Latest Current Affairs - 2009

1. Chennai girl Anaka Alankamony, who recently became the world's youngest player to clinch the Women International Squash Players Association (WISPA) title, has been conferred the Young Achiever Award 2009 by the Rotary Club of Madras Northwest.

2. Environment Scientist R K Pachauri has been conferred with the 'Order of the Rising Sun --Gold and Silver Star' in recognition of his contribution to the enhancement of Japan's policy (Kyoto Protocol) towards climate change.

3. India and Nepal have signed an agreement to set up Pancheshwar Development Authority for the execution of 6400 MW multi-purpose hydel power project for water utilization between the two countries.

4. Senior journalist Pallava Bagla has been chosen for the prestigious Indian Nuclear Society's Science Communication Award for 2008.Bagla, Science Editor, NDTV, was selected for the award for his outstanding contributions in popularizing science and technology, particularly nuclear sciences.

5. Ace Indian woman squash player Dipika Pallikal has been nominated in the 'Young Player of the Year' category of the fifth annual World Squash awards.

6. European Union leaders have named Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy and Britain's Catherine Ashton as EU President.

7. The government cleared a Rs 7,266-crore package for the development of the drought-hit Bundelkhand region(It is a region divided b/w MP & UP) and decided to set up a monitoring group to oversee its implementation.

8. An Indian origin student Amia Parvati Srinivasan has been selected for the prestigious All Souls Fellowship at Oxford.

9. Actor Akshay Kumar has been nominated India's ambassador to the 2010 Olympic games in Canada.

10. Ramalinga Raju(Satyam) has been ranked as the world's fourth most outrageous CEO in 2009 on the list compiled by the Forbes while Sri Lankan-origin American hedge fund manager Raj Rajarathnam (third), former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain (2nd) and Goldman Sachs' Lloyd Blankfein (1st).

11. Roger Federer lost his hometown tournament, falling 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to Novak Djokovic in the Swiss Indoors final.

12. Indian Olympic Association chief Suresh Kalmadi re-elected unopposed as the president of Asian Athletic Association (AAA) in Guangzhou, China, to serve his third consecutive term at the office. Kalmadi was elected for another four-year term (2009-13) at the 18th General Body Meeting of the AAA, a day ahead of the 18th Asian Athletics Championships (November 10-14) to be held in the Chinese city.

13. Karur Vysya Bank had been awarded the "Banking Technology Excellence Awards - 2008" for Best use of IT for Customer Service in Semi-Urban and Rural Areas among Small Banks by Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology, Hyderabad.     

14. Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) had the highest per capita carbon emission while Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) and Asansol (West Bengal) had the lowest in 2007-08, according to an energy status report of 40 Indian cities.

15. President Pratibha Patil entered the record books by becoming the first woman head of state to fly in a frontline, multi-role fighter jet aircraft as she undertook a 30-minute sortie in a Russian made Sukhoi-30 MKI. A Sukhoi, India's most advanced fighter plane, can carry eight tonnes of armaments and fly over 3000 kms with onboard fuel and can undertake an extended journey of up to 5000 kms with a single air-to-air refueling.