Current Affairs Weekly Updates for week Ending 06 JAN 2013 01.

FII Inflow in Stocks Surpasses more than Rs. 24000 crore in December 2012

Updated on 31 DEC 2012

Overseas institutional investors have pumped in more than Rs 24,000 crore (USD 4.4 billion) in the Indian stock market in December 2012, the highest in 10 months, taking total FII inflow for the year to over USD 24 billion. In December 2012, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were gross buyers of shares worth Rs 71,595 crore, while they sold equities amounting to Rs 47,412 crore. This translates into a net inflow of Rs 24,183 crore (USD 4.42 billion), according to market regulator SEBI data. This is the highest net monthly investment by FIIs in stocks since February, when they had infused Rs 25,212 crore. Besides, this was highest net inflow in the month of December by FIIs since their entry into Indian capital markets in 1992. After taking the latest inflows into count, FII investment in the country's equity market has reached Rs 1,27,455 crore (USD 24 billion) for the year 2012 with just one more trading session left. Market experts believe that in absence of growth in the global economy, the Indian market continue to look attractive and hopes of a rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as early as January have made FIIs infuse funds in stocks. Besides equities, FIIs invested Rs 1,178 crore in the debt market the month taking the year's tally to Rs 34,462 crore. As on December 28, the number of registered FIIs in the country stood at 1,759 and total number of sub-accounts were 6,358 during the same period.

02.

President of Russia Vladmir Putin Visits India to attend 13th India-Russia Annual Summit

Updated on 31 DEC 2012

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, the President of Russia visited India on 24 December 2012 at the Invitation of Indian Prime Minister to attend 13th India-Russia Annual Summit. During the visit the Russian President met the Prime Minister of India - Manmohan Singh and the President of India Pranab Mukherjee. During this visit of President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reviewed the progress made in all the important areas of mutual cooperation, comprising sectors like energy, trade, high technology and military-technical cooperation. Both these leaders discussed on extending the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries. Some of the issues which were discussed: Promoting Trade and Investment Deepening Energy Partnership Science and Technology Cooperation Education Cultural and Humanitarian Exchanges Promoting Ties in Space Stepping Up Military-Technical Cooperation Coordination on International and Regional Issues Combating Terrorism Supporting Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Efforts Promoting Cooperation among Emerging Economies Situation in Syria Stabilizing the Afghan Situation Iran's Nuclear Programme Recovery and Strengthening of Global Economy, Reforming the International Financial Architecture Environment/Sustainable Development

03.

Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram Unveils Cash Transfer Rollout Plan

Updated on 01 JAN 2013

Adopting caution, the Union government on 31 December 2012 scaled down the launch of its ambitious direct cash transfer scheme on 01 January 2013 to 20 districts, instead of 43 as planned. It has also kept LPG also out of its ambit for now. The government took this decision because a sizeable number of beneficiaries in the targeted districts do not have bank accounts to receive cash and the Aadhaar enrolment is also inadequate. Touted as a game-changer, the programme will cover a select 26 schemes such as educational scholarship for SC/ST and OBC, and widow pension. Food, fertilizers, diesel and kerosene have already been kept out of the purview of this scheme. The government originally identified 51 districts across 16 States to be covered by the programme, under which cash subsidy benefit will directly go to the bank account of the beneficiaries having Aadhaar number. Himachal, Gujarat exempted Subsequently, four districts each in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat were exempted from the rollout because of the Assembly elections recently held there. The States to be covered in the initial phase are Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab and the UTs of Puducherry, Chandigarh and Daman and Diu.

04.

Glenn McGrath to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

Updated on 31 DEC 2012

Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath will be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame during the third Test between Australia and Sri Lanka starting 4 January 2013 in Sydney. McGrath will join Enid Bakewell and Brian Lara to become third inductee of 2012-13, the ICC said in a statement. McGrath becomes the 68th male member of the Hall of Fame and joins fellow 2012-13 inductees West Indian Brian Lara and England's Enid Bakewell in being recognized by the ICC and the living members of the Hall of Fame. While Lara and Bakewell were inducted in September 2012 at the ICC Awards, McGrath will be inducted at his home ground of the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). A fourth and final inductee of 2012-13 will be announced next summer. McGrath represented Australia in 124 Test matches between 1993 and 2007 and claimed 563 Test wickets at an average of 21.64. He took more Test wickets than any other seam bowler currently in the game or retired. He also represented Australia in 250 ODIs, claiming 381 wickets at an average of 22.02, and was part of the Australian side that won three successive World Cups -- 1999, 2003 and 2007. He still holds the record for most wickets in World Cup competitions, with 71 scalps and his figures of 7-15 against Namibia are the best in the competition's history.

05.

Patrick Suckling is New Australia's Next Envoy to India

Updated on 31 DEC 2012

Career diplomat Patrick Suckling has been appointed as Australia's next High Commissioner to India on 30 December 2012. Suckling will take up the post in New Delhi in January 2013, according to media reports. The appointment was announced by foreign minister Bob Carr who said the role was important because India is Australia's fourth largest export market, with trade between the two countries reaching 18-billion dollars a year. Suckling is a career diplomat who has previously been posted to New Delhi and Washington. He has a post-graduate diploma in Hindi from the University of Sydney. Suckling will replace Peter Varghese, who is returning to Australia to head the department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Patrick Suckling was adviser to Foreign Minister Downer in 2007, a senior official to APEC in 2008 and headed the International Division in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet from March 2009 to May 2011. His most recent position in Canberra was head of DFATs Consular, Public Diplomacy and Parliamentary Affairs Division.

06.

Israels Jewish Population Passes 6 Million Mark

Israels Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) in the last week of

Updated on 02 JAN 2013

December 2012 revealed that the Jewish population of Israel passed the crucial mark of 6 million for the first time. This is equal to the Jews killed in Holocaust. According to the Israels CBS the overall population of Israel was 7.98 million out of which 75.4% were Jewish. The Arab population of Israel accounted for 20% and 4% were defined as others. It was, however, made clear that the position of Jews worldwide was the same. Before Holocaust, the number of Jews across the world was 18 million. After it, the number was just a little more than the mark of 13 million. Even now, the population is just a little more than 13 million. Nevertheless, the population of Jews in Israel is somewhere near half the population of Jewish nations across the world, which would put Israel in central place. Other figures were released by Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and it was found that the overall population of Arabs in Palestine and Israel would be equivalent to that of Jews by 2016. It was also revealed that the population of Arabs would exceed that of Jews by 2020. Jewish population in Israel increased by ten-fold since the declaration of this state in May 1948 when the number of Jewish citizens was just 660000. What is Holocaust? Holocaust is said to be the bureaucratic, systematic and statesponsored murder of around six million Jews by Nazi regime as well as collaborators. Holocaust is the Greek-origin word which means sacrifice by fire. Nazis acquired power in January 1933 in Germany and considered Jews as racially inferior. This genocide occurred during the World War-II.

07.

Muthunayagam and Saraswat Bag Prestigious Aryabhatta Awards

Updated on 01 JAN 2013

Scientists A E Muthunayagam and Vijay Kumar Saraswat were selected for the prestigious Aryabhata award for the years 2010 and 2011, the Astronautical Society of India announced on 31 December 2012. Muthunayagam is former Secretary, Department of Ocean Development, Government of India, and former director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation. He has been recognised for the 2010 award. Saraswat, awarded for 2011, is Chief Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister and the Director General of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). ASI is a professional society set up in 1990 serving for promotion of astronautics and space in the country through dissemination of knowledge and information related to the subject. The awards were instituted to recognise talented scientists and engineers who have made outstanding achievements and significant contributions in different areas of astronautics and space, a release said. ASI has selected the awardees, under different categories, for 2010 and 2011 based on recommendations by two high level expert committees. ASI awards for rocket and related technologies have been given to G Satheesh Reddy, Research Centre Imarat, DRDO (2010) and P Kunhikrishnan, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), ISRO, (2011). The awards under spacecraft and related technologies went to P Chakraborty, Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS), ISRO (2010) and Yateendra Mehta, ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), ISRO (2011). (MORE).

08.

S. Ramakrishnan takes over as Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

Updated on 02 JAN 2013

Three top-level appointments have taken place in the Indian Space Research Organisation for the posts of Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) and the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. S. Ramakrishnan, an accomplished Engineer in rocketry and Architect of the ISROs highly successful Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), took over as VSSC Director on December 31, 2012 from P.S. Veeraraghavan, who retired that day. Ramakrishnan was earlier Director, LPSC. M.C. Dathan, a Chemical Engineer, took over as LPSC Director on New Years Day. The LPSC has three facilities at Mahendragiri near Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, Valiamala near Thiruvananthapuram and Bangalore. Mr. Dathan was earlier Director, SDSC, Sriharikota. M.Y.S. Prasad, a suave Electronics and Communication Engineer, has become Director of the SDSC, the spaceport from where all ISRO rockets are launched. Earlier, he was its Associate Director. After he joined the ISRO in August 1972, Mr. Ramakrishnan worked as a member of the SLV-3 project team under the leadership of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Subsequently, he joined the PSLV programme and was Project Director of several PSLV flights from 1996 to 2002. He played a big role in developing the PSLVs liquid propulsion stages. Under his leadership, the PSLV became an operational rocket and the weight of the satellites that it could put into orbit went up from 900 to 1,500 kg. He was Mission Director of the PSLV-C1, C2, C3 and C4 flights. Mr. Ramakrishnan graduated in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering, Guindy, Chennai, in 1970 and received his M.Tech. in Aerospace from the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras with the first rank.

A Chemical Engineer from the Government Engineering College, Thrissur, Kerala, Mr. Dathan worked in all ISRO launch vehicle projects such as SLV-3, ASLV, PSLV, GSLV-Mk I, Mk-II and Mk-III. He was the Chief Executive of the sprawling, state-of-the-art Space Propellant Booster Plant at Sriharikota and he realised the newly-built, world-class Mission Control Centre and the Launch Control Centre on the island. Dr. Prasad was Director, Master Control Facility at Hassan, Karnataka, from 1998 to 2005 and earlier worked in the ISR Os Technical Liaison unit in Paris as Counsellor (Space) from 1994 to 1997. He was also Deputy Director of the Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad .

09.

Strengthen legal regime against rape: UN rights chief to India Calling the sexual violence and brutality against the females as

Updated on 03 JAN 2013

national issue in India, the human rights chief of UN, Navi Pillay asked the government of India to strengthen the legal administration against sexual crimes, primarily rapes. The UN human rights chief was however against death penalty for the rapists. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights gave her detailed reaction to the heinous Delhi gangrape of 23-year old Paramedical student which took place on 16 December 2012. The Delhi gangrape victim had died in Singapore. The UN human rights chief declared that attacks like these were happening against females in all the social classes in India. She expressed that this was the national problem which affected women of almost all the castes and classes. Pillay in the meanwhile also welcomed the protests supporting antirape, declaring that these would help women in overcoming their fears in New Year 2013. It was announced that though the union government of India took a few steps for ensuring women safety but a lot more needed to be done. Pillay also asked the Indian government for inviting UN Special Rapporteur on the violence against the females to visit India for helping in the process. UN Special Rapporteurs are the autonomous experts who are especially trained for investigating issues like these.

10.

India and Pakistan Swap Nuclear Units List

Updated on 02 JAN 2013

Keeping with a two-decade-old practice, India and Pakistan swaped lists containing the names of their nuclear facilities as part of a pact that prevents them from targeting each other's nuclear installations. The exchanges have been taking place on the first day of every year since 1992 as part of their deal the Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and Facilities signed in Dec 1988. In line with the provisions of another bilateral pact, consular access between the two countries signed in 2008, both sides also shared a list of prisoners lodged in jails belonging to the two countries. The agreement, which was signed in May 2008, states that a comprehensive list of citizens of each country lodged in the others jails must be exchanged twice every year on 1 January and July.

Syed Asif Ibrahim Took Over as the Chief of Intelligence Bureau

11.
Published on: 02-JAN-2013

Syed Asif Ibrahim, a 1977 batch Madhya Pradesh cadre IPS officer, took over as Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) on 01 January 2013. A day before him, 1976 batch Haryana cadre IPS officer Alok Joshi took over as the chief of Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), the countrys external intelligence agency. The appointments committee of the cabinet headed by Prime Minister of India had cleared their names in November 2012. After clearance from the appointments panel, Ibrahim was appointed as an officer on special duty in the IB. Ibrahim the first Muslim to hold the top post in IB took over from Nehchal Sandhu, who retired on 31 December 2012. Before becoming the IB chief, Ibrahim was serving as the special Director in the organisation after his return from London where he held the post of Minister (coordination) in the Indian high commission.

12.

Indias First Successful Intestinal Transplant Performed

Updated on 06 JAN 2013

Himanshu's long wait for food has finally come true after more than two years' wait that involved being hospitalized 11 times, undergoing six surgeries and suffering from serious infections thrice. Himanshu, a 30-year-old software engineer who has had better luck than the 23-year-old Delhi gang-rape victim Nirbhaya, has become India's first recipient of a successful intestinal transplant. Had Nirbhaya lived long, she too would have ultimately needed one. Back in 2009, Himanshu had complained of severe stomach ache. An emergency laparotomy was conducted and doctors found that he was suffering from thrombosis (blockage) of the main vein of his intestine (superior mesenteric vein) which resulted in loss of blood supply to most of his intestine. Subsequently, 95% of his small intestine (usually six metres long) had to be removed, leaving him with just 28 cm of it. This saved his life, but also meant that he would never be able to eat solid food orally. The small intestine is where 90% of the digestion and food absorption occurs. Chemical digestion with enzymes and bile acids take place here which breaks down food into a form that can be absorbed and then sent to various tissues of the body. Once broken down, the nutrients are absorbed by small intestines' inner walls into the blood stream. Doctors at Gurgaon's Medanta Medicity evaluated and counseled Himanshu for an intestinal transplant and put him on the waiting list. Himanshu waited for two years before he got lucky with a matched organ. On 24 November 2012, doctors found a perfect match. A 20-year-old patient who had passed away had the same blood group and was fit to donate. The chairman managing director of Medanta, Dr Naresh Trehan announced that this was the first successful intestinal transplant in India and it provided new hopes to the country. In context with the intestinal

transplant for the Delhi gangrape victim, Dr Trehan declared that the victim was not medically fit for the surgery. In the patient who received the first successful intestinal transplant in India, merely 28 cm of small intestine was left out of 600 cm. Rest of it was removed completely. Small intestine performs the function of food absorption as well as digestion. But after finding the cadaver donour, the transplant was successfully completed on 24 November 2012. The cost of surgery was 30 lakh Rupees.

13. Union Government Doubles 12th Plan Outlay for Science and Technology Ministry
Updated on 05 JAN 2013

Union Minister for Science and Technology S. Jaipal Reddy on 4 January 2013 declared that the Centres allocation for the science and technology and earth sciences ministry had been doubled for the 12th Plan period. The declaration came in the inauguration ceremony of Children Science Congress as part of the 100th Indian Science Congress where Jaipal Reddy announced that in the 12th Five-Year Plan, the combined planned allocation for science and technology and earth sciences had been nearly doubled from Rupees 33000 crore in the previous Plan period to around Rupees 60000 crore in the present 12th plan period. A PM Doctoral Research Fellowship in partnership with industry had also been initiated where already 30 (such) fellowships have been awarded to doctoral students. The Minister invited the students of the country to avail such opportunities like the Prime Minister's Research Fellowship scheme being offered by the Government of India. India has over 700 R&D, technical and development centres of the top global companies, employing over 1.5 lakh scientists and engineers. As per the Minister, This confidence of global majors in youth had given boost to some of Indias best and talented young technoc rats to become first generation technopreneurs.

14.

Union Government launches Pilot Project of Crime and Criminal Tracking System

Updated on 05 JAN 2013

An ambitious project to create a comprehensive and integrated system for effective policing and sharing data of crimes and criminals among 14,000 police stations across the country was formally launched in New Delhi on 4 January 2013. The Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) aims at creation of a nation-wide networking infrastructure for evolution of IT-enabled sophisticated tracking system around 'investigation of crime and detection of criminals.' It will create a comprehensive and integrated system for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of policing through adopting of principle of e-governance. Under the CCTNS project, which was conceived by the then Home Minister P. Chidambaram after the Mumbai terror attack, approximately 14,000 police stations throughout the country will be connected apart from higher offices in police hierarchy. The Rs 2,000 crore project, approved in 2009, spans across all the 35 states and Union Territories. It will be connected to a total of more than 21,000 locations. The CCTNS is a mission mode project under the National eGovernance Plan of Government of India. It aims at creating a comprehensive and integrated system for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of policing through adopting the principle of e-Governance. The project also includes the creation of a nationwide networking infrastructure for evolution of IT-enabled-state-of-the-art tracking system around Investigation of crime and detection of criminals.

15.

Government of India Constituted 14th Finance Commission under Former RBI Governor YV Reddy

Updated on 03 JAN 2013

The government on 2 January 2013 constituted the 14th Finance Commission under the Chairmanship of former RBI Governor Y V Reddy, which among other things, will suggest steps for pricing of public utilities like electricity and water in an independent manner. Announcing the formation of the Commission, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said it will look into issues like disinvestment, GST compensation, sale of non-priority PSUs and subsidies. The other members of the Commission, which will submit its report by October 31, 2014, include Former Finance Secretary Sushma Nath, NIPFP Director M Govinda Rao, Planning Commission Member Abhijit Sen and Former Acting Chairman of National Statistical Commission Sudipto Mundle. The recommendations of the Commission, set up under the provisions of the Constitution on sharing of tax proceeds between the Union and States, will apply for the period beginning April 1, 2015. Among other things, the Commission would look into the need for insulating the pricing of public utility services like drinking water, irrigation, power and public transport from policy fluctuations through statutory provisions. Finance Commission is set up every five years to suggest principles governing the distribution of tax proceeds among Centre, States and local bodies. It would suggest measures for maintaining a stable and sustainable fiscal environment consistent with equitable growth including suggestions to amend the Fiscal Responsibility Budget Management Acts. Besides, it would suggest the level of subsidies that would be essential for sustainable and inclusive growth and sharing of burden between the Centre and states.

The Functions 14th Finance Commission will Perform: 1. Among the new areas of recommendations on public sector units

(PSUs), the commission will suggest how to list these units on the bourses and will also give its prescriptions on the disinvestment process. 2. 3. The commission has also been asked to recommend how nonThe commission will recommend measures for segregating the priority PSUs be relinquished. pricing of public utility services such as drinking water, irrigation, power and public transport from policy fluctuations through statutory provisions. 4. It will also suggest measures for maintaining a stable and sustainable fiscal environment consistent with equitable growth including suggestions to amend the Fiscal Responsibility Budget Management Act.

16.

Virat Kohli is CEAT International Cricketer of the Year

Updated on 05 JAN- 013

Vice-captain of Indian Cricket team Virat Kohli on 4 January 2013 was named the International Cricketer of the Year while Pakistan cricket team bagged the top honours for the best team at the CEAT Cricket Awards 2011-12 in New Delhi. Virat Kohli had deafeated Hashim Amla, Kumar Sangakkara and Michael Clarke to bag the prestigious award. Kohli was the top run-getter for India in both Tests and ODIs in 2012 with his career-best 183 which came against Pakistan in the Asia Cup in March 2012 only. The Former Pakistan cricket captain Zaheer Abbas was honoured with the lifetime award while Saeed Anwar got the best audience choice awards. In the special category-India-Pakistan awards, former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq was awarded with the best ODI bastman honour, India's Sunil Gavaskar-Best Test batsman, Kapil Dev- Best Test bowler and Wasim Akram was adjudged as the best ODI bowler. Unmukt Chand, the man who led the Indian side to win the U-19 World Cup 2012 was declared the Indian Youngster of the Year award. CEAT awards is based upon Ceat Cricket Rating (CCR)

17.

Sania and Mattek-Sands pair takes honours

Updated on 06 JAN 2013

Indias Sania Mirza was off to a winning start i n 2013 when she combined with American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands to clinch a 4-6, 6-4, 10-7 win over Anna-Lena Groenfeld and Kveta Peschke in the Brisbane International womens doubles final on 5 January 2013. The pair looked good at the start of the first set when they took a comfortable 4-1 lead, only to concede five games in-a-row, to lose the set. However, Sania and Mattek stepped up their net-play, wrapping the second set to take the issue into a decider. In the super tie-break, Sania and Mattek took a 9-5 lead before closing it out at 10-7 to emerge a deserving winner.

18.

2 Billion Year Old Martian Rock Is a Meteorite with 10 Times More Water than Normal: Scientists

Updated on 06 JAN 2013

A 2-billion-year-old dark lump of rock that landed in Sahara desert is actually a new type of Martian meteorite, containing 10 times more water than usual, scientists say. This new class of meteorite was found in 2011 in the Sahara Desert. Designated Northwest Africa(NWA) 7034, and nicknamed "Black Beauty", it weighs approximately 320g. After more than a year of intensive study, a team of US scientists determined the meteorite formed 2.1 billion years ago during the beginning of the most recent geologic period on Mars, known as the Amazonian. The age of NWA 7034 is important because it is significantly older than most other Martian meteorites, programme scientist for the Mars Exploration Programme at Nasa headquarters in Washington. The meteorite is an excellent match for surface rocks and outcrops Nasa has studied remotely via Mars rovers and Mars-orbiting satellites, Nasa said in a statement. NWA 7034's composition is different from any previously studied Martian meteorite. It is made of cemented fragments of basalt, rock that forms from rapidly cooled lava. The fragments are primarily feldspar and pyroxene, most likely from volcanic activity. This unusual meteorite's chemistry matches that of the Martian crust as measured by Nasa's Mars Exploration Rovers and Mars Odyssey Orbiter.

19.

RBI sets up Working Group to review Banking Ombudsman Scheme

Updated on 06 JAN 2013

Seeking to improve banking services and ensure speedy redressal of grievances of customers, the Reserve Bank of India in the first week of January 2013 has set up a working group to update the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006. The working group, to be headed by senior RBI official Suma Varma, will also take into account recommendations of the Damodaran Committee on improvement of customer services in banks and suggestions of the Rajya Sabha Committee on subordinate legislation. "With a view to examine the Scheme in its entirety, an internal working group has been constituted in RBI under the Chairmanship of Suma Varma, Chief General Manager, Customer Service Department, RBI," said the Annual Report of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2011-12. The Group will include two Banking Ombudsmen, representatives from regulatory wings of RBI, Indian Bank's Association (IBA) and Banking Codes and Standards Board of India (BCSBI). The working group will identify grounds of complaints that have become redundant and add new grounds reflecting aspirations of customers. It would also examine the possibility of extending the scheme to cooperative banks and review the grounds of appeal under the BOS. The Damodaran Committee was set up in 2010 by RBI to look into banking services rendered to retail and small customers, including pensioners and also to look into the system of grievance redressal mechanism prevalent in banks, its structure and efficacy and suggest measures for expeditious resolution of complaints. BOS was notified in 1995 and has been revised four times since then in 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2009 to make it more relevant and effective. Presently, there are 15 Banking Ombudsmen with specific jurisdiction covering the 29 states and seven Union Territories.

20.

Indian American Srikanth Srinivasan re-nominated as Federal Judge

Updated on 06 JAN 2013

Indian-American Srikanth Srinivasan on 4th January 2013 was renominated by US President Barack Obama as Federal Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit. Srikanth Srinivasan is among the 33 federal judges re-nominated by the President Barack Obama for the US Court of Appeals and the only Indian American re-nominated by Obama for the District of Columbia Circuit. Srinivasan was born in Chandigarh, and grew up in Lawrence, Kansas and had received his BA with honors and distinction in 1989 from Stanford University and his JD (Juris Doctor) with distinction in 1995 from Stanford Law School, where he was elected to Order of the Coif and served as an editor of the Stanford Law Review.

21.

The Oldest Bank of Switzerland to Pay 58 Million Dollar to US in Tax Evasion Case

Updated on 04 JAN 2013

The oldest bank of Switzerland, Wegelin & Co became first foreign bank that pleaded guilty in the United States for the case of tax evasion. The bank admitted on 3 January 2013 that it assisted various American clients to conceal over 1.2 billion dollar from Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Wegelin & Co which laid its foundation in 1741 entered its statement in federal court of Manhattan and agreed to pay a sum of 20 million dollar as a repayment to the IRS, 22 million dollar fine, apart from additional 15.8 million dollar which represented the gross fees that the bank earned on undeclared accounts of the US taxpayers between the time duration of 2002 to 2011. US authorities declared that the overall money along with the April forfeiture of over 16.2 million dollar by bank indicated towards the fact that there was an overall recovery of around 74 million dollar by the US. The bank was blamed for assisting around 100 US clients in hiding huge amount of money in the overseas accounts from federal tax collection agency. US Attorney Preet Bharara believed that the bank had become a secure place for those US taxpayers who wanted to cheat on the taxes through their undisclosed off-shore accounts.

22.

PM Manmohan Singh Becomes 19th Most Followed Leader on Twitter

Updated on 04 JAN 2013

Despite the "high fragility" of the Indian state and his own taciturnity, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has become the 19th most followed leader in the world on Twitter, leaving behind the likes of David Cameron and Julia Gillard in less than 12 months, says an international think tank, which annually ranks leaders in terms of their online influence. While the latest study by the Digital Policy Council (DPC) concludes that leaders of fragile or political unstable states view social media as a threat, it describes Singh and India as an exception. With 342,612 followers, Singh is ranked 19th in the list which is topped by US President Barack Obama who has 24,611,982 followers. The second most followed leaders is Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez with 3, 802, 177 followers. Singh, though, has more followers than the prime ministers of Australia, Canada and the UK. According to the DPC, its research provides analyses on world leaders and institutions of government employing social media outlets to discover how they govern and connect with their citizenry. Its latest study says that 75% of heads of state are using Twitter. Singh or PMO India has been tweeting since late January, 2012. The study says that a total of 123 world leaders out of 164 countries from where data was collected had accounts on Twitter set up in their personal name or through an official government office. In 2011 only 69 out of 164 countries had embraced Twitter. The new figures represent a 78% increase in the number of heads of state and national governments on Twitter from 2011, it says. The problem for Manmohan Singh, though, is that the study also takes into account the state fragility factor where India ranks poorly. Manmohan Singh is shown as the leader of a country which is not among the 61% of politically stable nations out of the 164 countries considered. According to the study, aspects of "fragility" include such elements as

factionalism, important policy changes that affect broad segments of the population, autocratic "backsliding," auto-coups and the collapse of the state government (state failure). It says that the political leadership of most fragile nations, or those with a high degree of political instability, continued to view social media as a threat. Notable new exceptions to this included the fragile nations of Ghana, India, and Egypt all with Klout scores above 68, exhibiting that people interacted regularly with the leaders' content,it says. Klout is a San Francisco-based company and provides social media analytics, says DPC. The Klout Score measures influence on a scale of one to 100, with 100 being the most influential. Singh scores a respectable 80 here.

23.

Siachen Glacier Shrinking Due to Increasing Temperatures

Updated on 06 JAN 2013

The Siachen Glacier has reduced by 5.9 km in longitudinal extent between 1989 and 2009 because of rising temperatures, researchers say. Human presence at Siachen may also be affecting the neighbouring glaciers of Gangotri, Miyar, Milan and Janapa which feed Ganges, Chenab and Sutlej rivers, the Dawn reported. Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindukush together make the largest mountain chain on earth and they are the custodian of the third largest ice reserves after the Polar Regions. The glaciers in these mountain ranges feed 1.7 billion people through seven large Asian river systems, including the Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Mekong and Yangtze. Siachen is largest mountain glacier of the world, which is 70 km in length and 5-10 km in width. The satellite pictures revealed that the glacier was shrinking. It is even worse that the satellite images displayed increasing numbers as well as sizes of blue lakes in glacier. The main cause of Siachen shrinking is construction of the helipads as well as frequent flights of helicopters which loosen packed snows leading to avalanches. Snow scooters also cause the same. Most of the experts believe the fact that saving these glaciers is actually the scientific challenge which needs attention immediately.

24.

DTC wins Lowest Accident Rate Award for 2012

Updated on 04 JAN 2013

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) on 3 January 2013 won the Lowest Accident Rate Award for 2012. The award was presented by the Association of State Road Transport Undertakings (ASRTU) and was received by Rajeev Verma, Chairperson cum Managing Director of DTC. The award includes a cash reward of Rupees 50000 and a trophy.

25.

17th Century Antique Furniture Discovered in UK Private House

Updated on 05 JAN 2013

The Charles Hanson auctioneers in UK during their routine inspection discovered a private house with precious antique items from 17th century. The private house in UK was filled with the antique furniture from 17th century and the auctioneers felt being in that century. The private house, black and white timbered home near Lichfield, Staffordshire was filled with the furnishings which included tapestries, long case clocks, poster beds as well as Bible boxes. The Charles Hanson auctioneers explained that the remarkable collection was collected over a period of time by a couple who were the owners of the home and are now deceased. This was said to be the finest collection of 17th century oak furniture as well as furnishings. Around 180 lots would be auctioned on 12 January 2013. The walnut-four poster bed dating back to circa 1620 is believed to sell for 1000-1500 pounds. The oak blanket chest which dates back to around 1580 might fetch somewhere around 300-500 pounds. Also, the fruitwood and fine oak dining table from 1630-era is expected to bring in 1000 pounds. Apart from this, the 1670- era painting which depicted two gentlemen (sons of the Earl of Sussex) could fetch 5000 pounds. The junior valuer of Charles Hanson auctioneers, Elizabeth Bailey explained that the beautifully-crafted antique pieces have a touch of patination coinciding with 400 year history. Such a kind of furniture was also lost in 1666 during the Great Fire of London. The auction would take place at Heage Lane, Etwall in Derbyshire, the auction centre of Hansons.

26.

South Korean court orders first chemical castration of child rapist In a landmark ruling, a South Korean court on 3 January 2013

Updated on 04 JAN 2013

sentenced a 31-year-old pedophile to 15 years in jail and ordered the country's first ever chemical castration. The ruling is the first since the country passed a law in 2011 that allows hormonal treatment or chemical castration for convicted child molesters, who are at risk of repeating their crimes. The defendant, only known by his surname Pyo, was charged with having sex with five teenagers whom he met through a smartphone chat service six times between November 2011 and May 2012, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. Pyo then threatened to circulate online video footage of them engaged in sexual acts and nude photos of the minors, and also raped them by threatening them with deadly weapons. Pyo committed the crimes against multiple victims for a long period of time. The court deems that he has a distorted sexual awareness and excessive sexual desire, which makes it impossible for him to control sexual impulses by himself, Judge Kim Ki-young of the Seoul southern district court said in his ruling. The court also ordered Pyo's information be made available to the public for 10 years and that he wear an electronic monitoring anklet for 20 years after his release from prison. Pyo was also ordered to undergo 200 hours of therapy to treat his sexual impulses. South Korea was the first country in Asia to adopt this type of treatment, although Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland and the US state of California have used it for years. The Seoul court's verdict came at time when India is debating whether to introduce punishment like chemical castration to check crimes against women in the wake of the horrific gang-rape of a 23-year-old girl in Delhi, who died in Singapore in December 2012.

27.

First Earthquake-Proof $100 million worth Hindu temple Of the World Built near Hollywood One of the biggest Hindu temples in the US, built at a whopping

Updated on 04 JAN 2013

cost of $100 million near the Hollywood city in Los Angeles has become a major draw for its grandeur and environment-friendly design, since its inauguration. The 68th Swaminarayan temple of Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) has been built using 35,000 pieces of meticulously hand carved Italian Carrara marble and Indian Pink Sandstone, temple officials said. BAPS said that it is first earthquake-proof Mandir in the world and is expected to last for 1,000 years. The Mandir and Cultural Center will indeed be a place that Chino Hills can be proud of for so many, many generations, he said, at the temples inauguration on 23 December 2012. Using cutting edge technology to protect it from earthquakes, the temple encompasses five pinnacles, two large domes, four balconies, 122 pillars and 129 archways. The 6,600 hand-carved motifs depict a mosaic of tales of inspiration, devotion and dedication, along with historical figures from Hinduism, temple officials said. Artisans created the carvings in India with great love, skill and patience before the pieces were shipped to Chino Hills. The Mandir is situated on a 20-acre site, complete with 91 foot lotus-shaped reflection pond. The upper structure of the complex is protected from earthquake damage by separating it from the base with a series of 40 base-isolator units. The Mandir also uses a solar power system to generate electricity and reduce adverse effects on the environment. The Mandir combines the best of traditional stone art and architecture and the best of modern technology.

28.

Freedom fighter Pandit Ram Sanehi Shukla died

Updated on: 04 JAN- 013

Pandit Ram Sanehi Shukla, the veteran freedom fighter died at the age of 98 at Sahebpur Village under Madiyahon tehsil on 2 January 2013. Shukla, who was a disciple of Mahatma Gandhi, died after a prolong illness. The last rites of the freedom fighter were performed at the Manikarnika Ghat of Varanashi with full state honour on 3 January 2013. Pandit Ram Sanehi Shukla was an eminent freedom fighter and a follower of Mahatma Gandhi. He joined the freedom struggle as a student and was jailed several times in his life

29.

Mukesh Ambani 18th Richest Person in World; Retains Position as Richest Indian

Updated on 04 JAN 2013

With a personal wealth of USD 24.7 billion, Indian business magnate Mukesh Ambani successfully retained his place and name in the list of the richest persons in the world. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Ambani is the 18th richest person in the world. The index declared Mexican telecommunications business tycoon Carlos Slim as the richest person in the world. Slims personal fortune is more than USD 70 billion and he holds the highest amount of money last year. The Reliance industries Chairman, MD has also retained his position as the worlds richest Indian for the successive sixth year. His personal wealth increased from USD 21 billion to USD 24.7 billion in the world. According to the index, the worlds top 100 billionaires became richer in 2012 by 15 per cent. Their total wealth is around USD 1.81 trillion. The other billionaires like Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Amancio Ortega also retained their position in the top three spots, with their wealth estimated just over and just under USD 60 billion, respectively. Warren Buffet a prominent investor slipped to the fourth place in the list but he had added around USD 5 billion to his fortune over the year.

30.

Justice Roy sworn-in as Raj High Court Chief Justice

Updated on 03 JAN 2013

Justice Amitava Roy on 2 January 2013 was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court. The oath was administered to him at Raj Bhavan by the Governor of Rajasthan Margaret Alva. Chief justice Amitava Roy was until now working at the Guwahati high court and was second in seniority there. He had replaced Chief Justice Arun Kumar Mishra who was transferred to the Calcutta high court in month of December 2012.

31.

Switzerland Best Place to be Born in, India at 66th Place

Updated on 04 JAN 2013

The tourist paradise of Switzerland has emerged as the best place to be born in 2013, in a new global survey that ranks India among the last 15 nations a baby should start a life in. The violence hit oil-rich African nation of Nigeria was rated as the worst place to be born in, the survey of 80 states that saw Nordic countries like Norway (3), Sweden (4) and Denmark (5) notch the top slots, along with Australia which was ranked as the second best. The Countries those find place in The top 10 : 1. 3. 5. 7. 9. Switzerland Norway Denmark New Zealand Canada 2. 4. 6. 8. 10. Australia Sweden Singapore Netherlands Hong Kong

The survey conducted by the Economist Intelligence, a sister company of The Economist, used 11 statistically significant indicators, including geography, demography, social and cultural characteristics, public policy, the state of the world economy and future income per head to arrive at its rankings. While none of the economically emerging BRIC countries scored impressively in the survey, India and Russia were by far the worst placed at the 66th and 72nd spot respectively. Brazil was ranked in the middle of the chart at 37, China was placed at 49, while South Africa was ranked 53. The impacts of the economic crisis clearly visible, the survey also saw the crisis-ridden economic power houses of the Euro zone as well as the US and Britain lose their standings in the table. As against a similar survey 25 years back when the US was ranked as the best place to be born in, the world's only superpower is now ranked 16th, just ahead of the UAE and South Korea.

Britain is ranked 27th, behind the likes of Taiwan (14), Kuwait (22) and Chile (23), well down the 7th place it achieved in 1988. France that was ranked second in 1988 dropped to 26th. While the top ranked Switzerland, which jumped from the 13th place in 1988, scored 8.22 on a scale of 10, the last ranked Nigeria scored 4.74. The league table earnestly attempts to measure which country will provide the best opportunities for a healthy, safe and prosperous life in the years ahead.