E Magazine

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Page 2 of 47

Civil Services Prelim Examination,
2013:
The Union Public Service Commission will hold the
Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2013 on
26th May, 2013.
This Preliminary Examination will be common for
the candidates applying for Civil Services
Examination and Indian Forest Service
Examination, and will act as a screening
mechanism for selection of candidates for the Civil
Services (Main) Examination and Indian Forest
Service (Main) Examination. The examination will
be held at various centres across the country, in
accordance with the rules of Civil Services
Examination notified in the official gazette
extraordinary on 5th of March, 2013 by the
Department of Personnel & Training, Government
of India and the rules of Indian Forest Service
Examination notified by the Ministry of
Environment and Forest in the official gazette
extraordinary on 5th of March, 2013.
Candidates are required to apply through online
mode in the Commissions website
www.upsconline.nic.in. No other mode is allowed
for submission of application. The
commencement of filling online application shall
start from 5th March, 2013 and conclude on
4thApril, 2013[till 11.59PM].
For details regarding the Syllabus and Scheme
of the examination, Centers of examination,
Guidelines for filling up application form etc.
Aspirants must login Commissions website
www.upsconline.nic.in or www.upsc.gov.in and
refer to the notices of the above mentioned two
examinations.
Candidates are requested to note that there are
some changes in the scheme of Civil Services
[Main] Examination and also in the scheme of
Indian Forest Service Examination.
While for the Civil Services Examination, it is in the
basic content of the Main Written Examination
wherein changes have been made by the
government, in the Indian Forest Service
Examination, a preliminary examination has been
introduced as a mode of screening candidates for
the Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination.
Detailed Notices of Civil Services Examination
and India Forest Service Examination are being
published in the Employment News/Rozgar
Samachar shortly.
While submitting online applications for Civil
Service (Preliminary) Examination, the candidates
will have the option to choose either the Civil
Services or Indian Forest Service or both.
Therefore, before exercising their options,
applicants may carefully read and understand the
eligibility and other criteria contained in the
detailed notices of both the Civil Services
Examination, 2013 and Indian Forest Service
Examination, 2013 which are available in the
aforementioned website of the Commission.
Highlights of Civil Services Preliminary
Examination 2013:
1) Only Online Application Accepted
Candidates are required to apply through
online mode in the Commissions.
Website www.upsconline.nic.in.
No other mode is allowed for submission of applic
ation.
2) Last date of Online Application 4
th
April
The commencement of filling online application
shall start from 5
th
March, 2013 and conclude on
4thApril, 2013[till 11.59PM].
3) Changes in the basic content of the Main
Written Examination
Candidates are requested to note that there are
some changes in the scheme of Civil Services
[Main] Examination and also in the scheme of
Indian Forest Service Examination.
For the Civil Services Examination changes are
made in the basic content of the Main Written
Examination.
Changes have been made in the Indian Forest
Service Examination.
Page 3 of 47

A preliminary examination has been introduced as
a mode of screening candidates for the Indian
Forest Service (Main) Examination.
4) Syllabus, Scheme, Centres and Guidelines
For details regarding the Syllabus and Scheme
of the examination, Centres of examination,
Guidelines for filling up application form etc.
Aspirants must login Commissions website
www.upsconline.nic.in or www.upsc.gov.in and
refer to the notices of the above mentioned two
examinations.
5) Candidate can choose either the Civil Services
or Indian Forest Service or both
While submitting online applications for Civil
Service (Preliminary) Examination, the candidates
will have the option to choose either the Civil
Services or Indian Forest Service or both.
Therefore, before exercising their options, applica
nts may carefully read and understand the eligibilit
y and other criteria contained in the detailed
notices of both the Civil Services Examination,
2013 and Indian Forest Service Examination
,2013 which are available in the
aforementioned website of the Commission.
Changed Pattern of Civil Services
Examination 2013:
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on
Tuesday released the notification for the
examination pattern change in forthcoming civil
services examination. The changes are subjected
to mains examinations only.
In Civil Services Mains Examination 2013 instead of
two optional papers, now student will opt only one
optional paper. Weight-age of General Study has
been increased.
Here is the new pattern of Civil Services mains
examination:
Main Examination
The written examination will consist of the
following papers:
Paper-I
Section 1 Essay 200 Marks
Section 2 English Comprehension & English Prcis
100 Marks (Of Matriculation/ Xth standard level)
Paper-II
General StudiesI 250Marks (Indian Heritage and
Culture, History and Geography of the World and
Society)
Paper-III
General Studies II: 250 Marks
(Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice
and International relations)
Paper-IV
General Studies III 250 Marks (Technology,
Economic Development, Bio-diversity,
Environment, Security and Disaster Management)
Paper-V
General Studies IV 250 Marks (Ethics, Integrity
and Aptitude)
Paper-VI
Optional Subject Paper 1 -250 Marks
Paper-VII
Optional Subject Paper 2 -250 Marks
Sub Total (Written test) 1800 Marks
Personality Test 275 Marks.
Grand Total 2075 Marks
{Candidates may choose any optional subject from
amongst the list of subjects given in para 2 below
(Group 1). However, a candidate can opt for the
literatures of a language, indicated in Group-2
below para 2, as an optional subject, only if the
candidate has graduated in the literature of that
particular language as the main subject}.
NOTE:
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(i) Marks obtained by the candidates for all papers
(Paper I-VII) will be counted for merit ranking.
However, the Commission will have the discretion
to fix qualifying marks in any or all papers of the
examination
Aspirants can log on to UPSCs official website
(www.upsc.gov.in) to see the detailed notification
Editors Note:
Dear Civil Services Aspirants,
Civil Services India is pleased to launch an E-
magazine to help the candidates in preparation for
the UPSC conducted Civil Services examination.
We are launching its first issue with focus on the
current affairs of the last month. It covers almost
all the aspects of events and may help in the
preparation of the General Studies paper. The
news compilation is done with the view to tackle
the current affairs segment that forms the core
section in the General Studies paper in the
Preliminary examination. We are adding a model
test paper that covers all important questions of
the month. Another important feature of the E-
magazine is the Essay of the Month that will help
in the preparation Essay paper for the Main
examination. We are going to add other features
in the subsequent issues and seek your
cooperation in its development. We are putting a
costfor this E magazine and may request to take its
annual subscription with a payment of 600 rupees
only. Needless to say this E magazine is highly
helpful to all the civil services aspirantswho are
serious about this prestigious examination.
--------------XXXXX----------------
Essay of the Month:
Corruption- Role of State and Civil Society
The recent bribery scandal in the defence
helicopter deal of 3600 crore rupees has once
again brought the issue of corruption on forefront
in India.
Interestingly, the Union Cabinet has accepted 14
out of 16 recommendation of the select
committee for passing the Lokpal bill, meant to
tackle corruption in the country.
Its an irony that even a prolonged campaign
against corruption last year could not throw any
tangible solution. The matter is bursting at its
seams but there is little hardly any respite to the
common man hit hard by such unethical practices.
India like many other countries of South and
Southeast Asia is grappling with the problem of
corruption. This evil has seeped into every
segments of the country, be it administration,
judiciary, legislature, education, health defence or
developmental projects.
Corruption is mostly attributed to the government
functionaries who demand a hefty sum for getting
a simple job being done. The most popular adage
is, one has to pay bribe for getting a birth or death
certificate in India.
In 2012 India was ranked 94th out of 176
countries in the corruption list. The Transparency
International Corruption Perceptions Index has
found that more than 62% of Indians have first-
hand experience of corruption in getting jobs or
work done in public offices.
The causes of corruption in India include excessive
regulations, complicated taxes and licensing
systems, numerous government departments each
with opaque bureaucracy and discretionary
powers, monopoly by government controlled
institutions on certain goods and services, delivery,
and above all lack of transparency of laws and
processes.
Indian corruption scenario could be divided into
two phases, one before the economic
liberalization in 1990 and second post
liberalization.
In the first phase government nationalized many
sectors of the Indian economy to protect the
growth of its nascent industries. Thus began an era
of license permit raj and corruption flourished with
impunity. The business -government nexus
developed. Only those who can afford to pay the
officials were able to procure license for doing
businesses.
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With the opening up of the economy in 1990 the
post liberalization era begun. In this phase the
quantum of corruption multiplied manifold and
continues to increase at an alarming pace.
In the name of de -regularization and inviting
private players, some government officials
indulged in corrupt practices as many players
scrambled for favors through greasing their palms.
The politicians, the bureaucrats, the middlemen
nexus became all pervasive and all were seen hand
in glove to provide fodder to corruption.
As a result, every institution of the government
was infested with the menace of corruption. Even
in the private sector corruption started making its
inroads.
Even though there are many laws and regulations
to handle corruption, none seem to provide any
relief to the people. They are all under the control
of the government thats seen as the engine of
corruption.
When corruption hit the roof as scam after scam
started surfacing every now and then and
newspapers littered with corruption stories,
common man became restless what to do, its at
this point of time some members of the civil
society came forward to launch campaign against
corruption.
Anna Hazare, a prominent Gandhian along with
other members of the civil society in 2011,
launched a campaign to fight corruption in India.
This campaign against corruption drew huge
response and some even called it as second
freedom struggle in the country.
The anti corruption campaign was essentially to
bring a Lokpal bill that would constitute a separate
body comprising prominent members of the civil
society to monitor the corruption cases in the
country.
When the intricacies of this extra constitutional
body was discussed and debated in the backdrop
of Parliamentary democracy, the civil societys
campaign against corruption started receiving a
lukewarm response from the masses, which
initially whole heartedly supported the initiative
taken by the civil society.
Anna Hazare ultimately had to withdraw his
movement and disband his team that was in the
forefront of this electrifying movement. Later, he
made some attempts to kick start the movement
holding a public rally but hardly any enthusiasm
was seen among the general public.
Arvind Kejrewal, a member of team Anna and
Right to Information activist took up the fight
forward and launched a political outfit called Aam
Aadmi Party. It remains to be seen how this party
fares in the general elections and fulfills the
aspiration of the people.
Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet has approved
amendments to the official version of the Lokpal
and Lokayuktas Bill that it brought in 2011 in wake
of Anna Hazares agitation. The government has
accepted 14out of 16 suggestions made by the
Select Committee comprising of the members of
the Rajya Sabha represented by all major political
parties.
The bill accepted by the government rejected the
core demand of the civil society making Lokpal
appointment free from government control and
providing autonomy to the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI).
No wonder the members of the civil society have
rejected the governments move to control
corruption as it has failed to address their key
demand.
So in the current situation, neither the
government nor the civil society is able to come up
with a plan of action to tackle corruption. The
general feeling among the masses is both have
failed to provide concrete solution to address the
core issue. As a result the problem corruption
continues to remain as it is in the country.
---------- Syed Ali Mujtaba.
Budget 2013-14 Highlights

Chidambaram presents India's 82nd budget

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Amid high expectations of reversing the sharp
slowdown in growth, Finance Minister P.
Chidambaram presented India's 82nd budget in
the Lok Sabha Thursday, saying that challenges
remained but there was no need for gloom.
The finance minister began his speech by seeking
the support of all stakeholders in helping navigate
the Indian economy through the current crisis. He
said getting back to high growth rates of over 8-9
percent seen some years ago was the main
challenge.
"We have done it before. We can do it again,"
Chidambaram said, in what was his eighth budget
and the last before the general elections slated
next year. "Whatever may be the final outcome,
growth is below potential. But there is no need for
gloom."
The country's economic growth, as per official
estimates, decelerated to 5 percent and 6.2
percent in the past two years, from 8.6 percent
and 9.1 percent in the two years preceding them.
Chidambaram said the Indian economy was today
constrained by three factors: high fiscal deficit,
slow growth and high inflation. "My greater worry
is current account deficit," he said, alluding to the
high oil import bill the country has been burdened
with.
"India will need $75 billion to finance the current
account deficit," he said, adding that this could
only be done by attracting foreign direct
investment in large amounts.
"India does not have the choice in either
welcoming or spurring foreign investment," he
said, adding that projects will be cleared fast
without worrying much over audit remarks and
doing business in India will be seen as easy and
mutually beneficial.
The finance minister said a whopping Rs.16.65 lakh
crore (Rs.16.65 trillion or nearly $300 billion)
would be spent under plan expenditure during
2013-14, which will be 30 percent higher than the
outlay for this fiscal.
"I have provided sufficient funds to each ministry."
With the ensuing general elections in mind, the
finance minister also significantly enhanced the
outlays for areas such as women development,
health, Scheduled Caste welfare, farm credit,
malnutrition, rural job scheme, water and urban
development.
He also announced a new public sector bank
exclusively for women.
Besides, outlays were enhanced for human
resource development, midday meal scheme, food
security and integrated child development, while
new schemes were announced to promote micro
nutrients and encourage the use and repayment of
farm credit.
The finance minister gave a lot of attention to
infrastructure development and said the ensuing
year wills kick-start the process to invest $1 trillion
in this key area during the 12th Plan period (2012-
13 to 2116-17).
His measures included a regulatory authority for
the road sector; scheme to spruce up the financial
health of state-run power utilities and issuance of
tax-free bonds.

Walking the tight rope ahead ofnext year's
elections, finance minister P Chidambaram on
Thursday offered minor sops to income tax payers
but slapped a 10% surcharge on 'super-rich'
individuals and corporates, levied an inheritance
tax and raised duties on mobile phones, cigarettes
and related stories
In his tax proposals in the Budget for 2013-14 to
raise an additional Rs. 18,000 crore, he gave a
benefit of Rs. 2,000 to individual tax payers with
taxable income of up to Rs. 5 lakh but made no
change in either slabs or rates of personal income
tax which will continue at 10, 20 and 30%.
Aiming at higher growth rate for inclusive and
sustainable development and revive
manufacturing, Chidambaram hiked outlays for
health, water and sanitation, SCs/STs and tribals
and rural development.
Chidambaram offers minor sops to income
tax payers in budget

Page 7 of 47

Defence allocation has been increased to Rs. 2,
03,672 crore, including Rs. 86,741 crore for capital
expenditure.
First-time home buyers will get an additional
deduction of interest of Rs. 1 lakh for home loans
above Rs. 25 lakh and Rs. 1.50 lakh for home loans
up to Rs. 25 lakh. This will be over and above the
current Rs. 1 lakh deduction allowed for self-
occupation.
Implementing the much-talked about super-rich
tax, Chidambaram proposed to levy a 10%
surcharge on income of Rs. 1 crore and above and
a 5 to 10% surcharge on domestic corporates
whose income exceeds Rs. 10 crore a year.
In the case of foreign companies, who pay a higher
rate of corporate tax, the surcharge will go up
from 2 to 5%. On dividend distribution tax, he
proposed to raise current surcharge from 5 to
10%$.
Presenting his eighth budget, the first after coming
back to Finance Ministry last year, Chidambaram
imposed an inheritance tax of 1% on transfer of
immovable property of over Rs. 50 lakh.
Continuing the education cess for all tax payers at
3 per cent, he promised that the new surcharges
will be in force for just a year during 2013-14.
While the direct tax proposals will bring in Rs.
13,300 crore, those on indirect tax side will rake in
Rs. 4,700 crore.
Bringing in the super-rich tax, Chidambaram said,
"I believe there is a little bit of the spirit of Mr
Azim Premji (of Wipro) in every affluent tax payer.
I am confident that when I ask the relatively
prosperous to bear a little more burden for one
year, just one year, they will do so cheerfully."
The minister did not resist the temptation of
burdening smokers when he raised the excise duty
by 18% on cigarettes, cigars, cheroots and
cigarillos.
Including two more services in the negative list of
service taxes, he extended the levy to all air-
conditioned restaurants and introduced a one-
time voluntary compliance scheme for about 10
lakh service tax defaulters to rake in more money.
High-end luxury motor vehicles, motorcycles and
yacht will attract 100% import duty, up from 75%
while SUVs will attract a higher excise duty at 30%,
up by 3%.
Passengers will be allowed to bring in duty free
gold jewellery of up to Rs. 50,000 in case of men
and Rs. 1, 00,000 in case of women.
There is no change in the peak rate of basic
customs duty on non-agriculture products and
rates of excise duty and service tax of 12%.
Chidambaram introduced a commodities
transaction tax on non-agriculture commodities
futures contracts at the same rate as equity
futures that is 0.01% of the price of the trade.
Chidambaram walks tight rope; levies tax on
super-rich
Resisting the temptation of election-year
populism, the general Budget on Thursday offered
no major tax sops but slapped a surcharge on the
super-rich, raised duties on mobile phones,
cigarettes and imported luxury vehicles and
imposed a levy on property sale above Rs 50 lakh.
Presenting UPA-II's last full-fledged Budget ahead
of net year's general elections to net in an
additional Rs 18,000 crore, finance minister P
Chidambaram did a tightrope walk balancing
growth needs with fiscal prudence by stepping up
expenditure in social sectors and cutting subsidies.
In a Budget that pegs fiscal deficit at 4.8 per cent
of GDP, defence allocation has been stepped up by
14 per cent over the revised expenditure in the
current year to Rs 2,03,672 crore in the next.
Without changing the basic slabs and rates in
income tax rates, Chidambaram gave a benefit of
Rs 2,000 to individual tax payers with taxable
income of up to Rs 5 lakh, that will benefit 1.8
crore tax payers entailing a revenue sacrifice of Rs
3,600 crore.
First-time home buyers will get an additional
deduction of interest of Rs 1 lakh for home loans
Chidambaram walks tight rope; levies tax
on super-rich

Page 8 of 47

above Rs 25 lakh and Rs 1.50 lakh for home loans
up to Rs 25 lakh. This will be over and above the
current Rs 1 lakh deduction allowed for self-
occupation.
The much-talked about 'super-rich' tax was levied
as a 10 per cent surcharge on "relatively
prosperous" persons with an income over Rs 1
crore.
Similarly, on domestic corporate with taxable
income of Rs 10 crore, the surcharge has been
raised from 5 to 10 per cent. Foreign companies
will pay an increased surcharge of 5 per cent, up
from 2.
The finance minister proposed that the surcharges
will be in existence for just a year, while continuing
the 3 per cent education cess on all tax payers.
In a bid to eliminate tax evasion through under-
valuation and under-reporting in property sale, the
Budget proposes a TDS of one per cent on all
transfers of immovable properties for a
consideration above Rs 50 lakh. Agriculture land
will however be exempted from this. While
Securities Transaction Tax (STT) has been
marginally reduced, the minister introduced a new
Commodities Transaction Tax (CTT) on non-
agricultural commodities futures.
In indirect taxes, the Budget does not make any
change in the peak Customs and Excise Duties or
Service Tax, but it sharply raised import duty on
high-end luxury cars, motorcycles and yachts from
75 per cent to 100 per cent and excise duty on
SUVs from 27 to 30 per cent.
The finance minister, like most of his predecessors,
did not fail to touch smokers in raising resources.
Cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos and cheroots will
attract an additional 18 per cent excise duty.
Dining at air-conditioned restaurants will cost
more as service tax has been extended such
establishments which were earlier exempted if
they did not serve liquor. Mobile costing above Rs
2,000 will attract a 6 per cent excise duty instead
of 1 per cent currently.
Under the fresh excise duty proposals, marbles
and silver manufactured from smelting zinc or lead
while readymade garments, carpets and floor
covering of coir and jute will become cheaper.
Vocational courses in state-aided institutions and
agriculture testing facilities have been exempted
from service tax.
In a one-time amnesty scheme, 10 lakh service tax
defaulters have been offered a voluntary
compliance encouragement scheme under which
penalty and interest will be waived for returning to
the tax fold.
Aiming at higher growth rate for inclusive and
sustainable development and revive
manufacturing, Chidambaram hiked outlays for
health, water and sanitation, SCs/STs and tribals
and rural development.
'Nirbhaya Fund' announced for safety,
empowerment of women
In a tribute to the 23-year-old Delhi gangrape
victim, government today announced setting up
Nirbhaya Fund of Rs 1,000 crore for safety and
empowerment of women.
Nirbhaya (fearless) was the pseudonym given to
the victim to hide her actual identity. The
announcement of Rs 1,000 crore funds was made
by finance minister P. Chidambaram while
presenting the Union Budget for 2013-14 in the
Lok Sabha amid thumping of desks by members.
Recent incidents have cast a long, dark shadow
on our liberal and progressive credentials. As more
women enter public space - for education or work
or access to services of leisure - there are more
reports of violence against them, Chidambaram
said.
Noting that all have a collective responsibility to
ensure dignity and safety of women, the Minister
said, We stand in solidarity with our girl children
and women. And we pledge to do everything
possible to empower them and to keep them safe
and secure.
He said a number of initiatives are under way and
many more will be taken by the government as
well as non-government organizations. These
deserve our support. As an earnest of our
'Nirbhaya Fund' announced for safety,

Page 9 of 47

commitment to these objectives, I propose to set
up a fund - let us call it the Nirbhaya Fund - and
government will contribute Rs 1,000 crore, he
said.
The ministry of women and child development and
other ministries concerned will work out details of
the structure, scope and application of the fund,
he said. Following the public outrage in the wake
of the incident, government had earlier this month
promulgated an ordinance to enhance punishment
for crimes against women, including death for
rapists in case the victim dies or is left in a
vegetative state.
It had also set up the justice J.S. Verma Committee
to propose amendments to laws relating to crime
against women. The ordinance has incorporated
the recommendations of the three-member panel.
A commission of inquiry was also established
under Justice Usha Mehra to probe the lapses on
part of the authorities in the December 16
gangrape incident.

Special plans for minorities, women in
Budget
Apart from making allocations for exclusive sub
plans for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes,
Budget 2013-14 has special plans for minorities,
women and children as well as persons with
disabilities.
While presenting the Annual General Budget,
Finance Minister P Chidambaram said the budget
had sub plans for welfare of scheduled castes and
scheduled tribes. These funds cannot be diverted
and must be spent for the purpose of the sub
plans.
He said that an allocation of Rs 41,561 crore to the
scheduled castes sub plan and Rs 24,598 crore to
the tribal sub plan had been made.
Chidambaram also informed the members of the
House that gender budget has been allocated Rs
97,134 crore and child budget Rs 77,236 crore in
2013-14.
Women belonging to most vulnerable groups,
including single women and widows, must be able
to live with self-esteem and dignity, he said, while
noting that young women face gender
discrimination especially at the work place.
He said the ministry of Women and Child
Development had been asked to design schemes
to address these concerns and Rs 200 crore has
been provided to begin work in this regard.
The Finance Minister said Rs 3,511 crore had been
allocated to the ministry of Minority Affairs, which
is an increase of 12 per cent over the budget
estimates and 60 per cent over the revised
estimates of 2012-13.
The Maulana Azad Education Foundation is the
main vehicle to implement education schemes and
channelized funds to non-government
organizations for the minorities; he said and added
that its corpus stands at Rs 750 crore.
He said that to raise this amount to Rs 1500 crore
during the 12th Plan period, it is proposed to
allocate Rs 160 crore to the corpus fund.
Seven new cities on Delhi-Mumbai industrial
corridor
Plans for seven new cities along the Delhi Mumbai
Industrial Corridor (DMIC) have been finalised and
work on two new smart industrial cities at Dholera
in Gujarat and Shendra Bidkin in Maharashtra
would start in the next financial year, Finance
Minister P. Chidambaram said Thursday.
"The DMIC project has made rapid progress. Plans
for seven new cities have been finalised and work
on two new smart industrial cities will start during
2013-14," Chidambaram said while presenting the
union budget for 2013-14 in the Lok Sabha.
Additional funds may be provided if required, he
added.
He thanked the Japanese government for the
projects. "We acknowledge the support of the
government of Japan."
The finance minister further said that plans were
being prepared by the Department of Industrial
Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and the Japan
Special plans for minorities, women in
Budget

Seven new cities on Delhi-Mumbai
industrial corridor

Page 10 of 47

International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for
Chennai-Bengalore industrial corridor.
"The corridor will be developed in collaboration
with the governments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh and Karnataka," Chidambaram said.
Preparatory work had also started on another
corridor between Bangalore and Mumbai, he
added.
Rs.27,049 crore outlay for agriculture
ministry
In order to boost food production, Finance
Minister P. Chidambaram Thursday proposed an
outlay of Rs.27, 049 crore for the agriculture
ministry, up 22 percent over the revised estimates
of 2012-13.
"The outlay for agriculture ministry will be
Rs.27,049 crore," said the finance minister while
presenting the union budget 2013-14. "Out of this,
Rs.3,415 crore will go for agricultural research," he
said.
The finance minister also set apart Rs.10,000 crore
for the National Food Security Act, which the
government hopes to pass in the current session.
"I hope the National Food Security Bill will be
passed by parliament as early as possible as food
security is as much a basic human right as the right
to education or the right to health care," he said.
The finance minister also proposed Rs.1,000 crore
to continue support to the new green revolution in
eastern states like Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and
West Bengal to increase the rice production.
Under the budget outlay, the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas
Yojana gets Rs.9, 954 crore and Rs.2, 250 crore
have been proposed for the National Food Security
Mission.
He also proposed Rs.500 crore for starting a
programme of crop diversification.
To provide relief to small and marginal farmers,
especially in drought prone and ecologically-
stressed regions, he increased allocation for the
Integrated Watershed Programme to Rs.5, 387
crore from Rs.3,050 crore.
Stating that foodgrain production this year will be
over 250 million tonnes, the finance minister
thanked the farmers for their hard work and said
the agricultural credit target has been increased to
Rs.7 lakh crore from Rs.5.75 lakh crore.
The finance minister also proposed a matching
equity grants to registered farmer producer
organisations (FPOs) up to a maximum of Rs.10
lakh per FPO to enable them to leverage working
capital from financial institutions.
For this purpose, an outlay of Rs.50 crore has been
made, he said.
Besides, a credit guarantee fund will also be
created in the Small Farmers' Agri Business
Corporation with an initial corpus of Rs.100 crore,
he said.
Chidambaram also proposed Rs.307 crore for the
National Livestock Mission which will be launched
in 2013-14 to attract investment and to enhance
productivity taking into account the local agro-
climatic conditions.
Railway Budgets Highlights:
No fare hike, eye on travel comfort in India's
rail budget
With no fare hikes, 106 new trains and a host of
proposals for travel safety and comfort, such as
escalators at key stations, a new e-ticketing system
and a swanky coach in select trains, Railway
Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal presented his
maiden annual budget for his ministry Tuesday.
"The growth of Indian Railways is inextricably
linked with the growth of the country," Bansal said
in his 80-minute budget speech in Lok Sabha, the
lower house of parliament that clearly bordered
on populism with a fair dose of measures on fiscal
discipline.
"Railways must remain financially sustainable.
Resources generated must be ploughed back," he
said in what was the last such annual exercise for
the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government
before the next general elections, scheduled in
2014.
Rs.27,049 crore outlay for agriculture
ministry

No fare hike, eye on travel comfort in
India's rail budget
Page 11 of 47

But Bansal said there will be no major fare hikes
this time, having already revised them last month.
He nevertheless proposed minor revisions in some
charges, such as those for tatkal and reservations.
He also called for a routine 5-6 percent fare hike
every year.
On freight, he said, there will be an upward
revision of 5-6 percent from April 1 to balance the
hike in fuel costs. He said freight and passenger
fares must be de-linked from the fuel costs with
periodic automatic adjustments.
Bansal said while making all these proposals, he
was happy to note that the operating ratio of
Indian Railways -- the money spent on recurring
costs such as salaries and interest to earn Rs.1 in
revenue -- had come down to 88 paise from
around 95 paise.
He kept the plan target for 2013-14 at Rs.63,363
crore (Rs.633.63 billion or $11.5 billion)
The minister said railways remained the single
most important catalyst in India's growth story and
was a vital organisation integrating the nation
from Baramulla in the north to Kanyamumari in
the south, and from Dwarka in the west to Ledo in
the east.
Bansal expressed grief over the loss lives due to
the recent stampede at the Allahabad station and
said a concrete safety plan would ensure that
travel on Indian Railways is hassel free. The
minister said safety of women, in particular, will be
a priority.
He said the remaining 13,000-odd unmanned level
crossings will be mechanised, while 400 lifts and
179 escalators will be deployed in catagory one
stations. This apart, coaches will be made wheel-
chair friendly and approaches made easy for the
differently-abled.
"With the popularity of Shatabdi and Rajdhani
trains, high-travel comfort has been high on
passenger agenda. For this, one such coach, that
will provide excellent ambience and services, will
run on select trains. Such coaches will be called
'Anubhuti'," he said.
India's railroad network, ranked among the top
five in the world, is spread over 64,000 km with
7,083 stations, to ferry 23 million travellers and
2.65 million tonnes of goods daily on 12,000
passenger and 7,000 freight trains.
Bansal, who represents Chandigarh in the Lok
Sabha, said he was well aware about the problems
faced by passengers while booking tickets on the
internet. Accordingly, he promised a next-
generation ticketing system by the end of this
year.
The advocate-turned politician also promised a
new e-ticketing system through mobile phones,
SMS alerts for reservation status and free wi-fi on
select trains, apart from setting a target of Rs.1
trillion for projects under public-private
partnership.
Railway to invest Rs.63,000 crore in 2013-14
Indian Railways plan to invest Rs.63,363 crore
($11.5 billion) in the new financial year beginning
April 1, mainly on expansion of tracks and
improving passenger safety, Railway Minister
Pawan Kumar Bansal said Tuesday.
"The thrust of the plan is on doubling of tracks,
safety and passenger and staff welfare for which I
have increased the outlay from about Rs.11,410
crore in 2012-13 to Rs.13,220 crore, an increase of
16 percent," Bansal said while presenting the
annual budget of his ministry in the Lok Sabha, the
lower house of parliament.
Bansal said the railways would get Rs.26,000 crore
budgetary support in the next financial year to
finance its plan expenditure.
Other sources of financing include Rs.14,260 crore
from railway's internal resources and Rs.2,000
crore from railway's share in road safety fund.
There is also a plan to raise Rs.15,103 crore from
the market and mobilise Rs.6,000 crore through
public-private-partnership (PPP) route to fund its
expansion plans in 2013-14.
Bansal said 500 km of new railway lines would be
built and 450 km of narrow and medium gauge
Railway to invest Rs.63,000 crore in 2013-14

Page 12 of 47

lines would be converted into broad gauge in the
2013-14 fiscal.
The government has also set a target to double
750 km of single railway lines.
Swanky coaches for higher travel comfort
soon: Bansal
Catering to increasing demand for higher travel
comfort, the railways will introduce swanky new
coaches offering excellent ambience, and latest
modern facilities and services in select trains,
Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said
Tuesday.
"With increasing popularity of Shatabdi and
Rajdhani trains, there is also a demand for higher
travel comfort. Responding to this need, to begin
with, the railways will introduce one such coach in
select trains which will provide an excellent
ambience and latest modern facilities and
services," Bansal said while presenting his maiden
budget 2013-14 in the Lok Sabha.
"Such coaches will be named 'Anubhuti' with
commensurate fare structure," said the railway
minister.
The minister also announced installation of
electronic display boards in trains for
disseminating information to passengers about
approaching stations, train running, arrival
platform besides free Wi-Fi facility on several
trains to cater to the increasing aspirations and
requirement of the youth and other valued
customers.
Seven more stations will get air conditioned
executive lounges on the lines of the one in New
Delhi, he added.
106 new trains announced in railway budget
Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal Tuesday
announced 106 new trains, including 67 express
trains and 26 passenger trains, in the railway
budget for 2013-14.
Some of the new express trains are between
Ahmedabad and Jodhpur, Ajni (Nagpur) and
Lokmanya Tilak (Mumbai), Amritsar and Lalkuan
(Nainital), Bandra Terminus (Mumbai) and
Ramnagar (Uttarkhand) and Bandra and Jaisalmer.
The major passenger trains include services
between Bathinda and Dhuri (Punjab), Bikaner and
Ratangarh (Rajasthan), Bhavnagar and Palitana
(Gujarat), Bhavnagar and Surendranagar (Gujarat)
and Bareilly and Lalkuan (UP).
The minister further said five mainline electrical
multiple unit (MEMU) and eight diesel multiple
unit (DEMU) commuter passenger service will be
started.
In addition, 57 trains will be extended and the
frequency of 24 services would be increased, the
minister said.
The minister said railways remained the single
most important catalyst in India's growth story and
were vital organisations integrating the nation
from Baramulla in the North to Kanyakumari in the
South, and from Dwarka in the West to Ledo in the
East.
"Negotiating and overcoming all the difficulties,
the vast railway family is determined to play its
historic role as a national carrier with resolute
sincerity of purpose and strive to be a veritable
vehicle of inclusive growth," Bansal said in his
budget speech in the Lok Sabha, the lower house
of parliament.
"A detailed exercise has been carried out to assess
availability of track capacity, terminal facilities and
maintenance infrastructure within the available
resources."
India's railroad network, ranked among the top
five in the world, is spread over 64,000 km with
7,083 stations. It ferries 23 million travellers and
2.65 million tonnes of goods daily on 12,000
passenger and 7,000 freight trains.
Railway budget highlights at a Glance
Highlights of the railway budget presented in the
Lok Sabha Tuesday by Railway Minister Pawan
Kumar Bansal:
106 new trains announced in railway budget

Swanky coaches for higher travel comfort
soon: Bansal

Railway budget highlights at a Glance

Page 13 of 47

No hike in passenger fares. Superfast and Tatkal
charges to rise. Annual plan for 2013-14 set at
Rs.63, 363 crore
Losses up from Rs.22, 500 crore in 2011-12 to
Rs.24, 600 crore in 2012-13.Accidents per million
km down from .41 to .13
Raised four companies of women RPF personnel;
another eight to be raised for women's safety
67 new Express and 26 new passenger trains to
run; 8 DEMU services and 5 MEMU services to be
introduced; run of 57 trains to be extended;
frequency of 24 trains to increase
22 new rail lines to be taken up in 2013-14
New debt service fund to be set up
Will close fiscal 2012-13 with fund balance against
previous deficit; need to build fund balance to
Rs.30, 000 crore by end of 12th Plan
Operating ratio of 88.8 percent achieved
Dividend reduced from 5 to 4 percent
Electrification of 1,200 km to be completed this
year
72 additional suburban services in Mumbai and 18
in Kolkata
Rs.6, 600 crore increase in earnings from fare
adjustment in January
Rs.63, 000 crore investment in 2013-14
1,047 million tonnes freight loading estimated
during 2013-14
Passenger earnings of Rs.42, 000 crore estimated
in 2013-14
Indian Railways Institute of Financial Management
to be set up at Secunderabad
Chair at Delhi to promote research in reducing
carbon footprint
Winners of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Dhyan
Chand awards to get free first class passes
Complementary first class passes for parents of
unmarried posthumous awardees of Maha Vir
Chakra, Vir Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya
Chakra
Complementary passes of freedom fighters to be
renewed every three years instead of annually
New forged wheel factory at Rae Bareli in
collaboration with Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd
Greenfield Mainline Electrical Multiple Units
(MEMU) manufacturing facility at Bhilwara along
with Rajasthan government and BHEL
Coach making unit at Sonepat in collaboration with
Haryana government
Midlife rehabilitation workshop at Kurnool along
with Andhra Pradesh government.
Railway energy Management Company to be set
up to harness solar and wind energy
1,000 crossings to be energized by solar power
1.51 lakh vacancies to be filled up
Locomotive cabs to be air-conditioned
Azadi Express for travel to places associated with
freedom struggle
India in 1 billion tonne freight club
By end of 2013-14, 1,500 km of contracts to be
awarded for two dedicated rail corridors
Rs.1 lakh crore target set for public-private-
partnership route
Free Wi-Fi to be provided on some trains
Rs.100 crore for improving stations in New Delhi
179 escalators and 400 lifts at A 1 and other select
stations
E-ticketing through mobile phones
SMS alerts for passengers on reservation status
Next generation e-ticketing system by end of 2013
Seventeen bridges identified for repair
Page 14 of 47

Smoke and fire detection system envisaged
Fire extinguishers to be kept in guard vans
Making corporate Safety Plan for a 10 year period
(2014-24)
Introduction of Train Protection Warning System
on Automatic Signalling Systems
Rigorous trials of indigenously developed Train
Collision Avoidance System
Introduction of 160/200 kmph Self Propelled
Accident Relief Trains
Elimination of 10,797 level crossings during the
12th Plan and no addition of such crossings
Six more Rail Neer bottling plants to be set up .
Economic Survey 2012-13
highlights:
Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on 27
February presented the Economic Survey 2012-13
in the Lok Sabha of the Parliament.
Indias Economic Survey for 2012-13 pegs the
countrys growth at 6.1-6.7% and inflation at 6.2-
6.6% for the next fiscal 2013-14 and made a strong
call for cutting subsidies.
Economic Survey is presented every year, just
before the Union Budget. It is a flagship annual
document of the Ministry of Finance, Government
of India. Economic Survey reviews the
developments in the Indian economy over the
previous 12 months. It summarizes the
performance on major development programmes,
and highlights the policy initiatives of the
government and the prospects of the economy in
the short to medium term.
The economy survey 2012-13 was prepared by a
team of economists led by Chief Economic Advisor
Raghuram Rajan, and pitches for speeding up
economic reforms to activate a sluggish economy.
It serves as an indicator of what is likely to be
contained in the General Budget proposals.
Economic Survey 2012-13 at a glance as presented
by Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram
GDP growth seen at 6.1-6.7 percent in 2013/14
Government target for fiscal deficit is 4.8 pct of
GDP in 2013/14
Government target for fiscal deficit is 3 pct of
GDP in 2016/17
Headline WPI inflation may decline to 6.2-6.6 pct
by March2013
Focus on curbing imports, making oil prices more
market determined to reign in current account
deficit
Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) flows need
to be targeted towards long-term rupee
instruments
Prioritization of expenditure seen as key
ingredient of credible medium-term fiscal
consolidation plan
Raising tax to GDP ratio to more than 11 percent
seen as critical for sustaining fiscal consolidation
Room for accommodative monetary policy with
expected fiscal consolidation
India likely to meet fiscal deficit target of 5.3 pct
of GDP in 2012/13, despite significant shortfall in
revenues
Recommends curbing gold imports to reign in
current account deficit
Room to increase exports in the short run limited
Industrial output seen growing around 3 pct in
2012/13
Govt priority to fight inflation by reducing fiscal
impetus to demand as well as by focusing on
incentivizing food production.
More jobs in low productivity construction sector
Balance of Payments under pressure with net
exports decline
Page 15 of 47

Service sector has shown more resilience despite
global slowdown
Pitches for hike in price of diesel and LPG to cut
subsidy burden
Railway freight grows by 5.1 per cent in 2012-13
Foreign Exchange reserves remains steady at
USD 295.6 Billion at December 2012 end.
National
India among top ten atomic countries of the
world
The development and security of the nation are
two sides of the same coin and India has achieved
its rank among the top atomic countries on its
own, says S. Kailas, director, physics division of
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai.
Addressing at the National Science Day
programme in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)
here Thursday to honour Nobel Laureate, Sir C.V.
Raman for the discovery of Raman Effect, Kailas
said the shortage of energy resources is a major
challenge and India would need to generate
nuclear energy to fulfill the need.
He highlighted the role of HomiBhabha and
Jawaharlal Nehru for the development of atomic
energy in the country.
According to Kailas, 20 reactors are currently
operating in the country and 30 percent of food
products and fruits were spoiled due to power
shortage.
AMU Vice Chancellor, Lt. Gen. (Retd) ZameerUddin
Shah in his speech said the university had
conferred the D.Sc. degree, honoriscausa, on Sir C.
V. Raman in the year 1933.
He said that India needed to concentrate on
nuclear energy and that nuclear plants in our
country were safe as there were no accidents
reported till date.
India beat Australia by eight wickets in first
Test
India achieved the target of 50, losing two wickets
in the second innings to beat Australia by eight
wickets before lunch on the final day of the first
cricket Test at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium
here Tuesday. Sachin Tendulkar remained
unbeaten on 13, assisted by two big sixes, and
Cheteshwar Pujara on 8.
Earlier, Australia were all out for 241 in the second
innings. Moises Henriques remained unbeaten on
81 and Nathan Lyon (11) was dismissed by left-arm
spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who finished with three
for 72.Australia, resuming at 232 for nine, added
just nine runs before being packed up in 30
minutes.
AL to supply 20 Cheetal choppers to Indian
Army
State-run defence behemoth Hindustan
Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Friday said it will supply 20
multirole Cheetal helicopters to the Indian Army at
an estimated value of Rs.418 core.
We have signed a contract with the defence
ministry to supply 20 Cheetal to the army over the
next four years besides providing training to its
pilots and technical crew, the company said in a
statement here Friday.
The deal is in addition to an earlier order the
Bangalore-based company bagged in 2006 from
the Indian Air Force (IAF) for supplying 10
Cheetals, of which nine have been delivered so far.
As an upgraded variant of its earlier Cheetah
chopper, Cheetal is equipped with the fuel-
efficient Turbomeca turboshaft engine for 90kg
payload at an altitude of 6km.Cheetal can operate
up to 7km altitude and has 640km range with an
endurance of nearly four hours, the statement
noted.
Fitted with a full authority digital engine control
system and an electronic backup control box
(EBCB) system, the new chopper boasts of a
modern cockpit with electrically driven artificial
horizon, directional gyro, flight monitoring system,
cockpit voice recorder and master flasher warning
system.
Cheetal is best suited for missions such as
personnel transport, casualty evacuation,
reconnaissance and aerial survey, logistic air
India among top ten atomic countries of
the world

India beat Australia by eight wickets in first
Test

AL to supply 20 Cheetal choppers to Indian
Army

Page 16 of 47

support, rescue operations and under slung loads
(cargo), the statement added.

An estimated 61.3 million people in India suffer
from diabetes, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi
Azad said Friday. According to World Health
Organisation (WHO), factors responsible for the
increase in non-communicable diseases, including
diabetes, are unhealthy diet, lack of physical
activity, harmful use of alcohol, obesity and
tobacco use, the minister said in a written reply in
the Lok Sabha.
The International Diabetes Federation estimates
that 61.3 million persons aged 20 years and above
in India had diabetes in 2011, Azad said.
The minister said the government launched a
national programme for prevention of cancer,
diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and stroke
during the 11th five-year plan in 100 districts with
the aim of prevention and control of non-
communicable diseases, including diabetes,
through awareness generation, behaviour and life-
style changes.
The programme also provides for screening of
persons above 30 years of age for diabetes and
hypertension in various health care facilities like
district hospitals, community health centres and
sub-centres and their referral to higher facilities
for appropriate management of these diseases,
the minister said.
Coast Guard commissions high-speed
interceptor boat
The Indian Coast Guard Friday inducted a new
generation Arneson surface drive (ASD) propulsion
system-equipped interceptor boat at a ceremony
here.
The C-154 was commissioned into service in the
presence of Maharashtra Chief Secretary J.K.
Banthia and Coast Guard Inspector General (West)
S.P.S. Basra.
The 28-metre-long vessel, with 75 tonnes
displacement, can achieve a maximum speed of 35
knots. Fitted with state of the art navigation and
communication equipment and medium range
armament, it is designed for high speed
interception, close-coast patrol, low-intensity
maritime operations, search & rescue and
maritime surveillance.
This ship will be based at Mumbai and will be
serving the entire coast of Maharashtra. It will also
help in securing the western coast of the country,
Basra said.
The newly-commissioned vessel is capable of
operating in shallow water as well as in deep seas.
It is fitted with two main engines of 1,630 KW each
and has a complement of one officer and 12 men.
Speaking on the twin explosions that rocked
Hyderabad Thursday, Banthia said the state
government has taken a serious note of the
tragedy.
Apart from issuing high alert in the state, such
efforts of strengthening our coastline are also
necessary. All the authorities responsible for
handling the security of coasts are working in
tandem, he said.
Usha Mehra panel suggests single centre for
rape victims
The Justice Usha Mehra committee, set up to
review responses to the December 16 Delhi gang-
rape and suggest measures to improve safety and
security of women in Delhi, has suggested that
counsellor, a qualified nurse to collect evidence, a
woman police inspector and a forensic expert
should be present under a single roof where rape
victims can be taken.
The panel, which submitted its report to the law
ministry Friday, also suggests the police should be
sensitised on such crimes.
Government will give serious consideration to the
report, union Law Minister Ashwini Kumar said,
while accepting the report.
The commission, headed by the former Delhi High
Court judge, was set up Dec 26 to enquire into
various aspects of the shocking incident of the
rape, identify the lapses, if any, on the part of the
police or any other authority.Though it was given
three months for submitting its report, the
committee completed its work early.
India has 61.3 mn people over 20 years
with diabetes

Coast Guard commissions high-speed
interceptor boat

Page 17 of 47

Speaking to NDTV, she said that the bus had tinted
glasses, curtains and no light and could have been
stopped by policemen.
The bus could have been stopped by policemen
and the crime could have been averted. The area
had no police patrol or men on foot manning the
street, she said. She said the need of the time is
to sensitize policemen so that they could handle
such crimes sensitively.
The 23-year-old physiotherapist trainee was gang-
raped in a moving bus by six males, who later
dumped her on the street bloodied and without
clothes. Her male friend was also beaten and
thrown off the bus. The woman died 13 days later
in a Singapore hospital.
The six males, including a minor, were arrested
soon after the crime. What Usha Mehra
committee says Some of the major
recommendations made by Justice (retd) Usha
Mehra in her report on the Dec 16 Delhi gang rape
that was submitted to the law ministry Friday:
* One stop centre, like those already operating in
Bangladesh, Malaysia and South Africa, where the
victim should be taken. There should be a
councillor for the victim, and a trained nurse
qualified in collecting evidence.
* There should be a woman police inspector at the
centre
* There should be a forensic expert at the centre
* Sensitise police officers to such crimes
India offers untapped opportunities to US
Indias determination to strengthen its
manufacturing and make itself a hub for
knowledge and innovation industries will open up
untapped opportunities for greater commercial
links with American states, said Indian ambassador
Nirupama Rao.
Indian companies are also exploring new trade and
investment links with states in the US in the
energy sector, including fossil fuels and renewable,
she said at an event here Friday to highlight the
impact of Foreign Direct Investment from India on
US states.
Reflecting the continuing transformation in India-
US business ties including business links, Rao
noted was a bilateral trade of $100 billion; two
way investment flows; growing technology and
business partnerships, and a rich cooperative
agenda in a range of economic areas.
Going forward, there is enormous scope to build
business ties in the field of hydrocarbons and
energy efficient technologies, Rao said at the
event organised by the Confederation of Indian
Industry-India Business Forum and attended by
governors of nine American states.
Similarly, US strengths in the field of agriculture
can form the basis of strong mutually beneficial
commercial linkages, she said.
Education, defence trade; biotechnology and
pharmaceuticals etc are some other areas where
there is plenty of scope to build business
partnerships, Rao said.
The Indian private sector has been the bedrock of
support in our quest for new vistas to expand and
deepen the India-US relationship, she said
describing it as one of the signature elements of
our bilateral ties.Rao expressed confidence that
in their efforts to weave their businesses with local
economies, Indian companies would receive the
full support of governors of American states.
Giuseppe Orsi held on Bribe Charges in
Indian Defence Helicopter Dea
Giuseppe Orsi, head of an Italian defence and
aerospace giant Finmeccanica was arrested in
Milan on 11 February 2013 on the charges of his
alleged involvement in the bribery activity to
secure an Indian defence helicopter deal of 3600
core rupees. He was arrested in relation to the
probe of the international corruption.
The Deal:
The contract signed with Italian defence giant
Finmeccanica in February 2010 involved supply of
12 VVIP three-engine AW-101 choppers from
AgustaWestland for the Indian Air Forces elite
Communication Sqadron. By now, three choppers
have already been delivered to India.
As per the reports on the bribe scam, its expected
that about 362 core rupees that is equivalent to
about 10 percent of the final deal was given back
to help the Italian firm in winning the contract.
India offers untapped opportunities to US

Indian Defence Helicopter Dea

Page 18 of 47

About Finmeccanica:
The Finmeccanica is an Italian defence Giant
company that entered into a deal to supply 12
three-engine AW-101 helicopters to India in
February 2010.
Giuseppe Orsi, now the CEO of Finmeccanica and
the then head of its Helicopter Unit was arrested
on the charges of the bribe scandal that surfaced.
Seven new cities on Delhi-Mumbai industrial
corridor
Plans for seven new cities along the Delhi Mumbai
Industrial Corridor (DMIC) have been finalised and
work on two new smart industrial cities at Dholera
in Gujarat and Shendra Bidkin in Maharashtra
would start in the next financial year, Finance
Minister P. Chidambaram said Thursday.
The DMIC project has made rapid progress. Plans
for seven new cities have been finalised and work
on two new smart industrial cities will start during
2013-14, Chidambaram said while presenting the
union budget for 2013-14 in the Lok Sabha.
Additional funds may be provided if required, he
added.
He thanked the Japanese government for the
projects. We acknowledge the support of the
government of Japan.
The finance minister further said that plans were
being prepared by the Department of Industrial
Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for
Chennai-Bangalore industrial corridor.
The corridor will be developed in collaboration
with the governments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh and Karnataka, Chidambaram said.
Preparatory work had also started on another
corridor between Bangalore and Mumbai, he
added.
Rs.27,049 core outlay for agriculture ministry
In order to boost food production, Finance
Minister P. Chidambaram Thursday proposed an
outlay of Rs.27, 049 core for the agriculture
ministry, up 22 percent over the revised estimates
of 2012-13.
The outlay for agriculture ministry will be Rs.27,
049 core, said the finance minister while
presenting the union budget 2013-14. Out of this,
Rs.3, 415 core will go for agricultural research, he
said.
The finance minister also set apart Rs.10,000 core
for the National Food Security Act, which the
government hopes to pass in the current session.
I hope the National Food Security Bill will be
passed by parliament as early as possible as food
security is as much a basic human right as the right
to education or the right to health care, he said.
The finance minister also proposed Rs.1,000 core
to continue support to the new green revolution in
eastern states like Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and
West Bengal to increase the rice production.
Under the budget outlay, the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas
Yojana gets Rs.9,954 core and Rs.2,250 core have
been proposed for the National Food Security
Mission.He also proposed Rs.500 core for starting
a programme of crop diversification.
To provide relief to small and marginal farmers,
especially in drought prone and ecologically-
stressed regions, he increased allocation for the
Integrated Watershed Programme to Rs.5,387
core from Rs.3,050 core.
Stating that food grain production this year will be
over 250 million tonnes, the finance minister
thanked the farmers for their hard work and said
the agricultural credit target has been increased to
Rs.7 lakh core from Rs.5.75 lakh core.
The finance minister also proposed a matching
equity grants to registered farmer producer
organisations (FPOs) up to a maximum of Rs.10
lakh per FPO to enable them to leverage working
capital from financial institutions.
For this purpose, an outlay of Rs.50 core has been
made, he said. Besides, a credit guarantee fund
will also be created in the Small Farmers Agri
Business Corporation with an initial corpus of
Rs.100 core, he said.Chidambaram also proposed
Rs.307 core for the National Livestock Mission
which will be launched in 2013-14 to attract
investment and to enhance productivity taking
into account the local agro-climatic conditions.
Nirbhaya Fund announced for safety,
Rs.27,049 core outlay for agriculture
ministry

Page 19 of 47

In a tribute to the 23-year-old Delhi gangrape
victim, government today announced setting up
Nirbhaya Fund of Rs 1,000 core for safety and
empowerment of women.
Nirbhaya (fearless) was the pseudonym given to
the victim to hide her actual identity. The
announcement of Rs 1,000 core fund was made by
finance minister P. Chidambaram while presenting
the Union Budget for 2013-14 in the Lok Sabha
amid thumping of desks by members.
Recent incidents have cast a long, dark shadow
on our liberal and progressive credentials. As more
women enter public space for education or work
or access to services of leisure there are more
reports of violence against them, Chidambaram
said.
Noting that all have a collective responsibility to
ensure dignity and safety of women, the Minister
said, We stand in solidarity with our girl children
and women. And we pledge to do everything
possible to empower them and to keep them safe
and secure.
He said a number of initiatives are under way and
many more will be taken by the government as
well as non-government organisations. These
deserve our support. As an earnest of our
commitment to these objectives, I propose to set
up a fund let us call it the Nirbhaya Fund and
government will contribute Rs 1,000 core, he
said.
The ministry of women and child development and
other ministries concerned will work out details of
the structure, scope and application of the fund,
he said. Following the public outrage in the wake
of the incident, government had earlier this month
promulgated an ordinance to enhance punishment
for crimes against women, including death for
rapists in case the victim dies or is left in a
vegetative state.
It had also set up the justice J.S. Verma Committee
to propose amendments to laws relating to crime
against women. The ordinance has incorporated
the recommendations of the three-member panel.
A commission of inquiry was also established
under Justice Usha Mehra to probe the lapses on
part of the authorities in the December 16
gangrape incident.
Court of Arbitration, The Hague gave a go
ahead to India on Kishanganga Project
The Court of Arbitration at The Hague on 18
February 2013 allowed India to go ahead with the
Construction of the Kishanganga hydro-electric
project in Gurez valley near Bandipura in North
Kashmir, the court rejected the plea of Pakistan
that the construction was a violation of 1960 Indus
Water Treaty.
The Court of Arbitration, chaired by Stephen M.
Schwebel in its orders stated that India can move
ahead with the diversion of water plans of
Kishanganga that is a tributary of Jhelum, for
generation of hydro-electric power. But it
restrained India from adoption of the drawdown
technique of flushing for clearing the
sedimentation of the run-of-the river project that
had been designed and asked it to adopt a
different technique for generation of 330 MW
power facilities. The Court had also demanded the
environmental flows statistics of the project.
Bhaswati Mukherjee, Indian Ambassador and her
Pakistani counterpart Fauzia Mazhar Sana received
the Judgment of the Court at The Hague.
Pakistan initiated the arbitration against India with
a charge that India violated the provisions of the
Water Treaty between the two countries. But India
denied the charges forced on to it by explain that
the country reserved its rights to divert the water
from one of the tributaries of Jhelum to another.
Issues for Pakistan from its Perspective:
Pakistan on 17 May 2010 raised objections on the
making of the Kishanganga Hydro-power project
for which it demanded setting up of the Court of
Arbitration.
The issues raised by Pakistan in the Court of
Arbitration:
The project is being developed at the
downstreams of Kishanganga River that is known
by the name Neelam in Pakistan and is a tributary
of Jhelum. India is diverting the waters of the river
from the dam site to Bonar Madmati Nallah that is
another tributary of Jhelum.
India planned to use modern drawdown
flushing technique for sedimentation management
in the dam. The technique requires waters to be
Court of Arbitration, The Hague gave a go
ahead to India on Kishanganga Project
Page 20 of 47

brought below the dead storage level (as per the
treaty the water can be reduced below the dead
storage level only in cases of unforeseen
emergency) and was this plan was accepted by the
neutral expert during the Bahlihar dispute with
Pakistan.
In June 2011, the members from the Court of
Arbitration, The Hague visited India as well as
Pakistan for inspection of the site.
Brief Provisions of Indus Waters Treaty 1960
i. The Indus system of rivers comprises three
Eastern Rivers (Ravi, Beas and Sutlej and their
tributaries) and threes Western Rivers (Indus,
Jhelum and Chenab and their tributaries).
ii. The Indus Waters Treaty 1960 was signed on
19.09.1960 between India and Pakistan. It is
however effective from 01.04.1960.
iii. Under the Treaty, the waters of Eastern Rivers
are allocated to India. India is under obligation to
let flow the waters of the Western Rivers except
for the following uses:
(a) Domestic Use
(b) Non-consumptive use
(c) Agricultural use as specified
(d) Generation of hydro-electric power as
specified
ix. The Commissioners of the Indus Waters may
discuss the questions arising under the Treaty
under Article IX of the Treaty related to Settlement
of Differences and Disputes and in the case of non-
resolution, take further action under this Article
for resolution through a Neutral Expert,
negotiators or Court of Arbitration.
Articles under Consideration:
Article III (2): Let flow all waters of the
Western Rivers and not permit any interference
with the water
Article IV (6): Both the countries require use of
the best endeavors at each others end for
maintenance of natural channels of the rivers and
should avoid all the steps that may obstruct the
flow of these rivers creating a material damage at
the end of any of the two parties.
As per Pakistan, the diversion of the water of
Kishanganga as well as implementation of the
drawdown flushing technique at Kishanganga
project as well as other hydro-electric plants were
the violation of the Treat signed in 1960, named
Indus Water Treaty.
Kishanganga Project:
Kishanganga hydro-electric power project is a 330
MW project under its construction phase on the
Kishanganga River and is developed by the
National Power Corporation in Gurez Valley, near
Bandipura in North Kashmir. The work on the
project started in the year 1992. The Kishanganga
hydro-electric project is a 3600 core project.
Kishanganga is called Neelam in Pakistan.
Indian Defence Helicopter Deal
Giuseppe Orsi, head of an Italian defence and
aerospace giant Finmeccanica was arrested in
Milan on 11 February 2013 on the charges of his
alleged involvement in the bribery activity to
secure an Indian defence helicopter deal of 3600
crore rupees. He was arrested in relation to the
probe of the international corruption.
The Deal
The contract signed with Italian defence giant
Finmeccanica in February 2010 involved supply of
12 VVIP three-engine
AW-101 choppers from AgustaWestland for the
Indian Air Forces elite Communication Sqadron.
By now, three choppers have already been
delivered to India.
As per the reports on the bribe scam, its expected
that about 362 crore rupees that is equivalent to
about 10 percent of the final deal was given back
to help the Italian firm in winning the contract.
About Finmeccanica
The Finmeccanica is an Italian defence Giant
company that entered into a deal to supply 12
three-engine AW-101 helicopters to India in
February 2010.
Indian Defence Helicopter Deal

Page 21 of 47

Giuseppe Orsi, now the CEO of Finmeccanica and
the then head of its Helicopter Unit was arrested
on the charges of the bribe scandal that surfaced.
Mohan Parasaran Appointed As the Solicitor
General of India
Mohan Parasaran, the Additional Solicitor General
was on 13 February 2013 appointed as the
Solicitor General of India after senior advocate
Rohinton Nariman resigned from his designation.
Mohan Parasaran will serve as the Solicitor
General of India for a term of three years. The
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC)
cleared his name for Solicitor General of India.
Rohinton Nariman resigned from his post in Early
February 2013.
Mohan Parasaran is a senior advocate of the
Supreme Court. He was appointed by first UPA
Government as Additional Solicitor General (ASG)
in July 2004.
Kalyan Kumar Chakravarty Appointed As the
Chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee
appointed Kalyan Kumar Chakravarty as the
chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi on 12 February
2013. Kalyan Kumar Chakravarty is the IAS officer
of 1970 batch and retired from the designation of
Secretary to Government of India.
Kalyan Kumar Chakravarty will retain his position
till 31 December 2017. Chakravarty also served in
Madhya Pradesh government. He had also
remained member-secretary of Indira Gandhi
National Centre for the Arts and director general
of the National Museum, New Delhi apart from
vice chancellor of the National Museum Institute.
Lalit Kala Akademi or the National Academy of Fine
Art is fine art institution of Government of India
with an objective to promote, develop as well as
spread the culture of Indian fine art. It receives
funds from Ministry of Culture.
Priority Sector Lending (PSL) to Minorities
Crossed 15 Percent Mark in 2012-2013
increased considerably from 10.60 percent of total
PSL in 2007-2008 to 15.01 percent in 2012-2013.
Priority Sector Lending (PSL) to minorities belongs
to one of the schemes which are covered under
the Prime Ministers New 15 Point Programme for
Welfare of Minorities.
An increase was observed because of lending of
171960.71crore Rupees as on September 2012 to
the minorities.
Self-employment initiatives were created and
sustained because of bank credit. The increase was
observed because of sustained efforts of
government of India.
In order to increase credit flow to the minorities,
various steps were undertaken by the
Government. These included:
Reserve Bank of India issued directions on Priority
Sector Lending in order to improve credit facilities
to the minorities.
From 2007-2008 to 2011-2012, 5954 branches of
bank were opened in those areas where there was
substantial minority population.
Regular monitoring of Public Sector Banks was
done for checking disposal of loan applications for
the minorities.
14244 awareness campaigns were organized by
Public Sector Banks in 15466 towns and blocks
which covered minority population.
Priority Sector Lending (PSL) to Minorities in the
absolute terms increased from 58662.67 crore
Rupees in 2007-2008 to 171960.71crore Rupees as
of September 2012.
Prime Ministers New 15 Point Programme for
Welfare of Minorities
The President on 25 February 2005 announced
that Government of India would recast the 15
Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities for
including certain programme specific
interventions.
The objectives of this programme were as follows:
Mohan Parasaran Appointed As the
Solicitor General of India

Kalyan Kumar Chakravarty Appointed As
the Chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi

Crossed 15 Percent Mark in 2012-2013

Page 22 of 47

Enhancing opportunities for education.
Ensuring an equitable share for minorities in
economic activities and employment, through
existing and new schemes, enhanced credit
support for self-employment, and recruitment to
State and Central Government jobs.
Improving the conditions of living of minorities by
ensuring an appropriate share for them in
infrastructure development schemes.
Prevention and control of communal disharmony
and violence.

Operation Three Star: Code name given to secret
plan for executing Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist
Afzal Guru in Tihar Jail on 9 February 2013.
Operation Three Star started on 4 February 2013,
just a day after the President of India Pranab
Mukherjee rejected mercy plea of Afzal Guru. A
few top officials of Home Ministry were aware
about secret Operation Three Star.
Afzal Guru was hanged on 9 February 2013 at 8
AM in Tihar Jail, New Delhi. Afzal Guru was guilty
of conspiring as well as providing shelter to
terrorists who attacked Indian Parliament on 13
December 2001.
Hanging of Mumbai terror attack militant Ajmal
Kasab was called Operation X. he was hanged at
Yerwada Central Jail on 21 November 2012.

Pandit Ravi Shankar, the sitar legend was
honoured with the posthumous Lifetime
Achievement Grammy award. His daughter sitarist
Anoushka Shankar accepted the award on his
behalf on 9 February 2013 ahead of the Grammys
show that took place in Los Angeles on 10
February 2013.
Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones attended the
pre-Grammy ceremony at the Wilshire Ebell
Theatre for accepting the honour which was given
to their deceased father. Pandit Ravi Shankar died
on 11 December 2012 at 92 years of age.
Pandit Ravi Shankar was in the list of seven other
artistes named for Lifetime Achievement Award
honourees and this also included Carole King and
the Temptations. The Indian sitar legend also won
best world music album Grammy for The Living
Room Sessions Part 1. Pandit Ravi Shankars
daughter Anoushka Shankar was also nominated in
this category for album Traveller.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram launched
Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme in
Mumbai
Finance Minister P Chidambaram on 9 February
2013 launched the much-awaited Rajiv Gandhi
Equity Savings Scheme in Mumbai. The move will
encourage new investors to put their money in the
stock market. The scheme, which was announced
in the Budget 2011-12, seeks to provide tax
benefits to first-time investors in stock market.
Under the scheme, an individual with an income of
less than 10 lakh rupees would get tax incentives
for investing up to 50000 rupees in the stock
market.
As per the notification issued by the Securities and
Exchange Board of India on the scheme, there
would be a lock-in period of one year on
investments made under the scheme.

Ministry of Civil Aviation on 8 February 2013
released Shubh Yatra, an exclusive monthly bi-
lingual (Hindi & English) inflight magazine of Air
India. It covers travel, lifestyle, culture and
entertainment in all colour and spice.
This is the new name of the inflight magazine.

Afzal Gurus Secret Hanging Was Called
Operation Three Star

Pandit Ravi Shankar Honoured With
Posthumous Lifetime Achievement Grammy
Award

Shubh Yatra - A Bi-lingual Monthly
Magazine launched by Ministry of Civil
Aviation
My India Initiative - A Digital Volunteer
Programme to reach citizens lauched by I&B
Ministry
Finance Minister P Chidambaram launched
Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme in
Mumbai

Page 23 of 47

The Information and Broadcasting Minister,
Manish Tewari on 7 February 2013 launched the
MyIndia Initiative-A Digital Volunteer Programme
to reach out the people in the social media space.
The initiative from the I&B Ministry is aimed
towards disseminating and delivering the
messages of development to the citizens by
registering them as volunteers them on the social
media platforms. The initiative is an effort to make
the citizen contribute positively towards nation
building and this would initiate a principle of
participative governance across the nation.
The I&B Ministry on 8 February 2013 also tried to
reach out the citizens for the first time via Live
Twitter Conference on the eve of 3rd Community
Radio Conference. This was the first ever
conference of such type by any of the Ministrys of
Government of India. Community Radio: Road
Travelled & way forward was the topic for
community radio conference and it lasted for a
period of 30 minutes from 4 pm to 4:30 pm.
Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram launched
in Thane, Maharashtra
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on 6 February 2013
launched a new health initiative called Rashtriya
Bal Sawsthya Karyakram at Palghar town in Thane
district of Maharashtra. The Rashtriya Bal
Swasthya Karyakram, is a part of the National
Rural Health Mission of the Union Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare.
The Main Features of Rashtriya Bal Swasthya
Karyakram are as following:
The Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram is aimed
at improving overall quality of life of children
through early detection of birth defects, diseases
and deficiencies, which are among key factors for
child mortality.
The new initiative would assure a package of
health services for all children up to 18 years of
age. The programme will also prove economical
for poor and marginalized.
The services will be provided through dedicated
mobile health teams placed in every block. The
scheme, which will be implemented in a phased
manner, is expected to benefit approximately 27
crore children across the country.
Birth defects account for 9.6 per cent of all new-
born deaths and 4 per cent of under-five mortality.
According to the programme, a set of thirty
common conditions have been identified for
screening and further management of child health.
National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is an Indian
health program for improving health care delivery
across rural India. It was launched on 12 April 2005
for a period of 7 years.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting on 29
January 2013 constituted an Expert Committee to
review the institutional frame work of Prasar
Bharati as well as its relationship with
Government, its role in continuance as a public
broadcaster and the measures that needs to be
taken to ensure technical upgradation of the
organization. Sam Pitroda is the Chairperson of the
committee.
Roles and Responsibilities of the Committee are as
follows:
To suggest measures to sustain, strengthen and
amplify Prasar Bharati`s role as a Public
Broadcaster with special reference to its
relationship with Government in the emerging
context.
The committee is responsible for reviewing the
status of implementation of the
recommendations, which were made by different
committees after undertaking the study of Prasar
Bharati, mainly, the Sengupta committee, the
Bakshi Committee and the Narayanamurthy
committee. It is also responsible to suggest a road
map ahead to enhance the reach and potential of
Prasar Bharati.
The committee is responsible for identifying the
ways for digitization of the archived material
available with Doordarshan (DD) and All India
Radio (AIR), which includes digitization of the
Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram
launched in Thane, Maharashtra

I&B Ministry Constituted Expert
Committee to Review Functioning of
Prasar Bharti

Page 24 of 47

materials of the Independence Movement. As well
suggest the measures for development of
infrastructure data centre, digitalization system
and networks
The committee is responsible to find the ways
offer suggestions to use the new media for
delivering digital content; both in broadcast mode
(DTH) and in a demand-based mode (Free on social
media like You-Tube and on payment through
IPTV).
Identify the ways and develop strategy to
create a network of domestic and overseas
business partners to ensure wider reach to a
worldwide audience that includes creation of an
exclusive overseas service.
Any other statutory issue that the Committee
may like to consider.
Members appointed by the government in the
Expert Committee are:
Sam Pitroda is appointed as the Chairperson of
the committee. At present he is the advisor to the
Prime Minister of India on Public Information
Infrastructure & Innovations
Asha Swaroop (member of the committee), he
is a retired IAS and former Secretary to the Govt.
of India
Dr. B.K. Gairola (member of the committee), he
is the Mission Director of e-Governance
Shekhar Kapur (member of the committee), he
is the Member of the National Innovation Council
Prof. M.P. Gupta(member of the committee),
he is from IIT Delhi - Member
Jitendra Shankar Mathur (member of the
committee), he is the Additional Secretary and
nominated member on Prasar Bharati Board
Shri Jawhar Sircar (Convenor member of the
committee), at present he is the Chief Executive of
Prasar Bharati
SC directed Government to notify Cauvery
Water Disputes Tribunal Award
The Supreme Court of India on 4 February 2013
directed the Union Government of India to notify
the six-year-old final award of the Cauvery Water
Disputes Tribunal by 20 February 2013. A bench
headed by Justice RM Lodha expressed displeasure
over the government not notifying the award even
after the warring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka had
agreed before it on 4 January 2013 that they had
no objection if the award was notified. The Centre
had earlier assured the apex court that it would
notify the tribunals award by 31 December 2013.
The apex court also directed Karnataka to release
2 Thousand Million Cubic feet, of Cauvery water to
Tamil Nadu and directed the Central Water
Commission to file a report on the water
requirement of the two states. It asked the
Commission to form a three-member expert body
which will visit the states and directed it to file
report within two days. The court posted the
matter for further hearing on 7 February 2013.
The court was hearing Tamil Nadu's petition
seeking the immediate release of 12 TMC of water.
Panel to Examine issues of Certification
under Cinematograph Act 1952 Constituted
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on 4
February 2013 constituted a panel for examining
the issues of certification under Cinematographer
Act 1952. Shri Mukul Mudgal, the retired Chief
Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court was
appointed the Chairman of the Panel.
Role and Responsibilities of the panel:
I) The Panel would be responsible for reviewing
the mandate and functioning of CBFC and
recommend measures that includes constitutional
changes for enabling CBFC to deal with
contemporary requirements of certification with
increased transparency/efficiency. The issues,
inter alia, may include:
a) The process of certification under the Act and
Rules, including the mechanism followed by
Examining and Revising Committees
SC directed Government to notify Cauvery
Water Disputes Tribunal Award

Panel to Examine issues of Certification
under Cinematograph Act 1952 Constituted

Page 25 of 47

b) Categories of certification, existing and
proposed, under the Cinematograph (Amendment)
Bill, 2013
c) Requirement of special categories of
certification for the purposes of broadcasting on
television channels and radio stations
II) It will be responsible for reviewing the mandate
and functioning of Film Certification Appellate
Tribunal (FCAT) in order to make it a more
efficacious appellate body
III) It will be responsible towards examining the
role of Central Government regarding sanctioning
of cinematograph films for exhibition under Entry
60, List I of the Seventh Schedule to the
Constitution of India with reference to Entry 33,
List II of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution
of India
IV) The Panel will also be responsible for
suggesting measures for carrying on more
effective legal remedies and penal provisions in
the Act, particularly with reference to making of
the unlawful copies, camcording in cinema halls,
interpolation/insertion of clips after certification
and such similar issues
V) It will be responsible for the issues that the
Panel may find fit to deliberate upon
Members of the Panel constituted to examine
issues in Cinematographer Act 1952 by I&B
Ministry includes:
Mukul Mudgal is appointed as the chairperson
of the panel. He is the retired chief justice of high
court of Punjab and Haryana
Lalit Bhasin, at present is the Chairperson of
FCATSharmila Tagore, she was the former
Chairperson of CBFC
Janab Javed Akhtar, renowned music composer,
writer and lyricist. Leela Samson, she is the
Chairperson of CBFC
L Suresh, he is the Secretary of South Indian
Film Chamber of Commerce and former President
of Film Federation of India
Rameeza Hakim, is the Advocate in Supreme
Court of India
Raghvendra Singh, he is the Joint Secretary
(Films) and I&B-Member and Convenor
The constituted Panel is responsible for submission
of report within two months period from the day
of its constitution.
President of India Pranab Mukherjee Gave
Assent to the Criminal Law (Amendment)
Ordinance, 2013
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee on 3
February 2013 agreed to the Criminal Law
(Amendment) Ordinance, 2013 for sharpening the
laws against sexual assault. The President
mandated harsher punishment such as death
penalty for the offenders in such cases where the
victim either dies or lands into the vegetative
state. The amended law would come into force
almost immediately.
Features of the Criminal Law (Amendment)
Ordinance, 2013:
This Ordinance may be called the Criminal Law
(Amendment) Ordinance, 2013. It shall come into
force at once.
Insertion of new section 166A to the Indian Penal
Code: Public servant disobeying direction under
law.
Insertion of new sections 326A and 326B to the
Indian Penal Code: Voluntarily causing grievous
hurt by use of acid, voluntarily throwing or
attempting to throw acid.
Insertion of new sections 354A, 354B, 354C and
354D to the Indian Penal Code: Sexual harassment
and punishment for sexual harassment, Assault or
use of criminal force to woman with intent to
disrobe, voyeurism, stalking.
Substitution of new sections 370 and 370A for
section 370 to the Indian Penal Code: Trafficking of
person, employing of a trafficked person.
Substitution of new sections for sections 375,
376, 376A, 376B, 376C and 376D to the Indian
President of India Pranab Mukherjee Gave
Assent to the Criminal Law (Amendment)
Ordinance, 2013

Page 26 of 47

Penal Code: Sexual assault, punishment for sexual
assault, punishment for causing death or resulting
in persistent vegetative state of the victim, sexual
assault by husband upon his wife during
separation, sexual intercourse by a person in
authority, sexual assault by gang and punishment
for repeat offenders.
Insertion of new section 198B of the Code of
Criminal Procedure: Cognizance of offence
Insertion of new section 53A of the Indian
Evidence Act, 1872: Evidence of character or
previous sexual experience not relevant in certain
cases.
Substitution of new section for section 114A of
the Indian Evidence Act, 1872: Presumption as to
absence of consent in certain prosecution for
sexual assault.
Substitution of new section for section 119 of the
Indian Evidence Act, 1872: Witness unable to
communicate verbally.
What does the Criminal Law (Amendment)
Ordinance, 2013 include?
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013
was given assent by the President and it includes
stalking, voyeurism, acid attacks as well as
disrobing of women. These crimes were given the
status of specific offences under the Indian Penal
Code. The ordinance was approved by Union
Cabinet of India on 1 February 2013.
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013
comprises of various recommendations from the
JS Verma committee as well.
The ordinance is an impact of the Delhi gangrape
which took place on 16 December 2012 in a
moving bus. The ordinance brought changes to the
clauses of already-existing criminal law by making
amendments in Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC),
Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Evidence Act.
Part V the Union CHAPTER III of the Constitution of
India grants legislative powers to the president to
pass the ordinance. Article 123 includes power of
president to promulgate ordinances during recess
of parliament.
Article 123 of the Constitution of India
(1) If at any time, except when both Houses of
Parliament are in session, the President is satisfied
that circumstances exist which render it necessary
for him to take immediate action, he may
promulgate such Ordinances as the circumstances
appear to him to require.
(2) An Ordinance promulgated under this article
shall have the same force and effect as an Act of
Parliament, but every such Ordinance-
(a) shall be laid before both Houses of Parliament
and shall cease to operate at the expiration of six
weeks from the reassembly of Parliament, or, if
before the expiration of that period resolutions
disapproving it are passed by both Houses, upon
the passing of the second of those resolutions; and
(b) May be withdrawn at any time by the
President. Explanation - Where the Houses of
Parliament are summoned to reassemble on
different dates, the period of six weeks shall be
reckoned from the later of those dates for the
purposes of this clause.
(3) If and so far as an Ordinance under this article
makes any provision which Parliament would not
under this Constitution be competent to enact, it
shall be void.
Duration of the ordinance
An ordinance once passed by the President of
India remains into force for a time period of six
months. Within this period, the Parliament needs
to pass the ordinance.
P.R. Vasudeva Rao Appointed As the Director
of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic
Research
P.R. Vasudeva Rao became the Director of the
Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR)
at Kalpakkam on 31 January 2013. He succeeded
S.C Chetal, who has now retired.
Dr. Rao was earlier the Director, Chemistry Group
in IGCAR and is also a specialist in the field of
actinide chemistry as well as a few areas of
chemistry of nuclear fuel cycle. In IGCAR, Dr. Rao
P.R. Vasudeva Rao Appointed As the
Director of the Indira Gandhi Centre for
Atomic Research

Page 27 of 47

led various R&D programmes related to the field
of chemistry.
About Dr. Rao
Dr. Rao did graduation from Sri Ramakrishna
Mission Vivekananda College, Chennai in 1972.
He later became a part of the Department of
Atomic Energy after he graduated from Bhabha
Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Training School,
Trombay.
He got his Ph.D. degree in actinide chemistry
from Bombay University.
In 1978, after resigning from BARC, he joined
IGCAR. He played a crucial role in establishing
Radiochemistry Laboratory in IGCAR.
Various awards were bagged by him which also
include Indian Nuclear Society award in 2007.
Dr. Raos specialty is designing and developing
breeder reactors.
Parle-G Became the First Indian FMCG Brand
to Cross 5000 Crore Rupees Mark
Parle-G in February 2013 became the first Indian
FMCG brand that crossed 5000 crore Rupees mark
in terms of retail sales in one year. Parle Products
were launched in 1939 when the British ruled
India. Factually, Parle Products in
2012 sold 5010 crore rupees worth glucose
biscuits at the retail price, surpassing the domestic
sales of Godrej products and Dabur, while at the
same time also selling thrice more products than
Maggi.
This means that Parle Products sold over 100 crore
packets of the glucose biscuits every month, or
14600 crore biscuits in 2012. Parle-G that has less
than 1 billion dollar sales in a year, but even then it
has good lead over its rivals such as Hindustan
Unilever's Wheel and Ghari Detergent.
Parle-Gs share increased from 67 percent in 2002
to 79 percent in 2012. Comparatively, shares of
Britannia's Tiger and ITC's Sunfeast brand fell
down.
Indian Economy
Exports of India Increased By 0.8 Per Cent in
January 2013
The exports of India increased by 0.8 percent in
the month of January 2013 to 25.58 billion US
dollars, comparatively; exports in January 2012
were 25.37 billion US dollars.
Imports on the other hand, increased by 6.12
percent to 45.5 billion US dollars. During April to
January 2012-2013, the overseas shipments of
India dropped by 4.86 percent to 239.6 billion US
dollars. The main concern for the country is
however to widen the trade deficit.
As a cumulative result, the exports depicted an
arrest in decreasing exports. Now, the result is -4.9
percent.
Import of crude oil was growing at a faster pace.
Oil imports in January 2013 increased by 6.91
percent to 15.89 billion US dollars in comparison
to 14.87 billion US dollars in January 2012.
India's Trade Deficit for April - January, 2012-
13 was estimated at 167168.12 Million US
Dollars
As per the data released by Union Ministry of
Commerce and Industry on 13 February 2013,
Indias performance in export and import are as
following:
EXPORTS
Exports during January, 2013 were valued at
25587.24 million US dollars. (138981.70 crore
rupees) which was 0.82 per cent higher in Dollar
terms (6.67 per cent higher in Rupee terms) than
the level of 25379.05 million US dollars
(130294.02 crore rupees) during January 2012.
Cumulative value of exports for the period April-
January 2012 -13 was 239687.01 million US dollars
(1305420.39 rupees) as against 251930.14 million
US dollars (1196962.33 crore rupees) registering a
negative growth of 4.86 per cent in Dollar terms
and growth of 9.06 per cent in Rupee terms over
the same period 2011-12.
Parle-G Became the First Indian FMCG
Brand to Cross 5000 Crore Rupees Mark

Exports of India Increased By 0.8 Per Cent
in January 2013

India's Trade Deficit for April - January,
2012-13 was estimated at 167168.12
Million US Dollars

Page 28 of 47

IMPORTS
Imports during January, 2013 were valued at
45583.25 million US dollars (247593.63 crore
rupees) representing a growth of 6.12 per cent in
Dollar terms and 12.28 per cent in Rupee terms
over the level of imports valued at 42952.47
million US Dollars ( 220514.54 crore rupees) in
January 2012. Cumulative value of imports for the
period
April-January 2012-13 was 406855.13 million US
dollars (2215115.46 crore rupees) as against
406820.28 million US dollars (1934946.96 crore
rupees) registering a positive growth of 0.01 per
cent in Dollar terms and growth of 14.48 per cent
in Rupee terms over the same period 2011-12.
CRUDE OIL AND NON-OIL IMPORTS:
Oil imports during January, 2013 were valued at
15899.3 million US dollars which was 6.91 per
cent higher than oil imports valued at 14871.2
million US Dollars in the corresponding period last
year. Oil imports during April-January, 2012-13
were valued at 140420.1 million US dollars which
was 11.56 per cent higher than the oil imports of
125874.2 million US dollars in the corresponding
period last year.
Non-oil imports during January 2013 were
estimated at 29684.0 million US dollars which was
5.71 per cent higher than non-oil imports of US
28081.3 million in January 2012. Non-oil imports
during April January 2012-13 were valued at
266435.0 million US dollars which was 5.17 per
cent lower than the level of such imports valued at
280946.1 million US dollars in April - January 2011-
12.
Economic Growth of India Estimated to Fall
To 5 Percent in 2012-2013 FY
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) on 7 February
2013 revealed that the economic growth of India is
estimated to fall to 5 percent in 2012-2013
financial year, which is a lowest figure in 10 years.
A fall in the economic growth is because of the
poor performance of the services, agriculture and
manufacturing sectors.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) in its advance
forecast of the national income chopped off the
gross domestic product (GDP) growth estimate to
5 percent for financial year which will end on 31
March 2013. This is much less than the GDP of 6.2
percent in 2011-2012 financial year. This is said to
be the worst performance of economy of India
since 2002-2003 when the economic growth was 4
percent.
The major share of Indias GDP comes from the
services sector. The services sector is estimated to
record a growth of 5.2 percent in 2012-2013 fiscal
year against 7 percent of 2011-2012 fiscal year.
As far as the industry sector is concerned, it is
expected that the growth would decrease to 1.9
percent in 2012-2013 FY. The farm sector growth
will fall down to 1.8 percent.
It is important to note that the official projection
of the economic growth of India is much lower
than budgetary estimate as well as projections of
the central bank of India and other organisations.
In the union budget for financial year 2012-2013
which was presented in March 2012, the
government pegged Indias economic growth at
7.6 percent.
Also in the quarterly monetary policy review which
took place in the first week of February 2013, the
Reserve Bank of India projected the growth of 5.5
percent for 2012-2013 financial year.
In the meanwhile, Finance Minister P.
Chidambaram had projected the economic growth
of 5.7 percent.
In first half of 2012-2013 FY, the economy of India
grew by 5.4 percent. However, as per the latest
estimate, the growth would be around 4.6 percent
in second half of 2012-2013.
Industry bodies in the meanwhile asked the
government to press for the reform process in
order to revive the economic growth.
BHEL and GAIL Granted Maharatna Status by
the Union Government of India
The Union Government of India gave the
Maharatna status to two PSUs- BHEL and GAIL on
Economic Growth of India Estimated to
Fall To 5 Percent in 2012-2013 FY

BHEL and GAIL Granted Maharatna Status
by the Union Government of India

Page 29 of 47

1 February 2013. Granting Maharatna status to
BHEL and GAIL will provide them with better
functional and financial freedom and will also
guarantee them with better valuation of the
shares.
Ideally any Maharatna firm has a capacity to take
investment decision of around 5000 crore Rupees
without taking assistance from the government.
On the other hand, forms with Navratna status
have the capability of 1000 crore Rupees.
However, both BHEL and GAIL do not have enough
non-official directors on the board, which is why
they cannot exercise their Maharatna powers.
Even though all other conditions of Maharatna
status were met by both these PSUs but their
boards do not have requisite number of board
members. While GAIL is short of 4 independent
directors, BHEL, on the other hand is short of 6
non-official directors.
In terms of turnover, networth as well as net
profit, both these companies meet all the eligibility
criterions.
Eligibility of a company to get a Maharatna status
For any company to qualify for Maharatna status,
the annual turnover should be over 25000 crore
Rupees in past three years, as per the guidelines
issued by Department of Public Enterprises.
The net worth of the PSU should be more than
15000 crore Rupees in past three years.
The net profit should be over 5000 crore Rupees
during past three years.
At present, there are seven Maharatna companies,
after inclusion of BHEL and GAIL and these
companies are - ONGC, Indian Oil, SAIL, NTPC and
CIL. Also, there are 14 Navratna companies,
including Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited and
NMDC.
SEBI ordered freezing of accounts and
attachment of properties of two companies
of Sahara
Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) the stock
market regulator of India on 13 February 2013
ordered freezing of bank accounts and attachment
of properties of two Sahara group firms Sahara
India Real Estate Corporation Ltd., and Sahara
Housing Investment Corporation Ltd. and its
Chairman Subrata Roy as well as top executives
Vandana Bhargava, Ravi Shanker Dubey and Ashok
Roy Choudhary after it failed to refund more than
24,000 crore rupees to investors.
The decision from the market regulator came after
the Supreme Court of India granted it the freedom
to freeze the accounts of the two companies and
attach the properties of the defaulting groups.
The market regulator gave 21 days time to Sahara
Firms to submit the details of the investments
done and not listed in an order. SEBIs orders
restricts the Sahara India Estate Corporation from
operating its demat accounts and redeeming the
mutual fund units held by it as well as from
transferring the shares controlled by it to any
other body or company.
Sahara Housing was asked to furnish details
related to the development rights along with the
special puprpose vehicles as well as stakes. The
orders to submit the details of movable and
immovable properties to Subrata Roy and the
three executives have restrained them from
alienating, disposing or encumbering the
properties on their names.
Authorized Capital of NABARD raised from
5000 crore rupees to 20000 crore rupees
The Union Cabinet of India on 7 February 2013
approved raise in the authorized capital of
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development, Nabard to 20000 crore rupees from
5000 crore rupees.
The authorized capital was increased with the aim
to enlarge the operations and broadening the
activities of NABARD.
Indian Defense
The 9th edition of Aero India 2013, a five-day
aviation show organised by the Defence Exhibition
Organization of the Ministry of Defence ended at
SEBI ordered freezing of accounts and
attachment of properties of two
companies of Sahara

Authorized Capital of NABARD raised
from 5000 crore rupees to 20000 crore
rupees

Page 30 of 47

the Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bangalore on 10
February 2013.
Defence Minister of India, A K Antony inaugurated
the Air Show on 6 February 2013.
During the inauguration ceremony of the 9th
Edition of Aero India show, Aero Space Policy of
Karnataka state was unveiled by the Defence
Minister of India, A K Antony.
The Show was opened for general public on 9
February 2013. The ended after displaying its
magnificent aerobatic skills and belongings that
created a chance of winning potential business tie-
ups and networking.
To make the show the largest Air Show of Asia
different bodies namely Defence Ministry of India,
Indian Air Force, Defence Research and
Development Organization (DRDO), Department of
Space, the Union Civil Aviation Ministry and few
more comes together to organize the show.
The first Edition of the show was organised for the
first time in 1996. In the previous 2011 edition of
the show Boeings F/A-18 Super Hornet, Jaguars,
Sukhoi Su-30MKIs, Saab Gripen and Dassault
Rafale were the main highlights of Aero India
2011.
The next Aero India show is scheduled to be held
from 18 February to 22 February 2015 at
Bangalore.
The Exhibition aimed at creating good scopes of
public-private partnership model following the
provisions available in the Defence Procurement
Policy of 2010 that provides Indian aerospace
industry a chance to turn up as a hub for world
class products and technologies for Indian
aerospace industry in the sub-continent.
Union Cabinet approved DRDO for
developing AWACS for IAF
gave approval to Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) for developing
an indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control
System (AWACS) for IAF.
AWACS allows IAF to keep a close watch on the
enemy territory. The government granted an in-
principal approval to the proposal for developing
an indigenous AWACS. The approval was granted
in the meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security.
DRDO officials announced that DRDO would work
for finalisation of further details of the
programmes as well as the number of aircrafts
that IAF would need for giving overall coverage to
Indias boundaries. At present, India has a fleet of
three AWACS aircraft.
Environment News
The Environment Ministry Constituted
Committee to Examine Legal Cover for
Elephant Habitats
The Environment Ministry in the third week of
February 2013 constituted a committee that will
review better legal protection to elephant reserves
as well as the corridors in India under the green
laws which are already present.
The committee was constituted after National
Board for Wildlife raised concerns about absence
of any legal cover for the elephant corridors and
reserves.
The central government has already identified
two-third elephant reserves which cover 69582 sq
km of area. The size of these reserves varies from
450-6724 sq km. These reserves not just include
the forest patches of various kinds but also the tea
plantations, revenue land, agricultural land,
villages and townships.
As of now, these elephant reserves are identified
as the programme of the environment ministry for
facilitating more funds under Project Elephant
central scheme. However, it does not facilitate
better legal protection against the changes to
demarcated landscape like that is case of tiger
reserves. The government does not face many
difficulties in safeguarding the tiger reserves,
national parks and sanctuaries, but in case of
elephant reserves, there are certain difficulties
faced by the government.
Union Cabinet approved DRDO for
developing AWACS for IAF

The Environment Ministry Constituted
Committee to Examine Legal Cover for
Elephant Habitats

Page 31 of 47

This is so because the elephants travel hundreds of
kilometres in a year and they run through the
forest and, cities and villages as well. Members of
the committee
The committee which was set up by the
environment ministry will be headed over by
retired senior forest officer, Vinod Rishi.
The director of Project Tiger will be the member
convener of the committee.
Other members will include Member of National
Board for Wildlife M D Madhusudan, elephant
conservation expert Ajay Desai, chief wildlife
warden of Odisha J D Sharma and Supreme Court
lawyer Sanjay Upadhayaya. Purpose of the
committee
The committee will have a one year time for
examining the existing networks of elephant
corridors and reserves. The committee will inspect
whether these reserves and corridors sufficiently
cover the habitat of elephants and that what other
legal cover can be provided to these reserves and
corridors under the green laws recommended by
Elephant Task Force.
The committee will also assess impact of wildlife
protection regulations on the population that lives
on or uses the land that falls inside elephant
corridors and reserves.
Hydro Projects Worth 2500 MW accorded
Clearance by the Ministry of Environment &
Forest
The Hydro Projects worth 2500 MW
across various states were accorded clearance by
the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of Ministry of
Environment & Forest (MoEF) on 5 February 2013.
The projects include Tawang-II H.E. Project (800
MW) in Arunachal Pradesh, Teesta-IV H.E. Project
(520 MW) in Sikkim to be executed by NHPC
Limited and Luhri H.E. Project (775 MW) in
Himachal Pradesh to be executed by Satluj Jal
Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Limited. The National Board
for Wild Life (NBWL) has accorded wild life
clearance to Vishnugad Pipalkoti H.E. Project (444
MW) in Uttarakhand to be executed by THDC India
Limited subject to clearance by the State Board of
Wild Life.
The clearances were pending for a long time. The
way is straight clear in tapping the hydro potential
of the country to meet the countrys power needs.
Separately, the MoEF has recently granted Stage-I
forest clearance to eight transmission projects and
Stage-II forest clearance to two transmission
projects of the Power Grid Corporation of India
Ltd.
The MoEF, through an order exempted certain
linear projects including transmission lines from
the requirement of obtaining consent of the
concerned Gram Sabha (s) unless recognised rights
of Primitive Tribal Groups/Pre-Agricultural
Communities are being affected. However, all
other conditions as prescribed in the MoEF`s
earlier order would apply. This would help
transmission projects obtain clearances faster.
The Union Government of India approved
setting up of NPCA: National Plan for
Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 7
February 2013 approved the proposal for the
merger of National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP)
and National Wetlands Conservation Programme
(NWCP) to develop a new scheme named National
Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems
(NPCA).
The formation of the NPCA was done with the
objective of conserving aquatic ecosystems (lakes
and wetlands) by implementing sustainable
conservation plans.
To govern the implementation uniform policy and
guidelines will be framed.
The estimated cost to bring this plan into
operations during the 12th Plan Period is 900 crore
rupees. The Government of India and the State
Governments would be sharing the costs in a ratio
of 70:30 and in case of the North-Eastern states
the ratio is 90:10.
Union Cabinet of India gave its nod to
decrease head counts in areas covered under
PMGSY
Hydro Projects Worth 2500 MW accorded
Clearance by the Ministry of Environment
& Forest

Union Cabinet of India gave its nod to
decrease head counts in areas covered
under PMGSY

The Union Government of India approved
setting up of NPCA: National Plan for
Conservation of Aquatic Eco-systems

Page 32 of 47

gave its nod to the proposal of decreasing the
headcounts to 100 in habitations under the
government's flagship programme, Pradhan
Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, PMGSY. Under this
program (PMGSY) habitation with population of
100 tribals and more in eighty-two naxal-hit would
be connected via all weather roads.
Earlier, under the PMGSY program the tribal areas
with a population graph of more than 250 people
in the naxal-affected reasons were covered. The
decision of decreasing the head counts in different
area came after it was pointed out by Kishore
Chandra Deo, the Tribal Affairs Minister that
maximum habitations in these areas had a
population graph of less than 250 people.
India and World Bank signed a Deal for
Karnataka Watershed Development Project II
The Government of India and the World Bank on
11 February 2013 signed a 60 million US dollars
credit agreement for the Karnataka Watershed
Development Project II (KWDP II) to further
improve watershed planning and management in
project areas. The Project will improve
government watershed operations in 930 micro-
watersheds covering 465000 across 7 districts of
Karnataka.
This project builds on the successful experience of
earlier Bank-supported Karnataka Watershed
Development Project I, also known as Sujala,
which helped improve the lives of 230000 farmers
by increasing crop yields by about 25 percent, and
raising household incomes of small and marginal
farmers by 40 percent.
KWDP II will focus on improving the performance
and results of IWMP by introducing new tools and
approaches for integrated watershed planning,
incorporating more information about water
resources into the planning process, facilitating
better convergence of IWMP with other
government programs such as NREGS, and helping
farmers increase agricultural productivity. The
project will cover about 465000 ha and 160000
farmer households in 7 districts.
Consequently, a primary focus of the project is on
supporting the implementation of IWMP in the 7-
selected districts of Karnataka through better
planning, capacity building, monitoring and
evaluation, and post-harvest value addition.
Focus will also be on understanding local needs,
like locationspecific soilcropwater interactions;
expanding the scope of rainwater harvesting and
groundwater recharge, by partly converging the
NREGS with the IWMP and developing
agroclimatic zone specific technology to enable
rural communities to better adapt to the effects of
climate change.
Among the other components of the project,
horticulture is expected to play a major role in
raising income of farmers even in dry tracks. The
Project will support activities for promoting dry
land production for annual and perennial crops;
crop diversification; help farmers in carrying out
soil, water and leaf analysis to identify nutrient
deficiencies; create facilities for testing, training
and demonstrations; facilitate farmers in availing
quality seed and planting material; and support
farmers to improve post-harvest handling and
marketing of the produce among others.
Karnatakas dry regions are among the states
poorest, have low agricultural productivity, and
are susceptible to drought and deepening
environmental stress and degradation. The project
area has 39400 landless families. Annual normal
rainfall varies from 600 to 800 mm with 43 rainy
days in a year. Rain fed agriculture in 278000 ha of
project area, experiences at least two water deficit
years in a five year cycle due to prolonged dry
spells during crop season and/or delayed onset of
monsoon rains. The project will be financed by a
credit from the International
Development Association (IDA) the World Banks
concessionary lending arm which provides
interest-free loans with 25 years to maturity and a
grace period of five years. The Closing Date of the
Project is 31 December 2018.
India and Neighbors
India and World Bank signed a Deal for
Karnataka Watershed Development Project
II

Page 33 of 47

Indian-origin science writer wins British
Physics journalism prize
Anil Ananthaswamy, a London based Indian origin
writer, has won the inaugural Physics Journalism
Prize sponsored by the Institute of Physics (IOP)
and the Science and Technology Facilities Council
(STFC).
The prize is designed to inspire the next
generation of physicists by encouraging journalists
to grapple with often complex topics and help
spread excitement about the subject, according to
an IOP release forwarded by the American
Astronomical Society.
Ananthaswamy, a consultant at New Scientist
Magazine and author of "The Edge of Physics," has
won the prize for his article "Hip Hip Array," which
focuses on the Square Kilometre Array, an
international project to design and build the
largest radio telescope ever conceived.
"Anil Ananthaswamy is being awarded the prize
for writing a feature which brings one of the
world's most exciting astronomical endeavors to
life -- the Square Kilometre Array," said IOP
President Sir Peter Knight.
The Physics Journalism Award offers the prize of
an expenses paid trip to Japan, to visit world-
leading facilities carrying out research at the
frontiers of physics.
On winning, Ananthaswamy commented, "Writing
about physics, especially about the work being
done in remote, difficult and sometimes hostile
environments, is a special pleasure. Winning an
award for doing what I love to do is just icing on
the cake. I truly appreciate the recognition."
Mark Henderson, Head of Communications at the
Wellcome Trust and former Science Editor at The
Times, said, "Anil Ananthaswamy has an eye for
illustrative detail of which the best travel writers
would be proud."
Kirsten Bodley, Chief Executive of STEMNET, said,
"The winning article on the competition for the
Square Kilometre Array will be particularly
inspirational to young people, offering them an
opportunity to see how fascinating contemporary
physics research can be."
Commenting on the winner's choice of topic, Terry
O'Connor, Head of Communications at STFC,
added, "The Square Kilometre Array will open new
avenues of research, and delve further back into
the formation of the universe."
Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley, Prime Minister of
Bhutan visited India
Prime Minister of Bhutan, Lyonchhen Jigmi Y.
Thinley was on the home visit to India from 7
February to 9 February 2013. During his visit to
India he met with President of Indian Union-
Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Vice-
President of India-Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister-
Manmohan Singh, Minister of Finance-P
Chidambaram and Foreign Secretary-Ranjan
Mathai. His visit was aimed at improving India-
Bhutan bilateral relationship.
Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley is the Prime Minister of
the Royal Government of Bhutan from 2008, after
Bhutan became a democratic country. Bhutan
became the youngest democracy of the world on 6
November 2008.
He was the secretary in the Ministry of Home
Affairs in 1992
In 1994 was appointed as the Deputy Minister
of Home Affairs
In 1994 he became Bhutan's Permanent
Representative to the office of United Nations and
other international organizations in Geneva
Lyonchhen served as the Prime Minister of
Bhutan twice before introduction of Democracy in
the nation and the period included July 1998 to
July 1999 and August 2003 to August 2004.
India and Bangladesh signed MoU on Health.
The Health Ministers of India and Bangladesh
signed a MoU on Health in New Delhi on 12
February 2013.The salient features of the MoU
between India and Bangladesh are as following:
Indian-origin science writer wins British
Physics journalism prize

Page 34 of 47

The main areas of cooperation between the two
Governments will include the following:
Exchange of medical doctors, other health
professionals and experts:
Development of human resources.
Exchange of information on health.
Medical and health research development.
Regulations of pharmaceuticals, medical devices
and cosmetics.
Health promotion and disease prevention.
Fostering cooperation for the development of
culturally sensitive and effective public and
professional awareness campaign including clinical
are practices and best practices guidelines for
healthcare providers and caretakers to benefit
individuals and families touched by Autism
Spectrum Disorders and Developmental
Disabilities
Any other area of cooperation as may be
mutually decided upon.
Moreover, the cooperation between India and
Bangladesh in the fields of health and medical
sciences will be promoted through the following
means:
Exchange of scientific materials and information.
Joint collaboration in the area of research in
medical science.
Institution level cooperation in the field of
medical treatment, scientific research and training.
Exchange of health specialists and professionals.
Participation of specialists / professionals in
seminars, workshops, conferences and meetings
to be organized by both the parties.
Training for doctors and health workers by both
the parties in the areas where they have relevant
expertise and excellence.
Other areas of cooperation in the fields of health
and medical sciences as mutually agreed upon.
Presidential Election in Maldives scheduled
in September 2013
Election Commission of Maldives on 6 February
2013 announced that the Presidential Elections in
Maldives would be held on 7 September 2013. This
would be the first election scheduled to take place
in Maldives after the former President Mohamed
Nasheed was replaced by the vice-President
Mohamed Waheed, on 7 February 2012.
Nepal Started Census of Endangered Species
Tigers in Five Conservation Areas
Nepal started a three-month-long census of the
tigers on 4 February 2013. Tigers were declared as
the endangered species by International Union for
Conservation of Nature in 2010.
The census includes five main conservation areas
in Nepal which include two wildlife reserves
namely, Parsa and Shuklaphanta as well as three
national parks namely Bardiya, Banke and
Chitwan. All the conservation areas where census
began lie in the Terai plains of the country. First
counting of the tigers started in Shuklaphanta
reserve which is situated in far-west region. The
census was jointly started by the World Wide Fund
for Nature and the National Trust for Nature
Conservation. 50 cameras were installed in
Shuklaphanta reserve for counting the number of
tigers.
Nepal is said to be the abode of Royal Bengal Tiger
that primarily dwells in dense forests of the Terai
plains. Royal Bengal Tiger was declared as the
endangered species by International Union for
Conservation of Nature in 2010.
As per the initial census, there were a total of 200
tigers in Nepal. However, poaching remains a
threat to tigers in Nepal.
Rajkeswur Purryag, President of Mauritius
Visited India
Rajkeswur Purryag, President of Republic of
Mauritius visited India from 3 January 2013 to 10
January 2013. He was accompanied by Aneetah
Purryag as well as the Ministers of Arts & Culture
Page 35 of 47

and of Social Integration and Economic
Empowerment, and senior officials.
Key highlights of his visit:
Rajkeswur Purryag was the Chief Guest at the
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2013 from 8 January 2013
to 9 January 2013.
President Purryag was honoured with the Pravasi
Bharatiya Samman Award.
President Purryag met President Pranab
Mukherjee and also held talks with PM Manmohan
Singh in New Delhi on 4 January 2013.
President Purryag also visited Patna, Tirupati as
well as Kochi during the visit. He visited ancestral
village, Bojeetpore near Patna in Bihar.
King of Bhutan visited India as Republic Day
function Chief Guest
The King and Queen of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar
Namgyel Wangchuck and Jetsun Pema respectively
visited India from 23 January to 30 January 2013.
King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
was invited by the Indian President to be the Chief
Guest for the Republic Day Celebrations of India.
The visit of the King of Bhutan and his acceptance
to be the chief guest for the Republic Day
celebration would contribute to further
strengthening and expansion of the bilateral
relation and ties between Bhutan and India.
During his visit, the King of Bhutan met with
President of India, the Vice-President, Prime
Minister, UPA Chairperson, Leader of Opposition in
Lok sabha, Foreign Secretary, National Security
Advisor.
World News
No Oscar for Bombay Jayashri, Adele wins for
original song
Indian vocalist Bombay Jayashri, who was
nominated in the best original song category at the
85th Academy Awards for her track Pi Lullaby
from Life of Pi, lost the trophy to British singer
Adele, who took home the statuette for Sky fall.
However, Life of Pi won the best music original
score award.
Written and sung by Jayashri, Pi Lullaby was also
competing with other numbers like Before my
time from Chasing Ice (music and lyrics by J.
Ralph, Everybody needs a best friend from Ted
(music by Walter Murphy; lyrics by Seth
MacFarlane) and Suddenly from Les
Miserables (music by Claude-Michel Schonberg;
lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil).
Adele, who performed Sky fall at the glitzy
ceremony Sunday night, collected her award with
Paul Epworth.The Oscar award for best music
original score went to Mychael Danna for Life of
Pi, about the journey of an Indian boy who
survives a storm at sea.
Dannas competitors for the award were Anna
Karenina (Dario Marianelli), Argo (Alexandre
Desplat), Lincoln (John Williams) and Sky fall
(Thomas Newman).
Jennifer Lawrence, Day-Lewis bag best actor
Oscars
Daniel Day-Lewis and Jennifer Lawrence won the
best actor and best actress awards respectively at
the 85th Academy Awards held here Sunday night.
While Lawrence won for her role in Silver Linings
Playbook, Day-Lewis bagged it for Lincoln.
Other vying for best actor trophy were Bradley
Cooper, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix, Denzel
WashingtonThe nominations for best actress
category were Jessica Chastain, Emmanuelle Riva,
Quvenzhane Wallis and Naomi Watts.
Oscars: Ang Lee wins best director for Life of
Pi
Ang Lee has won the Academy Award for best
director for his Life of Pi.
Its the second Oscar for Lee, who won in 2005 for
Brokeback Mountain. The Taiwanese director
was also nominated in 2000 for directing
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. He becomes
only the 19th director to win the honour multiple
times.
The other nominees Sunday night were Steve
Spielberg (Lincoln), Michael Haneke (Amour),
Page 36 of 47

David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook) and
Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild).
This years directing category was one of the most
controversial, as it left out Ben Affleck for Argo
and Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty.
The 85th Academy Awards are being aired live
from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles with host
Seth MacFarlane.
Oscars: Argo bags best film
The Iranian hostage drama Argo won the best
picture Oscar Sunday after its director, Ben Affleck,
was snubbed in the best director nominations.
You have to work harder than you think you
possibly can, Affleck said in his acceptance
speech. It doesnt matter how you get knocked
down in life because its going to happen. All that
matters is that youve got to get up. I want to
acknowledge the other eight films, he said. They
have every right to be here as much as we do.
Affleck also produced the movie with George
Clooney and starred in the film that had emerged
as the Oscar favourite in the weeks leading up to
the awards show.
Brave best animated feature:
The story of a high-spirited Scottish princess in
Brave charmed the Academy voters to win the
coveted golden statuette in the best animated
feature film category while the love story of a
young office worker won the best animated short
film Oscar.
Directed by Mark Andrews, Brave defeated
veteran Hollywood filmmaker Tim Burtons
Frankenweenie, Sam Fell and Chris Butlers
ParaNorman, Peter Lords The Pirates! Band of
Misfits and Rich Moores WreckIt Ralph
The movie follows the story of Merida, a high
spirited Scottish princess who resists her mothers
efforts to transform her into a more ladylike young
woman.
Faced with an arranged marriage she doesnt
want, Merida runs away into the forest, where she
encounters a witch who teaches her a dangerous
spell.
This is the second Academy Award nomination for
Andrews as he was previously nominated for One
Man Band in 2005.
On the other hand Paper man, is about a young
man working in an office who desperately tries to
attract the attention of a girl in the building across
the street. This is the first Academy Award
nomination for director John Kahrs.
World Radio Day was observed to raise
Awareness about the Importance of Radio
World Radio Day was observed on 12 February
2013 to raise awareness about the importance of
radio, facilitate access to information through it
and enhance networking among broadcasters. On
the 18th of December, 2012, the United Nations
General Assembly endorsed the 2011 resolution
adopted by the UNESCO General Conference,
proclaiming the 13th of February as World Radio
Day, the day United Nations Radio was established
in 1946.
Since its invention more than a century ago, the
radio serves as a channel for information and
entertainment. The multi-purpose medium is an
important source of information in those areas
which are sometimes too remote to get a
newspaper delivered.
Across the world, the number of radio stations is
increasing and the cost of broadcasting is
decreasing. More than ever, the radio remains an
effective means to bring social change, by sharing
knowledge and providing a platform for inclusive
debate.
Pope Benedict XVI announced his
Resignation because of Poor Health
Pope Benedict XVI announced on 11 February
2013 that he would resign at the end of the
month. He reasoned that he was too infirm to
carry on. He is the first pontiff to do so in nearly
600 years. The decision set the stage for the
election of a new Pope before the end of March
2013.
Pope Benedict XVI is 85 years old. He had become
the Pope in 2005. The last Pope to resign was Pope
Page 37 of 47

Gregory XII, who took this step in 1415 to put an
end to the Great Western Split among competing
papal claimants.
Education Minister of Germany Annette
Schavan Stripped of Doctorate for plagiarism
Annette Schavan the Education Minister of
Germany on 6 February 2013 was stripped of her
doctorate degree by the committee of academics
at Duesseldorfs Heinrich Heine University. The
University took the action after the committee
considered the allegations of plagiarism done by
Schavan in different parts of the thesis submitted
to the University.
The allegations were made against the Education
Minister by an anonymous blogger in 2012
claiming the Annette Schavan failed to cite the
passages properly of the thesis in philosophy
submitted to the University in 1980.
Before this, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, the
former Defence Minister of Germany resigned
from his office in 2011 after it was confirmed that
a major portion of doctoral thesis submitted by
him to avail the doctorate was copied.
World Cancer Day observed across the world
4 February: World Cancer Day World cancer day
was observed on 4 February 2013 in order to raise
awareness about this illness as well as to promote
the measures, early detection, prevention and
treatment of the disease. The theme for World
Cancer Day, 2013 was Cancer - Did you know? The
theme focused on dispelling the misconceptions
associated with the disease.
Various functions on the day were organised by
Union for International Cancer Control, which is
the leading organisation for cancer fighting.
Facts related to cancer
Cancer accounts for 7.6 million death in a year
across the world.
Most of the cancer deaths occur because of
stomach, lunch, colon, liver and breast cancer.
Around 30 percent cancer deaths occur because
of dietary and behavioral risks.
22 percent of the cancer deaths occur because of
tobacco use. Tobacco use also accounts for 71
percent of worldwide lung cancer deaths.
Around 70 percent of deaths due to cancer occur
in low and middle income countries.
Deaths because of cancer across the world are
rising continuously and it is estimated that there
might be 13.1 million deaths because of cancer in
2030.
Report: India accounts to 86 percent Oral Cancer
Figure across the World
Experts of National Institute of Health and Family
Welfare (NIHFW) in first week of February released
a report on the harmful effects of gutka. It
reported that 86 percent of the total oral cancer
figure across the world accounted to India. A total
of 75000 to 80000 new cases of cancer were
diagnosed in India itself.
In case of India the maximum number of cancer
was a result of tobacco chewing, because Indians
chew tobacco more than smoking. India consists of
14 percent smoking tobacco users and 26 percent
chewing tobacco users.
As per the report tobacco is responsible for
creating 1.5 lakh cancer patients, 4.2 million heart
diseases and 3.7 million lung diseases in India
every year, making India an oral cancer capital.
The statistics released by the Health Ministry 65
percent cancers in India are caused due to the use
of tobacco. Other data released reveled that a
third of the annual 5.6 million cancer deaths in
India occurs due to the excessive use of tobacco.
The rate of oral cancer reported in India is about
twice the global average.
In 2008 cancer was the cause of 7.6 million deaths
worldwide. In case of men from South-East Asia
Region, oral and lung cancers are the most
prevalent ones and breast and cervical cancers are
mainly found in women.
The Government of India invests a sum of 300
billion rupees per year approximately on
Page 38 of 47

treatment of tobacco related illness via both
private and public spending. It accounts to one-
fourth of the total spending on health issues in the
country. About 2500 persons die every day in India
due to diseases related to tobacco.

Mo Yan, the winner of Nobel Prize for literature,
2012 and Jackie Chan, the movie star were given a
political role in China by being selected as
members of the Chinese People's Political
Consultative Conference, one of the houses of
Chinese parliament.
Mo Yan and Jackie Chan were among 2237 people
selected by China's new leaders led by Xi Jinping as
the members of CPPCC National Committee. Out
of 2237 people, 399 are women. Xi Jinping is the
new general secretary of the Communist Party. He
will become the President of China after two
Houses of Parliament have meeting in March 2013.
Apart from Mo Yan and Jackie Chan, other known
face to be given a seat in this political party
includes former NBA star and popular basket ball
player Yao Ming.
CPPCC comprises of the members from different
fields and they were selected without any election
process. The party includes 893 members of the
Communist Party. The chosen officials include
members of non-Communist parties, military
officers, officials, representatives from
environmental, social, cultural, political and
economic fields.
Science and Technology
Astronomers Discovered Six Speeding Stars
Racing Through Milky Way
Astronomers in the third week of January 2013
discovered six speeding stars which were racing
through the space at a speed of 3.2 million
kilometers per hour. These stars were ejected
from the huge black hole which sits in the middle
of Earths galaxy, Milky Way.
These stars represented the first-known
hypervelocity stars that have mass just like that of
Earths Sun. The discovery is said to be very
important because it would reveal how stars were
formed in the dust-cloaked core of Milky Way.
The core of Milky Way is actually cloaked in dust
which makes all stars unclear from telescopes of
the astronomers, except the brightest stars. But
these hypervelocity stars were useful in providing
a peep into how star formation took place in the
depths of Milky Way.
This is so because it is believed that the
hypervelocity stars form when the black holes in
the centre of Milky Way consume one star in
binary system and ejects other (its twin), throwing
it through the space at extremely high speed.
The astronomers explained that these stars were
highly fast-moving objects which were
gravitationally unbound to Earths galaxy. Even
though these stars were in proximity to black
holes, but they were not cloaked by dust and so
they could be identified using telescopes easily.
Identifying these stars could help in revealing the
kind of star formation that took place in galactic
centre.
Astronomers at University of Hawaii in their study
made use of the data from Palomar 5-metre
telescope in California. In their study they
discovered 130 stars in Milky Way which were
traveling at a fast pace. Then the astronomers
narrowed down the group of stars which were
traveling at extremely fast speed with ejection
from centre of Milky Way galaxy. Six of the stars
met this criterion.
First Complete Bionic Man of the World
Unveiled at London's Science Museum
First bionic man of the world called Rex was
unveiled on 7 February 2013 at London's Science
Museum. The bionic man was created using 1
million US dollar limbs as well as organs.
Prosthetic legs and ankle came from MIT, synthetic
blood from Sheffield University, spleens, pancreas
and artificial kidneys from University College
Jackie Chan and Mo Yan Selected As
Members of Chinese Parliament
Page 39 of 47

London, retinas from Oxford University and
artificial lungs came from Swansea.
Rex has a human face with brown eyes and a
height of 6.5 feet. It was designed jointly with
assistance from 18 universities and companies.
Rex gave a hope that it was possible to replace the
body parts with the artificial alternatives, for the
very first time.
The internal organs of Rex such as artificial lungs,
bladder and pancreas were in line of development.
It is important to note that it is not possible for
certain technology to function without the help of
human input. For example bionic hands require
signals from brain and muscles to work properly.
Other parts however, such as pancreas and heart
can be designed to work automatically.
Rex would remain in display at London's Science
Museum from 7 February 201 to 11 March 2013.
Sir Issac Newtons 300-Year-Old Textbooks
Discovered in UK School
A box of books said to be that of Sir Isaac Newton,
in the school physics laboratory of Newcastle-
under-Lyme School, Staffordshire in UK were
discovered in the first week of February 2013. The
textbooks are over 300 years old and contain
works of Sir Issac Newton who is credited with
discovery of gravity.
The auctioneers estimated that the discovery
could be worth thousands of pounds. The books
were discovered by the sixth-form physics student
Will Garside while working on the artefacts from
the school site.
The books contained Newtons Laws of Motion as
well as the account of principles of gravity spread
across over 1000 pages. The discovered books are
a set of three volumes and are said to be the
property of first headmaster, Francis Elliot
Kitchener, who was a keen scientist. The three
books are known as Philosophi Naturalis
Principia Mathematica, meaning mathematical
principles of natural philosophy. They were first
published on 5 July 1687.
The work of Sir Issac Newton was translated in
English in 1728. Sir Newton was leading scientist in
subjects such as alchemy, theology, natural
philosophy and astronomy. He was born in 1642
and died in 1727.
Japanese Scientists Filmed the Thoughts of a
Fish for the First Time
The Japanese scientists from the Saitama
University in the first week of February 2013
filmed for the first time, the thoughts of a fish
while it tracks the prey, revealing about the
precision of the brain activity that governs its
hunting behaviour. The study is a first of its kind
and it led to real-time recording of the precise
brain processes in the animal.
In the similar studies conducted earlier, the
patterns of the brain activities while making use of
MRI scans were studied. These MRI scans were
used to find out when the different regions of a
brain switched on and off. However, this new
study used a very different approach for recording
which individual cells were being used at a
particular moment.
The filmed thoughts are very important because
this technology can be used for understanding the
thought process of the animals as well as the
humans. Also, it could be used for learning about
the abnormalities which lead to increase in
diseases of a brain.
In the study, the scientists demonstrated the map
in a brain of the Zebra fish. This map was also
present in human brain. This could greatly help in
interpreting the behaviour of an animal which
includes understanding their anger, joy, memory,
learning and much more.
In their study, the scientists modified the larvae of
the Zebra Fish genetically so that the neurons in
their optic tectum emitted a fluorescent green
light when being used. The larvae of Zebra Fish
have transparent bodies which meant that the
activities of brain cells could be easily filmed in a
real-time with the help of a microscope and a high-
resolution camera.
Page 40 of 47

NASA launched a New Communication
Satellite called TDRS
NASA on 31 January 2013 launched a new
communication satellite to stay in touch with its
space station astronauts and relay more Hubble
telescope images. An unmanned Atlas V rocket
blasted into the starry night sky carrying the
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) from Cape
Canaveral. This is the 11th TDRS satellite to be
launched by NASA. The space agency uses the
orbiting network to communicate with astronauts
living on the International Space Station. The first
TDRS spacecraft flew in 1983.
This newest third-generation TDRS carries the
letter K designation. Once it begins working, it will
become TDRS-11. It will take two weeks for the
satellite to reach its intended 22300-mile-high
orbit. Testing will last a few months. NASA
estimates the satellite costs between 350 and 400
million US Dollars. Another TDRS spacecraft, L in
the series, will be launched in 2014.
Sports
India maintained their Number One Spot in
the ICC ODI Championship Table
India maintained their number one spot in the ICC
ODI Championship table in the latest rankings
issued in Dubai on 11 February 2013. Both India
and England have same 119 rating points, but
England lags behind on the basis of decimal points.
Australia and South Africa follow the top two
teams closely with 116 and 112 points
respectively.
Among the batsmen, South African run machine
Hashim Amla is at number one followed by fellow
countryman AB Devilliers. Indias Virat Kohli is at
number three followed closely by the skipper
Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Among the bowlers,
Pakistan off spinner Saeed Ajmal maintains his top
billing followed by Mohammad Hafeez. In the All
rounders category, Pakistan skipper Mohammed
Hafeez is the leader followed by Bangladeshs
Shakib Al Hasan.
Sachin Tendulkar equaled Sunil Gavaskars
record of 81 Centuries in First Class Cricket
Sachin Tendulkar on 8 February 2013 equaled the
record of Sunil Gavaskar of 81 first class hundreds
in first class cricket at Mumbai. He managed to
equal Gavaskars record after scoring an unbeaten
140 runs in Irani Trophy against Rest of India in the
first innings of the tournament of Mumbai team.
Centuries of Sachin in first class cricket
51 in Test matches
18 in Ranji Trophy
2 in Irani Cup
3 in Duleep Trophy
1 in county cricket for Yorkshire
6 in other games
India Returned With 46 Medals in 2013
Pyeongchang Special Olympics World Winter
Games
The 2013 Pyeongchang Special Olympics World
Winter Games finished on 5 February 2013 after a
week of competition among differently-abled
athletes. The games took place from 29 January
2013 to 5 February 2013. Almost 200000
spectators witnessed the games in venues-
Pyeongchang and Gangneung. India returned with
46 medals in 2013 Special Olympics World Winter
Games at Pyeong Chang, South Korea.
The differently-abled athletes of India won 46
medals in all- 13 gold, 17 silver and 16 bronze from
mentally-challenged 2200 athletes participating
from more than 120 nations in the games. The
medal tally of India doubled from World Winter
Games 2009.
These games were completed in eight categories
of sports- alpine skiing, cross-country skiing,
snowboarding, snowshoeing, figure skating, short
track speed skating, floor hockey and floorball.
Various celebrities participated in the games to
support these athletes. Some of the popular faces
were former NBA
Page 41 of 47

All-Star Yao Ming and Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi.
In its closing ceremony, figure skating superstars
Kim Yu-na and Michelle Kwan were also present.
ICC Rankings for Test Cricket released in Dubai,
South Africa achieved the top Spot
International Cricket Council, ICC rankings for test
cricket was released on 4 February 2013 in Dubai.
South Africa emerged as the world number one
team in the category and is followed by England,
Australia, Pakistan and India.
In the latest rankings released by the ICC Hashim
Amla, the South African batsman has emerged as
the best batsman in the category and with this he
became the first batsman to hold the number one
dice in both Test and One-day format of the game
since 2007, before this Ricky Pointing was the
cricketer to hold this position. Michael Clarke, the
Australian batsman was racked at second position
in the ranking.
Dale Steyn, the South African bowler holds the top
position in the bowling ranking and is followed by
his teammate, Vernan Philander. South African,
Jacques Kallis has retained his position as the
number one test all-rounder with versatile
performance.
Pragyan Ojha is the only Indian to feature among
the top ten bowlers in the test rankings released.
MS Dhoni Named As the Vice-President of
India Cements
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the captain of the Indian
cricket team was appointed as the vice-president
of India Cements on 1 February 2013. India
Cements is headed by BCCI President N Srinivasan.
It is important to note that Dhoni resigned from
Air India team recently and now is expected to
play for India Cements in the BCCI Corporate
Trophy which started on 1 February 2013. India
Cements owns IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings,
the captaincy of which lies in the hands of Dhoni
since 2008. The Managing Director-cum-vice-
chairman of India Cements is Srinivasan.
Including MS Dhonis name in the India Cements
team for Corporate Trophy starting from 1
February 2013 to 8 February 2013 was actually a
surprise, especially because the captain had
declared to take rest for some time.
Earlier, Dhoni played in the Corporate Trophy for
the team of Air India, but later he resigned. The
Corporate Trophy will be taking place in four main
cities- Nagpur, Raipur, Indore and Pune.
Angelo Mathews appointed Captain of the
Sri Lankan Test and One-Day Cricket Team
Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lankan all-rounder
cricketer was appointed the Captain of the test
and one-day cricket team of Sri Lanka on 14
February 2013 for a period of one year. Mathews
replaced Mahela Jayawardene, who announced to
quit captaincy after Sri Lankas tour of Australia.
Dinesh Chandimal, the wicket-keeper batsman was
appointed as the vice-captain in the test and one-
day format of the game and will lead the country
as a captain in the T20 format of the game. Lasith
Malinga was appointed as the vice-captain for the
T20 team.
Angelo Mathews
Angelo Mathews is a Sri Lankan all-rounder
cricketer, who made his debut in the international
cricket in a One Day International match against
Zimbabwe in November 2008.
In 31 test matches Mathews have scored 1668
runs since making his debut in 2009 and recorded
his first and only test century against Australia
Model Test Paper:

1) What is PMGSY?
a) Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
b) Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana
c) Punjab Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
d) Pushpender Mahender Gagender Shishu
Yongna
2) What is as Sujala?
Page 42 of 47

a) Karnataka Watershed Development
Project I
b) Tamil Nadu Watershed Development
Project I
c) Kerala Watershed Development Project I
d) Andhra Pradesh Watershed Development
Project I
3) Nepal has started Census of which endangered
species
a) Elephants
b) Deers
c) Tigers
d) Boars
4) Who is Rajkeswur Purryag?
a) President of Guyna
b) President of Surinam
c) President of Trinadad and Tabago
d) President of Mauritius
5) Who was the chief guest of Republic Day
function 2013?
a) King of Thailand
b) King of Saudi Arabia
c) King of Bhutan
d) King of Nepal
6) Su-30MKIs, Saab Gripen and Dassault Rafale;
what are they?
a) Sports car
b) Fighter planes
c) Commercial vehicles
d) New Variety of Hybrid crop
7) Which organization is being asked to develop
AWACS for Indian Air Force?
a) ISRO
b) AFTC
c) TIFR
d) DRDO
8) Name the public sector undertaking that has
got Maharatna Status
a) BHEL and GAIL
b) NTPC
c) ONGC
d) SAIL
9) Which company whose accounts SEBI freeze
and attached its property?
a) Reliance
b) Sahara
c) Murgappa
d) Cholamandalam
10) NABARD authorized capital to be raised from
5000 crore rupees to
a) 20000 crore rupees
b) 40000 crore rupees
c) 60000 crore rupees
d) 80000 crore rupees
11) Six Speeding stars racing through Milky Way
was discovered travelling at a speed of;
a) 4.3 million kilometres per hour
b) 5.2 million kilometres per hour
c) 3.2 million kilometres per hour
d) 6.2 million kilometres per hour
12) What is the name of First bionic man of the
world?
a) flex
b) Rex
c) Greg
d) Bob
13) What artefacts of Sir Isaac Newton was
discovered in UK school?
a) Pen
b) Tooth Brush
c) Textbooks
d) Comb
14) Scientists of which country has filmed the
thoughts of a fish for the first time
a) Japan
b) South Korea
c) India
d) China
15) Which organization launched Tracking and
Data Relay Satellite (TDRS?)
Page 43 of 47

a) ISRO
b) ESA
c) CNES
d) NASA
16) Who was arrested on bribery charges in
Indian Defence Helicopter deal?
a) SP Tyagi
b) Giuseppe Orsi
c) Silvio Berlusconi
d) Bartolomeo Pagan
17) Who is Solicitor General of India?
a) Mohan Parasaran
b) G. E. Vahanvati
c) Gopal Subramaniam
d) Rohinton Nariman
18) Name the Chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi?
a) Balan Nambiar
b) K.R.Subbanna
c) V. Rajagopalan
d) Kalyan Kumar
19) What is Afzal Gurus Secret Hanging Was
called?
a) Operation Four Star
b) Operation Three Star
c) Operation Five Star
d) Operation Six Star
20) Who recently received posthumous Lifetime
Achievement Grammy Award?
a) Vilayat Khan
b) Allah Raka
c) Yah Chopra
d) Pandit Ravi Shankar
21) How much money can be invested for tax
benefit in Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme?
a) Rs I lakh
b) Rs 2 lakh
c) Rs 50000
d) Rs 3 lakh
22) Name the in flight bi -lingual magazine of Air
India launched by I&B Ministry
a) Subha Varta
b) Balika Vadhu
c) Subh Prabhat
d) Shubh Yatra
23) What is I&B Ministrys MyIndia Initiative
a) A Digital Volunteer Programme in social
media space
b) Tourism programme to attract NRI
c) Publicity of governments achievements
d) Indian Railways promotions
24) Government has launched which scheme to
improve the quality of health of children?
a) Rashtriya Yuva Swasthya Karyakram
b) National child health programme
c) Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram
d) National Youth health programme
25) Name the Chairperson of the expert
committee to review functioning of Prasar Bharti
a) Sam Pitroda
b) Sonia Gandhi
c) Rahul Gandhi
d) Shelia Dixit
26) Who is appointed as chairman of the panel to
examine issues of Certification under
Cinematograph Act of 1952?
a) Javed Akhter
b) Shabana Azami
c) Mukul Mudgal
d) Amitabh Bachan
27) President gave assent to which ordinance for
sharpening the laws against sexual assault.
a) Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance,
2013
b) Civil law amendment ordinance, 2013
c) Women law amendment ordinance, 2013
d) Family law amendment ordinance, 2013
28) Name the Director of the Indira Gandhi
Centre for Atomic Research
a) PR Vasudevan Rao
Page 44 of 47

b) P.R. Vasudeva Rao
c) KRV Rao
d) PV Baji Rao
29) Name the first Indian FMCG brand to cross
5000 Crore rupees mark?
a) Parle-G
b) Nirma
c) Fruti
d) Rasna
30) When World Radio Day is observed?
a) 1
ST
May
b) 13th February
c) 15 August
d) 30
th
January
31) Why Pope Benedict XVI announced his
resignation
a) Sex scandal
b) Political pressure
c) Poor Health
d) Church Coup
32) Education Minister of which country was
stripped of Doctorate for plagiarism
a) Germany
b) France
c) Italy
d) England
33) When is World Cancer Day Observed?
a) 4
th
of July
b) 4
th
August
c) 4
th
December
d) 4 February
34) Which Hollywood actor is selected as member
of Chinese Parliament?
a) Jackie Chan
b) Ang Lee
c) Dan Sho Ping
d) Chau en Min
35) How many medals India won in 2013
Pyeongchang Special Olympics World Winter
Games
a) 50
b) 46
c) 57
d) 60
36) Sachin Tendulkar equalled Sunil Gavaskars
record how many centuries in First Class Cricket
a) 81
b) 88
c) 92
d) 99
37) Which cricketer is named as Vice-President of
India Cements?
a) Virat Kohli
b) Harabajan Singh
c) MS Dhoni
d) Irfan Pathan
38) Name the Captain of the Sri Lankan Test and
One-Day Cricket Team
a) Angelo Mathews
b) Ajentha Mendis
c) Dilshan Tilakratne
d) Roshan Mahanama
39) Name Indian-origin science writer who wion
British Physics journalism prize
a) D. Kumarawamy
b) P. Veeramani
c) D. Ranganathan
d) Anil Ananthaswamy
40) How many new cities are planned for the
Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) in the
Union budget 2013-14?
a) 7
b) 8
c) 9
d) 10
41) Nirbhaya Fund announced in the Union
budget is for the safety of
a) Child
b) Women
c) Old aged person
d) Transgender
Page 45 of 47

42) What is Indias economic growth in last two
years as per official estimates in the Union
budget 2013-14
a) 5 & 6.2 percent
b) 6 & 6.3 percent
c) 7 & 7.8 percent
d) 5& 7.2 percent
43) Indian economy is constrained by three
factors
a) Low fiscal deficit, slow growth and high
inflation
b) High fiscal deficit, slow growth and low
inflation
c) High fiscal deficit, slow growth and high
inflation
d) High fiscal deficit, High growth and high
inflation
44) New public sector bank is exclusively for
which category in the Union budget
a) Mother and child
b) Old age
c) Homeless
d) Women
45) According to NIPFP estimates how much
unlawful wealth would exceed the national GDP
a) 10 percent and more
b) 12 percent and more
c) 14 percent and more
d) 20 percent and more
46) The Hague Court of arbitration gave a go
ahead to India on which project
a) Sethusamudram project
b) Ganga Meckon project
c) Kishanganga Project
d) Damoder valley project
47) What is Economic Survey?
a) A document that reviews Indias
Economic growth of past two years
b) A website on Indian economy
c) A department of central government on
economic matters
d) A document that reviews Indias
Economic development of past 12 months
48) Economic Survey is presented every year at
what time?
a) Just before the railway budget
b) After the Union Budget is passed
c) Just before the Union Budget
d) Every monsoon session of Parliament
49) Who prepares Economic Survey?
a) A team of economists led by Chief
Economic Advisor
b) Members of Lok Sabha
c) Members of Rajya Sabha
d) Members of Electoral College
50) Who is Chief Economic Advisor?
a) Raghu Ram
b) Raghuram Rajan
c) Raja Ram
d) Ram Rahim Sampat
51) Economic Survey has recommended slashing
of what?
a) Subsidy
b) Pension
c) Privy purse
d) Direct taxes
52) How many new trains announced in railway
budget 2013-14
a) 108
b) 110
c) 112
d) 106
53) Azadi Express would be for travel to places
associated with
a) Buddhism
b) Freedom Struggle
c) Hinduism
d) Islam
54) Ang Lee won best director Oscars for
a) Sense and Sensibility
Page 46 of 47

b) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
c) Life of Pi
d) Brokeback Mountain
55) Which Indian vocalist was nominated in the
best original song category at the 85th Academy
Awards?
a) Bombay Jayashri
b) Gyani jairam
c) Latha Mangeskhar
d) Asha Bhonsle
56) Which movie won the best film Oscar award
a) Virgo
b) Nigro
c) Little Champ
d) Argo
57) Indias 101th space mission launched how
many satellites into space
a) 7
b) 8
c) 9
d) 10
58) Name the Indo-French satellite carried by the
PSLV
a) TARAL
b) SAFAL
c) SARAL
d) Pondicherry
59) Name the helicopter Indian Army will receive
from HAL
a) Cheetal helicopters
b) Sambha helicopters
c) Ghadriyal helicopters
d) Gajral helicopters
60) Usha Mehra panel was appointed for
a) Review responses to the December 16
Delhi gang-rape
b) Assault on women and children
c) Welfare of old age and widows
d) Welfare of minorities and weaker section.

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Answer Key:
1) A
2) A
3) C
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4) D
5) C
6) B
7) D
8) A
9) B
10) A
11) C
12) B
13) C
14) A
15) D
16) B
17) A
18) D
19) B
20) D
21) C
22) D
23) A
24) C
25) A
26) C
27) A
28) B
29) A
30) B
31) C
32) A
33) D
34) A
35) B
36) A
37) C
38) A
39) D
40) A
41) B
42) A
43) C
44) D
45) A
46) C
47) D
48) C
49) A
50) B
51) A
52) D
53) B
54) C
55) A
56) D
57) A
58) C
59) A
60) A

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