthquake hits off Taiwan A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck off southern Taiwan on 25th October 2012, the island’s Seismology Center said, but there were no reports of any damage or casualties. ___________________________________________________________________ Earthquake in Canada triggers tsunami in Hawaii A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake rattled the west coast of Canada, triggering tsunami warnings for Hawaii on 28th October 2012. ___________________________________________________________________ ABBREVIATIONS IN NEWS Abbreviation of FICCI Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Abbreviate JNNURM Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal mission Abbreviate NCM National Commission for Women Abbreviate IOC Indian Oil Corporation Abbreviate ASKAP The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder Abbreviate ISS Integrated Security System Abbreviate LPN Liquefied Natural Petroleum Abbreviate WISPA Women’s International Squash Players Association ___________________________________________________________________ BOOKS IN NEWS Hilary Mantel wins Booker Prize for Tudor saga British writer Hilary Mantel won the prestigious Booker literary prize for a second time on 16th October 2012 with her blood-soaked Tudor saga. Ms Mantel, who took the 50,000 pound ($82,000) award in 2009 for “Wolf Hall,” is the first British author, and the first woman, to achieve a Booker double. ___________________________________________________________________ “The Folded Earth and A Free Man” won the 11th Economist Crossword Book Award The Folded Earth written by Anuradha Roy and A Free Man by Aman Sethi won the 11th Economist Crossword Book Award that was declared at Mumbai. ___________________________________________________________________ Governor releases ‘Ek Thhi Kusum’ by former Speaker Uttarakhand Governor Aziz Qureshi on 22nd October 2012 released “Ek Thhi Kusum”, a short stories collection authored by former State Assembly Speaker Prakash Pant. ___________________________________________________________________ COMMITTEES IN NEWS Rangarajan panel for total decontrol of sugar industry Rangarajan Committee has recommended deregulation of the sugar sector, by giving freedom to mills to sell sugar in the open market.The Millers should sell the 10%of sugar to government below the market price,for running the ration shops ,remaining should sell in the open market. ___________________________________________________________________ DAYS & DATES UP cancels holiday on Kanshi Ram’s death anniversary The Samajwadi Party (SP) government on 6th October 2012 cancelled the October 9 public holiday on the death anniversary of BSP founder Kanshi Ram, which had been announced by the Mayawati government in May 2007. ___________________________________________________________________ World Food Day Celebrated worldwide on 16 October 2012 World Food Day is celebrated every year across the globe on 16 October in honour of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945.The aim of this World Food Day is to raise awareness on global food problems and to create a sense of solidarity in the fight against poverty, hunger and malnutrition.