National Current Affairs 2011

National Current Affairs 2011

Karnataka Governor sanctions prosecution of CM Yeddyurappa
Karnataka Governor HR Bharadwaj on 21/1/2011 sanctioned the prosecution of Chief Minister Yeddyurappa on charges of corruption. This is for the first time in Karnataka’s political history that a governor has permitted the prosecution of a chief minister. The Governor gave sanction for prosecution of the Chief Minister who is said to be involved in alleged land scams on a petition made by two lawyers. With this sanction, the lawyers will now approach a local court and will seek a court directive to the police for registering an FIR against the Chief Minister Yeddyurappa and the State Home Minister R Ashoka.


Officer burnt alive by Oil Mafia
Yashwant Sonawane, Additional District Collector of Malegaon (Maharashtra) was tragically burnt alive by oil mafia at Manmad near Nashik on 25 January 2011. Mr. Sonawane was returning from Chandrar village after reviewing the situation in the wake of a demonstration by onion farmers, when he found some people adulterating kerosene in a tanker parked behind Sagar Dhaba at Panewadi near Manmad. The area has a notorious reputation for smuggling and adulteration of oil. Sonawane stopped and questioned them and also shot a video of them pilfering the kerosene on his mobile phone. The main accused Popat Shinde and three others allegedly poured kerosene on the official, and set him afire. Mr. Sonawane died on the spot. The horrifying incident has caused a lot of shock and anger all across India.


Gujarat attracts Rs 20.83 lakh Crore investment in 2 days
Leading industrialists of India have flocked to Gujrat to sign MOU’s during the two-day long Vibrant Gujarat Summit that began on 1/12/2011. Chief Minister announced that the state has been able to attract investments to the tune of Rs 20.83 lakh crores during the two-day long Summit. As many as 7,936 MOUs were signed by the state government with several industrial houses to invest in the state. It is rare for 60 of India’s top Industrialists representing companies that command the bulk of market capitalization, to share the dais at a single event and it is even rarer to make investments to the tune of thousands of crores for a single state and that too over just two days. The major investments include Anil Ambani group, Adani Group, Essar Group, Larsen & Toubro, Mahindra & Mahindra and many others.


Australian firm set to sue Delhi CWG over non payment of dues.
In yet another case of embarrassment for India an Australian firm is set to sue the CWG organizers regarding non payment of bills. It is reported that the firm had played a very key and major role in the opening and closing ceremonies of the million dollar sporting event. Sydney Olympics maestro Ric Birch, who was creative director for the Delhi ceremonies, is likely to launch a multi-million dollar class action against Commonwealth Games organizers for substantial unpaid bills. The Australian government has already raised the issue with External Affairs Minister SM Krishna who has promised to look into the matter.
102 lives lost in Sabarimala Stampede


Around 102 pilgrims were killed and another 100 injured in a stampede about 40-45 km from the Sabarimala Shrine. The stampede was triggered when a jeep and an auto rickshaw rammed into a crowd of devotees in a narrow forest path at Pulimedu in Idukki district of Kerala on 14/1/2011. Most of the victims are from the Southern state of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The pilgrims were returning after seeking the blessings at the Sabarimala temple on the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti. The temple attracts millions of worshippers and an estimated 150,000 devotees were thought to have taken the narrow path out of the densely forested hills where the stampede took place. CM V.S Achuthanandan has launched a judicial probe into the matter.
Suresh Kalmadi sacked as Chairman of Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee
Suresh Kalmadi and his deputy Lalit Bhanot were sacked as Chairman and Secretary General of the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee respectively after three months since the end of the international event. The decision to remove the two top officials was taken by the new Sports Minister Ajay Maken after taking the legal opinion of the Attorney General. The organizing committee has faced several allegations of massive corruption and ineptitude in the months leading up to the games.
Aarushi Talwar's father attacked outside court
Dr. Rajesh Talwar father of murdered teenager Aarushi Talwar was attacked by a man outside the Ghaziabad court on 25/1/2011. He received sharp blows from a meat cleaver used by the assailant and the bleeding doctor was immediately rushed to a Hospital. Rajesh Talwar had gone to the court to file a petition demanding a fresh probe by the CBI in the Aarushi- Hemaraj murder case. The attacker has been identified as Utsav Sharma who was earlier also involved in an incident where he attacked SPS Rathore, the retired police officer who was convicted in the Ruchita Girhotra suicide case.


Republic Day celebrations peaceful in Kashmir
India’s Republic Day celebrations in Kashmir passed of peacefully even as BJP activist’s attempts to hoist the flag at Lal Chowk were foiled. Six activists were taken into custody immediately after they came out of a hotel near Lal Chowk and began walking towards the city centre. Another activist was arrested in Residency Road area adjacent to Lal Chowk when he appeared with a national flag and the BJP flag. The days leading to the Republic Day were fraught with tension as BJP’s proposed ‘EktaYatra’ was seen as a move that could possibly reignite tensions in the valley.

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Supreme Court to have a woman judge after four years

Former Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice, Gyan Sudha Mishra, will take oath as a Supreme Court Justice on Friday.

She will be the fourth woman judge in the apex court.

Mishra (61) was initially appointed as judge of the Patna High Court in March 1994, but was transferred to the Rajasthan High Court.

After 14 years there, she was elevated to the post of Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court in Ranchi in July 2008.

Mishra enrolled as an advocate in the Bihar State Bar Council in November 1972 at a time when women entering the legal profession was a rarity.

She was appointed a government advocate for Bihar in 1982.

Alongwith Mishra, Tamil Nadu High Court Chief Justice H L Gokhale and Bombay High Court Chief Justice A R Dave will also be sworn in.

The number of Supreme Court judges will rise to 30 after Friday's swearing-in.

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Arunachal Pradesh: 24th state to implement RSBY

Arunachal Pradesh has become the 24th state to implement the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) Scheme.

• Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana had started rolling from 1st April 2008.
• It has been launched by Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India to provide health insurance coverage for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.
• The objective of RSBY is to provide protection to BPL households from financial liabilities arising out of health shocks that involve hospitalization.
• Beneficiaries under RSBY are entitled to hospitalization coverage up to Rs. 30,000/- for most of the diseases that require hospitalization. Government has even fixed the package rates for the hospitals for a large number of interventions.
• Pre-existing conditions are covered from day one and there is no age limit.
• Coverage extends to five members of the family which includes the head of household, spouse and up to three dependents.
• Beneficiaries need to pay only Rs. 30/- as registration fee while Central and State Government pays the premium to the insurer selected by the State Government on the basis of a competitive bidding.
• Till now, 24 state have joined the RSBY. Arunachal is 24th state to join the scheme. This will benefit 40000 families of the state registered as BPL.

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Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Sammelan–2010

1200 participants from across the country, gather at Vigyan Bhawan New Delhi. The Prime Minister terms Mahatma Gandhi NREGA as a path breaking phenomena with its pro-poor vision and promise of the right to work, inclusive growth and social security and says that act has helped the rural poor to tide over the hardships and acted as an important social safety net during the economic downturn.


Management of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme:- Issues and Challenges
Vice President releases report prepared by Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005. Some points from the Vice president's message:

NREGA has been a game-changer in the governance of the country.
It has for the first time, both nationally and internationally, articulated a rights-based approach to guaranteeing wage employment at such a vast scale.
In 2008-09, around 45 million households have been provided with wage employment and 2160 million person days of employment have been generated;
Average wage paid in 2008-09 has increased to Rs. 84, an increase of around a third as compared to 2006-07;
In 2008-09, participation of SCs and STs has been 55 per cent and women workforce participation has surpassed the statutory minimum requirement of one third and has increased to 48 per cent.


However Aruna Roy and Jean Dreze, who are widely regarded as architects of the National Rural Employment Guarantees Programme (NREGP) boycotted its fourth anniversary celebrations at Vigyan Bhavan as a protest against the manner in which the programme had been implemented.Both of them are members of a Central Employment Guarantee Council that is supposed to monitor implementation of the programme. However they say that the executive council had not been activated and this was hampering the efficient rollout of the scheme.

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Flagship Programmes of UPA Govt.

• National Rural Employment Gaurantee Scheme (NREGS)
• Sarva Siksha Abhiyan
• Mid day Meal Scheme
• Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
• Bharat Nirman
• National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)
• Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM)
• Rajiv Gandhi Drinking Water
• Total Sanitation Campaign

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Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas

Introduction:

Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas is organized every year from 7 to 9 January. 9 January marks the return of Mahatama Gandhi in india from South Africa (January9, 1915). Special programmes are organized to recognize the contributions of NRI/PIO individuals of exceptional merit, felicitate NRI/PIO individuals who have made outstanding contribution in selected field/profession are decorated by Pravasi Bhartiya Samman. This event provides a forum to discuss issues and concerns that people of the Diaspora.
Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas is a brainchild of Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The first event was organized in 2003 and every year it is sponsored by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and the FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry).

Some Notes from Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas 2010:
Indians Living Abroad should accept Tax Obligations:

Distinguished Global Indian Oration Series - 'The Role of the Diaspora' was a oration delivered by Prof. Jagdeesh Bhagwati , eminent economist and professor of Columbia University:

Indians living abroad and holding dual citizenship should accept tax obligations from their mother country just as they seek and often get many privileges and benefits that go to Indians living and working at home .

Prof. Bhagwati rightly pointed out that along with the improved rights, the diaspora needs to recognise obligations as well. Because the Indians living abroad seek privileges that go to Indians living here, they should accept tax obligations as well. Citizenship and its benefits must be associated with tax obligations.
Bhagwati Tax:
Tobin Tax is a small tax collected in US on capital inflows is associated with the name of Professor James Tobin and Prof Bhagawti advocates for a Bhagwati tax in the same line.

Investment Bonds for NRI / PIO:
Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi proposes launching Investment Bonds for NRI/PIOs to facilitate their investment in infrastructure projects in India. The proposal comes as India needs 430 billion dollar investment in infrastructure for ports, roads, energy and other sectors and expatriate Indians could play a crucial role in their development through these bonds.
On Voting Rights:
Overseas Indians are likely to get voting rights on their motherland by the next general elections. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh calls Pravasis to join active politics of the country.

Emigration Management Bill, 2009
Emigration Management Bill, 2009 is a new proposed legislation, which seeks to replace the Emigration Act, 1983 and make emigration a simple, transparent and efficient economic process, facilitate legal migration and ''enhance'' protection and welfare of workers , as per Veerappa Moily, Law and Justice Minister.

The problems of Indian workers abroad include mistreatment, confiscation of passports and irregular salary payments besides such hazards as illegal migration and human trafficking. Besides there is a need to ease investments by ''overseas Indians'' and protect Indian workers abroad against mistreatment.
Emigration Management Bill, 2009 seeks to replace the Emigration Act, 1983.

Pravasi Bhartiya Samman:
President Pratibha Patil confers the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award to 14 distinguished members of the Indian Diaspora for their achievements in life and contribution to the welfare of the Indian community and enhancing India's image overseas.

1. Mohinder Singh Bhullar : He is a successful businessman in Brunei Darussalam, is instrumental in the formation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Brunei Darussalam. He has assisted the Indian community in that Southeast Asian nation and has acted as a bridge between India and Brunei Darussalam.
2. Yanktesh Piramal Reddy : He is an Indian origin businessman in Fiji, has promoted tourism to India in a big way from the entire south Pacific region. He has also worked relentlessly for the protection of the interests of the Indian community in Fiji.
3. Ryuko Hira : He a successful Indian entrepreneur in Japan, is the director of the prestigious Japan-India Association. A leading philanthropist, he has supported several projects for the underprivileged in India. He has also sponsored and supported the translation and publication of the Mahabharata, Vedas, Upanishads and books on Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism into Japanese.
4. Dr. Ruby Umesh Pawankar: She has focused on the furtherance of India-Japan medical collaboration for a number of years. Recognized in Japan and worldwide for her outstanding contributions to science, she is the first Indian and first woman to be nominated as president of World Allergy Organization.
5. Suresh Kumar Virmani: He is a successful engineer, entrepreneur and businessman, is a founder member of the Indian Cultural Association in Oman. He has worked relentlessly for the welfare of the expatriate Indian community in Oman and has helped establish a number of Indian schools in Oman.
6. Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan: He is finance minister of South Africa, has distinguished himself as commissioner of the South African Revenue Service. He was a political activist who took active part in the anti-apartheid movement of that country, organizing and leading student movements.
7. Tholisah Perumal Naidoo: He is a publisher, journalist and founder of the Indian Academy of South Africa in Durban. He has been promoting Indian culture in South Africa for the past 25 years organising regular events like the Tyagaraja Music Festival and Festival of India and introducing the Nataraja Golden Peacock Award for Indian classical dances there.
8. Rajni Kanabar : She is a philanthropist who initiated the Tanzania Heart Babies project wherein Tanzanian children suffering from congenital heart defects are sent to India for open heart surgeries. Over 1,300 surgeries were performed in the last 27 years with the support of the Indian High Commission in Tanzania, Air India and Narayana Hrudayalaya in Bangalore.
9. Deepak Mittal: Mr. Mittal is an industrialist and financial expert, has successfully set up and operated many large state-of-the-art Indian joint ventures in Thailand. His efforts led to expanded trade between India and Thailand. He has also been involved in charity and social activities for the welfare of people in Thailand including the Indian community.
10. Lenny Krishendath Saith: He is minister in the Prime Minister's Office in Trinidad & Tobago. A strong advocate of bilateral ties between India and Trinidad & Tobago, he has consistently promoted the cause of the Indian diaspora in that Caribbean nation.
11. Dr. Azad Moopen: He is a physician turned entrepreneur who manages one of the largest healthcare networks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. His group conducts free health camps for Indian labourers in remote locations in the GCC countries. He has also worked for the welfare of the Indian community in the United Arab Emirates.
12. Mani Lal Bhaumik: He is a scientist, author, educator and philanthropist whose books and lectures at prestigious institutions has significantly contributed towards a better understanding of the cultural and spiritual heritage of India. He sponsors an annual award for Indian children in California who excel in science and mathematics and has worked for the welfare of the Indian community in the US.
13. Ashok Kumar Mago : He has worked actively for the promotion of Indo-US political and economic ties through his association with a variety of boards and commissions in the past. He is chairman of the Indo-American Political Forum in Dallas, which seeks to educate youngsters to participate in the political process.

NRI Zone:
A non-resident Indian from Riyadh, Syed Zia-ur-Rahman, chief executive officer of Yahind.com requests the government to create a non-resident Indian zone which could act as a magnet for overseas investments in various sectors.

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Awards in 2009 December

December 6, 2009: Grawemeyer Award : Eboo Patel
India-born Eboo Patel who is a member of President Barack Obama's faith advisory council, has become the first Muslim to win the prestigious Grawemeyer Award in Religion from the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and the University of Louisville.

December 6, 2009: World Hockey Players of the Year 2009: Luciana Aymar & Naomi Van As
Luciana Aymar of Argentina (best men’s hockey player of the world) , Naomi Van As (best women’s hockey player of the world) of The Netherlands and Jamie Dwyer have been named the World Hockey Players of the Year 2009.

World Hockey Young Player of the Year 2009: Casey Eastham & Ashley Jackson
Australian Casey Eastham and England’s Ashley Jackson received the World Hockey Young Player of the Year 2009 awards for male and female category respectively.

December 6, 2009: UN's Global Citizen of the Year award: Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage has received Global Citizen of the Year award from the United Nations for his humanitarian efforts. He has appointed as a UN goodwill ambassador on drugs and crime.

December 7, 2009: Mukundan Menon award: C R Neelakandan
Environmentalist C R Neelakandan has been chosen for Mukundan C Menon award instituted by the National Confederation of Human Rights Organizations (NCHRO).


December 7, 2009: Young Investigator Award , Japan: M Bhaskar Rao
Assistant professor of Sri Venkateswara Ayurvedic College (SVAC) M Bhaskar Rao has received prestigious Young Investigator Award at Tokyo in Japan for his research paper on 'the prevalence of Hepatitis-B in India with special reference to Ayurveda management submitted at the VIII Japan Society of Hepatology Conference, held at the International Medical Centre of Japan.

December 8, 2009: BCCI Best Overall Performance Award: Punjab Cricket Association
The Punjab Cricket Association has received the best Overall Performance trophy instituted by the BCCI for its affiliated member associations for being the most organized cricket at the junior level and the spread throughout the state has resulting in winning most of the junior cricket tournaments held under the aegis of BCCI.

December 8, 2009: Global MAKE award: Wipro
Wipro Technologies has bagged the 2009 Global MAKE award for its achievement in 'developing knowledge workers through senior management leadership and 'creating an environment for collaborative knowledge sharing.' Wipro has won this award for third time.

Global MAKE Awards are administered by Teleos, an independent research firm based out of the UK since 1998. Wipro is the only Indian company to be awarded the Asian MAKE Award seven times in a row and also the prestigious winner of the Indian MAKE Award, five times since the inception of the award.


December 8, 2009: Asian Film Culture Award : Amitabh Bachchan
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has been decorated with Asian Film Culture Award founded by the Asian Film Foundation. Sri Bachchan holds the record for most number of best actor nominations at Filmfare Awards.



The Past recipients of this award were Adoor Gopalakrishnan, 2009 (India), Park Kwang Su, 2008 (South Korea), Tapan Sinha, 2007 (India), Majid Majidi, 2005 (Iran), Kanneto Shindo, 2004 (Japan), Mrinal Sen, 2003 (India) and Lester Junes Peries, 2002 (Sri Lanka).

Chairman of the Asian Film Foundation - Kiran Shantaram.


December 9, 2009: Asiatic Society Award: Sheikh Hasina
Asiatic Society of Kolkata has chosen Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the Indira Gandhi Gold Plaque 2009. The Asiatic Society, Kolkata, awards the Indira Gandhi Gold Plaque annually to an eminent person of global repute for significant contribution to international understanding or human progress or for inter-cultural cooperation. The award was introduced in 1985 and former Swedish premier late Olof Palme was the first recipient. Amongst the other recipients are Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela.

December15, 2009: Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award: Sunil Mittal
Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Group CEO of Bharti Enterprises has been bestowed upon with the prestigious Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration, Academics and Management 2009. He was selected in recognition of his quality business leadership & his contribution to the uplift of rural poor and contributed to the growth of academic excellence with Indian ethos.

The earlier recipients of this Award have been Prof CK Prahalad, Dr E Sreedharan, Dr MS Swaminathan, Dr Naresh Trehan, Dr CP Srivastava, Ms Ela R Bhatt, Dr RA Mashelkar, Mr N R Narayana Murthy and Mr Sam Pitr

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97th Indian Science Congress

Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, inaugurated the 97th Indian Science Congress at Thiruvananthapuram. This is a tradition that India's Prime Minister inaugurates the Indian Science Congress every year on 3rd January & is chaired by Chief Minister of the respective state where this congress is organised.

Indian Science Congress Association
On the lines of British Association for the Advancement of Science, two British Chemists Professor J. L. Simonsen and Professor P.S. MacMahon established the Indian Science Congress Association to promote scientific research in India. Its first meeting was held in 1914 at the Asiatic Society, Calcutta. Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, who was Vice Chancellor of Calcutta University at that time was the first president of Indian Science Congress.

What is Organized?
Plenary lectures are delivered by the eminent scientists and Nobel laureates which provide broader international perspective and create awareness about the role of science in the society A science exhibition is organised which showcases the latest developments in the field of science and technology.

Some Intersting Facts:

1. Title of the Presidential Message this year was : Science & Technology of 21st Century - National Perspective
2. Last Indian Science Congress was organised in Shillong, in January 2009.
3. The Silver Jubilee Session of the Science Congress was held at Calcutta in 1938 under the Presidentship of Lord Rutherford of Nelson but due to his sudden death, Sir James Jeans took the chair. It was at this Jubilee Session that the participation of foreign scientists in session of the Indian Science Congress was first initiated.
4. Golden Jubilee was celebrated in October, 1963 at Delhi with Prof.D.S. Kothari as General President.
5. The Diamond Jubilee Session of the Science Congress was held at Chandigarh in January 3-9, 1973, under the Presidentship of Dr.S.Bhagavantam.
6. Seventy Fifth year of its incepton, popularly called otherwise, Platinum Jubilee was celebrated in 1988, with Prof.C.N.R.Rao as General President. Keeping this in view, a special brochure, entitled "Indian Science Congress Association-Growth & Activities" was published so as to highlight the programmes of the Association over the years.
7. The 34th Annual Session of the Indian Science Congress was held at Delhi in January 3-8,1947 with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India, as General President.
8. In 1976, Dr.M.S.Swaminathan, the then General President of ISCA introduced the Focal Theme of national relevence which is now discussed in every section, committee and forum during the annual session. ISCA has now become a platform where members from different disciplines and from different walks of life can contribute to discussions on the Focal Theme

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Shivshankar Menon is new National Security Adviser

Former Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon will be the fourth incumbent, succeeding M.K. Narayanan who has already been designated as the West Bengal Governor. Sources said that Shivshankar Menon might take charge on January 23.

The government on Thursday issued orders appointing Shiv Shankar Menon as the next National Security Adviser.

Mr. Menon, who retired as Foreign Secretary last year, will be the fourth incumbent, succeeding M.K. Narayanan, who has already been designated as West Bengal governor. He will take charge from Mr. Narayanan as soon as the latter demits office. Sources told The Hindu this would most likely be on January 23.

The NSA's post was created in 1998 to oversee the management of national security, both in the immediate term and long term. Brajesh Mishra was the first NSA till 2004, and was succeeded by J.N. Dixit, who died in harness in January 2005.

One of the executive functions of the NSA is to serve as chairman of the executive council of the Nuclear Command Authority. In recent years, the NSA has emerged as the Prime Minister's chief negotiator in strategic talks with the big powers.

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Ten rockets fired to study solar eclipse

The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) launched a total of 10 Rohini series indigenous sounding rockets from the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station here and the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota to investigate the effects of the longest annular solar eclipse of this millennium, which occurred on Friday, on the earth’s atmosphere.

On Thursday, the VSSC launched two sounding rockets each of the type RH 300 Mk II and RH 200, and on Friday, three sounding rockets of the type RH 300 Mk II and two sounding rockets of RH 200 from Thumba. The RH 300 Mk II rockets can shoot to a peak altitude of 116 km above the earth and the RH 200 to a peak altitude of 70 km.

The VSSC also launched a larger Rohini rocket of the RH 560 Mk II series from Sriharikota on Friday. These rockets are capable of reaching a peak altitude of 548 km.

The eclipse assumed annular condition at 1.14 p.m. over Thumba. The maximum obscuration of 91 per cent of the sun occurred at 11.15 p.m. The annular phase of the eclipse lasted about 11 minutes and eight seconds over Thumba.

The firing of the sounding rockets was scheduled so as to collect relevant data on atmospheric structure and dynamics at different altitudes from the earth before, during and after the eclipse.

“Many scientifically interesting phenomena occur in the diurnal equatorial atmosphere [during an eclipse]. Equatorial electrojet, equatorial ionisation anomaly, and equatorial temperature and wind anomaly are examples of such phenomena.

“When a solar eclipse occurs, there will be a sudden cut-off of solar radiation. This cut-off will affect the atmospheric structure and dynamics and there will be a large reduction in ionisation and temperature.

“Today’s eclipse offered a unique opportunity to scientists to investigate the effects of fast varying solar flux on the photochemistry and electrodynamics of the different atmospheric regions, especially the equatorial mesopause and ionosphere-thermosphere regions,” the VSSC said.

The results of the experiments would be correlated with ground-based eclipse observations.

The interpretation of the eclipse data together with the space data is expected to give new insights into earlier eclipse observations as well, the VSSC said.

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Indira Gandhi Peace Award conferred to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasin

President Mrs. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil conferred Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2009 on Prime Minister of Bangladesh Mrs. Sheikh Hasina at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion Mrs. Patil said that India is committed to strengthen the relationship with Bangladesh and believe that both countries have to determination to forge stronger bonds of cooperation and trust.

Mrs. Patil said that both countries have common challenges which require close cooperation with each other. She said that India which is itself a target of terrorism will support Bangladesh in fighting divisive forces.

Accepting the Prize, Bangladesh Prime Minister Mrs. Sheikh Hasina said that India and Bangladesh are committed to peace as was also conceived by Indira Gandhi. She said India's success with peace and progress is due largely to the strength of her democracy, nurtured under the stewardship of great and visionary leaders.

Mrs Hasina said that India and Bangladesh have a shared history, common values and ways of life and she will take to these relationship to a higher and meaningful level.

Earlier, speaking on the occasion Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh appreciated Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina's initiatives for socio economic developments of Bangladesh. UPA Chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi also spoke on the occasion.

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Heads of important Government Offices,Institutions / Other organizations

Heads of important Government Offices,Institutions / Other organizations



1. Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India: K. G. Balakrishnan
2. Chairman of Sangeet Natak Academy: Ram Niwas Mirdha
3. President of Sahitya Academy: Sunil Gangopadhyay
4. Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharti of India: Baljeet Singh Lalli
5. Chairman of the Planning Commission of India : Dr. Manmohan Singh
6. Deputy chairman of the Planning Commission of India: Montek Singh Ahluwalia
7. President of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII): Venu Srinivasan
8. Director General of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII): Chandrajeet Banerjee
9. President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industries (FICCI): Harsh Pati Singhania
10. President of National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM): Som Mittal
11. Chairman of National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM): Pramod Bhasin
12. Chairman of National School of Drama: Amal Allana
13. Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG): Vinod Rai
14. Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC): Pratyush Sinha
15. Director General of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research: Samir K. Brahmachari
16. Director of Indian Agriculture Research Institute(IARI): Hari Shankar Gupta
17. Chairman of the Election Commission / Chief Election Commissioner: Naveen Chawla
18. Attorney General of India: Goolam E. Vahanwati
19. Solicitor General of India : Gopal Subramanium
20. Law minister to the Government of India :- M. Veerappa Moily
21. Chairman of Life Insurance Corporation of India: T.S. Vijayan
22. Chairman cum Managing Director of (CMD) of General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC):Yogesh Lohia
23. Chairman of Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority (IRDA): J. Hari Narayan
24. Chairman of National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD): Umesh Chandra Sarangi
25. Chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC): S. K. Thorat
26. Chairman of Press Trust of India (PTI): Viajy Kumar Chopra
27. Governor of Reserve Bank of India: D. Subbarao
28. Chairman of the State Bank of India: O.P. Bhatt
29. Secretary General of Lok Sabha: P.D.T. Achary
30. Speaker of the Lok Sabha: Meira Kumar
31. Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha: Kariya Munda
32. Chairman of the Rajya Sabha: Mohammad Hamid Ansari
33. Deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha: K. Rahaman Khan
34. Secretary –General of the Rajya Sabha: Vivek Agnihotri
35. Chairperson of the Children Film Society of India: Nandita Das
36. Chairman of National Film Development Corporation of India: Om Puri
37. Chairman of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC): D. P. Aggarwal
38. Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI): Dr. J.S. Sarma
39. Cabinet Secretary to the Government of India: K. M. Chandrashekhar
40. Chairman of Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI): C. B. Bhave
41. President of ASSOCHAM: Swati Piramal
42. Central Information Commissioner (CIC): Presently vacant
43. Chief of the Army Staff: Deepak Kapoor
44. Chief of the Air Staff: P. V. Naik
45. Chief of the Naval Staff: Nirmal Kumar Verma
46. Chief of the Integrated Defense staff: Suresh Chand Mukul
47. Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI): Ashwini Kumar
48. Chairman of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO): K. Radhakrishnan
49. Chairman of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB): Amrita Patel

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PM to Inaugurate Pravasi Bharatiya Divas-2010

The next Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) will be held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on 07-09 January 2010. The high-profile convention will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India on 8th January. The President of India will deliver the valedictory address on 9th January and would confer Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards for 2010.

The 8th edition of this flagship event of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs has been differently structured this time around with a view to provide the delegates with an opportunity to interact with:

(i) Cabinet Ministers from India on matters of interest and concern to them.

(ii) PIO Ministers/dignitaries from other countries on the expectations and aspirations of the overseas Indian community from the land of their ancestors and how they could work towards strengthening the relationship between India and the country of their residence.

(iii) Chief Ministers on issues their States need to attend on priority and facilities and incentives available in their states for the overseas Indian community.

The PBD-2010 will have four concurrent sessions on: ‘Investment’, ‘Knowledge’, ‘Philanthropy’ and ‘Gender Issues’. It will also see the launching of an annual lecture series under the overarching theme of ‘India and its Diaspora: Everlasting Bonds of Togetherness’. On cards is also a Golf Tournament and seminars on Nano-Technology and property related issues of NRIs/PIOs.

The 8th PBD is being organised by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), in partnership with the Government of NCT of Delhi. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) would be the institutional partner. Online registration would start from 15th September, 2009. Further details would be available on the website of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (www.moia.gov.in).

The PBD conventions provide the largest platform to the PIOs and NRIs for exchange of views and networking on matters of common interest. Among the decisions taken by the Government of India as a result of wider consultations held at these Conventions, are formulation of the Overseas Citizenship of India, establishment of Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre, conceptualisation of PIO University, formation of Prime Minister’s Global Advisory Council of People of Indian Origin, setting up of the India Development Foundation, enabling professionals holding Overseas Citizens of India cards to practice in India, launching of the Global Indian Network of Knowledge (Global-INK) and the issuance of a smart cards for Indian workers working abroad.

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Copenhagen climate summit: UN admits to 'trust issues' between rich and poor countries

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, has admitted to “trust issues” between rich and poor countries at the Copenhagen climate change conference.

Ban Ki-Moon said there are 'trust issues' between rich and poor countries Photo: AP But he is

confident of getting international leaders to reach a deal to limit their countries’ carbon emissions at the talks, he said.

He also announced that £6.2 billion in aid to poor countries would be set aside and put down in international law within six months.

The announcement comes after talks at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December broke down earlier this week.



"We have been talking a lot most recently with developing countries and small island developing states. They are the most concerned countries and they seem to agree to this idea of $10bn," he told The Guardian.

"I have been very consciously engaging with developing countries. Even if there have been some trust issues, we have been bridging this gap as much as we can. This is what I am going to continue to do."

A replacement for the 1997 Kyoto protocol, which expires in 2012, is supposed to be negotiated at the summit.
 
Mr Ban said that the essence of the Kyoto agreement – that industrialised countries take responsibility for global warming – would survive.



But he added that he was still waiting for rich industrialised countries to promise steeper emissions cuts.

"Now we are approaching this end-game and I am sure people will come out with more serious targets," he said. "Not all developed countries have come out with ambitious targets."

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Oscars at the 81 st Academy Awards

                                    Oscars at the 81 st Academy Awards


'Slumdog Millionaire' sweeps eight Oscars at the 81 st Academy Awards including Best Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Sound Mixing, Film Editing, Original Score, Original Song, Direction and Motion Picture. Indian music maestro A R Rahman brings home two awards with his Jai Ho... composition.

THE OSCAR WINNERS...

Best Picture: Producer Christian Colson for Slumdog Millionaire. “It has been collaboration between hundreds of people. All of us are here to share this moment. This was an extraordinary journey,” says the Slumdog... team.


Best Direction: Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire


Best Original Song: A R Rahman and Gulzar for ‘Jai Ho...’ (Slumdog Millionarie)


The Indian music maestro, Rahman wooed the audience with ‘O Saya’ and ‘Jai Ho...’ the nominated songs from ‘Slumdog...’, as the nominees for Best Original Song were being announced.


Best Original Score: A R Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire . “I have nothing but my mother and she is there with me. I thank her for making me coming all this way with her blessings,” said a proud Rahman.


Editing: Chris Dickens for Slumdog Millionaire


Best Sound Mixing: Ian Tapp, Resul Pookutty and Richard Pryke for Slumdog Millionaire. “This is just not a sound award, but a history being handed over,” said Indian receiver Pookutty.


Best Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle for Slumdog Millionaire


Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire. “The cast and crew of the film told me so much about India and writing,” said a proud Beaufoy.


Best Documentary Short Subject: Megan Mylan for Smile Pinki


Best Actor in a Leading Role: Sean Penn for Milk.


Best Actressin a Leading Role: Kate Winslet for The Reader. Breathless Kate confessed experiencing the fainting feeling just like Penelope Cruz. She shouted onstage and waved at her father. She said, “I want to thank my family as they love me the way I am and lets me do what I want to.” By the time she finished her speech she was already in tears.


Best Foreign Language Film: Departures (Japan)


Best Sound Editing: Richard King for The Dark Knight


Best Visual Effects: Eric Barba for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button


Best Documentary Feature Film: James Marsh for Man on Wire


Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight . It was a special moment for actor’s family - mother Sally, father Kim and sister Kate who came to receive the trophy on Ledger’s behalf.


Best Live action short film: Jochen Alexander for Spielzeugland Toyland


Best Make-up: Greg Cannom for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button


Best Costume Design: Michael O’Connor for The Duchess


Best Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Animated Short Film: Kunio Kato for La Maison En Petits Cubes


Best Animated Feature: Andrew Stanton for Wall-E


Best Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black for Milk


Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona. “Has anyone fainted here, may be I will be the first one,” exclaimed Penelope immediately after receiving the award.

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