Heads of National Offices

Mr Mohd Hamid Ansari- Chairman, Rajya Sabha

Mr PJ Kurian- Deputy Chairman Rajya Sabha

Dr Manmohan Singh-Chairman, Planning Commission

Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia- Dy Chairman, Planning Commission

Mr Sushil Kumar Shinde- Leader of the house in Lok Sabha

Ms Sushma Swaraj- Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha

Mr Arun Jaitley- Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha

Mr V Sampath-Chief Election Commissioner

Mr Syed Nasim Ahmed Zaidi-Election Commissioner

Mr Harisanker Brahma-Election Commissioner

Mr Pradeep Kumar- Chief Vigilance Commissioner

Mr Ranjan Mathai- Foreign Secretary

Mr Vinod Rai- Comptroller and Auditor General of India

Justice S Ratnavel Pandian- Chairman, National Commission of Backward Classes

Mr Rahul Khullar- Chairman, Telephone Regulatory Authority of India

Mr Ranjit Sinha- CBI Director

Mr Kunwar Singh-Chairman, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes

Mr Wajahat Habibullah- Chairperson National Commission for Minorities

Mr DP Aggarwal- Chairman, UPSC

Mr SC Sinha- Director General National Investigation Agency

Mr Sukhadeo Thorat- Chairman, UGC (University Grant Commission)

Mr K Radhakrishanan-Chairman, Space Commission and ISRO

Mr Srikumar Bannerjee-Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and Sec. Deptt of Atomic Energy

Mr BK Mishra- Chairman, SSC

Mr KG Balakrishan- Chairman, Human Rights Commission

Dr C Chandramouli- Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner

Mr Prakash Chandra Tripathi- Chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)

Mr Jandhyala Harinarayan- Chairman, Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA)

Mr UK Sinha- Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

Mr Pratip Chaudhary- Chairman, State Bank of India

Mr DK Mehrotra- Chairman LIC

Mr Hardeep Puri- India’s Permanent Representative in UNO

Mr Nirupam Sen- Spl Sr Advisor to President of UN General Assembly

Ms Mamta Sharma-Chairperson of National Commission for Women

Mr Vijay L Kelkar- Chairman, 13th Finance Commission

Mr Ashok Chawla- Chairman, Competition Commission of India

Ms Leela Samson-Chairperson, Central Board of Film Certification

Mr Raj Kumar Dhoop- President, ASSOCHAM

Mr N Chandrasekaran- Chairman, NASSCOM

Mr KC Verma- Director General RAW

Ms Nandita Das-Chairperson, Children Film Society of India

Mr S Banerjee-Director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

Mr Satyanand Mishra-Chief Information Commissioner

Prof Krishan Kumar-Director, NCERT

Mr Adi Godrej- President, CII

Mr RV Kanoria- President, FICCI

Mr Sam Pitroda- Chairman, National Knowledge Commission

Mr Mamohan Setti- Chairman, National Film Development Corporation

Ms Mrinal Pande- Chairperson, Prasar Bharati

Mr Ratan Tata- Chairman, Investment Commission

Mr VK Sarswat- Scientific Advisor to PM and Head DRDO

Mr Jawhar Sircar- Chairman, Prasar Bharati

Mr Alok Mishra- Chairman, Indian Banks Association

President inaugurates the 32nd India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2012

The President of India  Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the 32nd edition of the India International Trade Fair on 14.11.2012 at Pragati Maidan New Delhi. Addressing the function, the President said the fair has been an excellent platform for micro, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) to showcase their products and penetrate both domestic and international markets at attractive prices. President stressed that MSMEs are a source of rural empowerment, which is one of the key objectives of Government’s agenda of inclusive growth.

The President was happy to note that the theme of the IITF this year is “Skilling India”. He stated that skill building is an integral part of a nation’s economic progress. He said ITPO has done commendable work in bringing all stakeholders together to share their experience at this important event. 

At the 32nd IITF, the focus state and country are Andaman Nicobar Islands and South Africa respectively. The partner state and the country are Uttarakhand and the Republic of Belarus respectively. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Thailand have set up their “National Pavilion” at this Trade Fair; and about 480 overseas exhibitors from 22 countries are participating in the event. 

Krishna Tirath inaugurates Vatsalya Mela

Smt. Krishna Tirath, Minister of State (I/C), Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) inaugurated the Vatsalya Mela at Dilli Haat.

Tirath said that the Vatsalya Mela is celebrated every year since the last six years to sensitise the people and spread awareness and information about the various schemes of the Ministry taken up for the development of women and children. At the Mela various stalls have been set up to explain in detail the various facets of the schemes of the WCD Ministry and how the benefits can be availed. Halls providing information on the ICDS, SABLA, IGMSY, and the activities of various organizations associated with it such as CARA, NIPCCD, NCW, NCPCR, CSWB, NMEW, RMK etc have been set up at the Mela. Various NGOs and organizations such as UN Women, UNDP, UNESCO and Nehru Yuva Kendra have come together with this initiative of the M/o WCD to spread awareness about the issues related to empowerment of women and growth and development of the children, the Minister informed.

The WCD Minister also stated that the Ministry has framed legislation such as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act 2012 in recognition of the needs of the society to fight the growing crime against children in the domestic and other settings. The rules have been notified from today with which the Act comes into force, she said. She also noted that the Protection of Women from Harassment at Workplace Bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha and will be introduced in the Rajya Sabha in the next session. Amendments are also being brought to the Juvenile Justice Act which will make it more strong, she stated. These also reflect the demand of the society to deal with crimes against women and children, she noted. 

The 6 day Vatslya Mela, Smt. Tirath said is inaugurated to mark the birth anniversary of Pandit Nehru, 14^th November, which is also celebrated as Children’s Day. Its closing ceremony on 19^th November which marks the birth anniversary of the first woman Prime Minister of the country, Smt. Indira Gandhi shall be celebrated as ‘Shakti Diwas’ , the Minister noted. 

 

India tops world diabetes sufferers list

There are now more people living with diabetes in Asia than elsewhere and India is among the list of top five countries with the most diabetes sufferers in 2009, organisers of World Diabetes Day have said quoting World Health Organisation (WHO) figures.

According to them, more than 347 million people suffer from diabetes worldwide. Since diabetes can be silent and symptoms can easily go unnoticed, early detection and good management can prevent complications.

International Diabetes Foundation indicates that the top five countries with the most diabetes sufferers in 2009 were: India 50.8 million, China 43.1 million, USA 26.8 million, Russia 9.6 million and Brazil 7.6 million.

It is predicted that the number of adults affected by diabetes will almost double from 32.6 million to 51.7 million in 2030 in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

World Diabetes Day raises global awareness of diabetes, its escalating rates around the world and how to prevent the illness and how it is managed.

Started by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the WHO, it is celebrated on November 14 to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, was instrumental in the discovery of insulin in 1922, a life-saving treatment for diabetes patients.

Long-term effects of diabetes can include blindness, gangrene, renal failure and heart disease. Globally diabetes is consuming an ever greater portion of medical costs, accounting for approximately 10 per cent of all health care spending according to the journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice in 2010.

Barack Obama won the U.S. Presidential Elections 2012

Barack Obama, the leader of Democratic Party on 7 November 2012 was re-elected as the President of USA. Obama defeated the Republican Challenger, Mitt Romney in the U.S. Presidential Elections 2012 by winning over 332 votes as compared to the 206 votes of Mitt Romney of all the votes declared by the Electoral College declared.  Obama was successful in getting around 74000 more votes than the competitor, Mitt Romney out of the eight million votes casted during the Presidential Elections.

The elections were conducted on 6th November 2012 and this was the 57th quadrennial presidential election for the United States. The two, Obama and Romney won 50 percent and 48.1 percent of votes respectively. 53 members in the Senate were from Democratic Party, whereas 45 are from Republican Party. In the House of Representatives, the lead went in the way of Republican Party with 232 seats and the Democratic Party was successful in securing 191 seats. Mitt Romney tied with the President Obama at 49 percent of the Popular Votes.

The Republican Party has lost four Presidential elections of the six Presidential contests and the two won by them was just with narrow margins. At the same time, President Obama, by being back has proved that in the period of austerity and crisis also, an incumbent can survive.

Swing States

President Obama was successful in winning over the eight of the nine swing states including Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Virginia, Colorado and Nevada. He only lost from the seat of North Carolina.

Indians

Ami Bera- the third Indian-American in the U.S. House of Representatives

Dr. Ami Bera is third Indian-American ever to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. The 45 years old Bera took a lead of 184 votes against Dan Lungren, the Republican rival from the seventh Congressional District of California. Before Bera, two Indians to be elected for the US House of Representatives include Dalip Singh Saund in the 1950s and Bobby Jindal was the House member before being elected to be the Governor of Louisiana from 2005 to 2008.

Except Dr. Bera, five more Indian-Americans namely Dr. Syed Taj, Dr. Manan Trivedi, Upendra Chivukula and Jack Uppala and Ricky Gill, were candidates, who lost from their seats in the US elections. Except Ricky Gill all the other four were from Democratic Party.

Dr. Syed Taj, who was a representative from Democratic Party, is the younger brother of Syed Shahbuddin and he basically belongs from Bihar. He lost in the tough fight against his opponent K Bentivolio from the seat of Michigan's 11th Congressional District.

Tulsi Gabbard-First Hindu-American to be in the House

Tulsi-Gabbard is the first Hindu-American to enter the U.S. House of Representatives. She defeated the Republican rival K. Crowley from the Hawaii seat in the one-sided contest. Tulsi doesn’t belong to the Indian Heritage and is not an Indian. She is a daughter to the Catholic Father Mike Gabbard, who at present is serving as the Senator from the Hawaii State and her mother Carol Porter Gabbard, who is a Hindu is an educator and a business owner in Hawaii.

Basic Facts

•    Before Obama, Bill Clinton was the Democratic Party Representative to serve White House for continuous two terms after World War II.

•    Obama is the first President after the wars to be re-elected in the office with an unemployment rate of 7.4 percent in the country.

•    Obama in the last Presidential Elections of 2008 won 349 votes, which was higher than the votes he secured in the Presidential Elections of 2012.

History of US elections of 223 years: In the 223 years history of US Presidential Elections only eight Presidents contesting elections being in the White House lost the elections.

Review meeting of the E-9 Countries concluded in New Delhi

The three-day review meeting of Ministers of Education and heads of delegation of the E-9 countries comprising India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria and Mexico ended in New Delhi on 10 November 2012 with the adoption of the New Delhi Commitment. E-9 nations decided to expand their cooperation in Inclusive, Relevant Quality Education for All. It took stock of the progress towards the Education for All goals and to renew cooperation in consolidating the gains and addressing remaining challenges.

The member-states reaffirmed the central role of education in all development endeavours and in promoting peace and social cohesion. E-9 Countries decided to expand their cooperation in the area of Inclusive, Relevant Quality Education for All. They recognised relevance and equity as key dimensions of quality in their future efforts and resolved to address the same by making their education systems more flexible and responsive.

The E-9 Initiative, Background:

The E-9 Initiative was launched in 1993 at the EFA Summit of the Nine High-Population Countries in New Delhi, India. The “E” stands for education and the “9” represents the nine highly populated countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan. Given that these countries were home not only to over half of the world’s population but also to more than 70 percent of the world’s adult illiterates, about two-third of whom are women and girls, and more than half of its out-of-school children, any significant progress made in these countries immediately would have positive impact on EFA. It was (and still is) rational to prioritise a group of highly populated countries for the attainment of EFA. The E-9 countries also face common challenges such as decentralization and quality assurance. Hence, the heads of E-9 countries signed the Delhi Declaration and showed their commitment to achieving EFA. Since that time, the E-9 Initiative has become a forum for these nine countries to discuss their experiences related to education, exchange best practices and monitor EFA-related progress. It has also become a powerful driver for EFA and South-South Cooperation.

Since the launch of the initiative, the E-9 countries have made significant socioeconomic progress. Mexico has become an OECD member, while China is now the second largest economy in the world. Brazil and India are also the top ten economies and expected to be the top five economies in the coming decades. Indonesia has also been growing fast and now is a G-20 country. In 1993, the E-9 countries accounted for only 16.5% of world’s nominal GDP. Now, they represent almost 30% of world’s nominal GDP. Some E-9 countries, such as Brazil, China, India and Mexico, have emerged as aid donors and are seen to exercise leadership not only in the E-9 Initiative but all aspects of EFA.

The E-9 countries have also made advancement in the six EFA goals. Between 1999 and 2009, the gross enrolment rate in pre-primary education increased. During the same period, the net enrolment rate in primary education improved from 84% to 89% as the number of out-of-primary school children within the E-9 countries was reduced from almost 50 million to less than 30 million between 1999 and 2009. Youth and adult literacy grew better from 85% to 89% and 76% to 79% respectively. The gender parity indices (the rate of girls to boys in school) ameliorated from 0.92 to 0.97 at the primary level and 0.96 to 0.97 at the secondary level. Two-thirds of the E-9 countries now have over a 90% net enrolment rate in primary education. Adult literacy rates are also above 90% in Brazil, China, Indonesia and Mexico.

Despite these positive outcomes, a number of problems remain to be tackled. The E-9 countries still represent two-thirds of the world’s illiterate adults and 42% of the world’s out-of-school children. Along with the quantity, the issue of the quality of education remains to be addressed: the vast majority of children do not receive quality instruction and leave school without acquiring basic skills in these countries due to a number of factors such as teacher development, curriculum and learning environment. Therefore, it is still essential to tackle educational problems of these countries for achieving EFA.

In order to accelerate efforts towards EFA, the E-9 countries work together primarily based on the action frameworks agreed upon during the biennial Ministerial Review Meetings. Since 1993, the Ministers of Education from the E-9 countries have held eight Ministerial Review Meetings to debate selected themes of common interest:

Event	Theme
Eighth E-9 Ministerial Review Meeting Abuja, Nigeria, June 2010	Literacy for development
Seventh E-9 Ministerial Review Meeting Bali, Indonesia, March 2008	Improvement of teacher education and training as a focus of educational system reform
Sixth E-9 Ministerial Review Meeting Monterrey, Mexico, February 2006	Assessment of quality in education
Fifth E-9 Ministerial Review Meeting Cairo, Egypt, December 2003	Early childhood care and education
Fourth E-9 Ministerial Review Meeting Beijing, China, August 2001	The role and use of distance education and information technologies in basic education
Third E-9 Ministerial Review Meeting Recife, Brazil, January 2000	E-9 countries 2000 EFA assessments: New avenues for action
Second E-9 Ministerial Review Meeting Islamabad, Pakistan, September 1997	Social and political mobilization
First E-9 Ministerial Review Meeting Bali, Indonesia, September 1995	From Delhi to Bali
New Delhi Summit on EFA New Delhi, India, December 1993	The Delhi Declaration and Framework for Action

In addition to these regular conferences, the E-9 ministers meet and dialogue whenever there is an opportunity, such as during the annual EFA meetings and the sessions of UESCO’s General Conference.

In 2004, a Chair of the E-9 Initiative was established with the support of UNESCO in order to improve follow-up, coordination and continuity in-between meetings. The Chair has been held by Egypt, Mexico, Indonesia and, since 2010, Nigeria.

While the E-9 countries have ownership over activities pledged during the Ministerial Review Meetings, the rotational E-9 Chair, along with UNESCO Secretariat, takes leadership of coordination. UNESCO provides technical support and helps the E-9 countries review progress of the ongoing activities during occasions such as bimonthly meetings, teleconferences, senior official meetings and written reports.

During the last biennium, in light of insufficient gains towards EFA Goal 4 on adult literacy by 2015, the Government of Nigeria and UNESCO convened the Eighth Ministerial Review Meeting on EFA in Abuja, Nigeria (June 2010) focused on the theme of ‘Literacy for Development.’ The E-9 countries currently make efforts to implement the Abuja Framework for Action and Cooperation and periodically review their progress through meetings and teleconferences.

A number of activities within the framework have been launched or are in process, such as the Revitalizing Adult and Youth Literacy Programme by Nigeria, the International Seminar on Improving Female Literacy in Cooperation with Women NGOs by Indonesia and preparations for an International Conference on Literacy for Inclusive and Sustainable Development by India. In order to continue the momentum on these l activities and to ensure their achievement, a Senior Officials Meeting was hosted by Nigeria in December 2011.

The low quality of education, including that of literacy, has long been a key challenge facing EFA. While many countries have successfully enrolled millions of learners in schools, a significant majority of them are actually not learning, at least, not to levels commensurate to their educational attainment. The challenge persisits, and the EFA quality goals are dauntingly off track. Thus, addressing the issue of quality will be on the top of the future education agenda.

During the 36th General Conference of UNESCO in 2011, the E-9 Ministers Meeting reached a consensus that quality education, inclusive of everyone where the content is relevant to learners, is vitally important in all E-9 countries. In this context, the E-9 Meeting on Teacher Development for Inclusive Quality Education in New Delhi, India on 31 May 2012 was held to address the issue of insufficient quality of teaching.

The Ninth E-9 Ministerial Review Meeting will be held in New Delhi, India on 9-10 November 2012. The focus of this meeting will be “Inclusive, Relevant and Quality Education for All.” India will hold the Chair after the 2012 E-9 Ministerial Review Meeting.

UIS Statistics In Brief

Drug Inspector in A.P. Drugs Control Administration Service (Notification No. 28/2011) Key

	DRUG INSPECTORS : Paper-1 - G.S. & M.A.
	DRUG INSPECTORS (28/2011) :: Paper-2  - PHARMACY

Schemes & Facilities for the Senior Citizens

A demographic revolution is taking place throughout the world indicating a phenomenal rise in the population of the elderly. According to a UN estimate, the population of the people aged 60 years and above is expected to grow to 1.2 billion by 2025 and to 2 billion by 2050. Today, about two thirds of all the older people are living in the developing world. As per the Census 2001, in India, there were 77 million persons above 60 years constituting 7.5% of the total population of the country. This number is projected to go up to 12.4% of the population in 2026. Such an increase obviously will throw up numerous challenges in designing old age specific programmes and schemes and addressing their issues in a comprehensive manner.  

The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment announced a National Policy for Older Persons in January, 1999. This policy reaffirmed the commitment of the Government to ensure the well-being of the older persons in a holistic manner. The National Policy for Older Persons essentially envisages support from the State to the older persons to ensure their financial and food security, health care, the need for shelter as well as other needs of the older persons, providing them an equitable share in development, giving them protection against abuse and exploitation, and ensuring the availability of services to improve the quality of lives of the older persons.

Thirteen years have elapsed since this policy was announced. Keeping in view the changing demographic pattern, the socio-economic conditions and the technological development in the country, the Government is in the process of bringing out a new National Policy. The draft of the new policy is ready. The new Policy is expected to cover a wider spectrum of the issues and challenges facing the elderly.

An institutional mechanism has been put in place to monitor the implementation of the existing national Policy for older persons and to advise the Government regarding the formulation and implementation of the policy and programmes for the aged through a National Council for Older Persons, under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment. The Council was first constituted in the year 1999 for a period of five years. It was reconstituted for another period of five years in the year 2005. However, the composition of this Council was not comprehensive enough as it did not contain sufficient non-official members to maintain regional balance. Besides, it also did not include the representatives of some of the Ministries/Departments dealing with issues related to the senior citizens.  With a view to address these issues, the Council has been re-constituted and has now been renamed as the National Council of Senior Citizens. A Resolution to this effect has been issued in the Gazette of India (Extraordinary) on 22^nd February 2011.

The Parliament enacted the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act in December 2007, a landmark development. This Act has made the maintenance of parents and senior citizens by children, and where there are no children, then by the relatives, obligatory and justiciable through Tribunals. The Act has to be brought into force by the individual State Governments. It is not applicable to the State of Jammu & Kashmir, while Himachal Pradesh has its own Act, with the concerted efforts made by the Ministry, all the States and UTs have been persuaded to bring the Act into force in the respective States.

For the effective implementation of the various provision of the Act, the States and UTs are required to take further steps, such as framing Rules, appointing Maintenance Officers, and constituting the Maintenance and Appellate Tribunals. As per information available in the Ministry, 14 States and 5 UTs have taken all these necessary steps.

The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment is also implementing the “Integrated Programme of Older Persons" since 1992 with a view to improve the quality of life of older persons by providing basic amenities like shelter, food, medical care, entertainment opportunities, etc. Under this Scheme, financial assistance up to 90% is provided to Governments/Non-Governmental Organizations/ Panchayati Raj Institutions/ local bodies etc. for running and maintaining old age homes, day care centres, mobile medicare units, day care centres for Alzheimer's disease/Dementia patients, physiotherapy clinics for older persons, sensitization programmes for children, particularly in schools and colleges, Regional Resource and Training Centres, etc. About 350 NGOs are being supported every year for running and maintaining around 550 projects.

In order to address the increasing demand for care givers, the National Institute of Social Defense (NISD), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has been conducting One-Year, Six-Month and One-Month Courses on Geriatric Care. Besides, the Institute also collaborates with reputed institutions for organising short term training programmes for the caregivers.

To ensure effective implementation of the policies and programmes of the Ministry and also to augment the activities of the NISD, the Ministry presently supports 3 Regional Resource Centres (RRTCs) namely, (i) Anugraha, New Delhi, which caters to the requirements of the northern States, (ii) Nightingale Medical Trust, Bangalore, which caters to the requirements of the southern States, and (iii) Integrated Rural Development and Educational Organization (IRDEO) which caters to the requirement of the north eastern States. These RRTCs undertake (i) Training of functionaries of grantee organizations under IPOP and monitor their work; (ii) Advocacy and awareness generation; (iii) Liasion with the concerned State Governments in the field of old age care, with specific reference to the implementation of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents & Senior Citizens Act, 2007, and the National Policy for Older Persons, 1999 and the other programmes and interventions for the senior citizens; (iv) Maintain a data-base of the institutions working in the field of old age care; and (v) Research and such other functions as the Ministry may assign from time to time.

The need of the hour is to create a caring society, especially for the ageing population with the help of representatives from the Central Ministries and Departments, the State Governments, experts, academicians and many other stakeholders. 

GROUP-II NON-EXECUTIVE POSTS LIST

Certificate Verification List for Notification No. 11/2009 TO 38/2008 , Group II Services (GENERAL RECRUITMENT) Non-Executive Post

LATEST INTERNATIONAL WHO'S WHO

UN organizations

• Food and Agriculture Organization
  • Director-General - José Graziano da Silva, Brazil (2012–present)
• International Atomic Energy Agency
  • Director-General - Yukiya Amano, Japan (2009–present)
• International Civil Aviation Organization
  • President of the Council - Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez, Mexico (2006–present)
  • Secretary-General - Raymond Benjamin, France (2009–present)
• International Labour Organization
  • Director-General - Guy Ryder, UK (MAY 2012–present)
• United Nations
  • Secretary-General - Ban Ki Moon, South Korea (2007–present)
  • President of the General Assembly - Nassir Al-Nasser, Qatar (2011–2012)
  • Security Council members - China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States (permanent members); Colombia, Germany, India, Portugal, South Africa (elected for 2011–2012); Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Morocco, Pakistan, Togo (elected for 2012–2013)
• United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
  • Executive Director - Anthony Lake, United States (2010–present)
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
  • Director-General - Irina Bokova, Bulgaria (2009–present)
• United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
  • High Commissioner - Navanethem Pillay, South Africa (2008–present)
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
  • High Commissioner - António Guterres, Portugal (2005–present)
• United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
  • Director-general - Kandeh Yumkella, Sierra Leone (2005–present)
• World Food Programme (WFP)
  • Executive Director - Josette Sheeran, United States (2007–present)
• World Health Organization (WHO)
  • Director-General - Margaret Chan, China (acting) (2007–present)
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
  • President - Alexander Bedritsky, Russia (2003–present)
  • Secretary-General - Michel Jarraud, France (2004–present)
• World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
  • Secretary-General - Taleb Rifai, Jordan (2010–present)

Political and economic organizations

• African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) -
  • Secretary-General - Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Ghana (2010–present)
• African Union -
  • Chairperson -
    1. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Equatorial Guinea (2011–2012)
    2. Yayi Boni, Benin, (2012–present)
  • Chairperson of the Commission -
    1. Jean Ping, Gabon (2008–2012)
    2. Erastus Mwencha, Kenya (2012–present)
  • President of the Pan-African Parliament - Idriss Ndele Moussa, Chad (2009–present)
• Andean Community -
  • Secretary-General - Adalid Contreras Baspineiro (Bolivia), (2010–present)
• Arab League -
  • Secretary-General - Nabil Elaraby, Egypt (2011–present)
• Arab Maghreb Union
  • Secretary-General - Habib Ben Yahia, Tunisia (2006–present)
• Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
  • Executive Director - Muhamad Noor, Malaysia (2010–present)
• Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -
  • Secretary-General - Surin Pitsuwan, Thailand (2008–present)
• Caribbean Community -
  • Secretary-General - Lolita Applewhaite, Barbados (2011–present)
• Central American Parliament -
  • President - Dorindo Cortéz, Panama (2010–present)
• Common Market of East and Southern Africa (COMESA) -
  • Secretary-General - Sindiso Ngwenya, Zimbabwe (2008–present)
• Commonwealth of Nations -
  • Head - Queen Elizabeth II (1952–present)
  • Secretary-General - Kamalesh Sharma, India (2008–present)
• Commonwealth of Independent States
  • Executive Secretary - Sergei Lebedev, Russia (2007–present)
• Council of Europe
  • Secretary General - Thorbjørn Jagland, Norway (2009–present)
  • President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) - Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Turkey (2010–present)
  • President of the European Court of Human Rights - Jean-Paul Costa, France (2007–present)
• East African Community -
  • Secretary-General - Richard Sezibera, Rwanda (2011–present)
• Economic Community of West African States
  • President of the Commission - Victor Gbeho, Ghana (2010–present)
  • Chairman -
    1. Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria (2010–2012)
    2. Alassane Ouattara, Côte d'Ivoire (2012–present)
• Eurasian Economic Community
  • Secretary-General - Tair Mansurov, Khazakstan (2007–present)
  • Chairman of the Interstate Council - Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan (2001–present)
• European Free Trade Association
  • Secretary-General - Kåre Bryn, Norway (2006–present)
• European Union (EU)
  • Presidency of the European Council - Herman Van Rompuy (2009–present)
  • Presidency of the European Union Council
    1. Denmark (2012)
  • President of the European Commission - José Manuel Barroso, Portugal (2004–present)
  • President of the European Parliament - Jerzy Buzek, Poland (2010–present)
  • Secretary-General of the Council and High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy - Catherine Ashton (2009–present)
  • President of the European Central Bank - Mario Draghi, Italy (2011–present)
  • European Ombudsman - Nikiforos Diamandouros, Greece (2003–present)
  • President of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) - Peter Straub, Germany (2004–present)
  • President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) - Werner Hoyer, Germany (2012–present)
  • President of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) - Vassilios Skouris, Greece (2003–present)
  • President of the European Court of Auditors - Hubert Weber, Austria (2005–present)
  • President of the Economic and Social Committee (ESC) - Anne-Marie Sigmund, Austria (2004–present)
• Group of Eight (G8)
  • President (informal) - Barack Obama, United States (2012)
• Gulf Cooperation Council
  • Secretary-General - Abdul Rahman ibn Hamad al-Attiyah, Qatar (2002–present)
• Ibero-American Secretariat (Segib)
  • Secretary-General - Enrique V. Iglesias, Uruguay (2005–present)
• Indian Ocean Commission
  • Secretary-General - Monique Andreas Esoavekomandroso, Madagascar (2004–present)
• Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
  • Chairman - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran (2012-present)
• Nordic Council
  • Secretary-General - Jan-Erik Enestam, Finland (2007–present)
• North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
  • Secretary-General - Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Denmark (2009–present)
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
  • Secretary-General - José Ángel Gurría, Mexico (2006–present)
• Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
  • Secretary-General - Lamberto Zannier, Italy (2011–present)
  • Chairman-in-Office - Audronius Ažubalis, Lithuania (2011–present)
  • High Commissioner on National Minorities - Knut Vollebæk, Norway (2007–present)
• Organization of American States
  • Secretary-General - José Miguel Insulza, Chile (2005–present)
• Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
  • Director-General - Len Ishmael, Saint Lucia (2003–present)
• Organisation of the Islamic Conference (from July 2011 known as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation)
  • Secretary-General - Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Turkey (2005–present)
• Pacific Community
  • Director-General - Jimmie Rodgers, Solomon Islands (2006–present)
• Pacific Islands Forum
  • Secretary-General - Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Samoa (2008–present)
• Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
  • Secretary-General - Bolat Nurgaliyev, Kazakhistan (2007–present)
• South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
  • Secretary-General - Ahmed Saleem, Maldives (2012–present)
• Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur)
  • Director of the Executive Secretariat - Agustín Colombo Sierra, Argentina (2009–present)
• Southern African Development Community
  • Executive Secretary - Tomaz Salomão, Mozambique (2005–present)
• Union of South American Nations (Unasur/Unasul)
  • President - Bharrat Jagdeo, Guyana (2010–present)
  • Secretary-General -
    1. María Emma Mejía, Colombia (2011–2012)
    2. Alí Rodríguez Araque, Venezuela (2012–present)
• Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO)
  • Secretary-General - Ngawang Choephel, Tibet (2010–present)
• World Trade Organization (WTO)
  • Director-General - Pascal Lamy, France (2005–present)

Financial organizations

• African Development Bank -
  • President - Donald Kaberuka, Rwanda (2005–present)
• Asian Development Bank -
  • President - Haruhiko Kuroda, Japan (2005–present)
• European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
  • President - Thomas Mirow, Germany (2008–present)
• Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
  • President - Luis Alberto Moreno, Colombia (2005–present)
• International Monetary Fund
  • Managing Director - Christine Lagarde, France (2011–present)
• Islamic Development Bank (IDB)
  • President - Ahmad Mohamed Ali, Saudi Arabia (1975–present)
• World Bank
  • President - Jim Yong Kim, Korea (June 2012 Onwards)

Sports organizations

• Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
  • President - Zhang Jilong, China (2011–present)
• Confédération africaine de football (CAF)
  • President - Issa Hayatou, Cameroon (1988–present)
• Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF)
  • President - Alfredo Hawit, Honduras (2011–present)
• Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (CONMEBOL)
  • President - Nicolas Leoz, Paraguay (1986–present)
• Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE)
  • President - Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Russian Federation (1995–present)
• Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)
  • President - Sepp Blatter, Switzerland (1998–present)
• International Cricket Council (ICC)
  • President - Alan Isaac, New Zeland (2012–present)
• International Olympic Committee (IOC)
  • President - Jacques Rogge, Belgium (2001–present)
• International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
  • President - Philip Craven, United Kingdom (2001–present)
• International Rugby Board (IRB)
  • President - Syd Millar, Ireland (2003–present)
• Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)
  • President - Reynald Temarii, Tahiti (2004–present)
• Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)
  • President - Michel Platini, France (2007–present)

Other organizations

• Antarctic Treaty
  • Executive Secretary - Jan Huber, Netherlands (2004–present)
• Colombo Plan -
  • Secretary-General - Patricia Yoon-Moi Chia, Malaysia (2007–present)
• Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP)
  • Executive Secretary -
    1. Domingos Simões Pereira, Guinea-Bissau (2008–2012)
    2. Murade Isaac Miguigy Murargy, Mozambique (2012–present)
• EDU - Intergovernmental Organization (EDU)
  • Secretary-General - G.Irving Levance, (2011–present)
• La Francophonie
  • Secretary-General - Abdou Diouf, Senegal (2003–present)
• Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
  • Executive Secretary - Mahboub Maalim, Kenya (2008–present)
• International Committee of the Red Cross
  • President - Jakob Kellenberger, Switzerland (2000–present)
• International Court of Justice
  • President - Hisashi Owada, Japan (2009–present)
• International Criminal Court
  • President - Song Sang-Hyun, South Korea (2009–present)
• International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
  • Secretary-General - Ronald Noble, United States (2000–present)
  • President - Khoo Boon Hui, Singapore (2008–present)
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
  • President - Tadateru Konoé, Japan (2009–present)
• International Maritime Organization
  • Secretary-General - Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, Greece (2004–present)
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)
  • Director-general - William Lacy Swing, United States (2008–present)
• International Telecommunication Union
  • Secretary-General - Hamadoun Touré, Mali (2007–present)
• Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
  • Director-General - Ahmet Üzümcü, Turkey (2010–present)
• Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
  • Secretary-General -
    • Edmund Daukoru, Nigeria, acting (2006–present)
    • Mohammed S. Barkindo, Nigeria, acting for Daukoru (2006–present)
• Universal Postal Union
  • Director-General - Édouard Dayan, France (2005–present)
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
  • Director-General - Francis Gurry (2008–present)

MCQs about US Presidential Elections

1. When is the US Presidential Election Day 2012 ?
a) November 15
b) November 10
c) November 06
d) November 14
Answer: November 06

2. The Electoral College will formally elect President and Vice President of US on?
a) December 06, 2012
b) December 17, 2012
c) December 15, 2012
d) December 30, 2012
Answer: December 17, 2012

3. When will be the 113th congress sworn ?
a) December 14 ,  2012
b) November 15 , 2012
c) January 16, 2013
d) January 3, 2013
Answer: January 3, 2013

4. Electoral Votes will formally be counted on ___________ before a joint session of Congress.
a) January 06, 2013
b) Janurary 10, 2013
c) December 06, 2012
d) December 30, 2012
Answer : January 6, 2013

5. Innauguration oath will be taken on _______ & the new presidential term will start this day?
a) January 13, 2013
b) January 06, 2013
c) January 20, 2013
d) January 15, 2013
Answer : January 20, 2013

6. When is the Innauguration Day of US Presidential Election?
a) January 14, 2013
b) January 07, 2013
c) January 21. 2013
d) January 16, 2013
Answer:  January 21, 2013

7. Forward- 2012 U.S. Presidential slogan of?
a) Barack Obama
b) Mitt Romney
c) Ron Paul
d) Jill Stein
Answer: Barack Obama

8. Believe in America- 2012 U.S. Presidential slogan of?
a) Ron Paul
b) Jill Stein
c) Mitt Romney
d) Gary Johnson
Answer: Mitt Romney

9. Restore America Now- 2012 U.S. Presidential slogan of ?
a) Ron Paul
b) Jill Stein
c) Mitt Romney
d) Gary Johnson
Answer: Ron Paul

10. The People's President- is the campaign slogan of?
a) Ron Paul
b) Jill Stein
c) Mitt Romney
d) Gary Johnson
Answer:Gary Johnson

11. A Green New Deal for America- is the Official slogan of the ______________campaign.
a) Ron Paul
b) Jill Stein
c) Mitt Romney
d) Gary Johnson
Answer: Jill Stein

Barack Obama Re-elected President of USA

President Barack Obama won re-election on 6 November 2012 overthrowing a severe challenge from Republican Mitt Romney resisting concerns over his handling of economy and anxiety over the future.

Obama secured 303 electoral college votes, well above the 270 required to win the presidency. Mr. Romney cornered 206 votes.

He was re-elected for a second term in the White House securing another four years in which he will try to fulfil the promise that greeted his election in 2008.

The victory of Barack Obama indicated the unchanging triumph of a new, 21st-century America: multiracial, multi-ethnic, global in outlook and moving beyond centuries of racial, sexual, marital and religious tradition.

Barack Obama is the America's first black president who had won the election by convincing voters to stick with him as he tries to reignite strong economic growth and recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Obama scored narrow wins in Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire - all states that Romney had contested - while the only swing state captured by Romney was North Carolina.

Pollsters were expecting a tie after the Presidential debates and surveys, but in the ultimate analysis Obama got over 300 votes but not anywhere near his 2008 score of 349.

The election of the President and the Vice President of the United States is an indirect vote in which citizens cast ballots for a slate of members of the U.S. Electoral College; these electors in turn directly elect the President and Vice President. Presidential elections occur quadrennially (once in four years) on Election Day, the Tuesday between November 2 and 8.

The process is regulated by a combination of both federal and state laws. Each state is allocated a number of Electoral College electors equal to the number of its Senators and Representatives in the U.S. Congress.Additionally, Washington, D.C. is given a number of electors equal to the number held by the smallest state U.S. territories are not represented in the Electoral College.

The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. The first three Articles of the Constitution establish the rules and separate powers of the three branches of the federal government: a legislature, the bicameral Congress; an executive branch led by the President; and a federal judiciary headed by the Supreme Court.

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate, its upper house(similar to Rajya sabha), and the House of Representatives, its lower house(similar to Lok sabha). Congress meets in the Capitol in Washington, D.C.