Top Careers & You

®
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS UPDATE
(November 14 to 20, 2010)

MAJOR NEWS OF THE WEEK

Section A: INDIA
™ New Cabinet takes oath of office in Maharashtra
™ MCI bars IMA President from medical practice for 6 months
™ Kapil Sibal appointed Communications & IT Minister
™ Magsaysay Award winner L.C. Jain passes away
™ ‘Climate Change and India: a 4x4 Assessment’ unveiled
™ India-Norway to set up Centre for Biodiversity Policy and Law
™ Project to empower women panchayat leaders launched
™ SC asks UPSC to divulge selection details
™ Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls launched
™ India raises concern over Chinese Dam on Brahmaputra
™ SC calls for Armed Forces Grievances Redressal Commission
™ National Integration Pledge administered
™ Jharkhand celebrates 11th Foundation Day
™ National Press Day observed
™ World Heritage Week started
™ Stamp on Lakshmipat Singhania released
™ Stamp to mark 150 years of CAG unveiled
™ Work on Eastern Freight Corridor launched
™ 5-digit numbering scheme for trains from Dec 20
™ Medak district to be named after Indira Gandhi
™ FTII shelves Hewitt Associates report

Section B: WORLD
™ Nobel Peace Laureate Suu Kyi released
™ Francois Fillon renamed French PM
™ Alpha Conde wins presidential election in Guinea
nd
™ Rajapaksa sworn in for 2 term as SL President
™ Coleman appointed “youth champion” for UN
™ Ruler of Oman completes 40 years in power
™ NATO Summit organised at Lisbon
™ APEC Summit organised in Yokohama
™ FAO unveils “Food Outlook” report
™ UAE, Australia and the US top list of carbon emitters
™ International Religious Freedom report unveiled
™ Somalia tops Terrorism Risk Index
™ India summons Iran ambassador on Kashmir remark
™ UN condemns rights violations in Iran, Burma & N. Korea
™ UN Academic Impact (UNAI) launched
™ Israel unveils anti-missile system Arrow-III
™ World Philosophy Day observed
™ Jordan's PM reassigned to form new government
™ Israeli enacts law on referendum on territorial concessions
™ Georgia starts work on building new capital at Kutaisi
™ Yale agrees to return Machu Picchu artifacts
™ Bangladesh contributes highest number troops to UN
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
www.TCYonline.com Page : 1
 Top Careers & You
®
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

™ Palin's 'refudiate' is Oxford 'word of the year'

nd
™ Indians form 2 largest group of international students in US
™ Russia-India-China trilateral organised
™ Port at Hambantota inaugurated at Sri Lanka

Section C: AWARDS
™ Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Awards conferred
™ 41st International Film Festival to be organised at Goa
™ ‘Mudiyettu’, ‘Chhau’ dance, ‘Kalbelia’ in UNESCO list
™ Dr. Karan Singh wins Dayawati Modi Award 2010
™ President confers Manav Sewa Awards
™ ‘Bala Sahitya Puraskar' awards conferred
™ Tehelka wins IPI India Award for Excellence in Journalism
™ Akshay Raj wins Google's Doodle contest
™ Ex-President George Bush among Presidential Medal honorees
™ Lula da Silva selected for Indira Gandhi Prize
™ Ela Bhatt wins Global Fairness Award
™ Two Indian winners at WAN-IFRA Young Reader Prizes
™ National Book Awards presented
™ Roberto Baggio wins ‘Man of Peace Award’
™ CII-Thomson Reuters Innovation Awards conferred
™ Niryat Shree, Niryat Bandhu awards given
™ Oberoi named 'Hotelier of the World'
™ Mukesh Ambani wins Global Vision Award

Section D: ECONOMY & CORPORATE

™ CAG report on 2G Spectrum tabled in Parliament
™ RBI forecasters' survey estimates GDP growth at 8.5%
™ ‘Illicit outflows cost India 9.6 lakh crore’ – Global Financial Integrity
™ NSSO Survey ‘Housing Condition and Amenities in India’ unveiled
™ High level committee on financing of infrastructure set up
™ CEA puts power consumption at 684,324 million units in 2010-11
™ Renewable Energy Certificate Mechanism launched
™ ‘India to be world's fastest growing economy by 2012’ – StanChart
™ ILO unveils 'World Social Security Report'
™ Axis Bank to buy Enam Securities
™ India is 23rd in FutureBrand’s ‘Country Brand’ rankings
™ Independent Evaluation Office for social sector schemes
™ Committee on statutory status for Statistical Commission set up
™ Founder’s Day of Canara Bank observed
™ Artisan Credit Cards scheme launched
™ Bank of Maharashtra launches e-banking lounge
™ M.B. Shah Commission to probe illegal mining
™ National Fund for Rural Development shelved
™ Five more Mega Food Parks approved
™ Microfinance India Summit organised in Delhi
™ India Economic Summit organised
™ India elected Vice-President at UNCTAD Conference
™ Vaidyanathan Committee on Agri Statistics submits report
™ BSE launches ‘Realised Volatility Index’
™ FDI in telecom at Rs 33,957 crore
™ India’s a trade deficit at $ 72.8 billion in Apr-Oct 2010
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
www.TCYonline.com Page : 2
 Top Careers & You
®
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

™ 100,000th Aadhaar Number issued

™ India’s oil refining capacity at 196 MMTPA
™ Indirect tax collections rise 42.4% in April-October 2010
™ SC tells Vodafone to deposit Rs 2,500 cr in its tax appeal
™ 4 PSUs get Maharatna status
™ IOC forays into nuclear power
™ L&T-led consortium bags Oman airport contract
™ Bharti Airtel launches new logo, signature tune
™ RIL gets perfect score in CSR list of research firm CLSA
™ Facebook launches e-mail
™ Nooyi Tops FT’s 50 Top Biz Women List
™ Rajan among Forbes’ 7 most powerful economists
™ New Chairpersons selected for CBEC, CBDT
™ Kalanithi Maran is new SpiceJet chairman
™ Air India Express COO Pawan Arora fired

Section E: SPORTS
™ Advani wins India’s first gold at the Asian Games
™ Takhar wins India's 1st ever gold in Asian Games rowing
™ Sebastian Vettel is Formula One Champion
™ Second India-NZ Test ends in draw
™ Cricket stays in 2014 Asian Games
™ Blackburn sale to Venky's confirmed
™ Dwyer, Aymar are FIH Players of the Year
™ Bhupathi, Mirnyi win Paris Masters doubles
™ Gebrselassie does u-turn over retirement

SECTION A: INDIA
Newsmakers
• New Cabinet takes oath of office in Maharashtra: Governor K. Sankaranarayanan administered the oath of office
and secrecy to 29 Ministers — including 10 Ministers of State — at a swearing-in ceremony of the ruling NCP-
Congress coalition government in Mumbai on November 19, 2010. With this, the strength of the Cabinet goes up to 40.
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan also holds charge of Urban Development, Housing, Transport and other
departments, while former CM Narayan Rane got the Industries portfolio. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has kept
the two key portfolios of Power and Finance with him. R.R. Patil retained the Home Department. Chhagan Bhujbal,
who was unseated as the Deputy Chief Minister, has managed to bag the Tourism portfolio along with the Public
Works Department (PWD), while Jayant Patil continues with the Rural Development Ministry. The Revenue
Department has gone to Balasaheb Thorat of the Congress, who was the Agriculture Minister in the previous regime,
while Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil gets Agriculture.
• MCI bars IMA President from medical practice for 6 months: The board of governors of the Medical Council of
India (MCI) has removed the names of the president and the secretary of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) from
the medical register for six months for endorsing food products. IMA President G. Samaram and secretary Dharam
Prakash cannot practice for six months or until their names are once again added to the register. The MCI ethics
committee, at its November 9, 2010 meeting, decided to remove the two names temporarily. IMA had in April 2008
signed Rs 2.25-crore contract with Pepsico to allow Tropicana fruit juice and Quaker oats to use the IMA logo on their
packs for three years ending 2011. Earlier this year, the MCI had warned the IMA against endorsing food and hygiene
products of private companies, as these violated the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and
Ethics) Regulation, 2002 provisions. It is learnt that roughly 50 per cent of the IMA's funds come from these
endorsements. The IMA, which has 187 members, is the largest association of doctors in the country.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
www.TCYonline.com Page : 3
 Top Careers & You
®
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Sibal appointed Communications and Information Technology Minister: Kapil Sibal on November 16, 2010
assumed charge of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, in addition to his current charge of
the Ministry of Human Resource Development, and Ministries of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences. Sibal
was given the additional charge after the former Communications Minister, A. Raja, was forced to quit facing charges
of corruption.
• Magsaysay Award winner L.C. Jain passes away: Well-known Gandhian and Magsaysay Award winner L.C. Jain
passed away on November 14, 2010 at the age of 85. Known as a fierce opponent of overwhelming state control and
an ardent advocate for social action, his efforts to keep alive the legacy of the freedom struggle through the
intervention of civil society led to him being awarded the Magsaysay Award in 1988. He also served as India’s High
Commissioner to South Africa. Jain subsequently became a member of the Planning Commission, where he
served from 1989 to 1990. The last years of his life were spent in documenting some of the struggles he had been
associated with in a book called ‘Civil Disobedience’, which will be released on December 13. Jain was also
instrumental in the setting up of the creation of Cottage Industries Emporium, and the birth of Super Bazaar, India’s
first people’s supermarket.

News round up

Climate Change and India: a 4x4 assessment unveiled

• Changing climatic conditions will have a mixed impact on Indian agriculture, while the country faces threat from rising
sea-levels and temperatures, increased flooding and severe drought by 2030s, says ‘Climate Change and India: a 4x4
assessment’, a report released by the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) on November 15, 2010. The
report deals with the impact of climate change by 2030 in the Himalayan region, the North-East, the Western Ghats
and the Coastal areas in the sectors of agriculture, water, health and forests. The report has been prepared by the
Indian Network for Climate Change Assessment (INCCA), a network-based programme that brings together 120
institutions and 220 scientists from across the country to undertake scientific assessments of different aspects of
climate change.
• Temperature rise: India may get warmer by 1.7-2.2 degrees Celsius in the 2030s with respect to the 1970s, with an
overall warming in the four climate-sensitive regions, namely, the Himalayan region, the Western Ghats, the coastal
areas and the northeast region. More, extreme temperatures are expected to increase by 1-4 degrees Celsius, with the
highest rise in coastal regions. Also, the extreme maximum and minimum temperatures are projected to increase by
the 2030s.
• Impact on Climate: The report says key sectors like water, forests, health and agriculture will be affected in a major
way due to the increase in net temperature by 1.7- 2.2 degrees in another 20 years in the four climate hotspots.
Besides, it predicts an increase in precipitation (rain, snow and storm) in the eco-fragile areas of the Himalayas,
northeast, Western Ghats and the coastal region. The report noted the sea level along the coast has been rising at
1.3mm/year and is likely to keep doing so, with a decrease in the frequency of cyclones in the 2030s, though cyclonic
intensity would increase.
• Food and natural calamity concerns: On agriculture, the report says irrigated rice in all the regions are likely to gain
in yields marginally due to warming, though there will be stress on livestock. Hence, milk productivity would fall.
Moderate to extreme drought severity is projected in the 2030s for the Himalayan region. All the four regions are likely
to experience flooding. On health, the report predicts malaria would spread in new areas in Jammu and Kashmir in the
Himalayan region while in the northeast, opportunities for malaria transmission are likely to increase for a longer
period.

India-Norway to set up Centre for Biodiversity Policy and Law

• India and Norway will initiate a joint project on technical and institutional cooperation in connection with the
establishment of a Centre for Biodiversity Policy and Law (CEBPOL) at Chennai. A Letter of Intent was signed in
New Delhi on November 19, 2010. The centre will be co-funded by the Indian and Norwegian Governments.
•
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
www.TCYonline.com Page : 4
 Top Careers & You
®
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

• The Ministry of Environment and Forests will establish CEBPOL in the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA),
Chennai, which is a statutory autonomous body of the Ministry responsible for implementing the Biological Diversity
Act, 2002. The Government of Norway will provide technical and institutional collaboration for the CEBPOL.
• The objectives of CEBPOL are to develop professional expertise in the complex and still-evolving policy and legal
issues relating to biodiversity, including on access and benefit sharing, inter alia through research, development and
training; and to provide advice and expertise to the Government on these matters. The Centre is also expected to
contribute to strengthening the implementation of the Biological Diversity Act.
• The setting up of this Centre is a very timely initiative taken by the Government, considering that the recently
concluded Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan, has adopted a
Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS). The Protocol sets out rules and procedures for prior informed
consent for access to genetic resources for ensuring fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from these resources
and associated traditional knowledge. As a mega-diverse country, and as a victim of bio-piracy, India has played an
important role in ABS negotiations.

Project to empower women panchayat leaders launched

• An ambitious programme to empower elected women panchayat representatives was launched by the government
here in collaboration with Norway and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) on November 19,
2010.
• “Promoting Women’s Political Leadership and Governance in India and South Asia” was jointly launched by Union
Minister for Rural Development C P Joshi along with Norwegian Minister of International Development and
Environment Erik Solheim and Regional Director of UNIFEM in India Anne F Steinhammer in New Delhi. It aims at
providing an effective political leadership role for women in governance without facing discrimination or violence and
addressing their concerns of economic, social and physical security at different levels.
• The joint programme, launched on the occasion of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s birth anniversary, will be
undertaken on a pilot basis in Bihar, Orissa, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. The joint
initiative would help in capacity building of elected women representatives in the six selected states. The launch of the
programme is part of an inter-government MoU signed between India and Norway during Joshi’s recent visit to the
country.
• The programme, for which the Royal Government of Norway has committed about 10 million USD, will also be
implemented by UNIFEM in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan apart from six states in India, the Norwegian Embassy
said.

SC asks UPSC to divulge selection details

• Civil services aspirants won the battle for transparency in selection process of Union Public Service Commission
(UPSC) when the Supreme Court on November 18, 2010 dismissed the Commission’s petition against divulging
details of the selection process in the civil services examination under Right to Information (RTI) Act. A double bench
of Justices Aftab Alam and R M Lodha asked UPSC to withdraw its petition and provide information to the students.
UPSC had been resisting demands for divulging its selection process, including scaling system and cut-off marks,
despite orders by Central Information Commission (CIC) and Delhi high court.
• The controversy started in 2006 when the results for UPSC preliminary examinations were declared. Several students,
who had not qualified, filed RTI applications with UPSC seeking information on raw marks and cut-off marks in
subjects, the scaling procedure and model answers for different questions in subjects. The main contention of the
students was that the level of difficulty of papers in 23 optional subjects did not match. The students also felt that
UPSC did not have a fair scaling procedure to match the performance of examinees who had opted for different
subjects.
• However, the UPSC refused to divulge its scaling procedure. The main argument of UPSC has been that revealing
model answers or cut-off marks would benefit private coaching institutes, which would field dummy candidates and
crack the system.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
www.TCYonline.com Page : 5
 Top Careers & You
®
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Scheme for adolescent girls launched: Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on November 19, 2010 launched
Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG) – SABLA – for the well-being and overall
empowerment of adolescent girls. The scheme has been launched as a pilot project in 200 most backward districts.
‘SABLA’ aims at empowering adolescent girls of 11-18 years by improvement in their nutritional and health status and
upgrading various skills like home skills, life skills and vocational skills. It also aims at equipping the girls on family
welfare, health hygiene etc. and information and guidance on existing public services along with aiming to mainstream
out of school girls into formal or non-formal education. Under the scheme, an integrated package of services will be
provided to adolescent girls. It includes nutrition provision of 600 calories and 18-20 grams of protein and
micronutrients, at a rate of Rs. 5 a beneficiary a day for 300 days a year.
• India raises concern over Brahmaputra dam: Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao on November 16, 2010 raised
concern over China starting construction of a dam on the Brahmaputra river, during the fourth round of the two
countries' strategic dialogue which was held in Beijing. The Chinese government for the first time revealed that it has,
since November 8, begun damming the Tsangpo’s (Chinese name for Brahmaputra) flow to allow work to begin on the
hydropower project at Zangmu. This is the first major dam on the Brahmaputra and has been billed by the Chinese
government as a landmark hydropower generation project for Tibet's development. The Indian diplomat was said she
was assured by Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun that the 510 MW project “was not a project designed to
divert water” and would not affect “the welfare and availability of water to the population in the lower reaches of the
Brahmaputra”.
• SC calls for Armed Forces Grievances Redressal Commission: The Supreme Court has directed the Union
government to constitute the Armed Forces Grievances Redressal Commission to look into the grievances of serving
or former members of the armed forces (the Army, the Navy and the Air Force) or their widows or family members for
pension or other issues and make suitable recommendations expeditiously to the Central government in this regard.
Giving this direction on a petition filed by a widow, who alleged that she was getting only Rs. 80 a month, a Bench of
Justice Markandey Katju and Justice Gyan Sudha Misra said: “The Commission to be headed by the former Supreme
Court, Judge Kuldip Singh, will also frame and recommend to the Central government a scheme for proper
rehabilitation of discharged soldiers.”
• National Integration Pledge administered: Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram administered the National
Integration Pledge to the officers and staff of the Ministry of Home Affairs on November 19, 2010 in connection with the
Quami Ekta Week (National Integration Week). The Week is observed every year from the 19th to 25th November to
foster the spirit of patriotism, communal harmony and national integration. The National Foundation for Communal
Harmony (NFCH), an autonomous organisation with the Ministry of Home Affairs also organises communal harmony
campaigns during the week.
•
th th
Jharkhand celebrates 11 Foundation Day: Jharkhand celebrated its 11 Foundation Day on November 15, 2010
with Chief Minister Arjun Munda, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Shibu Soren and other dignitaries paying rich tributes
to the leader of the tribals and people's hero Birsa Munda in Khunti, 60 km from the State Capital, Ranchi. Birsa
Munda's birth anniversary falls on the same day. Jharkhand came into existence on November 15, 2000. The State
has a long history of fight against the British colonial system, which was bent on transforming the tribal agrarian
system into a feudal State.
• National Press Day observed: National Press Day was observed on November 16, 2010. The Day marks the
establishment of the Press Council of India on November 16, 1966 to encourage the press to practice self-regulation
and to protect its freedom
• World Heritage Week from Nov 19 to 25: The Union Ministry of Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
will celebrate World Heritage Week from November 19 to 25 to create awareness among the public on the importance
of protecting historical monuments and steps to be taken to develop them as tourist centres.
• Stamp on Lakshmipat Singhania released: President Pratibha Patil released a special postage stamp to
commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Lala Lakshmipat Singhania at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan in New
Delhi on November 15, 2010. A visionary, a pioneer and a leader of outstanding quality, Lakshmipat Singhania was
the key architect of JK Organisation, one of India's largest business houses.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
www.TCYonline.com Page : 6
 Top Careers & You
®
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Stamp to mark 150 years of CAG unveiled: President Pratibha Patil released a commemorative stamp to mark 150
years of the institution of Comptroller and Auditor-General of India in New Delhi on November 16, 2010. Even as the
CAG report on the controversy over 2G spectrum allocation was laid in Parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
advised the audit watchdog to distinguish between “wrongdoing” and “genuine errors.” The government auditor should
appreciate the context and circumstances of official decisions and it had a heavy responsibility to ensure that its
reports were accurate, balanced and fair.
• Work on Eastern Freight Corridor launched: Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated work on the Eastern
Dedicated Freight Corridor in West Bengal on November 16, 2010. The 1,806-km eastern corridor will extend from
Dankuni to Ludhiana and pass through several mining and industrial towns such as Asansol, Dhanbad, Sonnagar,
Khurja and Saharanpur. It is being designed for a maximum train speed of 100 kmph.
• 5-digit numbering scheme for trains from Dec 20: The five-digit numbering scheme for trains will be effective from
December 20, 2010. Indian Railways are going to implement five digit numbers in place of the existing four digit
numbers for all the trains. Under the new numbering scheme, existing express trains’ numbers shall largely continue
unchanged but shall now be prefixed with first digit of “1”. The passenger trains shall be first numbered as per the
present four digit train numbering scheme. To this four digit number, a fifth digit shall be prefixed as digit “0” for special
trains, digit “5”, “6” and “7” for conventional passenger trains, MEMU and DEMU trains respectively. Suburban
services in Kolkata shall begin with digit “3”, in Mumbai with digit “9” and in other parts with digit “4”. This information
was given by the Minister of State for Railways, K.H. Muniyappa in a written reply in Lok Sabha on November 18,
2010.
• Medak to be named after Indira Gandhi: Chief Minister K. Rosaiah on November 18, 2010 said the government
would rename Medak district after late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The CM was addressing a gathering at the 125th
Congress party foundation celebrations week at Sangareddy.
• FTII shelves Hewitt Associates report: The governing council of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) on
November 18, 2010 dropped the report prepared by Gurgaon-based Hewitt Associates for upgrading the institute. It
was also decided that the institute itself will prepare a fresh detailed project report (DPR) for its revitalisation and
upgradation with guidance from a group of experts (GOE) nominated by the council. The decision was taken at an
emergency governing council meeting attended by institute chairman UR Ananthamurthy, Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting joint secretary DP Reddy, institute director Pankaj Rag, students’ representatives and others.

SECTION B: WORLD

Newsmakers
Nobel Peace Laureate Suu Kyi released
• Myanmar's pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest on November
13, 2010 after house arrest for almost 15 of the 21 years from July 20, 1989. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy
(NLD) party won 59% of the national votes and 81% (392 of 485) of the seats in Parliament in the 1990 general
election. She had, however, already been detained under house arrest before the elections. Suu Kyi is the daughter of
Aung San, considered to be the father of modern-day Burma.

FACT FILE
• 1945: Born in Yangon. Daughter of General Aung San, an independence hero assassinated in 1947 and Khin Kyi, a
prominent figure. Studied in Delhi and at Oxford University.
• 1972: Married British academic Michael Aris.
• 1988: Returned to Yangon at a time of countrywide pro-democracy protests. Entered politics and helped set up the
National League for Democracy party calling for an end to military rule.
• 1989: Junta placed Suu Kyi under house arrest for “endangering the state”.
• 1990: NLD won 392 of 485 seats in Myanmar’s first election in 30 years. Military refused to relinquish power or release
her.
• 1990: Won the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
www.TCYonline.com Page : 7
 Top Careers & You
®
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

• 1991: Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

• 1992: Won the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding by the government of India and the
International Simón Bolívar Prize from the government of Venezuela.
• 1999: Husband died. Declined an offer from the junta to go to Britain , fearing she would not be allowed to return.
• 1995: Freed, but wasn’t allowed to travel outside Yangon. A pro-junta gang attacked her convoy in 2003 in which,
according to rights group, 70 were killed. Detained again soon after.
• Nov 13, 2010: Released from house arrest

• Francois Fillon renamed French PM: French President Nicolas Sarkozy on November 14, 2010 reappointed
Francois Fillon as prime minister and asked him to create a new government. The president had been expected for
months to make changes to his government ahead of 2012 presidential elections. Fillon had resigned on November
13. The conservative Sarkozy said in June that he planned to change the cabinet as soon as a reform of the pension
system was adopted. The reform - raising the retirement age from 60 to 62 - became law on November 10, 2010 after
weeks of strikes around France, including at oil refineries and depots that starved the country of fuel.
• Alpha Conde wins presidential election in Guinea: Opposition leader Alpha Conde on November 16, 2010 won the
presidential run-off in Guinea, the country’s election commission announced in capital, Conakry. Conde gained 52.5%
of votes in the 7 November poll against former Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo. The elections aim to mark the end
of 52 years of authoritarian rule, but have been marred by violence and delays.. Guinea is the world's largest exporter
of the aluminium ore bauxite, yet the country is one of the poorest in West Africa.
•
nd
Rajapaksa sworn in for 2 term as SL President: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in President
for his second term on November 19, 2010. Rajapaksa, who turned 65 on November 18, was re-elected in the January
presidential election with a huge margin over the opposition candidate and former Army Chief, Sarath Fonseka. On a
reference from the government, the Supreme Court had ruled that his second term would commence in November,
almost 10 months after the election. Thanks to a recent constitutional amendment which lifted the two-term limit on
holding the office of President, Rajapaksa is eligible to run for office again. Unlike the first term, which was dominated
by the war with the LTTE, the focus during his second term is expected to be on revival of economy and working
towards consensus for a political solution to the ethnic conflict.
• Coleman appointed “youth champion” for UN: Monique Coleman, an American actress and youth activist, was
appointed an official “youth champion” for the UN International Year of Youth at the UN on November 16, 2010. As a
youth champion, Coleman will help to raise awareness about the challenges that young people face and will highlight
the positive contributions they make to their communities. The international year of youth began on August 12, 2010
and will continue until August 12, 2011, under the theme of “dialogue and mutual understanding.” It is intended to
recognize the importance of young people as drivers of international development and positive change and to
encourage more dialogue across generations.
• Ruler of Oman completes 40 years in power: Ruler of Oman, Sultan Qaboos bin Saeed has completed the 40th year
of his accession to power of the Sultanate. Sultan Qaboos, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Omani Armed
Forces, presided over a military parade in which the Sultan's Armed Forces (SAF), the Royal Guard of Oman (RGO)
and the Royal Oman Police (ROP) took part on November 19, 2010.

News round up
NATO Summit organised at Lisbon
• The Lisbon Summit concluded on 20 November with decisions that will mean profound changes for the way NATO
does business, making the Alliance more effective, more efficient and more engaged with the wider world. Following
are the highlights of the various issues discussed at the summit.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
www.TCYonline.com Page : 8
 Top Careers & You
®
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Strategic Concept
• NATO leaders on November 19, 2010 adopted a new Strategic Concept that will serve as the alliance's roadmap for
the next 10 years and that reconfirms the commitment to defend one another against attack as the bedrock of Euro-
Atlantic security. The document lays out NATO's vision for an evolving alliance that will remain able to defend its
members against modern threats and commits NATO to become more agile, more capable and more effective.
• “We face new threats and challenges. This Strategic Concept will ensure that NATO remains as effective as ever in
defending our peace, our security and our prosperity,” said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The
Concept is a document outlining the guiding principles of the alliance to tackle the challenges of the 21st century. As
radical changes have occurred on the global scene since the last strategy was adopted in 1999, leaders decided to
revise the document to take into account new security threats, such as terrorism and cyber-crime.
• The new Strategic Concept also offers partner countries and organizations around the globe more opportunities for
dialogue and cooperation in an effort to enhance international security. NATO therefore wants to reinforce cooperation
with Russia in areas of shared interests, including counter-narcotics, the fight against terrorism and international
security. Cooperation with Russia will also be enhanced through the use of the NATO-Russia Council to its full
potential.

NATO-Russia Council
• The third summit in the history of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) took place in Lisbon on November 20, 2010. At the
end of this historic gathering, President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia and his counterparts from the other 28 NRC
st
member states issued a joint statement. The NRC endorsed the first ever Joint Review of 21 Century Common
Security Challenges, outlining shared views of Russia and Allies on key security questions and ways to address them
through practical cooperation. They agreed on a joint ballistic missile threat assessment and decided to resume
Theatre Missile Defence Cooperation. They reconfirmed a shared determination to assist in the stabilisation of
Afghanistan and the whole region. In this context, they welcomed broadened transit arrangements through Russian
territory for non-lethal ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) goods and moved to expand the counter-
narcotics training.

Missile Defence system

• NATO’s leaders decided to develop a Missile Defence capability to protect NATO’s populations and territories in
Europe against ballistic missile attacks. The Alliance’s Heads of State and Government stated that they see this as a
core element of NATO’s collective defence task in view of the growing threat of the proliferation of ballistic missile
technology and weapons of mass destruction.

Afghanistan exit strategy

• NATO leaders at the Summit backed a strategy to transfer leadership for the fight against the Taliban to Afghan forces
by the end of 2014 and signed a long-term security partnership with Afghanistan. President Hamid Karzai and
Rasmussen then signed a formal partnership that NATO says will codify its commitment to Afghanistan for years to
come. NATO’s ISAF has some 130,000 soldiers based in Afghanistan, most of them from the US.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
www.TCYonline.com Page : 9
 Top Careers & You
®
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Basic facts about NATO:

• NATO was founded on April 4, 1949, under the direction of the United States and with the participation of 11 western
European nations.
• During the Cold War, NATO was a tool to check the Warsaw Treaty Organization -- formed in 1955 by the former
Soviet Union and a number of eastern European countries after their signing of the Warsaw Pact.
• Established on the basis of the North Atlantic Treaty as a defensive political and military alliance, the Brussels-based
organization is aimed at promoting democracy, law and well-being of the Euro-Atlantic region and safeguarding
freedom and security of member states through united efforts on collective defense and for the maintenance of peace
and security, with political and military means.
• After the collapse of the former Soviet Union and the subsequent disintegration of the Warsaw Pact in the early 1990s,
the U.S. proposed to enlarge the bloc eastward to suppress Russia's strategic revival. In January 1994, allied leaders
nodded on the U.S.' proposal of taking in more European countries in NATO at the Brussels Summit.
• NATO's enlargement is considered a way essentially to serve U.S.'s goal of dominating the world by continuing its
control in Europe.
• Upon its birth, NATO was a 12-member alliance, including Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the U.S.. It has so far made six enlargements, bringing its
member states to 28.
• NATO took in Turkey and Greece in February 1952; the Federal Republic of Germany in May 1955; Spain in May
1982; the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland in March 1999; Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania,
Slovakia and Slovenia in March 2004, and Albania and Croatia in April 2009.
• NATO has also been adjusting its military strategies in accordance with changes in the world arena in its 61-year
history.
• In its earliest days, the alliance followed the principle of collective defense and the strategy of regional containment,
and gradually altered to the strategies of flexibility and frontier defense after the formation of the Warsaw Treaty
Organization.
• After the dissolution of the Warsaw Treaty Organization and the end of the Cold War, NATO started to adopt the
strategic concept that stresses on conflict prevention and crisis management. It meanwhile began to enhance its
influence in East Europe and the former Soviet Union area by involving in the crisis of the former Yugoslavia,
expanding eastward and advocating its Partnership for Peace program.
• In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attack in 2001 in the U.S, the alliance shifted its focus to combating
terrorism, and extended its military force to Asia by entering the war in Afghanistan.
• NATO has been pushing for new strategic transition in recent years, which aims to fulfill a wide range of military and
civil missions like anti-terrorism, peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance, while keeping its traditional functions.

APEC Summit organised in Yokohama

• Leaders of the Asia-Pacific Co-operation (APEC) forum have pledged to move towards creating a regional free-trade
area. A two-day Summit of the leaders of the 21-member APEC was organised in Yokohama, Japan on November 13-
14, 2010.
• FTA: The proposed Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) will comprise up to 40 per cent of the world’s
population and 53 per cent of global economic output, by building on existing pacts. The move would link the world's
three biggest economies - the United States, Japan and China.
• Currency differences: However, deep differences remain - chiefly between the US and China - over trade imbalances
and currency distortions. Both countries have been fussing over who is doing more damage to international trade.
Washington contends the yuan is undervalued, giving it an export advantage, while Beijing argues the US Federal
Reserve’s easy money policy is aimed at weakening the dollar to boost exports. Washington wants to increase its own
exports to the region, and believes China's cheap currency is a barrier to that goal. Chinese President Hu Jintao has
said any change will only be made at Beijing's own pace.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
www.TCYonline.com Page : 10
 Top Careers & You
®
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Yokohama Vision: In their final declaration, APEC leaders reaffirmed their “unwavering commitment to achieving free
and open trade and investment in the region”. They also pledged to take “concrete steps toward realising a Free Trade
Area of the Asia-Pacific”, but gave no timetable. The declaration - entitled Yokohama Vision - included a commitment
to move toward more “market-determined exchange rate systems”.
• About APEC: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, is a forum for facilitating economic growth, cooperation,
trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region. APEC has 21 members - referred to as "Member Economies" - which
account for approximately 40.5%1 of the world's population, approximately 54.2%1 of world GDP and about 43.7%2 of
world trade. APEC was established in 1989 to further enhance economic growth and prosperity for the region and to
strengthen the Asia-Pacific community. Since its inception, APEC has worked to reduce tariffs and other trade barriers
across the Asia-Pacific region, increasing exports. Key to achieving APEC's vision are what are referred to as the
'Bogor Goals' of free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific by 2010 for industrialised economies and
2020 for developing economies. These goals were adopted by Leaders at their 1994 meeting in Bogor, Indonesia.

FAO unveils “Food Outlook” report

• The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned about a further increase in global food prices in 2011 if
there is no significant increase in production of major food crops. In the latest edition of its “Food Outlook” report
unveiled in November 2010, the agency observed that the rise in global prices, all of which was accruing in the second
half of 2010, owing to a mismatch in demand and supply, was pushing the overall food import bill closer to the peak
reached in 2008 — the recent crisis year.
• The report said the international food import bills could surpass the $1 trillion mark in 2010, with prices of most
commodities shooting up sharply since 2009. The import bills of the world's poorest countries were predicted to rise by
11 per cent and by 20 percent for the low-income food-deficit countries in 2010.
• Price increases, seen for most agricultural commodities over the past six months, were the result of a combination of
factors, especially: unexpected supply shortfalls due to unfavourable weather events, policy responses by some
exporting countries by cutting exports, and fluctuations in currency markets.
• Most of the downward revision involving wheat and coarse grains followed cuts in production in major grain producing
countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and shortfall in yields in the European Union, Canada and
the United States.
• Contrary to earlier predictions, world cereal production, which was now 2,216 million tonnes, was 2 per cent below the
previous year's level, against the anticipated 1.2 increase in June. World cereals stocks too were expected to be lower
by 7 per cent, with wheat reserves plunging by 10 per cent, barley 35 per cent and maize 12 per cent. Only rice
reserves were foreseen to increase by 6 per cent, the report said.

• UAE, Australia and the US top list of carbon emitters: The United Arab Emirates, Australia and the United States
have the worst overall records for emitting greenhouse gases, according to an index published on November 17, 2010.
The 183-nation index, based on both current and historic emissions, was compiled by British consultancy Maplecroft.
The ranking of carbon dioxide emissions from energy use placed the UAE on top, largely because of a sharp rise in
emissions in recent years linked to desalination plants in an economy almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels.
Australia, dependent on coal, was second ahead of the United States, by far the biggest cumulative emitter since
1900. The index gave a 50 percent weighting to current per capita emissions of greenhouse gases, 25 percent to total
national emissions and the remaining 25 percent to cumulative historic emissions. African countries with low emissions
were bottom of the list. Chad, where only about 2 percent of the population has access to electricity, was last in 183rd
place.
• International Religious Freedom report unveiled: The United States has given India's United Progressive Alliance
(UPA) government high marks on religious freedom but said some state and local governments imposed limits on this
freedom. The UPA national government “generally respected, provided incentives for, and intervened to protect
religious freedom,” the State Department said in its annual report on International Religious Freedom released on
November 17, 2010.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
www.TCYonline.com Page : 11
 Top Careers & You
®
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Somalia tops Terrorism Risk Index: Somalia has replaced Iraq as the state most at risk from terrorist attack,
according to the Terrorism Risk Index ranking by global analysts Maplecroft on November 14, 2010. The African
country is followed by Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan. Other major movers in the index included Algeria, which fell to
36 from 7, and India, which dropped to 15 from 6.
• India summons Iran ambassador on Kashmir remark: India summoned Iran’s acting ambassador on November 19,
2010 to convey its deep disappointment over Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s remarks on Kashmir. In
a related development, India broke from tradition and abstained from voting on a United Nations General Assembly
resolution which was critical of the human rights situation in Iran. India, which has voted against the resolution in the
past, sought to explain its abstention during the vote in New York on November 18 by citing “unpalatable” remarks on
Kashmir emanating from Iran. India regards the Iranian comments — made on three occasions in the past five months
— as questioning of India's territorial integrity and being insensitive to India’s “core” concerns.
• UN condemns human rights violations in Iran, Burma & North Korea: The UN General Assembly committee that
deals with human rights issues on November 19, 2010 adopted separate resolutions by strong majorities, condemning
human rights violations in Iran, Burma and North Korea. While the US voted “yes” for the resolutions on all three
countries, India voted “no” for Burma, abstained for Iran and North Korea. China voted “no” for Myanmar and North
Korea but “yes” for Iran.
• UN Academic Impact (UNAI) launched: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the UN Academic Impact
(UNAI) on November 18, 2010, an initiative which seeks to partner institutions of higher education with the UN in order
to generate innovative ideas for peace and development. Institutions that join UNAI pledge to ascribe to 10 principles
valued deeply by the UN, and must demonstrate that they are doing one project or activity every year to further these
principles. To date, UNAI has 500 members in 90 countries.
• Israel unveils anti-missile system Arrow-III: Israel has unveiled its next-generation missile-defense system Arrow
III, an interceptor designed to destroy enemy ballistic missiles. A full-scale model was put on display at the second
annual International Aerospace Conference and Exhibition held in Jerusalem on November 15, 2010. The system has
been developed by the state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
• World Philosophy Day observed: The eighth World Philosophy Day was observed at the United Nations on
November 18, 2010. The UN has called for greater efforts to guard against the politics of polarization and the rejection
of stereotypes, ignorance and hatred. World Philosophy Day is celebrated every third Thursday of November since
2002 and wants to make philosophical reflection more accessible. In more than 80 countries, celebrations to mark
World Philosophy Day were organized by academics. A special event was held at the Paris headquarters of the UN
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in which several internationally-renowned philosophers
and eminent figures participated.
• Jordan's PM reassigned to form new government: Jordanian King Abdullah II on November 22, 2010 accepted the
resignation of Prime Minister Samir Rifai and reassigned him to form a new government after the country held
legislative elections on November 9, 2010. The poll saw loyalists and tribal-connected candidates winning a majority in
the 120-seat parliament. About 53 percent of eligible voters participated in the elections which were boycotted by
Jordan's Islamic Action Front, the largest opposition party.
• Israeli enacts law on referendum on territorial concessions: The Israeli Knesset (parliament) passed the National
Referendum Law on November 22, 2010 by a vote of 65-33. The new law applies to territories annexed by Israel in the
aftermath of the 1967 war, namely East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, requiring any Israeli government engaged
in peace negotiations necessitating a withdrawal from East Jerusalem or the Golan Heights (seized from Syria) to
attain the consent of the Israeli public.
• Georgia starts work on building new capital at Kutaisi: Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on November 16,
2010 laid the foundation for the construction of buildings for some government institutions in Kutaisi in western
Georgia. Some ministries alongside the country's parliament are expected to be moved from Tbilisi to Kutaisi. Kutaisi is
some 220 kilometers west of Tbilisi and Saakashvili believes that the country's parliament should be placed in Kutaisi
which is the easiest place for all to gather from across the country.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
www.TCYonline.com Page : 12
 Top Careers & You
®
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Yale agrees to return Machu Picchu artifacts: Yale University on November 21, 2010 agreed to return thousands of
archaeological pieces taken from Machu Picchu nearly a century ago. The relics from the 15th century Inca citadel
have been the focus of a bitter dispute lasting more than seven years. Peru says the artefacts were loaned in 1911 but
never returned. It filed a lawsuit against the university in 2008. The agreement comes after a concerted media
campaign by Peruvian President Alan Garcia and his government. Earlier this month, the Metropolitan Museum of Art
in New York returned to Egypt 19 artefacts found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun.
• Bangladesh contributes highest number troops to UN: Bangladesh contributes the highest number peacekeeping
troops to the United Nations by sending 10,748 soldiers to troubled countries across the world, a defence ministry
statement said in Dhaka on November 16, 2010. “Bangladesh has become the highest troops contributing nation to the
UN Blue Helmet mission, currently deploying 10,748 peacekeepers. Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Egypt and Nepal ranked
2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th position by sending 10,635, 8,704, 5,786, 5,463 and 4,735 peacekeepers respectively,” said
the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement quoting a UN report on Ranking of Military and Police
Contribution to UN Operations.
• Palin's 'refudiate' is Oxford 'word of the year': “Refudiate”, a word coined by the 2008 US Presidential election
Republican Party candidate Sarah Palin, has been named 2010's 'Word of the Year' by the New Oxford American
Dictionary on November 16, 2010. 46-year-old Palin introduced the term into US lexicon last July when she used it in a
tweet about a proposed Islamic cultural centre near World Trade Center site in New York city. The Oxford University
Press has defined the word refudiate as a verb “used loosely to mean 'reject'.” According to the 'Huffington Post', the
term became one of the most-searched words on the Merriam-Webster online dictionary over the summer. It was also
named number four top word of 2010 by Global Language Monitor.
• Indians form 2nd largest group of international students in US: Indians represent 15 per cent of all foreigners
pursuing higher education in the US, becoming the second largest international group after China which topped the list
with over 18 per cent students, says a report released on November 15, 2010. The number of international students at
colleges and universities in the United States increased by three per cent to 690,923 during the 2009/10 academic
year, according to the 'Open Doors' report published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE). Together,
the top three sending countries -- China, India and South Korea -- comprise nearly half (44 per cent) of the total
international enrolments in US higher education.
• Russia-India-China trilateral organised: Drawing a parallel between the territorial red lines of both countries, India
on Sunday told China that just as New Delhi had been sensitive to its concerns over the Tibet Autonomous Region and
Taiwan, Beijing too should be mindful of Indian sensitivities on Jammu and Kashmir. The comparison – which is
intended to drive home the depth of Indian concerns over recent Chinese attempts to question the country's
sovereignty in Kashmir — was made by External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna in his meeting with China's Foreign
Minister Yang Jiechi on the sidelines of the Russia-India-China trilateral meeting of foreign ministers in Wuhan, China
on November 15, 2010.
• Port at Hambantota inaugurated at Sri Lanka: President Mahinda Rajapaksa on November 18, 2010 inaugurated
the Magama Ruhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port in Hambantota built with Chinese assistance. The port constructed
by the China Harbour Engineering Company at a cost of $360 million is being marketed by Sri Lanka as a mega
infrastructure project which would transform the economy of the country.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
www.TCYonline.com Page : 13
 Top Careers & You
®
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

SECTION C: AWARDS

INDIA
Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Awards conferred
• Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Awards of the Ministry of Environment and Forests were conferred on their winners
on November 19, 2010 in New Delhi. These awards are given to recognise efforts for restoration of green cover in the
country. The winners are:
• A.T. Mishra, an Indian Forest Officer, DFO Dhalbhum Forest Division, Jamshedpur has been given the Award in
Individual including Government Servants category. He was instrumental in undertaking excellent afforestation and
eco-restoration works in inaccessible and difficult areas and under challenging circumstances posed by the Left Wing
Extremism in Dhalbum Forest Division.
• Forestry Extension Wing, Tamil Nadu Forest Department, Chennai has been awarded in the category of
Institutions for showing commitment in popularizing and mainstreaming tree growing culture amongst the farmers and
in transferring improved tree cultivation technology to the farmers. To sustain the plantation drive and encourage agro-
forestry, 28 Tree Growers Societies have been formed and registered in 28 districts of the State.
• In the third category of Joint Forest management Committee (JFMC), Village Forest Protection and Management
Committee, Dani Talai, Range, Bansi, District Pratapgarh, Rajasthan won the award. This JFMC has been functional
since 1997. They have conserved the local natural resources which helped in sustainable development of the
resources as well as the enhancing the livelihoods of the community.
• In the category of States and Union Territories, three Awards have been declared. Jammu & Kashmir, Mizorram
and Chandigarh have been selected for ‘Big State having geographical area of 80,000 Sq. Km. and above’, ‘Small
State having geographical area below 80,000 Sq. Km.’ and ‘Union Territories respectively’.
• IPVM Award for States/UTs was introduced in the year 2008 in three categories and cash award along with medallion
and citation is given in each of following categories. Big State having geographical area of 80,000 Sq. Km. and above
are given Rs 8.00 lakh, Small State having geographical area below 80,000 Sq. Km and Union Territoroes ,both are
given Rs 5.00 lakh each. IPVM awards for the States/ UTs are considered on the basis of percentage increase in the
forest and tree cover to the geographical area of the state on the basis of India State of Forest Report published by
Forest Survey of India, Dehradun.
• IPVM Awards are given in the field of afforestation and wasteland development and assessed on the basis of criteria
like replicability, innovativeness/creativity, setting up of grassroot level organizations, soil and moisture conservation
work and other related activities, target groups etc.

41st International Film Festival to be organised at Goa

•
st
‘West is West’ from UK will be the opening film at the ten day 41 International Film Festival of India (IFFI) staring on
November 22, 2010 at Goa. Following are the highlights:
• Larger competition section: This year’s festival shall feature important changes. The Competition Section has been
made open to all feature films from across the world. Earlier, this section was restricted to feature films from Asia, Asia
Pacific, Africa and Latin America. 18 films (15 foreign and 3 Indian) feature films have been short listed for
participation.
• New awards introduced: Another key change in this year’s festival is the introduction of new awards viz., Best Actor
and Best Actress under Competition Section. The Best Film would be awarded Golden Peacock and given a Prize
money of Rs. 40 lakh, the Best Director would be awarded Silver Peacock and given a Prize money of Rs.15 lakh,
Best Actor would be given a Silver Peacock and given a Prize money of Rs.10 lakh, Best Actress would be given a
Silver Peacock and given a Prize money of Rs.10 lakh, Special Jury Award given a Silver Peacock and given a Prize
money of Rs.15 lakh.
• Other events: Another key aspect of the festival will be the commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of the Film &
Television Institute of India. The festival will also observe the Platinum Jubilee of Odiya Cinema. The country focus
during the festival shall be Sri Lanka, Taiwaenese New Wave Cinema and a section on Australian Indigenous Fiction
Films.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
www.TCYonline.com Page : 14
 Top Careers & You
®
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
‘Mudiyettu’, ‘Chhau’ dance, ‘Kalbelia’ folk music in UNESCO list
• The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) in November 2010 inscribed three
Indian performing-art forms, the Mudiyettu, a ritual theatre of Kerala; the Chhau dance, a tradition from eastern India;
and the Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity.
• This annual list, unlike the World Heritage list that focuses on monuments and natural sites, spotlights performing art
forms of outstanding value and are vulnerable due to lack of support. This inscription, the UNESCO expects, would
provide better visibility for such intangible heritage, help improve the awareness of their significance and offer
international assistance to promote and preserve them.
• The Mudiyettu, the ritual dance drama annually performed after the harvest of summer crops in Kerala, is more than
250 years old. The Chhau dance, known for its crafted masks and mock combat movements, is prevalent in the tribal
parts of Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Kalbelia folk songs and dances are characterised by movements and
music that evoke serpents.
• The Fifth Session of the UNESCO Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage was organised in Nairobi, Kenya.

• Dr. Karan Singh wins Dayawati Modi Award 2010: Dayawati Modi Foundation for Art, Culture and Education on
November 12, 2010 announced that this year's Dayawati Modi Art, Culture & Education Award will be conferred to Dr.
Karan Singh, Member of Parliament and former Ambassador of India to the United States of America, in recognition of
his contribution to Indian culture and literature. Dr. Singh is currently the Chairman, Ethics Committee of the Upper
House of Parliament; Chairman, Governing Board of the Auroville Foundation; Chancellor of the prestigious Benaras
Hindu University and President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), having rank equal to Central
Cabinet Minister. The award will be presented on November 24, 2010.
• President confers Manav Sewa Awards: The President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil presented various
national awards in the Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan on the occasion of Children’s Day on November 14, 2010.
The President presented the National Child Awards for Exceptional Achievement for the Year 2010, the National
Awards for Child Welfare for the Year 2009 and the Rajiv Gandhi Manav Seva Awards for the Year 2009. The
National Child Awards were presented to 25 children in the age group of 4 to 15 years from various States of the
country. The National Awards for Child Welfare were presented to 5 Institutions and 3 individuals, while the Rajiv
Gandhi Manav Seva Awards were presented to 3 individuals – Fulendra Chaudhary (Bihar), V. Nandansabapathy
(Tamil Nadu) and Dr. Sarojini Agarwal (Uttar Pradesh).
• ‘Bala Sahitya Puraskar' awards conferred: Two writers from Orissa have been conferred the coveted award for
children's literature – ‘Bala Sahitya Puraskar' – instituted by the Sahitya Akademi, India's apex body for literature
based in New Delhi on November 14, 2010. While Visakhapatnam-based Punyaprava Debi bagged the award for
writing in Oriya, Boyha Biswanath Tudu won it for his writings in Santali. The award carries a citation, a memento
and a cash award of Rs. 50,000. Both were presented the award by Sahitya Akademi president and celebrated
Bengali writer Sunil Gangopadhyaya at a special ceremony in New Delhi this week.
• Tehelka wins IPI India Award for Excellence in Journalism: Weekly magazine Tehelka was on November 17, 2010
selected for the IPI India Award for Excellence in Journalism, 2010, for outstanding journalistic work. The award,
comprising a cash prize of Rs. 2 lakh, a trophy and a citation, will be presented in New Delhi. The International Press
Institute is an active forum of editors, publishers and senior executives of newspapers, magazines and news agencies
committed to promotion of free exchange of accurate and balanced news among nations.
• Akshay Raj wins Google's Doodle contest: Akshay Raj, a class IX student from St. Aloysius High School,
Mangalore, was on November 14, 2010 announced as the winner for this year's ‘Doodle4Google' competition. Doodles
are the creative Google logos that appear on some special days, to commemorate scientific and artistic achievements,
historic or seasonal events, and other local occasions. The winning doodle titled ‘Technically and Naturally Growing
India’, was on the Google India home page on November 14. Raj will receive a ‘Technology Starter Package' along
with Rs 2, 00,000 technology grant for his school. The Doodle4Google competition was open to all students from class
1 to 10. This year, participants were challenged to imagine their own version of the Google logo based on the theme
‘My Dream for India'. ‘Doodle4Google' is a global platform giving children an opportunity to showcase their talent
globally.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
www.TCYonline.com Page : 15