National:

Indira Gandhi Peace Prize presented to former Brazilian President Lula

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the former President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, was conferred the Indira
Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development. The prize has been awarded to Mr. Lula da Silva
for his outstanding contribution to the cause of eliminating hunger and promoting inclusive growth in Brazil,
for his advocacy of stronger ties among the developing economies and for his signal contribution to the
cause of the India-Brazil partnership. The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is
awarded annually to a person or organisation without any distinction of nationality, race or religion, in
recognition of creative efforts towards enlarging the scope of freedom and enriching the human spirit. It
consists of an award of Rs. 2.5 million and a trophy with a citation
Borlaug Award for IARI scientists
Borlaug Award 2012 has gone to K.V. Prabhu and Ashok Kumar Singh, scientists at the Indian Agriculture
Research Institute (IARI), for their contribution to food security through Basmati rice research and
development. Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, Chairman of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation and chair of
the five-member jury for the award, said the two scientists had been instrumental in producing high-yielding
strains of Basmati rice that have significantly boosted farmer incomes and helped them compete in the
international market. While Dr. Prabhu has been associated with crop improvement programmes of wheat,
barley, brassica and rice leading to the development of 14 varieties of rice, including Pusa Basmati 6 and
Pusa Basmati 1121, Dr. Singh has pioneered changes in basic and applied research in rice genetics and
breeding and was instrumental in improving the Pusa Basmati 1121 for resistance to blight and salinity
tolerance. The award, instituted in honour of Nobel Laureate Normal Borlaug by Coromandel International,
will be presented to the scientists on November 28 at a function in Delhi. The award carries a gold medal and
citation and a cash amount of Rs. 5 lakh which will be shared between the recipients
English compulsory in honours language courses in Jamia from 2013
Jamia Milia Islamia is planning to make studying English compulsory for students studying language courses
in honours to make them more competitive for the job market. The move, being planned from 2013, is part of
a number of academic measures the varsity is planning to introduce, Vice Chancellor Najeeb Jung said.
Studying Urdu will also be made compulsory for two years for all undergraduate courses from academic
session 2013-14 with credits counted for the subject. The move to introduce English as a compulsory subject
is being planned to make students studying honours courses in languages like Hindi, Persian, Arabic, Pashto
etc conversant in English, an ability that will help them better in job market.
50% hike in cigarette prices could save 4.1m Indian lives: ADB study
A 50% increase in cigarette prices in India will save 4.1 million lives due to tobacco use as 9.6 million people
will avoid taking to smoking or quit the habit altogether. While a 100% increase in prices of cigarettes in India
will avoid 8 million deaths due to tobacco consumption. According to a major study by the Asian
Development Bank (ADB), a 50% hike in prices by India along with China, the Philippines, Thailand and
Vietnam corresponding to a tax increase of about 70%-122% would reduce the number of current and future
smokers by nearly 67 million and reduce tobacco deaths by over 27 million. ADB also found that it will
generate over $24 billion in additional revenue annually a 143%-178% rise over each country's current
cigarette tax revenue. Two-thirds of the world's tobacco users live in only 15 countries, and five of these highburden countries are in Asia. In India annually, 10 lakh deaths are attributed to tobacco alone. It is estimated
that by 2020, tobacco use will account for 13% of all deaths in India every year. Almost 35% adults (15 years
and above) consume tobacco in India (47% men and 21% women).

Page 1 of 4
23rd November 2012

Ranjit Sinha is the next CBI Director

Senior IPS officer Ranjit Sinha was appointed the next Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation on a
two-year term. Mr. Sinha is now Director-General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. He has also headed the
Railway Protection Force and held senior posts in the CBI in Patna and Delhi. Mr. Sinha was appointed for a
period of two years. He will take over from A.P. Singh, who is retiring on November 30.
U.P. waives loans of 7.2 lakh farmers
Uttar Pradesh government has waived the loans of farmers who had taken up to Rs. 50,000 from the
cooperative rural development bank. The decision would benefit 7.2 lakh farmers. The announcement comes
on a day when the Samajwadi Party is celebrating its chief Mulayam Singh Yadavs 74th birthday in
Lucknow. Chief Minister said the loan waiver would be given to farmers, who have been sanctioned loan up
to Rs 50,000, and have deposited at least 10 per cent of the actual amount by March 31. Loan amounting to
around Rs 1650 crore would be waived off and would directly benefit around 7.2 lakh farmers.

International:
Tony Hall is BBC chief
Tony Hall, chief executive of the Royal Opera House, was appointed the BBCs Director-General to succeed
George Entwistle who was forced to quit after being in office for just 54 days paying the price for a story that
wrongly implicated a senior Tory politician in a child abuse case. Chris Patten, chairman of the BBC, said
Lord Hall, who worked for the corporation for more than two decades before moving to the Royal Opera
House in 2001, was the right person to lead the BBC out of its current crisis. Lord Hall (61), who will join in
March 2013.
Keith Vaz named most influential Asian in UK
Keith Vaz, the Indian-origin Labour MP, has emerged as Britain's most influential Asian in a list of 101
powerful people from the region, which includes the likes of steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, the billionaire
Hinduja Brothers and leading NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul. According to the GG2 Power 101, brought
out by the Garavi Gujarat Publications listing the 101 most influential Asians in the UK, has 56-year-old Vaz,
Labour MP from Leicester East and chairman of the powerful Home Affairs Select Committee, placed at No
1. Vaz has been a parliamentarian for over 25 years and was among the original modern gang of four ethnic
path-breaking politicians, including the late Bernie Grant, Paul Boateng and Dianne Abbott, who made it into
the House of Commons in 1987.
Holland to ban dangerous skunk marijuana from coffee shops
Holland is likely to ban skunk marijuana from coffee shops in the wake of fears that it is as dangerous as
heroin and cocaine. The decision will be a major blow to hundreds of coffee shop owners, many of them in
Amsterdam, who will have to replace around 80 percent of their stock with weaker varieties. Dutch Justice
Minister Ivo Opstelten wants the country''s famous licensed cafes to only sell cannabis containing less than
15 percent of the main active chemical. Presently, the country''s liberal laws allow customers to buy up to five
grammes (0.18 ounces) of marijuana for personal use in around 500 licensed cafes.
E-tracking: New constraint for Saudi women
Denied the right to travel without consent from their male guardians and banned from driving, women in
Saudi Arabia are now monitored by an electronic system that tracks any cross-border movements. Saudi
women's male guardians began receiving text messages on their phones informing them when women under
their custody leave the country, even if they are travelling together. Women are not allowed to leave the
kingdom without permission from their male guardian, who must give his consent by signing what is known
as the "yellow sheet" at the airport or border. Manal al-Sherif, who became the symbol of a campaign
launched in 2011 urging Saudi women to defy a driving ban, began spreading the information on Twitter,
after she was alerted by a couple.
Page 2 of 4
23rd November 2012

'Iron Dome' plays key role in intercepting Hamas rockets

Israel's anti-missile system popularly known as 'Iron Dome', has been described as an "unprecedented"
success, intercepting 85 per cent of rockets fired by Hamas in the recent conflict. The 'Iron Dome',
developed with technical and financial assistance from the US is Israel's frontline anti-missile system, with
the Jewish state developing it in tandem with a more sophisticated Arrow system. Israeli Defence Minister
Ehud Barak thanked his US counterpart Leon Panetta, for the American support of the 'Iron Dome' counterrocket system. 'Iron Dome' protected Israelis from the barrage of missile attacks by Hamas by successfully
intercepting them in the middle of the air. 'Iron Dome' system intercepted between 80-90 per cent of the
rockets being fired by Hamas and allied Palestinian groups from Gaza.
Crackdown on sham marriage scheme involving Indians in Australia
Authorities have cracked down on an alleged immigration racket in Queensland under which sham
marriages were organised between Indian men and Australian women to obtain visas. Authorities have
estimated that upto 50 visa applications could have been used for such weddings. A probe into the
allegations against a Queensland couple for allegedly running the scam led to search operations by
Australian Federal Police and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) at a few properties.
Nine of the properties were seized and some bank accounts linked to the scam were also said to be frozen.
DIAC treats allegations of immigration fraud seriously, and activities that undermine the integrity of the visa
regime will not be tolerated by Australian authorities.

Business & Economy:

Cabinet nod for 9.5 % stake sale in NTPC
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved sale of 9.5 per cent government stake in
NTPC, a listed Maharatna public sector undertaking (PSU) engaged in power generation. At current market
prices, the equity divestment is expected to fetch about Rs.13,000 crore.
SEBI allows trading of ETFs in SLB segment
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), has allowed liquid Index Exchange Traded Funds
(ETFs) eligible for trading in the Securities Lending and Borrowing (SLB) segment. Earlier, SEBI had allowed
only securities traded in the Futures & Options (F&O) segment for lending and borrowing of securities.
Securities lending is a loan of securities by a lender to a borrower for an agreed period. The lender earns
lending fee on securities lying idle, and the objective of the lender is to maximise returns on the portfolio.
Borrowers objective would be to use SLB to cover shortages and reverse arbitrage. SEBI has also stipulated
that position limits for SLB in respect of ETFs would be based on the assets under management of the
respective ETF.
RBI says no to Islamic Banking in India
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor D Subbarao has ruled out introduction of Islamic banking
in the country but said other methods for channelising funds based on the principles of Islamic law can be
looked at.
Centre clears national drug pricing policy
The Central Government, has, cleared the National Pharma- ceutical Pricing Policy that will bring 348
essential drugs under price control, leading to reduction in prices.The National Pharmaceutical Pricing policy
has been approved by the Cabinet with an objective to put in place a regulatory framework for pricing of
drugs to ensure their availability at reasonable prices. At present, the government through the National
Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) controls prices of 74 bulk drugs and their formulations.
Page 3 of 4
23rd November 2012

Technology:
Now,'Smart bag' to charge all your gadgets
Researchers claim to have developed the 'world's first smart bag' that can charge your electronic devices like
mobiles and laptops besides storing them. A Kickstarter project is helping to raise funds for the bag called
'Phorce'. The bag has a waterproof shell and specially designed pockets to safely hold all the big tablets on
the market. The bag pairs directly with your smartphone via Bluetooth. Using that connection, one can
monitor how much reserved power you're packing. The pairing can also work as a pseudo-tracking device.
For instance, if you accidentally forget your bag under a table at a coffee shop, for example, your phone will
remind you before you wander too far away.
Scientists 'undiscover' Pacific island, say it doesn't exist
A South Pacific island, shown on world maps, marine charts as well as on Google Earth, actually does not
exist, Australian scientists claim. The island, named Sandy Island on Google Earth allegedly sits between
Australia and New Caledonia in the south Pacific. The missing island has regularly appeared in scientific
publications since at least 2000. The discovery took place onboard the RV Southern Surveyor, Australia's
Marine National Facility research vessel, during a 25-day research trip in the eastern Coral Sea.
Scientists discover dwarf planet 'Makemake' sans atmosphere
Astronomers have discovered that a distant dwarf planet, about two thirds the size of Pluto, lacks
atmosphere. The planet 'Makemake' travels around the Sun in a distant path that lies beyond that of Pluto
but closer to the Sun than Eris, the most massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System. Previous
observations of chilly Makemake have shown it to be similar to its fellow dwarf planets, leading some
astronomers to expect its atmosphere, if present, to be similar to that of Pluto. But astronomers led by Jose
Luis Ortiz (Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, CSIC, Spain) in a new study have found that like Eris,
Makemake is not surrounded by a significant atmosphere. The team combined multiple observations using
three telescopes at European Southern Observatory's (ESO) La Silla and Paranal observing sites in Chile the Very Large Telescope (VLT), New Technology Telescope (NTT), and TRAPPIST (TRAnsiting Planets and
PlanetesImals Small Telescope) with data from other small telescopes in South America , to look at
Makemake as it passed in front of a distant star.

Sport:
Virender Sehwag completes ton of Test appearances
Opener Virender Sehwag has become the ninth Indian cricketer to complete a century of Test appearances
when he took the field here in the second match of the ongoing series against England. The 34-year-old
amassed 8,448 runs at an average of 50.89 and a staggering strike rate of 82.45. The swashbuckling
batsman has 23 hundreds under his belt over the last 12 years, including four double and two triple centuries
with a highest of 319 against South Africa at Chennai in March 2008. Apart from Sehwag, India's 100-Test
club includes Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip
Vengsarkar and Sourav Ganguly

Page 4 of 4
23rd November 2012