Current Affairs, Current Events, General Knowledge

Current Event National, Jan 2010

9 Jan The Centre approves the proposal of the US-based soft drinks major PepsiCo to
inject additional equity of $200 million (around Rs. 930 crore) into its Indian arm
within three years.
10 Jan The Planning Commission constitutes a 25-member expert panel to explore
options before the country for a low-carbon economy.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) sanctions $150 million aid for the Khadi and
Village Industries Board (KVIB)
11 Jan Two ballistic flight tests of Astra, the Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile
(BVRAAM), are successfully carried out fom the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at
Balasore, Orissa.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh launches the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar
Mission, or "Solar India"
India and Bangladesh Prime Minister Ms. Sheikh Hasina and her Indian
counterpart Dr. Manmohan Singh, the pacts are aimed at bolstering Bilateral ties.
12 Jan Seeking to aggressively pursue export of products to China and Japan, the centre
announces the inclusion of both the countries in the MarketLinked Focused
Programme (MLFP) scheme; the Centre also unleashes incentive worth Rs. %00
crore for exporters, especially those in the labour intensive sectors.
13 Jan The Centre announces a slew of new measures to curb the soaring price of
essential commodities.
14 Jan India and France exchange the instruments of ratification of the agreement on civil
nuclear energy cooperation, bringing into force the historic Indo-France N-deal
The Central Government allows ONGC Videsh to invest $39 million (Rs.1,651
crore) for oil exploration in two deep-sea blocks in Nigeria over the next five years.
15 Jan The millennium's longest (11-Minute) annular solar eclipse covers a swathe of
1000 km in India; the spectacle enthrals millions.
The Central agrees to releas Rs. 12,000 crore in cash to loss-making state-run oil
companies to cover for their losses in the 2009-10 fiscal.
16 Jan The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests decides to conduct a vulnerability
line mapping along the country's coastline, to ensure the safety of those living
close to the coast.
The Centre annoumces that the next assembling centre for the BrahMos missiles
will be Rajasthan's Pilani. At present BrahMos missiles are assembled only in
Hyderabad.
17 Jan Jyoti Basu, the famous Leftist icon of India, passes away at the age of 95 in
Kolkata, West Bengal.
18 Jan The Suprime Court extends to June 30, 2010 the deadline for the Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to fix the tariff for the Direct-to-Home (DTH)
platform.
19 Jan At the joint Economic Group (JEG) dialogue held in Beiging (China), India and
China agree to work together to bridge the widening trade gap between the two
 nations.
20 Jan Malaysian Premier Md. Najib Tun Razak visit India; during this visit, India and
Malaysia sign an extradition treaty and two two other accords on economic
cooperation and higher education.
21 Jan Former Foreign Secretary Mr. Shiv Shankar Menon is appointed as a new National
Security Adviser (NSA); he succeeds Mr. M.K. Narayanan.
The Cabinate Committee on Infrastructure accords in-principle approval for the
establishment of the National Knowledge Network (NKN) that will interconnect all
knowledge institutions of the country.
22 Jan Lt. Gen. Vijay Kumar Singh is appointed the new chief of the Army Staff; he
succeeds Gen,Deepak Kapoor.
23 Jan Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed attend and delivers the keynote address at
the 16th edition of the India-maldivas Partnership Summit, organised by the
Confederation of India Industry (CII) in chennai, Tamil nadu.
24 Jan The second ministerial-level meeting of the BASIC group of nations-Comprising
China, India,South Africa and Brazil-is held in New Delhi.
In a milestone, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) tests its biggest
and most powerful rocked motor called the S-200, powered by 200 tonnes of solid
propellant. The test is conducted at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
25 Jan The Civilian Awards for 2010 are announced on the eve of the nation's 61st
Republic Daky; in all, the President approves the names of 130 persons for the
awards -6 for Padma Vibhushan, 43 for Padma Bhushan and 81 for Padma Shri.
The President also approves 442 gallantry awards.
India and South Korea sign four crucial agreement in various sectors; the
agreements are signed in New Delhi during the state visit of South Korean Prime
Minister Mr,Lee Myung -bak.
26 Jan Hon,ble President Ms. Pratibha Patel confers the gallantruy awards on the
recipients on the occasion of the 61st Republic Day; Visiting South Korean
Premier Mr.Lee Myung-bak takes part in the Repubic Day celebrations in New
Delhi as the chief guest.
27 Jan Seeking to enhance its presence in mineral and oil rich African counries. The
agreement is signed in Luanda , Angola.
28 Jan The 2010 Environmental performance Index,released worldwide, places India at
the 123rd rank among 163 countries; the list is topped by Iceland.
29 Jan In a move to contain rising inflation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hikes the
Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)-the portion that commercial banks are required to keep
with the central bank-by 75 basis points from 5 percent to 5.75 percent.
30 Jan The high-level task force, constitude toset a growth agenda for the development of
the micro,small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector, submits its
recommemdation to prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh.
India submits its emission cut proposals to the UN; in its proposals, India says that
it will endeavour to reduce its emission intensity by 20-25 percent by 2020 in
comparison to the 2005 levels.
31 Jan In a step that could creat a major socio-political impact in Punjab as well as other
parts of the country, Dera Sachkhand Ballan announces a new religion,
 Ravidassia Dharm; it is also announced that the community will have its own
separate religion book, Amrit Bani Guru Ravidass.
International
9 Jan Afghan President Mr.Hamid KarZai submits a new list of Cabinet nominees to
replace Ministers rejected by the nation's parlaiment.
10 Jan Reports reveal that after a 13-month slump, China's exports posted strong growth
in December 2009, helping the country surpass germany to become the world's
largest exporter.

Mr. Ivo Josipovic is elected the President of croatia.

11 Jan Sri Lanka and India sign a commercial pact in colombo, with India Promising the
island nation an assistance of $185 million for the construction of a Railway Line in
the War-torn Northern Province of Sri Lanka.
12 Jan Foreign Ministers of Afganistan , Pakistan and host United Arab Emirates (UAE) ,
along with the reoresentatives of 40 countries, the European Union (EU) and the
UN Mision in Afghanistan, hold a crucial security meet in Abu Dhabi.

An earthquake of a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude devastates the Caribbean nation

Haiti, killing Lakhs of People and rendering millions homeless.
13 Jan Internet Giant Google threatens to close its operations in china, following a string
of vicious cyber attacks on its services.
14 Jan Japan and Germany agree to work together on climate change, nuclear
disarmament and rebuilding Afghanistan , during aTokyo visit by german Foreign
minister Mr. guido Westerwelle.
15 Jan Russia lifts its opposition to a long-delayed reform of the European Court if Human
rights in a major gesture towards the west; the new move will also improve the
Russian legal system.
16 Jan The Government of hong Kong approves a controversial $8.6 bollion rail link to
China's high-speed rail network.
17 Jan Amnesty international accuses Israel of ''collectively punishing'' the population of
the Gaza Strip with border closures.
18 Jan Chilean billionaire Mr. Sebastian Pinera is elected as the nation's President; with
his election, the latin American nation Witnesses a political shift to the right to the
right after 20 years of leftist rule.
19 Jan Cadbury, the flagbearer of the British Chocolate industry , is acquired by US giant
Kraft Foods for $19 billion ; the amalgamation creates a world leader in food and
confectionery.
20 Jan In a major setback for US President Mr. Barack obama, Republican Mr.Scott
Brown Captures the US Senate seat held by the legendary Democrat Edward
Kennedy for neraly half a century.
21 Jan A report released by the Chinese Government reveals that after suffering one of its
worst declines in decades, China's econiomy has rebounded strongly, recording
8.7 percent growth in 2009.
22 Jan In a Crucial Development, the Us Supreme Court that labour unions and
corporations can spend unlimited amounts to influence federal elections, throwing
 out a ban that had been in effect for 63 years.
23 Jan A year after the Gaza War, Israel pays the Un $10.5 million as compensation for
danaging its offices during an attack by its defence forces.
24 Jan Afghanistan postpones parliamentary elections for four months , saying it will not
be safe to hold elections amid a spiralling Taliban Insurgency.
25 Jan Dalai Lama's envoys arrive in Beijing for the resumption of talks with china, Which
have been suspended since November 2008 over disagreements on the question
of Tibet's autonomy.
26 Jan In a Significant development, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) says that the Copenhagen Accord, finalised at the Copenhagen
Conference in December 2009, is not a legally binding document but merely a
political one.
27 Jan Sri Lankan President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa is re-elected for a second term; in
the presidential elections, he beats former army chief Gen. (Retd.) Sarath Fonseka
by a comfortable margin.

The World Economic Forum summit is convened in Davos, Switzerland.

28 Jan Spelling bad news for outsourcing hubs including India, US President Mr. Barack
Obama says in his 2010 state of the Union Address that his government will cut
tax breaks of companies that outsource jobs to offshore destinations.
29 Jan Microsoft Founder Mr. Bill Gates announces that his foundation will commit $10
billion over the next decade to research and deliver vaccines to the poorest
nations of the world.
30 Jan Russia seals a multi- billion dollar package of seals to supply weapons to Lybia,
Signalling a return to the strategically important region of North Africa.`
31 Jan Faced with growing discontent over land seizures by the government and real
estate developers , china's State Council announces a major overhaul of land laws
that will slowthe process of home demolitions and give home owners greater
compensations for their land.
FEBRUARY 2010 (National)
1 Feb A report released by the centre shows that continuing with a rising trend for the
second consecutive month India's exports registered a 9.3 percent growth in
December 2009, while imports also turned positive after posting negative growth
for the last 11 months.
2 Feb German President Dr. horst Koehler arrivesin India on a statet visit; during his
meeting with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, India and Germany decide to
setup security and economic cooperation by finalising host of cricial pacts.
3 Feb The Centre Constitutes a high-level committee, headed by justice B.N. SriKrishna,
on the Telangana issue, '' to hold wide-ranging consultations with all sections of
the people and political parties and groups in Andhra pradesh.
The government- appointed kirit ParikhCommitte recommends complete decontrol
of petrol and diesel prices; a hike of Rs.100 per LPG cylinder and an increase of
Rs. 6 a litre of Kerosene.
4 Feb India and the UK agree on a text of a civil nuclearcooperation deal that is likely to
be signed soon on a convenient date; the agreement is reached in London, UK, in
 a meeting between British Business Secretary Mr. Peter Mandelson and Visiting
Indian Commerce and Industry Minister mr. Anand Sharma.
5 Feb The Ministers of Health and family Welfare and Railways sign an Mou for
developing healthcare infrastructutre along the railway network across the country.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh inaguurates the Delhi Sustainable
Development Summit (DSDS) in New Delhi.
6 Feb The Chief Ministers' Conference on Price Rise is Convened in New Delhi; at the
Conference, the government decides to setup a high-profile standing Core Group
to suggest measures to tackle price rise.
7 Feb The Chief Ministers' Conference on Internal security is held in New Delhi; Various
crucial issues are discussed in the meeting.

Agni-III, the longest- range(3,500km) N-Capable missile in India's arsenal. is

successfully test-fired from the Wheeler Island off Orrisa.
8 Feb The second India-Arab Investment Projects Conclave is held in New Delhi. India
announces that it intends to double bilateral trade with the Arab world from the
present $114 billion by 2014.
9 Feb The Union Environment Ministry announces its decision to impose a moratorium
on release of Bt. brinjal, the transgenic brinjal hybrid.
10 Feb Mr. S. C. Sinha is appointed the Director General of the National Investigation
Agency (NIA).
11 Feb India and the UK sign a joint declaration for civil nuclear cooperation to facilitate
the entry of British companies into the India atomic power sector.
12 Feb Human Resource Development Minister Mr. Kapil Sibal takes the decision to notify
the Right to Education Act, 2009.
14 Feb A Government report says that Palakkad district in Kerala has become the first
fully electrified district in the country.
16 Feb Nepalese President Mr. Ram Baran Yadav visits India.
17 Feb A Group of Ministers(GoM) clears the "Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical,
Medical Educational Institutions and University Bill", drafted by the HRD Ministry,
to provide for a Central Law to curb malpractices.
20 Feb India and Bangladesh sign a pact to set up a joint vrnture 1,320 MW power plant
as a mark of cooperation. The two sides also agree to set up a cross border power
grid.
21 Feb Mr. L. K. Advani is unanimously elected Working Chairman of the National
Democrative Alliance(NDA).
23 Feb The Union Government secures Cabinet approval for a new agreement with the
US that aims, inter alia, at promoting privatisation of agricultureal extension
services and facilitating collaborations between American agribusiness and the
Indian farm sector.
25 Feb India submits three dossiers to Pakistan at a meeting between Foreign Secretary
Ms. Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Mr. Salman Bashir in New Delhi.
28 Feb India and Soudi arabia sign an extradition treaty during high level talks in Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia.
International
1 Feb US President Mr. Barack Obama unveils a $3.83 trillion budget in the cingress; the
new budget will pour more money into the fight against unemployment, boost
taxes on the wealthy , and freeze spending on a numbers of government
programmes.
2 Feb Amnesty International appoints Mr. Salil Shetty , an Indian who headed the UN
Millennium Mission, as its enxt Secretary General.
The US Government Proposes $3.2 billion in assistance to pakistan in fiscal 2011 ,
a substantial jump in American aid to that country.
3 Feb Iran announces its readiness to send abroad the bulk of its low-enriched uranium
stocks in return for its Tehran research reactor.
4 Feb Russia offers to send narcotics police to Afghanistan to shore up the global fight
against drug porduction and trafficking in that country.
5 Feb A Landmark dael batween Northern Ireland's two major political parties,the
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein, Removes the last hurdle to
granting full autonomy to the province envisaged inthe 1998 Good Friday
Agreement thet brought decades of sectarian violence to an end.
6 Feb Resourcehouse , an Australian mining firm, signs a record $60 billion deal to
supply coal to energy-hungry China for the next 20 years. it is the biggest ever
xeport contract in Australia's history.
7 Feb Iran president Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad orders the cheif of the nuclear
progremme to begin higher uranium enrichment , days after the country seemed to
have accepted a UN-drafted nuclear deal.
8 Feb Mr. Laura Chinchilla becomes Costa Rica's first Women President after a
convincing election triumph.
Marin Cilic of Croatia wins the Zagreb Indoors tennis tournament title, beating
Michael Berrer of Germany in the final in Zagreb, Croatia.
9 Feb Iran sets in motion the process of further refining its stocks of lightly enriched
uranium at its atomic facility in Natanz.
The 11the South Asian Games concludes in Dhaka, Bangladesh; India emerge on
top with a haul of 175 medals including 90 Gold, 55 Silver and 30 Bronze, followed
by Pakistan (19-25-36) and Bangladesh (18-23-56).
11 Feb Iranian President Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declares Iran a "Nuclear State",
saying that the country has produced its first stock of 20 percent enriched uranium
for its nuclear programme.
A report published in the New Scientist says that scientists at the National Institute
of Standards adn Technology, USA, have created the world's most precise clock
based on a single aluminium atom. The new clock would neither gain nor lose one
second in about 307 billion years.
12 Feb Cricket is formally endorsed as a recognised sports by International Olympic
Committee(IOC).
13 Feb A high powered laser destroys a target missile in flight off the Central California
Coast, USA, in a milestone test of a futuristic missile defence system conducted by
US.
14 Feb Andrew Dodt of Australia wins the title of the 1.5 million Avantha Masters golf
championship in Gurganon, Haryana.
Physicists at the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory
 create the hottest temperature ever in the laboratory---4 trillion degrees Celsius---
hot enough to break matter down to the kind of soup that existed microseconds-
after the birth of the universe.
15 Feb Indian origin lawyer Mr. Rashid Hussain is appointed USA's new special envoy to
the Organization of Islamic Conference(OIC),a post vital to America's bid to repair
strained relations with the Muslim world.
Australian all-rounder shane Watson wins the prestigious Allan Border Medal,
besides being named Australia's ODI Player of the Year.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and an observation deck
to the space outpost. The new deck, named Tranquility, will give the resident
astronauts of the orbital station a panoramic view of the station and the Earth
below.
16 Feb The 2009 Sangeet Natak Akademi (Akademi Ratna) Fellowships are awarded to
the winners at a ceremony held in New Delhi; the winners are: Pandit Jasraj,
Shreeram Lagoo, Yamini Krishnamurti, Lalgudi Jayaraman, Kamlesh Dutt Tripathi
and Kishori Amonkar.
19 Feb Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama is honoured with the prestigious Democracy
Service Medal by the Government of USA in function in Washington, USA.
21 Feb Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova wins the title of the WTA Tour's Memphis
tournament, beating Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden in the final in Memphis, USA.
22 Feb Ian Poulter UK beats compatriot Paul Casey to win the Accenture Match Play golf
championship in Marana, USA.
Iraq war movie The Hurt Locker sweeps the board at the BAFTA Awards in
London, the UK, winning the Best Film and Best Director Award for Kathryan
Bigelow; other awards won by the film include Original Screenplay,
Cinematography, Editing and Sound.
23 Feb Eminent journalist Mr. Sanjoy Hazarika is awarded the Dr. Jean Mayer Award for
Global Citizenship by the US based Tufts University for his contributions to the
north-east of India.
24 Feb A report released by the World Trade Organization (WTO) says that world trade
fell by 12 % in 2009, the biggest fall since the end of the World War II in 1945.
Sachin Tendulkar becomes the first cricketer in history to score a double century in
an ODI; he achieves this feat in the second ODI of the series against South Africa
in Gwalior. Riding on his unbeaten 200 (off 147 balls), India beat the visitors by
153 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
The Sasakawa Prize of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is conferred on
Mr. Sameer Hajee, an NRI scientist, who invented a portable light that can be
recharged by pedalling for 20 minutes. The device, called the Nuru Light, was
developed for use in areas without electricity.
25 Feb Mr. Viktor Yanukovych is sworn in as Ukraine's President at a majestic ceremony
in Kiev, Ukraine.
The National Weightlifting championship concludes in Udaipur, Rajasthan;
Services bag the men's team title, while All India Police claim the women's crown.
Famous social worker Ms. Ela Phatt is chosen for the prestigious Niwano Peace
Prize of Japan for 2010 for her contribution to the upliftment of poor women in
India.
 A much-awaited energy venture, known as "power plant in a box", is unveiled by
its Indian-American inventor, K.R. Sridhar, in Washington, USA. The
groundbreaking invention promises clean electricity to homes, office buildings and
even whole villages in the developing world. The device, called Bloom Box, can
generate electricity from multiple fuels while producing relatively less greenhouse
gas emissions.
26 Feb The Indian women's cricket team beat the visiting English side by five wickets in
the fourth match of the ODI series, thus sealing the series 3-1, in Visakhapatnam,
Andhra Pradesh.
27 Feb The Commonwealth Shooting Championship ends in New Delhi. India clinch the
top position with 35 Gold, 25 Silver and 14 Bronze, followed by England (4-15-12)
and Wales (4-2-7).
28 Feb The 21st Winter Olympic Games, held in Vancouver, Canada, ends. Hosts
Canada clinch the top position with 14 Gold, 7 Silver and 5 Bronze, followed by
Germany (10-13-7) and USA (9-15-13).
March National
6 March Actress Jaya Bachchan is honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at a
ceremony held at the British Academy of Film & Television Arts in London,
England, for her "inspiring contribution to Indian cinema.
March International
2 March In yet another milestone for Chandrayaan-1, the Houston (US)-based Lunar and
Planetary Institute says that the Indian Moon mission had found not only water
molecules and new type of rocks, but also ice on the Moon.
8 March The 82nd Academy Awards, better known as the Oscar Awards, are presented in
a grand ceremony in Los Angeles, USA. The Hurt Locker, a smallbudget film on
the Iraq war, wins six awards, while Avatar, a global blockbuster, wins three. The
prominent winners are: Sandra Bullock (Best Actress for The Blind Side), Jeff
Bridges Locker (Best Film), Kathryn Bigelow (Best Director for The Hurt Locker),
Christoph Waltz (Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Inglourious Basterds),
Mo'Nique (Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Precious), etc.
A team of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA,
devise a way to produce 30 KWh of electricity enough to power an entire
household using one bottle of drinking water and four hours of sunlight. The key to
these claims is a new, affordable catalyst that uses solar electricity to split water
and generate hydrogen.
April National
8 April The Union Cabinet approves the big ticket disinvestment in Steel Authority of India
Ltd. (SAIL) to mop up about Rs. 16,000 crore by selling its equity and issuing fresh
shares to the public.
10 April The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announces that it will launch the
first in a constellation of seven satellites envisaged for the ambitious Indian
Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) by the end of 2011.
13 April The Indian Army agrees to acquire the indigenous two-stage ramjet Akash missile.
17 April ISRO's Cartosat 2B high-resolution satellite is flagged off from Bengaluru to
Sriharikota, wherefrom it will be launched.
18 April The government launches the second edition of the Triton series of exercises
designed to test the security of the Kerala coast.
20 April Mr. Mukul Sangma is sworn in as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya; he replaces Mr.
D.D. Lapang.
22 April The Centre announces that the sea along the Indian coasts will be brought under
the ambit of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) guidelines.
23 April Navies of India and the US begin annual war exercises, the 14th edition of
MALABAR, involving anti-submarine warfare surface firing, visit board, search and
seizure and submarine operations, in the Arabian Sea.
27 April To extend the social security benefits to more workers under the ESI scheme, the
Centre raises the maximum wage limit for the facility from Rs. 10,000 to Rs.
15,000 a month.
30 April Mr. Justice Sarosh Homi Kapadia is appointed the 38th Chief Justice of India; he
succeeds Justice K.G. Balakrishnan.
Pilot production of the air-launched version of the India-Russia BrahMos missile
starts in Russia, in line with plans to fit it in the Indian Air Force's Su-30MKI fighter
aircraft by 2012.

April International
8 April Mr. R.P. Goenka, Chairman Emeritus of RPG Enterprises, receives the Lifetime
Achievement Award from All India Management Association (AIMA) in New Delhi.
Prasun Chatterjee, an Indian environmetal engineering student whose research
has contributed to a new way of detecting toxic and copper in water, wins one of
the highest US research honours, the 2010 Ellen Gonter Environmental Chemistry
Award, from the American Chemical Society.
10 April Polish President Lech Kaczynski and a high-profile delegation are killed when a
plane carrying 97 people crashes near the Russian city of Smolensk.
12 April British-Indian author Mr. Rana Dasgupta wins the Commonwealth Writers' Prize
for 2010 for his epic tale Solo set in Communist and post-Communist Bulgaria,
Australian author Ms. Glenda Guest's Siddon Rock is adjudged the Best First
Book.
13 April The two-day, 47-nation Nuclear Security Summit concludes in Washington, USA,
with the adoption of a short final communique and seven-page work plan aimed at
prompting the effective securty of nuclear material worldwide.
15 April The BRIC nations---Brazil, Russia, India and China---hold a summit in Brasilia; at
the same venue, India, Brazil and South Africa also hold the IBSA summit. Both
the summits underscore a shared quest for greater collective influence within the
changing geometry of the international system.
The Eyjafjallajokull volcano of Iceland, that erupted a day before, takes a heavy toll
on the European aviation industry, makin it impossible to operate flights anywhere
in Europe.
17 April In a significant development, Ira calls for the suspension of the US from the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and proposes a five-point plan to
democratise the global security architecture.
19 April A new page in Pakistan's history is turned with President Mr. Asif Ali Zardari
 signing the 18th Amendment Bill that transfers the power of the presidency to the
Parliament and brings back the 1973 Constitution drafted during the regime of
former President Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
20 April Noted Hindi writer Hrishikesh Sulabh is chosen for the International Indu Sharma
Katha Samman for 2010 for his story collection Vasant Ke Hatyare.
21 April Mr. D. M. Jayaratne is appointed Prime Minister of Sri Lanka by the nation's
President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa.
25 April Mr. P. Kamalanathan, an ethnic Indian, wins a prestigious parliamentary by-
election in Malaysis, giving a boost to the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) that
claims to speak for the 1.7 million community.
26 April The two-day annual spring meting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and
the World Bank concludes in Washington, USA; at the meeting, the member
nations endorse voice reform to increase the voting power of developing and
transition countries (DTC) in the World Bank by 3.13 percentage points, bringing
their proportional voice to 47.19 percent.
27 April A South Korean mountaineer, named Ms. Oh Eun-sun, becomes the first woman
in the world to scale the world's 14 highest mountains, by conquering the
Annapurna in the Himalayas.
28. The 16th South asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) convenes in
April Thimphu, Bhutan; at the meeting, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh leads the
SAARC leaders in introspecting on the progress made by the eight-member
regional forum in its 25 years of existence.
30 April The World Expo 2010 opens amid much fanfare in Shanghai, China; Chinese
President Mr. Hu Jintao inaugurates the opening ceremony attended by more than
20 heads of states and governments, apart from a large number of high-level
dignitaries from across the world.
Belgium becomes the first nation in Europe to ban the burqa in public places.
The Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2010 is held in Mumbai. Ms. Manasvi Mamgai
of Mumbai is adjudged Miss India World, Bengaluru girl Ms. Nicole Faria is named
Miss India Earth; Ms. Neha Hinge of Pune wins the Miss India International crown.

April Sports
12 April India win the inaugural Pearls World Cup Kabaddi Punjab 2010 title, beating
Pakistan in the final in Ludhiana, Punjab.
15 April Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani defends his Asian billiards title with a win over
Peter Gilchrist of Singapore in the final in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
17 April Dipika Pallikal of India wins the WISPA (women's) title, beating Emma Beddoes of
England in the final of the Indian Challenger squash tournament in Kolkata;
Mohamed El Shorgagy of Egypt wins the men's title.
May National
1 May Mr. Atul Khare, an Indian, is appointed by UN Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon
as Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations.
3 May The Lok Sabha passes a bill to raise the ceiling on gratuity for employees in the
private sector to Rs. 10 lakh from Rs. 3.5 lakh.
7 May In a ignificant development, the Supreme Court holds that candidates in the
 "Meritorious Reserved Category (MRC)" selected on merit and placed in the
"General/Unreserved Category" in the Central Civil Services Examination (CSE)
can be given a choice to opt for a service of higher preference in terms of Rule
16(2) of the CSE Rules.
The contentious Nuclear Liability Bill is introduced in the Lik Sabha amid protests
and walkout by the NDA and the Left parties.
9 May The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announces that Russia will
develop a lander that will ferry a rover to explore the Moon's surface as part of the
Chandrayaan-II mission, slated for launch in 2013.
13 May In a big-ticket investment aimed at giving a boost to its holding of oil and gas
assets abroad, the ONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL), along with its partners, enters into an
agreement with the Venezuelan governement to develop a $20 billion oil project in
that country.
The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, crosses a
milestone, with the thermal baffle, a crucial piece of cooling equipment,
successfully lowered into it.
15 May Former Vice-President and three-time Chief Minister of Rajasthan in the past,
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat of BJP passes away in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
16 May Seeking to expand cooperation with the Indian Space Research Oraganisation
(ISRO) on its Chandrayaan-II missin, the US offers assistance through Boeing,
which partners with NASA on its space exploration programmes.
Mr. ratan Kumar Sinha is appointed Director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
(BARC), Trombay.
17 May After two successive setbacks, Agni-II surface-to-surface ballistic missile is
successfully test-fired from theWheeler island off the Orissa coast. The
intermediate-rangemissile can carry nuclear weapons and hs a range of 2,000 km.
18 May Leading private sector lender ICICI Bank agrees to take over the Bank of
Rajasthan.
20 May Pakistan sends a note verbale to India on the disputed Kishanganga project,
clearly indicating its intention to set up a Court of Arbitration as provided in the
despurte settlement mechanism under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
21 May The Central Government grants the Maharatna status to four public sector
giants---National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Oil and Natural Gas
Corporation (ONGC), Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), and Steel Authority of India
Ltd. (SAIL).
22 May Arjun Vajpai, a 16-year-old boy from Noida, becomes the youngest Indian to scale
Mount Evrest.
23 May The first indigenously-built Light Combat Helicopter, developed by the Hindustan
Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), successfully makes its inaugural test-flight in Bengaluru.
24 May The Uniion Ministry of Commerce and Industry through a notification brings cotton
and cotton waste under the restricted list for exports.
25 May Turkmenistan President Mr. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visits India; during his
meeting with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, the two
sidesdiscuss energy cooperation and sign several agreements signalling the
desire of both countries to strengthen bilateral ties.
28 May Addressing a joint session of the Bhutanese Parliament in Thimphu, Bhutan, Lok
Sabha Speaker Ms. Meira Kumar announces the setting up of a Parliamentary
Friendship Group to help reinforce and renew the bonds of friendship between
India and Bhutan.
29 May The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry rejects a proposal to bring medical
education under the purview of teh proposed National Commission for Higher
Education and Research (NCHER).
30 May The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grants a corpus of $5 million to the Public
Health Foundation of India (PHFI) to strengthen the National Tobacco Control
Programe in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, over a three-year period up to 2010.
May International
6 May Mr. Goodluck Jonathan is sworn in as the President of Nigeria, hours after the
death of incumbent President Umaru Yar'Adua.
7 May North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il ends his four-day visit to China; he tells the
Chinese government that he is willing to help revive stalled negotiations over his
country's controversial unclear programme.