Current Affairs Nov 2012 WWGK

INTERNATIONAL

Barack Obama re-elected as President of US

Barack Obama re-elected as President of US  with a clear victory over Republican challenger Mitt Romney on 7th November 2012.

Hindu-American elected to US Congress for the first time

Tulsi Gabbard is the first Hindu-American  elected as the US House of Representative from  Hawaii  in November 2012 elections.

Nepal elected to UN ECOSOC board

Nepal elected a board member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for a three-year term starting in January 2013. Nepal along with 17 other countries were elected board members of ECOSOC 8th November 2012 by the UN General Assembly.

Israel fires into Syria

Israel was drawn into the fighting in neighboring Syria for the first time on 11th November 2012, firing warning shots across the border after an errant mortar shell landed near an Israeli military installation in the Golan Heights.

China’s Communist Party selects new leadership

China elects the new President as Xi Jinping and Prime Minister as Li Keqiang on 14 November 2012.

Japan to go to polls on 16 December 2012

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda dissolved the Lower House of Parliament on 16 November 2012 ,paving the way for elections in which his ruling party will likely give way to a weak coalition government divided over how to solve Japan’s myriad problems. Elections were set for 16 December 2012.

U.N. approves Palestinian ‘observer state’ bid

The United Nations General Assembly on 30 November 2012 endorsed an upgraded U.N. status for the Palestinian Authority, despite intense opposition from the United States and Israel.The vote was 138 delegates in favor of the measure including India, nine against including America, Brazil and Canada and 41 abstentions including Britain.

INDIA & WORLD

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) lift export ban on some milk products

Amid surplus availability of milk powder in the country, the government is likely to decide on 1st November 2012  on lifting ban on export of milk products, especially whole milk powder, dairy whitener and infant milk foods.

US included as dialogue partner of Indian Ocean countries

The US was inducted as a sixth dialogue partner in the 20-nation Indian Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) grouping on 3rd November 2012.The ministers of countries which are members of IOR-ARC decided unanimously to give the US the same status that they had earlier accorded to the United Kingdom, France, Egypt and Japan.

Agreement with World Bank for Assam road project

India has signed a 320-million dollar loan agreement with the World Bank for road projects in Assam on 5th November 2012.

Canada to allow civil nuclear trade with India

India and Canada signed an agreement  on 6th November 2012 in New Delhi for bilateral Cooperation in civil nuclear trade. So, India imports Uranium from canada for civil nuclear reactors.

DRDO ties up with York University, Canada

Defence Research and Development Organisation and York University, Canada  signed a memorandum of understanding for doing collaborative defence research in the areas of advanced materials, nanotechnology, life sciences, bio-informatics, chemical and biological defence, sensors, and others.

Indian-origin CEO of Datawind and MIT professor among Forbes’ top 15 education innovators list

Indian-origin CEO of Datawind, the maker of India’s low-cost tablet Aakash, Suneet Singh Tuli and Massachusettes Institute of Technology professor Anant Agarwal  named by Forbes magazine among the 15 “classroom revolutionaries” who are using innovative technologies to reinvent education for students and teachers globally.

Mahatma Gandhi  Grandson elected to Kansas State Assembly

Mahatma Gandhi  grandson Shanti Gandhi elected to a State Assembly in the United States from Kansas’s 52nd Assembly District as a Republican Party candidate during the general elections held on 6 November  2012.

India and Afghanistan  signed four agreements

India and Afghanistan  signed four agreements to cooperate in areas of social welfare, fertilizer, coal mining and youth affairs on 12th November 2012.

Dr Ami Bera is the third Indian-American elected to the US House of Representatives

An Indian-American physician from California became only the third person of Indian-origin to be elected to the US House of Representatives by defeating Republican Dan Lungren with just 184 votes lead.

Japan signs pact to import rare earths from India

India and Japan on 16 November 2012 inked a strategic agreement on  ”Tokyo to import rare earth minerals from India”.

Maldivian Airlines inks pact with Apollo Hospitals

Maldivian Airlines on 19 November 2012 had signed a pact  with the Chennai-headquartered Apollo Hospitals to give discounts to each others’ clients. For example, Apollo Hospitals will give a discount on its service charges for those who fly the airline, and the airline will give similar discounts to the hospital’s patients on the airfare.

India adds 22 items in the list of border trade with Myanmar

India had notified 22 additional items including agricultural tools, bicycles, coal and garments in the list of items for border trade with Myanmar.According to a study conducted by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), bilateral trade between India and Myanmar is expected to double by 2015 from $1.3 billion, on the back of free trade agreement between New Delhi and ASEAN region.

India votes against UN resolution on death penalty ban

India was among the 39 countries that voted against a UN General Assembly draft resolution which called for abolishing the death penalty, saying every nation had the “sovereign right” to determine its own legal system.

India, China  joint economic strategy held at New Delhi

The Second India-China Strategic Economic Dialogue was held in New Delhi on 26 November 2012. In this meeting China and India discussed several topics including greater cooperation at the global level, strengthening communication on macroeconomic policies, deepening and expanding trade and investment and promoting bilateral cooperation in the financial and infrastructure sectors. The bilateral trade between these two countries enhanced from $74 billion to $100 billion.

India- Maldives  joint military training exercises held at Belgaum

The fourth joint military training exercises between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) – EKUVERIN 2012 – was held in Belgaum from 12 to 25 November 2012.

NATIONAL

President Pranab Mukherjee  released a commemorative postage stamp on late Ramgopal Maheshwari

President Pranab Mukherjee  released a commemorative postage stamp on late Ramgopal Maheshwari on 20 November 2012.

Arvind Kejriwal launches Aam Admi Party

Arvind Kejriwal  announced the name for his newly launched party as “Aam Admi Party” on 24 November 2012 in New Delhi.

Bangalore among top polluted megacities in the world

India’s silicone valley Bangalore was rated among top polluted megacities in the world, claims a new study, using data collected by NASA’s high-tech satellites.Scientists at Tel Aviv University tracked pollution trends for 189 megacities, including Mumbai, New York City and Tokyo, by analysing eight years’ worth of data from three of NASA’s high-tech aerosol monitoring satellites.

STATES

50% reservation for women in Assam Panchayat Elections

The Assam State Election Commission has announced 50 per cent reservation of seats  for women in the forthcoming panchayat polls as stated by State Election Commissioner Biren Dutta on 9th November 2012

Chain of static sensors positioned along the coast of Andhra Pradesh

Union Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Kumar inaugurated a chain of static sensors positioned along the coast of Andhra Pradesh at a programme organised at the Coast Guard district headquarters Visakhapatnam on 23 November 2012.This will improve surveillance along coast.

Ban on plastic bags comes into force in New Delhi

The ban on manufacture, sale and use of most types of plastic bags in the Capital came into force on on 23 November 2012.

CONFERENCES

SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians Conference held at Islamabad

The sixth conference of the Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians held in Islamabad on 4th November 2012.From India, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and Deputy Chairman Rajya Sabha Professor P. J. Kurien  are participated the conference.In this conference they discussed the role of women parliamentarians for social justice and the strengthening of democracy in South Asia.

Countries G20 finance ministers and central bankers summit held in Mexico

The G20 countries finance ministers and central bankers  summit held in Mexico on 4th November 2012.In this summit the Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said the India’s economy should grow by 5.5 percent to 6.0 percent in the year 2012 and return to 7 percent growth in 2013.

E-9 countries review meeting held in New Delhi

E-9 countries review meeting held in New Delhi on 9th and 10th November 2012.The E-9 countries are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria and Mexico .

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh went to Cambodia for South Asian summits

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh went to Cambodian capital Phnom Penh on 18 November 2012 to attend the ASEAN and East Asia Summits.

Bangladesh Opted out of D-8 Summit Scheduled to be Held in Pakistan

Bangladesh opted out of the key summit known as D-8 Summit in Pakistan which is scheduled to be held later in November, 2012. Bangladesh opted out because Pakistan refused to apologise for the deeds committed during 1971 war which eventually led to Bangladesh’s independence.

The 8th meeting of the India-UK Joint Working Group (JWG) on counter terrorism

The 8th meeting of the India-UK Joint Working Group (JWG) on counter terrorism was held on 20 November 2012 in New Delhi.

AWARDS & HONOURS

Aishwarya Rai was honoured with French Civilian Award

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachan was honoured with the second highest French civilian award “Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters”  by French government for her contribution in promoting Indo-French cooperation in Cinema on 1st November 2012.

Tata Literature Live! First Book Award

Banker and New York based – author Ruchir Sharma was awarded the Tata Literature Live! First Book Award for his Breakout Nations:In Pursuit of the Next Economic Miracles at the Mumbai Lit-fest on 4 November 2012.

Durgabai Deshmukh Awards for Women’s Development Presented by President of India

President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 5 November 2012 presented the Durgabai Deshmukh awards for women’s development for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007 at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.The eighth Award for 2005 was jointly given to two winners, Mizoram Hmeithai (Widows) Association and People’s Forum, Bhubaneswar. The ninth Award for the year 2006 was awarded to Sumangali Seva Ashram of Bangalore.The tenth Award for the year 2007 was awarded to the Snehalaya of Ahmednagar.

Germany honoured the Baba Kalyani

The chairman and managing director of Bharat Forge, Babasaheb N. Kalyani honoured with  ‘Cross of Order of Merit’  by Germany. This is the highest honour awarded to individuals for their services to the country in Germany.

Madhav Chavan wins education ‘Nobel prize’

Dr Madhav Chavan has won the WISE Prize, which has been likened to a “Nobel prize for education”.The award, announced on 13 November,2012 at the WISE summit in Qatar, recognises his education work in the slums of Mumbai.

‘Bitter Seeds’ won 18 international awards

‘Bitter Seeds’, a documentary film produced by US-based filmmaker Micha Peled on the agrarian crisis of cotton growers and their plight was being shown in Vidarbha region. “Every 30 minutes, a farmer in the country kills himself in despair because he no longer provide anything for his family. The film has won 18 international awards.

Urdu Scholar Gopi Chand Narang Awarded Moortidevi Award for 2010

The Vice President of India Hamid Ansari presented the Moortidevi Award for 2010  to eminent Urdu scholar Gopi Chand Narang for his outstanding work on Urdu Ghazal aur Hindustani Zehan wa Tehzeeb at a function organized by Bhartiya Jnanpith.

Chinese movie `11 Flowers` wins award at Kolkata Film Fest  

Chinese movie ‘11 Flowers’, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Wang Xiaoshuai has won the prestigious NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) award at the 18th Kolkata International Film festival (KIFF), which ended on 17 November 2012.

Liberian President got the Indira Gandhi peace prize for 2012

President of the Republic of Liberia Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf got the  Indira Gandhi peace prize for 2012 for her Excellency, Peace,Disarmament and Development.

Malala chosen for bravery award

Malala Yousafzai,who became the face of Pakistan’s struggle against the Taliban was honoured with  bravery award by the Peace and Prosperity Foundation Chairman Prince Ali Khan, at the Cholmondeley Room of the House of Lords on 19 November 2012.

Gavaskar conferred with CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award

Former India captain  Sunil Gavaskar was on 21 November 2012  conferred with BCCI’s prestigious Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award.

Indian Origin Autar Kaw is U.S. Professor of the Year

Autar Kaw, an Indian born professor of mechanical engineering at the University of South Florida was received the award of ’ 2012 US Professor of the Year ‘.

Indira Gandhi Peace Prize presented to former Brazilian President Lula

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the former President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, was conferred the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 22 November 2012.

Punjabi film “Andhey Ghorey Da Daan” bags Golden Peacock  Award 2012 in 43rd IFFI Goa

 “Andhey Ghorey Da Daan” a Punjabi film directed by Gurvinder Singh and produced by National Film Development Cooperation was bagged the Golden Peacock award of the International  Film Festival of India, IFFI. The award carries a Golden Peacock with a cash prize of 20 lakhs prize of20 lakh rupeex.

SPORTS & GAMES

Kimi Raikkonen won Abu Dhabi GP

Kimi Raikkonen won an Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 4th November 2012.

Mahesh Bhupathi-Rohan Bopanna win Paris Masters

Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna clinched the Paris Masters, their second title of the year, after scoring a hard-fought win over Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi and Jean-Julien Rojer in Paries on 4th November 2012.

Czech Republic lifted Fed Cup

The Czech Republic got the Fed Cup title after beating Serbia in the final on 4 November 2012.

National Anti-Doping Disciplinary panel suspendes 11 athletes for two years

The National Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel (NADDP) suspended all the 11 athletes for two years, who were tested positive with methyl hexane amine (MHA) in the run-up of the last Commonwealth Games.The suspended 11 athletes are :Two athletes, Saurabh Vij and Akash Antil; Six wrestlers, all of them internationals, Arjuna awardee Rajeev Tomar, Joginder Singh, Sumit Sehrawat, Rahul Maan, Gursharanpreet Kaur and Khatri; and three swimmers, Amar Muralidharan, Jyotsana Pansare and Richa

Pakistan won Second Asian Kabaddi Championship 2012

Pakistan won the Second Asian Kabaddi Championship 2012 against India on 6th November 2012.

Gaganjeet Bhullar, Youngest Indian on Elite Golfers’ League

Gaganjeet Bhullar, 24, became the youngest Indian to make it to the elite group of the world’s top-100 players in the latest rankings.

Hanoi to host 2019 Asian Games

Vietnam’s capital Hanoi will host the 2019 Asian Games.

India bags four medals in 14th Asian Youth (boys & girls) weightlifting championships

India won four medals on the opening day of the 14th Asian Youth (boys & girls) weightlifting championships at Yangon, Myanmar, on 8th November 2012.Santa won a bronze in snatch with a lift of 95 kg before securing a gold each in clean and jerk and total lift with efforts of 126 kg and 221 kg respectively. The other medal of the day for the Indians was won by Chandrika Tarafdar in youth girls’ 44 kg category. She won a silver with a total lift of 132 kg.

Rahul bags 3 more golds for India in Asian Youth Weightlifting

Ragala Venkat Rahul won three gold medals to help India increase their medals tally to seven on the second day of the 14th Asian Youth (Boys & Girls) Weightlifting Championships at Yangon, Myanmar on 9th November 2012.Competing in the 77kg weight category, Rahul secured the yellow metals in snatch, clean and jerk and overall with a total lift of 280 kgs.

International news agencies boycott India-England Test series

International news agencies on 15 November 2012 decided to boycott the high-profile Test series between India and England which began in Ahmedabad to protest against the restrictions imposed by the BCCI on some photo agencies covering the tour.

Saina Nehwal retains 3rd place in Badminton World Federation women’s rankings

London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal retained her third place in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) women’s rankings released on 16 November,2012.

Priyanka is Asian under-10 champion

Asian under-10 girls chess champion Nuthaki Priyanka bagged the world youth chess championship at Maribor, Slovenia on 18 November 2012. She completed with 9.5 points of 11 rounds.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton won United States Grand Prix 2012

McLaren-Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the 2012 United States Grand Prix race at Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas. It was the first F1 race in United States since 2007.

Usain Bolt, Allyson Felix named IAAF world athletes of the year

Usain Bolt won the IAAF(International Amateur Athletic Federation) World male Athlete of the Year award for the fourth time and United States sprinter Allyson Felix won the women’s World Athlete of the Year award on 24 November 2012.

Sebastian Vettel won third Formula One world title

Sebastian Vettel became the youngest triple champion in Formula One history on 25 November 2012.He stood sixth position in Brazilian Grand Prix with 8 points.But overall he got  F1 world  title for this season with 281 points. This is the third time consecutively  he got the F1 title.

India to hold 3rd World cup Kabaddi in December

Punjab would host 3rd World Kabaddi Cup from  1 to 15 December 2012. 23 countries are  participating in this world cup.The prize money for this world cup is Rs.4.54crores.

ECONOMY

Rs 6,000-cr fine on Tata Steel for illegal mining

The Odisha government imposed a fine  Rs 6,000 crore on Tata Steel  for its alleged involvement in “illegal and excess mining” at its captive mines.

India signs loan agreement with World Bank for USD 70 million

India  signed a 70-million US Dollar loan agreement with World Bank for financing the Karnataka Health Systems Development as well as Reform Project on 22 November 2012.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Indian diamond fetches 16.9 million euros at auction

A 76-carat flawless diamond from India’s famous Golconda mines broke world record by fetching a whooping 16.9 million euros (Rs 1,18,16,98,700) at an auction in Geneva on 14 November 2012.

Scientists Created a Paper-thin material that can stop bullets

A team of mechanical engineering and materials scientists from Rice University and MIT has created special nanomaterials that were able to stop bullets in the lab. The type of material, called a structured polymer composite, can actually self-assemble into alternating glassy and rubbery layers.

Solar System’s largest planet discovered

A team of astrophysicists had discovered an enormous gaseous planet that is 13 times more massive than Jupiter, earning the name “Super-Jupiter “ and is the largest planet in our own solar system.

India successfully test fires supersonic interceptor missile

India  successfully test-fired an indigenously developed supersonic interceptor missile, capable of destroying a hostile ballistic missile, from a test range off the Odisha coast on 23 November 2012.

Drug that can halt cancer spread

Scientists was developed a new drug called Aflibercept, for  stop the cancer cells from multiplying.

Pakistan tests nuclear-capable ballistic missile

Pakistan successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable ballistic missile called Hatf-V(Ghauri) on 28 November 2012 that can hit targets up to 1,300 km (807 miles) away.

Astronomers Discovered Giant black hole in tiny galaxy  

Astronomers claim to have discovered the most massive black hole ever known in a small galaxy about 250 million light-years from Earth, holding a mass equivalent to 17 billion Suns.The super-massive black hole is located inside the galaxy NGC 1277 in the constellation Perseus.It makes up about 14 per cent of its host galaxy’s mass, compared with the 0.1 per cent a normal black hole would represent, scientists said, adding that it has a mass equivalent to 17 billion Suns.

PERSONS IN NEWS

a) Appointments

Rakesh Mohan appointed as executive director on IMF board

Former RBI Deputy Governor Rakesh Mohan appointed as executive director on the board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

VK Malhotra re-elected Archery Association President

Vijay Kumar Malhotra was on 9th November 2012 re-elected as President of the Archery Association of India after beating Assam unit vice-president BVP Rao in Archery Association presidents elections.

Obama appoints Indian-American Rajiv Shah to head USAID

Indian-Americans won one of their highest-ever appointments in the US government when President Obama on 13 November 2012 nominated Dr Rajiv Shah as administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Anil Dev Singh appointed new chief of IOA election panel

Anil Dev Singh, retired Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court, appointed as the new Chairman of The Indian Olympic Association (IOA)  on 19 November 2012.

Scott Flemming named India’s basketball coach

The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) had appointed Scott Flemming, who brings along with him over 30 years of collegiate and professional experience in the United States, as the head coach of the men’s national team on 19 November 2012.

BBC appointed Tony Hall as new director general

Royal Opera House chief executive Tony Hall had appointed as director general of the BBC on 22 November 2012,replacing George Entwistle who resigned earlier this month in a burgeoning scandal over the corporations’ reporting of sexual abuse.

Ranjit Sinha appointed new CBI Director

Senior IPS officer Ranjit Sinha was  appointed the  Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation for two-year term on 22 November 2012.

Barbosa sworn in as first non-white President of Brazil’s Supreme Court

Joaquim Barbosa was sworn-in as Brazil’s Supreme Court’s first non-White President  on 23 November 2012 at a packed ceremony in the capital Brazilia . Barbosa, became famous in Brazil after overseeing one of the country’s biggest corruption trials involving key members of the former President Lula Da Silva’s government.

Alok Joshi new RAW chief

The Haryana cadre IPS officer  Alok Joshi was appointed head of India’s external intelligence gathering agency – Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) on 27 November 2012. Alok Joshi will take charge from S.K. Tripathi on December 30, 2012.

Luiz Felipe Scolari appointed new Brazil Football team coach

Brazilian Football Confederation  have appointed Luiz Felipe Scolari as the new coach for Brazil Football team  on 29 November 2012.

Mohan re-elected as vice president of IBSF

Capt Mohan, the president of the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India, was  re-elected as the vice president of the IBSF (International Billiard & Snooker Federation). The election took place at the Annual General Body meeting of International Billiards and Snooker Federation, at Sofia, Bulgaria on 29 November 2012.

b) Resigns

American CIA Director David Petraeus resigned

American Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) Director David Petraeus resigned on 10th November 2012 due illegal affair with Broadwell that was proved by the FBI in investigation.

BJP suspended Ram Jethmalani from party for ‘indiscipline’

The BJP  on 25 Novemebr 2012  suspended a  Rajya Sabha member  Ram Jethmalani from the party for  ”gross indiscipline”. He recently attacked the for for criticizing the appointment of the new CBI chief.

Ricky Ponting retired from international cricket

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has announced he will retire from international cricket at the end of the third Test against South Africa.He is the second highest run scorer in Test history behind Sachin Tendulkar.Ponting has scored 13,366 runs at an average of 52.21 in his career.

Yeddyyurappa quits  BJP, Assembly

The former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S.Yeddyurappa quits the BJP and resigned to the Legislative Assembly on 30 November 2012. He started his political career when he was elected as President of the Shikaripura Taluk erstwhile Jana Sangha in 1972. He won his first Assembly election in 1983 as BJP candidate. He became the first BJP chief minister in South India.

c) Deaths

Yerram Naidu senior TDP leader dies in road accident

K. Yerran Naidu, Telugu Desam Party’s senior leader and former union minister for rural development died in a car accident in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district on 2nd November 2012.

Cartoonist,T.Samuel passes away

Veteran cartoonist, T Samuel, a pioneer of pocket cartoons in India, passed  away on 2 November 2012. He worked for the famous newspapers like Times of India ,Indian Express and Nav Bharat Times etc.. He became famous as the creator of pocket cartoon “Babuji”.

BJP leader Kailashpati Mishra passes away

Veteran BJP leader and former governor of Gujarat and Rajasthan Kailashpati Mishra died  in Patna on 3rd November 2012.

Veteran freedom fighter V P Murthy Raju passes away

Freedom fighter and former Andhra Pradesh minister Ch V P Murthy Raju passed away in West Godavari district on 12th November 2012.Raju had been MLA for six terms and served as a minister when late P V Narasimha Rao was Chief Minister.

Ex-Minister KC Pant passes away

India’s former defence minister and Planning Commission deputy chairman Krishna Chandra Pant died on 15 November 2012.Pant was India’s defence minister between 1987 and 1989, when the Congress party was in power under then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Shiv Sena Chief Balasaheb Thackeray died

Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray died  in Mumbai on 17 November 2012.

Ajmal Kasab hanged, buried at Pune’s Yerwada Jail

Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab,  the only terrorist caught alive during the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai, was hanged at Pune’s Yerwada Jail on 21 November 2012.Two secret codes are used the government with respect to Kasab to maintain secrecy 1. Operation X:-Hanging code named Operation X. X stood for execution 2. C-7096 :-C-7096, the number by which Kasab was identified officially.

Nobel winner and organ transplant pioneer Joseph Murray passes away

Dr. Joseph Murray, the surgeon who carried out the first successful kidney transplant and later won a Nobel Prize for his work in medicine and physiology, died on 26 November 2012 in Boston.

India’s diplomatic politician and former PM IK Gujral passes away

“Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral  passed away on 30 November 2012 in Gujral. Born on 4 December, 1919 in Jhelum.IK Gujral started  as the Vice President in NDMC in the 1950s and  later became a Union Minister. Later He became the  India’s Ambassador to the USSR. Gujral, an intellectual who propounded the ‘Gujral Doctrine’ of five principles for maintaining good neighbourly relations, left the Congress to join the Janata Dal in the late-1980s. In the 1989 elections, Gujral was elected from Jalandhar parliamentary constituency in Punjab and he became Minister for External Affairs, first under V P Singh (in December 1989) and then under Deve Gowda (in June 1996). Later he became the 12th Prime Minister of India in April 1997 for one year. “

d) Visitors

William Hague on four day official visit to India

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of United Kingdom, Mr. William Hague will be on a four day official visit to India from 7th November 2012.During his visit Mr. Hague will discuss bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest with External Affairs Minister, Mr Salman Khurshid in New Delhi.

Canadian Prime Minister visited India

Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, visited the India from November 3rd to 9th, during his visit India and Canada  signed several agreements  including Civil Nuclear Deal, Social Security Agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in Information Technology and electronics and an agreement to boost bilateral cooperation in Defense Science and Technology.

Hamid Karzai arrived to India on four day visit

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai arrived to India on 9th November 2012 on a four-day visit.

Aung San Suu Kyi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh In New Delhi on 14 November,2012 during her 6 day visit to India.She then visited Shantivan to pay tribute to Jawaharlal Nehru.Later in the day, she will deliver the Nehru Memorial Lecture on the occasion of the former PM’s birth anniversary.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh went to Cambodia for South Asian summits

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh went to Cambodian capital Phnom Penh on 18 November 2012 to attend the ASEAN and East Asia Summits.

Barack Obama makes first US presidential visit to Burma

Barack Obama became the first American president  visited the Myanmar. He visited the Myanmar on 18 November 2012 and then went to Cambodia to attend the ASEAN and East Asia Summits.

e) Miscellaneous

Sunita Williams embarks on record 7th space walk

Indian-American Sunita Williams along with Flight Engineer Aki Hoshide  on 1st November 2012 ventured out of the International Space Station, adding to her record-setting space walking sojourns, to find an ammonia leak in the vital radiator system.

China invites Abdul Kalam to teach at Peking University

China invited APJ Abdul Kalam to teach at Peking University

Irom Sharmila, the Iron Lady of Manipur completed 12 Years of Fast

Iron Lady from Manipur, Irom Sharmila on 5 November 2012 completed 12 years of her fast demanding for cancellation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958  (AFSPA). She blames AFPSA as the main cause for violence in the state of Manipur and other parts of Northeastern India.

Life Ban on Mohammad Azharuddin Lifted by Andhra Pradesh High Court

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on 8 November 2012 lifted the life ban from playing Cricket on Mohammad Azharuddin which was imposed by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Year 2000.

Ramanujan’s genius Proved by US Mathematician

Ramanujan’s genius Proved to the world  by  Ken Ono of Emory University in Atlanta on the occasion 125th Birth Anniversary of Ramanujan.Ken Ono of Emory University proved the Ramanujan’s formula of  outputs  for the roots of 1 like the square root —1.

Cancer charity drops Armstrong name

Lance Armstrong’s cancer charity removed the former cycling champion Lance Armstrong’s name from its title. The Lance Armstrong Foundation now officially known as the Livestrong Foundation.

Burma’s Suu Kyi Named New UN Ambassador

The United Nations announced Myanmar’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as an ambassador to its program on HIV/AIDS. Suu Kyi accepted the invitation to head the program during a meeting with UNAIDS executive director Michel Sidibé.

PLACES IN NEWS

Earthquake in Guatemala

Guatemalans hit by A powerful earthquake with a magnitude  of 7.4   on 8th November 2012.

Mumbai’s Sufi shrine Haji Ali Dargah bans entry of women

The management of Mumbai’s iconic Sufi shrine Haji Ali Dargah, which is visited by thousands of devotees every year, has restricted the entry of women.

Strong Earthquake strikes Myanmar

A strong earthquake  with magnitude of 6.8 hit the Myanmar on 11th November 2012 .

North Island New Zealand volcano Mt Tongariro erupts

New Zealand’s Mount Tongariro volcano in the central North Island  erupted on 21 November 2012.

ABBREVIATIONS IN NEWS

AITA—-All India Tennis Association.

IOR-ARC— Indian Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation

SAARC—-South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation

USAID—-United States Agency for International Development

IAAF—–International Amateur Athletic Federation.

BOOKS IN NEWS

Vice President Releases Series of Books Granthavali

The Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari  released a collection of writing and works -Granthavali of late Dr Dineshnandini Dalmia in New Delhi on 2nd November 2012.

Saina Nehwal autobiography book released by Gagan Narang

Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal , Ace shooter Gagan Narang and badminton player Parupalli Kashyap released book  autobiography of Saina Nehwal “Playing to win-My life on and off the court ”  in Hyderabad on 7 November 2012.

Yuvi – book on Yuvraj released

“The book on Indian Cricketer Yuvraj Singh named Yuvi was released in third week of November 2012. Yuvi, the book on Yuvraj Singh is published by Harper Sport and written by Makarand Waingankar. The book illustrates the brilliance of cricket shown by Yuvraj Singh in his career as a cricketer and the way he recovered from Cancer.

Chief of the Air Staff and Chairman COSC Air Chief Marshal Nak Browne Releases Book

Chief of the Air Staff and Chairman COSC Air Chief Marshal Nak Browne Releases Book titled “VICTORY INDIA – A Key to Quality Military Leadership” on 20 November 2012.The book is a collection of well written contributory articles by military experts.The book focuses on the process of identification, selection and training of our dynamic youth to mould them into inspiring effective quality military leaders.

Amitav Ghosh, Jeet Thayil shortlisted for literature prize

Six books including “River of Smoke” by Amitav Ghosh, “Narcopolis” by Jeet Thayil and “The Wandering” by Pakistan-based author Jamil Ahmad, have been shortlisted for the DSC South Asian Literature Prize 2013.The finalist will be announced at the DSC Jaipur Literature Festival January 2013.

COMMITTEESS IN NEWS

Pope Benedict XVI appoints six non-European cardinals for Pope selection committee

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed six priests from non-European countries to be cardinals, at a service in the Vatican’s St Peter’s Basilica.From India Baselios Cleemis Thottumkal, head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church  was selected as a one of the Cardinal for the pope selection committee.

DAYS & DATES

UN declared November 10th as “Malala Day”

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon  declared November 10 as ‘Malala Day’

Celebration of “Water Conservation Day” on 19th November 2012

National Integration Day is celebrated on 19th November to mark the birth anniversary of late Mrs Indira Gandhi, the 1st woman Prime Minister of India. On this occasion Union Ministry of Water Resources has decided to celebrate “Water Conservation Day” on 19th November 2012 to create awareness regarding concern about depleting water resources & its vision for the water underlining the Ministry’s commitment to be an active contributor to the sustainability of this very important natural resource.