Josh Magazine Current Affairs 1

Current Affairs PDF July 2012 Page 1
WWW.JAGRANJOSH.COM CURRENT AFFAIRS PDF JULY 2012
www.jagranjosh.com Current Affairs PDF July 2012

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Table of Contents
Pick of the Month........................................................................................................................9
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma became the First Female Chairperson of African Union

Commission ..........................................................................................................................9
Syrian Defence Minsiter, Dawoud Rajiha Killed in Suicide Bomb attack in Damascus, Syria ...9
SC banned Commercial and Tourism Activities near Jarawa Habitat ...................................10
Pranab Mukherjee won the Presidential Election 2012 .......................................................10
Indian Railways introduced new guidelines for booking of Tatkal tickets ............................12
Gagan Narang won Bronze inmen's 10 meter air rifle event at London Olympics ................12
sc Banned Tourism in Core Areas of Project Tiger Forests ...................................................13
Scientists identified First Radio Waves from Middleweight Black Hole HLX-1 ......................13
Assam’s Kokrajhar, Udalguri District Hit by Violence: Bodos & Muslims Clashed .................14
Derek O’ Brian became the First Anglo-Indian to Vote in Presidential Election ....................14
International .............................................................................................................................15
CII in Partnership with Govt of India and Afghanistan held Delhi Investment Summit .........15
PRI Leader Enrique Peña Nieto elected AS New President of Mexico ..................................16
Iran test-fired Medium Range Ballistic Missile Shahab-3 .....................................................17
Myanmar’s Vice President Tin Aung Myint Oo stepped down .............................................17
UNHRC adopted Resolution to protect the Online Human Rights of Global Citizens ............17
Tokyo Conference pledged to provide 16 Billion Dollar Aid to Afghanistan .........................18
ICC sentenced Congolese Warlord Thomas Lubanga to 14-Year Imprisonment ...................19
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Laos................................................20
Derek Mitchell assumed Charge as First US Ambassador to Myanmar since 1990 ...............20
Hillary Clinton visited Israel as Final Halt of her Trip to Asia ................................................21
India & Mozambique Signed Agreement on Bilateral Security Cooperation in Maputo,

Mozambique ......................................................................................................................21

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US made Visa Application Rules for Indians More Flexible ..................................................22
Maldives Ex-President, Mohamed Nasheed charged for judge's illegal arrest .....................22
US House of Representative voted to cut the US Aid to Pakistan by 650 Million Dollar .......23
China pledged 20 Billion Dollar Loan to Africa over the Next Three Years ...........................24
China, Russia Vetoed UN RESOLUTION: Situation intensified in Syria ..................................25
Hesham Kandil Appointed Egypt's New Prime Minister ......................................................25
India Called on All Nations to Cooperate and Bring End to Syria Crisis ................................26
India, Indonesia Signed Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement .........................................26
National ....................................................................................................................................27
Union Government of India unveiled New Free Drug Policy ................................................27
Delhi High Court scrapped TRAI’s Limit on the Number of Daily SMS-es .............................27
Union cabinet approved a Proposal to make Rape a Gender-Neutral Offence ....................28
SC reduced VIP quota for Haj pilgrimage from 5050 seats to 300 ........................................28
SC allowed Tamil Nadu to carry out Small Maintenance Works on the Mullaperiyar Dam...29
sc of India Modified Order on Rehabilitation of Sex Workers ..............................................29
Ministry of Women and Child Development drafted the National Policy for Children 2012 30
Government of India Launched Anti-Ragging Website ........................................................30
General Knowledge Quiz ...........................................................................................................31
Economy ...................................................................................................................................37
India’s Direct Tax Collections registered 47.16 per cent Increase in April-June 2012 ...........37
SEBI permitted MCX Stock Exchange (MCX-SX) to operate as a Full-fledged Stock Exchange
...........................................................................................................................................38
Index of Industrial Production (IIP) recorded 2.4% growth in May 2012 as against 6.2% in
May 2011............................................................................................................................39
India’s Headline Inflation slowed to 7.25 percent in June 2012 ...........................................39
India’s Retail Inflation dropped to 10.02 Percent in June 2012 ............................................40
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved 10.82 Per Cent Disinvestment in SAIL...40

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EGoM on Telecommunication recommended to reduce 2G Base Price ...............................41
SEBI tightened Eligibility & Exit Criteria for Stocks in Derivatives Segment to curb
Manipulation ......................................................................................................................42
India received its First Investment through Qualified Framework Investor Route worth $ 5m
...........................................................................................................................................42
EGoM recommended CDMA Airwaves in the 800 MHz band at 1.3 times the Base Price for
GSM Airwaves.....................................................................................................................43
Government approved 14 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Proposals worth Rs 1584.11 crore
...........................................................................................................................................44
Petrol & Diesel Prices raised as Oil Firms recalibrated Rates to Reflect Changes in Local
Levies..................................................................................................................................45
State .........................................................................................................................................45
Delhi GoVT announced subsidy of 1 Rupee per unit on electricity for domestic consumers 45
Jagdish Shettar sworn in as the 27th Chief Minister of Karnataka .......................................46
The Government of Maharashtra banned Gutka and Pan Masala .......................................46
Union HRD Ministry announced to set up Two Central Universities in Bihar .......................47
Punjab Government increased the DA by 12 per cent for Employees and Pensioners .........47
Planning Commission sanctioned 57800 Crore Rupees as Annual Plan for UP .....................48
Delhi Government decided to increase the Number of Districts in Delhi from 9 to 11 .........48
UP Government rechristened Eight Districts in the State ....................................................49
India Diary .................................................................................................................................49
Corporate..................................................................................................................................51
Adani Kandla Bulk Terminal Pvt. Ltd Signed Agreement with Kandla Port Trust ..................51
HDFC launched Superia and Platinum Credit Cards for Doctors...........................................52
B. Surender Mohan appointed as the Chairman and MD of NLC .........................................52
Brazil Court Ordered BASF and Shell to compensate 382 million dollars .............................52
Dell Inc announced to buy Quest Software Inc for 2.4 billion dollar cash ............................53
European Aerospace Airbus Build its 1st US Assembly Plant in Alabama .............................53

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Apple paid 60 million dollar to Shenzhen Proview Technology to Settle Legal Dispute ........54
Vodafone Captured 1.04 billion euro of British firm Cable and Wireless .............................54
State Bank of Patiala launched Gold Loan (Swarn Shakti) for Farmers .................................55
MTS announced Flat Rate of 30 paise/minute for Local, STD, Roaming and ISD Calls ..........55
Mahindra Launched 100 crore rupees R&D Centre for two-wheelers in Pune .....................55
Cadbury launched famous Triangular Swiss Chocolate Brand Toblerone .............................56
Serum Institute of India bought Bilthoven Biologicals for 550 crore rupees ........................56
Electronics Company Toshiba launched C, L, M, U Satellite series .......................................57
Yahoo! India Signed Agreement with IIT-Madras to set R&D ...............................................57
EIL signed Integrated Refinery Expansion Project of BPCL at Kochi......................................58
Nokia launched Window-based phone Lumia 610 at 12999 rupees ....................................58
BPO Firm Sundaram Finance Ltd. Signed Various Deals in Australia ....................................59
Facebook Extended its App Center in India and Six other Countries ....................................59
Mahindra Satyam launched Apparel & Fashion xPress for Oracle Retail ..............................60
Government appointed Nasir Ali as the new Joint Managing Director of Air India ..............60
Tata Group firm Roots Corporation Ltd. planned 5 more Ginger Hotels ..............................60
Marissa Mayer appointed as the New President and CEO of Yahoo ....................................61
Hindi news channel ITV acquired English news channel News X ..........................................61
Nestle Health Science acquired a Stake in Accera to make milkshake for Alzheimer’s
patients ..............................................................................................................................62
Jet Airways introduced JetEscapes packages for corporate travellers .................................62
Godrej Properties signed MoU with Axis bank; offered Home loan scheme ........................63
Tata Power signed a long term agreement with Indonesian firm ........................................63
Philips India launched Bodygroom Gadget BG2024 for Men at 2495 rupees .......................64
Renault-Nissan alliance to invest 160 million dollar at Renault Samsung Motors Korea ......64
Percept Limited launched a Global Entertainment Company Percept Live ..........................64
ONGC was awarded Gold Trophy in Safety Management Award 2012 ................................65

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GAIL and ONGC signed Swap Agreement and Gas Co-operation Agreement .......................65
Famous Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was signed as the Brand Ambassador of BMW ............65
Kavveri Telecom acquired US Firm WPCS International .......................................................66
Ravneet Gill appointed as the New CEO of Deutsche Bank India .........................................66
Apple Launched OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion System...............................................................67
Sports........................................................................................................................................67
Spain beat Italy 4-0 to win UEFA Euro Cup Football Championship 2012.............................67
Three Russian Female Athletes were Suspended ................................................................68
Ex-England Batsman Mark Ramprakash announced retirement from cricket ......................69
Sprint Star Usain Bolt Quit from Diamond League Meet in Monaco ....................................69
Roger Federer beat Andy Murray to claim Wimbledon Open Title 2012 .............................69
Serena Williams beat Agnieszka Radwanska to claim Wimbledon Women’s Singles 2012 ...70
South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher announced Retirement from International

Cricket ................................................................................................................................71
England beat Australia 4-0 to claim NatWest Cricket Series ................................................71
Brett Lee announced Retirement from All Forms of International Cricket ...........................72
England’s David Howell won the 6th Leiden International Chess tournament .....................72
Bradley Wiggins won the 99th Edition of Tour de France Bicycle Race ................................73
30th Edition of Summer Olympics inaugurated in London ..................................................73
Hockey India signed a multi-year broadcast agreement with ESPN STAR ............................74
World Diary ...............................................................................................................................74
Environment & Ecology .............................................................................................................80
UNESCO inscribes Western Ghats Mountain Chain on the List of World Heritage Sites .......80
Karakoram Glaciers remained Impervious of Global Warming ............................................80
Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions increased by Three Percent in 2011 ................................81
World Bank approved 1100 Crore Rupees Loan for Himachal Pradesh ................................81
Science & Technology ...............................................................................................................82

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Scientists at CERN discovered a New Sub-Atomic Particle called Higgs Boson .....................82
Russian Soyuz Spacecraft blasted-off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan ........82
Russia’s Soyuz-FG Carrier rocket set Five Satellites into Orbit .............................................83
One Liners .................................................................................................................................83
News Capsule ............................................................................................................................85
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon released UN Millenium Development Goal 2012 Report
...........................................................................................................................................85
Jawahar Thakur assumed the Charge as the Controller General of Accounts ......................86
Celebrated Assamese Poet Hiren Bhattacharyya passed away ............................................87
National Crime Record Bureau released the Crime Statistics for 2011 ................................87
Anup Sankar Bhattacharya appointed as the Director of IBPS .............................................88
Yannis Stournaras took oath as the New Finance Minister of Greece ..................................88
International Conference on Afghanistan held in Japanese Capital Tokyo ...........................89
EK Bharat Bhushan dismissed as the Chief of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation .......89
DV Sadananda Gowda resigned as Karnataka Chief Minister ..............................................90
Manipal University won the Golden Peacock Environment Management Award 2012 .......90
International Donors Conference held in Tokyo ..................................................................90
Champion Wrestler and Bollywood Actor Dara Singh passed away in Mumbai ...................91
India successfully test-fired Nuclear Capable Agni-I Missile.................................................91
Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong visited India ....................................................92
Uttarakhand CM Vijay Bahuguna won the Assembly By-Election from Sitarganj .................92
World Population Day Observed WorldWide on 11 July 2012 .............................................93
Oscard Award Winner Ernest Borgnine passed away ..........................................................93
Former BCCI President Purushottam M Rungta passed away ..............................................94
ITC, Hungama Digital Media & Shankar Mahadevan launched Digital Talent Hunt MOBisur94
Incidents of Child Marriages fell significantly in India: Annual Health Survey Report ...........95
North Korea awarded the Title of Marshal to its Top Leader Kim Jong Un ...........................95

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Yesteryear Bollywood Superstar Rajesh Khanna passed away .............................................96
Top RSS Leader and BJP Former Vice-President Bal Apte passed Away ...............................97
Cases of New HIV Infections among Children declined: UNAIDS Report ..............................97
Seventh G20 summit took place in Mexican City Los Cabos ................................................98
HDFC Banker Deepak Parekh appointed as new Chairman of Financing Infrastructure .......98
P.N Dhar, First Principal Secretary of Indira Gandhi passed away ........................................99
Time Magazine dubbed Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as Underachiever ...........99
Eminent Freedom Fighter and social activist Captain Lakshmi Sehgal passed away ........... 100
Maruti Suzuki India Limited announced to close down its Factory at Manesar .................. 100
Aleppo in Syria Became the Centre of Revolt Against the Government ............................. 101
Rupert Murdoch Resigned as the Director of the NI Group ............................................... 101
Sally Ride, First US Woman to travel into Space, passed away .......................................... 101
Kulandei Francis, Indian Social Activist Won Magsaysay Awards 2012 .............................. 101
DRDO successfully test-fired Brahmos Supersonic Cruise Missile ...................................... 102
Assam’s Kokrajhar, Udalguri District Hit by Violence ......................................................... 103
Practise Sets ............................................................................................................................ 103
Q n A ....................................................................................................................................... 103
Previous Year Question Papers ................................................................................................ 104
Current Affair Quizzes ............................................................................................................. 104
Success Story .......................................................................................................................... 109

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PICK OF THE MONTH

NKOSAZANA DLAMINI-ZUMA BECAME THE FIRST FEMALE CHAIRPERSON
OF AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION
African Union Commission (AUC) on 15 July 2012 elected South Africa's home affairs minister
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as its new Chairperson, making
her the first female head of the union. In a closely fought
contest Dlamini-Zuma beat incumbent Jean Ping of Gabon
37-17.
Dlamini-Zuma, wife of the former South African President

Jacob Zuma, was declared winner following a third round
of voting. In election held in January 2012, neither of the
two candidates got the two-thirds majority, which was
required to be elected as the organization head.
Consequently, Ping got an extension of another six months
in the office.
AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION
The African Union Commission is the Secretariat of the African Union responsible for executive
functioning. The commission is composed of 10 Officials: A Chairperson, a Deputy Chairperson;
Eight Commissioners and Staff members. The AU Commission is made up of Portfolios. They
are: Peace and Security; Political Affairs; Trade and Industry; Infrastructure and Energy; Social
Affairs; Rural Economy and Agriculture; Human Resources, Science and Technology; and
Economic Affairs. Amara Essy of Cote D'Ivoire was the first Chair of AUC.
AFRICAN UNION
African Union, the successor to Organisation of African Unity, came into existence in 2002 at
Durban summit in South Africa. The Union is headquartered at Addis Ababa Ethiopia. A pan-
African organization, AU aims at promoting unity and cooperation among African nations. The
association also strives to spread democracy and good governance in the continent. At present
the African Union has a total of 54 members. Morocco is the only African country which is not
the part of the Union. Yayi Boni of Benin is the current Chairperson of African Union.
SYRIAN DEFENCE MINSITER, DAWOUD RAJIHA KILLED IN SUICIDE BOMB

ATTACK IN DAMASCUS, SYRIA
The National Security Bureau in the Rawda district of Damascus, capital of Syria suffered a
heavy blow on 18 July 2012. As per the information available, the bomb struck while the high
profile security meeting was in progress in the Syrian security establishment. The bomb killed

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the country’s Defence Minister, Dawoud Rajiha,

Deputy Defence Minister Assef Shawkat and seriously
The bomb strike was carried out
injured Interior Minister, Mohammed Ibrahim al-Shaar
by a suicide bomber, apparently a
and Intelligence chief, Hisham Bekhtyar. The Deputy
Defence Minister who was killed was Assad’s brother part of the security team to guard
in law, in relation. Syrian President Bashar Al Assad
The bomb strike was carried out by a suicide bomber, who was apparently a part of the security
team that was posted to guard Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s inner group. This
incident took place after four days of violence in Damascus, which started soon after the
opposition launched a new offensive codenamed Operation Damascus Volcano, which focused
on high visibility targets. As of now, a Syrian rebel Islamist group is claiming up for the strike.
The group came up with the information via a post written on Facebook. On the other hand, the
opposition Free Syrian Army is also claiming for the attack, according to its spokesman Qassim
Saadedine.
SC BANNED COMMERCIAL AND TOURISM ACTIVITIES NEAR JARAWA HABITAT
The Supreme Court of India on 3 July 2012 declared the area within a five-kilometre radius around the Jarawa
Tribal Reserve in Andaman and Nicobar Islands NO GO ZONE. The Apex Court banned all commercial and
tourism activities near the Jarawa habitat. A Supreme Court bench of justices G S Singhvi and S J Mukhopadhaya
in its ruling prohibited entry of any person other than a member of tribe into the reserve area. The court’s verdict
came following a news report which showed some tourists throwing money, food and bananas at the tribal people.
The news report had forced the government to order an inquiry.
Jarawas are one of the oldest living indigenous people in the world. The tribe has their home in the forests of the
Andaman Islands in India. The present number of Jarawa tribe is estimated to be about 250-400. Jarawas have
been living in the forests of the Andaman Islands for past thousands of years.
PRANAB MUKHERJEE WON THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2012
www.jagranjosh.com Page
Current Affairs PDF July 2012
10
Pranab Mukherjee was elected as the 13th President (in person) of India on 22 July 2012. Pranab
Mukherjee defeated his rival PA Sangma with a huge margin as he secured nearly 69 percent of
total valid votes. In an electoral college of 10.5 lakh, Pranab
Mukherjee secured a vote value of 713763, while, PA Sangma
managed to get only a vote value 315987. The victory of Pranab
Mukherjee was announced by Returning Officer for the
Presidential election VK Agnihotri. Pranab Mukherjee will be
sworn in as the thirteenth President of India on 25 July 2012.
Out of the total 748 MPs, Pranab got the support of 527 while
his rival, PA Sangma got 206 votes in his favour. Fifteen votes
including that of Samjwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav
were invalid. Of these, nine were to be in favour of Mukherjee while six for Sangma. Each MP
had a vote value of 708 in the Presidential Election 2012. There are a total of 776 voters in both
the Houses of Parliament. The Electoral College also consisted of 4120 MLAs in the states.
The Election Commission of India had issued the notification for Presidential Election 2012 on
16 June 2012. 30 June 2012 was the last date for filing the nomination. Elections were held on 19
July 2012. Pranab Mukherjee and PA Sangma were two principle contestants of 14th Presidential
Election.
SOME IMPORTANT FACTS RELATED TO PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS-
 Value of Vote of an MLA = State Population /

(1000 X Total no. of elected MLA's) Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy
On the basis of the above formula, the value of the was the only person to be
vote of an MLA from UP has the highest value and elected to the office of
that from Sikkim the lowest. Value of Vote of an President of India
MP = Total value of votes of MLA's of all States / unopposed, as no other
Total no. of elected MP's (LS + RS). The 1971 candidate filed nomination
census is currently under consideration. The for the post of the
election is held through the system of proportional
President. He was elected
representation by means of the single - transferable
to the office of President in
vote by secret ballot. The candidate who gets 50
July 1977.
percent of votes is considered elected.
 Supreme Court looks into all disputes related to
Presidential election.
 Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, was the only President who served two
tenures in the office.
 VV Giri is the only person who was elected as the President of the country as an
independent candidate in 1969.
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INDIAN RAILWAYS INTRODUCED NEW GUIDELINES

FOR BOOKING OF TATKAL TICKETS
Amidst the increasing number of reports of the misuse of Tatkal

scheme, the Indian Railways on 9 July 2012 introduced new guidelines
for booking of Tatkal tickets. Under the new guideline the Railways
revised the time for booking the Tatkal tickets to 10 am from earlier 8
am.
Besides, under the new scheme, agents will not be allowed to book Tatkal tickets from 10 am to
12 pm either from the ticket counter or on the internet. Some zones will be provided the facility
of separate Tatkal ticket counters while; others will issue Tatkal tickets from the same counters
between 10 am to 10:30 am.
SEVERAL OTHER MEASURES HAVE ALSO BEEN INTRODUCED UNDER THE NEW
TATKAL SCHEME, WHICH INCLUDES;
• Individual users can not book more than two tickets from 10 am to 12 noon.
• Quick book option and cash card option will remain inactive between 10 am and 12 pm
• Installation of CCTVs in major booking centers,
• Booking clerks barred from carrying cell phones inside counters,
• Display of helpline numbers
• Expansion of the e-ticket handling capacity of Railways website through short-term and long-
term measures
• Server capacity to be increased from 3.5 lakh bookings to about 5 lakh bookings per day in
about four months, which will eventually be increased to about 8 lakh bookings a day.
GAGAN NARANG WON BRONZE INMEN'S 10 METER AIR RIFLE EVENT AT

LONDON OLYMPICS
Ace Indian Shooter won India its first medal in the London
Olympics 2012 after he clinched the bronze medal in the men's 10
meter air rifle event on 30 July 2012. While Abhinav Bindra, who
had won a gold medal in the Beijing Olympics 2008, failed to
qualify for finals and finished sixteenth.
Romania’s shooter Alin George Moldoveanu claimed the gold medal
with a total score of 702.1 while Italy's Niccolo Campriani clinched
the silver with a score of 701.5. Narang came third with a total score
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of 701.1.
Gagan Narang, who hails from
It was third time when Gagan Narang was participating
Amritsar in Punjab was conferred
in Olympics. In previous Athens and Beijing Olympic
with the Padma Shree Award in
games he could not turn his performance into medal. This
2010
was India’s third medal in shooting events in the history
of Olympics. Earlier Rajyawardhan Singh Rathore and
Abhinav Bondra had won India silver and gold medal
respectively in 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. Narang’s bronze also marked India’s tenth
individual medal in the history of Olympic Games.
Gagan Narang, who hails from Amritsar in Punjab, was conferred with the Padma Shree Award
in 2010. Considering his tremendous contribution to the field of sports, in year 2010, Gagan
Narang was chosen for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, the highest sports award
in the country.
SC BANNED TOURISM IN CORE AREAS OF PROJECT TIGER FORESTS

The Supreme Court banned all tourism activities in the core areas of the tiger reserve forests on
24 July 2012. Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice Ibrahim passed the order on a petition filed
by conservationist Ajay Dubey. The petition sought a directive to the States to notify the buffer
and peripheral areas of the tiger reserves, under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, to prevent tourism
in the core areas.
The court was informed that except the following states - Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Arunachal
Pradesh, the other States have yet not filed affidavits and were yet to notify the core areas, this
was informed to the court on 24 July 2012.
The bench has given a final tenure of three weeks to the states that have yet not notified the core
areas, failing to do so will lead to a sum of Rs 10 thousand on them. The court will take the next
hearing on 22 August 2012.
SCIENTISTS IDENTIFIED FIRST RADIO WAVES FROM MIDDLEWEIGHT

BLACK HOLE HLX-1
A team of scientists at the University
of Sydney on 10 July 2012 discovered
the first radio emissions from the What is Black Hole?
middle weight black hole HLX-1, that Black holes are areas
lies in a galaxy about 300 million where the matter is so
light-years away. The research team densely squeezed into a
had used Compact Array radio small space, that it makes
telescope from the Commonwealth gravity pull strongly
Scientific and Industrial Research enough to stop light from
Organization (CSIRO). escaping.
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HLX-1 (hyper-luminous X-ray source 1), lies in a galaxy called ESO 243-49 about 300 million
light-years away. HLX-1 was discovered by chance in 2009, because it stood out as a very bright
X-ray source.
Before the discovery of HLX-1, scientists had evidence for only super massive black holes ones
a million to a billion times the mass of the Sun and stellar mass ones, three to thirty times the
mass of the Sun. As per the new study, the size of HLX-1 is around 20000 times the mass of our
sun which makes it an intermediate mass black hole.
ASSAM’S KOKRAJHAR, UDALGURI DISTRICT HIT BY VIOLENCE: BODOS &

MUSLIMS CLASHED
Assam’s Kokrajhar district remained a recipient of violence since 20 July 2012. Nineteen people
have been killed so far in sporadic incidents of violence which resulted into a clamp night curfew
on 21 July 2012. The whole incident started on 6 July 2012 when the violence got triggered with
the firing on two student leaders, Mohibul Islam of All
Bodoland Minority Students' Union (ABMSU) and Abdul
Siddique Sheikh of All Assam Minority Students' Union
(AAMSU) by unidentified gunmen at Anthihara in
Kokrajhar.
The Violence continued as, on 20 July 2012, four activists of
former militant outfit Bodo Liberation Tigers were shot dead
by unidentified persons in Joypur. In reply to the act, armed
Bodos attacked Muslims, suspecting them to be behind the
killings and soon communal violence spread across the
district. The violence took to a rather serious level by 23 In October 2008, ethnic clashes
July 2012 with the protesters stopping the Guwahati-New between Bodos and Muslims
Delhi Rajdhani Express. killed forty nine and left one point
five lakh homeless
In Kokrajhar, the Udalguri district administration has
taken up precautionary measures to control any kind of
violence and maintain peace and harmony among people in the district. Also, Section 144 of
CrPC has been imposed in the district, more over the Army and para-military forces have also
been alerted. This is not the first time that Assam is subjugated to communal violence, In
October 2008, ethnic clashes between Bodos and Muslims killed forty nine and left one point
five lakh homeless.
DEREK O’ BRIAN BECAM E THE FIRST ANGLO-INDIAN TO VOTE IN

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Derek o’ Brian, the Rajya Sabha MP from West Bengal became the first Anglo Indian to vote in
Presidential Elections in India. Brian, a Trinamool Congress MP, cast his vote in Kolkata on 19
July 2012. As per the constitution of India an MP who has been nominated by the President to
either of the house of the Indian Parliament is not eligible for casting vote in Presidential
election.
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In Rajya Sabha, there are twelve members, who are nominated by the
President and cannot vote in Presidential election. Under Article 331
of Indian constitution the President is also empowered to nominate
not more than two members
to the Lok Sabha from the Who are Anglo-Indians?
Anglo-Indian community, if
he is of the opinion that Anglo-Indians are people with
Anglo-Indian community is not adequately represented mixed Indian and British
in the Lok Sabha. ancestry, or people who have
British descent born or living in
Under article 80 (1) of the Indian constitution twelve the Indian Subcontinent or
members are nominated by the President from persons Burma, now mainly historical in
having special knowledge or practical experience in the latter sense.
matters like literature, science, art and social service.
Article 80 (3) of the Constitution of India provides that
the members to be nominated by the President to Rajya Sabha should have special knowledge or
practical experience in matters like literature, science, art and social service. Article 84 (b)
stipulates that a person shall be of not less than 30 (Thirty) years of age.
INTERNATIONAL
CII IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GOVT OF INDIA AND
AFGHANISTAN HELD DELHI INVESTMENT SUMMIT
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in partnership with Government

of India and Afghanistan along with Afghan investment and business
organizations organised a Delhi Investment Summit on Afghanistan on 28
June, 2012. The summit took place at Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi. The
official language for the summit was English.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS (BRIEFLY)
• India and US to enhance defense cooperation through increased technology transfer,

collaborative joint research and development, and co-production of defense items in
Afghanistan.
• Eight grants awarded under the Obama-Singh Knowledge Initiative. Next call for proposals
in July 2012.
• India to establish 100 Community Colleges
• CV Raman Fellowship will place 300 Post-Doctoral fellows in US higher education
institutions
• India and USA to launch a web portal for educational and research collaboration and
exchanges
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• India proposed to organize a regional South Asia Women’s Entrepreneurship Conference

that will bring key policy makers, women entrepreneurs, civil society organizations, private
sector institutions, and corporations.
• To facilitate travel between the two countries, an interview waiver pilot program is being
introduced to further streamline U.S. visa processing and facilitate legitimate travel.
The participants in the summit were investors not only from the public sectors, but also private
sectors. The summit was expected to provide an extraordinary opportunity to get information on
investment opportunities in Afghanistan.
OBJECTIVE OF THE SUMMIT
• The primary objective was to attract foreign investment into Afghanistan opening in areas
like Hydrocarbons, mining and infrastructure
• It envisioned fruitful partnerships to help invest in Afghanistan.
• The summit also included presentations in regard to Investment Climate in Afghanistan.
• To throw light on Afghanistan’s national growth strategy, long term and short term
investment opportunities.
India’s Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh and Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai have
already met in the past year ,2011 for a tenure of two days to hold one-to-one and delegation
level talks on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues.
PRI LEADER ENRIQUE PEÑA NIETO ELECTED AS NEW PRESIDENT OF

MEXICO
The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) leader Enrique Peña Nieto was elected the new
President of Mexico on 2 July 2012. In the Presidential Election held on 1 July 2012, Enrique
Peña Nieto beat Party of the Democratic Revolution candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Of the total 98 percent votes counted, Pena Nieto bagged 38 percent votes, while former Mexico
City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador got 31
percent votes. Nieto succeeded Felipe Calderón on
the top most position of the country.
Enrique Peña Nieto, 45, the PRI leader, was earlier

the governor of the State of Mexico from 2005 to
2011. The Institutional Revolutionary Party had
ruled Mexico for nearly 71 years, before being voted
out of power in 2000 presidential elections.
Under the Mexican Constitution, the president is the head of both the state and the government.
He is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces. The Latin American nation
holds Presidential elections every six years since 1934 (earlier the set period was 4 years). The
president in the country is elected through direct and universal adult franchise system, where the
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candidate who secures maximum number of votes is declared winner. The constitution of the
country does not provide any runoff election.
IRAN TEST-FIRED MEDIUM RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILE SHAHAB-3
Iran on 3 July 2012, test-fired a medium range ballistic missile Shahab-3. The Shahab-3 has a
range of up to 2000 kilometres. The Shahab-1 and
Shahab-2, the two short-range missiles, with ranges of
300 to 500 kilometres, were also launched.
The missile launch was the part of Iran’s Great Prophet

7 exercise. Great Prophet 7 exercise was announced by
Iran on 1 July 2012 in the wake of latest European
Union sanctions on Iran. The exercise, which involved
test of dozens of missiles and domestically-built
drones, came following European Union’s decision to
ban the purchase of Iranian crude oil. The EU's decision is the clear repercussion of failed
dialogue held between Iran and world powers on Iran’s ambitious nuclear programme.
The world powers including United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, the
Western powers had held three rounds of dialogues with Iran to persuade it to halt its nuclear
programme. With all the three dialogues did not meet their desired end, the world powers
including the European Union chose to impose a strict ban against the purchase of Iranian crude
oil.
Iran is the fifth largest oil producer in the world and the EU ban on Iranian oil imports will badly
hurt its already floundering economy. The sanctions, which have been imposed to make Iran
reconsider its nuclear development plan, will not only deprive Iran of European market that
makes 18 percent of its exports but also bar EU companies from transporting Iranian crude or
insuring shipments, hurting its trade worldwide.
MYANMAR’S VICE PRESIDENT TIN AUNG MYINT OO STEPPED DOWN
Myanmar’s first Vice President Tin Aung Myint Oo resigned on 4 July 2012 due to health
reasons. The move, which is expected to begin a broader reshuffle in the government, could see
the appointment of some more reformers to Myanmar's cabinet.
Tin Aung Myint Oo, a former army general is widely regarded as a hard-liner. He took over as
the vice president in 2011 after being selected by a bloc of military officers in the country's
legislature. The resignation of Tin Aung Myint Oo is likely to accelerate the pace of economic
change in Myanmar after the European Union and the US began lifting their longstanding
economic sanctions against the country during the past several months.
UNHRC ADOPTED RESOLUTION TO PROTECT THE ONLINE HUMAN

RIGHTS OF GLOBAL CITIZENS
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United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the Geneva based human rights wing of UN,
on 5 July 2012, adopted a first ever resolution to protect
the online human rights of global citizens. The
resolution adopted by consensus, stated that citizens of
United Nations Human Rights
the world are as much entitled to the human rights
Council (UNHRC)
online as they are offline.
The resolution noted that there can be no double standard with regard to people’s right of
fundamental freedom and since internet makes a major part of present world’s communication
process, all governments must endeavour to protect the online rights of its citizens. The landmark
resolution was sponsored by Sweden and co-sponsored by over 80 countries that include United
States, Brazil, Turkey, Nigeria, and Tunisia.
TOKYO CONFERENCE PLEDGED TO PROVIDE 16 BILLION DOLLAR AID TO

AFGHANISTAN
The day long International Conference on Afghanistan held in Japanese capital Tokyo on 8 July
2012. The conference, which was held to discuss the peace building process in the war-torn
nation concluded with the participants getting agreed to provide 16 billion dollar as the
development aid to the country over the next four years.
TOKYO DECLARATION
The participants adopted Tokyo Declaration towards the end of the conference, which widely
acknowledged India's concerns on the security of Afghanistan. The declaration stated that the
main threat to Afghanistan's security and stability comes from terrorism and that this threat also
endangers regional and international peace and security. The declaration also endorsed key
recommendations of a regional conclave hosted by India to promote direct investment in
Afghanistan.Confederation of Indian Industry had hosted the Delhi Investors' Summit on
Afghanistan on 28 June 2012.
INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE IN NATION BUILDING
The Tokyo conference was attended by nearly 70 countries and organizations who assured
Afghanistan of a complete support in nation building provided Afghan government curb
corruption and take measures to strengthen democracy in the country. On financial part the US is
expected to provide around 1 billion dollar every year, while Japan, Afghanistan’s second-largest
financial supporter, will contribute 3 billion dollar over the next four years. Germany will feed
the kitty annually with 536 million dollar.
The international aid to Afghanistan came against the backdrop of global concern related to
political and economic turmoil prevailing in the country over the past one decade. The country is
still under the shadow of fanatic Islamic groups like Taliban, which sees western powers as the
sole reason of all the problems that Afghanistan is confronting today. Taliban and terror group
like Al-qaida, which draws its authority from the fundamentalist Islamic factions in the country,
18
still poses a great threat to the future of the

country. The international aid is largely aimed at
bolstering the pace of development in the
country by instating common citizen’s faith in
democracy.
As all the US and NATO troops are scheduled to

leave the country by the mid 2014, the security
of the nation will completely be transferred in
the hand of Afghan government, which until
recently, has been quite inefficient in tackling
the terror forces in the country. The pledged aid
is intended to stabilise the fragile political and financial situation of the country.
Afghanistan has received nearly 60 billion dollar from diversified international bodies as civilian
aid over the past one decade. In addition to the 16 billion dollar aid pledged during the Tokyo
conference, NATO members in May 2012 agreed to provide 4.1 billion dollar to strengthen
country’s security forces.
INDIA -PAKISTAN BILATERAL DIALOGUE ON THE SIDELINE OF THE TOKYO

CONFERENCE
India and Pakistan held a bilateral dialogue on the sideline of Tokyo conference, where the
India's External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and his Pakistani countyerpart Heena Rabbani
Khar discussed several issues like terrorism and the release of Sarabjeet Singh, Indian citizen
languishing in Pakistani prison over the past 30 years. Issue of terrorism figured out prominently
in the 30-minute long discussion between the leaders, as SM Krishna put pressure on Pakistan to
stop anti-Indian activities, which is being conducted from its territory
ICC SENTENCED CONGOLESE WARLORD THOMAS LUBANGA TO 14-YEAR

IMPRISONMENT
Hague based International Criminal Court (ICC)

awarded Thomas Lubanga, a Congolese warlord,
14-year imprisonment on 10 July 2012. Judges at
the ICC found Thomas Lubanga guilty of
recruiting and using children in his Union of
Congolese Patriots militia. The court, however,
has arrangements with seven countries to jail the
war criminals which includes; Denmark, Serbia,
Mali, Austria, Finland, Britain and Belgium.
Lubanga, who had used children as the soldiers during the violent struggle in Congo's eastern
Ituri region in 2002-2003, was convicted for war crime. He is the first person to be convicted by
the International Criminal Court (ICC) since it was established in 2002. He was arrested by UN
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peacekeepers, in March 2005. Lubanga had led the

Union of Congolese Patriots, an ethnic militia in the
violent struggle in the Ituri region and its main town of International Criminal Court
Bunia. The conflict, which began in 1999, claimed the (ICC)
life of about 60000 people in the country.
UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON VISITED LAOS
Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state visited Southeast Asian nation Laos (Lao People's
Democratic Republic) on 10 July 2012. The historic visit marked the first to the Laos, a
communist nation, by any US secretary of state over the past 57 years. John Foster Dulles’ visit
in 1955 marked the last visit by any top US diplomat to Laos.
During her visit she held separate dialogues with Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and
Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith where the leaders discussed a range of bilateral and global
issues. The two countries had not been on best of terms after the US dropped two million tons of
bombs on Laos during the Vietnam War. The hazardous effects of unexploded bombs are still
being felt in the country.
Hillary Clinton’s visit to Laos is the part of US’ strategy to strengthen its presence in the
Southeast Asian region. US, which over the past one decade has shown a great willingness to get
its position strengthened in the entire Asian continent, is reworking over its future plans in the
region against the backdrop of growing Chinese hegemony. The visit indicates the US’ changing
foreign policy stance and priorities in the region. Earlier Clinton had visited Mongolia the other
Central-east Asian nation on 10 July 2012.
DEREK MITCHELL ASSUMED CHARGE AS FIRST US AMBASSADOR TO

MYANMAR SINCE 1990
Derek Mitchell on 11 July 2012 assumed the charge as the

first US Ambassador to Myanmar in the past 22 year.
Mitchell met President Thein Sein in Myanmar’s capital
Naypyitaw before assuming the charge. Prior to his current
assignment, Mitchell served as President Barack Obama's
special envoy to Myanmar. The US Senate confirmed his
appointment as ambassador to the country in June 2012.
Earlier, charge d'affaires used to be the US’ top diplomat in
Myanmar.
In yet another gesture of amity the US government eased

sanctions on Myanmar, allowing American business houses to make investment in the Southeast
Asian nation. The decision marked a strong indication of US’ support to the political reforms
being unfolded in Myanmar.
20
Prompted by the series of political reforms in the country, the US Government in January 2012
had announced to restore diplomatic relation with Myanmar. The former Junta ruled country has
witnessed a slew of political reforms over the past few months, which witnessed pro-democracy
leader Aung San Suu Kyi released from the year-long house arrest and moving to the parliament
following a victory in by-elections.
HILLARY CLINTON VISITED ISRAEL AS FINAL HALT OF HER TRIP TO ASIA
Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, visited Israel on 16 July 2012 as the last halt of her
13-day long visit of eight Asian countries including Afghanistan, Japan, Mongolia, Vietnam,
Laos, Cambodia, Egypt and Israel. The Clinton's itinerary marked a blatant shift in US
diplomacy viz a viz Asian continent as it not only included the allies like Japan and Israel but
also included Countries like Laos and Vietnam, the countries with who US has always been on
hostile terms.
During her visit to Israel Hillary Clinton discussed a range of issues with the leaders of the
country. Issues like Iran’s nuclear programme and political transition In Egypt figured out
prominently in the bilateral dialogue. Resolution to stop violent struggle in Syria was also
discussed during the meeting. As UN observer mission's mandate in Syria coming on to an end
on 20 July 2012 and she also asked for a new resolution to renew it.
Ahead of her trip to Israel Clinton visited Egypt, where she held a meeting with the head of
Egypt's military leadership, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, whose military council is
at loggerheads with newly elected President Mohamed Morsy.
Hillary Clinton also chose to visit Mongolia and Laos in the course of her 13-day long trip,
where she was the first US secretary of state to visit in 57 years and only the second ever. From
the diplomatic perspective the trip was highly successful as the US not only redefined its future
political strategy in Asia but also endeavored to make some new friends in the region. Many
international politics experts believe that the trip is an indication of US’ serious attempt to
rebalance power equation in the continent, which seems to be tilting in China’s favor. To contain
China’s increasing strength, US are trying to gain firm ground in the continent and the Hillary’s
trip certainly proved to be a great success in this regard.
INDIA & MOZAMBIQUE SIGNED AGREEMENT ON BILATERAL SECURITY

COOPERATION IN MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE
India and Mozambique signed an agreement on Bilateral Security Cooperation on 14 July 2012.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs, India Shri Mullappally Ramachandran signed the
Agreement with Jose Mandra, Minister of Interior, Govt of Mozambique at Maputo,
Mozambique.
The objective of the agreement was to discuss cooperation and both the countries decided to
develop the relationship further in various fields for mutual benefit. Amongst the key highlights
of the meet was that, Mullappally Ramachandran was on a three day visit to Mozambique.
21
There is an estimation of almost twenty five thousand people of Indian origin living in
Mozambique for generations. The relations between both the countries have remained warm and
friendly. India was amongst the first countries to extend recognition to Mozambique after the
later achieved independence in the year 1975. India and Mozambique have mutually rendered
and benefited in the fields of industry, trade, mineral resources and culture.
US MADE VISA APPLICATION RULES FOR INDIANS MORE FLEXIBLE
The United States made the visa application rules for Indians more flexible. Under the new visa
application norms Indians who aspire to travel US for business or holiday purpose would not
have to pay visa fees again in the case of reapplication. In the cases like pending application or it
had been put on hold for any reason, applicants won't be required to pay the visa fee again.
The relieved visa application norm also immunes children under seven years of age free from
any non-immigrant visa interview after completed visa form is submitted. The US consulate has
also upgraded its emergency appointment module for applicants who seek visa for unforeseeable
travel to the US.
MALDIVES EX-PRESIDENT, MOHAMED NASHEED CHARGED FOR JUDGE'S

ILLEGAL ARREST
The ousted Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed is charged with illegally ordering the arrest of
criminal court Chief Justice, Abdulla Mohamed. The charge was made on 15 July 2012.
Mohamed Nasheed, was forced out of office in February 2012.
General Ahmed Muizz the Maldives prosecutor was the one to file the criminal charge against
Mohamed Nasheed and the, then defence minister, Tholhath Ibrahim. The case was filed at the
HulhuMale Magistrate Court. The move taken by the Maldives prosecutor led to widespread
protests and finally the detention.
At present, Nasheed has been charged with

violating Article 81 of the Penal Code, the article
states that the detention of a government
employee who if not found guilty of a crime is
illegal. If Nasheed and Ibrahim are found guilty they
shall face a jail sentence or banishment for
three years.
Despite pressures from both international and local parties and a direct order by the Supreme
Court for immediate release, Abdulla had been detained in a military training facility at Kaafu
Atoll Girifushi for twenty two days.
Nasheed is the second former President in country's history to be charged after late President
Ibrahim Nasir. Nasheed is a Maldivian politician and one of the founder’s members of the
Maldivian Democratic Party. He served as the fourth President of the Maldives from the year
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2008 to 2012. Maldives is a presidential republic. The President acts as the head of government
as well as the head of state. The President heads the executive branch and also appoints the
cabinet. The cabinet is approved by the People's Majlis.
US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE VOTED TO CUT THE US AID TO

PAKISTAN BY 650 MILLION DOLLAR
The US House of Representative on 19 July 2012 voted unanimously to cut the US aid to
Pakistan by 650 million dollar. The amendment to cut the aid was proposed by Republican
Congressman Ted Poe. The proposal which got the approval of the house in a voice vote will
now be tabled in Senate for its approval.
Pakistan, a long time ally of US in its war on terror, has received over 20 billion dollar in
military and non-military aid since 2001. The Islamic country is one of the largest recipients of
US assistance, as in year 2012 alone it is set to receive nearly 3 billion dollar in US aid.
KERRY-LUGAR BILL
The US Senate in September 2009 had unanimously passed the Kerry-Lugar bill which tripled
non-military aid to Pakistan to 1.5 billion dollar per annum, pledging America's long term
commitment to its key ally against extremism.
PRESENT STATE OF US – PAK DIPLOMATIC RELATION
The unusual move to cut the US aid to Pakistan has come at a time when the relation between the
two countries has dipped to its lowest point since Osama Bin Laden was killed in Abottabad of
Pakistan in May 2011. Following the incident Pakistan accused US of infringing on its
sovereignty, while, the US blamed Pakistan for patronizing Osama and misleading the American
government. The diplomatic relation between the two countries deteriorated further after
Pakistan in December 2011 closed the critical NATO supply route to Afghanistan following a
US drone attack in the country in November 2011, which claimed the life of 24 Pakistani
soldiers.
Amidst the increasing war cost due to the closed supply route (it cost the US government about
100 million dollar as additional war costs as it used another route across central Asia) the US
government finally stepped ahead for reconciliation. In a move aimed at ending the 7-month long
political impasse, the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent an apology letter to the Pakistani
government. The official apology from US administration subsequently opened the door for
resumed NATO supply line, and cooperation between the two countries on counterterrorism and
Afghanistan. Despite the current respite, the disagreements between the two countries continue
to remain over the issues such as Pakistan's inaction on militant sanctuaries in the country, US
drone strikes in Pakistani territory and reconciliation with the Taliban.
23
CHINA PLEDGED 20 BILLION DOLLAR LOAN TO AFRICA OVER THE NEXT

THREE YEARS
In a move aimed at strengthening its economic ties with the African continent, China pledged to
give 20 billion dollar loan to African countries over the next three years. The announcement
about the credit line was made by the Chinese President Hu
Jin Tao at the opening session of the fifth Forum on China-
Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing on 19 July 2012.
Forum on China-Africa
China had pledged 10 billion dollar loans at the previous
Cooperation (FOCAC)
China-Africa summit in 2009.
Chinese President while addressing the conferencea announced to increase Chinese assistance to
Africa by building agricultural technology demonstration centres, training 30000 personnel and
offering 18000 scholarships. To provide better medical amenities in the continent, China will
also send 1500 medical staffs to the continent. Heads of state and representatives from 50
African countries attended the conference.
Besides, more than 20 Chinese and African business houses inked economic cooperation
agreements worth 341 million dollar at the sideline of the conference.
China’s two-way trade with Africa stood at 166 billion dollar in 2011, three times the 2006
volume. China in 2009 became the continent’s biggest trading partner globally. According to
China custom data Angola, South Africa, Sudan, Nigeria and Egypt are the five biggest trading
partners of China in Africa. China is sponsoring numerous infrastructure projects in African
continent. It also provided the 200 million dollar fund for constructing the African Union’s new
headquarters in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
TO BOOST THE SINO-AFRICAN TIES THE CHINESE PRESIDENT PROPOSED FIVE

MEASURES INCLUDING:
• Expanding cooperation in investment and financing to support sustainable development in

Africa
• Building more agricultural technology demonstration centers as necessary to help African
countries increase production capacity
• Supporting the African integration process and help Africa enhance capacity for overall
development
• Enhancing people-to-people friendship by setting up CHINA-AFRICA PEOPLE-TO-
PEOPLE FRIENDSHIP ACTION
• Promoting peace and stability in Africa and create a secure environment for Africa's
development
Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit 2012 marked the fifth edition of summit.
The summit is held every three year since 2000.
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CHINA, RUSSIA VETOED UN RESOLUTION: SITUATION INTENSIFIED IN

SYRIA
Russia and China vetoed on the UN Security Council resolution on Syria on 19 July 2012.
Though Russia and China vetoed it, India was amongst the eleven countries that voted in favour
with Pakistan and South Africa abstaining.
A veto is a power exercised to The resolution, against which Russia and China vetoed,
stop an official action, not to could have brought new sanctions against President Bashar
adopt them. Al Assad's regime. This is the third time in tenure of nine
months that Russia and China used their powers as
permanent members of the UN Security Council to block resolutions on Syria. The resolution
also would have imposed economic sanctions on the Syrian government under Chapter seven of
the United Nations Charter.
UNITED STATES REACTION ON THE VETO
The Obama Administration was grossly against the decision of Russia and China to veto the UN
Security Council resolution on Syria, and tagged the countries stating that, they are on the wrong
side of history.
However, the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, stated that the end game of the Assad regime
has just begun. US also stated that the Security Council has failed miserably on Syria and it
would now work outside of the council to confront Assad's regime.
PRESENT SITUATION IN SYRIA
The situation in Syria is very vulnerable at the moment; post the killing of the Defence Minister
and the Deputy Defence Minister. The Syrian army has given the residents tenure of forty eight
hours to leave the areas of the capital, where clashes are taking place between security forces and
rebels. The medical and humanitarian situation in Damarcus is getting worst from worse. As per
the observatory figures, huge number of hundred and seven people were killed in violence on 19
July 2012. The Security Council vote has now left the future of a 300-member United Nations
mission in Syria to monitor the peace plan in jeopardy.
WHAT IS THE VETO POWER?
A veto is a power exercised to stop an official action, not to adopt them. The veto therefore
conveys to its holder an ability to protect the status quo. Amongst the permanent members,
China, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the United States of America can block any
resolution to pass.
HESHAM KANDIL APPOINTED EGYPT'S NEW PRIME MINISTER
25
Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi elected fifty year old Hisham Kandil as the country’s Prime
Minister. Morsi ordered the country’s former minister of water resources and irrigation, Kandil
to form a new government. Kandil, holds an engineering degree from Cairo University in the
year 1984 and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina in the year 1993. Kandil, will be
the first Egyptian prime minister to wear a beard,
which is a sure sign of change in the country.
A number of more experienced names were

suggested for the prestigious role, but Morsi chose
Kandil, a relatively lesser known face as the Prime
Minister of the country, this could be because he
wanted someone unlikely to threaten or overshadow
him. Kandil is an independent national figure who
has never been a member of any party before.
Mohamed Morsi, who became the fifth President of the Republic of Egypt on 24 June 2012, is
the first to have been freely elected in the country. The next government will be technocratic in
nature, and the ruling Islamist Freedom and Justice Party is expected to head eight to ten
ministries of the new cabinet
INDIA CALLED ON ALL NATIONS TO COOPERATE AND BRING END TO

SYRIA CRISIS
India called on all nations within and outside Syria to fully cooperate with international envoy
Kofi Annan to bring an end to the ongoing crisis situation in Syria. Hardeep Singh Puri, India's
Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador while addressing a Security Council open
debate on the situation in the Middle East, stated that India does not see an alternative to the full
implementation of UN resolutions 2042 and 2043 for a political resolution of the crisis without
any further bloodshed. India urged all parties to fully cooperate with international envoy, Kofi
Annan and bring an end to the bloodshed and crisis in Syria.
The crisis in Syria took pace since the uprising against President Bashar Al Assad began sixteen
months ago. An approximate number of thousand people, mostly civilians, have been killed in
Syria and thousands displaced.
The UNSC failed to adopt a resolution to stop the crisis in Syria after Russia and China vetoed
on the UN Security Council resolution on Syria on 19 July 2012.
INDIA, INDONESIA SIGNED DOUBLE TAXATION AVOIDANCE AGREEMENT
India and Indonesia signed an agreement to avoid double taxation and prevent fiscal evasion with
respect to taxes on income on 27 July 2012. The agreement was signed by Indonesian Foreign
Affairs Minister Dr. R. M. Marty Natalegawa and his Indian counterpart S M Krishna at the
Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Apart from the agreement, both sides also signed the agreed
minutes of the fourth Joint Commission Meeting between India and Indonesia.
26
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MEET
• Both the countries, reviewed the entire state of bilateral relationship including trade and
commerce.
• Two nations have also agreed to strengthen the bilateral relationship into a strategic
partnership
Both countries share a warm relationship on account of the solid foundation of historical and
cultural ties. Both countries are also hopeful of achieving the trade target of 25 billion US
Dollars by 2015
NATIONAL
UNION GOVERNMENT OF INDIA UNVEILED NEW FREE DRUG POLICY
In a policy aimed at benefitting country’s 120 crore population, the Union Government of India
on 4 July 2012 unveiled the 5.4 billion dollar free drug policy. Under the new policy, every
citizen of the country will be provided free medicines in all public health centers spreaded across
the country. As the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare kept branded drugs out of this policy,
the patients will be given only generic drugs. The policy which will remain effective over the
next five years will provide a much needed support to nearly 40 percent people of the country,
which spends 1.25 dollar or less a day on health.
The new free drug policy marks the first of its kind endeavour by the government of India to
address the grim health services condition in the country. India spends about 1.2 percent of its
annual GDP on health, making it a country with least spending on public health services. The
country also has a high infant mortality rate as 66 of per 1000 children die before the age of 5,
compared with 19 in China and 21 in Brazil. If the report of Organisation for Economic Co-
operation to be believed, only seven countries in the world have got their public health
expenditure less than India in terms of GDP percentage.
DELHI HIGH COURT SCRAPPED TRAI’S LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF DAILY

SMS-es
Delhi High Court on 13 July 2012 scrapped the Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) guideline to cap daily
SMS limit at 200. TRAI, the telecom watchdog of India, on
5 September 2011 had ordered the telecom companies to
restrict the number of daily SMSes per SIM at 100. The
number was however, increased to 200 subsequently.
A division bench of acting Chief Justice A.K. Sikri and

Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw observed that such a restriction
27
on the number of SMSes per day violates the citizens’ fundamental right of freedom of speech
and thus be scrapped. The judges however, upheld the capping of unsolicited commercial
communication (UCC) SMSes.
The court's verdict came hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO against the
TRAI's order, challenging its imposition of a cap of 200 SMSes per day per person. The PIL
sought to do away with such restriction on SMS number as it infringes the very idea of
constitutional right of free speech.
UNION CABINET APPROVED A PROPOSAL TO MAKE RAPE A GENDER-

NEUTRAL OFFENCE
The Union cabinet on 19 July 2012 approved a proposal that seek to make rape a gender-neutral
offence. With the cabinet giving its nod to the proposal, now, the word RAPE will be replaced
with SEXUAL ASSAULT. Under the current definition of rape (Section 375 of Indian Penal
Code) a man is said to commit rape when he has sexual intercourse with a woman against her
will. The amendment will expand the definition to cover male victims of sexual assault.
The cabinet also approved a proposal which said the

IPC will have a separate section (326-A) that would
cover injury, hurt, burns and disfigurement of any Under the new proposal, now, the
body part of a person (male or female) by acid. The word RAPE will be replaced with
offence would draw a punishment of 10-year SEXUAL ASSAULT
imprisonment and a penalty of 10 lakh rupees.
The cabinet further decided to change the definition of a minor. At present some sections of the
IPC and the Criminal Procedure Code consider those below 16 as minor. Following the
amendment a person below 18 would be considered as minor. The age of consent has also been
raised from existing 16 years to 18 years. However, it is proposed that the sexual intercourse by a
man with own wife being under sixteen years of age will not be considered as sexual assault.
SC REDUCED VIP QUOTA FOR HAJ PILGRIMAGE FROM 5050 SEATS TO

300
The Supreme Court of India on 23 July 2012 reduced the VIP quota for Haj pilgrimage from
5050 seats to mere 300. The remaining 4750 seats will be provided to the pilgrims from general
category. A Supreme Court bench of judges Justice Aftab
Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai ruled that under the
reduced quota, the Indian president can recommend 100
pilgrims, the vice-president 75, the prime minister 75 and
the Minister for External Affairs 50 pilgrims, while, the 200
seats would be reserved for the Haj Committee of India
(HCI).
The court was informed that 11000 seats have been reserved
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under government quota to be allocated for Haj 2012. After limiting the seats under discretionary
quota and the HCI, the remaining seats would go to the Haj committees of various states and
Union territories.
The court's decision came following an affidavit filed by the government of India in compliance
with the Apex court’s 8 May 2012 order. The court in its 8 May 2012 ruling had asked the Union
government to come up with the details of the basis on which its discretionary quota seats for
Haj pilgrims are allocated to applicants on recommendation by dignitaries and eminent persons.
SC ALLOWED TAMIL NADU TO CARRY OUT SMALL MAINTENANCE

WORKS ON THE MULLAPERIYAR DAM
The Supreme Court of India on 23 July 2012 allowed Tamil

Mullaperiyar Dam
Nadu government to carry out repair and maintenance works
on the Mullaperiyar dam. However, the court instructed that
The Mullaperiyar Dam is
the repairing and maintenance work is to be carried out in the
constructed on the Periyar River
presence of the Superintending Engineer of Kerala and an
in Kerala. The dam was
independent member nominated by the Chairman of the
constructed by the British
Central Water Commission.
government in 1895, to feed the
water need of Tamil Nadu. The
A five-judge Constitution Bench of Justices DK Jain, RM
dam is located 2889 feet above
Lodha, Deepak Verma, CK Prasad and Anil R Dave gave the
mean sea level on the
verdict after hearing an application filed by Tamil Nadu
Cardamom Hills of the Western
government for the court’s permission to carry out certain
Ghats in Thekkadi, Idukki
maintenance works.
District in Kerala. The height of
the dam is 176 feet while, its
WHAT IS THE ISSUE? length is 1200 feet. The Periyar
National Park is located around
The past few years have witnessed a bitter disagreement the dam's reservoir.
between the Tamil Nadu and Kerala government over the
safety of the dam. Kerala has openly expressed its
disagreement over the safety of the dam as it argues that dam
is 117 years old and has well outlived the average life span of a dam that stretches out between
50 to 60 years. In the face of a disaster, it will be extremely difficult to prevent the loss caused by
the breakage of dam. The rising concern over the safety of dam is mostly due to the insufficient
safety maintenance and monitoring of the dam.
The Kerala government argues that if the dam breaks, as it can in the event of a disaster like
earth quake, it will cause a massive loss of lives and property. On the contrary, the Tamil Nadu
government contends that if the dam cease to work it will create a severe water scarcity in five
districts of the state, leading to a draught in the region.
SC OF INDIA MODIFIED ORDER ON REHABILITATION OF SEX WORKERS
29
The Supreme Court of India on 26 July 2012 modified

one of its orders on welfare and rehabilitation of sex
workers. A special bench of justices Altamas Kabir and
Gyan Sudha Misra modified its earlier order, saying "the
modification shall not be construed that by this order any
encouragement is being given to prostitution." Modifying
its earlier order, the bench clarified that it would only
examine the conditions conducive for sex workers to
work with dignity in accordance with provisions of
Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
The bench added that it was keen that sex workers should be given an opportunity to avail
rehabilitation measures of the government and other agencies for them. While adjudicating a
petition for rehabilitation of former sex workers, the Supreme Court had on July 19, 2011 had
framed three terms of reference. Article 21 in the Constitution of India states that no person shall
be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.
MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT DRAFTED THE

NATIONAL POLICY FOR CHILDREN 2012
The Ministry of Women and Child Development on 26 July 2012 drafted THE NATIONAL
POLICY FOR CHILDREN 2012. The revised draft policy reaffirms the government's
commitment towards children and addresses new challenges, seeking to realize the full potential
of children’s rights throughout the country. It defines a child as a person below eighteen years of
age, and acknowledges the inalienable and inherent rights of the child and aims to realize the full
range of child rights for all children in the country. The draft has stated that every child has a
right to be safeguarded against hunger, deprivation and malnutrition. According to the draft
policy, the state is bound to secure the rights and entitlement of children in difficult
circumstances such as migration, displacement, disasters and communal violence.
The first National Policy on Children was formulated in 1974. The first policy of 1974 described
children as a supremely important asset and made the state responsible for providing equal
opportunities for growth and development of all children. The policy primarily focused on health
and education of the children.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LAUNCHED ANTI-RAGGING WEBSITE
The Government of India launched an anti-ragging website. Kapil Sibal, the Union Human
Resource Minister inaugurated the ‘Anti- Ragging Web Portal’ on 26 July 2012. The portal has
been developed by The University Grants Commission (UGC) in collaboration with Ed. CIL
(India) Ltd. and Planet E-Com Solutions. Rajendra Kachroo, father of Aman who lost his life to
ragging at a medical college in Himachal Pradesh in 2009 has also contributed In the UGC
managed portal.
30
Supreme Court, in its judgment dated 8 May, 2009

ordered implementation of a ragging prevention
programme comprising, inter-alia, setting up toll-free
anti-ragging helpline /call centre, database of
institutions/students, engaging an independent non-
government agency.
All calls that would be received by the Anti-ragging

Helpline (18001805522) will be managed and
followed up in a structured software system. Moreover, students can see the progress of their
complaint any time on www.antiragging.in . Online anti ragging affidavits can be downloaded by
students from the site, www.antiragging.in .
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE QUIZ

1. The first modern Olympics were held in?
a) 1912
b) 1853
c) 1896
The correct answer is c) 1986
2. Citus Altius Fortius is the Olympic motto in Latin? What
does it mean in English?
a) Bigger, better, best

b) One World United
c) Faster, Higher, Stronger
The correct answer is c) Faster, Higher, Stronger
3. Which of these is not a sport that will feature at the 2012 Olympics?
a) Football
b) Gymnastics
c) Roller-skating
The correct answer is c) Roller-skating
4. Which country did the Olympics come from?
a) United Kingdom
31
b) France
c) Greece
The correct answer is c) Greece
5. How many towns and cities will the Olympic flame are travelling through?
a) 1385
b) 1019
c) 2012
The correct answer is b) 1019
6. Where in London will the Olympic tennis matches be played?
a) Queen's Club
b) Wimbledon
c) Stratford
The correct answer is b) Wimbledon

7. Which sport will be played on the Prime Minister's doorstep?
a) Fencing
b) Long jump
c) Beach volleyball
The correct answer is c) Beach volleyball
8. After the 2012 Games in London, where will the next Summer Olympic Games be held?
a) Brazil
b) Belize
c) Bolvia
The correct answer is a) Brazil
9. Which country held the last Summer Olympic Games?
a) Bolivia
b) China
c) Denmark
32
The correct answer is c) China

10. Which of these Olympic venues is outside London?
a) Wembley Stadium
b) Olympic Stadium
c) Millennium Stadium
The correct answer is c) Millennium Stadium
11. Who are the official London 2012 mascots?

a) Wendey and Mathew
b) William and Mary
c) Wenlock and Mandeville
The correct answer is c) Wenlock and Mandeville
12. Who is the highest Law Officer of a state?
(a) Attorney General

(b) Secretary General Law Department
(c) Solicitor General
(d) Advocate General
The correct answer is (d) Advocate General
13. What is zero hour?
(a) When a Money Bill is introduced in the Lok Sabha
(b) When matters of utmost importance are raised

(c) When the proposals of the opposition are considered
(d) Interval between the morning and afternoon sessions
The correct answer is (b) when matters of utmost importance are raised
14. The maximum strength of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively is
(a) 545 and 250
(b) 537 and 275

(c) 500 and 250
33
(d) 525 and 238

The correct answer is (a) 545 and 250
15. A Bill referred to a joint sitting of the two Houses of the Parliament is to be passed by
(a) A simple majority
(b) Absolute majority of total membership
(c) 2/3rd majorities
(d) 3/4th majorities

The correct answer is (a) A simple majority
16. As decided by the Government of India, a Member of Parliament would get what amount of
money to spend on development activities in his/her constituency?
(a) Rs 2 crore
(b) Rs 1 crore
(c) Rs 1 lakh
(d) Rs 10 lakh
The correct answer is (b) Rs 1 crore
17. In which of the following systems of Government, can the Government be removed through
no-confidence motion passed by the Parliament?
(a) Unitary
(b) Parliamentary
(c) Presidential
(d) Federal
The correct answer is (b) Parliamentary

18. If a Minister of a state wants to resign, to whom he should address the letter of resignation?
(a) Speaker of Vidhan Sabha
(b) Leader of his political party
(c) Governor of the State
(d) Chief Minister
The correct answer is (d) Chief Minister
34
19. For those Union Territories, which have no Legislative Councils of their own, laws are
passed by
(a) Union Ministry
(b) Appointed Administrator
(c) President
(d) Parliament
The correct answer is (d) Parliament
20. A party having 36 members will avoid disqualification under the provisions of the Anti
Defection Law if the number of members crossing the floor is at least
(a) 12
(b) 18
(c) 8
(d) 9
The correct answer is (a) 12
21. Collective responsibility of the Cabinet was introduced in India by the

(a) Independence Act, 1947
(b) Constitution of India
(c) Government of India Act, 1935
(d) Minto-Morley Reforms
The correct answer is (b) Constitution of India
22. The 42nd Constitution Amendment Bill was passed in the year
(a) 1979
(b) 1980
(c) 1976
(d) 1977
The correct answer is (c) 1976
23. Indian Constitution was amended for the first time in
(a) 1951
35
(b) 1953
(c) 1950
(d) 1952
The correct answer is (a) 1951
24. 44th amendment deals with
(a) Abolition of Right to Property as a Fundamental Rights--
(b) Extension of reservation of seats in Parliament

(c) Curbing the Fundamental Rights
(d) Curbing the jurisdiction of High Courts
The correct answer is (a) Abolition of Right to Property as Fundamental Rights
25. Which of the following amendments provided for the extension of reservation of SC's and
ST's for another 10 years?
(a) 42nd
(b) 45th
(c) 43rd
(d) 44th
The correct answer is (b) 45th
26. Which of the following words were added to the Indian Constitution by 42nd Amendment?
(a) Republic
(b) Socialist Secular
(c) Federal
(d) Democratic
The correct answer is (b) Socialist Secular
27. The Amendment regarding the formation of a new state by separating territory from any
other state by separating territory from any other state must be passed by
(a) Both the houses of parliament and before that the opinion of that state is to be ascertained by
the President
(b) Both the Houses of Parliament
36
(c) Only Lok Sabha

(d) Only Rajya Sabha
The correct answer is (a) Both the houses of parliament and before that the opinion of that
state is to be ascertained by the President
28. If any act or amendment is included in the Ninth schedule of the Constitution, what will be
the result?
(a) A new State or territory is created
(b) It become non-justifiable
(c) It become justifiable

(d) It relates to official languages
The correct answer is (b) It become non-justifiable
29. Who is entitled to initiate a Bill for Constitutional amendments?
(a) Lok Sabha Only
(b) Rajya Sabha only
(c) Either House of Parliament

(d) State Legislative Assemblies
The correct answer is (c) Either House of Parliament
30. The Ninth Schedule of the Constitution of India was
(a) Added by the 42nd amendment
(b) A part of the original Constitution
(c) Added by the 1st amendment
(d) Added by the 24th amendment

The correct answer is (c) Added by the 1st amendment
ECONOMY
INDIA’S DIRECT TAX COLLECTIONS REGISTERED 47.16 PER CENT
INCREASE IN APRIL-JUNE 2012
37
At 84273 crore rupees India’s direct tax collections registered a 47.16 per cent increase in the
first quarter of the fiscal year 2012-13. On a cumulative basis, direct tax collections in the first
quarter (April-June) swelled 6.77 per cent at 111182 crore rupees. This growth is, however,
much lower than the 23.91 per cent growth witnessed in the same quarter of fiscal year 2011-12.
The rise in direct tax collections is vital as the country had recorded a 17 per cent decline in
direct tax collection during the corresponding period of fiscal year 2011-12. The poor show of
manufacturing sector over the past few months widely reflected in corporate tax collection, as its
growth pegged at a meagre 3.48 per cent in the first quarter of fiscal year 2012-13. Personal
taxes went up by 13 percent. Corporate and personal tax had witnessed 23.49 per cent and 24.63
per cent growth, respectively, during the corresponding period of fiscal year 2011-12.
Securities transaction tax (tax on stock exchange trades), slumped 0.52 per cent to 952 crore
rupees, while wealth tax revenues dropped 3.03 per cent in April-June to 32 crore rupees. The
sluggish economic environment in the country is making it all more difficult for the government
to meet its targets. The Union Government pegged direct tax collection target at 5.70 lakh crore
rupees this fiscal, which is 15 percent higher than its total collection in fiscal year 2011-12.
SEBI PERMITTED MCX STOCK EXCHANGE (MCX-SX) TO OPERATE AS A

FULL-FLEDGED STOCK EXCHANGE
Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 10 July 2012 permitted to
operate as a full-fledged stock exchange thereby ending nearly four-year-long wait of the bourse.
With the grant of the permission MCX-SX will from hereon be able to offer additional asset
classes such as equity and equity F&O (Futures and Options),
interest rate futures and wholesale debt segments.
Securities and Exchange Board
So far the market regulator had been renewing MCX-SX’s
licence for one-year periods only. However it had not allowed of India (SEBI)
MCX-SX to operate in segments other than currency
derivatives stating that the bourse was not compliant to the shareholding and other regulations.
The promoters of MCX-SX, in their submissions and the undertakings to SEBI mentioned that
the shareholding of MCX and Financial Technologies (India)
Ltd. (FTIL) (the two promoters) would be brought within the 5
MCX Stock Exchange (MCX- per cent limit within 18 months from 10 July 2012 itself. The
SX) promoters also informed SEBI that the combined voting rights
of FTIL and MCX in the stock exchange would not exceed 5 per
cent at any point of time. MCX and FTIL would reduce their
rights over equity arising from instruments such as warrants to within the shareholding limit in
accordance to what was specified in the revised SEBI regulations within three years.
SEBI’S DECISION IS LIKELY TO BRING IN MORE COMPETITION IN MARKETS
38
MCX is the largest commodity exchange in the country while its promoter FTIL offers
technology and other solutions for exchange businesses. MCX-SX was first granted recognition
by SEBI in September 2008; however it was allowed to conduct trading only in the currency
derivatives segment only. SEBI granted permanent recognition to eight stock exchanges in the
country. Of the total eight only two of them — BSE and NSE are operating as active national
level bourses across the segments.
INDEX OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION (IIP) RECORDED 2.4% GROWTH IN

MAY 2012 AS AGAINST 6.2% IN MAY 2011
Index of Industrial Production (IIP) recorded 2.4% growth in May 2012 as against the market
expectations of 1.7% growth. The April IIP was revised lower to -0.9% from earlier estimate of
0.1%. The slight growth in IIP was attributed to growth registered in the electricity and consumer
durables sector. Industrial growth had stood at 6.2 per cent in the corresponding month in 2011.
During the first two months of the 2012-13 fiscal, April-May, the industrial growth rate fell
sharply to 0.8 percent from 6.2 percent in the same period of 2011-12. Mining sector witnessed a
fall of -0.9% compared to 1.8 percent growth in May 2011. The output of the capital goods
sector (machinery and equipment) dipped by 7.7 percent in May 2012 as against a growth of 6.2
percent in May 2011.
However electricity sector registered a growth of 5.9%. Power generation had witnessed a slower
growth of 5.9 percent during May, compared to 10.3 percent. Manufacturing sector which
constitutes over 75 percent of the index, did not perform well and grew a mere 2.5 percent in
May 2012 as against 6.3 percent in May 2011
Consumer durables production showed a faster growth rate of 9.3 percent in May 2012 as
compared to 5.1 percent in May 2011. The consumer non-durables segment output growth
declined sharply and remained flat at 0.1 percent, as against 9 percent. Headline inflation in May
moved to 7.55 percent as both food and fuel prices increased. Consumer price inflation, which is
an indicator of retail price rises, remained unchanged at 10.36 percent in May 2012.
INDIA’S HEADLINE INFLATION SLOWED TO 7.25 PERCENT IN JUNE 2012
According to the Wholesale Price Inflation (WPI) data released by the Ministry of Commerce
and Industry on 16 June 2012, India’s headline inflation in the month of June 2012 slowed to
7.25 percent, marking the lowest in the last five months. The inflation figure stood at 7.55 per
cent in May 2012, while at 9.51 percent during the corresponding month of 2011. The
government revised the inflation figure for the month of
April 2012 to 7.50 percent from earlier 7.23 percent.
Wholesale Price Inflation (WPI)
Food Inflation, however, did not show any restraint as it
stubbornly stood in double digit zone. The food inflation
39
for the month of June 2012 stood at 10.81 percent as compared to 10.74 percent in May 2012.
The persistent high food inflation left RBI with very little room to consider any policy rate cut in
its upcoming monetary policy review.
Annual fuel inflation at 10.27 per cent in June 2012, showed a little moderation as it stood at
11.53 percent during the same period in 2011. The persistent decline in the value of Indian rupee
in the global currency market has not let the fuel prices in India come down, despite the global
fuel prices dropped significantly.
RBI is set to review its quarterly monetary policy on 31 July 2012, though any decision on
change in policy rates is unlikely unless the inflation remains above the comfort level of the
common man of the country. The Central Bank in its mid-quarterly review of monetary policy on
18 June 2012 had left various key policy rates unchanged.
INDIA’S RETAIL INFLATION DROPPED TO 10.02 PERCENT IN JUNE 2012
According to the annual Consumer price index (CPI) data

released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and Union
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on 17
Consumer price index (CPI) July 2012, India’s retail inflation dropped marginally to 10.02
percent in the month of June 2012 from 10.36 percent in May
2012.
The inflation rates (provisional) for rural and urban areas for
June 2012 stood at 9.74 percent and 10.44 percent
respectively. Inflation rates (final) in the month of May 2012
for rural and urban areas stood at 9.57 percent and 11.52 National Sample Survey
percent respectively. Organisation (NSSO)
Consumer Price Index, launched in January 2012, aims at making an accurate measurement of
retail prices in major food groups, fuel, clothing, housing and education across rural and urban
India. To find out the actual number of retail inflation in the country the Field Operations
Division of National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) collects price data from town while,
data from selected villages are collected by the Department of Posts. Price data are received
through web portals being maintained by the National Informatics Centre.
CABINET COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AFFAIRS APPROVED 10.82 PER

CENT DISINVESTMENT IN SAIL
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 20 July 2012 approved 10.82 per cent
disinvestment in Steel Authority of India (SAIL). The divestment will help the government to
rise about 4000 crore rupees. The government holds 85.82 per cent stake in SAIL.
Earlier the government on 15 July 2012 had deferred Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited's 2500 crore
rupees initial public offering due to volatile state of market. The government plans to divest 10
40
per cent stake in RINL through IPO. The government in annual

budget 2012-13 set the disinvestment target at 30000 crore rupees
(300 billion rupees). Though, on the issue of ownership it made
clear that at least 51 per cent ownership and management control of
Central Public Sector Enterprises will remain with the Government.
Union government is also eyeing to partially offload its share in
PSUs like Hindustan Aeronautics, BHEL, National Aluminium
Company (Nalco), Hindustan Copper and Oil India in the fiscal
year 2012-13.
EGOM ON TELECOMMUNIC ATION RECOMMENDED TO REDUCE 2G BASE

PRICE
The empowered group of ministers (EGoM) on telecommunications, headed by union home

minister P Chidambaram , recommended to reduce the base price for 2G spectrum airwaves by
4000 crore rupees. The EGoM recommended the base price for 2G spectrum at 14000-16000
crore rupees against 18000 crore rupees suggested by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
(TRAI).
The EGoM decision on spectrum price was taken during a meeting in Delhi on 20 July 2012. The
EGoM announced a cut in spectrum usage charges (which will be part of the operators’ revenues
towards spectrum fee) from 8-10 percent recommended by Trai to between 3 percent and 6
percent. The EGoM’s recommendations will now be sent to the Union Cabinet for its approval.
The EGoM also approved the department of telecommunications’ (DoT) suggestion to defer the
mode of payment for auction winners. Giving in to
demand of telecom operators the DoT had suggested
the EGoM that the auction winners should be allowed
to pay 25-30 percent of the spectrum fee upfront and
rest amount divided in 10 equal installments annually.
The fresh 2G spectrum auctions were necessitated as

Supreme Court 2 February 2012 scrapped 122 licenses
of 9 telecom companies. The Apex Court in its verdict
observed that 2G spectrum allocation held in January
2008 was crammed with irregularities thus should be
scrapped. The court also instructed Union government
to carry out a fresh 2G airwave auction. 2 June 2012 was set as the initial deadline for the
auction, which was later extended to 31 August 2012 by the court.
The EGoM on telecommunication was reconstituted after Pranab Mukherjee, the head of the
group, resigned as the Union Finance Minister in June 2012 to contest Presidential election.
Subsequently the panel was reconstituted with Home Minister P Chidambaram as its head.The
reconstituted panel includes Union Telecom and HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, Information and
Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, Defence Minister AK Antony, Law Minister Salman
Khurshid, and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V. Narayanasamy as members.
41
The panel held its first meeing on 12 July 2012 where it discussed the issues including reserve
price, spectrum usage charges and terms of payment.
SEBI TIGHTENED ELIGIBILITY & EXIT CRITERIA FOR STOCKS IN

DERIVATIVES SEGMENT TO CURB MANIPULATION
The market regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 23 July 2012 tightened
eligibility and exit criteria for stocks in the derivatives segment by increasing the benchmark
liquidity level for any scrip to be eligible for trading in the derivatives segments. By doing away
with illiquid stocks SEBI aims to check manipulation. According to the circular issued by SEBI,
scrips with a minimum trading volume value of Rs 10 lakh and market wide position limit
(MWPL) or market capitalisation of Rs 300 crore cannot be eligible for entry into the Future and
Options (F&O) segment.
Over 220 scrips trade in the F&O segment on

the National Stock Exchange (NSE) at
present. Of these 220 scrips only 100 scrips will
possibly meet the new eligibility criteria set by
the market regulator. The minimum Median
Quarter Sigma Order Size, which indicates
liquidity/order size in scrip, a requirement for
introduction in derivatives segment was
revised to Rs 10 lakh, from Rs 5 lakh at present.
The MWPL, indicating the size of the company
was also raised to Rs 300 crore, from Rs 100
crore. Scrips which fail to maintain a minimum
MWPL requirement of Rs 200 crore would cease
to be in the F&O segment. The earlier limit was set at Rs 60 crore.
SEBI also tightened the minimum conditions for a stock to continue trading in the derivatives
segment. As per the circular, a stock's MQSOS over the last six months ought to be more than
Rs 5 lakh against Rs 2 lakh earlier for the stock to continue trading. SEBI’s measures in this
respect are expected to restrain any manipulation in share prices and bring in more
meaningfulness to the F&O segment. Stock exchanges (SEs) will now have to thus follow strict
criteria for futures and option (F&O) securities.
INDIA RECEIVED ITS F IRST INVESTMENT THROUGH QUALIFIED

FRAMEWORK INVESTOR ROUTE WORTH $ 5M
Following the deal struck by Kotak Mahindra Bank worth $5 million India received its first
investment through the qualified framework investor (QFI) route. The deal formally put an end
to speculation that India’s attempt to get investors to buy shares directly will go kaput.
Kotak Mahindra Bank has concluded the deal worth $5 million for a US-based client, said a
finance ministry official. The scheme to attract investment through the Qualified Framework
42
Investor route is expected to attract investment worth about $30 billion in 2012-13 period
thereby helping the country fund a chunk of the current account deficit pegged at 4.2% of GDP
in 2011-12.
The finance ministry had in the recent past conducted road shows in five countries in the Gulf
region--Riyadh, Dubai, Muscat, Kuwait and Bahrain - to project India as the incredible
investment destination for wealthy investors.
QUALIFIED FOREIGN INVESTORS (QFI):
A person or a trust resident in a country which is a member of the Financial Action Task Force
(FATF) can invest directly in India. Such a person or trust is termed as Qualified Foreign
Investors.
INVESTMENT REGIME FOR QFI (QFI):
QFIs have been permitted to invest in all the three segments of the Indian Capital Market
namely- Mutual Funds (MFs), Equity and Corporate Debt.
REASON WHY GOVERNMENT IS PROMOTING QFI ROUTE:
The wealthy investors, the finance ministry felt should be encouraged to invest directly so that
the stable in-flows could fund the current account deficits
EGOM RECOMMENDED CDMA AIRWAVES IN THE 800 MHZ BAND AT 1.3

TIMES THE BASE PRICE FOR GSM AIRWAVES
A high-powered ministerial panel responsible for finalising

rules for upcoming second generation (2G) spectrum
auctions recommended fixing of minimum price for CDMA Empowered Group of
airwaves in the 800 MHz band at 1.3 times the base price for Ministers (EGoM)
GSM airwaves in the 1800 MHz band. Headed by home
minister P Chidambaram, in its meeting on 20 July 2012 had rejected the department of
telecom’s (DoT) suggestion that reserve price in the 800 MHz band for CDMA players be twice
as that of airwaves in the 1800 MHz band. In the same meeting the EGoM had recommended
that the minimum price for GSM airwaves be cut to Rs 14000 to Rs 16000 crore. The EGoM’s
proposal disappointed the mobile phone companies who were pitching for an 80% reduction
from the Rs 18111 crore proposed by the telecom regulator, TRAI.
The EGoM has recommended two specific reserve price for the 1800 MHz band at Rs 14111
crore and Rs 15111 crore for 5 units of airwaves on a pan-India basis. The group of ministers
provided two options to the Cabinet on the spectrum usage charge that forms part of the revenue
share for mobile phone companies. The first option is to (1) keep this levy at 5% of the telco’s
annual revenues, or (2) calculate this levy according to the current rules. The spectrum usage
43
charges currently range between 2% and 7% of the telcos’ annual revenues depending on two
factors – the quantity of airwaves as well as the availability of third generation airwaves.
One unit of GSM airwave in the 1800 MHz on a pan-India basis to cost Rs 2822 crore and Rs
3022 crore, respectively, at the base price of Rs 14111 crore and Rs 15111 crore, respectively.
Airwaves will be sold in blocks of 1.25 MHz and on a circle-wise basis. India is divided into 22
circles. This thus translates to a reserve price of Rs 18344 crore to Rs 19644 crore for 5 MHz of
airwaves in the 800 MHz band for CDMA companies. For a single unit, the telecom companies
will have to pay between Rs 3668 crore and Rs 3928 crore. The mobile phone companies in the
GSM space slammed the inter-ministerial panel for suggesting that the base price for 800 MHz
be at 1.3 times that for 1800 MHz.
The EGoM also specified that new entrants and companies that lost their mobile permits on
account of the Supreme Court’s ruling can bid for a maximum 6.25 MHz of airwaves in the 1800
MHz band in the upcoming auctions, while existing operators in the GSM space can bid for a
maximum of 2 blocks or 2.5 MHz of airwaves.
DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN GSM & CDMA
It is argued that discrimination between GSM and CDMA is being widened by keeping the
auction reserve price for 800 MHz at 1.3 times of 1800 MHz on the rationale that less than 5
MHz is being put up for auction. A similar option is however not being extended to GSM
operators to retain their 900 MHz spectrum at a price of 1.3 times of 1,800 MHz in the event that
less than 5 MHz is obtained at the time of the license extension.
The requirement for 25% of upfront payment for CDMA and 35% of upfront payment for GSM
is another example of discrimination between CDMA & GSM. This discrimination will go
against the objective of creating a level playing field among the operators.
GOVERNMENT APPROVED 14 FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT (FDI)

PROPOSALS WORTH RS 1584.11 CRORE
The finance ministry declared on 24 July 2012 that the government based on the
recommendation of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board approved 14 foreign direct
investment (FDI) proposals worth Rs 1584.11 crore. The FDI proposal which received
government approval included 225-crore investment in the Indian operations of Asian equity
research firm CLSA.
Maharashtrabased Abhijeet Power’s proposal to invest Rs 674 crore for induction of foreign
equity in an investing company to make downstream investment also received approval. The
government also cleared the proposal of Pune-based Bajaj Finserv, which sought a nod for issue
of equity shares to carry out NBFC activities directly and through subsidiaries. It proposed to
bring in FDI worth Rs 100 crore.
44
The government rejected seven proposals. the decision on 15 proposals including those of Tara
Aerospace Systems, Ordain Health Care Global, Sterlite Networks and Mauritius-based
Cloverdell Investments were been deferred.
PETROL & DIESEL PRICES RAISED AS OIL FIRMS RECALIBRATED RATES TO

REFLECT CHANGES IN L OCAL LEVIES
Petrol and diesel prices were on raised in seven states like West Bengal and Maharasthra while
the price of domestic LPG were raised in six states. Earlier, on 23 July 2012, petrol prices were
raised by 70 paise. The state-owned oil firms recalibrated rates to reflect changes in local levies
which resulted in the second raise. The state-run fuel retailers
recalibrated surcharge calculations to align with changes made
in local levies like entry tax on crude oil, surcharge on sales
tax and CST/purchase tax on inter-company sale, by state
governments which resulted in further increase in prices in the
seven states.
However, the exercise by the state-owned oil firms resulted in

petrol and diesel prices being reduced in 11 states like
Karnataka, Goa, Gujarat and Odisha beginning 25 July 2012.
There is to be no change in price of petrol in Delhi, Kolkata however is to see an increase of Rs.
2.52 a litre to Rs. 76.13 per liter. Petrol in Mumbai is to cost Rs. 75.14 from 25 July 2012 as
against Rs. 74.23 per litre. Rates were however cut in Chennai by Rs. 0.97 per litre to Rs. 72.19.
Diesel price in Delhi would remain unchanged at Rs. 41.29 per litre. it will however be raised by
Rs. 0.92 per litre to Rs 44.66 in Kolkata and by Rs. 0.89 to Rs. 45.28 a litre in Mumbai. Diesel
rates in Chennai rates were reduced by a marginal 12 paisa to Rs. 43.83 a litre.
Domestic LPG price was raised by Rs. 19.43 per 14.2-kg cylinder in Assam, by Rs. 9.16 in Bihar
and Rs. 8.72 per bottle in Maharashtra. LPG will cost Rs. 9 more at Rs. 423 in Mumbai. There is
to be no change in rates in Delhi where it is sold at Rs 399.26 per cylinder. In Kolkata prices fell
to Rs 4 to Rs 401 and in Chennai by Rs 7 to Rs 386.50 beginning 25 July 2012. Domestic
cooking gas rates were however reduced by Rs 10.18 per cylinder in Gujarat, by Rs 7.01 in
Tamil Nadu and Rs 4.15 in Odisha.
STATE
DELHI GOVT ANNOUNCED SUBSIDY OF 1 RUPEE PER UNIT ON
ELECTRICITY FOR DOMESTIC CONSUMERS
Delhi Government announced subsidy of 1 Rupee per unit on electricity for domestic consumers
on 1 July 2012. This subsidy would be relevant for those people who consume 200 units or fewer
45
units per month. Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission

(DERC) had increased the tariffs on electricity in various
categories. The new chunk of electricity tariffs announced Delhi Electricity Regulatory
by DERC was that people who consumes 0 to 200 units, 0 Commission (DERC)
to 400 and 401 and above have to pay Rs 3.70, 4.80 and
Rs 6.40 respectively. The subsidy of 1 Rupee was charged from consumers under the previous
tariff regime but it was discontinued by the government till 31 March 2012.
JAGDISH SHETTAR SWORN IN AS THE 27TH CHIEF MINISTER OF

KARNATAKA
Jagadish Shivappa Shettar was sworn in as the 27th
Chief Minister of Karnataka on 12 July 2012. Shettar
was administered the oath of the office by Governor
HR Bharadwaj at an oath taking ceremony held at Raj
Bhawan. KS Eshwarappa and R Ashoka, two other BJP
leaders in the state, were sworn in as deputy chief
ministers of the state. A total of 34 ministers took the
oath of office.
Shettar, 56, was unanimously chosen the leader of the

BJP legislature party following the resignation of DV Sadananda Gowda on 11 July 2012. Life
has come full circle for Jagdish Shettar, another big leader from the state’s influential Lingayat
community (other one is BS Yeddyurappa, the former Karnataka CM) as he finally moved to the
office of Chief Minister. Earlier he served as the Revenue Minister in the JD(S)-BJP coalition
government headed by H DKumaraswamy in 2006. In
2008, he was elected as the Speaker of the Karnataka
Shettar, 56, is the third CM of legislative assembly. In 2009 he was included in to the
state, within the period of 4 years cabinet of BS Yeddyurappa as Rural development and
Panchayati Raj Minister. Shettar had lost the race for the
top job in the hand of DV Sadananda Gowda in 2011. In
a meeting of BJP legislature party following the resignation of BS Yeddyurappa, Sadananda
Gowda was handpicked by BS Yeddyurappa to become the Chief Minister of the state in August
2011.
Sadananda Gowda was forced to step down after he developed a rivalry with BS Yeddyurappa
who forced the BJP central leadership to ask Gowda to quit. Gowda, however, agreed to quit
only after he was given the position of state BJP president. Besides, he also got two of his
confidants as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state, the post which was created giving in to his
demand.
THE GOVERNMENT OF MAHARASHTRA BANNED GUTKA AND PAN

MASALA
The Government of Maharashtra banned Gutka and Pan Masala on 11 July 2012. The State
Cabinet decided to ban the manufacturing, sale and distribution of these products. Food and Drug
46
Administration (FDA) had initiated this proposal under the Food

Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Prevention of Food
Adulteration Act, 1954. As per the Government rule, if any
person offends this law then that person can be imprisoned for 6
months to three years.
It aims to reduce the number of

cases that are related to the oral and other forms of cancer that The gutka was consumed by the
are increasing day by day. In addition, the Non Government resident of the state worth Rs
Organization was also forcing for the ban from last few years. 360 Crore on daily basis
60 percent of people consume gutka in Maharashtra who lies
in the age group between 14-16 years. The gutka was consumed by the resident of the state worth
Rs 360 Crore on daily basis. Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have already
banned gutka but Maharashtra is the first state to ban Pan Masala.
UNION HRD MINISTRY ANNOUNCED TO SET UP TWO CENTRAL

UNIVERSITIES IN BIHAR
Conceding to the demand of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the Union Human Resource
Development Ministry on 13 July 2012 agreed to set up two central universities in the state. The
union government’s nod for two central universities also put an end to the 3-year long impasse
over the location of the university.
The Ministry, however, announced that it would not provide any separate funds for the additional
university. Hence, the 240 crore rupees fund which was allocated as initial capital for the
university will have to be divided between the two varsities. The Union Government will have to
make certain amendments in the Central Universities Act, 2009, to enable the opening of two
central universities in Bihar. Under the legislation there is a provision for setting up two central
universities in Jammu and Kashmir as a special case.
The proposal to set up central university in Bihar was delayed by several months given the
differences between the state government and the human resource development ministry related
to the location of the university. While the Nitish Kumar led state government was adamant on
setting up the university in Motihari, the Union Government considered Gaya as the preferred
location for the university. There are 41 central universities functioning in India at present, with
Delhi and UP have a maximum of 4 Universities each.
PUNJAB GOVERNMENT INCREASED THE DA BY 12 PER CENT FOR

EMPLOYEES AND PENSIONERS
The Government of Punjab increased the Dearness Allowance (DA) by 12 per cent for the
employees and pensioners on 17 July 2012. The governor of Punjab, Shivraj V Patil approved
the rate of dearness allowance from 127 per cent to 139 per cent. The Finance Ministry declared
that the amount will be credited from the General Provident Fund (GPF) account of employees.
The government of Punjab ordered that the allowance will be paid in cash from July 2012.
Dearness Allowance is the part of the person’s salary that is calculated as a percent of the basic
47
salary. This amount is added to the basic salary along with the House Rent Allowance (HRA) to
get the total salary.
PLANNING COMMISSION SANCTIONED 57800 CRORE RUPEES AS

ANNUAL PLAN FOR UP
Marking an increase of whopping 23 percent in annual financial allocation for UP, the Planning
Commission of India allocated 57800 crore rupees to the state for fiscal year 2012-13. Besides, it
also approved a 20000 crore rupees additional funding for centre-sponsored schemes in the state.
The Planning Commission had sanctioned 47000 crore rupees to UP during financial year 2011-
12.
The decision over the financial allocation for the

state came following the meeting held between UP
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Planning
Commission Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia
in New Delhi on 18 July 2012. The financial
package includes a special one-time grant of 800
crore rupees for the forthcoming Kumbh Mela and
an additional central allocation of 9200 crore
rupees.
The UP government is striving at attaining the 10 percent growth target by 2016-17. In addition
to that, the state is also striving to attract 1200000 crore rupees private investment over the next
five years.
DELHI GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS

IN DELHI FROM 9 TO 11
To facilitate the speedy justice and efficient administration, the Delhi government on 16 July
2012 decided in-principle to divide Delhi into 11 sessions and revenue districts. The existing
number of district is nine that includes, Central, North, South, East, Northeast, Southwest, New
Delhi, Northwest and West Delhi.
After reshaping the boundaries of existing districts there will be 11 districts including, Central,
East, West, North, South, Najafgarh, Saraswati Vihar, Kalkaji, Preet Vihar, Seelampur and New
Delhi. The Northeast, Northwest and Southwest districts will cease to exist while, five new
districts namely Seelampur, Gandhi Nagar, Saraswati Vihar, Najafgadh and Kalka Ji will come
into existence.
The government’s move came following law department sent a proposal to the Delhi government
to divide the capital into 11 districts so that the work of the judiciary and the revenue department
gets divided according to their respective areas. Under the present structure, the work of the trial
courts is divided into nine districts for the civil cases, while, there is only one chief metropolitan
magistrate for criminal jurisdiction. For revenue department, there are nine districts along with
27 sub-divisions.
48
UP GOVERNMENT RECHRISTENED EIGHT DISTRICTS IN THE STATE

Uttar Pradesh government on 23 July 2012 rechristened eight districts in the state, which had
been given a new name by erstwhile BSP government. The
UP government’s decision to restore the early name of the
districts, which were named after the dalit and OBC icons King George’s Medical
by the previous Mayawati led government, was taken in a University (KGMU)
cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Akhilesh
Yadav.
Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar was rechristened as Amethi, while Rambai Nagar was
named Kanpur Dehat. The districts namely Bheem Nagar, Prabuddha Nagar and Panchseel
Nagar will now be known as Sambhal, Shamli and Hapur respectively. Similarly, Kanshiram
Nagar, Mahamaya Nagar and JP Nagar will be known as Kasganj, Hathras and Amroha
respectively. The name of the 105-year-old King George’s Medical University (KGMU), which
was named Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University by the previous BSP government,
was also restored.
INDIA DIARY
2 July 2012
• Anup Sankar Bhattacharya was appointed as the Director of the Institute of Banking
Personnel Selection (IBPS) on 2 July 2012.
3 July 2012
• Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan to hold two-day bilateral talks in New Delhi from
tomorrow
• In Assam flood death toll mounts to 95; Relief and rescue operations are on
4 July 2012
• Air India pilots call off their 58-day long strike
5 July 2012
• In Assam, flood water submerges 315 more villages in Dhemaji district; Death toll goes up to
116.
6 July 2012
• Sensex loses 45 points in afternoon trade; rupee falls 52 paise to 55.49 against the dollar
7 July 2012
• CNG prices go up in Delhi by 2 rupees 90 paise per kilogram
49
8 July 2012
• United Progressive Alliance (UPA) decided to field Hamid Ansari in the vice-presidential
poll 2012
9 July 2012
• Amidst the increasing number of reports of the misuse of tatkal scheme, the Indian Railways
on 9 July 2012 introduced new guidelines for booking of Tatkal tickets. Under the new guideline
the Railways revised the time for booking the tatkal tickets to 10am from earlier 8am.
10 July 2012
• Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 10 July 2012 permitted
MCX Stock Exchange (MCX-SX) to operate as a full-fledged stock exchange thereby ending
nearly four-year-long wait of the bourse.
• The Civil Aviation Ministry of India sacked EK Bharat Bhushan, the head of the Directorate
General of Civil Aviation, on 10 July 2012.
11 July 2012
• World Population Day was celebrated on 11 July 2012. It aims to make aware people about
the increasing population in the country.
• The Government of Maharashtra banned Gutka and Pan Masala on 11 July 2012.
12 July 2012
• Jagadish Shivappa Shettar was sworn in as the 27th Chief Minister of Karnataka on 12 July
2012.
• Rustam-E-Hind, Dara Singh, who won India numerous accolades globally in wrestling,
passed away on 12 July 2012 in Mumbai following a protracted illness.
13 July 2012
• India on 13 July 2012 successfully test-fired domestically built surface-to-surface single stage
Agni-I ballistic missile.
14 July 2012
• Delhi University released the sixth cut off list for 2012-13 session, the cut list saw a marginal
drop in subjects for students from the OBC category.
• A two member team of National Commission for Women reaches Guwahati to investigate the
molestation of a teenager; Assam government also orders an inquiry
15 July 2012
• UPA nominates Hamid Ansari as its Vice Presidential candidate for a second term; BJP
decides to contest; NDA meets today to finalise its strategy
• India slips to fifth place in the latest ICC Test ranking
23 July 2012
 Pranab Mukherjee wins Presidential election with huge margin; Says that he will justify
the responsibility entrusted to him
50
 Night curfew imposed in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts of Assam; Death toll in violence
rises to 16
24 July 2012
 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh directs ministries to co-ordinate with states to deal with
deficient monsoon situation
25 July 2012
 The Government tells Supreme Court it cannot restrict itself to auction route only in
allocating natural resources
 More than 140 Maoists surrender before authorities in Khammam district of Andhra
Pradesh
26 July 2012
 Delhi High Court bars sacked CWG Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi
from attending opening ceremony of London Olympics
 DIndian activist Kulandei Francis among six winners of this year's Ramon Magsaysay
Award
27 July 2012
 Various State governments and corporate bodies support Centre's stand that all natural
resources cannot be allocated through auction only
 Situation remains calm in the three violence hit districts of Assam; Prime Minister to
visit Kokrajhar tomorrow to take stock of the situation
29 July 2012
 India successfully conducts user trial of Brahmos supersonic cruise missile from
Chandipur, off Odisha coast
CORPORATE
ADANI KANDLA BULK TERMINAL PVT. LTD SIGNED AGREEMENT WITH
KANDLA PORT TRUST
Adnani subsidiary Adani Kandla Bulk Terminal Pvt. Ltd. signed an agreement with Kandla Port
Trust on 2 July 2012 to locate a dry bulk terminal at Kandla Port on build, operate, transfer basis.
It will be a modern and mechanised cargo bulk terminal. It would likely to knob cargo like coal,
51
fertiliser, salt, minerals and agro products. Kandla Port terminal will have the capacity to manage
20 million tonnes of cargo. The project costs around 1200 crore rupees and to be completed
within 24 months. Kandla port is the only private sector port which has six ports locations in
India. The six ports are in Mundra, Dahej, Hazira and Kandla in Gujarat, Mormugao in Goa and
Visakhapatnam.
SITE
The location is near to Tuna outside the Kandla stream. The Tuna port is owned by the Kandla
Port Trust. The Adani will construct four T-shaped ports near Tuna with 14 metres depth, due to
which the giant ships can move directly at Tuna, there is no need to transfer the cargo by small
boats to the Kandla port. The sufficient space at Tuna also cuts the distance of the port behind
the coast. Adani Ports plans to handle 200 million tonnes of cargo by 2020.
HDFC LAUNCHED SUPERIA AND PLATINUM CREDIT CARDS FOR DOCTORS

Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) bank on 1 July
2012 launched two credits cards Superia and Platinum for doctors. It
will furnish their special needs including lifestyle, travel and other
needs. Hdfc planned to open one million credit cards to the fiscal
year 2012.
The doctors will be able to access credit card in more than 600
airports lounges in the world despite of the class or the airlines they
are travelling. They will also get benefit from the reward point
redemption across all major airlines in India.
B. SURENDER MOHAN APPOINTED AS THE CHAIRMAN AND MD OF NLC

B. Surender Mohan was appointed as the new Chairman and
Managing Director of Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) on 1
July 2012. A R Ansari was the former Managing Director of
Neyveli Lignite Corporation. Neyveli Lignite Corporation is the
government organization and the leading company in mining,
thermal power plants and innovative researches. B. Surender
Mohan is 56 years old. He served as the Mines Director in his
earlier stage of life. He started his career from Rourkela Steel
Plant and he was the Deputy General Manager at Rashtriya Ispat
Nigam in the year 1998. In addition, he was trained in various
institutes of France and Italy. He presented many papers on the mining industry in Washington
DC, United States of America and Poland.
BRAZIL COURT ORDERED BASF AND SHELL TO COMPENSATE 382

MILLION DOLLARS
52
Brazil court on 3 July 2012 ordered Baden Aniline and Soda Factory (BASF) and Royal Dutch
Shell to pay 382 million dollar into a compensation fund. The fund would likely to be given to
the ex-employees who were suffered from working in contaminated and sickened agricultural
chemical plant. Both companies were disputed against the decision.
As per annual report of BASF, in 1995 Shell was operating the site in the Brazilian municipality
of Paulinia, after that Shell sold it to the American Cyanamid. BASF claimed that it had bought
the site in the year 2000 and at that time the site was already infected by Shell. After that in
2011, BASF SA, parent company of BASF SE had also approved that the site was extensively
infected by production of crop protection products.
DELL INC ANNOUNCED TO BUY QUEST SOFTWARE INC FOR 2.4 BILLION
DOLLAR CASH
Dell Inc on 3 July 2012 announced to buy Quest Software Inc for 2.4 billion dollar to increase its
software and reduce its dependence on personal computer souk. There was a bidding war
between Dell and Insight Initial offer to buy Quest Software. In this, Insight Initial Offer bid on
23 dollar per share in March 2012 where Dell bid on 25.50
dollar per share and bough the Quest Software Inc.
Primarily, Dell awarded Quest its 1300 engineers and its International Business
secure software designed for businesses and government Machines Corp. (IBM)
agencies. Dell is with Quest to sell more servers,
networking and storage products and computing services as it is more profitable than PCs
currently.
Dell decided to buy Quest because it founded itself a step behind its rivals Hewlett-Packard Co.
(HP) and to become one-stop shops for corporate information technology needs. Quest is Dell's
biggest purchase after Perot Systems for 3.9 billion dollar in 2009. Dell Inc. is an American
multinational computer technology corporation in US. It was founded by Michael Dell. It is one
of the largest technological corporations in the world. It is the third largest PC vendor across the
world after HP and Lenovo.
EUROPEAN AEROSPACE AIRBUS BUILD ITS 1ST US ASSEMBLY PLANT IN

ALABAMA
European aerospace Airbus on 2 July 2012 announced to build its first US assembly Plant in
Alabama to compete with Boeing. The Alabama plant costs around 600 million dollar. It will
employ around 1000 people and likely to be complete till 2017.
Previously, Airbus had planned to manufacture refueling tankers for the U.S. Air Force in
Alabama. But its parent company, the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. had lost the
contract to Boeing in 2011. Boeing is already present in Alabama and its employing 2700 people
in defense and rocket operations.
Airbus appears to increase its A320 production while Boeing is producing its 737. Airbus A320
directly competes with Boeing 737. Both companies are placing new, more fuel-efficient engines
53
on the planes to extend their request as airlines try to cut fuel costs. Airbus had the facility in
Mobile to design and install the interior items like seats and cabin equipment for its big planes,
this facility would likely employ around 230 people.
APPLE PAID 60 MILLION DOLLAR TO SHENZHEN PROVIEW TECHNOLOGY TO

SETTLE LEGAL DISPUTE
Apple had paid 60 million dollar to Chinese computer maker Shenzhen Proview Technology on 2 July
2012 to settle legal dispute over iPad trademaker. The dispute was that Proview claimed the ownership of
iPad trademark whereas Apple contradicted that it had bought the trademaker earlier.
Proview demanded 400 billion dollar to settle the dispute, but Apple had paid 60 million dollar and 55
million dollar earlier. The total amount was not given to Proview inspite of that it had settled the dispute
because it has to pay debts. The settlement was signed by the Communist Party of China outside the court
in between Proview and Apple. The settlement was later announced in the court. The Apple transferred the
amount of 60 million dollar to the Guangdong High Court account which was requested in mediation
letter.
After US, Apple’s biggest market is in China. After the settlement, Apple is free to sell the new iPad 3 in
China. Apple Tablets are already approved by China telecommunications equipment certification agency
in May 2012. Apple's products are made in China-based factories which are run by Taiwanese firm
Foxconn.
VODAFONE CAPTURED 1.04 BILLION EURO OF BRITISH FIRM CABLE AND

WIRELESS
Vodafone on 3 July 2012 agreed to take over 1.04 billion euro of British firm cable and Wireless
Worldwide (C & WW). The decision was taken after Tata Communications withdrew itself when
it failed to agree on a price.
Vodafone is the only remaining option for the British firm cable and Wireless. Vodafone made
the payment of 38 pence a share. There was 92 percent premium to the C&WW share price when
the offer was first made on 10 February 2012.
54
C&WW will provide voice, data hosting and IP-based services and applications. This will help
Vodafone to expand its international cable network up to 425000 km to diversify its business
further beyond mobile handsets. Vodafone is the largest telecom operator after BT in Britain.
C&WW also has international assets including India. Vodafone had rejected the taxsynergy
(lower cost of debt) with the use of C&WW as it was the only reason for bid.
STATE BANK OF PATIALA LAUNCHED GOLD LOAN (SWARN SHAKTI) FOR

FARMERS
State Bank of Patiala (SBOP) on 2 July 2012 launched gold loan (Swarn Shakti) for farmers
against the security of gold ornaments to provide
free loans to the farmers without taking loan on land.
It would help farmers meet their small and long term
agricultural needs with crop production, investment
and consumption.
The maximum amount of loan is 10 lakh rupees and

30 percent margin will be given by the farmers. The
loan for crop production will be charged at 7 percent
per year up to 3 lakh rupees. Further, 3 percent
interest of financial support will be given to farmers
who refund their loans in time. Therefore, the actual rate of interest charged will be 4 percent.
The total period to refund the amount will be 36 months counting with harvesting season.
MTS ANNOUNCED FLAT R ATE OF 30 PAISE/MINUTE FOR LOCAL, STD,

ROAMING AND ISD CALLS
Mobile Tele Systems (MTS) on 4 July 2012 launched a new scheme to enjoy all the services at a
flat rate of 30 paise per minute. The services includes local, STD, roaming, ISD calls, an SMS
including data usage at 30 paise per MB (Mega Byte). MTS is a Code Division Multiple Access
(CDMA) service provider.
MTS has about 16 million users. The scheme is available

for new as well as for the existing customers through a Mobile Tele Systems (MTS)
recharge coupon between 50 rupees to 100 rupees. The
customer will make or receive calls at 30 paisa per minute on roaming.
This offer is valid for ISD calls made to US and Canada with a cap of 100 minutes per month.
When the limit is over, the company will charge the standard rates. It also announced free access
to Facebook for a month through MTS planet on entry level phones given to the customers.
MAHINDRA LAUNCHED 100 CRORE RUPEES R&D CENTRE FOR TWO-

WHEELERS IN PUNE
Mahindra invested 100 crore rupees for Research and Development (R&D) centre for two-
wheelers on 4 July 2012 with the investment plan of 500 crore rupees till 2017. It will enable
55
Mahindra two wheelers to undertake in-house design and development of engine technology for
its motorcycles.
Pune R&D centre is the third largest two-wheeler centre in India. It has 175 engineers and
designers. The facility has an Engine Development Centre (EDC), vehicle design & development
facility, testing facilities and prototype centre. Mahindra also launched two new engines-110cc
and 300cc which was developed at the R&D centre as well as the Duro DZ which was fitted with
a fuel-efficient micro hybrid technology engine. Duro DZ would likely to be launched till
September 2012.
Mahindra and Mahindra is an Indian multinational automaker. It is headquartered in Mumbai,
India. It is one of the largest automobile manufactures in India and a subsidiary of Mahindra
Group. It was founded by K.C. Mahindra and J.C. Mahindra and Malik Ghulam Mohammed in
1945.It is a major manufacturer of commercial vehicles, two wheelers, and service vehicles.
CADBURY LAUNCHED FAMOUS TRIANGULAR SWISS CHOCOLATE BRAND

TOBLERONE
The Chocolate brand Cadbury on 4 July 2012 launched its famous Triangular Swiss Chocolate
Brand Toblerone in India to enlarge its market. Cadbury decided to get Toblerone due to
tremendous success of its Italian rival Ferrero Rocher in the country. Ferrero Rocher brands are
Oreo cookies and Tang powdered drink mix.
It would be available in the India in five pack sizes
ranging between 65 rupees for 50 gm pack to 430
rupees for 400 gm pack in retail outlets. Cadbury India
gazes to position the brand as premium gifting brands
with its unique shape, different taste.
Toblerone is manufactured only at Bern Brunnen in

Switzerland and exported across world. It is the largest
selling chocolate brand in duty-free and travel retail.
Only 4 percent of Toblerone is sold in their own
country while rest 96 percent of the production is sold
in other countries. Toblerone is sold in around 122
countries. Cadbury India also sells brands such as Cadbury Dairy Milk, Bournvita, 5 Star, Perk,
Bournville and Celebrations in India.
SERUM INSTITUTE OF INDIA BOUGHT BILTHOVEN BIOLOGICALS FOR 550

CRORE RUPEES
Vaccine-maker Serum Institute of India on 4 July 2012 bought polio vaccine maker Bilthoven
Biologicals for 550 crore rupees (80 million euro). The acquirement gives Serum a
manufacturing base in Europe and greater access to European and U.S. markets. Bilthoven
Biologicals was owned by the Netherlands government where as the Serum Institute of India is
owned by Cyrus Poonawalla Group.
56
The initial amount of 220 crore rupees (32 million euro) was already given for 100 percent
shares in the Bilthoven Biologicals where as the rest amount of 330 crore rupees will be paid
within three-year period with other liabilities in the company. Serum planned to invest about 70
million to 80 million euros with the acquisition amount in three years to grow polio vaccine
maker manufacturing capacity and to meet capital requirements.Due to the acquisition, Serum
Institute will get access to technology and proficiency for making Injectable Polio Vaccine
(Salk).
Serum Institute is centred in Pune, India. It is the fifth largest vaccine maker by volume across
the world. Bilthoven Biologicals is manufacturing 20 million vaccines doses per year. It sells the
vaccines to Europe and other developing countries
PAYMENT
Serum would likely to attain the fund through internal growth and a capital loan from banks. It
had attained a turnover of 1700 crore rupees in 2011-12 where 700 crore rupees was the profit.
ELECTRONICS COMPANY TOSHIBA LAUNCHED C, L, M, U SATELLITE

SERIES
Toshiba launched fully-equipped C, L, M and U Satellite series on 4 July 2012. The C series
includes C840 and C850, L series with L850, M series with M840 and Ultrabook satellite U840.
The new series of laptop offers high definition entertainment, outstanding performance, higher
HD entertainment and style. The Ultrabook have 14 inch screen with 21:9 wide. It has the
1792X768 pixel display resolution. These new Satellite C, L, M and U series will be available at
Toshiba authorized stores in India.
Toshiba Corporation is Japanese multinational electronics, electrical equipment and information
Technology Corporation in Tokyo, Japan. Earlier it was named Tokyo Shibaura Electric K.K. It
was the fifth largest personal computer company after HP, Dell, Acer and Lenovo in 2010.
YAHOO! INDIA SIGNED AGREEMENT WITH IIT-MADRAS TO SET R&D

Yahoo! India on 5 July 2012 signed an agreement with Indian
Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras to support its faculty and
students in Cloud Computing Research. The project costs
around 50 lakh rupees. The lab will be available for cloud
computing courses and doctoral candidates. The students will
be able to start to work in lab from next semester.
As per Yahoo Vice-President Hari Vasudev, Indian product
offering generates over 200 terabytes of data in a week. Such
big data research performed at the R&D lab would likely to
help Yahoo in analysing data, which is later be used to improve
its various products like Yahoo Home Page, Yahoo Slides. So
the agreement is helpful for yahoo as well as for IIT-Madras.
57
Cloud Computing is the release of computing and storage capacity as a service to different
community of end-recipients. It gives services with a user data, software and computation over a
network. Recently in November 2011, Yahoo! India launched a free online video service. By
this, Yahoo! video will give the real matter across various sorts like news, entertainment,
lifestyle and movies.
EIL SIGNED INTEGRATED REFINERY EXPANSION PROJECT OF BPCL AT

KOCHI
Engineers India Ltd. (EIL) on 6 June 2012 announced to secure for Integrated Refinery
Expansion Project (IREP) at Kochi. It costs around 720
crores rupees.
Consultancy Services Contract The project involves expanding crude oil refining
from Bharat Petroleum capacity from 9.5 million metric tonnes per annum
Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) (MMTPA) to 15.5 MMTPA. EIL would likely to provide
the consultancy services for project management, process
design, residual process design, detailed engineering, procurement, inspection, expending,
tendering, construction management and supervision. With this, EIL also had 50 petroleum
refinery projects.
Besides all this, EIL also providing its services to various refineries in India like Indian Oil
Corporation Ltd (IOC), BPCL, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), KRL,
Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL), Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL )and
Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. (MRPL).
EIL is a Total Solutions Consultancy Company. It is the
Engineering, Procurement and Construction. (EPC) Contractor Metric tonnes per annum
in the field of Petroleum Refining, Petrochemicals, Pipelines, (MMTPA)
Oil & Gas Terminal & Storages, Mining & Metallurgy and
Infrastructure projects. EIL is also expanding into nuclear, solar and thermal power, water and
solid waste management, city gas distribution and fertilizers sectors.
NOKIA LAUNCHED WINDOW-BASED PHONE LUMIA 610 AT 12999

RUPEES
Nokia launched its window-based phone Lumia 610 on 6 July 2012 in four colours-white, black,
cyan and magenta. It is the cheapest device in the series. It costs
around 12999 rupees. It had also launched Lumia 710 at 15000
rupees and Lumia 800 at about 24000 rupees.
Nokia Lumia 610 has a silky plastic cover touch screen. The
touch screen is of 3.7 inch with a resolution of 480x800 pixels.
It has many features like Radio Mix and Nokia Transport,
Nokia Maps and Nokia Drive. It runs on latest version of
Windows Phone 7.5 Mango, 8 GB internal storage and a
camera of 5MP camera. It is powered by 800 MHz processor
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and has 256 MB RAM. There is alternative to add a micro SD card and good browsing speed.
The customers will also get selected content, information, trailers etc from the movie in addition
to games from Lumia 610.
BPO FIRM SUNDARAM FINANCE LTD. SIGNED VARIOUS DEALS IN

AUSTRALIA
Sundaram Finance Ltd., the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) arm of Sundaram Business
Services (SBS) on 9 July 2012 signed a number of deals to expand its BPO servies in
Australia.The Company is targeting to expand its
Australian business by 50 percent in 2012.
Sundaram Business Services
. It also offers accounting, credit processing, deposit
(SBS) provides non-voice support
processing, employee administration and insurance
services
related processing services. The company is based
in Chennai, India. It would process around 3 lakh
mortgage documents annually. The overall BPO
business from Australia for SBS was around 15 crore rupees in the year 2011-12.
It had also signed a deal with a Sydeny- based company to undertake mortgage process work
from India. It has also signed Melbourne-based Research Company to undertake high-end equity
research back office work. As per the company, each contract will cost around 15 crore rupees.
FACEBOOK EXTENDED IT S APP CENTER IN INDIA AND SIX OTHER

COUNTRIES
Facebook on 9 July 2012 extended its application centre App Center in India and six other
countries. This will help App Center users find games, music and media content easily. The other
six countries are Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United
Kingdom.
The users can access App Center tagged on the left side of its homepage on facebook.com and on
Apple and Android mobile devices. The App Center will give modified experience to the users
depending upon their as well as their friends interests. It includes games, fashion, food, fitness,
travel, other‘s lifestyle apps. Facebook expanded its plan to reach to large number of its users.
Currently, it has more than 900 active users in the world.
FACEBOOK APP DASHBOARD

Facebook also added App Dashboard tool that allows developers to translate the names and
description of their apps into other languages. It would allow developers to translate the names
and descriptions of their apps into other languages. In this, developers will choose a primary
language for their apps with the secondary language by localize tab on the App Dashboard. It
offers Six Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam in
India. .
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MAHINDRA SATYAM LAUNCHED APPAREL & FASHION XPRESS FOR

ORACLE RETAIL
A topmost IT services provider, Mahindra Satyam on 11 July 2012 launched Apparel and
Fashion xPress for Oracle Retail implementation. It will cater to the requirement of average
market fashion and apparel retailers globally. It is likely to help the traders to grow through
international market.
This will provide a new accelerated framework Apparel & Fashion xPress for Oracle retail
implementation, Global merchandise restrictions, integrations with wholesale parties and
Franchises, 3 Programming language (PL) warehouse Integration. It is also providing decision
support features for better business user productivity and a solution accelerator to improve the
internal supply chain efficiency. Mahindra Satyam is an Indian IT services company in
Hyderabad, India. It was founded by B. Ramalingua Raju in 1987. The company offers
consulting and IT services. It is included in top 10 industries in India.
GOVERNMENT APPOINTED NASIR ALI AS THE NEW JOINT MANAGING

DIRECTOR OF AIR INDIA
Civil aviation Ministry on 11 July 2012 appointed Nasir Ali
as the new joint managing director. Prior to his promotion,
he was dealing with human resource issue related to the
merger of Air India and Indian Airlines. He is the second
managerial executive posted in airline by civil aviation
ministry after Rohit Nandan who was appointed as the
chairperson and managing director of the airline in 2011.
Previously, Nasir Ali worked as the director with the civil
aviation ministry. He was appointed as an officer on special
duty (OSD) in the Air India Airline. He was the head of
four-member committee to apply Dharmadhikari Committee proposal on amalgamation of Air
India and Indian Airlines in the year 2008.
TATA GROUP FIRM ROOTS CORPORATION LTD. PLANNED 5 MORE

GINGER HOTELS
Tata Group firm Roots Corporation Ltd. (RCL) on 11 July 2012 planned five more Ginger
Hotels. The five hotels are likely to be inaugurated in
metro and Tier I cities. RCL functions in the field of
hospitality sector. Tata Group firm Roots
The decision was taken due to growing demand in Corporation Ltd. (RCL)
domestic travel industry. Ginger is likely to invest 50
crore rupees to open 5 Ginger hotels in the country. Currently, it works in Agartala, Ahmedabad,
Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Durg, Goa, Guwahati, Haridwar, Jamshedpur, Ludhiana, Mangalore,
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Mysore, Nasik, New Delhi, Pantnagar, Pondicherry, Pune-Pimpri, Pune-Wakad,

Thiruvananthapuram, Vadodara, Surat, Chennai, Manesar and Vivek Vihar.
Roots Corporation (RCL) operates the Ginger chain of hotels. It is completely owned subsidiary
of Indian Hotels Corporation (IHCL). RCL has 25 assets in the country. It was established in
2003 and runs the first-of-its-kind Smart Basics hotels across India.
MARISSA MAYER APPOINTED AS THE NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO OF

YAHOO
Yahoo, world’s second largest search engine by query volume, appointed Marissa Mayer as its
new President and CEO. Mayer prior to this appointment served as the top executive at Google.
Mayer, who assumed the charge on 17 July 2012 will lead the product innovation in troubled
internet company by bringing out the new perspective.
Mayer, 37, joined Google in 1999 as its 20th employee and first female engineer. In her over a
decade long stint at Google she led a number of its businesses, and was credited for simplifying
the Google search interface, a major selling point for the company. A graduate from Stanford
University, Mayer was instrumental in several
projects at Google including Google Search, Google
News, Google Images and Gmail.
The appointment of Mayer at the top position of the
company also put an end on prolonged years of
turmoil in the company which saw 5 CEOs in 5 years.
In May 2012 Scott Thompson was forced to resign as
CEO of the company after less than 6 months on the
job. Thompson had replaced controversial Carol Bartz
who was fired in September 2011 after failing to revitalize Yahoo. Following the resignation of
Thompson, Ross Levinsohn took over as the acting CEO of the company.
Yahoo has been facing stiff competition in the market from Google and Facebook. The company
has lost its user base significantly over the past few years. As per a 2009 data, its share in global
internet business shrank to 6.42 percent while its prime competitor Google acquired 85.35
percent of the query volume on the internet. Yahoo has starkly failed to catch with the changing
needs of global users, paving the way for Google to capture the larger share of market with its
innovative and user friendly services. The appointment of Mayer as the head of the company
signals the change in its business strategy. With Mayer, an engineer with well established
credentials, taking over the control of the company, Yahoo is likely to pay additional attention on
Web technology and products rather than concentrating on online content only.
HINDI NEWS CHANNEL ITV ACQUIRED ENGLISH NEWS CHANNEL NEWS X

Information TV (ITV), which operates Hindi news channel of India News on 17 July 2012
acquired 100 percent stake of English news channel NewsX. This is likely to expand the ITV
group India News (Hindi news channel), in addition to six regional news channels in the north
and central zones of India.
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ITV is a part of Piccadilly Group of Companies, based in New

Delhi. It works in print and electronic media. Piccadilly Group
also holds Good Morning India (GMI). GMI is the print division.
It publishes daily Hindi newspaper Aaj Samaj and politically and
social affairs Hindi magazine India News on the weekly basis.
Aaj Samaj is published from Delhi, Chandigarh, Gurgaon,
Ambala, Panchkula, Mohali. ITV was launched on 19 January
2004.
NewX is the English news channel. It was India's first high-definition news channel. It is a part
of INX media which operates in music and entertainment channels. It was founded by ex-STAR
India CEO Peter Mukerjea and launched as a part of INX News on 28 March 2008.
NESTLE HEALTH SCIENCE ACQUIRED A STAKE IN ACCERA TO MAKE

MILKSHAKE FOR ALZHEIMER’S PATIENTS
KitKat chocolate, Nescafe coffee and Maggi soup maker
Nestle Health Science on 19 July 2012 acquired a stake in
U.S based company Accera, that makes milkshake
prescribed to Alzheimer’s patients. Accera specializes in
the research, development and commercialization of
medical foods for neurodegenerative disorders. Nestle is
likely to invest about 500 million dollar in 10 years to
make more food and drinks products on gastrointestinal,
metabolic and brain health.
Accera’s main brand Axona sells an easy-mix vanilla flavour powder which is added to milk or
other liquid for Alzheimer’s patient. Axona is already suggested to around 30 thousand gentle
and sensible Alzheimer patient in U.S only. The product is made from a compound derived from
coconut oil. The derived product from coconut oil works as energy source for the brain and help
Alzheimer's patients, because their brains are less able to use glucose for the energy as per their
requirement.
Alzheimer affects memory and cognitive function in adults. It is a progressive neurologic disease
of the brain causes irreversible loss of neurons and thinking abilities. It is more common form of
Dementia. Dementia is a non-specific syndrome, affects memory, thinking, language, judgment,
and behaviour.
JET AIRWAYS INTRODUCED JETESCAPES PACKAGES FOR CORPORATE

TRAVELLERS
Jet Airways on 19 July 2012 introduced JetEscapes packages for corporate travellers and guests
looking for a holiday break. The packages include individual overnight stay to corporate groups
stay. It also has monsoon packages and luxurious packages.
For corporate travellers, two nights group packages within India to Goa, Kochi, Hyderabad,
Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Udaipur starts from 12003 rupees.
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The airline is also offering two and three night’s package to Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore and
Hong Kong starting from 32737 rupees.
Group packages of the airline providing conference hall facility, besides of air tickets, airport
transfers, 3-star lodging, meals and travel insurance.
Jet Airways is the largest Indian airline based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was founded by
Naresh Goyal in 1 April 1992. It operates more than 400 flights daily to 76 destinations across
the world. Its main hub is Mumbai and secondary hub at Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Cochin,
Ahmadabad and Mangalore. It has an international hub at Brussels Airport, Belgium.
GODREJ PROPERTIES SIGNED MOU WITH AXIS BANK; OFFERED HOME

LOAN SCHEME
Real estate firm on 19 July 2012 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Axis bank
to offer special finance solution scheme for its customers to
make their purchasing affordable.
GPL projects customers will get home loan from Axis bank Godrej Properties
(GPL)
by paying 10 percent margin money against the traditional 20
per cent margin. The customers will have the flexibility to pay the balance 10 percent during the
term of payment schedule.
Godrej Properties Ltd is a real estate company in India. It is a part of Godrej Industries Ltd. It
was founded by Adi Godrej in 1 January 1990. It is first real estate Company to have
International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
TATA POWER SIGNED A LONG TERM AGREEMENT WITH INDONESIAN

FIRM
Tata Power on 20 July 2012 signed an agreement with
Indonesian firm PT Antang Gunung Meratus (AGM) to
secure fuel for its thermal power plants. AGM is the 100
percent subsidiary of the Indonesian company PT Antang Gunung Meratus
Baramulti Sukses Sarana (BSSR). (AGM)
Tata Power already has 30 percent equity stake in

Indonesian two major coal producer, PT Kaltima Prima Coal and PT Arutmin Indonesia. Apart
from this, Tata Power’s 100 percent subsidiary Khopoli Investments Limited also inked an
agreement acquired 26 percent stake in BSSR. It is likely to hold about 1 billion tonnes of coal in
South and East Kalimantan in Indonesia.
Recently, Tata Power organized the second 800 megawatt of 4000 megawatt Mundra Ultra Mega
Power Project (UMPP) in Gujarat. The company is importing coal from Indonesia for this
project. Also the company thermal power generation
capacity stands at 5247 megawatt and the generation
Baramulti Sukses Sarana through clean sources like hydro, wind and solar at 852
(BSSR)
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megawatt. Currently, Tata Power’s total generation capacity stays at 6099 megawatt.
PHILIPS INDIA LAUNCHED BODYGROOM GADGET BG2024 FOR MEN AT

2495 RUPEES
Philips India on 20 July 2012 launched the Philips Bodygroom gadget
BG2024 for men priced at 2495 rupees. It’s a body hair trimming and
shaving gadget for men. The gadget is likely to be imported from
Philips resources in Holland.
The Bollywood actor John Abraham is the Brand Ambassador of

Philips Male Grooming. The gadget will be available in 500-750
stores in India. Philips also decided to replace the existing product
with more modern and advanced features as per the needs of Indian
customers.
Philips decided to sell products through cosmetic channels, gadget
stores, besides modern retail outlets like Croma stores, Shoppers stop and Reliance in all major
cities of the country.
RENAULT-NISSAN ALLIANCE TO INVEST 160 MILLION DOLLAR AT

RENAULT SAMSUNG MOTORS KOREA
The Renault-Nissan alliance on 20 July 2012 announced to invest 160 million dollar at in Busan,
Korea. The company is likely to add 80 thousand units of production at RSM. The production is
likely to begin in the year 2014, with an annual capacity of around 80 thousand units. The plant
plans to build 180 thousand vehicles sale in Korea and 60
other countries.
Earlier in 2012, Renault Samsung Motors launched RSM
Renault Samsung Motors 2012 revival Plan which aims to attain efficiency and cost
(RSM) competitiveness in Busan. Currently, RSM has four
models- SM3 compact, SM5 midsize sedan, SM7 large
sedan and QM5 SUV (sold outside Korea).
The partnership between Renault-Samsung was established on 27 March 1999, when Renault
acquired 70.1 percent stake in Samsung Motors. Samsung Motors is car-making unit of Samsung
Group. It was the first industrial and commercial partnership involving French and a Japanese
company.
PERCEPT LIMITED LAUNCHED A GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY

PERCEPT LIVE
Percept Limited launched a global entertainment company Percept Live on 20 July 2012 to focus
on creating academics for sports, entertainment and social media. The media, entertainment and
communications are planning to invest around 200 crore rupees.
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Percept has appointed Balaji Telefilm’s former TV CEO

Manuj Agarwal as the Chief Executive of Percept Live.
Percept IPs includes Sunburn, Fight Night, Bollywood
Live and fans Football Championship in sports space.
Percept is planning to organize 30 events in the year 2012.
Besides, the expansion of IP property Sunburn, a music
festival plans to launch in other cities. In Delhi it is likely
to come in October 2012. Percept Live also aims to take
Sunburn in cities like Jakarta, Colombo, Dubai and
Singapore and looking to host the event in Mexico. The company is also aiming to build another
IP property in the music space Lost. For Lost, Percept Live has the partnership with Bollywood
actor Arjun Rampal.
ONGC WAS AWARDED GOLD TROPHY IN SAFETY MANAGEMENT AWARD

2012
Greentech Foundation awarded Gold Trophy in Safety Management Award 2012 on 24 July
2012 to Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). The conference was held in Srinagar, Jammu
and Kashmir. The Application of the Company was
shortlisted by the award committee. ONGC was selected
in Corporate Category for the gold trophy of safety
Oil and Natural Gas
management award. A.K.Hazarika and Anoop Kumar are
Corporation (ONGC)
the Director and ED-Chief HSE of ONGC. The
Greentech Foundation provides an opportunity to discuss
on the issues of fire, Safety & Security and the innovative ways to overcome these challenges
faced by different Industries and corporates.
GAIL AND ONGC SIGNED SWAP AGREEMENT AND GAS CO-OPERATION

AGREEMENT
GAIL gas India Ltd and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) signed Swap Agreement and
Gas Co-operation Agreement on 26 July 2012. According to the Gas Co-operation Agreement,
ONGC can sale and purchase the gas from GAIL for three years. In addition, both the
companies can supply or sale LNG by GAIL to ONGC for the reduction of C2+ Extraction at
Dahej. The components of C2+ will be supplied to ONGC Petro additions Limited (OPAL) for
manufacturing the petrochemicals at Dahej Special Economic Zone.
According to the Swap Agreement, ONGC would supply gas to customers through GAIL's
infrastructure so as to enhance the availability and the effective utilization of resources. If both
the companies (ONGC and GAIL) will find the beneficial results with the Gas Co-operation
Agreement they could extend it.
FAMOUS CRICKETER SACHIN TENDULKAR WAS SIGNED AS THE BRAND

AMBASSADOR OF BMW
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Famous Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was signed as the Brand Ambassador of BMW on 27 July
2012. The German Luxury brand BMW will launch New Three Series Sedan. Sachin Tendular
was the Brand Ambassador of Fiat and Parent Company of Ferrari. Sachin Tendulkar is also
known as the big fan of the Italian Sports Car Ferrari. It is the first time that BMW is connected
with the celebrity.
KAVVERI TELECOM ACQUIRED US FIRM WPCS INTERNATIONAL

Kavveri Telecom acquired US Firm WPCS International
on 26 July 2012. Kavveri Telecom and WPCS
International are a Bangalore based firm and US Based
firm respectively. WPCS International is into the
business of wireless Communications Division. They
make solutions used by the police officers, firemen and
other emergency Services.
WPCS International has their operations in Lakewood,

New Jersey and Hartford in Connecticut. This
acquisition will provide Kavveri with a range of wireless
systems solutions in addition to its existing products
portfolio.
Kavveri Telecom makes Cellphone Tower antennas, Radio Frequency (RF) components,
repeaters and other telecom products. WPCS International is the parent company of the wireless
communications division, provides infrastructure for companies in the energy and utility sector,
healthcare, educational institutions and public services organizations worldwide.
According to the Analysts, Kavveri’s telecom products can enter in the US market with this
acquisition. Kavveri Telecom wants to become global in wireless infrastructure solutions. Since,
2006 the company had acquired five American companies.
RAVNEET GILL APPOINTED AS THE NEW CEO OF DEUTSCHE BANK INDIA

Deutsche Bank, the largest German lender, appointed
Ravneet Gill as the new CEO of the bank’s Indian
operations. Gill replaced Gunit Chadha to the top position,
who was elevated as co-chief executive of Asia Pacific along
with Alan Cloete in June 2012.
Prior to his appointment as the CEO, Gill headed the capital

markets and treasury solutions, and oversaw the successful
integration of corporate treasury sales, debt capital markets
and corporate banking coverage in the country, the German
lender said in a statement. As the head of Bank’s India’s
operation, Gill will report Gunit Chaddha and Alan Cloete.
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Gill, in a banking career spanning nearly 26 years, worked on various banking projects including
capital market, corporate and treasury. H e joined the Deutsche bank in 1991 at the private
wealth management and moved to the corporate banking division in 1993.
In 2003, he was appointed the head of corporate banking coverage and held the position till
December 2008 when he took over as the head of coverage for global markets and built a
dominant flow franchise to compliment the platform's structured products' capabilities. Gill was
appointed the head of capital markets & treasury solutions of Deutsche Bank in 2011.
APPLE LAUNCHED OS X 10.8 MOUNTAIN LION SYSTEM
Apple Launched OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion System on 25 July 2012. This Application is for Mac
Range of Personal Computers. The OS X 10.8 will be fully integrated with social networks like:-
Facebook and Twitter.
OS X Mountain Lion can be downloaded from the

Mac Appstore at 19.99 Dollars (Rs.1110 approx).
It can compete with most of the iMacs and
Macbooks manufactured after the year 2007-08.
This Application also brings the iMessage platform
to iMacs and Mac Notebooks.
It can be upgraded with 200 new features as

compared to the Operating System (OS) Lion.
With the help of this Application, users can tweet or post their messages on the Facebook along
with browsing web or viewing photos. In addition, it will allow users to chat with other users
who are running the program either on their Macs or other mobile Apple devices.
SPORTS
SPAIN BEAT ITALY 4-0 TO WIN UEFA EURO CUP FOOTBALL
CHAMPIONSHIP 2012
Spain beat Italy 4-0 in the final to win UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) Euro
Cup Football Championship 2012 at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine, on 1 July 2012.
Spain which had earlier defeated Germany 1-0 in 2008 Euro Cup not only defended the title but
also created a record by becoming the first team to claim two consecutive titles in tournament’s
52-year long history. Spain and Italy had defeated Portugal and Germany respectively in their
semi final matches.
Iker Casillas was the captain of Spanish side, while the Italian side was led by Gianluigi
Buffon.The four goals hit by David Silva, Jordi Alba, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata led the
Spanish side to a remarkable victory, which virtually started a debate among the football
followers whether this Spanish side is the best national side ever? Spain midfielder Andrés
Iniesta of Spain was declared the man of the match given his match winning performance, while
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Fernando Torres was given the Golden Boot as he scored three goals in the Spain’s title winning
campaign. Torres also became the first ever player in the history of the tournament to score in
two separate European Championship finals.
The Italian Soccer team is also called Azzuri, which is its popular name. Azzurri is the plural
adjective form of Azzurro which in Italian language means light blue. Since the Italian team's
costume colour is blue and white, the team is called Azzuri. The nick name of Spanish soccer
team is La Furia Roja which in Spanish language means the red fury.
Spain and Italy were placed in group C along with Croatia and Republic of Ireland.
IMPORTANT FACTS RELATED TO UEFA EURO 2012

• Poland-Ukraine jointly hosted the sporting event
• Euro Cup 2012 began on 8 June 2012 and concluded on 1 July 2012
• The winning team received the prize money 7.5 million euro, while the runner-up team got
4.5 million euro as the prize money. Teams which made to semi-finals and quarter-finals
received 3 million euros and 2 million euro respectively as prize money.
• The Euro Cup 2016 will take place in France
• A total of 16 countries namely, Poland, Ukraine, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Russia, Portugal,
England, Germany, Netherland, Greece, Denmark, Sweden, France, Czech Republic and
Republic of Ireland participated in Euro Cup 2012
• The sixteen teams were divided into four groups, A, B, C & D
• Eight cities were selected by UEFA as host venues

• A total of 31 matches were played during Euro 2012, with Ukraine hosting 16 of them and
Poland 15
• There were 10 global sponsors of the Euro Cup 2012. The list includes, Adidas, Canon,
Castrol, Continental, Orange and Telekomunikacja, PolskaHyundai-Kia Carlsberg, McDonald's,
SHARP
THREE RUSSIAN FEMALE ATHLETES WERE SUSPENDED

Russian Athletics Federation on 3 July 2012 decided to suspend three Russian female athletes
with the European Marathon Champion, Naiva Tulamanova. The three women are Svetlana
Klyuka, Yevgenia Zinurova, Lithuania's Zivile Balciunaite.
European Marathon Champion 2010 Naiva Tulamanova was banned for two years. While
Second winner in 800 meters European Champions in 2006 Svetlana Klyuka and 2011 European
800 indoor winner Yevgenia Zinurova, were suspended for anomalous indexes in their biometric
passports and Lithuania's Zivile Balciunaite was disqualified and banned for using steroids.
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The suspensions of Yulamanova and Klyuka have been backdated to February. The ban for
Zinurova began from September.
All the three were suspended to compete in Russian championships as well as from London
Olympics which is starting from 27 July 2012.
EX-ENGLAND BATSMAN MARK RAMPRAKASH ANNOUNCED RETIREMENT

FROM CRICKET
Previous England Batsman Mark Ramprakash on 5 July 2012 announced his retirement from
cricket after being told by Surrey that he was not
figured in the selection plans. He was the most
prolific and stylish batsman in the England cricket
team.
He scored 13000 runs in limited-over cricket and

35689 runs in 461 first-class matches. He had also
played 18 one-day internationals. He topped 1000
runs in 20 separate seasons and three times made
more than 2000 in 1995, 2006 and 2007. He is one
in 25 players in the history of the sport who have
scored 100 first-class centuries. His last Test was in 2002, but he was pushed to return in the year
2009.
SPRINT STAR USAIN BOLT QUIT FROM DIAMOND LEAGUE MEET IN

MONACO
Sprint star Usain Bolt on 5 July 2012 withdrew his name from the Samsung Diamond League
meet in Monaco on 20 July 2012 due to slight
problem at Jamaican Olympics trials. He was
prepared for 200 meter race at Diamond League.
He was suffered with a shock in his right
hamstring after finishing in 200 meters at Jamaican
Olympics trials which took place on 1 July 2012.
He was second to Yohan Blake in 200 meters. He
was also defeated by Blake in 100 meters in
Kingston as well. Bolt withdrew his name from
Diamond League to get enough time for treatment
and time to prepare for the Olympic Games in London. Bolt is the three-time Olympic champion
and five times world record holder. He was born on 21 August 1986. He was the record holder in
100 meters, 200 meters and 4X100 meters relay race.
ROGER FEDERER BEAT ANDY MURRAY TO CLAIM WIMBLEDON OPEN

TITLE 2012
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Swiss (Switzerland) Tennis maestro Roger Federer beat British player Andy Murray 4-6, 7-5, 6-
3, 6-4 to win the Wimbledon Open Championship Gentlemen’s Singles Final 2012 in London on
8 July 2012. Federer, with this victory also reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking surpassing Pete
Sampras' record of 286 weeks at the top of the game.
Federer had defeated Djokovic in the semi-finals, while Murray had beat French Jo-Wilfreid
Tsonga to make to the final of the tournament. In quarter-finals Federer had defeated Mikhail
Youzhny of Russia and Murray overcame David Ferrer of Spain.
The Wimbledon Open marked 17th career Grand Slam for Federer, who had earlier claimed the
Wimbeldon title on 6 different occasions from 2003 to 2007 and again in 2009. Only William
Renshaw's and Pete Sampras have got the distinction of winning the coveted Wimbledon singles
title on seven occasions.
Bunny Austin was the last British man to win the Wimbledon Open Titles in 1938. No other
British player has been able to win the title since 1938.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
• The 14-day sporting event which had commenced on 25 June 2012 concluded with the
Gentlemen’s Singles Final on 8 July 2012.
• Serena Williams of US beat Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland to claim Ladies’ singles title.
• The mixed pair of Mike Bryan and Lisa Raymond defeated Leander Paes and Elena Vesnina to
win the mixed doubled final.
• The men’s doubles final was won by Jonathan Marray and Frederick Nielson who defeated
Robert Lindstedt.
• In Ladies’ Doubles final the pair of Serena Williams and Venus Williams emerged victorious
as they defeated Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka.
• Wimbledon, which is one of the oldest and most prestigious sporting events in the world, has
been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. Played on a grass court,
Wimbledon is one of the four major grand slam tournaments in the world. Other three grand
slams are Australian Open, French Open and US Open.
SERENA WILLIAMS BEAT AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA TO CLAIM

WIMBLEDON WOMEN’S SINGLES 2012
Ace US tennis player Serena Williams beat Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 in
Wimbledon women’s singles Title at the All England Club in London on 7 July 2012. William,
the world no.6, beat the third seed, Radwanska who was playing her first grand slam final and
striving to become the first Polish to win a Grand Slam. Radwanska made a history by becoming
the first Polish tennis player to reach a grand slam final.
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Serena had defeated defending champion Petra Kvitová in

the quarter finals and second-seeded Victoria Azarenka in
semi-finals clash, while, Agnieszka Radwanska had
defeated Maria Kirilenko in the quarterfinals and Angelique
Kerber in the semifinals.
The Wimbledon victory holds a great importance for Serena
Williams who was out of the game for nearly 1 year as she
suffered a dreadful foot injury and underwent a surgery for
blood clots in her lungs. Serena, had claimed the Wimbledon
women’s singles title on four occasions in the past including
2002, 2003, 2009 and 2010. In a career marked by 18 grand
slam finals, Serena has to her credit 14 singles titles, which comprise all grand slams.
SOUTH AFRICAN WICKETKEEPER MARK BOUCHER ANNOUNCED

RETIREMENT FROM INTERNATIONAL CRICKET
South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher on 10 July 2012 announced his retirement from
International Cricket due to eye injury. He suffered the eye injury on the opening day of South
Africa’s tour match against Somerset at Taunton on
9 July 2012. He was struck by a flying bail from
Imran Tahir’s delivery. After that he was operated
for 3 hours eye surgery in Taunton to repair a
laceration to the white of his eyeball. Earlier, He had
planned to retire after Somerset tour.
Mark Boucher had played 147 Test matches with a
world record of 555 dismissals which include 532
catches and 23 stumping. He scored 5515 runs with
five centuries and 35 half centuries at an average of 30.30. He also played 295 ODIs in which he
made 425 dismissals with 403 catches. He scored 4686 runs in a century and 26 half centuries.
ENGLAND BEAT AUSTRAL IA 4-0 TO CLAIM NATWEST CRICKET SERIES

England beat Australia in the fifth and final one-day international cricket played at Old Trafford
on 11 July 2012 to complete a 4-0 victory in the NatWest cricket series played in England. The
English team was led by Alistair Cook while the Aussie team was led by Michael Clarke.
England all-rounder Ravi Bopara starred in England’s final victory and was given the Man of the
Match award. He claimed two wickets and made 52 not out off 56 balls. Ian Bells of England
was given the Man of the Series Award.
The victory marked the third series white wash for Australia over the last 40 years. The
Australian team is still the world no.1 ODI team. Earlier the team had suffered clean sweeps
against New Zealand (0-3) in 2006-07 and against England (0-3) in 1997.
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BRETT LEE ANNOUNCED RETIREMENT FROM ALL FORMS OF

INTERNATIONAL CRICKET
Ace Australian fast bowler Brett Lee announced his retirement from all forms of international
cricket on 12 July 2012. He, however, will continue to play in the Big Bash League and Indian
Premier League. He had already announced his retirement from Test cricket in 2010.
Brett Lee, 35, made his debut in the international cricket
against India in the Melbourne Test in 1999. In a career
spanning 13 years he played 76 Tests, 221 One Day
Internationals and 25 T20 internationals. A bowler with
frightening speed and sheer accuracy, he claimed over 700
international wickets (310 in Tests, 380 in ODIs and 28 in
T20s). He has taken 10 five-wicket hauls in Tests and 9
five-wicket hauls in ODIs. He is also the first bowler to take
a hat-trick in T20 cricket.
Born in Wollogong in Australia, on 8 November 1976, Brett
Lee ended his stint with the Australian Cricket Team as one
of its most successful bowler in the history. He is the second
highest ODI wicket-taker for Australia after Glenn McGrath
(seventh all-time) and one of only four Australians to take
more than 300 Test wickets.
Lee has also been associated with the Indian Premiere League since the cricket extravaganza had
commenced in 2008. Though, he is now the part of Shah Rukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight
Riders, in the previous four seasons he played for the Kings 11 Punjab.
ENGLAND’S DAVID HOWELL WON THE 6TH LEIDEN INTERNATIONAL

CHESS TOURNAMENT
England’s David Howell won the 6th Leiden International Chess tournament at 7.5 points on 15
July 2012. The tournament was held at Leiden, Netherland from 7 July 2012 to 15 July 2012.
The grandmaster and Asian champion Parimarjan Negi ended the tournament with 7 points out
of nine possible points and was second in the 6th Leiden International Chess tournament. He
defeated Netherland’s Benjamin Bok in the ninth round
(final) of the tournament.
He was announced as the Indian youngest Grandmaster
at the age of 13 years on 1 July 2006 after drawing with
Russian Grandmaster Ruslan Sherbakov. He also won
the 11th Asian continental chess championship held in
from 4 May 2012 to 14 May 2012 in Vietnam.
Third place of the Leiden tournament was shared by
two Indian Grandmasters S Arun Prasad and M.R. Lalith at 6.5 points.
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BRADLEY WIGGINS WON THE 99TH EDITION OF TOUR DE FRANCE

BICYCLE RACE
Bradley Wiggins of Britain became the
first cyclist of the country, to win the
coveted Tour de France Cycling race
on 22 July 2012. Team Sky rider
Wiggins is the first cyclist to have won
both the Tour and an Olympic track
cycling gold. His Sky teammate and
fellow Briton, Froom Christopher
came second. Their teammate and
fellow country man Mark Cavendish
was declared the day’s winner as he
won the final stage of the race.
Wiggins, 32, was given the yellow jersey at the end of the event. The rider with the lowest
aggregate time at the end of each day is given the yellow jersey. One of the most successful
Olympian of Britain, Wiggins won a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and three
medals (1 Gold + 1 Silver + 1 Bronze) at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and two golds at the 2008
Beijing Olympics.
Wiggins is the first and only person in history to win the Paris-Nice, the Tour de Romandie,
Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de France in one single season.
TOUR DE FRANCE
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race event held in France and nearby countries. The first
The Tour de France was held in 1903. The race which lasts three weeks, covers around 3200
kilometres. Mauris Garin was the winner of the first edition of tour, while Lance Armstrong of
USA had won the race for 7 times, the highest individual win.
30TH EDITION OF SUMMER OLYMPICS INAUGURATED IN LONDON

Summer Olympic Games 2012 inaugurated at Olympic Stadium at the Olympic Park in East
London on 27 July 2012. Queen Elizabeth II officially declared the commencement of the 30th
Olympics Game, popularly called the London Olympics, amidst the sparkling fireworks. The
games, which will conclude on 12 August 2012, will see nearly 10500 athletes from 204
National Olympic Committees participating in as many as 26 sports events.
London was selected to host the 30th Summer Olympics on 6 July 2005 after it defeated bids
from Moscow, New The York City, Madrid and Paris during the 117th IOC Session in
Singapore. London also got a distinction to host the modern Olympic Games three times. The
city had previously hosted the games in 1908 and in 1948.
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BELOW ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR FACTS RELATED TO LONDON OLYMPICS 2012
1. 100 heads of states were present at the three and a half hour long opening ceremony
2. More than 10000 performers participated in the opening ceremony

3. The opening ceremony was directed by celebrated Hollywood director Danny Boyle
4. Motto of the London Olympics is - Inspire a Generation
5. 10500 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees participating in as many as 26 sports
events
HOCKEY INDIA SIGNED A MULTI-YEAR BROADCAST AGREEMENT WITH

ESPN STAR
Hockey India on 30 July 2012 signed a multi-year broadcast agreement with ESPN STAR Sports
to exclusively broadcast all international hockey test matches under Hockey India to be played in
India for the next 5 years. Under the agreement the
ESPN STAR Sports will also exclusively cover
Hockey India League (HIL), which is expected to
be launched in January 2013.
The Hockey India is coming up with a
professional hockey league that will see the best
of Indian and international hockey players
showcase their sporting skill. The first edition of the
league is expected to be played in the month of
January 2013. At least six franchise hockey teams will
participate in the league and will feature 33 hockey matches to be played in prime time in state-
of-the-art stadia across the country. All teams will play each other on a home and away basis (30
league matches) followed by 2 semifinals and the final.
WORLD DIARY
1 July 2012
 Joan Dunlop, a global leader in addressing women’s issues who helped prod the U.N. to
define a woman’s right to say no to sex as an essential human right passed away
 Enrique Pena Nieto of Institutional Revolutionary Party won the Mexican Presidential
Election 2012
 The meeting of world leaders including Russia and China in Geneva agreed a transition
plan that could include regime members, but the West ruled out any role for President
Bashar al-Assad in a unity government
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2 July 2012
 Iran Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi urged national unity, resistance and patience in
the face of the sanctions imposed on the country by the European Union in coordination
with the U.S.
 Afghanistan government accused Pakistan army of opening rocket fire on posts inside
Afghanistan while, Pakistan claimed that Afghan soldiers had entered Pakistan.
 Mali’s Islamist rebels destroyed the entrance of a 15th century Timbuktu mosque.
 Sri Lankan government summoned all Heads of its overseas Missions for an orientation
session on Tamil issue.
3 July 2012
 Pakistan announced to reopen the NATO supply lines to Afghanistan after U.S. Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton apologised for the losses caused to the Pakistan military in the
Salala attack of 26 November 2012.
 At least 33 people were killed and score others were left wounded in a series of bomb
explosions in Iraq.
 Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad regretted his country’s defence forces bringing down a
Turkish fighter jet on 22 June 2012, but maintained that the jet was in Syrian airspace.
 Iran initiated military intervention in the Strait of Hormuz, a move that could raise global
oil prices and pave the way for a larger armed confrontation between Iran and western
powers.
4 July 2012
 India and Pakistan held Foreign Secretary level talk in New Delhi. Issues like terrorism,
especially revelations by LeT operative Zabiuddin Ansari on Pakistan’s involvement in
the Mumbai attacks, and Jammu and Kashmir prominently figured in the dialogue.
 A nine-month investigation by Al Jazeera which revealed that Yasser Arafat may have
died of polonium poisoning and not of natural causes prompted Palestinians to demand
an international investigation into the circumstances of their celebrated leader’s death.
 Nearly 2000 protesters gathered at the Independence Square monument at Bamako in
Mali protesting against Islamists who have enforced strict Sharia, destroyed ancient
shrines and trapped residents with landmines in their region.
5 July 2012
75
 The two-day foreign secretary level talk between India and Pakistan wrapped up with no
tangible outcome although both reiterated their commitment to fighting terror.
Pakistan government offered a joint probe into the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
 The British government banned the Indian Mujahideen (IM) for its alleged involvement
in several terror attacks, including the Mumbai bombings.
 China pledged to strike with an iron fist at separatist forces in its restive Xinjiang region,
as it deployed heavy security in the trouble-torn region on the third anniversary of
deadly ethnic riots.
 China pledged financial aid to Cuba as Cuban President Raul Castro visited China and
promised to roll out economic reforms in the communist nation.
 A parliamentary report said that Fukushima nuclear accident occurred in 2011, was a
manmade disaster caused by Japan’s culture of “reflexive obedience” and not just the
tsunami that hit the plant.
6 July 2012
 A world meeting on Syria held in Paris urged the UN to use the threat of sanctions to
force change in Syria. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also lambasted Russia and
China, two veto-wielding U.N. Security Council members for blocking peace in the
country.
 The Pakistani government planned to frame a contempt law that will provide immunity
to senior government functionaries for their executive actions.
 China made it clear that it has no plans to open a consulate in the Gilgit Baltistan region
of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
7 July 2012
 Libya held first poll after the death of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi, to elect a
National Assembly.
 The Obama administration declared Afghanistan the United States’ newest major non-
NATO ally.
 Severe flash floods killed almost 100 people and displaced about 13000 in Russia’s
southern region of Krasnodar.
 Buddhist artefacts worth millions possibly dating back to the first century A.D. Gandhara
School of Art were recovered by the police in Karachi.
8 July 2012
 International donors pledged to give 16 billion dollar to Afghanistan as development aid

over the next four years.
76
 Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsy ordered the reinstatement of his country’s

Parliament.
 International Conference on Afghanistan held in Japanese capital Tokyo.
9 July 2012
 Aung San Suu Kyi attended Myanmar’s Parliament as a lawmaker for the first time
 South Sudan on marked its first year of independence. The country is badly trapped in
border wars with the north, internal violence and shutdown of its vital oil production
 Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced that the country would itself
implement the 3-billion dollar Padma bridge project through mobilising domestic
resources after the World Bank cancelled the loan deal recently
10 July 2012
 The International Criminal Court sentenced a Congolese warlord, Thomas Lubanga to 14

years in prison
 Ten Southeast Asian nations reached on an agreement on a code of conduct to prevent
armed clashes over the South China Sea but still sought China’s agreement
 An Israeli court cleared the former Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert from corruption
charges, that forced him out of power
 The Islamists forces in northern Mali destroyed two tombs at the ancient Djingareyber
mosque in Timbuktu
11 July 2012
 At least 95 people were killed after a truck carrying fuel caught fire and exploded
in Nigeria
 At least nine police trainees were killed by terrorists at a crowded locality of
Lahore
 U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, met Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi
on the sidelines of the Asean Regional Forum meeting in Phnom Penh
 At least nine police trainees were killed by terrorists at a crowded locality of
Lahore
12 July 2012
 US imposed a fresh wave of sanctions against Iran, ratcheting up pressure on
Tehran to stop its nuclear weapons programme
 A cargo ship carrying humanitarian aid from the US to Cuba, the first expedition
of its kind in 50 years, arrived in Cuba
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 A court in Ethiopia court sentenced a journalist for 18 years imprisonment for

terrorism and 23 others for between eight years and life, after a trial condemned
by rights groups
13 July 2012
 Syrian troops and pro-regime militias stormed and torched a southern town in Syria, as
T=the group of UN Observers visited the sites of mass killing
 A suicide bomber blew himself up in northern Afghanistan, killing at least 23 people
including a prominent warlord-turned-politician Ahmad Khan Samangani
14 July 2012
 US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Egypt
 Japan recalled its Ambassador to China for consultations amid a simmering row
between the Asian powers over disputed territory in the East China Sea
 US President Barack Obama expressed concerns over the deteriorating investment
climate in India and asked the Indian government to endorse another wave of economic
reforms
23 July 2012
 At least 103 people were killed in Iraq after bombings and shootings ripped through
thirteen cities in the country
 akistan ordered an investigation into a visa scam aimed at facilitating access to the
London Olympics as part of the country’s Olympic squad
 Syria warned that it could use chemical weapons to combat external aggression, but
never inside the country against its own people
24 July 2012
 Russia’s President Vladimir Putin warned of endless Afghan-type civil war in Syria if
President Bashar al-Assad is removed unconstitutionally
 China said it is keen to expand its fast-growing indigenous helicopter industry by
reaching out to the Indian market
 The Supreme Court of Pakistan turned down the government’s request for a review of
its order to open graft cases against President Zardai, saying such a petition should have
been filed earlier as per rules
25 July 2012
78
 Supreme Court of Pakistan extended the time for the government to comply its order
asking the government to write to the Swiss authorities to reopen graft cases against
President Asif Ali Zardari
 North Korean state media confirmed that its new leader Kim Jong-Un is married
 A planned strike by immigration staff at Heathrow airport on the eve of the London
Olympics was called off after an agreement was made
26 July 2012
 The wife of purged Chinese Politburo member Bo Xilai was charged with murder
 Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez unveiled a digitised 3-D image of Simon Bolivar
based on remains exhumed two years ago
 A white gunman who shot student Anuj Bidve in an unprovoked racist attack in Salford,
Manchester, in December 2011 was convicted of his murder
27 July 2012
 India banned U.S.-sanctioned Iranian ships from entering its waters

 Immigration and customs authorities in New York City seized more than 20-million
dollar worth of antiques, stolen from Indian temples
 The Russian Navy said the Russian naval flotilla, which entered the Mediterranean
earlier this week, may be there for the long haul
28 July 2012
 A UN agreement aimed at regulating the multibillion-dollar global arms trade will

have to wait after member states failed to reach an agreement
 A Russian-built fighter jet made the first landing on the INS Vikramaditya as part
of comprehensive sea trials
 Chinese authorities acknowledged in rare frank comments that last week’s
floods had exposed many loopholes in the Beijing’s planning and infrastructure
29 July 2012
 US and Pakistan accused each other of doing too little to combat Taliban sanctuaries in
Afghanistan and Pakistan
 The US Senate unanimously passed a resolution urging the State Department to put the
Haqqani network, which operates in Afghanistan and Pakistan, on the US list of terrorist
groups
 Catastrophic forest fires ravaged vast areas of Siberia, and ruined the region’s
ecosystem. Fires destroyed 100000 sq km of forests across Russia
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ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

UNESCO INSCRIBES WESTERN GHATS MOUNTAIN CHAIN ON THE LIST OF
WORLD HERITAGE SITES
The science and cultural body of UN, inscribed India's 1600-km long Western Ghats mountain
chain on the list of its world heritage sites on 1 June 2012. The Western Ghats mountain chain is
globally renowned for its enormous biological diversity. The mountain’s chains, which are older
than the Himalaya, are widely responsible for the
Indian monsoon weather pattern.
The Western Ghats are also considered to be one of United Nations Educational,
the world's eight hottest hotspots of biological Scientific and Cultural
diversity. Organisation (UNESCO)
The 1600-km long ghats, begins at the border of
Gujarat and Maharashtra and passes through as many as 5 states including Maharashtra, Goa,
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu marks the ending point of the
ghats.
The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO holds its meeting once every year where it reviews
its list of World Heritage sites. The committee also looks into the implementation of the
UNESCO World Heritage Convention, which defines the kind of natural or cultural sites which
can be considered for inclusion on the World Heritage List.
KARAKORAM GLACIERS R EMAINED IMPERVIOUS OF GLOBAL WARMING

According to a recent study published in the Journal Nature Geo-science on 9 July 2012, Diran
and Rakaposhi, two glaciers in the Karakoram Range of northern Pakistan, remain unaffected of
global warming and contrary to the popular belief, grew slightly in recent years. The study found
that the glacier saw an increase in ice thickness
of 0.11 (plus or minus 0.22) metres of water
equivalent per year between 1999 and 2008.
The researchers had used spaceborne data to
study a 5615 sq km section of the
Karakoram Range of northern Pakistan and
western China. The findings of the study are
of great importance given the fact that the
entire Himalayan mountain range is
estimated to lose about 0.4 to 0.8 metres ice per
year.
Karakoram mountain range, which account for 3 percent of the total ice-covered area in the
world, is located across the border of Pakistan, India and China. The mountain range is
concentrated in Gilgit–Baltistan in Pakistan, Ladakh in India, and Xinjiang region, in China. Part
of greater Himalaya it is one of the largest mountain range of the world. K2 or Godwin Austen,
80
the second-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest, is part of the Karakoram Range. The
total elevation of K2 is 8611 m (28251 feet).
GLOBAL CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS INCREASED BY THREE PERCENT IN 2011

According to the findings of the report Trends in global CO2 emissions, global carbon dioxide (CO2), emission
increased by three percent in 2011. The three percent increase in CO2 took the total amount of CO2 in air at an all-
time high of 34 billion tonnes. The report was released on 19 July 2012 by the European Commission's Joint
Research Centre (JRC) and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL).
The United States with 17.3 tons per capita remains one of the top CO2 emitters, while, China, the world’s most
populous country, average CO2 emissions increased by nine percent to 7.2 tonnes per capita. The 27-nation
European Union emitted 7.5 tonnes of CO2 per person. Emissions from 34-member Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries account for only one third of global CO2 emissions in 2011.
China (29 percent), the United States (16 percent), the European Union (11 percent), India (six percent), the
Russian Federation (five percent) and Japan (four percent) were the top CO2 emitters in 2011.
WORLD BANK APPROVED 1100 CRORE RUPEES LOAN FOR HIMACHAL

PRADESH
The World Bank approved an 1100 crore rupees loan for Himachal Pradesh to promote green
initiatives and sustainable development in the state. The loan agreement was signed between the
World Bank and the state government in New Delhi on 28 July 2012.
The financial assistance consists of 90 per cent grant and 10 per cent loan at interest rate of 0.7
per cent (payable in 30 years). The loan is directed towards the development of industry, tourism,
power and infrastructure projects in the state.
The planning commission of India in its environment performance report released on 26 July
2012, ranked Himachal Pradesh as top state in the country on environmental performance index.
According to the 2009 Forest Survey of India, the northern hilly state has a total of 37033 sq km
of forest area, of which 3224 sq km is very dense forest.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

SCIENTISTS AT CERN D ISCOVERED A NEW SUB-ATOMIC PARTICLE
CALLED HIGGS BOSON
Scientists at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, on 4 July 2012, discovered
a new sub-atomic particle called Higgs Boson or God’s Particle. The new discovery is being
considered as a gateway to a new era in understanding
the universe's great mysteries including dark matter.
Scientists at CERN, the European
Scientists had predicted the existence of Higgs Boson, Organization for Nuclear Research,
which is also referred to as God’s Particle, in 1964. a new sub-atomic particle called
The particle was named Higgs Boson after Peter Higgs Higgs Boson or God’s Particle
and Indian physicist Satyendra Nath Bose. Peter Higgs
was one of six authors who wrote the revolutionary
papers covering what is now known as the Higgs mechanism and described the related Higgs
field and boson. The term God particle was first used by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Leon
Lederman. The term is now a more popular term for Higgs Boson which explains how the
subatomic universe works and got started.
RUSSIAN SOYUZ SPACECRAFT BLASTED-OFF FROM THE BAIKONUR

COSMODROME IN KAZAKHSTAN
A Russian Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft carrying three astronauts including Sunita Williams, the
Indian-American astronaut, took-off for the international space station on 15 July 2012 from the
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz launch marked the 37th anniversary of the
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project that opened the door to US-Russian cooperation in space science. The
Soyuz spacecraft is likely to remain docked to the
International Space Station throughout Expedition 32 to
serve as an emergency escape vehicle.
Three astronauts on board including Sunita Williams,
Russian Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko and
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency flight engineer
Akihiko Hoshide will take two days to reach to the
International space station where they will join Russian
cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin and
NASA astronaut Joe Acaba, who have already been in
the International Space Station since 17 May 2012.
The six crew members will work together for about two months as Acaba, Padalka and Revin
are scheduled to return to Earth on 17 September 2012. Williams, Malenchenko and Hoshide
will return to the Earth in mid-November 2012.
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NASA’s space shuttle programme came to an end in July 2011, which left US astronauts
dependent on Russian Soyuz spacecrafts for ferrying to the International Space Station.
SUNITA WILLIAMS
Sunita Williams, the Indian-American astronaut, was born on 19 September 1965 in Euclid, Ohio
and was raised in Massachusetts in US. She completed her B.S in Physical Science from US
Naval Academy in 1987, while M.S in Engineering Management from Florida Institute of
Technology in 1995. She joined NASA in June 1998. Previously she served as a flight engineer
on board the International Space Station. She launched with the crew of STS-116 on 9 December
2006, docking with the station on 11 December 2006. During her trip to the space as a member
of the Expedition-14 crew, Williams created a world record for females with four spacewalks
totaling 29 hours and 17 minutes. (Astronaut Peggy Whitson subsequently broke the record in
2008 with her five total spacewalks). Williams also holds the record for being the first female to
have spent 195 days in space.
RUSSIA’S SOYUZ-FG CARRIER ROCKET SET FIVE SATELLITES INTO ORBIT

Russia's Soyuz-FG carrier rocket set off from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan on 22
July 2012. The rocket will put the Russian satellites Canopus-B and MKA-PN1, a Belarusian
BKA satellite, the Canadian ADS-1B and German TET-1 into orbit.
The Canopus-B satellite, developed by the All-Russia
Research Institute of Electromechanics, is designed
for remote sensing of the Earth. It weighs about 400
kg and will work on a circular orbit at a height of 510
km. The MKA-PN1 satellite, developed by Russia's
NPO Lavochkin aerospace company, will collect data
to help meteorologists build models of ocean
circulation - particularly in Arctic waters along
Russian shores - and climate dynamics.
The German TET-1 satellite, a part of the German

Aerospace Center's On-Orbit Verification Program, will conduct a test on new space
technologies. The ADS-1B satellite, built by the Com Dev aerospace company, will form part of
a ship-identification satellite system.
The satellites were earlier planned to be launched in the first half of 2012, but was postponed
several times as Kazakhstan kept the decision to let Russia use its territory for rocket launch on
hold. Russia got the permission to launch the rocket following a meeting between Kazakh Prime
Minister Karim Massimov and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in June 2012.
ONE LINERS
 Eighty one year old founder of the News Corporation, resigned third week of July 2012-
Rupert Murdoch
83
 India’s leading four-wheeler manufacturer Maruti Suzuki India Limited announced to

close down its factory at an industrial town in the Gurgaon district of Haryana on 21 July
2012-Manesar
 Who became the first cyclist of Britain, to win the coveted Tour de France Cycling race
on 22 July 2012 - Bradley Wiggins
 Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi elected fifty year old man as the country’s Prime
Minister-Hisham Kandil
 President of Ghana, Passed away on 24 July 2012- John Atta Mills
 Greentech Foundation awarded Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on 24 July
2012- Gold Trophy in Safety Management Award 2012
 India got its fourteen President at the Central Hall of Parliament on 25 July 2012- Pranab
Mukherjee
 The Government of Japan on 23 July 2012 decided to honour Indian Environmental
philosopher with Fukuoka Prize 2012.- Vandana Shiva
 Following the deal struck by Kotak Mahindra Bank worth India received its first
investment through the qualified framework investor (QFI) route.- $5 million
 The first US woman to travel into space died in La Jolla, California on 23 July 2012.- Sally
Ride
 GAIL gas India Ltd and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) signed Agreement on 26
July 2012.- Swap Agreement and Gas Co-operation Agreement
 The Ministry of Women and Child Development on 26 July 2012 drafted - NATIONAL
POLICY FOR CHILDREN 2012.
 The World Bank approved an 1100 crore rupees loan for Himachal Pradesh to promote.
The loan agreement was signed between the World Bank and the state government in
New Delhi on 28 July 2012- green initiatives and sustainable development in the state
 The Government of India launched an anti-ragging website. The Union Human Resource
Minister inaugurated the ‘Anti- Ragging Web Portal’ on 26 July 2012.- Kapil Sibal
 India and Indonesia signed an agreement to avoid double taxation and prevent fiscal
evasion with respect to taxes on income on 27 July 2012.- Double Taxation Avoidance
Agreement
 Famous Cricketer was signed as the Brand Ambassador of BMW on 27 July 2012.- Sachin
Tendulkar
 Coast Guard Station Karaikal, was commissioned by Vice Admiral, Director General
Indian Coast Guard at Karaikal on 25 July 2012.- MP Muralidharan
 Appointment Committee of the Cabinet(ACC) appointed the Secretary of the President
on 24 July 2012.- Omita Paul
 Kulandei Francis, Indian Social Activist Won award- Magsaysay Awards 2012
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 The Government of a state banned Gutka and Pan Masala on 24 July 2012. The State
Cabinet decided to ban the manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale and consumption
of these products.- Chhattisgarh
NEWS CAPSULE
UN SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON RELEASED UN MILLENIUM
DEVELOPMENT GOAL 2012 REPORT
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon released United Nations Millenium
Development Goal 2012. Report on 2 July 2012. The report noted that three important targets on
poverty, slums and water have already been met three years ahead of 2015, the target year
On the front of poverty, the report stated that for the first time since poverty trends began to be
monitored, both the number of people living in extreme poverty and the poverty rates have fallen
in every developing regionincluding sub‐Saharan Africa, where rates are highest. Preliminary
estimates indicate that in 2010, the share of people living on less than a 1.25 dollar a day dropped
to less than half of its 1990 value.
The target of providing clean drinking water to a The report noted that three
substantial population of the world also saw a important targets on poverty, slums
considerable achievement as the proportion of and water have already been met
people using improved water sources rose from 76
three years ahead of 2015, the
per cent in 1990 to 89 per cent in 2010, which
target year
means more than two billion people across the
world today have the access to sources of clean
drinking water. In developing world the share of urban population living in slums came down to
33 per cent in 2000 from 39 per cent in 2000.
The millennium development goal asserted that the developing countries have also marked
considerable achievements in education as many more of the world’s children are enrolled in
school at the primary level, especially since 2000. Girls have benefited the most. On the front of
AIDS control, the developing countries have achieved tremendous fate as at the end of 2012
nearly 6.5 million people in the developing countries were receiving the antiretroviral therapy for
HIV AIDS.
WHAT IS UN MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL?
The UN Millenium Development Goal Report presents the most comprehensive global
assessment of progress to date, based on data provided by a large number of international
organizations within and outside the United Nations system. The aggregate figures in the report
provide an overview of regional progress under the eight goals and are a convenient way to track
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advances over time. The report is coordinated and published by the Statistics Division of the
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
The Millenium Development Goal has its origin in the Millennium Declaration produced by the
United Nations following the Millennium Summit in 2000. The Declaration asserts that every
individual has the right to dignity, freedom, equality, a basic standard of living that includes
freedom from hunger and violence, and encourages tolerance and solidarity. In order to achieve
its target of providing every individual a basic standard of living along with freedom, equality,
the member nations had adopted the Eight goals which has to be achieved by 2015. The eight
areas which comprises the UN Millenium Development Goal are as follows:
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development
JAWAHAR THAKUR ASSUMED THE CHARGE AS THE CONTROLLER

GENERAL OF ACCOUNTS
Jawahar Thakur, a 1979-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service officer took over as the new
Controller General of Accounts (CGA) of India, the post earlier
held by C.R. Sundaramurti. Prior to his appointment as the
CGA, Thakur was the Principal Chief Controller of Accounts in
the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) under the
Department of Revenue in the Finance Ministry.
Thakur, a Post Graduate and a Law Graduate from Delhi

University, also holds a M.Sc. degree in Public Economic
Management from University of Birmingham, U.K. and
Diploma in Public Financial Management from the University of
Strathclyde, UK.
He has extensive experience in the areas of Public Financial

Management and has worked in diverse capacities in the Ministries of Earth Sciences,
Commerce, Human Resource Development, Science & Technology, Labour, Health, Home
Affairs and Finance. He is known for his initiatives in the area of development of an effective
financial management information system.
WHAT IS CGA AND WHAT ARE ITS FUNCTIONS?
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Controller General of Accounts is the principal Accounts Adviser to the Government of India
and it exercises the powers of the President under Article 150 of the constitution for prescribing
the forms of Accounts of the Union and State Governments on the advice of the Comptroller &
Auditor General of India.
The major functions of CGA includes; establishing and maintaining a technically sound
management accounting system for the government. Besides, it also prepares a critical analysis
of expenditures, revenues, borrowings and the deficit for the Finance Minister every month. The
CGA is also responsible for preparing annual Appropriation Accounts and Union Finance
Accounts for presentation to the parliament.
CELEBRATED ASSAMESE POET HIREN BHATTACHARYYA PASSED AWAY
Renowned Assamese Poet Hiren Bhattacharyya, who was

fondly called HIRU-DA by his admirers, passed away on
4 July 2012. He was 80. Hiren Bhattacharya was well
known as PREM ARU RODALIR KOBI (Poet of Love
and Sunshine) in the Assamese literature.
Born in Jorhat district at Assam in 1932, Hiren

Bhattacharyya went on to become the most celebrated
author of Assamese language. The poems penned by Hiru Da had diversified colours of emotions
such as love, patriotism, rebellion, loneliness and humanity. He also wrote several rhymes for the
children. Lora Dhemali (1991) and Akon Dhemali (1991) were two of his most famous
collections of children writing.
Some of his famous poetry works include: Roudro Kamona (1968), Kobitar Rod (1976),
Xugondhi Pokhilaa (1981), Mor Desh aru Mor Premor Kobita (1972) and Bibhinno Dinor
Kobita. Hiren Bhattacharya was the recipient of numerous literary awards including Bishnu Rava
Bota, (1958) Rajaji Puroskar ( 1984-85) awarded by Bharatiya Bidya Bhawan, Soviet Desh
Neheru Bota (1987), Sahitya Akademi Award ( 1992), and Asom Upotyoka Sahitya Bota,
(Assam Valley Literary Award) in 2000.
NATIONAL CRIME RECORD BUREAU RELEASED THE CRIME STATISTICS

FOR 2011
According to the latest crime statistics, released by - the statistical arm of Indian Police under
ministry of home affairs (MHA) on 3 July 2012, rape with 24206 cases in 2011, emerged as the
biggest crime in India in India. NCRB had started recording the cases of rape in 1971, while
other cognizable offences have been recorded since 1953.
Madhya Pradesh with 3406 rape got the maximum number of

rape case registered in the country followed by West Bengal National Crime Record Bureau
which recorded 2363 rape cases in year 2011. Uttar Pradesh (NCRB)
and Rajasthan came next with 2042 and 1800 cases
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respectively.
Kidnapping and abduction was the other major crime in the country followed by murder and
riots. Crime like feticide also witnessed a rise as there were 132 cases of feticide reported in the
country in 2011, while the number stood at 111 in year 2010. Madhya Pradesh with 38 feticide
cases topped the list of state with maximum number of feticide cases. The state was followed by
Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh with 21, 15, 13 and 12 cases respectively.
Number of farmers' suicide also went up in 2011, as nearly 14027 farm suicide cases were
reported in the entire year. Adding the total number of suicide cases reported in 2011, the total
number of farm suicides since 1995 has touched 270940. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh saw the maximum number of farmers taking their
lives.
ANUP SANKAR BHATTACHARYA APPOINTED AS TH E DIRECTOR OF IBPS
Anup Sankar Bhattacharya was appointed as the Director of the Institute of Banking Personnel
Selection (IBPS) on 2 July 2012. M Balachandran was the former director of Institute of Banking
Personnel Selection. After the abolition of Banking Services Recruitment Board, IBPS plays a
vital role for candidates who are interested in Bank Jobs. Approximately, 15 million applications
applied in the year 2011-12.
Anup Sankar Bhattacharya was the In 2011, all the nationalized banks authorized Institute of
part of Advisory Board of Central Banking Personnel Selection to conduct a common written
Vigilance Commission for three test to get admission in the government banks. IBPS
months conducts separate test for SBI (State Bank of India) and its
associate banks. Anup Sankar Bhattacharya was the part of
Advisory Board of Central Vigilance Commission for three
months. He was responsible for security issues at IBPS. Anup Sankar Bhattacharya spent thirty
seven years in United Bank of India, Kolkata. He was the executive director of Indian Bank in
the year 2004. In addition, he was the part of Bank of Maharashtra in 2010 for 16 month time.
YANNIS STOURNARAS TOOK OATH AS THE NEW FINANCE MINISTER OF

GREECE
Yannis Stournaras took oath as the new finance minister of Greece on 5 July 2012. He succeeded
Vassilis Rapanos. Yannis took his oath in his office with the two deputy ministers. He was the
former Governor of European Investment Banking. He was the development Minister in the
caretaker government of Greece. He was also the part of the team that negotiates Greece's entry
to the Zone of Euro.
He was the general director of the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research in Greece
(IOBE). He was the researcher and Lecturer in St. Catherine’s Collegein Oxford University from
the year 1982-1986. He was the Professor of Economics in Athens University since 1989.
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He performed as Vice Chairman of the Public Gas Corporation from 1994 to 1997 and he was
the member of the Board of Directors of the Public Debt Management Office from 1998 to
2000. In addition, he was the managing Director of Kappa Securities in Athens. He was the
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Emporiki Bank and Vice-Chairman of the Association
of Greek Banks. Yannis Stournaras had completed his graduation from the Department of
Economics at Athens University. He had completed is post graduation in Economic Theory and
Policy from Oxford University.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN HELD IN JAPANESE

CAPITAL TOKYO
The day long International Conference on Afghanistan was held in Tokyo on 8 July 2012. Nearly
70 countries and organizations attended the conference, pledging a 16 billion dollar development
aid to Afghanistan over the next four years. Multilateral organizations like World Bank and
Asian Development Bank also attended the conference.
At the end of the conference all the participant nations and groups adopted the Tokyo
Declaration, on the security of Afghanistan. The declaration read the main threat to Afghanistan's
security and stability comes from terrorism and that this threat also endangers regional and
international peace and security. The declaration also endorsed key recommendations of a
regional conclave hosted by India to promote direct investment in Afghanistan.
The conference, which came in the wake of US and NATO force’s decision to pull out its troop
from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, was aimed at providing monetary support to the war-torn
nation. The development aid is intended to accelerate the pace of socio-economic development
of the country.
EK BHARAT BHUSHAN DISMISSED AS THE CHIEF OF THE DIRECTORATE

GENERAL OF CIVIL AVIATION
The Civil Aviation Ministry of India sacked EK Bharat Bhushan, the head of the Directorate
General of Civil Aviation, on 10 July 2012. Prashant Sukul, joint secretary, the Ministry of Civil
Aviation took over as the temporary head of DGCA.
The ministry’s move came as a big surprise as the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet in its
meeting held on 4 July 2012, had extended his tenure as the head of DGCA for another one year
with effect from 1 December 2011. A 1979 batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, Bharat
Bhushan had assumed charge as DGCA chief from Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi in December 2010.
Post removal, he is set to go back to the Ministry of Civil Aviation as Additional Secretary.
During the 20-month period at the helm of the aviation regulatory body, Bharat Bhushan took
variety of measures to ensure the safety of passengers. He also came hard on cash-strapped King
Fisher Airlines and Air India forcing them to pay the pending salary of their employees to ensure
the better functioning of the airline companies. Besides, he implemented various corrective
measures to revitalize the ailing aviation industry of the country.
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DV SADANANDA GOWDA RESIGNED AS KARNATAKA CHIEF MINISTER
Ending a month-long tussle within the state BJP, Devaragunda Venkappa Sadananda Gowda
stepped down as the Chief Minister of Karnataka on 11 July 2012. He handed over his
resignation to Karnataka Governor HR Bharadwaj at Raj Bhavan. The resignation of Gowda
paved the way for Jagdish Settar to be sworn in as the next Chief Minister of the state.
Sadananda Gowda had assumed the charge as the 26th Chief Minister of Karnataka on 4 August
2011. He was elected the CM by ruling Bhartiya Janata Party following the resignation of BS
Yeddyurappa. He was the head of the Bhartiya Janata Party in Karnataka when the party
recorded its first victory in the state assembly elections in May 2008. The BJP victory in
Karnataka paved the way for the party to form its first government in any of the Southern states.
Earlier he had also served as the member of Loksabha for two different terms.
MANIPAL UNIVERSITY W ON THE GOLDEN PEACOCK ENVIRONMENT

MANAGEMENT AWARD 2012
Manipal University won the Golden Peacock Environment Management Award 2012 on 8 July
2012. The main theme of this meet was DRIVING SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS THROUGH
GREEN ECONOMY.The award was given by Karan Singh on the Fourteenth World Congress
Meet on Environment Management. The Ceremony was held in the Le Meridian Hotel, New
Delhi.
The meet was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dixit. The meet provides a
way for the sustainable business in the areas like community-led advocacy and action
programmes for environment protection, carbon neutrality, solar technologies and watershed
management programmes.
The Golden Peacock Award was introduced by the Institute of Directors in the year 1992. This
award is considered as the Holy Grail of Corporate Excellence Worldwide. In 2012, The Golden
Peacock Awards Secretariat received 1000 entries (approx) for various National and Global
awards.
In addition, Golden Peacock Environment Management Award (GPEMA) was introduced by the
World Environment Foundation (WEF) in the year 1998. It aims to promote the best strategy and
management of environmental issues. This award was presented to those organizations that attain
the significant achievements in the field of Environment Management.
INTERNATIONAL DONORS CONFERENCE HELD IN TOKYO
Tokyo: An international donor meeting was held here to discuss the peace building process in
Afghanistan.Tokyo is the capital of Japan.
International donors meeting was held in Tokyo, on 8 July 2012. The conference, was held to
discuss the peace building process in the war-torn nation, Afghanistan. The participants agreed to
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provide 16 billion dollar as the development aid to the country over the next four years. The
Tokyo conference was attended by nearly 70 countries.
CHAMPION WRESTLER AND BOLLYWOOD ACTOR DARA SINGH PASSED AWAY IN

MUMBAI
Rustam-E-Hind, Dara Singh, who won India numerous accolades globally in wrestling, passed away on 12 July
2012 in Mumbai following a protracted illness. He was 84.He had suffered a cardiac arrest on 7 July 2012.
Born on 19 November 1928 in Dharmoochak village of Amritsar in Punjab, as Deedar Singh Randhawa, Dara
Singh travelled to different parts of the globe as a Professional Wrestler. He announced his retirement from active
wrestling in 1983. In 1996 he was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.
Dara Singh, who earned a name for him worldwide in professional wrestling, also has had a long stint in Indian
film Industry. After he made his debut in Bollywood in 1967 with the film Saat Samundar Paar, he played
numerous characters in more than fifty Indian movies. He also directed and produced a number of movies. Singh,
however, got the real recognition as an actor when he fabulously portrayed the character of Lord Hanuman in the
Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan television series. Imtiaz Ali’s Jab We Met marked the last movie of his career. Dara
Singh was also the member of Rajya Sabha from August 2003 to August 2009. He was conferred the title Rustam-
E-Punjab in 1966 and Rustam-E-Hind in 1978.
INDIA SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRED NUCLEAR CAPABLE AGNI-I MISSILE
India on 13 July 2012 successfully test-fired domestically built surface-to-surface single stage
Agni-I ballistic missile. The missile was launched from a test range at Wheeler Island off Odisha
coast. The nuclear capable missile with a strike range of 700 km was first test fired on 25
January 2002.
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The missile was launched by the strategic force command of Indian Army as a routine users’
trial. As the missile has already been inducted into the armed forces the objective of the launch
was to train the user team to launch the missile.
With a specialised navigation system, the Agni-I hits the

target with sheer accuracy and precision. Weighing 12
tonnes, the 15-metre-long Agni-I, can carry payloads up to
1000 kg.
Agni-I was developed under the joint work of advanced
systems laboratory, the missile development laboratory of the
DRDO, Defence Research Development Laboratory and
Research Centre Imarat, while it was integrated by Bharat
Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad.
The Agni-I missile belongs to the genre of Short to Intermediate range ballistic missiles
developed by India under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program. The missile was
made operational by the Indian Army in March 2010.
SINGAPORE PRIME MINISTER, LEE HSIEN LOONG VISITED INDIA
Singaporean prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong visited India on a three day trip in July 2012.
Where India and Singapore signed three key bilateral agreements and a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) on 11 July 2012, New Delhi. The two countries are working on
deepening economic relations even outside south-east Asia, building linkages with companies
where India and Singapore were associated.
Singapore is not only an important trading partner in ASEAN but also a major source of FDI
inflows in India. India is Singapore’s eight largest investor. India-Singapore bilateral trade
accelerated to USD 17.44 billion in 2010-11 from USD 14.04 percent in 2009-10. The holistic
agreement turned out to be fruitful and both the countries expect to achieve better milestones
together. Lee is a member of the People’s Action Party (PAP) and took to Prime Minister’s
position in the year 2004. Prior to becoming a prime minister, he served as an officer in the
Singapore Armed Forces.
UTTARAKHAND CM VIJAY BAHUGUNA WON THE ASSEMBLY BY-

ELECTION FROM SITARGANJ
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna emerged victorious in a by-election that was held
for the Sitarganj assembly seat on 8 July 2012. The election result declared on 11 July 2012 saw
Bahuguna defeating his closest rival, BJP candidate Prakash Pant, by a record margin of 39954
votes. Bahuguna received 53566 votes while, BJP candidate Prakash Pant got only 13812 votes
out of the total 69695 in the by-election. The margin of victory by which Bahugua has won the
election is the highest in Uttarakhand assembly elections since 2002.
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Vijay Bahuguna had taken oath as the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand on 13 March 2012, after
Congress had defeated incumbent BJP in the state assembly elections held in February 2012.
With the Vijay Bahuguna joining the state assembly the number of Congress legislators has risen
from 32 to 33. The BJP's strength in the 70 seat assembly now stands at 30. Three Independent
BSP MLAs are also extending their support to the Congress in the state assembly.
Son of Hemwanti Nandan Bahuguna, the former Chief Minster of Uttar Pradesh, Vijay
Bahuguna is the first former high court judge to become a chief minister. He had also been the
member of Lok Sabha in the 14th and 15th Lok Sabha. He represented the Tehari Garhwal Lok
Sabha constituency.
IMPORTANAT INFORMATION
Article 164(4) provides that a Minister who for any period of six consecutive months is not a
member of the legislature of the State shall at the expiration of that period cease to be a Minister
after six months.
WORLD POPULATION DAY OBSERVED WORLDWIDE ON 11 JULY 2012
11 JULY 2012: WORLD POPULATION DAY
World Population Day was celebrated on 11 July 2012. It aims to make aware people about the
increasing population in the country. It includes the harmful effects of EARLY MARRIAGE
AND EARLY CHILD BIRTH. The main theme of the year 2012 was UNIVERSAL ACCESS
TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES.
According to the census of 2011, the population of India over the last ten years increased to 1.21
billion. Health Services is one of the major target by United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) till
2015. They had started several programmes to educate people about the different methods of
family Planning.
UNPF conducted a programme in Egypt where they had shown a documentary on the nurse-
cum-midwife who serves poor and isolated clients and contributes to saving lives every day in
Minya. Many states in India had celebrated this day so as to make aware people about harmful
effects of increasing population. Delhi celebrated World Population Day with the 20 thousand
people who had participated in walkathon. The walkathon was organized by the
JANSANKHYA STHIRATA KOSH (JSK). Kanpur celebrated this day with a rally to make
aware people about the disadvantages of bigger families. National Cadet Corps took rally from
Phool Bagh with banners and posters. This day was first celebrated in the year 1987. This day
gained popularity with support from different national organizations and common people around
the world.
OSCARD AWARD WINNER ERNEST BORGNINE PASSED AWAY
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American Actor Ernest Borgnine passed away on 8 July 2012. He was 95 years old. He took his
last breath at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He won the Oscar Award for his role in the film
named MARTY in the year 1955.
He was the part of many famous films from Hollywood like: The Dirty Dozen, Ice Station Zebra,
McHale's Navy, the Wild Bunch etc. In late 1990s, he was the part of the famous Television
series named THE SINGLE GUY. Basket Ball and Gattaca were his recent films. Ernest
Borgnine received GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATION 2007 for his role in A Grandpa for
Christmas. In addition, He achieved LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD at the 17th Annual
Screen Actors Guild Award 2011.
FORMER BCCI PRESIDENT PURUSHOTTAM M RUNGTA PASSED AWAY
Former President of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Purushottam M Rungta died
on 12 July 2012 after long sickness. He was 84 years old. He was commonly known as BHAIJI
to cricketers and administrations.
He was President of BCCI for three years from 1972 to 1975 and Vice-President of BCCI from
1963 to 1972. He was also BCCI treasurer for six months in the year 1992 after the resignation
of Madhav Matri from BCCI treasurer when he lost to Manohar Joshi in Bombay Cricket
Association election. After that former BCCI President Madhavrao Scindia named P.M.Rungta
as the treasurer of the BCCI. He also managed the affairs of Rajasthan Cricket Association for
many years.
ITC, HUNGAMA DIGITAL MEDIA & SHANKAR MAHADEVAN LAUNCHED

DIGITAL TALENT HUNT MOBISUR
ITC leading personal care brand Vivel Face Wash on 13

July 2012 launched Indian’s first truly digital talent hunt
MOBISUR along with Hungama Digital Media and
Indian musician Shankar Mahadevan. The aim of the hunt
to encourage remote areas participant to participate in the
hunt that were not able to participate in the auditions due
to feasibility. They require a mobile phone or an internet
connection to participate in the hunt.
Vivel Face Wash with Hungama providing a platform and

opportunity to aspiring singers to grind their skills under
the guidance of Shankar Mahadevan. The winner of the
hunt is likely to get an opportunity to record an album with Shankar Mahadevan. The album will
be released by T-Series and Hungama. Apart from this, the winner will also get cash prize of 5
lakh rupees.
The talent hunt participants have to dial 546465 to record their voice on a unique IVR or to log
onto www.mobi-sur.com to upload their video. The participants who clear the first round is
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likely to be chosen form next round on the basis of performance and votes secured for each tasks.
There are three rounds. The contestants clear all the three rounds will be the winner of the hunt.
INCIDENTS OF CHILD MARRIAGES FELL SIGNIFICANTLY IN INDIA:

ANNUAL HEALTH SURVEY REPORT
According to the data released by first Annual Health Survey (AHS), conducted by the census
authorities, the incidents of child marriage fell significantly over the past few years. The data
was released on 16 April 2012.
The AHS, world’s largest demographic survey, was carried out by the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare in collaboration with the Registrar General of India (RGI) and Ministry of Home
Affairs of India. The survey was conducted in all 284 districts of the Empowered Action Group
(EAG) states that include Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Assam. The nine states account for half of the country’s
population. The project was launched to assess the impact of National Rural Health Mission
(NRHM) in all 284 districts. Until recently the only reliable source of such health data was the
National Family Health Survey, which the health ministry has now discontinued.
THE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED BY PRIVATE AGENCIES UNDER THE SUPERVISION

OF RGI. THE KEY FINDINGS OF THE LATEST REPORTS OF THE SURVEY ARE AS
FOLLOWS:
• One-fifth of marriages in Bihar between 2007-09 involved women under 18.

• In Jharkhand, the proportion of child marriage went down from 60 percent to 18 percent
earlier.
• Rajasthan with 22 percent cases of child marriage has the highest proportion of women under
18 getting married.
• Contraceptive use remains low despite improvements in several regions.

• Among the 9 states, Bihar has the lowest contraceptive use with just over a third of women
aged 15-49 using any method of contraception.
• Sitapur in UP emerged as the district with the lowest contraceptive use as only 20 percent of
women found using any method of contraception.
• Condition of maternal and infant health is still the subject of worry.
• Less than 5 percent of women in UP had a full ante natal check-up.
• Chhattisgarh, with 20 percent full ante-natal check-up, emerged as the best-performing of
these states.
• Less than half of pregnant women in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have safe deliveries.
• UP, Bihar and Uttarakhand saw 40 percent of safe deliveries.
NORTH KOREA AWARDED THE TITLE OF MARSHAL TO ITS TOP LEADER

KIM JONG UN
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Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) on 18 July 2012 awarded the title of
Marshal to its top leader Kim Jong Un. The decision to confer the title on Kim was taken by
nation's top military brass and government officials on 17 July 2012.
Kim Jong Un rose to helm of Communist Nation following the death of his father Kim Jong Il in
December 2011. Since then he has been serving as supreme commander of the Korean People's
Army.
Kim Jong Il was named the Marshal of North Korea following the death of his father Kim Il
Sung in July 1994. The death of Il on 17 December 2011left the position of Marshal vacant for
nearly seven months. Kim Jong Il was posthumously made grand marshal, the nation's top
military title, in February 2012.
Before formally being named the Marshal, Kim Jong Un carried out a high-profile reshuffle in
the country’s army, which saw the chief of the army, Ri Yong Ho being sacked from all posts
due to illness on 16 July 2012.Subsequently a less
renowned military general, Hyon Yong Chol took over
as the vice marshal on 17 July 2012.
YESTERYEAR BOLLYWOOD SUPERSTAR

RAJESH KHANNA PASSED AWAY
Yesteryear Bollywood superstar Rajesh Khanna passed

away at his Mumbai residence ASHIRWAD on 18 July
2012. He was 69. He was severely ill over the past few
months. Rajesh Khanna, who was fondly called Kaka
by his fans, is considered to be the first superstar of Indian cinema.
Rajesh Khanna is survived by his wife Dimple Kapadia and two daughters Twinkle Khanna and
Rinkie Khanna. His elder daughter Twinkle Khanna is married to Hindi film actor Akshay
Kumar. Rajesh Khanna married Dimple Kapadia in 1973. Though, the couple parted their ways
in 1984 due to personal issues, they never separated on legal terms.
Rajesh Khanna, whose real name was Jatin Khanna, was born on 29 December 1942, in
Amritsar, Punjab. A natural actor, Khanna got his first break in bollywood after he emerged
victorious in All India Talent Contest organised by United Producers and Filmfare in 1965.
Aakhri Khat, directed by Chetan Anand, was his debut film. The film was released in 1966.
Rajesh Khanna got the first lead role of his career in 1966 with the film Raaz directed by
Ravindra Dave.
Period between 1969 and 1972 saw Rajesh Khanna, rising to the pinnacle of stardom. The period
was marked by 15 consecutive solo hits by him, the record which still remains untouched. In his
over than four-decade long career in the Indian Film Industry he worked in 163 films. An
unchallenged king of romantic roles on the screen, Khanna played the lead protagonist in 128
films. He also appeared in 17 short films.
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Aradhna, Anand, Kati Patang, Dushman, Bawarchi, Amar Prem, Hathi Mere Saathi, Hum dono
and Aag are few of his movies which earned him both the praise of critics and commercial
success at the same time. Rajesh Khanna has had a great on-screen chemistry with her fellow
actresses like Mumtaz and Sharmila Tagore. With Mumtaz he went on to give block-busters like
Aap ki Kasam, Prem Kahani and Roti.
Though, Rajesh Khanna was nominated for

the Filmfare Best Actor Award 16 times, Khanna got his first break in bollywood
Saccha-Jhutha, Anand and Aaviskar after he emerged victorious in All India
actually won him the filmfare awards in the Talent Contest organised by United
best actor categoy. He was conferred the Producers and Filmfare in 1965. Aakhri
Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. Khat, directed by Chetan Anand, was his
debut film
The superstar along with playback singer
Kishore Kumar gave a number of hit songs.
The actor-singer duo gave the Indian audience an entirely new perspective of melodious Indian
music. Songs such as Mere Sapnon Ki Rani from Aradhana, which had the voice of Kishore
Kumar, made Rajesh Khanna exteremely popular among the youths.
Rajesh Khanna was also the member of Lok Sabha from 1992 to 1996. He was elected to the
lower house on the Congress Party ticket from the New Delhi constituency. The magic of the
Rajesh Khanna could well be assessed by the fact that the BBC in 1974 made a film on him,
named Bombay Superstar, and while, the Bombay University prescribed a book contained an
essay, The Charisma of Rajesh Khanna.
TOP RSS LEADER AND B JP FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT BAL APTE PASSED

AWAY
Top Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Ideologue and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader
Balwant Apte alias Bal Apte died in Mumbai on 17 July 2012. He was 73. He was suffering from
a chronic lung disease. Bal Apte was twice elected to the Rajya Sabha (in 2000 and 2006), where
he represented the state of Maharashtra. He was the vice president of BJP during 2002-2010 and
was also a member of the party's Central Parliamentary Board. He was the head of the review
committee which was constituted to look into the reasons of defeat of BJP in 2009 general
election.
Bal Apte has his association with Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing
of RSS, for nearly 38 years. A senior lawyer, Apte was kept under detention from December
1975 to February 1977 under the stringent Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during
Emergency.
CASES OF NEW HIV INFECTIONS AMONG CHILDREN DECLINED: UNAIDS

REPORT
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According to UNAIDS Report released on 18 July 2012, new HIV infections among children are
declining at a steady rate. The report noted that about 330000 children were newly infected in
2011, which indicated a 24 percent drop in the new HIV case among children since 2009.
Report asserted that nearly 60 percent of the 1.5 million pregnant women living with HIV in
poor countries received effective anti-AIDS medications last year, which lowered the chances of
passing on the virus to their babies. As per the report about 34.2 million people worldwide were
living with the AIDS virus at the end of 2011, while, a record eight million people in low- and
middle-income countries received the antiretrovirals treatment in 2011.
UNAIDS (UNITED NATIONS PROGRAMME ON HIV/AIDS)
UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, is an innovative partnership that
leads and inspires the world in achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and
support. Member of United Nations Development Group, UNAIDS came into existence in 1994
by a resolution of the UN Economic and Social Council and launched in January 1996. UNAIDS
has it’s headquarter in Geneva, Switzerland. Michel Sidibe is the Executive Chairman of
UNAIDS.
SEVENTH G20 SUMMIT TOOK PLACE IN MEXICAN CITY LOS CABOS
LOS CABOS - The seventh G20 summit took place on 18 and19 June 2012 in the Mexican
City Los Cabos. The seventh G20 summit took place in the city of Los Cabos in Mexico on 18
and 19 June 2012. The summit was attended by the leaders of 20 nations including South Africa,
Canada, India, Mexico, United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Turkey, Argentina,
Brazil, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Australia.
The G 20 Summit, one of the most important multilateral event, was held to discuss the
prominent economic issues such as eurozone crisis, poor scenario of global economic growth and
faltering international financial systems. The participant nations and world bodies also ratified
the Los Cabos Action Plan for growth and employment.
HDFC BANKER DEEPAK PAREKH APPOINTED AS NEW CHAIRMAN OF

FINANCING INFRASTRUCTURE
The government on 16 July 2012 appointed HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh as the new
chairman of the High Level Committee on Financing Infrastructure. He would function in an
honorary capacity with the rank of minister of state. He was elected after the approval from
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in first week of July 2012.
The committee is authorized to re-examine existing policies and advice necessary changes to
present in the investment for the infrastructure sector. It will work under 12th Five- Year project
investments plan from 2012 to 2017 of 4099240 crore rupees. The other members of the
committee are R. Gopalan (secretary, Department of Economic Affairs), D. K. Mittal (secretary,
Department of Financial Services), J. Hari Narayan (chairman, Insurance Regulatory and
98
Development Authority), Yogesh Agarwal (chairman, Pension Fund Regulatory and

Development Authority), Subir Gokarn (deputy governor, Reserve Bank of India), Pratip
Chaudhuri (chairman, State Bank of India), D. K. Mehrotra (chairman, Life Insurance
Corporation of India), Satnam Singh (chairman, Power Finance Corporation), Chanda Kochhar
(chief, ICICI Bank) and Rajiv Lall (chief, IDFC).
Parekh is a chartered accountant. He joined Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC)

in 1978 after Ernst & Young Management Consultancy Services in New York. He is a part of
sub-committee of the Prime Minister’s council on Trade and Industry for promoting Financial
Inclusion. He is also one of the members in the expert team of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd
(HAL). The committee was first set up by Rakesh Mohan, former Deputy Governor of Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) in November 2012.
P.N DHAR, FIRST PRINCIPAL SECRETARY OF

INDIRA GANDHI PASSED AWAY
Professor of Economics Prithvi Nath Dhar passed away on

19 July 2012 in New Delhi. He was 94 years old. He was
the professor of Economics in the University of Delhi.
Prithvi Nath was the first Principal Secretary of Indira
Gandhi in 1970. He was the only person who had joined
Prime Minister’s Office in the year 1970.
He was the team member which was accompanied by Indira Gandhi when she had signed Simla
Agreement with Pakistan after the War of Bangladesh in the year 1971. Dhar was one of the
founders of Delhi School of Economics. He worked as the Assistant Secretary General in United
Nations, Research and Policy Analysis in New York in the year 1976-78. In addition, the
memory of Prithvi Nath Dhar with the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, The Emergency, and
Indian Democracy is considered as the authoritative documentation of important events in the
pages of the History of Modern India.
TIME MAGAZINE DUBBED INDIAN PRIME MINISTER MANMOHAN SINGH

AS UNDERACHIEVER
Leading American magazine Time on the cover of its latest Asian edition dubbed Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh as the Underachiever. The magazine which hit the stand on 16 July
2012 carried three stories including the cover story to describe the gloomy economic scenario in
the country. The magazine insisted that Indian Prime Minister has been starkly unable to reverse
the pessimistic economic environment in the country.
Once widely regarded as a staunch reformer, Manmohan Singh has come under severe criticism
over his failure in beefing up the economy. Earlier US President Barack Obama had urged Indian
government to introduce some much needed reforms in the country to reinvigorate the
investment sentiment among the global investors.
99
Earlier Time magazine in its June 2002 edition had termed the then Indian Prime Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpeyee 'asleep on the wheel.Time sells 264000 copies in entire Asian continent, while,
the Indian subcontinent accounts for the sell of as many as 47000 copies, accounting for almost
18 percent of the sales.
EMINENT FREEDOM FIGHTER AND SOCIAL ACTIVIST CAPTAIN LAKSHMI

SEHGAL PASSED AWAY
Lakshmi Sehgal tied
Eminent Freedom Fighter and social activist Captain Lakshmi the knot with Indian
Sehgal passed away in Kanpur on 23 July 2012. She was 97. She National Army Officer
suffered a severe heart attack and was admitted to the hospital on Colonel Prem Kumar
19 July 2012. Sehgal in March 1947
in Lahore. Well known
Born as Lakshmi Swaminadhan on 24 October 1914 in Madras, CPI (M) leader
Captain Lakshmi Sehgal completed his high school education Subhasini Ali is her
from Madras. Subsequently, she studied medical science in daughter.Lakshmi
Madras Medical College and received her MBBS degree in 1938. Sehgal was confrred
A close aide of Subhash Chandra Bose during the days of freedom the Padma Vibhushan
movement, she was the one of the most prominent mambers of his in 1998.
Indian National Army. She was the head of the women’s regiment
of Indian National Army, which was called the Rani of Jhansi
regiment.
Politically she was associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and went on to
contest the Presidential Election in 2002. She, however, received defeat in the hand of APJ
Abdul Kalam.She was the principle member of All India Democratic Women’s Association
(AIDWA). Besides, she had spearheaded several political, economic and social justice
campaigns in the country.
MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LIMITED ANNOUNCED TO CLOSE DOWN ITS

FACTORY AT MANESAR
Manesar : Manesar is an industrial town in the Gurgaon district of Haryana. The town drew the
nationwide attention following the reports of scuffle at Maruti Suzuki’s plant located in the town.
India’s leading four-wheeler manufacturer Maruti Suzuki India Limited announced to close
down its factory at Manesar on 21 July 2012. The company’s move came after a scuffle between
the workers and senior management of the company broke out at the factory site on 18 July
2012.
The scuffle, which left many of the company’s executives injured, broke out after the workers'
demand of pay-parity was not accepted by the company. MSIL’s plant at Manesar had long been
stuck in functional discrepancies. The plant had witnessed 5 workers’ strike in year 2011 itself.
In October 2011 the company had witnessed a 14-day-long strike that ended on 21 October 2011,
after the company gave in to the workers' demand to register a trade union.
100
ALEPPO IN SYRIA BECAME THE CENTRE OF REVOLT AGAINST THE

GOVERNMENT
Aleppo– Aleppo, until recently, a relatively secure government stronghold, has now become the
latest focus of the revolt against President Bashar Al-Assad. Aleppo is the largest city in
Syriaand the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate.
The clashes in Aleppo are an ominous development for the regime. Until both Damascus and
Aleppo were relatively untouched by the uprising and remained strongholds of the regime. Syria
went through a severe crisis after the National Security Bureau in the Rawda district of
Damascus, capital of Syria suffered a heavy blow on 18 July 2012
RUPERT MURDOCH RESIGNED AS THE DIRECTOR

OF THE NI GROUP
Rupert Murdoch an eighty one year old founder of the News

Corporation, resigned third week of July 2012. He resigned from
his directorship from a string of companies, namely the director of
the NI Group, the Times Newspaper Holdings, and Newscorp
Investments in Britain. He is a known name in the industry of
media and known as the ‘media mogul’.
After more than a year of scandal in his own British news paper
empire, the sustained criminality led to an influential parliamentary committee in May 2012 to
describe Murdoch as unfit to run a major company, resulting finally into his resignation.
Murdoch has now moved to the United States of America.
SALLY RIDE, FIRST US WOMAN TO TRAVEL INTO SPACE, PASSED AWAY
Sally Ride, the first US woman to travel into space died in La Jolla, California on 23 July 2012.
She was 61. She was suffering from pancreatic cancer. Ride fired the imagination of millions of
women across the world when she set off for space in the US space shuttle Challenger in June
1983. Sally Ride was, however, not the first woman to travel into space, as Valentina Tereshkova
of erstwhile USSR had visited space in June 1963.
Born on 26 May 1951 at Los Angeles, California, Ride received her Masters degree in Physics
from Stanford University. Subsequently, she joined NASA in 1978. Ride went on her first space
shuttle mission on board the Challenger in 1983. She was only 32 when she first travelled into
space, making her the youngest person in America at the time to go into space. Her second space
visit occurred in 1984, also aboard the Challenger. She spent a total of more than 343 hours in
space.
KULANDEI FRANCIS, INDIAN SOCIAL ACTIVIST WON MAGSAYSAY

AWARDS 2012
101
Indian social activist Kulandei Francis, age sixty six will be felicitated with the Magsaysay
Award. In the year 1979, Francis begun with his organisation, Integrated Village Development
Project (IVDP) in Krishnagiri, wherein he initially started with small projects, amongst his
achievements, he has conducted night schools in the light of gas lamps, set up first aid centres.
Then, with the help of development organizations, he undertook a micro-watershed programme
that, over twenty-two years, built three thirty one mostly small check dams benefitting
cultivators and their families in sixty villages.
His organisation, the Integrated Village Development Project also provides training to rural
students a in enhancing their skills namely training in rural sanitation, accountancy,
management, giving educational assistance for students in high schools, scholarships and also
computer skills. The visionary Mr. Francis was also successful in pursuing the holistic economic
empowerment of thousands of women and their families.
The Board of Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) announced the
recipients of this year, 2012 Asia's premier prize, the Ramon Magsaysay Award on 25 July
2012. The six individuals chosen from around the globe are from countries, Bangladesh,
Cambodia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
The other people chosen for the prizes, announced by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation
(RMAF) in Manila, are Ms Chen Shu-Chu from Taiwan, Mr Romulo Davide from the
Phillipines, Ms Syeda Rizwana Hasan of Bangladesh, Mr Yang Saing Koma of Cambodia and
Mr Ambrosius Ruwindrijarto from Indonesia.
Kulandai Francis who has been awarded with the Magsaysay says, working with the objective of
eradicating poverty and empowering more than one lakh rural women for thirty five long years
has got him the award. Magsaysay Award winners receive a certificate, a medallion bearing the
likeness of the late President, and a cash prize. They will be formally felicitated with the
Magsaysay Award during the Presentation Ceremonies which is to be held on 31 August 2012 at
the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila.
In the past, many Indians have won the Magsaysay award. In the year 1958, awardee was Vinoba
Bhave, in the year 1959 C.D Deshmukh, again in the year 1994, it was awarded to Kiran Bedi, in
1996, T.N seshan , in the year 2003, James Michael Lyngdoh,in the year 1965 Jayaprakash
Narayan,In 1974 M.S. Subbulakshmi was awarded, in 1982 Manibhai Desaiwas awarded.
Ramón Del Fierro Magsaysay was the seventh President of the Republic of the Philippines; he
served from 30 December 1953 until his death in a 1957 aircraft disaster. The Ramon Magsaysay
Award known as Asia's Nobel Prize was established in April 1957 by the trustees of the
Rockefeller Brothers.
DRDO SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRED BRAHMOS SUPERSONIC CRUISE

MISSILE
Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully test-fired Brahmos

supersonic cruise missile from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, in Balasore
102
district, Orissa on 29 July 2012. The missile was test-fired as the developmental trial as it has
already been inducted into the Indian Army and Indian Navy.
BrahMos, which has a target range of 290-km, is the

surface-to-surface cruise missile. It is capable of
carrying a conventional warhead of 200 to 300 kg.
The missile has been developed by BrahMos
Aerospace Private Limited, a joint venture between
Republic of India's Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russian
Federation's NPO Mashinostroeyenia. It is the
world's fastest cruise missile in operation. It can be
launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land.
Presently scientists at the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited are working to develop the air as
well as the submarine launch version of the missile. Last time the missile was tested on 28 March
2012 from the same platform. The name BrahMos is the blend of the names of two rivers, the
Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia.
ASSAM’S KOKRAJHAR, UDALGURI DISTRICT HIT BY VIOLENCE

Assam’s Kokrajhar and Udalguri district remained a recipient of violence since 20 July 2012.
Nineteen people have been killed so far in sporadic incidents of violence which resulted into a
clamp night curfew on 21 July 2012.
The whole incident started when the violence got triggered with the firing on two student leaders
Mohibul Islam of All Bodoland Minority Students' Union (ABMSU) and Abdul Siddique Sheikh
of All Assam Minority Students' Union (AAMSU) by unidentified gunmen at Anthihara in
Kokrajhar.
PRACTISE SETS
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affairs-knowledge-ii-1339665144-1
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ibps-po-exam-2012-set-1-1339406096-1
QNA
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103
http://www.jagranjosh.com/articles/banks-that-have-notified-for-clerk-recruitment-2012-
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2012-1334124300-1
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PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION PAPERS

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quantitative-aptitude-question-paper-1343299031-1
http://www.jagranjosh.com/articles/rbi-assistant-exam-2012-solved-question-paper-
1343284582-1
CURRENT AFFAIR QUIZZES

1. Which one of the following signed as Brand Ambassador of Kalyan Jewellers?
a. Kajol
b. Katrina Kaif
c. Amitabh Bachchan
d. Diya Mirza
Answer: (c)
2. Which one of the following launched first educational tablet PC?

a. Alphabetics Computer
b. HP
c. IBM
d. Apple
Answer: (a)
3. Consider the Statement:

__________ is the first educational tablet PC.
Which one of the following is correct?
a. TabStudy
b. TabSkisha
c. TabTeacher
d. TabGuru
Answer: (d)
4. Which Hindi news channel acquired English News channel NewsX?

a. Aaj Tak
104
b. Good Morning India

c. India News
d. Information TV
Answer: (d) Information TV
5. Consider the statement:

______ Books published India’s first eBook.
a. Penguine
b. Dollfine
c. Seal
d.Starfish
Answer: (a)
6. Which two companies listed in top 100 of Fortune’s World magazine 2012?
a. State Bank of India & Indian Oil
b. Hindustan Petroleum & State Bank of India
c. Reliance Industries & Hindustan Petroleum
d. Indian Oil & Reliance Industries
Answer. (d)
7. Consider the statement:

FaceBook introduced _________ to allow developers to translate the names and descriptions into
other languages.
a. App Center
b. App Dashboard
c. App xpress
d. App Translator
Answer. (b)
8. Which one of the following is appointed as the Joint Managing director of AirIndia?
a Arvind Jadav
b. Sunil Arora
c. Rohit Nandan
d. Nasir Ali
Answer. (d)
9. In which year Air India and Indian Airlines merged?

a. 2008
b 2007
c. 2006
d. 2005
Answer. (a)
10. Which one of the following launched Apparel and Fashion xPress for Oracle Retail?
105
a. Mahindra Satyam
b. Tech Mahindra
c. MphasiS Corporation
d. Larsen & Toubro
Answer.(a)
11. Which two of the following credit cards HDFC launched for Doctors?
a. Superia & Platinum
b. Platinum & Titanium
c. Titanium & Gold
d. Gold & Superia
Answer. (a)
12. Which one of the following is correct?

TATA AIG Life Insurance turned in to ___________
a. TATA AIP Life
b. TATA AIA Life
c. TATA AIT Life
d. TATA TIA Life
Answer. (b)
13. What was the following is correct?

The full form of TATA AIG Life was _____________ .
a. Tata Australian International Group
b. Tata America International Group
c. Tata American International Grouping
d. Tata American International Group
Answer. (d)
14. Consider the statement

Apple paid 60 million dollar to Shenzhen Proview Technology to settle _______.
a. Legal Dispute
b. Business Dispute
c. Personal Dispute
d. Financial Dispute
Answer. (a)

Adani Kandla Bulk Terminal Pvt. Ltd. signed an agreement with _____________.
a. Kandla Bulk Terminal
b. Adani Bulk Terminal
c. Kandla Port Trust
106
d. Adani Port Trust

Answer. (c)

_____________ launched famous Triangular Swiss Chocolate Brand Toblerone.
a. Cadbury
b. Nestle
c. Ferrero
d. Callebaut
Answer. (a)
17. which one of the following is the current Nasscom President?

a. Bijoy Ghosh
b. Som Mittal
c. Anil Ambani
d. Krishnakumar Natarajan
Answer. (b)
18. Consider the following two Statements:

I. Som Mittal is the Nasscom president
II. He is assigned as Nassom president till 2014.
Which of the following answer is correct?
a) I is correct
b) II is correct
c) Both I) and II are correct
d) Both I) and II are incorrect
Answer. (c)
19. What is the full form of Nasscom?

a. National Association of services and software companies
b. National Association of Software and Service Companies
c. national Association of Safety and services
d. National Association of Services and Safety
Answer. (b)
20. Who is the owner of Kingfisher Airlines?

a. Vijay Mallay’s
b. Goyal
c. Siddhanta Sharma
d. Harsha Viji
Answer. (a)
21. Which Airlines Launched Daily Flights to Dubai from Delhi and Mumbai in 2012?
a. Indigo
b. Spice jet
c. Kingfisher Airlines
107
d. Go
Answer. (b)
22.Which one of the following is Spice jet CEO?

a. Vijay Mallay’s
b. Neil Mills
c. Kalanithi Maran
d. Neil Raymond
Answer. (b)
23. which one of the following is the second largest car seller in India?
a) BMW
b) Audi
c) Mercedes-Benz
d) TATA
Answer. (c)
24. which one of the following appointed as Brand Ambassador of Nepal Cricket Association?
a) Rahul Dravid
b) Sachin Tendulkar
c) Mahendra Singh Dhoni
d) Virat Kohli
Answer. (c)
25. Which one of the following is the maker of BlackBerry?

a) HP
b) RIM
c) AIM
d) Apple
Answer. (b)
26. Consider the following two Statements:

I. BlackBerry is a Featured phone.
II. BlackBerry was developed and designed by Apple.
Which of the following answer is correct?
a) I is correct
b) II is correct
c) Both I) and II are correct
d) Both I) and II are incorrect
Answer. (d)
27. Consider the following Statment?

a) BlackBerry- Featured Phone
b) Motorola MOTO Q8 – Featured Phone
c) BlackBerry- Smartphone
d) Motorola MOTO Q8- Smartphone
108
Which two of the following is correct?

a) A and B
b) B and C
c) C and D
d) D and A
Answer. (c)
28. Which one of the following launched Purview 808?

a. Nokia
b. BlackBerry
c. Motorola
d. Samsung
Answer. (a) Nokia
29. Which of the following is correct?

Nokia Pureview 808 is a ___________
a. Featured Phone
b. Smart Phone
c. Both A and B
d. None of the above
Answer. (b) Smart Phone
30. Which one of the following decided to buy London Metal Exchange?
a. Tokyo Stoke Exchange
b. Hong Kong Stock Exchange
c. Toronto Stoke Exchange
d. Korea Exchange
Answer. (b) Hong Kong Stock Exchange
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Current Affairs PDF July 2012 Page 1

WWW.JAGRANJOSH.COM CURRENT AFFAIRS PDF JULY 2012

www.jagranjosh.com Current Affairs PDF July 2012

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma became the First Female Chairperson of African Union

SC banned Commercial and Tourism Activities near Jarawa Habitat ...................................10

Pranab Mukherjee won the Presidential Election 2012 .......................................................10

sc Banned Tourism in Core Areas of Project Tiger Forests ...................................................13

Iran test-fired Medium Range Ballistic Missile Shahab-3 .....................................................17

Myanmar’s Vice President Tin Aung Myint Oo stepped down .............................................17

Tokyo Conference pledged to provide 16 Billion Dollar Aid to Afghanistan .........................18

ICC sentenced Congolese Warlord Thomas Lubanga to 14-Year Imprisonment ...................19

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Laos................................................20

India & Mozambique Signed Agreement on Bilateral Security Cooperation in Maputo,

www.jagranjosh.com Current Affairs PDF July 2012

US made Visa Application Rules for Indians More Flexible ..................................................22

China, Russia Vetoed UN RESOLUTION: Situation intensified in Syria ..................................25

Hesham Kandil Appointed Egypt's New Prime Minister ......................................................25

India, Indonesia Signed Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement .........................................26

Union Government of India unveiled New Free Drug Policy ................................................27

Union cabinet approved a Proposal to make Rape a Gender-Neutral Offence ....................28

sc of India Modified Order on Rehabilitation of Sex Workers ..............................................29

Government of India Launched Anti-Ragging Website ........................................................30

General Knowledge Quiz ...........................................................................................................31

India’s Headline Inflation slowed to 7.25 percent in June 2012 ...........................................39

India’s Retail Inflation dropped to 10.02 Percent in June 2012 ............................................40

www.jagranjosh.com Current Affairs PDF July 2012

EGoM on Telecommunication recommended to reduce 2G Base Price ...............................41

Jagdish Shettar sworn in as the 27th Chief Minister of Karnataka .......................................46

The Government of Maharashtra banned Gutka and Pan Masala .......................................46

UP Government rechristened Eight Districts in the State ....................................................49

India Diary .................................................................................................................................49

HDFC launched Superia and Platinum Credit Cards for Doctors...........................................52

B. Surender Mohan appointed as the Chairman and MD of NLC .........................................52

www.jagranjosh.com Current Affairs PDF July 2012

Cadbury launched famous Triangular Swiss Chocolate Brand Toblerone .............................56

Electronics Company Toshiba launched C, L, M, U Satellite series .......................................57

Yahoo! India Signed Agreement with IIT-Madras to set R&D ...............................................57

EIL signed Integrated Refinery Expansion Project of BPCL at Kochi......................................58

Nokia launched Window-based phone Lumia 610 at 12999 rupees ....................................58

Jet Airways introduced JetEscapes packages for corporate travellers .................................62

Percept Limited launched a Global Entertainment Company Percept Live ..........................64

www.jagranjosh.com Current Affairs PDF July 2012

Kavveri Telecom acquired US Firm WPCS International .......................................................66

Apple Launched OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion System...............................................................67

Three Russian Female Athletes were Suspended ................................................................68

Ex-England Batsman Mark Ramprakash announced retirement from cricket ......................69

South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher announced Retirement from International

England beat Australia 4-0 to claim NatWest Cricket Series ................................................71

30th Edition of Summer Olympics inaugurated in London ..................................................73

World Diary ...............................................................................................................................74

Environment & Ecology .............................................................................................................80

Karakoram Glaciers remained Impervious of Global Warming ............................................80

Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions increased by Three Percent in 2011 ................................81

Science & Technology ...............................................................................................................82

www.jagranjosh.com Current Affairs PDF July 2012

One Liners .................................................................................................................................83

News Capsule ............................................................................................................................85

Celebrated Assamese Poet Hiren Bhattacharyya passed away ............................................87

Anup Sankar Bhattacharya appointed as the Director of IBPS .............................................88

International Conference on Afghanistan held in Japanese Capital Tokyo ...........................89

DV Sadananda Gowda resigned as Karnataka Chief Minister ..............................................90

International Donors Conference held in Tokyo ..................................................................90

India successfully test-fired Nuclear Capable Agni-I Missile.................................................91