National Current Affairs 2010

Current Affairs – August 2010

• Orissa-based renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik’s creation on global warming won the people’s choice award at the Eighth International Sand Sculpture Festival in Berlin on 1^st august. Pattnaik had earlier won the award in 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2009.

Current Affairs – July 2010

• Orissa launches e-grievance system on 31 July 2010.
• Former Gujarat minister Amit Shah was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection to the Sohrabuddin’s fake encounter case on July 25 2010
• · Dr. C. Rangarajan, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister released the document ‘Economic Outlook 2010-11’ at a Press Conference in New Delhi.
• 24th July: The Income Tax department is celebrating 150 years of income tax in India.
• The body of a soldier killed in the 1962 war with China, Karam Chand Katoch, of Dogra Regiment, was brought to his hometown Palampur, Himachal Pradesh on 14^th July.
• Country lost Rs 13,000 Crore due to bandh on July 5 by opposition : FICCI
• On July 7, 2010: Apex Court, Two-wheeler manufacturers to sell their vehicles bundled with a helmet
• Indian Navy’s Underwater War Specialist Killed In ‘Accidental Fire’ on July 07 at a training centre in Kochi.
• On July 3, 2010 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh  inaugurated IGI’s swanky Terminal 3. The new terminal at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, the 6th largest in the world, can cater to 34 million passengers annually.

Current Affairs – June 2010

• 18 Jun 2010: Haryana Friday became the first Indian state to launch a web portal for quickly addressing public grievances
• Empowered GoM decided to decontrol patrol price on the recommendation of Kirit Parikh Committe on 25^th June 2010.
• Mumbai builder Lodha Developers Ltd. is about to start construction on what he claims will be the world’s tallest residential tower called “World One” in 2014
• Vivek Sahai has been appointed as new Railway Board Chairman, he replaced SS Khurana.
• Updates on National Advisory Council:
  Ms Rita Sharma, IAS has been appointed as Secretary, National Advisory Council (NAC).
  Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appoints 14 members to the National Advisory Council in consulation with its chairman Sonia Gandhi. The members are Aruna Roy, Jean Dreze, N C Saxena, A K Shiva Kumar, M S Swaminathan, V Krishnamurthy, Narendra Jadhav, Mirai Chatterjee,Farah Naqvi,Pramod Tandon,Harsh Mander, Ram Dayal Munda,, Anu Aga, Madhav Gadgil,
• Sahara retains Indian Cricket Team Sponsoship
  As per a BCCI announcement, Sahara India has retained the sponsorship rights of the Indian cricket team for a whopping Rs.30.34 million per match (ODI and Twenty20 matches) for the next three years till 2013.
• India Food Bank:
  India Food Bank is a new project of Sam Pitroda, the current advisor to the prime minister on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations. It may be put in place by end of this year in collaboration with Chicago-based international organization, Global Food banking Network, a Stanford University think-tank that provides food aid to 30 nations
• Seychelles President in India:
  Seychelles President James Alix Michel arrives in India on a three-day visit to hold delegation -level talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on several matters of bilateral, regional and global concern. It is a very important country of the Indian Ocean threatened by piracy…They want wider collaboration (with India) against piracy
• NHRC Chairman: Justice K G Balakrishnan
  Former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan has been appointed as the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission. He was the first Dalit Chief Justice of India and will be the first Dalit heading NHRC. NHRC was headless for over a year.
• President’s Rule in Jharkhand:
  Union Cabinet today recommended the president to clamp President’s rule in Jharkhand and keep the state assembly under suspended animation. Prior to this, Chief Minister Shibu Soren resigned without facing the trust vote in the state assembly. Soren Government was reduced to minority on May 24 when BJP with 18 MLAs and JD(U) with 2 MLAs withdrew support to the Soren’s government whose party Jharkhand Mukti Morcha had 18 MLAs and was also enjoying the support of seven other legislators in the 82-member House. The BJP was cut up with Mr Soren ever since he voted with UPA in the Lok Sabha during voting on cut motions on April 27.
• Government Bans Indian Mujahedeen
  On June 4, 2010, the government declares the group as a terrorist organization and banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
• India’s First Mobile Adalat in Andhra Pradesh
  State Government of Andhra Pradesh comes up with India’s first Mobile Adalat.
• Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar 2008 – Isha Foundation – Project Green Hands

On the occassion of World Environment Day, Sadhguru J Vasudev of Isha Foundation, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu,was awarded Indira Gandhi Pariavaran Puraskar for the year 2008 in recognition of Isha Foundation’s massive ecological initiative, called ‘Project Green Hands’ to prevent and reverse environmental degradation and to enable sustainable living.Under this project, over 300,000 Isha volunteers have raised 8.2 million trees for plantation in the last 5 years across Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. Project Green Hands is a massive people’s movement to raise the green cover of Tamil Nadu by 10%.He received prize money of Rs. 5,00,000/-,along with a silver lotus trophy and a citation.

• Anamika Veeramani wins National Spelling Bee
  For the third consecutive year, an Indian American has won the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in United States. This year’s winner is Anamika Veeramani, 14, an eighth grader from Incarnate Word Academy in Parma Heights, Ohio.
• In the Global Peace Index 2010, India ranked at 128.

The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) is a global non-profit research organization headquartered in Sydney, Australia with a branch in Washington, D.C.India ranks 128.

• India’s new chief Justice: Justice Sarosh Homi Kapadia
  Justice Sarosh Homi Kapadia, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court has been appointed as the next Chief Justice of India who replaced Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan on the 12th of June 2010.
• 2010 Failed State Index- Somalia top the list followed by Zimbabwe, Sudan & Chad. India is ranked at 87 place out of 177 countries. Norway in ranked at the bottom of the list.
• Amar Singh launches a new party ‘Akhil Bhartiya Lok Manch’.
• South African president Jacob Zuma visited India.
• Turkmenistan President Gurbaguly Bardimuhamedov visited India.
• Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa visited India. India signed 7 pacts with Sri Lanka. India will assist in building 50000 houses in the northen & eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.
• Bangladesh Govt has requested to rename the train linking West Bengal to Tripura via Banglades as ‘ Sonar Tori’. Earlier the name of the train as envisaged in the Railway Budget 2010 is ‘Epar Bangla Opar Bangla’. Sonar Tori is a collection of poems written by Rabindranath Tagore, whose 150th birth anniversary is being celebrated in 2010.
• Maharastra will become first state in the country to have a real estate regulatory authority.
• BWA- Broadband Wireless Access. The BWA spectrum was auctioned by the Govt. BWA Spectrum is essential for rolling out WiMAX services enabling hand held devices and laptops to access Intranet. It will allow firms to offer high speed Net, Web telephony & TV Services. The govt fixed Rs.1750 crore as base rate for BWA license. The auction was held for 117 rounds and in 16 days. Rs.12848 crore was the pan India BWA license price which was won by Infotel Broadband services ( in all 22 circles). The Govt auctioned the BWA license for a total of Rs.38,543 crore. Mumbai had the highest bid of Rs.2293 crore followed by Delhi with Rs.2241 crore respectively.
• India signed Civil Nuclear agreement with Canada. The agreement was signed by Manmohan Singh and Canada’s PM Stephen Harper. Canada is the 8th nation to enter into such an agreement with India. Canada served nuclear ties with India in 1974 when India conducted its first nuclear test at Pokhran in 1974. India’s nuclear power programme is based on the CANDU ( Canada Deuterium Uranium) reactor.
• India become a full fledged member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a 34 member inter governmental body that devises policies at both national & international levels to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. FATF membership will enable Indian authorities to access information on suspect accounts in nations such as Switzerland & UK. India become its 34th member.

Current Affairs – May 2010

• May 22 – Air India Express Flight 812 overshoots the runway at Mangalore International Airport in India, killing 158 and leaving 8 survivors.
• A deep depression has been intensified into tropical cyclone Laila over the southeast and nearby areas of the Bay of Bengal on May 18.
• Gujarat & Maharastra: Golden Jubilee Celebrations
  Gujarat’s Chief Minister Narendra Modi kicks off State’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. he also lays a foundation stone of Mahatma Mandir at Gandhi Nagar. Mahatma mandir is being built at the estimated cost of Rs.100 crore. It will be spread over 34 acres and will have a business centre, exhibition halls, a memorial and garden on Gandhi and a suspension bridge in memory of the Dandi march.

Fact Box: Gujarat came into existence on May1, 1960. After India’s independence, the former princely states of Gujarat were grouped in Saurastra, Kathiawad and Bombay State. In 1956 Bombay state was enlarged and Kutch, Surastra, some parts of Hyderabad and some parts of Madhya Pradesh were included in it. Since the new state had mostly the Gujarati speaking people, there were agitations. On linguistic lines Bombay state was split into new states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The first capital of Gujarat was Ahmadabad; the capital was moved to Gandhi nagar in 1970.

The main Function of Maharastra Golden Jubilee takes place in Shivaji Park, Mumbai & Governor K. Sankaranarayanan takes salute at a police parade. On 50th Maharashtra Foundation Day, people of Maharastra also paid homage to 105 martyrs who laid down their lives for ‘Samyukta (United) Maharashtra’.

• National Green Tribunal (NGT) Bill Passed:
  National Green Tribunal (NGT) Bill which paves the way for the establishment of a tribunal known as National Green Tribunal (NGT) for environmental clearance of development projects and providing relief and compensation to people affected by natural calamities has been passed by the Lok Sabha .

Under the legislation, the Central Pollution Control Board will approach NGT on behalf of affected persons for grant of relief or compensation or settlement of disputes. The NGT is meant to ensure expeditious disposal of cases on environmental protection, conservation of forests and other natural resources, thereby strengthening environmental adjudication and settlement of disputes.

• I-Mark
  India Design Council has an ambitious plan to introduce an I-Mark, that will label and recognize good design (in terms of creativity, ethics, sustainability, environment-friendliness and competitiveness) in India .

• New Education Bills moved in Lok Sabha
  To regulate the education system and pave the way for foreign universities, 4 bills have been moved in the Lok Sabha.

Foreign Education Institutions (Regulation of Entry And Operations) Bill, 2010: This bill aims to allow foreign institutions set up campuses in India. The bill is expected to facilitate quality education in India itself and reduce the flow of Indian students abroad.

National Accreditation Regulatory Authority Bill: This bill seeks to provide framework for an umbrella body overseeing the quality of education in the country. National Accreditation Regulatory Authority Bill furthers the way for an overall regulatory authority. The function of the authority shall be to promote the development and regulate the process of accreditation of higher education institutions and to register and regulate the working of accreditation agencies.

Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical Education Institutions Bill: Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical Education Institutions Bill, forbids charging of any fee other than that declared by an institution in its prospectus, or any fee taken without giving proper receipt. This clips the wings of the medialinstitutions charging capitation fee and donations.

Education Tribunals bill: Any disputes related to educational institutions will be heard in state or national level education tribunals to be set up as per the proposed Education Tribunals bill.

• Sikkim has become India’s First state to be declared as “Smoke Free State” in India.
• Naxalites killed 47 people in a landmine blast between Dantewada and Sukma in Chhattisgarh.
• Test fire of nuclear capable Agni-II missile was successfully carried out from Wheeler Island off the coast of Orissa on 17th May. Agni II has a range of 2000Km. It is 20m long two stage solid propelled ballistic missile. It was developed by Advanced System Laboratories along with DRDO & Bharat Dynamics Ltd.
• Supreme Court in a recent judgement upheld a rule that allows the adjustment of reserved category candidate SC/ST/OBC against their quota seats even if they manage to qualify an examination for govt services on merit.
• National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is the monitoring authority for the Right to Education Act which became effective from April 1, 2010.

Current Affairs – April 2010

• Naxals killed about 75 CRPF personal at Chintalnar-Tarmetla village in Dantewada district, Chhattisgarh. Government appoints E.N. Rammohan, to probe the incident.
• Uninque Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) now known as Aadhaar. It’s Chairman is Nandan Nilekani. It will assign 16 digit identification number to all residents in India.
• NTRO- National Technical Research Organisation. The organization came to limelight after allegation of phone tapping of politicians.
• Indian navy commissioned India’s first indigenously built stealth warship ‘ INS Shivalik’. The other stealth warships to be built are named as ‘INS Sahyadri’ and INS Satpura’.
• Right To Education Act is notified and will become a legally enforceable from 1 April 2010. Key features of RTE Act are: All children in 6-14 age group must get free and compulsory eduction; No child shall be held back,expelled or required to pass a board examination till Class VIII; There must be 25 % reservation for poor children even in private & minority schools; There must be one teacher for every 30 students; A child rights commission will look into violations of the RTE law.
• Govt start Census 2011. It is the 15th Census. It is in two phase. The first phase is called –House listing & Housing Census and the second phase is called decadal headcount which will be held in Feb 2011. The Registrar General of India is C Chandramouli.

Current Affairs – March 2010

• Govt launched National Mission for Empowerment of Women aimed at inter-sectoral convergence of all pro- women programmes.
• Constitution 108th Amendment Bill 2008 commonly known as women’s reservation bill was passed by Rajya Sabha by 186 in favour 1 against 39 abstained (Current strength of Rajya Sabha is 233). The bill seeks to reserve a third of the seats on the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for 15 years on a rotational basis. It was first introduced in 1996. Sharad Joshi, an independent MP is the only MP which cast vote against the bill. In the present Lok Sabha, there are 59 women MPs out of 543 MPs. Total MLAs in 29 state assemblies in India are 4093.
• Yamunanagar (Haryana) and Vishakhapatnam (AP) are choosen for a pilot project on saving household energy by replacing incandescent lamps with CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lamps).
• Earth Hour 2010 has been celebrated on 27 March organized by World Wide Fund for Nature, India. Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru are official Earth Hour Cities among 15 Indian cities.
• Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of Russia visit India in March 2010.
• Supreme Court allowed religion based 4 % reservations in Govt jobs & educational institutes in Andhra Pradesh. It extended the benefit to 14 OBC in muslims in the state. The matter is further referred to Constitutional bench of Supreme Court.
• ’Bold Kurushetra’ a joint armour exercise between India and Singapore was held at Jhansi(UP).
• Prohibition of unfair practices in technical, medical educational institutions & universities Bill is passed by Govt. It provided for 3 year imprisonment and a fine of upto Rs 50 lakh for higher education providers guilty of misleading students.
• Govt approved Foreign Educational Institution (Regulation of Entry & Operation) Bill 2010. It provides foreign universities to set up campuses in India.
• Govt amends Anti Hijacking Act 1982. It now provides for death sentence to the hijackers.
• Govt starts the scheme for creation of the National Population Register (NPR) of Indian residents. The project will cover an estimated 1.2 billion people and total cost of the project will be Rs. 3539.24 crore.
• India became 1st country in the world to have a ‘manoeuvrable’ supersonic cruise missile, when it successfully test fired 290 km range Brahmos missile.
• Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu visit India in March 2010.

Current Affairs – February 2010

• Kirit Parikh committee , set up to review petro pricing regime, submit its recommendation. Its major recommendation are to deregulate the prices of petrol & diesel as per market prices, reduce the subsidy on LPG.
• India signed a Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement with the UK, which became the 8th country to enter into such a pact, since the lifting of atomic trade embargo in 2008.
• Govt set up a panel under the Chairmanship of former Justice B N Srikrishna which would consider the demand for splitting Andhra Pradesh.
• India and Denmark signed a social security pact which will relieve their workers from double taxation and provide for cooperation in areas of labour market expansion and orderly migration.
• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Saudi Arabia in Feb 2010. He was the first Indian PM in 28 years to visit the gulf country. Saudi Arabia is India’s largest supplier of crude oil ( 23 %) followed by Iran ( 17 %) and Nigeria ( 11 %). India is offering upto 10 % equity to Saudi petroleum firm Saudi Aramco in a refinery being built in Orissa. PM addressed the Shoura council of Saudi Arabia.
• Constitution 111th Amendment – Proposes to incorporate a new Part ( Part IX B) in the Constitution so as to provide for legal framework to regulate the functioning of cooperative societies. A new Article ( Article 43 B) is also proposed to be inserted in Part IV of the Constitution (Directive Principles of State Policy) for the States to promote voluntary formation, autonomous functioning of cooperative societies.
• Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill 2009 commonly known as Nuclear Liability Bill will be introduced by Govt in Parliament in Winter session 2010. The draft bill aims at limiting the liability of a nuclear plant operator to Rs. 300 crore in the eventuality of an accident. The bill provides for the penalty to be paid by the operator and not the supplier companies which would mainly be American in this case. India has entered into civil nuclear cooperation agreement with eight countries so far.
• 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.

Current Affairs – January 2010

• Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visit India in Jan 2010. She belongs to Awami League Party. The two countries signed five agreements – on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, on transfer of sentenced persons and on combating international terrorism, organized crime & illicit drug trafficking besides MOU on cooperation in the power sector and on cultural exchanges. India give Bangladesh a $ 1 billion line of credit, the biggest it has given to any country so far.
• South Korea President Lee Myung Bak visit India in Jan 2010. The two countries decided to double the bilateral trade to $ 30 billion by 2014. Four facts were signed between two countries – cooperation in peaceful use of outer space, IT, science & technology for the year 2010-12 and transfer of sentenced persons. South Korean President was also the chief guest at 2010 Republic Day Parade.
• Gujarat Local Authorities Law (amendment) Bill 2009- The Bill makes it the duty of a qualified voter to vote during elections to local bodies. Voting is compulsory, but the Bill allows voters to cast their vote in favour of none of the candidates. Election officers will declare those who fail to vote defaulter, and serve them a notice.
• India and China has decided to start joint military exercise from 2011.
• Najib Razak, Malaysia Prime Minister visit India in Jan 2010.
• Govt launched Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission or “Solar India” on 11^th January. Key highlights of the mission are :
  • To create an enabling policy framework for the deployment of 20,000 MW of solar power by 2020.
  • To create favourable conditions for solar manufacturing capability for indigenous production and market leadership.
  • To promote programmes for off grid applications, reaching 1000 MW by 2017 and 2000 MW by 2022.
  • To achieve 15 million sq. meters solar thermal collector area by 2017 and 20 million by 2022.
  • To deploy 20 million solar lighting systems for rural areas by 2022.
• New Governors appointed : a) M K Narayanan – West Bengal, b)Shivraj Patil – Punjab, c) Mohsina Kidwai – Jharkhand, d) Shekhar Dutt – Chhattisgarh, e) E S L Narasimhan – Andhra Pradesh.
• Govt plans to create a National Gas Highway Development Authority. The present Gas Pipeline Density in India is 3.29 Km per 1000 Sq.Km.
• Govt plans to set up a National Green Tribunal to control Carbon Emissions and pollution. It will be responsible for implementing the low carbon roadmap to be set forth in the 12th Five Year Plan.
• Government of India has decided to introduce ‘Tourist Visa-on-Arrival’ for a period of one year for citizens of five countries — Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand and Singapore on an experimental basis with effect from 1.1.2010.
• Orissa organized the 15th National Youth Festival in Bhubaneswar from 8th January, 2010 for a period of 6 days.
• The millennium’s longest (11-Minute) annular solar eclipse covers a swathe of 1000 km in India on 15^th January.
• Jyoti Basu, the famous Leftist icon of India, passes away at the age of 95 in Kolkata, West Bengal on 17^th January.
• Former Foreign Secretary Mr. Shiv Shankar Menon is appointed as a new National Security Adviser (NSA); he succeeds Mr. M.K. Narayanan on 21^st January.
• Lt. Gen. Vijay Kumar Singh is appointed the new chief of the Army Staff; he succeeds Gen,Deepak Kapoor on 22^nd January.
• 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 on 24^th January. The test is conducted at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
• 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. South Korean Prime Minister Mr,Lee Myung –bak takes part in the Repubic Day celebrations in New Delhi as the chief guest.
• The 2010 Environmental performance Index,released worldwide, places India at the 123rd rank among 163 countries; the list is topped by Iceland on 28^th January.
• 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 on 30^th January.
• 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.