Target IAS : News for Jan 2013

Collins dictionary 12 words of the year :

Broga
Legbomb
Eurogeddon
Mummy Porn
Zuckered
Jubilympics
Romneyshambles
47 per cent
Games Makers
Superstorm
Gangnam Style
Fiscal cliff

Pratibha Ray who is a famous Oriya novelist has been chosen for the prestigious Jnanpith award for the year 2011

Previously, the honor was conferred on Gopinath Mohanty (1973), Sachidananda Routray (1986) and Sitakant Mohapatra (1993).
Works :

Yajnaseni (won her the Moorti Devi Award in 1991 and Sarala Award in 1990)
Her first novel Barsa Basanta Baishakha in 1974

Australian batsman Mike Hussey will retire from Test cricket after the final match of the series against Sri Lanka at Sydney starting on January 3, 2013.
In 2011, the Union Ministry of Textiles had announced the Restructured Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (R-TUFS) with subsidy cap for each value adding segment, such as spinning, weaving and processing.

It is a scheme introduced by Govt. of India, Ministry of Textiles, to channelize investments towards hitherto low investments segments to facilitate a balanced growth across the value chain.
Objectives :

Addressing the issues of fragmentation and promoting forward integration
Promoting investments in sector with low investment like processing
Technology upgradation in weaving by providing higher capital subsidy

U.S.General Norman Schwarzkopf who led Operation Desert Storm died

Operation Desert Storm is the codename of the Gulf War fought in 1991 by a U.N.-authorized Coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq during the regime of President Saddam Hussein in response to Iraq’s invasion and annexation of Kuwait. The Coalition forces drove out the forces of Iraq from the country and gained the victory in the war.

The EU is increasingly promoting potato as crop which can replace rice as a staple in the Asian rice-consuming countries.

Potato, which is a ‘tuber crop’, requires less amount of water to grow as compared to other basic food products, without compromising the nutritional value.
Consumes about 30 % less water to grow than rice

NASA scientists are planning to capture a 500,000 kg asteroid, relocate it and turn it into a space station for astronauts to refuel at on their way to Mars.
The Planning Commission has opined to cut the growth rate target for the 12th Five Year Plan to 8%, from 8.2% at the meeting of the National Development Council (NDC).
As per Planning Commission data, Bihar has left Gujarat behind in terms of growth as it emerged as the fastest growing state in the country with figure of 10.9%. Gujarat was overtaken by 5 states Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Maharashtra and Orissa.

Sikkim highest GSDP growth in 11th plan followed by Goa and Bihar

Turkey lifts veto against NATO’s non-military cooperation with Israel
Germany is India's top European trading partner
Russia and Lakhdar Brahimi (the U.N. and Arab League envoy on Syria) supported the Geneva plan.

However, Russia has put forth a condition that the formation of transitional government as proposed in Geneva Plan should be done without removal of current Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. This demand is against what the U.S. wants, which seeks exit of the Syrian president.

India stiffens medical visa facility for Maldivians
Pakistan recognizes Kosovo as an Independent State
Prime Minister’s office has re-constituted the Planning Commission by appointing parliamentary affairs and urban development minister Kamal Nath as the new ex-officio member of the Plan panel in place of rural development minister Jairam Ramesh.
A cryptic deathbed theory given by India’s mathematics genius Srinivasa Ramanujan, has now been proven correct and it could also explain the behavior of black holes.
22-year old Bhakti Sharma from India is the youngest in the world to have crossed seven seas, including four oceans.

Besides, she is only the third person in the world to have swum across the Arctic Ocean, and is now targeting the Antarctic Ocean to become the youngest to swim in all five oceans.

State Bank of India (SBI) has unveiled its mobile wallet named State Bank MobiCash Easy which provides facilities such as fund transfer, bill payment, balance inquiry, mini statement, mobile top-ups and DTH recharge etc.

SBI is carrying out this plan in collaboration with a private service provider Oxigen

China launched Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), a kind of global positioning system, in the Asia-Pacific

The system would initially provide positioning, navigation, timing and short-message services in China and the Asia-Pacific region.

he Centre has scaled down the launch of its ambitious Direct Cash Transfer scheme to cover 20 districts, instead of 43 as planned.

The states are: Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab and the UTs of Puducherry, Chandigarh and Daman and Diu.

PM Manmohan Singh inaugurated a new science policy, the Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STI) 2013that lays greater emphasis on innovation, setting up research institutes and encouraging women scientists with an aspiration to place itself among the top five scientific powers in the world by 2020.
From January 1, 2013, Uttarakhand government enforced the ban on sale, purchase and storage of gutka and tobacco-based pan masala.
Asif Ibrahim appointed as chief of Intelligence Bureau: First muslim to hold the post of IB
The meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034 which is ncknamed “Black Beauty,” is a new type of Martian meteorite, possessing 10 times more water than usual

Difference with other Martian Meteorite :

Can provide insight into what Mars was like around 2 billion years ago.
Different chemical composition and has a different mixture of oxygen isotopes.
It provides an excellent match for surface rocks and outcrops NASA has studied remotely via Mars rovers and Mars—orbiting satellites.

South Korean sentenced a 31-year-old pedophile Pyo to 15 years in jail and ordered the country’s first ever chemical castration

although Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland and the US state of California have used it for years

The Haryana Government will implement a new initiative known as ‘Kanyadan’ from April 1, 2013 under which an incentive of Rs 11,000 per girl will be given to each of the beneficiary brides during the mass marriage ceremony to be organized by Red Cross Societies or any registered NGO in the state

Beneficiary should be Haryana domicile and must be 18 years of age on the date of her marriage. The mass marriage should have least 11 marriages at a time, by Red Cross Societies or any registered NGO in the state
produce a certificate regarding proof of girl’s age such as birth certificate or that of matric.

Ireland’s esteemed Tipperary International Peace Prize for 2012 for Malala Yousufzai

In 2007 it was awarded to Benazir Bhutto

Four fast track courts in Saket,Rohini, Tis Hazari and Dwarka to try sexual offences
As per medical experts the effect of medicines used for chemical castration like Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and Cyproterone acetate are temporary. There effect can be reduced by anti-epileptics and anti-diabetics drugs, anti-depressants and some performance-enhancing drugs used by athletes
Indian origin scientist Venkatesh Mannar who is President of Micronutrient Initiative, Canada, has been conferred with Canada’s ‘highest’ civilian award – the Order of Canada
World’s largest solar telescope is likely to be established in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir by the end of 2013. The project costing Rs. 300 crore would come up either at Hanle or Merak village near Pangong Lake in Ladakh

The telescope, with an aperture of two metres, will aid in understanding the process of creation and decay of sunspots
With the help of this telescope it would be possible to get crucial information on the nature of magnetic fields in the solar atmosphere.
decay of sunspots assumes importance as they pose a threat to the communication system on earth as well as satellites orbiting in the outer space.
Charged particles in solar wind can interfere with the operation of satellites by introducing what is called background static and also interact with atoms in the upper part of earth’s atmosphere and thus wreaking havoc with the communication systems on ground.

CCTNS(Crime & Criminal Tracking Network & Systems) Project will create a nation-wide environment for the real-time sharing of crime and criminal information under the National e-Governance Plan of Government of India.

The Project also includes the creation of a nationwide networking infrastructure

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced a ban on journalistic activities by foreign tourists in India.
The MP forest department has approved a site specific proposal of identifying eco sensitive zones around Kanha National Park (Mandla), Pench National Park (Seoni), Bandhavgarh National Park (Umaria), Panna National Park (Panna) and Kuno Palpur sanctury (Seopur) among others. Madhya Pradesh has 8 national parks and 25 wildlife sanctuaries.

Eco-sensitive zone is land falling within 10 km of a park or sanctuary.
As per norms, commercial activities and other activities harmful to environment like setting up of industries, hotels and resorts, mining activities among others will be prohibited

National Aluminium Co Ltd (NALCO) has commissioned its first 50 MW wind power project at Gandikota in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh built with the cooperation of Suzlon .
Curiosity rover which was sent to Mars by NASA to explore the planet has spotted an unusual flower-like formation embedded in the Martian rock, along with a snake-like rock formation adorning the planet’s surface.

The rover is currently going through a shallow depression named “Yellowknife Bay,” after spending its first four months deep inside Gale Crater
On Mars the days are 2.7% longer than days on Earth at an average of 24 hours and 37 minutes. The days on Mars are called ‘sols’.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted a Working Group which will be headed by Suma Verma with an aim to review, update, and revise the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006.
Ministry of External Affairs has advised all Passport Issuing Authorities to accept Aadhaar letter as Proof of Address and Photo identity in conjunction with any other prescribed documents for proof of address/identity for the purpose of passport application.
Stanford University scientist have developed a drug called LM11A-31 which they claim could help paralyzed people walk again

The drug was tested for its ability to prevent the death of cells called oligodendrocytes. These cells cover and protect axons, long projections of a nerve cell, by wrapping them in a myelin sheath that protects the fibres

Cross-subsidization scheme : It is a scheme by railways which envisages charging higher freight rates in order to keep the passenger fares low.It fails
France honoured Malala Yousofzai with Simone de Beauvoir Prize for Women’s Freedom
National Institute of Design (NID) will be given the status of an ‘Institution of National Importance’

to professionalise, standardise and internationally benchmark professional design education in India

On Makar Sankrnti, Maha Kumbh Mela festival, one of the largest congregations on earth, began in Prayag (Sangam), Allahabad at the confluence of Rivers Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati.

The 55-day Mela will conclude on March 10 with the Maha Shivratri festival.
The Ardh (half) Kumbh Mela is observed every 6 years at Haridwar and Allahabad.
The Purna (complete) Kumbh is celebrated every 12 years,at four places Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik.
Maha Kumbha Mela: Only at Prayag, every 144 year.

Astronomers from the University of Central Lancashire have discovered the largest known structure in the Universe called Large Quasar Group (LQG) that is powered by cluster of super massive black holes spanning across 4 billion light years.

Quasars are believed to be the nuclei of galaxies of the universe, which undergoes short period of extremely high brightness making them visible in the sky from very distant positions

Corporation Bank has launched Corp RuPay Aadhaar card which has a primary aim to provide easy and smooth banking services to the financially excluded and underprivileged sections of the society having Aadhaar number.
NRHM survey :

For the utilisation of public health facilities for ante-natal care and post-natal care services, Tamil Nadu is the best performer whereas Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Assam are the worst.
By the Institute of Economic Growth of the University of Delhi.
Tamil Nadu stands at top for implementation outcomes of the NRHM and can be a benchmark for other States.
The seven States surveyed are: Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Jammu and Kashmir.

India has decided to put negotiations to finalize a trade liberalization pact with Mauritius on hold. It has said that the talks will not be resumed till the island nation amends its Double-Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with India.
The Basel Committee has extended the deadline given to banks around the world to comply with Basel-III norms has been deferred for 4 more years to January 2019 against the previous deadline of January 2015.
Scientists at the University of York and Leeds in Britain have established that the majority of ozone-depleting gas iodine oxide observed over the remote ocean comes from a previously unknown marine source.

As per researchers, the main source of iodine oxide can be explained by emissions of hypoiodous acid (HOI) – a gas not yet considered as being released from the ocean – along with a contribution from molecular iodine.

‘Krishi Karman Awards’

Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Manipur and Nagaland awarded for their special contribution to total foodgrains production.
Uttar Pradesh for coarse cereals.

On March 15, 2013, Microsoft’s Windows Messenger service will be switched of by the company.

The service will remain functional only in China as it runs under license there.

Health Ministry raises eligible income limit for HMDG to 1 lakh.
PM Manmohan Singh has selected urban development and parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath to lead the Indian team in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual summit in Davos, Switzerland. The team has 3 other ministerial members:

Commerce & industry minister Anand Sharma
Heavy industry minister Praful Patel
Power minister Jyotiraditya Scindia

Chakan da Bagh is a crossing point located in Poonch district along the LoC in Kashmir where India and Pak hold meet after escalating tensions between them due to brutal killing of army soldiers.
Based on our Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) a list of countries with most infections (only for those with more than 5 victims) of the attacks of ‘Red October’ cyber espionage attack

RUSSIAN FEDERATION-35
KAZAKHSTAN-21
AZERBAIJAN-15
BELGIUM-15
INDIA-14

RBI introduces Dollar-Rupee Swap Policy :

Objective: To increase the flow of credit to the export sector to support incremental Pre-shipment export Credit in Foreign Currency (PCFC) by banks.

Indian Railway Finance Corporation Ltd (IRFC) will launch a tax-free bond issue

IRFC is a dedicated financing arm of the Ministry of Railways. IRFC’s prime aim is to raise money from the market
Objectives :

To finance the acquisition of Rolling Stock assets to be leased to MOR on the best possible rates and terms.
To tap domestic as well as Overseas Markets for funds at the most competitive rates & terms by issue of tax-free and taxable bonds/FRNs/Foreign Currency Loans/medium term loans from Banks to achieve plan financing target fixed by MOR.
To achieve ’zero complaint status’ through improved customer service to the bondholders/investors/lenders.
To ensure optimum utilization of resources.

Patiala court became the first district court to fully switch over to the e-stamping process and eliminate stamp papers.

The change to e-stamping is aimed at ensuring hassle-free transactions and keeping a check on fraudulent practices.

World Bank sharply slashed the global growth outlook for 2013 to 2.4% from earlier estimate of 3%
Air India halts operations of Dreamliner
Facebook has unveiled a new friends-based search tool “graph search” which will help its users search for people and places within the social network.

The tool also addresses privacy concerns as it allows users to sort through only content that has been shared with them.

Saina Nehwal becomes No2
Axis Bank has launched ‘Axis Bank e- Gift Card’ which is an online version of physical plastic gift cards

The card carrying a particular value can be bought by using debit or credit card. This card can be gifted via email or SMS to the recipient who can use it to purchase anything

Market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has brought changes in its Employee Stock Option Scheme (ESOS) and Employee Stock Purchase Scheme (ESPS) Guidelines, 1999, prohibiting companies from dealing in their own shares in the secondary market under these schemes, with immediate effect.
Forthcoming Launches of ISRO:

In April 2013, ISRO expects to resume flying the GSLV rocket. The GSLV-D5 will lift the communications satellite GSAT-14 into orbit. GSLV programme was put on hold after it suffered two successive failures in April and December 2010.
In May 2013, the first of the national navigational satellites or navsats — the IRNSS-1 — is expected to be launched on a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. IRNSS or the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System with its seven satellites will be India’s own regional Global Positioning System.
GSAT-7, a satellite dedicated for the Navy, will be launched around May on a European Ariane rocket.
INSAT-3D and GSAT-10, will be launched in the second half of this year

China has appointed Wei Wei (57) as new ambassador to India, succeeding Zhang Yan
India’s largest public sector bank, State Bank of India (SBI), along with its associates, plans to set up ‘by-invitation-only’ branches under the ‘Kohinoor’ brand in 20 cities to serve uber-rich customers and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).

SBI had launched first such branch — Kohinoor Banjara — in Hyderabad in 2010.

The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) has been given approval by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) to continue to sanction new projects and capacity building activities till March 31, 2014 under Urban Infrastructure and Governance (UIG) and Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) components of JNNURM.
Parchin is an Iranian military complex, located about 30 kilometres (19 mi) southeast of Tehran. It is suspected that Iran is advancing with its nuclear enrichment program for making nuclear weapons. Iran is not allowed to do so as it is a signatory to Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
President Pranab Mukherjee imposed President’s rule in Jharkhand following its approval by the Union Cabinet. The imposition of President’s Rule in Jharkhand draws its power from Article 356(1) of the Constitution.
Online shopping portal Snapdeal.com has tied with Mahindra & Mahindra to sell its two-wheelers. It will happen for the first time that vehicles will be sold and home delivered through website

Cities covered under this scheme include Chennai, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata

Mahaveer Golechha, a London-based Indian researcher will be honored with Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation’s ‘Young Investigator Scholarship Award’ at the 7th Annual Drug Discovery for Neurodegeneration Conference San Francisco.

The award is being given to him to recognize his outstanding research on ‘Naringin’, a bioflavonoid found in grape fruits and citrus fruits. He has discovered thatnaringin bears significant "anti-Alzheimer activity"

The former ISRO chairman, Prof. U.R. Rao, will be inducted the prestigious international Satellite Hall of Fame. The US based Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) is honoring him for his contribution to the field of satellite-related aerospace scientific research.
The International Olympics association has requested the discredited cyclist Lance Armstrong to return the Olympic bronze medal he won at the 2000 Sydney Olympics Games. The cyclist was stripped off all the seven Tour de France medals he had won after a report from the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) accused him of leading a massive doping programme on his teams.
As per the latest ruling of the apex court, not only an MLA but any interested person has the right to inform the Speaker of the fact that a member has incurred disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution (anti-defection law) and the presiding officer is bound to take action on the complaint.
In order to curb the menace of encroachment and strengthen the hands of civic bodies the Supreme Court has ordered ban on fresh encroachment of roads, pavements and sideways by construction of religious structures or installation of statues of public figures.
Ghat Ki Guni is a 2.8km long tunnel located at east Jaipur and connects MI Road and NH-11 passing through Jhalana Hills. The passage, built at the cost of Rs 150 crore, will alleviate the congestion due to traffic by providing alternative route to Jaipur-Agra Road.
12 LPG for BPL families and other marginalised sections : decision by Delhi government is part of its ‘kerosene-free Delhi scheme’ launched in August, 2012. The scheme was launched with free distribution of gas stoves, cylinder and regulator to all families covered under BPL, Antyodaya Anna Yojna and Jhuggi Ration Card.
The apex court banned all tourist movements in the habitat of extremely endangered Jarawa tribe in Andaman and Nicobar and also sought to know from Andaman & Nicobar Island administration whether it intended to keep the tribe, which has a thin population of just over 300, in isolation or to be assimilated in the mainstream

The court banned the movement of all tourist vehicles through the 46-km Andaman Trunk Road that links North Andaman to its southern part passing through the tribe’s habitat till February 26, 2013.
Jarawas are highly vulnerable to diseases and viruses carried by the urban population and they live in forests in the western coasts of South and Middle Andaman Islands

Garima II which is world’s first cloned buffalo has delivered a healthy and normal calf at the Karnal-based National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI).

The calf, named Mahima, was born through ‘hand-guided cloning technique’. It is the first calf born from a cloned buffalo in the world

India and Rawanda inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on bilateral co-operation in Water Resources Development and Management.
Major Abup J Manjali of the Rashtriya Rifles has been awarded the Kirti Chakra on this Republic Day for the exhibition of exceptional valor in counter- terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
Railways has set up a toll-free phone number (1800111321) to register the complaints about quality, quantity or charges of food on a real-time basis b/w 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
“International Tea Producers’ Forum” (ITPF). It will be headquartered at Colombo for now.

Attended by Kenya, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malawi, Rwanda and China.

Britain is not a member of the eurozone
IMF : The world output would expand 3.5% in 2013, a modest gain from 3.2% in 2012.

India’s economy is expected to expand at the rate of 5.9% in 2013 and a higher growth of 6.4% in 2014

The Pakistani military conducted a combat exercise “Saffron Bandit” involving fighter jets and ground troops. This exercise is conducted every 3 years
India’s capital New Delhi has got rid of Leprosy as a public health problem, as the incidence rate of leprosy has declined from 4.5 cases per 10,000 of population in 2001 to 0.8 cases at present.

Leprosy is a bacterial disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae which affects mainly the skin and nerves. It takes 2 to 5 years for the symptoms to be visible as the disease progresses slowly.

South-India playback singer Sreeramamurthy Janaki refused to accept Padma Bhushan award announced for her on the eve of 64^thRepublic Day. She did this showing her dissatisfaction over the number of people from South India chosen for Padma awards list for 2013.
Hindustani vocalist Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan (105) has become the oldest person to be chosen for this year’s Padma Shri award.

Khan is also a poet who has penned around 2000 compositions under the pseudonym ‘Rasan Piya’.

the Govt the launch of an eBiz portal which will offer Government-to-Business (G2B) services for India’s investor and business communities.

Developed by: Infosys in a PPP (Public-Private Partnership) mode.
The portal provides a single-window service to enable businesses and investors to save time and costs and improve the business environment
Government-to-Business (G2B) services for India’s investor and business communities.
A 24×7 facility for information and services, and will also offer joined-up services where a single application submitted by a customer, for a number of permissions, clearances, approvals and registrations, will be routed automatically across multiple governmental agencies in a logical manner.
eBiz will launch 29 services in the five states including Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

Pages

May 8, 2013

News for Jan 2013