December Current Affairs 2010

·        The government approved additional capital infusion of Rs 6,000 crore in 10 public sector banks with an objective to raise its holding to a minimum 58 per cent in all state-run banks.  The government has already announced infusion of Rs 15,000 crore in the Budget to ensure that capital adequacy ratio of all the public sector banks increase to 7 per cent.

·        The World Bank has approved a USD 45 million technical assistance loan for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to help improve its operational efficiency.

·        Lt Gen A S Lamba, a senior Artillery officer, will take over as new Army Vice Chief. Lamba, replacing Lt Gen P C Bharadwaj who retired from service on November 30.

·        B Saroja Devi has been chosen for the prestigious N T Rama Rao National Film Award for 2009. Noted director K Raghavendra Rao has been chosen for the B N Reddy National Film Award while media baron and film producer Ch Ramoji Rao has been chosen for the Nagireddy- Chakrapani National Award instituted by the Andhra Pradesh.

·        India to provide Rs 7.83 cr in assistance to Nepal. India has stepped up efforts to boost health and educational infrastructure in Nepal, which is still reeling under the impact of the decade-long Maoists insurgency that ended in 2006, with an assistance of Rs 7.83 crore.

·        Water and Power Consultancy Services (WAPCOS) was conferred with Mini Ratna status.

·        World number three Novak Djokovic and the unheralded Viktor Troicki swept Serbia to an historic first Davis Cup title overturning an overnight deficit to beat nine-time winners France 3-2.

·        Ace Indian marksman Gagan Narang ended the year 2010 as the number one Asian shooter, according to the latest rankings issued by Asian Shooting Confederation.

·        India and the Arab Nations will soon become major trading partners, exhibiting significant improvement in two-way trade and is expected to reach $120 billion by 2010–11 and $240 billion by 2014," industry body CII today said in its report.

·        India ranks fourth in Asia and tenth in the world in plant diversity.

·        Saina Nehwal wins Hong Kong Super Series by defeating Shixian Wang of China to clinch her third Super Series title of the year(2010) at the Hong Kong Open.

Latest Current Affairs - 2010

·        India lags behind several developing countries in terms of doing business, but is ahead of China. It is ranked 77th in the Forbes Best Countries for Business list.

·        Movie moghul D. Ramanaidu, a veteran producer with 130 films in a dozen languages in five decades, has been conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award for 2009 for rendering outstanding contribution to the world of Indian cinema.

·        The Planning Commission has finalised a Rs 13,742-crore Integrated Action Plan (IAP) for Naxal-affected districts.The scope of IAP, earlier envisaged to cover 35 Naxal-affected districts, has been widened to cover governance reforms and devolution of power to grassroot institutions in 60 districts over the next three fiscal.

·        Former Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman and one of the guiding lights behind India's first nuclear test, Homi Nusserwanji Sethna has died.

·        The International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's concessionary lending arm, has approved a $220 million credit to support rebuilding efforts in areas affected by the 2008 Kosi floods in Bihar. The Bihar Kosi Flood Recovery Project will finance flood recovery efforts through the reconstruction of about 100,000 houses, 90 bridges and 290 kilometres of rural roads.

·        Miss Mexico Jimena Navarrete, 22, was crowned Miss Universe 2010, beating off competition from 82 contestants including Miss India.

·        Japan approved an $ 11 billion stimulus package to tackle deflation and shore up a recovery threatened by the surging yen, as the government heaped pressure on the central bank to do more.

·        After becoming the first state to accord the status of second official language to Sanskrit, Uttarakhand has now finalised a proposal to have signboards of names of places, departments and officials in the language, a move aimed at making it popular among common people.

·        Julia Gillard becomes Australia's first female and 27th prime minister prime minister.

·        China successfully launched its "SinoSat-6" satellite for live radio and television broadcast from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The satellite was carried on the Long March 3B rocket which took the SinoSat-6 into a geostationary transfer orbit 26 minutes after the launch.

·        Japan said it has detected its first case of an antibiotic-resistant "superbug" that surfaced in South Asia and has triggered a global health alert.

·        India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was nominated as Uttarakhand's first honorary wildlife warden as part of the hill state's tiger conservation campaign.

·        The Punjab government has approved a new media policy providing more facilities to journalists in the state. Under the new policy, 286 accredited journalists will get an insurance cover of Rs five lakh. The state government has also set up Rs 10 crore 'Punjab Chief Minister Relief Fund' for media persons.

·        Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries has been ranked second in the list of world's 10 biggest 'sustainable value creators' -- companies that have been successful in creating the most shareholder value over the last decade -- prepared by Boston Consulting Group.

·        Srilanka defeated India to win the Triangular Series 2010 held in Srilanka.

·        Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries has been ranked second in the list of world's 10 biggest 'sustainable value creators' -- companies that have been successful in creating the most shareholder value over the last decade -- prepared by Boston Consulting Group.

·        The Parliament of Sri Lanka passes the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka which removes the two-term limit on the presidency and allows him to choose the judges and commissioners monitoring elections, human rights, and other affairs.

Current Affairs April 2010- III

·        The World Bank has sanctioned USD 4.9-billion (over Rs 22,000 crore) loans to India in 2009-10 for 14 schemes and projects undertaken by the government. In the last financial year (April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010), the World Bank has extended 14 loans to the government schemes or projects with total assistance of USD 4,901.8 million.(Go for April CA Part -I,II)

·        Lin Dan wins Asian badminton men's singles title, while compatriot Xuerui Li won the title in the women's singles at the Siri Fort stadium in Delhi.

·        To mark the completion of 60 years of diplomatic relations with India, the 'Year of Germany in India' will be held in 2011.

·        The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, announced that India has decided to set up a 'Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership'. The centre will consist of four schools dealing with advanced nuclear energy system studies, nuclear security, radiation safety, and the application of radioisotopes and radiation technology in the areas of healthcare, agriculture and food.

·        Veteran Hindustani vocalist Dr Chandrashekhar Rele passed away.

·        Bollywood actress Vidya Balan, parliamentarian Priya Dutt and boxer MaryKom were among those who were honoured with the 'Tejaswini' award for young women achievers. The awards, an initiative of the Young FICCI Ladies Organisation, honours women for their achievements in various fields, from social activism to entrepreneurship.

·        Pankaj Advani completed a hat-trick of titles at the Asian Billiards championship after edging past Singapore's Peter Gilchrist 6-5 in the closely fought final.

·        Ratan Tata retains his position as India Inc’s top dog. The Economic Times Corporate Dossier magazine not only voted Mr Tata as India Inc’s Most Powerful CEO for 2009, second year running, but also India Inc’s CEO of the Decade.

·        Maharashtra has outnumbered Britain and Mexico in receiving queries under the RTI Act, the State Information Commission has said. "In 2009, Maharashtra received 4,40,728 queries of RTI while Britain received 90,000 and Mexico 1,25,000 under a similar legislation," the Commission said in a recent report.

·        Globally renowned management guru C K Prahalad passed away.

·        Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata launched ‘Kamorta’ the first Anti Submarine Warfare Corvette (ASWC) for the Indian Navy on April 19.

·        Surat, which polishes almost more than 95 per cent of the world's diamonds, is poised to become the assorting and trading hub for the precious jewel stone in the next 3-4 years.

·        Indian government has constructed four schools in remote Nepalese districts at a cost of Rs 37.75 million and extended an additional grant of Rs 11 million for building another educational institution in the country.

·        The Tamil Nadu government announced a self-employment scheme with a project outlay of Rs 100 crore, targeting 10,000 persons even as it brought 15 vocations under the ambit of government subsidy for this purpose

·        Noted Indian author Amitav Ghosh has won the prestigious Dan David Prize for his remarkable reworking of the great tradition of the Western novel in transnational terms.

·        Indonesia aims to double its bilateral trade with India to around USD 20 billion in the next five years.

·        The government is understood to have approved India's commitment to opening up trade in commercial services and investment with members of the Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA), including China. APTA, earlier known as the Bangkok Agreement, is the oldest but least known Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) among the developing countries of Asia Pacific. Signed in 1975, its members include Bangladesh, China, India, Laos, South Korea and Sri Lanka.

·        Bangladesh has lifted a four-decade ban on Indian films in a bid to boost attendances at cinemas.

·        A leading Indian-origin Labour MP, Virendra Sharma has been chosen for the V K Krishna Menon Award 2010, for his outstanding contribution towards political, social and economic advancement of the deprived sections of the British community.

·        The United Nations has honoured President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives with its highest award for environmental leadership. Nasheed was among six people to receive the 2010 Champions of the Earth award at the Business 4 Environment conference in Seoul.

April Current Affairs 2010

·        The World Bank has agreed to give USD 1 billion loan to India for various developmental projects in urban areas. "World Bank has agreed in principle to give us USD 1 billion (Rs 5000 crore) for implementing various schemes under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM),".

·        India and Bangladesh decided to set up a joint Sundarbans Eco-System Forum to protect and preserve the world heritage site from the impact of climate change.

·        In a significant step in taking their bilateral relations to a new level, India and China have signed an agreement to establish a hotline between Prime Ministers of the two countries. 

·        President Barack Obama has appointed Chandigarh-born Srinija Srinivasan, 40, one of the three co-founders of Yahoo! Inc, as a member of the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars.

·        Government appointed former BSF Director General E N Rammohan to inquire into the circumstances leading to the ambush by Naxalites in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh in which 75 CRPF men were killed.

·        With the wealth gap widening between the rich and poor following opening up of its economy, China is considering to levy social security tax in an effort to narrow the gap in income distribution.

·        Assam government launched an ambitious scheme aimed at uplifting the economic condition of elderly women living below poverty line. The two schemes -- 'Baideu' (elder sister) and 'Nabou' (sister-in-law) -- under the social welfare department were formally launched by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

·        Targeting to provide electricity to about 3,000 villages in remote areas by using solar power, Orissa government said it would spend Rs 200 crore for the project.

·        Taking its anti-smoking drive forward, the government on Thursday banned foreign direct investment (FDI) in cigarette manufacturing in the country.

·        Analjit Singh, the founder and chairman of Max India, a diversified business group with interests in healthcare, IT services, and financial services, is India's highest individual taxpayer. He paid advance tax of Rs 99.7 crore (Rs 997 million). Asim Ghosh, the former CEO of Vodafone Essar, is the second-highest taxpayer in India in 2009-10. He paid an advance tax of Rs 75.4 crore (Rs 754 million) this year, as compared to Rs 7.2 crore (Rs 72 million) in 2008-09. Indrani Patnaik who paid advance tax of Rs 75 crore (Rs 750 million) is the nation's third highest taxpayer.

·        The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) hosted first-ever carbon-neutral match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians clashed in the Indian Premier League tournament.

·        Uttar Pradesh government has banned display of elephants and other wild animals at public places, including in rallies and religious gatherings, and violators would attract a maximum sentence of a three-year imprisonment and fine.

·        Iran's atomic chief said that Tehran has successfully tested a third generation of centrifuges capable of enriching uranium six times faster than those presently installed at its Natanz plant.

·        Arjun Bajpayee, who at 16 hopes to become the youngest climber in the world to scale the world's tallest summit, 8,848 metre high Mount Everest, has left for the region to start his ascent.

·        Making a breakthrough in the US, Reliance Industries said it will invest USD 1.7 billion in a joint venture with Atlas Energy Inc to produce gas from shale, sedimentary rocks, in Marcellus region.

Essay Writing in Bank Exams - 2010

Q) Write an essay on ‘Below Poverty Line in India’?

The Planning Commission of India recently adopted the Tendulkar Committee's methodology for poverty estimate that includes spends on education and health besides food, taking the number of the poor to a whopping 37.2 per cent from 27.5 per cent estimated earlier in 2004. This means that India now has 100 million more people living below the poverty line than in 2004.

National estimates of the percentage of the population falling below the poverty line are based on surveys of sub-groups, with the results weighted by the number of people in each group.

Definitions of poverty vary considerably among nations. For example, rich nations generally employ more generous standards of poverty than poor nations. What does poverty in India actually mean? It is difficult for those living in an industrialised country to truly appreciate the level of poverty in our country.

In the West, even those living in poverty can live in well-constructed dwellings, with heating, clean running water, indoor toilet facilities, access to health care, and even a vehicle. But such luxuries are a distant dream for India's poor.

The earlier definition of India's poverty was based on calorie intake, according to which only 27.5 per cent of people were living below the poverty line as on March 1, 2004 and the number of BPL families were about 6.5 crore (65 million).

As per the methodology suggested by the Tendulkar report, the number would swell to 37.2 per cent of the total population and the number of BPL families to about 8.1 crore (81 million). The new poverty estimate which would reflect the impact of high growth recorded during the decade, would be available in 2011. The computation of the number of BPL families at the this stage assumes significance in view of the government's decision to enact the food security law under which 25 kg of foodgrain at Rs 3 per kg would be provided every month to a BPL family.

The EGoM on food, which had cleared the draft of the Food Security Bill last month, was reportedly asked by United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi to have a re-look at the proposal and consider the possibility of raising the highly subsidised monthly foodgrain allocation to 35 kg from 25 kg and increasing the number of beneficiaries. Currently, a ration card holder is entitled to 35 kg of food grain every month. The Indian government spends only 1 per cent of its gross domestic product on healthcare facilities.

The government has found that 100 million more Indians are actually living below the poverty line than previously thought. Over 370 million Indians -- 40 per cent of the population -- are now eligible for subsidised food supplies.

According to the World Bank, more people are living in extreme poverty in developing countries than previously thought as it adjusted the recognised yardstick for measuring global poverty to $1.25 a day from $1.The poverty-fighting institution said there were 1.4 billion people -- a quarter of the developing world -- living in extreme poverty on less than $1.25 a day in 2005. Last year, the World Bank said there were 1 billion people living under the previous $1 a day poverty mark.

India's official poverty measure has long been based solely upon the ability to purchase a minimum recommended daily diet of 2,400 kilocalories (kcal) in rural areas where about 70 percent of people live, and 2,100 kcal in urban areas. Rural areas usually have higher kcal requirements because of greater physical activity among rural residents.

The National Planning Commission, which is responsible for the estimate, currently estimates that a monthly income of about Rs 356 (about $7.74) per person is needed to provide the required diet in rural areas and Rs 539 in urban areas. Factors such as housing, healthcare and transportation are not taken into account in the poverty estimates. The estimate is derived from the National Sample Survey, which measures monthly per capita consumer expense every five years.

The below poverty line population is currently estimated at 29 per cent in rural areas and 26 per cent in urban areas. The World Bank estimates that 1.4 billion people live below an income of $1.25 per day and that 2.6 billion live below the $2 level worldwide.

According to oneworld.net, despite sustained high gross domestic product growth in India, latest estimates of global poverty by World Bank suggest that India has more people living below $2 than even sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the Bank's new estimates, India is home to roughly one-third of all the poor in the world.

Source: Rediff

Current Affairs Quiz 2010 - 63

1.      A/c to the new report of ‘Global Economic Prospects 2010’, World Bank pegged India’s GDP growth at _____ in 2010-11?

a)7.2%     b)7.5%    c)7.75%    d)8%    e)none

2.      Who has been elected as the President of Chile?

a)Michelle Bachelet    b)Eduardo Frei Ruiz    c)Ricardo Lagos   d)Sebastián Piñera  e)none

3.      With which country India signed an agreement for exploring oil and gas, as also decided to strengthen co-operation in the information technology sector. Besides, they decided to work for enhancing the trade volume to $1 billion by 2012?

a)Nigeria     b)Finland      c)Saudi Arabia    d)Hungary    e)none

4.      Sujit Kumar had recently passed away, he was a famous __________?

a)Actor     b)Politician     c)Painter     d)Economist    e)none

5.      The 2009 AIMA-JRD Tata Corporate Leadership Award was presented to _______?

a)Sunil Mittal     b)Rahul Bajaj     c)Venu Srinivasan    d)OP Bhatt   e)K M Birla

6.      Who has been selected for the prestigious 17th Ekalabya Award for the year 2009?

a)K Ravi Kumar     b)Monisha Mohanty    c)Amiya Kumar    d)Baijayant Panda    e)none

7.      Expand WANO?

a)Wide Area Network Operator

b)World Authority Nuclear Operators

c)World Association of Nuclear Organization

d)World Association of Nuclear Operators

e)none

8.      To which state World Bank has agreed to give a $450 million loan to supplement the state government efforts for sustainable environment growth?

a)Delhi     b)Andhra Pradesh    c)Himachal Pradesh    d)Jammu and Kashmir    e)none

9.      According to U.S. Treasury data released on February 2010, which country has reduced its holdings of U.S. debt by $45 billion in the past five months?

a)Japan    b)Germany   c)UK   d) India     e)China

10. Which of the following states is called the ‘Tiger State’ of India?

a)Uttar Pradesh     b)Madhya Pradesh    c)Gujarat    d)Rajasthan    e)Maharashtra

11. Indian Economy can be described as ___________?

a)Capitalist Economy     b)Socialist Economy     c)Traditional Economy    d)Mixed Economy   e)All of these

12. Brett Lee, one of the fastest bowlers in the cricket, announced his retirement from Test Cricket. He belongs to which nationality?

a)England    b)New Zealand     c)Australia    d)South Africa    e)none

13. Which state has becomes first state in India to introduce a bill guaranteeing the right to health for all citizens?

a)Assam    b)Gujarat     c)Uttarakhand     d)Tamilnadu    e)none

14. Who among the following has been selected as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)?

a)Amitabh Bachhan     b)Katrina Kaif    c)M S Dhoni    d)Akshay Kumar    e)Sachin Tendulkar

15. The second meeting of Ministers of the four BASIC Group countries took place in ____?

a)Brasilia     b)Beijing     c)Mumbai     d)Cape Town   e)Delhi

16. With which country India has decided to jointly develop Solar city?

a)China    b)Bangladesh    c)US    d)Nepal   e)Japan

17. Which of the following is the first country in the world to build a nuclear-powered spacecraft for interplanetary flights?

a)India     b)US     c)China    d)Russia     e)Iran

18. Which of the following has become the third country in the world after US and Russia to possess missile interceptor technology designed to shoot down enemy missile in mid-air?

a)India    b)China     c)Japan     d)Iran      e)UK

19. What is the present Cash Reserve Ratio(CRR)?

a)5.0%     b)5.25%     c)5.75%     d)3.5%    e)none

20. Which of the following pairs in not correct?

a)Deodhar Trophy - Cricket

b)Subroto Cup - Football

c)Agha Khan Trophy – Hockey

d)Irani Cup – Football

e)All are correct

March Current Affairs II - 2010

·        Sikkim has emerged as topper in utilizing maximum funds in tourism infrastructure in the Eleventh Five Year Plan. Sikkim is followed by Jammu and Kashmir which has spent Rs 141.70 crores for the development of tourism in the state.(Go for Part -I)

·        China, the most populous country in the world, said it would continue with its over three-decade-old one-child policy to maintain low birth rate and pledged to intensity its "strategic research" on coping with an ageing population.

·        Veteran actor-filmmaker Chandrashekhar will be honoured with the Legend Award by the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy at it's annual function on April 30, the birth anniversary of the founder of Indian cinema.

·        United States has provided an assistance of USD 5 million to Nepal to supply 3,500 tons of staple food to country's poorest.

·        Japan has pledged to provide a financial aid of USD 11 million to Nepal to improve community access and strengthen infrastructure in the rural areas.

·        India pledged USD five million support to Chile for relief and rehabilitation work.

·        The Uranium Corporation of India (UCI) has proposed new uranium mines and processing plants at two sites in Andhra Pradesh and Meghalaya.

·        Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, is among 19 members chosen by UN chief Ban Ki-moon for a high-level advisory group on Climate Change Financing tasked with mobilising funds pledged during the Copenhagen meet to tackle global warming.

·        UNDP chief Helen Clarke visited India to review important of areas of cooperation between the UN body and India, including programmes under the NREGA and capacity building of women panchayat representatives.

·        ADAG-promoted Reliance Capital was ranked the top-most retirement fund manager overall by the EPFO for providing good returns and investing money in quality assets, while the state-owned SBI finished at the bottom. HSBC AMC and ICICI Pru AMC, which are the two other retirement fund managers, have been ranked second and third.

·        A/c to a World Bank study, India is the largest user of groundwater in the world, with an estimated use of 230 cubic kilometers of groundwater every year.

·        A nano satellite "Jugnu" built by students and faculty of IIT Kanpur, handed over to the Indian Space Research Organisation.

·        China and Pakistan will conduct a joint anti-terrorism military exercise in China this summer, the third such operation between the two countries. Top military officials of the two countries have already started discussions for the anti-terror exercise code-named "Friendship-2010,"

·        India ranks first in the world in exporting generic medicines. Orissa was the fifth state in the country and first in eastern India to have launched 'Jan Ausadhi Abhiyan', the national campaign to ensure universal reach of generic medicines. To provide cheaper medicinal drugs to the poor, the government will soon open 626 Jan Aushadhi outlets in state-run hospitals in all district headquarters of the country.

·        India ranked 56^th in Global Innovation Index, report launched by INSEAD in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Iceland tops the list. Sweden, Hongkong, Switzerland, Denmark as the second, third, fourth and fifth respectively. India rank 36^th in Company Spending on R&D. India ranks 41^st in Public Spending on R&D.

·        India ranked 123^rd position in environmental performance as indicated in 2010 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), report by from Yale University and Columbia University.

·        China has become the second largest industrial manufacturer in the world, says a United Nations Industrial Development Organization report. According to the report 'International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics 2010', two more developing countries - India and Brazil - figure in the list of top 10 industrial manufacturers globally at the ninth and tenth positions. Germany ranks fourth, followed by France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Russia. With this development, China unseats Japan(3) and is trailing behind the United States(1).

·        Uttar Pradesh tops the list of States and Union Territories with the highest number of 900 child rape cases in 2008 followed by Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

·        On 8^th March 2010, World celebrated 100^th International Women Day.