July 25-31 Current Affairs

NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Centre finalising urban health mission
The Centre is in the process of finalising the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) to provide better healthcare facilities to urban slumdwellers. The ambitious Rs.33,000-crore scheme is expected to bring within its purview domestic helps, vegetable vendors, vulnerable populations such as migrants, rag-pickers and street children.

July 8-14 Current Affairs

NATIONAL UPDATES

India, Iran ink 6 pacts; to boost strategic cooperation

Iran has once again broached the possibility of signing a Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement (BIPA) with India, which could increase bilateral trade to $30 billions.

The six pacts which were signed during the meeting were –

July 1-7 Current Affairs

National Updates
Sharad Pawar ICC chief

Former BCCI President Sharad Pawar formally took over as the International Cricket Council President, succeeding Englishman David Morgan. The 70-year-old Pawar, who is also a serving union minister in the Indian government, begins a two-year term as ICC President and on taking over lauded Morgan for his "impressive innings" during the last two years.

BEGGAR THY NEIGHBOUR POLICY

What is beggar thy neighbour policy? 
The beggar thy neighbour policy refers to a policy that aims at addressing one’s own domestic problems at the expense of others — trading partners in particular. 

April 15-30 Current Affairs

NATIONAL UPDATES
India's first indigenous stealth warship INS Shivalik commissioned‎

It's a ship that is designed to escape detection by normal radars and surveillance equipment. Special aerodynamics, equipment and material used in designing and building these ships makes it very difficult to monitor their movements. That's why they are called 'stealth frigates.'It's called the INS Shivalik, and it's the first ship built by India designed to escape detection by normal radars and surveillance equipment. 

June 8-14 Current Affairs

NATIONAL UPDATES

Sri Lanka assures India of political settlement, 7 pacts signed

The visit by Sri Lanka’s president assured India of a political settlement for minorities and quicker rehabilitation of the displaced Tamils as New Delhi announced a host of initiatives for reconstruction of war-hit provinces of the island country including building 50,000 houses, rail network and a thermal power plant. And it provided both sides the opportunity to signal a readiness to take the bilateral relationship to a new level. It was the first time in a quarter century that New Delhi played host to a Sri Lankan head of state who arrived without the burden of a raging ethnic conflict back home.

The two sides signed seven pacts to boost bilateral cooperation across a range of areas, including security, energy, railways and cultural exchange.

Highlights of Joint Declaration:

11 June 2010

NATION & POLITICS

Indian Art Attains Glory

A PAINTING by Syed Haider Raza sold at Christie's for £2.4 million (Rs 16.42 crore) , making it a record for any modern or contemporary Indian work of art. Saurashtra, a 7-foothigh, richly-coloured abstract dating from 1983, had been expected to sell for £1.3-1.8 million.

This comes after a collection of 152 works by one of the country’s priciest modern artists, FN Souza, on Wednesday night fetched £5.4 million with fees, exceeding a presale upper forecast of £2.3 million, based on hammer prices.

The work, with his famous bindu, embodied a growing and strong India. Now, he has taken India and its art to greater heights: the bindu symbolising the growing importance of Indian art.

US pressured Rajiv, implies Digvijay

CONGRESS general secretary Digvijay Singh painted an oversized bulls-eye on his party’s back for the Opposition to target when he said that “American pressure” could have prompted the then government at the Centre to offer safe passage to Union Carbide’s Warren Anderson.

April 1-14 current affairs

                                 NATIONAL UPDATES

India, Australia sign agreement to boost education ties
Despite the attacks on its student community in Australia, HRD minister Kapil Sibel signed an agreement to boost educational cooperation In view of strengthening the bilateral relationship. New Delhi wants to take the “relationship forward” with Canberra.
The aim of the ministerial statement is to strengthen what is already a solid partnership with the Indian government and open up more avenues to share expertise in the education arena.
An India-Australia Education Council comprising experts from both countries will now be set up. The relations between India and Australia had soured following several attacks on Indian students Down Under. A travel advisory had also been issued to Indian students coming to
Australia.

15th National Census 2011, a Biometric census, exercise kicks off

• It is the 15th national census since 1872.
• Census in taken once in ten years
• President Pratibha Patil became the first person to participate in the decennial exercise.
• 11-month exercise will enumerate the country's 1.2 billion population
• It has over 25 lakh enumerators working to capture the socio-economic and cultural profile of
• Indians, will also seek information for the creation of the first-ever National Population Register (NPR).
• NPR would also take the photographs and fingerprints of all persons over 15 years to create biometric national database.
• The Census operation will cost around Rs 2,209 crore
• The creation of NPR is set to cost about Rs 3,539.24 crore.
• India will be the first democratic nation having got fingerprinted
• For the first time, information about the ownership of mobile phones, computers, internet, and availability of treated and untreated drinking-water facility will be recorded.
• Entire exercise would be completed by March 5, 2011Results in mid-2011
• It is worth noting that first and last caste based census was taken in 1931
  
  
  
  

June 1-7 Current Affairs

                                         National updates

UPA report card: PM gives cautious pat on back, lists challenges
Presenting his government's report on completion of first year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today vowed to fight terrorism "root and branch" and enforce the writ of the State in dealing with naxalism and political extremism.
A 107-page 'The Report to the People -- 2009-10', which was unveiled by Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, highlighted 12 major themes of the government's priority.
These cover areas like economic resurgence, internal security, education, health, child rights, food security, empowerment of women, weaker sections and minorities, rural renewal and foreign relations.
Naxalism & extremism
Government's determined to fight terrorism "root and branch" and deal with Naxalism "firmly" while addressing developmental issues.  An amount of Rs 668.61 crore has been released during 2009-10 under the schemes for Modernisation of Police Forces (Rs 578.61 crore), Security Related Expenditure (Rs 60 crore) and Special Infrastructure Scheme (Rs 30 crore) to left wing extremism affected states.  A sum of Rs 1230 crore has been released to all the states for modernisation of state police forces.