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Cyclones

A tropical cyclone is  an intense  low pressure area or a whirl in the atmosphere over tropical or sub-tropical waters, with organised convection (i.e. thunderstorm activity) and winds at low levels, circulating either anti-clockwise (in the northern hemisphere) or clockwise (in the southern hemisphere).  From the centre of a cyclonic storm, pressure increases outwards.  The amount of the pressure drop in the centre and the rate at which it increases outwards gives the intensity of the cyclones and the strength of winds. As per the criteria adopted by the World Meteorological Organisation (W.M.O.), India Meteorological Department classifies the low pressure systems in the Bay of Bengal and in the Arabian Sea   into 7 classes. Low pressure areas with maximum sustained surface winds of speed between 31 & 61 km.p.h. (17 to 33 knots) are called tropical depressions.

Once the winds around the low pressure area reach at least 62 km.p.h, it is called a tropical cyclone and is assigned a name.  When wind speed is between 89 & 118 km.p.h (48 & 63 kt) it will be a Severe Cyclonic Storm (SCS), between 119 & 221 km.p.h (64 & 119 kt) it is Very SCS and when exceeds 221 km.p.h (119 knots), the cyclone is called a Super Cyclonic Storm. Kerala coast have been affected by low pressure systems upto the category of severe cyclonic storm (max. wind speed 118 km.p.h)

How do  cyclones form?

Tropical cyclones require certain conditions for their formation.  These are

• A source of warm, moist air derived from tropical oceans with sea surface temperature normally near to or in excess of 27 °C
• Winds near the ocean surface blowing from different directions converging and causing air to rise and storm clouds to form
• Winds which do not vary greatly with height - known as low wind shear. This allows the storm clouds to rise vertically to high levels; 
• Coriolis force / spin induced by the rotation of the Earth. The formation mechanisms vary across the world, but once a cluster of storm clouds starts to rotate, it becomes a tropical depression. If it continues to develop it becomes a tropical storm, and later a cyclone/ super cyclone.

Naming of Cyclones

Tropical cyclones are named to provide ease of communication between forecasters and the general public regarding forecasts and warnings. Since the storms can often last a week or even longer and more than one cyclone can be occurring in the same region at the same time, names can reduce the confusion about what storm is being described.

Names were first used in World War II and were subsequently adopted by all regions. In most regions pre-determined alphabetic lists of alternating male and female names are used. However, in the north-west Pacific the majority of names used are not personal names. While there are a few male and female names, majority are names of flowers, animals, birds, trees, foods or descriptive adjectives. By the mid-1960s names were used for all tropical storms except those in the North Indian Ocean . The names currently in use and those to be used in future years are listed.  Various meteorological organisations have responsibility of naming them.

The names of cyclones in Indian Seas are not allocated in alphabetical order, but are arranged by the name of the country which contributed the name. It is usual practice for a storm to be named when it reaches tropical storm strength (winds of 34 knots).The list of names to be used for the North Indian Seas is given below:

The names selected  for North Indian Ocean cyclones from 2004 onwards

	I	II	III	IV
Contributed by	Name	Name	Name	Name
Bangladesh	Onil	Ogni (2006)	Nisha(2008)	Giri
India	Agni (2004)	Akash	Bijli	Jal(2010)
Maldives	Hibaru	Gonu	Aila	Keila
Myanmar	Pyarr	Yemyin	Phyan	Thane(2011)
Oman	Baaz	Sidr (2007)	Ward (2009)	Mujan
Pakistan	Fanoos (2005)	Nargis	Laila	Nilam
Sri Lanka	Mala	Rashmi	Bandu	Mahasen
Thailand	Mukda	Khai-Muk	Phet	Phailin
	V	VI	VII	VIII
Contributed by	Name	Name	Name	Name
Bangladesh	Helen	Chapala	Ockhi	Fani
India	Lehar	Megh	Sagar	Vayu
Maldives	Madi	Roanu	Mekunu	Hikaa
Myanmar	Na-nauk	Kyant	Daye	Kyarr
Oman	Hudhud	Nada	Luban	Maha
Pakistan	Nilofar	Vardah	Titli	Bulbul
Sri Lanka	Priya	Asiri	Gigum	Soba
Thailand	Komen	Mora	Phethai	Amphan

The names in the list are being used sequentially. The first name in any given year is the one immediately following the last name from the previous year. The year is included in parentheses after the last name used in that year.

CYCLONES : TYPES, CAUSES, DO’S AND DON’TS

Cyclones are caused by atmospheric disturbances around a low-pressure area distinguished by swift and often destructive air circulation. They are usually accompanied by violent storms and bad weather. The air circulates inward in an anticlockwise direction in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. Cyclones are classified as: (i) extra tropical cyclones (also called  temperate cyclones); and (ii) tropical cyclones.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO, 1976) uses the term ‘tropical cyclone’ to cover weather systems in which winds exceed ‘gale force’ (minimum of 34 knots or 63 Kph). Tropical cyclones are the progeny of ocean and atmosphere, powered by the heat from the sea, driven by the easterly trades and temperate westerlies, the high planetary winds and their own fierce energy.
In India, cyclones are classified due to the:

Strength of the associated winds,

Storm surge and

Exceptional rainfall occurrences.

Extra tropical cyclones occur in temperate zones and high latitude regions, though they are known to originate in the polar regions. Cyclones that developin the regions between the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer are called tropical cyclones. Tropical cyclones are large-scale weather systems developing over tropical or subtropical waters, where they get organized into surface wind circulation. Cyclones are given many names in different regions of the world – they are known  as typhoons in the China Sea and Pacific Ocean; hurricanes in the West Indian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean; tornados in the Guinea lands of West Africa and the southern USA.; willy-willies in north-western Australia and tropical cyclones in the Indian Ocean. The word cyclone  is derived from the Greek word `Cyclos’ meaning the coils of a snake. It was coined by Henry Peddington because the tropical storms in the Bay of Bengal and in the Arabian Sea appeared like the coiled serpents of the sea.

The criteria below has been formulated by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), which classifies the low pressure systems in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea on the basis of the capacity to damage, which is adopted by the WMO.

Type of Disturbances	Wind Speed in Km/h	Wind Speed in Knots
Low Pressure	Lees than 31	Less than 17
Depression	31-49	17-27
Deep Depression	49-61	27-33
Cyclonic Storm	61-88	33-47
Severe Cyclonic Storm	88-117	47-63
Very Sever Cyclonic Storm	117-220	63-119
Super Cyclone	More than 221	More than 120

1 knot – 1.85 km per hour
Cyclones are classified into five different levels on the basis of wind speed. They are further divided into the following categories according to their damage capacity.

Cyclone Category	Wind Speed in Km/h	Damage Capacity
01	120-150	Minimal
02	150-180	Moderate
03	180-210	Extensive
04	210-250	Extreme
05	250 and above	Catastrophic

Storm surges (tidal waves) are defined as the rise in sea level above the normally predicted astronomical tide. The major factors include:

A fall in the atmospheric pressure over the sea surface

The effect of the wind

The influence of the sea bed

A funnelling effect

The angle and speed at which the storm approaches the coast

The tides

The very high specific humidity condenses into exceptionally large raindrops and giant cumulus clouds, resulting in high precipitation rates. When a cyclone makes landfall, the rain rapidly saturates the catchment areas and the rapid runoff may extensively flood the usual water sources or create new ones.

How Cyclones are formed

The development cycle of tropical cyclones may be divided into three stages:

i) Formation and Initial Development Stage
The formation/ initial development of a cyclonic storm depends upon various conditions. These are:

A warm sea (temperature in excess of 26 degrees Celsius to a depth of 60 m) with abundant and turbulent transfer of water vapour to the overlying atmosphere by evaporation.

Atmospheric instability encourages formation of massive vertical cumulus clouds due to convection with condensation of rising air above ocean surface.

ii) Mature Tropical Cyclones
When the tropical storm intensifies, the air rises in vigorous thunderstorms and tends to spread out horizontally at the tropopause level. Once air spreads out, a positive perturbation pressure at high levels is produced, which accelerates the downward motion of air due to convection. With the inducement of subsidence, air warms up by compression and a warm ‘eye’ is generated. Generally, the ‘eye’ of the storms has three basic shapes: (a) circular; (b) concentric; and (c) elliptical. The main physical feature of a mature tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean is a concentric pattern of highly turbulent giant cumulus thundercloud bands.

iii) Modification and Decay
A tropical cyclone begins to weaken in terms of its central low pressure, internal warmth and extremely high speeds, as soon as its source of warm moist air begins to ebb, or is abruptly cut off. This happens after the landfall or when it passes  over cold waters. The weakening of a cyclone does not mean the danger to life and property is over.

Indian Context

The Indian subcontinent is one of the worst affected regions in the world. The subcontinent with a long coastline of 8041 kilometre is exposed to nearly 10 per cent of the world’s tropical cyclones. Of these, the majority have their initial genesis over the Bay of Bengal and strike the east coast of India. On an average, five to six tropical cyclones form every year, of which two  or three could be severe. More cyclones occur in the Bay of Bengal than the Arabian Sea and the ratio is approximately 4:1. Cyclones occur frequently on both the coasts (The west coast – Arabian Sea; and the east coast – Bay of Bengal). An analysis of the frequency of cyclones on the east and west coasts of India  between 1891 and 1990 shows that nearly 262 cyclones occurred (92 severe) in a 50 km wide strip on the east coast. Less severe cyclonic activity has been noticed on the west coast, with 33 cyclones occurringin the same period, out of which 19  of these were severe.

Tropical cyclones occur in the months of May-June and October-November. The cyclones of severe intensity and frequency in the north Indian Ocean are bi-modal in character, with their primary peak in November and secondary peak in May.  The disaster potential is particularly high at the time of landfall in the north Indian Ocean (Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea) due to the accompanying destructive wind, storm surges and torrential rainfall.  Of these, storm surges are the greatest killers of a cyclone, by which sea water inundates low lying areas of coastal regions and causes heavy floods, erodes beaches and embankments, destroys vegetation and reduces soil fertility.

Cyclones vary in diameter from 50 to 320 km but their effects dominate thousands of square kilometers of ocean surface and the lower atmosphere. The perimeter may measure 1,000 km but the powerhouse is located within the 100-km radius. Nearer the eye, winds may hit 320 kmph. Thus tropical cyclones, characterized by destructive winds, torrential rainfall and storm surges disrupt normal life with accompanying the phenomena of floods due to the exceptional level of rainfall and storm surge inundation into inland areas. Cyclones are characterized by their devastating potential to damage structures, viz. houses; lifeline infrastructure-power and communication towers; hospitals; food storage facilities; roads, bridges and culverts; crops etc. The most fatalities come from storm surges and the torrential rain  flooding  the lowland areas of the coastal territories.

CYCLONES – Do’s & Dont’s

The actions that need to be taken in the event of a cyclone threat can broadly be divided into four classes, viz., (i) immediately before the cyclone season; (ii) when cyclone alerts and warnings are on;(iii) when evacuations are advised; and (iv) when the cyclone has crossed the coast. (i) Before the Cyclone season:  Check the house; secure loose tiles, carry out repair works for doors and windows Remove dead woods or dying trees close to the house; anchor removable objects like lumber piles, loose tin sheds, loose bricks, garbage cans, sign-boards etc. which can fly in strong winds Keep some wooden boards ready so that glass windows can be boarded if needed Keep a hurricane lantern filled with kerosene, battery operated torches and enough dry cells Demolish condemned buildings Keep some extra batteries for transistors Keep some dry non-perishable food always ready for emergency use (ii) When the Cyclone starts Listen to the radio (All India Radio stations give weather warnings). Keep monitoring the warnings. This will help you to prepare for a cyclone emergency. Pass on the information to others. Ignore rumours and do not spread them; this will help to avoid panic situations. Believe in the official information When a cyclone alert is on for your area continue normal working but stay alert to the radio warnings. Remember that a cyclone alert means that the danger is within 24 hours. Stay alert. When your area is under cyclone warning get away from low-lying beaches or other low-lying areas close to the coast Leave early before your way to high ground or shelter gets flooded Do not delay and run the risk of being marooned If your house is securely built on high ground take shelter in the safer part of the house. However, if asked to evacuate do not hesitate to leave the place. Board up glass windows or put storm shutters in place. Provide strong suitable support for outside doors. If you do not have wooden boards handy, paste paper strips on glasses to prevent splinters. However, this may not avoid breaking windows. Get extra food, which can be eaten without cooking. Store extra drinking water in suitably covered vessels. If you are to evacuate the house move your valuable articles to upper floors to minimize flood damage. Have hurricane lantern, torches or other emergency lights in working conditions and keep them handy. Small and loose things, which can fly in strong winds, should be stored safely in a room. Be sure that a window and door can be opened only on the side opposite to the one facing the wind. Make provision for children and adults requiring special diets. If the centre of the cyclone is passing directly over your house there will be a lull in the wind and rain lasting for half and hour or so. During this time do not go out; because immediately after that very strong winds will blow from the opposite direction. Switch off electrical mains in your house. Remain calm. (iii) When Evacuation is instructed Pack essentials for yourself and your family to last you a few days, including medicines, special foods for babies and children or elders. Head for the proper shelter or evacuation points indicated for your area. Do not worry about your property At the shelter follow instructions of the person in charge. Remain in the shelter until you have been informed to leave (iv) Post-cyclone measures You should remain in the shelter until informed that you can return to your home. You must get inoculated against diseases immediately. Strictly avoid any loose and dangling wires from the lamp posts. If you are to drive, drive carefully. Clear debris from your premises immediately. Report the correct loss to appropriate authorities. Source : NDMA

Bangladesh Cyclones

(chronological order)
Cyclone 1960 Cyclone and tidal wave hit the Gulf of Bengal and killed about 6,000 people, 10 October 1960.
Cyclone 1963 Killed about 22,000 people along coast of the Bay of Bengal, 20-23 May 1963.
Cyclone 1965 I Killed some 12,000 people, 11-12 May 1965.
Cyclone 1965 II Second cyclone in less than a month killed 35,000 people along the Ganges River, 1-2 June 1965.
Bhola Cyclone 240 KPH cyclone made landfall on the East Pakistan coastline during the evening of 12 November 1970, around the same time as a local high tide, killing an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 people. Though the exact death toll is not known, it is considered the deadliest tropical cyclone on record. The highest loss of life and destruction occurred on the low lying islands of the Ganges Delta south of Dhaka. In particular the island and district of Bhola, where casualties may have exceeded 100,000 alone, with the towns of Charfasson and Tazumuddin being devastated. The city of Chittagong was also badly affected. The official death toll was put at 150,000, with 100,000 people missing. However many estimates put the true figure as high as 500,000, 12-13 November 1970.

1. Bhola cyclone impact Week after the landfall, President Khan conceded that his government had made "slips" and "mistakes" in its handling of the relief efforts for a lack of understanding of the magnitude of the disaster.
2. East Pakistan reaction Statement released by eleven political leaders in East Pakistan ten days after the cyclone hit, charged the government with "gross neglect, callous indifference and utter indifference". They also accused the president of playing down the magnitude of the problem in news coverage. On 19 November 1970, students held a march in Dhaka protesting the slowness of the government response. Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani addressed a rally of 50,000 people on 24 November 1970, where he accused the president of inefficiency and demanded his resignation.

Cyclone 1974 Cyclone and floods ravaged Bangladesh and some 4,000 were killed, 15 August 1974.
Cyclone 1985 Cyclone ravaged the Meghna River delta of Bangladesh. Some 10,000 people and 500,000 head of cattle died; hundreds of thousands were left homeless, 25 May 1985.
Cyclone 1988 At least 1300 were killed after a cyclone hit Bangladesh. Half a million were left homeless, 1 December 1988.
Hurricane 1989 Hurricane in Bangladesh killed 500, 27 April 1989.
Cyclone 1991 Cyclonic tidal wave kills up to 138,000, 9 million were left homeless. Thousands of survivors died from hunger and water borne disease. 30-31 April 1991.
Severe storm 1996 Severe storm in north Bangladesh killed at least 447 and injured more than 50,000 in the district of Tangail. Winds had surged to 125 mph, 13 May 1996.
Cyclone 1997 Cyclone pounded the country and 50,000 people were evacuated from the flat coastal region. As many as 350 people were reported killed, 18-19 May 1997.
Cyclone 2000 At least 60 people were killed in Bangladesh by a cyclone that hit the Bay of Bengal, November 2000.
Cyclone Sidr Raced up the Bay of Bengal with winds of 150mph, triggering a five meter (15ft) high tidal wave that washed away three coastal towns, demolished houses, crops, trees and shrimp farms. The number of homes destroyed was estimated to be more than 750,000. Many ships were missing. It is estimated that at least half the coastal crop was destroyed in a matter of hours. Deaths spiralled above 3,000, with fears that thousands more bodies have yet to be found. 15 November 2007.

Celebrating 60 years of Indian Parliament

India has long history and there are many historic events to remember.   13^th May 2012, is another day, a day on which the  Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha,  are holding special sittings celebrating the 60^th anniversary of the first session of Indian Parliament.   After becoming a Republic, the first general elections were held in 1951-52 ; Lok Sabha was constituted on April 17, 1952 and the Lok Sabha held its first session, a month later, on May 13^th  statistically, the first Lok Sabha’s tenure was 17^th April 1952 to 4^th April 1957. Can you recall the names of the first Speak and Deputy Sepaker of the Lok Sabha. 

Commemorating 60 years, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will initiate the debate in the Rajya Sabha while Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will do it in the Lok Sabha. Besides prominent members from all sides, independents are also being accomodated in the over five-hour discussion. A few living members of the first Lok Sabha, including Reishang Keishing and Resham Lal Jangde, will be honoured on the occasion.  91-year-old Reishang Keishing, now a member of the Rajya Sabha, was member of the first and third Lok Sabhas. Jangde was member of first, second and ninth Lok Sabhas. Both the Houses of Parliament will meet at 11.00 am and will conclude the discussions at 4.30 pm.   In the evening, President Pratibha Patil will address a joint sitting of both Houses in the Central Hall. Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari, the Prime Minister and Kumar will also address the joint sitting. 

Coins of Rs 5 and Rs 10 denomination to mark the occasion along with a special stamp are being released as also  three books published by the Lok Sabha Secretariat — Members’ Introduction: First Lok Sabha; Speakers of Lok Sabha and ’60 years of the Lok Sabha.  There is also to be a cultural programme featuring Santoor maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Sitarist Debu Chaudhuri, Carnatic vocalist Maharajapuram Ramachandran, versatile singer Shubha Mudgal and Iqbal Khan.

The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. Just as the House of Lords and House of commons in UK, Indian parliament  is bicameral with its two Houses, Lok Sabha (House of the People) and Rajya Sabha (Council of States).   The two Houses meet in separate chambers in the Sansad Bhavan (located on the Sansad Marg), in New Delhi. The Members of either house are commonly referred to as Members of Parliament or MP. The MPs of Lok Sabha are elected by direct election and the MPs of Rajya Sabha are elected by the members of the State Legislative Assemblies and Union territories of Delhi and Pondicherry only in accordance with proportional voting. The Parliament is composed of 790 MPs, who serve the largest democratic electorate in the world. 

Every Indian can have a justifiable sense of pride on the completion of six significant decades of Parliamentary democracy.  Our PM Manmohan Singh called Rajya Sabha as the house of elders  - an  institution whose deliberations over the years have enriched our parliamentary democracy, nurtured the strength of our federal polity and served as a bulwark against the transient impulses of the moment.

Parliament is not only a legtistlative but a deliberative body. The bodies have been repository  of wisdom and have passed landmark legislations from land reforms to nationalisation of banks.  The resilience of our pluralistic democracy is the proudest achievement of the Indian state and Indian people. The people of India have repeatedly and regularly reposed their faith in the institutions of parliamentary democracy.    When India gained independence, some were critical of its success questioning its size, variety and vastness – the Institutions have  weathered many storms and have successfully stood up winning the test of time, which augurs well the for the Nation

History has it that the Parliament house had various plans from triangular to a Roman colosseum like structure but eventually settled to be its present circular designed colonnaded verandah, with 144 pillars and 560 feet diameter. The foundation stone of the council House was laid on February 12, 1921 by the Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, third son of Queen Victoria.  The building spread over nearly six acres was inaugurated on January 18, 1927 by then Governor-General of India, Lord Irwin. It is now commonly known as Sansad Bhavan.

The First Speaker of the First Lok Sabha was Shri G.V. Mavalankar  (15.5.1952 - 27.2.1956), succeeded by Shri M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar  (8.3.1956 - 10.5.1957 and 11.5.1957 - 16.4.1962).  Sardar Hukam Singh succeeded the first Deputy Speaker Shri M Ananthasayanam Iyengar in 1956.  The First secretary was Mr MN Kaul.    Read that the first thing that the Parliament did was an act to give  land to the landless through Land reforms Act.   It was a place of high moral rectitude -  Lal Bahadur Shashtri quit as Railways Minister from Jawaharlal Nehru's Cabinet after an accident.

60 years of Parliament: People highlight need for professionalism

Has the functioning of the Indian Parliament been able to foster democratic values and strengthen participatory institutions down the line or has it been a failed experiment?

These are the questions being asked as our Westminster-modelled parliamentary democratic system celebrates its 60th anniversary.

"From panchayats and nagar nigams to the assemblies and the two houses of Parliament you only have rabble rousers, playing to the galleries. One does no longer hear enlightened debates interspersed with wit and sarcasm, as was the case till the 1977 Janata Party experiment," political commentator Paras Nath Choudhary told IANS.

Former socialist leader from Lucknow Ram Kishore, says: "The likes of Raj Narain, Madhu Limaye or even Piloo Mody, made Parliament a vibrant democratic institution. The 'firing range' comprising HV Kamath, Subramanian Swamy, SN Mishra, Shibban Lal Saxena and Kunwar Lal Gupta was ever alert during the 1970s to government lapses. Their questions and points of orders were dreaded and ministers never made a mistake of coming to Parliament without doing adequate home work."

During the 1960s and 1970s, the performance of parliamentarians was generally of a high order and the media relished the quotable quotes. As long as Ram Manohar Lohia was in the house, one was assured of sparkling fire-works. Madhu Limaye, Nath Pai, NG Gorey, Ashok Mehta and others carried the tradition forward.

"In 1977 there were so many heavy weights, each an institution in himself. Today's Parliament is no match. One finds pathetic lack of ideological commitment today, especially among the younger parliamentarians. They hardly go to the library and prepare notes. There is a shocking qualitative degeneration in democratic institutions at all levels," Ramji Lal Suman, former deputy minister in Chandra Shekhar government.

Young politicians if groomed properly and infused with a degree of ideological professionalism could still change the depressing scenario, Suman added.

In sharp contrast to the composition of the two houses in the 1960s or the 1970s, the present house is dominated by amateurs who are better fighters than debaters. Many make public speeches rather than try debating a point.

"If we have a Parliament we must also have able parliamentarians who not only expose the scams but also contribute to the policy making and enliven the proceedings through literary quotes and witticisms. Giving speeches like one was addressing a street corner gathering is easy, but to hit the headlines in the next day's newspapers or making valuable contribution to debates requires a lot of mid-night oil-burning and a professional approach," says social activist Shravan Kumar Singh who worked with many leaders in Bihar.

Indian Parliament is an important democratic institution, for it combines both the legislative and executive functions. By and large it has responded to changing public moods and mass aspirations, say ruling Congress party leaders.

Former Congress MLA Satish Chandra Gupta says, "I have nothing to feel cheerful or happy about the general working of the institutions. The intellectual level of politicians has generally gone down."

During the 1975-77 emergency when most of the opposition leaders were detained, Parliament was reduced to a "walking corpse" - surviving more in form than in vitality.

The Janata Party experiment could not last long enough as there were too many heavy weights pulling the cart in different directions.

"The Congress Young Turks, the egoistic three seniors Morarji Desai, Choudhary Charan Singh, and Babu Jagjivan Ram, in addition to a whole line up of Socialists including Madhu limaye, kept pulling one another down and Raj Narain playing the joker added intriguing dimensions to the survival of a government that was bedevilled by the dual membership controversy that irked the BJP and the RSS," recalls senior ex-Janata party leader Vinay Paliwal.

Clearly, the functioning of Parliament in the past decade particularly has been affected by the quality of people that have been elected. Many are believed to have criminal background, if reports released by various pressure groups are to be relied upon. Those who thought introduction of TV cameras to cover the proceedings would usher in desirable changes in performance feel cheated.

Veterans in Parliament have a duty to groom the freshers. Old-timers say the MPs should spend more time in the house and the library than in their individual constituencies. "The discretionary funds for development available to MPs has been a huge distraction," says senior media person Rajiv Saxena.

GROUP-I SERVICES RECRUITMENT (39/2008 & 10/2009) - MARKS LIST OF THE CANDIDATES (MAIN EXAMINATION)

	GROUP-I SERVICES RECRUITMENT (39/2008 & 10/2009) - MARKS LIST OF THE CANDIDATES (MAIN EXAMINATION)

National Workshop India’s National Communication to UNFCCC – Future Challenges

At National Workshop is held at New Delhi on India’s National communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), organized by the Minister of Environment and Forests on May 9, 2012; India’s Second National Communication to the UNFCCC was released. India’s Second National Communication to the UNFCCC has been prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India towards fulfillment of the reporting obligation under the Convention.

Unveiling the Natcom II the Minster of state (I/C) for Environment & Forests Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan said that India is fully committed to its responsibilities towards global community. She said that India has voluntarily reduced carbon emission.She congratulated the scientists for commendable work.

The secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forest Shri T. Chatterjee said that National Communication II reiterates India’s commitment to global concerns on climate change. He said local and regional data has been very curial is preparing the document.

It is recalled that India is a Party to the UNFCCC. The Convention, in accordance with is Article 4.1 and 12.1 , enjoins all Parties, both developed and developing country Parties, to furnish information , in the form of a National Communication (a national report), regarding implementation of the convention. The Ministry of Environment and Forests is the Executing and Implementing Agency for the project for preparation of the national communication. A National Steering Committee (NSC) under the Chairmanship of Secretary (E&F) oversaw the implementation of the work programme devised for preparation by the Government of India. A National Project Director co-ordinates the activities and is assisted by National Technical Experts, housed under the Project Management Cell (PMC).

Towards fulfillment of the obligation of furnishing information on implementation of the Convention, the Government of India submitted its Second National Communication in May, 2012. The First (Initial) National Communication was submitted to the UNFCCC Secretariat on June 22, 2004.

A broad based participatory approach was followed involving multi-disciplinary teams and other stakeholders comprising of more than 220 scientists belonging to over 120 institutions. These teams were drawn from premier Research Institutions, Universities, Government Ministries and Departments and Non-Governmental Organizations of national repute across the country. Besides, the stakeholder consultations, training, thematic and awareness generation events covering more than 1000 participants were organized through 30 conferences/seminars/workshops/consultations across the country towards preparation of the report.

The salient features of report include:

The report provides the context and the National Circumstances inter alia India’s geography, imperative inter alia India’s geography, imperative of development needs, climate and economy; based on which India would be addressing and responding to the challenges of climate change.

The report includes results of wide ranging of studies, specifically conducted at the National level capturing diversity of India.

The Greenhouse Gas Inventory of gases of anthropogenic origin for the year 2000 has been reported, as per the stipulated guidelines using prescribed methodologies by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

It is to be noted that, for year 2000, the net Carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions for India were estimated to be 1301.21 million tones, indicating a growth of 4.2% in Carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from the levels in 1994.

The report also provides the GHG profile for the year 2007 - a unique feature of this report, which is estimated to be of the order of 1771.66 million tones CO2 equivalent.

The report provides details of climate change scenarios for one scenario, namely; A1B (for three time slices), which assumes a significant energy technological advancement, with a healthy mix of renewable energy technologies. A overall warming scenario is projected.

Climate change impacts in A1B scenario for key sectors of the economy such as water, agriculture, forestry, natural ecosystems, coastal regions, human health, energy, industry and human settlements were assessed using improved models.

It is expected that the information in this report shall be useful to the various stakeholders in policy making at different levels. It is also expected that the information will enhance the understanding of the issues related to climate change and its impacts and create general awareness relating to Government of India’s proactive efforts towards addressing the challenges due to climate change.

Group-II Services recruitment (39/2011) Exam Schedule

The candidates who are applying on-line for the posts of Group-II  Services recruitment vide Notification No.39/2011 are hereby informed that  the written examination for the posts will be held in all the District Centers on  the dates mentioned under: 


Paper  - I  14/07/2012 AN . 
Paper - II 15/07/2012   FN. 
Paper -III 15/07/2012  AN. 

Capitals, Governors and Chief Ministers of States

States	Capitals	Governors	Chief Ministers
(1) Andhra Pradesh	Hyderabad	Mr. E.S.L.Narasimhan	Mr. N.Kiran Kumar Reddy
(2) Arunachal Pradesh	Itanagar	Gen. (Retd.) J. J. Singh	Mr. Nabam Tuki
(3) Assam	Dispur	Mr. J. B. Patnaik	Mr. Tarun Gogoi
(4) Bihar	Patna	Mr. Devanand Konwar	Mr. Nitish Kumar
(5) Chhattisgarh	Raipur	Mr. Shekhar Dutt	Dr. Raman Singh
(6) Goa	Panaji	Mr. B.V. Wanchoo	Mr. Manohar Parrikar
(7) Gujarat	Gandhinagar	Dr. Kamla	Mr. Narendra Modi
(8) Haryana	Chandigarh	Mr. Jagannath Pahadia	Mr. Bhupinder S. Hooda
(9) Himachal Pradesh	Shimla	Ms. Urmila Singh	Mr. Prem Kumar Dhumal
(10) Jammu and Kashmir	Srinagar (Summer) Jammu (Winter)	Mr. N. N. Vohra	Mr. Omar Abdullah
(11) Jharkhand	Ranchi	Dr. Syed Ahmed	Mr. Arjun Munda
(12) Karnataka	Bengaluru	Mr. Hans Raj Bhardwaj	Mr. DV Sadananda Gowda
(13) Kerala	Thiruvananthapuram	Mr. M. O. H. Farook	Mr. V. S. Achuthanandan
(14) Madhya Pradesh	Bhopal	Mr. Ram Naresh Yadav	Mr. Shivraj Singh Chauhan
(15) Maharashtra	Mumbai	Mr. K. Sankaranarayan	Mr. Prithviraj Chavan
(16) Manipur	Imphal	Mr. Gurbachan Jagat	Mr.Okram Ibobi Singh
(17) Meghalaya	Shillong	Mr. R. S. Mooshahary	Mr. Mukul A. Sangma
(18) Mizoram	Aizawl	Mr. Vakkom Purushothaman	Mr.Lalthanhawla
(19) Nagaland	Kohima	Mr. Nikhil Kumar	Mr. Neiphiu Rio
(20) Odisha	Bhubaneswar	Mr. M. C. Bhandare	Mr. Naveen Patnaik
(21) Punjab	Chandigarh	Mr. Shivraj V. Patil	Mr. Parkash Singh Badal
(22) Rajasthan	Jaipur	Ms. Margaret Alva	Mr. Ashok Gehlot
(23) Sikkim	Gangtok	Mr. Balmiki Prasad Singh	Mr. Pawan Chamling
(24) Tamil Nadu	Chennai	Mr. K Rosaiah	Ms. Jayalalithaa
(25) Tripura	Agartala	Mr. D. Y. Patil	Mr. Manik Sarkar
(26) Uttarakhand	Dehradun	Dr. Aziz Qureshi	Mr. Vijay Bahuguna
(27) Uttar Pradesh	Lucknow	Mr. B. L. Joshi	Mr. Akhilesh Yadav
(28) West Bengal	Kolkata	Mr. M. K. Narayanan	Ms. Mamata Banerjee

Median household size drops below 4 in cities

"Hum do, hamare do" seems to finally be coming true. An analysis of recently released census data reveals that the median household size in urban India is now less than four for the first time in history.
Data on houses and households released by the Census office shows that 56% of households in urban India now have four or less members. This is a marked change from 10 years ago, when the median household size in urban India was between four and five members.
With 49.7% of all Indian households having four or less members, the median Indian household has just a fraction over four members. In rural India, the median household size is between four and five members, but closer to four than it has ever been. As many as 47.1% of rural households now have four or less members, compared to less than 40% of rural households ten years ago.
The new batch of Census 2011 data showed that India now has 24.7 crore households. The data also lists households by size, and tells us what proportion of Indian households has one, two or three members and so on.
The census office has not released the average household size because the provisional population total and the number of households were counted at different points in time, registrar general C Chandramouli said. What we can do is determine the median household size, meaning the household size of 50% of the population.
Nine states and union territories have a median household size of four or less members, including Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. UP is the only Indian state with a median household size above five.
While 'household size' is the number of people living together in one house and so is not the same as 'family size', demographers say that in India the declining household size is being driven by falling family size.
This trend is not surprising, says demographer and fertility expert P Arokiasamy, professor in the department of development studies at the Mumbai-based International Institute for Population Sciences. "As the demographic transition progresses and fertility declines, household sizes will decline," Arokiasamy said. Census data released last year showed that the four southern states had already achieved a fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman, recognised as the "replacement rate".
"In addition, we are seeing a rise in the number of nuclear families compared with multi-generational families," Arokiasamy said. Nuclear families are the overwhelming norm in India, with 70% of households having just one married couple.
Large families however remain a significant but not dominant component of Indian life. Close to 20% of households have five members, and another 25% have six to eight members, while 6.6% have nine or more members. In Uttar Pradesh, more than half the households have six or more members.

CURRENT AFFAIRS PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. Name the yesteryear actress who featured in the popular song ‘Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen’ from the film ‘Waqt’who passed away recently.
Achala Sachdev passed away at a Pune hospital on April 30, 2012. Achala was 91 year old.     
2. Where in India, largest solar power plant with an installed capacity of 40 MW started producing electricity?
Pokhran in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan
3. Which department in India plans to set up 1000 ATM’s across 6 states?
Postal department
4. Who created history by becoming the first Indian female wrestler to have qualified for the London Olympics 2012?
Geeta
5. Who has been appointed next Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission?
Ratan Kumar Sinha        
6. In which part of India, Indo Tibetan Border Police headquarters is to be opened?
Bihar
7. Which state’s High Court has insisted that banks cannot freeze accounts nor stop services of issuing cheque book or ATM facility where the account holder has not supplied KYC (Know Your Customers) documents?
Gujarat
8. Name the former Haryana chief secretary who took oath as state information commissioner ?
Urvashi Gulati
9. Which State becames the 3rd state in India to launch State Portal (SP) and State Service Delivery Gateway (SSDG) project?
Nagaland
10. Who won the World Series Hockey 2012 title?
Sher-E-Punjab
11. In which state Urdu medium Government schools would be setup as announced by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav?
Uttar Pradesh
12. Where is the World’s first Virtual shopping store opened?
Korea
13. Who is named as HSBC’s India CEO?
Stuart Milne
14. Which Indian state bans guthka from 1st of April 2012 to curb the increasing number of mouth cancer cases?
Madhya Pradesh
15. Which Indian state chief minister has urged union Finance Minister to bail it out of its huge burden?
West Bengal
16. Name the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice who was sworn in as Supreme court judge ?
F.M.Ibrahim Kalifulla
17. Name the Gujarati techie whose name has emerged for India’s President as the nation has to elect 16th President in July 2012 ?
Sam Pitroda
18. At what value Air India’s restructuring plan was approved by a group of 19 banks led by SBI?
18,000 crore
19. Which services Airtel is planning to launch in Kolkata in April 2012?
4G services
20. Name the nuclear submarine which joined Indian Navy.
INS Chakra
21. Which education company bagged Rs.209 crore order from Assam Government?
Educomp
22. Which 2 north Indian states will have pipeline connected oil terminals for supply of diesel, petrol and kerosene?
Jammu and Himachal Pradesh
23. Which Asian country has issued tender to buy minimum of 30,000 tonnes of basmati rice from India and Pakistan?
Iraq
24. NSE founder who passes away Recently?
RH Patil
25. Who donated 1 million Singapore Dollars to Indian Heritage Centre?
Founder of Singapore-based IT company Si2i Mobility B.K.Modi
26. Name the world’s highest and longest bridge that was officially opened to motorists in China.
Anzhaite Long-span Suspension Bridge in Jishou
27. Which bank has opened 16 Ultra Small branches in 16 locations in villages to cater to financial needs of the rural populace?
IDBI Bank
28. Who has been conferred with Sir Jehangir Ghandy Medal?
Narayana Murthy
29. In which city in Kerala will Infosys setup its 2nd campus?
Thiruvananthapuram
30. Which bank will set up 1-person micro branches to serve remote areas of the northeastern region financially?
Indian Overseas Bank
31. Which act does not allow to prosecute (no wife can claim compensation or maintenance) husband’s girlfriend?
Protection of Women from Domestic Vilonce Act, 2005
32. Name the 3 Indian hockey players after whom tube stations in London has been renamed.
Dhyan Chand, Roop Singh and Leslie Claudius
33. Who has been signed up as brand ambassador of Toyota Kirloskar Motors?
Virat Kohli
34. When was 63rd Rajasthan Day celebrated?
5th April 2012
35. Where in Rajasthan Spices Board’s first Spices Park is setup?
Jodhpur
36. Which Asian country recently became member of Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP)?
India
37. Who won her 6th world sprint title at the world track cycling championships 2012?
Victoria Pendleton
38. Name the Malawi President who died after heart attack.
Bingu wa Mutharika
39. Who was sworn in as Malawi’s President following the death of Bingu wa Mutharika?
Joyce Banda                   
40. Which Asian country made Hindu marriage registration a must by bringing the law in lines with India?
Bangladesh
41. Israel has decided to setup its consulate office in which part of India?
Bangalore
42. Which Indian city is likely to get water taxis and air-conditioned trams?
Kolkata
43. Name the young doctor who is set to become the first foreign national of Indian origin to walk across Antarctica carrying the Indian Flag.
Dr.Alexander Kumar
44. Name the youngest Indian boxer who qualified for London Olympics 2012.
Shiva Thapa               
45. What percentage hike was allocated for Karnataka by Planning Commission for current fiscal 2012-13 in the 12th Plan?
10%
46. Who will be the sports ambassador for the state of Haryana?
Leander Paes
47. Which category of women will be allowed to participate in the Miss Universe beauty pageant from next year?
Transgender women
48. Which rank does Bangalore hold as preferred entrepreneurial locations worldwide?
9th rank
49. Which TV has become the first Indian television channel to enter the Chinese market?
Zee TV
50. Which act was amended to include compulsory registration of marriages in India?
Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969
51. Where in Himachal Pradesh Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) would be opened?
Una district
52. What denominations of currency note will RBI introduce bearing rupee symbol?
Rs.20 and Rs.50 currency notes
53. Name the index on which NSE is set to launch derivative trade.
FTSE 100 index
54. What percentage and value of US based Max New York Life Insurance was sold to Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (MSI)?
26% and Rs.2,731 crore
55. Which country replaced China as Iran’s top oil client?
India
56. India has recently decided to allow Foreign Direct Investment from which Asian country?
Pakistan
57. What value of equity infusion did Air India get spread over a period of 9 years?
Rs. 30,000 crore
58. Where in India Integrated Check Post was inaugurated on the occasion of Baisakhi to enhance trade between India-Pakistan?
Attari
59. Which education council in India would have its own job portal for the students of technical and professional institutions?
All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
60. Which 2 countries have agreed to resume dialogue on disarmament and non-proliferation after a gap of 9 years?
India and China
61. Which repayment transaction is now allowed by RBI electronically i.e. NEFT?
Repayment of Loan EMI’s
62. How many co-sponsors are against the Bill of outsourcing call centers in USA?
106 co-sponsors
63. How much basis point did RBI cut key rates after 3 years?
50 basis points
64. Name the Master Card’s President and CEO who has been elected next chairman of the US-India Business Council?
Ajay Banga
65. Which Indian FMCG company crossed $1 billion mark in 2011-12?
Dabur India
66. Which 14 year old ICC cricket tournament would end after 2013?
ICC Champions Trophy
67. Which state has included services of the petroleum industry, including that provided by tanker operations as essential services under the state’s Essential Services Maintenance Act 1971, (Act 20 of 1971)?
Andhra Pradesh
68. Which Indian state’s 100th anniversary was celebrated recently?
Bihar
69. Who replaces Simon Leung chief executive of the greater China region of Microsoft?
Ralph Haupter
70. Bill to include children with disabilities under which Act was recently passed by Rajya Sabha recently?
Right to Education Act
71. Name the spy satellite launched by ISRO recently.
RISAT-1
72. Which cricket player and lady actor were recommended for Rajya Sabha membership in India?
Sachin Tendulkar and Rekha
73. Name the Indian origin entrepreneur and educator who is named as the Goodwill Ambassador for Education Partnerships for UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Sunny-Varkey
74. Who has been appointed as Governor of Goa, Rajasthan and Uttarkhand?
B.V.Wanchoo, Margaret Alva and Aziz Qureshi
75. Who were given fresh terms as Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra?
E.S.L.Narasimhan and K.Sankaranarayanan
76. Which Indian state will be showcased at the Cannes Film Festival?
Gujarat
77. Which 2 Asian countries will hold 1st ever economic dialogue on 30th April 2012?
India and Japan
78. Name the first of the four Dreamliner aircraft that Air India got from Nikki Haley’s state.
Boeing 787
79. Who won the Asian Snooker Championship 2012?
Aditya Mehta
80. Who retained the crown as Britain’s richest man?
Lakshmi Mittal
81. Where was the India Investrade 2012 organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce, Kolkata held?
Colombo, Sri Lanka
82. Name the mango variety named after the youngest Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
‘Akhilesh aam’, named after Akhilesh Yadav
83. Which Indian state is planning to make 100 the common number to dial in any emergency?
Tamil Nadu
84. Who became the 1st player to cross 2000 runs in cricket tournament IPL?
Suresh Raina
85. Which country is keen to boost trade ties with Kerala?
Singapore
86. Who became the 1st player to win Barcelona title for 7 times?
Rafael Nadal
87. Name the former BCCI president who passed away recently after whom the challenger trophy was named.
N.K.P.Salve

CURRENT EVENTS - National News

January, 2012

·         In a major policy decision, the Centre announces its decision to allow Qualified Foreign Investments (QFIs) to directly invest in Indian equity market in order to widen the class of investors, attract more foreign funds, reduce market volatility and deepen the Indian capital market.

·         India and Pakistan exchange a list of their nuclear installations and facilities under a two-decades-old pact prohibiting attacks on atomic assets.

·         Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi announces a slew of welfare schemes on New Year’s Day, the implementation of which will entail an expenditure of Rs. 5,000 crore over the next five years for the State government.

·         Asserting that freedom of the Press is a must for the growth of Indian democracy, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asks media organizations to devise a mechanism to promote objectivity and curb sensationalism.

·         Dance guru K.J. Sarasa, who devoted her lifetime to deep engagement with Bharatnatyam, passes away in Chennai.

·         President Pratibha Patil visits the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC SHAR) at Sriharikota and dedicates the new Mission Control Centre to the nation.

·         President Pratibha Patil presents ISRO awards for 2008-09, including the Lifetime Achievement Award to the former ISRO chairman, K. Kasturirangan.

·         At the International Conference on Technology Enhanced Education at Amritapuri near Kollam, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus says that technology should be used for solving socio-economic problems rather than for commercial exploitation.

·         Reliance Industries, India’s biggest listed company, expands its footprint in the media sector, with a major investment in the TV18 group which will effectively fund a consolidation with the Eenadu TV media group.

·         At the 99^th annual session of the Indian Science Congress in Bhubaneshwar, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh applauds the tribal community of Koraput for being chosen by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization for recognition under the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage sites programme.

·         The two Indian traders, holed up in a hotel to the southern Chinese trading town of Yiwu and facing threats to their lives, are released after more than two weeks of forced detention following a bitter trade dispute with local businessmen.

·         The University Grants Commission (UGC) awards the status of ‘Universities with Potential for Excellence (UPE)’ to the University of Mysore, one of the country’s oldest and most respected centres of higher learning.

·         The government clears a proposal to equip the French Mirage ground attack aircraft with 500 air-to-air missiles that would be procured from a western consortium.

·         India declares itself free from bird flu (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza).

·         Career diplomat Arvind Gupta assumes charge as Director-General of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) in New Delhi.

·         Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announces that 73,000 villages not covered by banks will be covered before March-end, either with brick-and-mortar branches, mobile banking or with telephony services.

·         As directed by the Gujarat High Court, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) takes over the investigation of the Ishrat Jahan ‘fake’ encounter case.

·         Senior Indian diplomat D. Bala Venkatesh Varma is given the first S.K. Singh award “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen India’s position in the global nuclear order” by UPA chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi.

·         Vice Admiral M.P. Muralidharan takes charge as the Director-General of the Indian Coast Guard in New Delhi. Prior to taking over as the Director-General, Vice Admiral Muralidharan was the Chief of Personnel at the Integrated Headquarters (IHQ), Ministry of Defence, and earlier served as the first Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala.

·         The Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister orders the VIP grid disconnected from power supply, so that hospitals and other essential installations can receive the electricity.

·         The former Union Minister, Sukh Ram surrenders before a court in New Delhi in 1993 telecom scam case.

·         India decides to send a truncated 15-member military delegation to China after Beijing expressed objections to hosting an Indian Air Force (IAF) official from Arunachal Pradesh.

·         According to the findings of a study released by Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh in New Delhi, despite low literacy rates, most of the low-income single women in the country are not dependent on their families but run their households on their own.

·         The 10^th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas conclave is kicked off in Jaipur with a colourful unveiling depicting the rich and vibrant Rajasthani culture.

·         Inaugurating the 10^th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Jaipur, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announces the right of franchise to the non-resident Indians who are registered under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

·         The Rajasthan government seeks special status for the State in view of its difficult geography and a package for drinking water considering the shortage caused by recurrent droughts, scanty and irregular rainfall.

·         Six researchers from five science streams are honoured with the Infosys Prize-2011 by the former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in Bangalore.

·         As per the Forward Markets Commission data, turnover of the 21 commodity exchanges in India increased by 66% to Rs. 137.22 lakh crore till December 2011 in the current fiscal (2011-12).

·         Mahindra Satyam files a lawsuit against the former board of directors and some ex-employees of the company seeking damages after the company was hit by fraud.

·         Finance Ministry announces that rating agency Moody’s upgraded the short-term country ceiling on foreign currency bank deposit increasing from NP (not prime) to Prime (P-3).

·         As per the tax collection data for the April-December 2011 period released by Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), indirect tax collections increased 16.1% during April-December 2011.

·         Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) notifies the rules, allowing 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in single-brand retail.

·         The 15^th World Sanskrit conference jointly organized by Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan and International Association of Sanskrit Studies jointly concludes at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.

·         The government announces its approval to 20 foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals, envisaging a total inflow of Rs. 1,935.24 crore in foreign exchange.

·         PMO directs cash-rich public sector undertakings (PSUs) to invest around Rs. 1.76 lakh crore, including Rs. 1.41 lakh crore domestically to act as a stimulus in the next fiscal 2012-13.

·         DGFT notifies that the Commerce Ministry has lowered the minimum export price of onions by $100 a tonne to $150 a tonne to boost exports.

·         Special life-time achievement award, in memory of G.V. Raja, the founder-president of the Kerala State Sports Council is announced to be instituted.

·         Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee launches the signature tune of the Indian Customs Pragati ki Dhadkan in New Delhi.

·         India decides to make a ‘strategic shift’ in LNG (liquefied natural gas) sourcing with a ‘look US policy’ for contracting new import volumes.

·         Industrial production bounces back with a growth of 5.9 per cent in November 2011, marking a five-month high and just a tad lower than the 6.4 per cent expansion posted in the same month a year ago.

·         Tata Technologies unveil the prototype for a $20,000-electric car that can carry up to four passengers in Detroit as it sets out to challenge more costly rivals.

·         India extends for five years anti-dumping duty on import of four Chinese products in the face of widening trade gap with China.

·         RBI issues guidelines on compensation of whole time directors, chief executive officers and other risk takers in private and foreign banks.

·         In a major development, Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) sets aside all penalties imposed by the government on new telecom operators for delay in meeting roll out obligations of services.

·         The Securities and Exchange Board of India stipulates that Qualified Foreign Investors (QFIs) should not issue offshore derivates instruments/participatory notes (PNs).

·         Workshop on Climate Change Financing is inaugurated by R. Gopalan, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.

·         GAIL Gas Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GAIL (India), joins hands with the Andhra Pradesh Government for setting up of an LNG terminal/floating storage and re-gasification unit (FSRU) along the State’s expansive sea coast.

·         India’s first woman photo-journalist Homai Vyarawalla dies in Vadodara, Gujarat.

·         As per the Wholesale Price Index, published by the government, reduced food prices caused the inflation to dip to a year low at 7.47% in December, 2011.

·         Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) proposes a fee of Rs. 20 crore for a national-level unified licence under the new regime.

·         The Pioneer’s J. Gopikrishnan and CNBC-TV18’s Udayan Mukherjee are adjudged Journalist of the Year at the 5^th Ramnath Goenka Awards for Excellence in Journalism.

·         The Government of Singapore announces to have acquired 1.09 per cent stake, now worth about Rs. 2,500 crore, in Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance industries Ltd. (RIL), the company’s latest shareholding data show.

·         The 150^th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda is commemorated under the directions of a National Committee Implementation Committee chaired by Honourable Finance Minister.

·         In a three-pronged bid to check the burgeoning current account deficit, halt depreciation of the rupee and partly make up the shortfall in revenue collections, the Central Government tweaks the duty structure on precious metals to mop up an additional Rs. 600 crore during the last quarter of the current fiscal.

·         Anthony Prabhu Gonsalves, India’s first music arranger dies.

·         As per data released by the government, cheaper food items pulled down the Consumer Price Index (CPI) by 0.44 per cent month-on-month in December 2011.

·         India is ranked the sixth most innovative country in the world in multinational conglomerate GE’s second Annual Global Innovation barometer.

·         World Economic Situation and Prospects 2012, a United Nations report on global economic prospects projects India’s economy to grow at a pace a tad lower than 8 per cent in 2012 and 2013 in view of the sharp increase in downside risks stemming from the problems in Europe and the U.S.

·         Siddharth Varadarajan succeeds N. Ram as Editor of The Hindu.

·         Harish Khare resigns as media advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

·         Senior television journalist Pankaj Pachauri is appointed as Communication Advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office.

·         Vice-President Hamid Ansari inaugurates the 16^th Convocation of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences at Bangalore.

·         U.K.-based Vodafone Group welcomes the Supreme Court’s ruling to set aside the Bombay High Court judgment, asking its Indian arm to pay Rs. 11,000 crore income tax to the government for acquiring majority stake in Hutchison-Essar in 2007.

·         Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata group, increases its stake in group company Tata Steel by converting 1.2 crore warrants into equal number of equity shares.

·         Singapore-based Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka is awarded the DSC Prize for South Asia Literature 2012, at the Jaipur Literature Festival.

·         Even as Mauritius-based Baytree Investments is set to pick up 4.9 percent stake in Godrej Consumers Products Ltd. (GCPL), the Mumbai-based company inks a deal to acquire 60 per cent stake in Cosmetics National, a leading hair colorant and cosmetics company in Chile.

·         Senior Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh C. Jagannath Rao dies of a heart attack in Secunderabad.

·         The World Health Organization (WHO) adopts a resolution that focuses on the global burden of mental disorders and the need for a comprehensive, coordinated response from health and social sectors at the country level.

·         The World Bank approves funds worth Rs. 74.24 crore for about three dozen incomplete roads and bridges in Himachal Pradesh.

·         India and the European Union (EU) announce to have joined hands for launching joint military operations in the Indian Ocean against piracy activities.

·         Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia says that the 9 per cent growth target for the 12^th Five Year Plan is achievable, provided the country registered a high rate of growth in domestic savings and capital formation.

·         Sukumar Azhikode, award-winning Malayalam writer, scholar and one of the most influential Gandhian intellectual in Kerala dies.

·         CCEA gives final approval to Vedanta Resources’ acquisition of a majority stake in Cairn India.

·         The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cuts the cash reserve ratio (CRR) by 50 basis points from 6 per cent to 5.5 per cent with effect from January 28, which would release Rs. 32,000 crore into the financial system.

·         The Board of Approval (BoA) under the Commerce Ministry approves the proposal of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to set up a special economic zone (SEZ0 at Indore in Madhya Pradesh.

·         The Padma awards for the year 2012 are announced on the eve of India’s 63^rd Republic Day.

·         Seeking an end to the discriminatory taxation regime adopted for petroleum products, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry asks the Finance Ministry to bring petroleum products, including crude oil, petrol, diesel, ATF and gas, under the new Goods and Services tax (GST) regime in line with the recommendations of the XIII Finance Commission.

·         Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra says that India and Thailand would work to double the bilateral trade to around $14 billion by 2014.

·         The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) says that interest rates applicable on the domestic savings banks deposits will be determined on the basis of end-of-day balance in the account.

·         Kerala governor and former Puducherry Chief Minister and M.P., M.O.H. Farooq dies in Chennai.

·         President of Pratibha Devisingh Patil confers the Ashoka Chakra on Lt. Navdeep Singh (posthumous) on the occasion of the 63^rd Republic Day 2012.

·         Expert Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. C. Rangarajan, Chairman Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, is constituted to examine issues relating to the sugar sector.

·         In a bid to end the turf war between the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), a Cabinet Committee announces to have worked out a compromise that will result in the biometric data of all residents being captured by June 2013.

·         Two days after a successful trial, an advanced version of pilot-less target aircraft Lakshya is successfully flight-tested at the Integrated Test Range, near Balasore.

·         President of the Senate of Chile Guido Girardi calls for partnership between his country and India in the renewable energy sector, saying that his country has decided to achieve 20 per cent of its energy needs through renewable energy sources by 2020.

·         The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) decides to enhance the minimum investment amount per client managed by portfolio managers to Rs. 25 lakh from Rs. 5 lakh at present by amending the SEBI (Portfolio Managers) Regulations, 1993.

·         In a study by Yale and Columbia Universities, India holds the very last rank among 132 nations in terms of air quality with regard to its effect on human health.

·         In yet another move to get information about black money stashed away abroad, India signs the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, a multilateral agreement that promotes international cooperation while respecting the rights of taxpayers.

·         Pitching for foreign investment in the infrastructure sector, which needs $1 trillion in the 12^th Five Year Plan, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Chicago asks U.S. investors to access the Indian debt market through a mechanism of regulated entities with a sustained long-term interest rate.

·         India announces to provide a grant of $1.5 million to the University of Chicago to establish a Vivekananda Chair for Indian studies, as part of the initiatives to mark the 150^th birth anniversary of the 19^th century luminary, Swami Vivekananda, and polymath Rabindranath Tagore.

·         “Sahyog-Kaijin-XI,” a mock drill on the deep seas by the Indian and Japan Coast Guard units demonstrate the inherent capabilities of the two forces to jointly counter a range of maritime threats in the Asia-Pacific region.

·         Andhra Pradesh Home Secretary B.P. Acharya is arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in Hyderabad for his role in the fast-snowballing scandal relating to irregularities in the allotment of high-priced plot for villas in the township project of Dubai-based real estate developer Emaar.

·         Starbucks – the iconic American coffee house brand that helped make the beverage ‘cool’ worldwide, spurring imitators but also critics announces to set up shops across India in association with the Tata Group.

·         Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee says that India will not scale down its petroleum imports from Tehran despite U.S. and European sanctions against the Islamic republic.

·         In a blow to every corrupt politician or bureaucrat shielded by the executive’s unwillingness to let them stand trial, the Supreme Court sets a three-month deadline for governments to decide whether or not to grant sanction for prosecution under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

·         India selects the French Fighter Rafale over the Eurofighter Typhoon in a multi-billion dollar contract for the supply of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) – the country’s largest defence deal to date.

·         The Delhi High Court sets new guidelines on distances within which the Capital’s private unaided schools will have to admit children from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups in the 25 per cent reserved quota under the Right to Education Act.

·         February, 2012

o   The 1974 batch Indian Revenue Service officer Laxman Das takes over as the new Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) replacing Mr. M.C. Joshi.

·         The K.K. Birla Foundation awards the 21^st Bihari Puraskar for 2011 to Arjundeo Charan for his Rajasthani poetry collection “Ghar Tau Ek Nam Hai Bhrosai Rau”.

·         The Supreme Court declares unconstitutional Section 27 (3) of the Arms Act, which provides for mandatory death sentence to an accused charged with an offence under this provision.

·         Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh approves the constitution of a National Council for Senior Citizens to advise the Central and State Governments on the welfare of senior citizens.

·         Declaring the allocation of 2G spectrum by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government illegal and an example of the arbitrary exercise of power, the Supreme Court cancels all 122 telecom licences allotted on or after January 10, 2008 to 11 companies during the tenure of the former telecom minister, A. Raja.

·         Director-General of TERI R.K. Pachauri presents the Green Globe Award for outstanding contribution by a celebrity to Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan in New Delhi.

·         Director-Producer Raj Kumar, who launched Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra in Bollywood, passes away at the age of 50.

·         Veteran environmental filmmaker Mike Pandey is honoured with the V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award at the Mumbai International Film Festival 2012.

·         Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan says India’s economic growth is likely to slow down to 7-7.5% in 2011-12 from 8.4% in 2010-11.

·         Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee releases a special edition of Rabindranath Tagore’s diary with his translations of Gitanjali, as part of the poet’s 150^th birth anniversary celebrations in Kolkata.

·         The Karnataka High Court appoints a 27-year old transgender C. Anu as a Class IV employee. This is, perhaps, the first such appointment in the country.

·         The special Central Bureau of Investigation court hearing the 2G scam case dismisses Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy’s demand to prosecute P. Chidambaram for allegedly conniving with then telecom minister A. Raja in illegal allocation of mobile spectrum and licences.

·         The Union Government unveils a comprehensive policy on narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

·         Historian Sharada Dwivedi passes away in Mumbai at the age of 69.

·         A money laundering case is registered against the former Union Minister, Dayanidhi Maran and his brother and Sun TV Managing Director Kalanidhi Maran by the Enforcement Directorate in connections with the 2G spectrum case.

·         Around 62 percent voters cast their votes in the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections held in 55 constituencies in 10 districts.

·         India’s indigenously developed micro-light pilot less target aircraft Lakshya-1 is successfully test flown from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur near Balasore as part of a routine trial.

·         President Pratibha Devisingh Patil unfurls a national flag, touted as the tallest in the country (90 x 60 feet), in the famous holy Brahmasarovar area of Kurukshetra, Haryana.

·         Professor Tapas Kumar Kundu of Bangalore-based Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research wins the G.D. Birla Award for Science.

·         The Indian Navy stages a network-centric exercise of the Southern coast and displays cooperation with the Indian Air Force in its annual TROPEX.

·         Indian and Chinese leaders lay out a new road-map for bilateral ties, calling for a flexible and imaginative approach in 2012 to minimize the effect of persisting irritants.

·         The Special Investigation Team probing Zakia Jafri’s complaint frees Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi of all charges in the 2002 Gujarat pogrom against Muslims.

·         Veteran Bollywood writer-filmmaker O.P. Dutta passes away at the age of 81.

·         The Supreme Court refuses to intervene in Army Chief General Vijay Kumar’s plea regarding his date of birth pointing out that the Army Chief, who accepted the government’s decision in determining his date of birth as May 10, 1950 on three occasions cannot go back on his commitment. His writ petition is disposed of as withdrawn.

·         India and the European Union make progress on their Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement and nominate minister-level monitors to push for its early finalization but discussions on regional issues remain centre stage at their annual summit in New Delhi.

·         India moves closer to the deployment of the fledgling, indigenous Ballistic Missile Defence system when an interceptor missile achieves a direct hit and destroys an incoming target missile at an altitude of 15 km over the Bay of Bengal.

·         About 59 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise in 59 constituencies in nine districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh in the second phase of Assembly elections.

·         Urdu poet and Jnanpith Award recipient Akhlaq Mohammed Khan, popularly known as Shahryar, who shot to fame by penning ghazals in Bollywood classics like Umrao Jaan, passes away at the age of 76.

·         Noted Hindi writer Professor Ramdarash Mishra is selected for the 21^st Vyas Samman for his poetry collection “Aam ke Patte”.

·         Lieutenant General Ramesh Halgali, one of the four generals indicted in the Sukna Land scam, takes over as the new Army Deputy Chief (Information Systems and Training).

·         Karnataka’s Minister for Higher Education V.S. Acharya passes away at the age of 71.

·         Sitar maestro Shamim Ahmed Khan, one of the finest exponents of Hindustani instrumental music, passes away at the age of 74.

·         Twenty two writers and poets of English and regional languages including historian Ramachandra Guha are honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Awards for 2011.

·         Communications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal announces major contours on spectrum management and licensing framework.

·         Times Internet Limited (TIL) launches India’s first tablet magazine Tweek.

·         Jawahar Sircar, Secretary in the Union Culture Ministry, is selected by a panel for the post of Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati.

·         After hectic negotiations, the Kerala police arrest two Marines suspected to have fired the shots from an Italian oil tanker that killed two Indian fishermen off Kerala on February 15, 2012.

·         The fourth phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections records a turnout of 57.20 per cent.

·         As per the first nationwide retail inflation data released by the government inflation based on the all India Consumer Price Index stands at 7.65 per cent in January 2012.

·         Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar arrives in Islamabad, leading a six member parliamentary delegation on a five-day visit to Pakistan.

·         The Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council projects a 7.5 – 8 per cent growth for the fiscal 2012-13 in its Review of the Economy 2011-12.

·         Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh unveils the new version of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act to include works related to agriculture, animal husbandry, poultry, drinking water and sanitation.

·         The fifth phase of Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh witnesses a high polling percentage of 59.2 per cent.

·         Anti corruption crusader Anna Hazare and former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam receives the S.R. Jindal Prize.

·         The Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal launches Virtual Labs – a correction of 91 online laboratories containing hundreds of experiments in nine disciplines of science and engineering.

·         The Supreme Court slams Delhi Police for excessive use of force during the midnight eviction of Baba Ramdev’s supporters from Ramlila Maidan on June 4, 2010.

·         Indian makes a strong pitch to channelise investments into its oil and gas sector from Saudi Arabia, which apart from private giants, has a sovereign wealth fund of over $600 billion.

·         Gunjan Sharma (The Week) and Tarun Tejpal (Tehelka) receive the IPI-India Award for Excellence in Journalism 2011.

·         India, which has been polio-free for over a year now, is taken off the list of polio-endemic countries by the World Health Organization.

·         China objects to Defence Minister A.K. Antony’s recent visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying India should refrain from taking any action that can complicate the border issue.

·         The Supreme Court directs the Centre to constitute a special committee forthwith for inter-linking of rivers for the benefit of the entire nation.

·         Senior journalist George Joseph, who shot to fame in early 1990s for his reporting on militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir, passes away at the age of 58.

·         In the sixth phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections about 60 per cent of voters exercise their franchise.

·         The Centre decides to link payment of pension for the elderly, widows and disabled persons to the Aadhaar to ensure timely delivery.

·         Growth in the eight key core industries slows to 0.5 per cent in January 2012, dragged down by a decline in natural gas, crude oil, steel and petroleum refinery products.

·         The Government informs Army Chief General V.K. Singh that he will retire on May 31, 2012, brining the curtains down on a two-year row over his birth date.

·         The Indian economy grew 6.1 per cent during October-December 2011 quarter, the slowest pace of expansion in 11 quarters.

·         After considerable dithering Pakistan decides to switch to the negative list approach for trade with India and phase it out completely by December 2012.

·         Madhya Pradesh and Sikkim sweep the maximum number of awards at the National Tourism Award ceremony, while Madhya Pradesh get four awards, including best state for tourism infrastructure and best tourism film, Sikkim gets the award for best tourism infrastructure in the north-east and best state to have implemented the Clean Indian campaign.

·         March, 2012

o   India and China decide to open a new chapter in bilateral cooperation by agreeing to undertake joint operations against pirates and sharing technological know-how on seabed research.

·         Six months after their appearance before a special CBI court, charges are framed against Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad and the former Bihar Chief Minister, Jagannath Mishra, in connection with the multi-crore fodder scam case.

·         For the first time, Pritzker Architecture Prize, considered as the Nobel prize in architecture, is awarded to Wang Shu (48) a Chinese, for “producing an architecture that is timeless, deeply rooted in its context and yet universal.

·         While there is agreement on the need for environmental taxes, there is a need to carefully calibrate the level of taxation on polluting industries in targeting a reduction in environmental pollution, C. Rangarajan, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, says in New Delhi.

·         The Union government justifies the first come, first served (FCFS) policy and urges the Supreme Court to review the 2G judgment, which quashed spectrum licences and directed issuance of fresh ones on the basis of auction.

·         In an unprecedented move, Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar disqualifies as many as 16 ruling Congress MLAs.

·         The Supreme Court appoints retired Supreme Court Judge Justice H.S. Bedi as Chairman of the Monitoring Authority to probe all cases of fake encounter deaths in Gujarat from 2003 to 2006.

·         The indigenously developed advanced lightweight torpedo and the Akash missile system is handed over to the Navy and the Indian Air Force respectively at a function in Hyderabad.

·         For the first time in the history of the Bangalore University, an FIR is registered against its Vice-Chancellor, N. Prabhu Dev, related to the complaint filed under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

·         Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General Bikram Singh is announced to be the next Chief of Staff of the 1.3 million-strong Indian Army.

·         Press Council of India Chairperson Justice Markandey Katju withdrew the show-case notice issued to Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan after he assures him to do “all he can for maintaining the freedom of the press (in Maharashtra).

·         The Indian economy is expected to register an improved performance during the 2012-13 fiscal with a growth rate of about 7.5 per cent, C. Rangarajan, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister says.

·         The Army successfully test-fires the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile at Pokhran to operationally the second regiment of the weapon system in service.

·         The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Government of India, organizes a two-day Regional Conference on “Reforms for Citizen Centric Governance” involving the states of southern and central region, in association with the Government of Puducherry.

·         The Supreme Court is announced to get one more judge – Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court F.M. Ibrahim Kalifulla – with the collegiums of judges clearing his name for elevation.

·         Pakistan test-fires Hatf-II surface-to-surface ballistic missile, which can carry nuclear warheads. The Hatf-II or Abdali has a range of 180 km.

·         Thousands of Tamils from across Europe protest in front of the U.N. headquarters in Geneva, demanding the creation of an international tribunal to try “war crimes” committed in Sri Lanka.

·         Gopalkrishna Gandhi is made the new chairman of the governing body of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, and president of its society.

·         Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurates the golden jubilee celebrations of Afro-Asian Rural Development Organization in New Delhi.

·         The electorate of Uttar Pradesh delivers a stunning mandate for stability, paving the way for the Samajwadi Party (SP) to form the next government in the State.

·         The Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance in Punjab scripts history by bagging 68 of

·         the 117 seats in the State Assembly, elections.

·         The National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) and Nidan, an organization that supports unorganized workers, is announced to be honoured with the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship by the Skoll Foundation in Oxford, England, on March 29.

·         The Congress secures absolute majority in the Manipur Assembly elections.

·         It was an impressive debut for the Byari feature film industry with its first offering, simply titled Byari, sharing the top prize at the National Film Awards 2011.

·         The International Air Transport Association (IATA) suspends Kingfisher Airlines from its clearing house that enables airlines to settle inter-line billings globally for its failure to pay dues.

·         Despite India’s “impressive” rise, its ambition to be a superpower may remain just that – an ambition, according to an authoritative new study by the London School of Economics (LSE) to which several Indian scholars have contributed.

·         Bombay Ravi, a composer who played a key role in brining melody back into Malayalam cinema in the 1980s, dies in Mumbai.

·         The largest solar storm in five years engulfs Earth.

·         Narendra Kumar, a young IPS officer is crushed to death by the mining mafia in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district.

·         The Karnataka High Court ordered issue of notices to the Centre, the Broadcasting Ministry, the State on PILs seeking a direction to the media to telecast visuals portraying the alleged attack on lawyers during the March 2 violence at the Bangalore civil court complex.

·         In a set of recommendations that should warm the cockles of the aam admi’s heart and that of all taxpayers at large, as also enthuse the stock markets, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance pitches for far higher relief than what was proposed by the Government in the Direct Taxes Code (DTC) Bill, aimed at ushering in a new direct taxation regime.

·         Manohar Parrikar is sworn in as Goa Chief Minister, heading a BJP-led coalition, at a ceremony in Panaji.

·         Yesteryear actor Joy Mukherjee passes away after prolonged illness at the Lilavati hospital in Mumbai.

·         Tusha Mittal of Tehelka’s Kolkata News Bureau is chosen for the Chameli Devi Jain Award, 2012.

·         At the 6^th National Grassroots Innovations Awards in New Delhi, President Pratibha Patil awards innovators.

·         In a more that will give a big push to broadband penetration in the country, the Central Department of Telecommunications (DoT) clears an ambitious plan to distribute 50 lakh tablet PCs (personal computers) to students in the next financial year 2012-13.

·         As for wealth tax, the Parliamentary Committee on Finance suggests that the impost be levied only if the value of the specified asset exceeds Rs. 5 crore.

·         Leading Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband issue a fatwa against full body scans, ruling that the exercise is against the Sharia Law.

·         The Union Cabinet defers a decision on a proposal to make a Presidential reference on the Supreme Court’s order to 2G licences regarding the auction of natural resources.

·         The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests, which examined ‘The Nuclear Safety Regulatory Bill, 2011,’ suggests the establishment of a Council of Nuclear Safety (CNS) to oversee and review the policies related to radiation/nuclear safety in the country.

·         Claiming that the National Ganga River Basin Authority has become a toothless organization which has made no change to the government’s neglect of the national river, three of its non-governmental members submit their resignations to the Prime Minister, chairperson of the body.

·         The University Grants Commission (UGC) chalks out several plans to increase gross enrolment ratio (GER) of students in higher education from the present 20 percent to 30 percent during the 12^th Five-Year Plan (2012-17).

·         Union Minister for Rural Development, Drinking Water and Sanitation Jairam Ramesh announces a national award for sanitation and water in the name of Maharashtrian saint Sant Gadge Baba.

·         British Prime Minister David Cameron says he will be “very sad” if India boycotts the London Olympics following the row over sponsorship of the event by Dow Chemicals, linked to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy.

·         West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announces to amend the West Bengal Cooperative Societies Act, 2006, to ensure that banks run by cooperative societies are not empowered to attach the property of any farmer who fails to repay a loan.

·         In a spell of fresh trouble for the Congress government, the Supreme Court issues notices to six Ministers and eight Indian Administrative Service officers from Andhra Pradesh on a petition alleging that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is not proceeding against them despite having sufficient evidence that they helped Kadappa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy accumulate massive illegal assets.

·         To earthquakes of moderate intensity shake the Kashmir Valley within three hours.

·         Pointing to ‘human capital deficit’ as one of the major challenges facing public sector banks (PSBs) in emerging as potential global leaders, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee asks the banking community over the weekend to improve customer services to remain relevant in an intensely competitive financial business environment.

·         While agreeing in principle on the need to have an effective anti-terrorism mechanism on the lines of the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), almost all States emphasise the need to make them as “en effective stakeholder” in all aspects of counter-terrorism domain.

·         Announcing major initiatives to provide universal healthcare, President in her speech to the joint session of the first day of the Budget session of Parliament, Pratibha Patil says the government would endeavour to increase both Plan and Non-Plan public expenditure in the Centre and the States taken together to 2.5 percent of the gross domestic product by the end of the 12^th Plan.

·         President Pratibha Devisingh Patil announces a separate Department of Disability Affairs in her speech on the first day of the Budget session of Parliament.

·         Sharmila Tagore, UNICEF’s National Goodwill Ambassador, reaches out to pregnant women in Jharkhand to gain first-hand knowledge of maternal health in the State.

·         A detailed analysis of the Census 2011 data, released in New Delhi, shows that 27 per cent of the households in Uttar Pradesh still had two or more married couples living together – far more than the national average of 18 percent for such families.

·         The functioning of both Houses of Parliament is disrupted when members cutting across party lines vociferously demand that India support the resolution to be moved by the U.S., France and Norway against Sri Lanka at the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.

·         Vijay Bahuguna, MP, is sworn in as Chief Minister of Uttarakhand after Congress overrules a revolt by another MP Harish Rawat.

·         Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda says that Haryana Government will provide a grant of Rs. 11,000 on the marriage of girls hailing from families having land holding below 2.5 acres or annual income less than Rs. 1 lakh.

·         Noted critic Namvar Singh presented the Jnanpith Award to eminent Hindi author Amar Kant at a special ceremony in Allahabad.

·         In what is regarded as a major administrative move, the Planning Commission clears the transfer of the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) to the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

·         Increasing the fare for the first time in eight years, the Railway budget for 2012-13, presented in the parliament by Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi, also envisages 113 new trains and promises to focus on safety, for which the Railway Board will be restructured and a separate authority set up.

·         In a bid to contain further losses, troubled private carrier Kingfisher Airlines announces that it would be curtaining its international operations.

·         Okram Ibobi Singh is sworn in as Manipur Chief Minister for the third consecutive term.

·         Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal says in the Lok Sabha that an upgraded version of Aakash tablet computer would be launched in April 2012 without any increase in the price.

·         Governor Shivraj V. Patil administers the oath of office and secrecy to the 84-year-old Akali stalwart, Prakash Singh Badal, who takes over as the Chief Minister of Punjab for a record fifth time.

·         The West Bengal Government issues a gazette notification in Kolkata for setting up the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) following the Presidential assent to the GTA Bill.

·         The Finance Ministry gives its nod for the Labour and Employment Ministry to fix the rate of interest payable to EPF subscribers at 8.25 p.c. for 2011-12, instead of at 9.5 per cent paid in 2010-11.

·         Members of a Pakistani judicial commission arrive in Mumbai to record the statements of four witnesses in the November 26, 2008 terror attacks in the city.

·         The Haryana Government announces to introduce ‘Surakshit Maa’ and ‘Swasth Maa’ awards from the next financial year to promote institutional deliveries and create awareness and “responsibility towards health” in pregnant women.

·         With a slew of scams vitiating the government’s policy-making environment and holding up reforms, the Economic Survey 2011-12, presented in the Parliament by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherkee, advocates need for a ruthless crackdown on corruption.

·         The Airports Authority of India (AAI) wins the prestigious Jane’s Award for 2012, an international award given to recognize and reward excellence in the air traffic control industry.

·         The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet decides to give a grant of Rs. 30,000 to high school pass Muslim girls for pursuing their education and marriage, as well as the decision to construct boundary walls along Muslim ‘qabristans” (graveyards).

·         The Supreme Court says that it would examine the constitutional validity of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, which pegs the maximum liability on a supplier and operator of a nuclear power plant in case of an accident at Rs. 1,500 crore.

·         A court in New York dismisses a complaint against Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath for his alleged role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying it had no jurisdiction.

·         Noor Mohammad, a 1977 batch IAS officer, takes over as acting Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.

·         Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presents the Union Budget 2012-2013 in the Parliament.

·         The British Council announces 60 new ‘Jubilee Scholarships’ for Indian students for 2012.

·         Tarique Rahman, son of the former Bangladesh Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia, and 29 others are indicted by a special court in Dhaka for a 2004 grenade attack that killed 24 people.

·         The UPA government breathes easy in the Lok Sabha when the Opposition-sponsored amendments to the President’s address are defeated with help from the Trinamool Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.

·         Ending the impasse over the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNNP), the Tamil Nadu Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, resolves to take steps for the early commissioning of the plant.

·         The Planning Commission releases the latest poverty estimates for the country showing a decline in the incidence of poverty by 7.3 per cent over the past five years and stating that anyone with a daily consumption expenditure of Rs. 28.35 and Rs. 22.42 in urban and rural areas respectively is above the poverty line.

·         In a setback to the Union government, the Supreme Court rejects its plea for a review of the court’s January 20 ruling that the Income Tax Department did not have the jurisdiction to impose Rs. 11,000 crore in tax on the overseas deal between Vodafone International Holdings and Hutchinson Group.

·         With the Congress-led UPA bowing to the Trinamool Congress’ pressure, its member and Union Minister of State for Shipping Mukul Roy is hurriedly elevated to the Cabinet rank and allocated the Railways portfolio primarily to fulfil the constitutional requirement of passing the Railway budget.

·         Union Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia admits that income distribution is not at the desired level and inequality increased in both rural and urban areas.

·         The Congress wins two morale-boosting victories in a string of bypolls; it snatches a Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka – taking its strength in the Lower House up to 207 – and an Assembly seat in Gujarat, both of which have been held by its principal national rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party, for the last 15 years.

·         Dadasaheb Phalke award is announced for eminent actor Soumitra Chatterjee for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema.

·         Lok Sabha members, cutting across party lines, lambaste Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia for the ‘cut-off poverty line” estimate released by the Commission and seek his removal as well as its disbandment “for deceiving the country and cheating people”.

·         With the presence of 1,168 bird species recorded in the country, India is ranked 9^th in the global list of bird wealth.

·         Seeking to tap the huge potential of the Inland Waterways Transport (IWT), the Prime Minister’s Office identifies seven mega projects and corridors all over the country – entailing an outlay of Rs. 2,100 crore – for private sector investment in the 12^th Plan.

·         Union Ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh, Rajiv Shukla, Mukul Roy, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Ms. Mayawati and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley are elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha.

·         Railway Minister Mukul Roy rolls back the fare hike except for three high-end-classes of travel, which his predecessor Dinesh Trivedi proposed. Mr. Roy also strikes down the plan to restructure Railway Board.

·         India votes for a United States – sponsored resolution at the United Nations’ top human rights body censuring Sri Lanka for its alleged rights violations during the War against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

·         The Bombay High Court asks the Adarsh cooperative housing society to surrender the building to the Union Ministry of Defence.

·         Tamil Writer A.A. Manavalan is selected for the Saraswati Samman 2011 for his book on Ramayana.

·         Samajwadi Party supremo and Member of Parliament Mulayam Singh Yadav will be honoured with the prestigious ‘International Jurists Award-2012’ in London on May 28, 2012.

·         The Director-General of Indian Coast Guard Vice Admiral M.P. Muralidharan commissions the Dahanu Coast Guard station, the fourth in Maharashtra.

·         Padma Bhushan awardee Shabana Azmi becomes the first Indian actor to receive honour from New York city.

·         Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh tells the floor leaders of the Rajya Sabha that the Centre will come forward with an amended version of the Lokpal Bill, taking into account the suggestions made by the opposition and the constituents and supporting parties of the ruling United Progressive Alliance.

·         The Union Government approves a seven percentage point increase in the rate of dearness allowance for its employees and pensioners.

·         The Union Cabinet approves the Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill 2010 seeking to give women a share in the husband’s property after divorce.

·         Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh inaugurates the Seventh Asia Gas Partnership Summit in New Delhi.

·         The 2200 km Dahej-Vijajpur-Dadri-Bawana-Bhatinda gas pipeline network built at a cost of Rs. 13,000 crore, is dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

·         The Union Cabinet gives the green signal for the setting up of a credit risk guarantee fund trust with an initial corpus of Rs. 1200 crore to help give a push to housing for low-income groups in the country.

·         Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh arrives in Seoul to take part in the nuclear security summit to be held on March 26 and 27, 2012, to discuss ways of protecting nuclear materials and facilities.

·         To mark the 11^th International Childhood Cancer celebrations – 2012, four cycling enthusiasts – Ranjul Goswami, Anil Uchil, Bertram Fonseca and Mallikarjun Singh – pedaling from Gateway of India in Mumbai over the past 21 days, end their unusual expedition at India Gate in New Delhi.

·         P.K. Roy, former Chairman of Press Trust of India, passes away in Kolkata at the age of 91.

·         The Army Chief General V.K. Singh alleges that an equipment lobbyist offered him a bribe of Rs. 14 crore, which he reported to Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony.

·         President Pratibha Patil’s wanderlust has cost the public exchequer a whopping  Rs. 205 crore on her foreign visits, surpassing the record of all her predecessors. Since assuming office as the country’s first woman President in July 2007, Patil has undertaken 12 foreign trips covering 22 countries across four continents.

·         India and South Korea agree to expand their political and security ties besides upgrading the already booming business cooperation to achieve an ambitious trade target of $40 billion by 2015, doubling the figure, during the talks between Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in Seoul.