Last six months_current_affairs_2012-13

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Last Six months Current affairs 2012-13 for IBPS Specialist Officer’s and SBI PO Exam

For all Competitive Exams Current Affairs Section

Current Affairs Study Material for Month of

 August 2012
 September 2012
 October 2012
 November 2012
 December 2012
 January 2013

Content:

1. International
2. India and World
3. National
4. States
5. Conferences
6. Awards and Honours
7. Sports News
8. Economy
9. Science & Technology
10. Persons in news
11. Places In News
12. Abbreviations
13. Books in news
14. Committees

About This Material:

This Material Specially Dedicated for Bank Job Aspirants. Source: Web

International

1. Somalia Assembly Passes the Endorses Draft Constitution :Somalia Constitution on
1 august 2012 endorsed a draft constitution billed a key step to ending the decades of the
civil war. The Horn of Africa country’s outgoing government hailed the end of an eight-year
interim period. Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali expressed happy and announced that
Somalia has from now, left the transitional period. The special assembly chosen by
traditional elders in a U.N.-backed process took eight days to debate and vote on the new
Constitution, as the graft-riddled government approaches the end of its mandate on
August 20.
2. Myanmar abolished Direct Media Censorship : Myanmar on 20 august 2012 he latest
dramatic reform by its quasi-civilian regime, but journalists face other formidable
restrictions including a ban on private daily newspapers and a pervasive culture of self-
censorship. Under the new acts journalists no longer have to submit reports to state
censors before publication, ending a practice strictly enforced during nearly half a century
of military rule that ended in March last year. Previously, every song, book, cartoon, news
report and planned piece of art required approval by teams of censors rooting out political
messages and criticisms of one of Asia’s most repressive governments.
3. China to shut hundreds of coal mines this year : The State Administration of Work
Safety (SAWS) said the country(China) aims to close another 625 small coal mines this

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year in an attempt to reduce the number of deadly accidents, as the death toll in latest
coal mine explosion mounted to 43, raising concerns over safety
4. Pakistan Supreme Court annulled New Law Protecting the Prime Minister:
Supreme Court of Pakistan on 3 August 2012 annulled the new law called Contempt of
Court Act 2012(COCA 2012). Pakistan’s Supreme Court 3 August 2012 struck down a law
designed to protect the new prime minister from being charged with contempt and thrown
out of office like his predecessor. The court ousted the previous prime minister, Yousuf
Raza Gilani, from office in June by charging him with contempt of court for failing to
reopen corruption proceedings against President Asif Zardari.
5. OIC suspended Syria: The Organisation Islamic Cooperation(OIC) suspended Syria on
16th August 2012 saying the Muslim world can no longer accept a government that
“massacres its people”,further isolating the embattled regime.
6. Senkaku Islands became the Bone of Contention between China and Japan : Ten
Japanese on 23 August 2012, made an unauthorized landing on Uotsuri, which is known in
Japan as the Senkaku Islands and in China as the Diaoyu Islands. The uninhabited islands
surrounded by rich fishing grounds are controlled by Japan but also claimed by China and
Taiwan.The Senkaku Islands dispute engulfs in itself a territorial dispute on a group of
uninhabited islands. Of the ten Japanese people who visited the island, five were
apparently conservative local assembly members.The Senkaku Islands are located in the
East China Sea between Japan, and the Republic of China. The archipelago contains five
uninhabited islands.
7. Smita Shah first Indian-American to serve as DNC parliamentarian : Smita Shah a
close supporter of US President Barack Obama, is vice-chair of the Chicago Plan
Commission, become the first Indian-American to serve as a Democratic National
Convention parliamentarian on 5th September 2012.As per the publically available
documents, Smita has been an applauded donor to the campaign of the Democratic Party
and Obama.
8. US strikes Nepal Maoists from terror blacklist : On 06th September 2012 US has
lifted sanctions and removed the Communist party of Nepal(Maoists) Organization of Nepal
from the list of designated terrorist organisation,years after the rebels abandoned their
named struggle and entered open politics and signed a peace treaty.
9. U.S. designates Haqqani network a terrorist group : The United States said on 7th
September 2012 it is designating the Pakistan-based Haqqani network a terrorist
organization, triggering sanctions against a group American officials blame for high-profile
attacks in Afghanistan, and which they say has ties to the Pakistani state.
10. Army in Egypt reports 32 deaths in Sinai crackdown : Egyptian armed forces have
killed 32 “criminal elements” since launching an operation against Islamist militants in
Sinai on 8th September 2012.
11. Canada cuts diplomatic ties with Iran : John Baird,Foreign minister Canada said:
“[Iran] is among the world’s worst violators of human rights; and it shelters and materially
supports terrorist groups, requiring the government of Canada to formally list Iran as a
state sponsor of terrorism under the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act.Canada cuts
diplomatic ties with Iran.So, Canada has closed its embassy in Tehran and ordered the
expulsion of Iranian diplomats from Ottawa, partly because of the country’s backing of the
Syrian regime.
12. Somalia gets a new president : Somalia’s parliament elected Hassan Sheikh Mohamud
as the new leader for the African nation on 10th September 2012.
13. Japan to buy disputed East China Sea islands : The uninhabited islands, known as
Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, have long been a source of friction. Japan and
China have competing territorial claims to the islets and surrounding fishing areas and
potentially rich gas deposits.The Japanese government will buy the islets for 2.05 billion
yen ($26.15 million) and the owners will sign a contract soon.
14. Biggest Fire Accident in Karachi 290 Members Die : At least 290 people have been
confirmed dead in a fire that broke out in a garment factory in Karachi on 11th September
2012 night.
15. Bill Gates remains the richest in U.S.: Forbes : Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has
retained his position as the richest person in America for the 19th year in a row this year,
according to Forbes’ annual ranking of the nation’s 400 super rich people who have a
combined net worth of $1.7 trillion.Five Indian-Americans, including Silicon Valley venture
capitalist Vinod Khosla and founder of IT major Syntel, Bharat Desai (ranked 239),Founder
and Chairman of the Symphony Technology Group Romesh Wadhwani(ranked 250),

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Google board member and shareholder Kavitark Ram Shriram (ranked 298),Founder and
CEO of the popular energy drink ‘5-hour energy’ Manoj Bhargava(ranked 311).
16. Zardari, Hillary discuss India-Pak trade ties : Improving trade ties between Pakistan
and India, terrorism and violent anti-U.S. protests were among a host of issues that
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari discussed with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
when they met NewYork on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly session on 25th
September 2012.
17. Buddhist temples attacked in Bangladesh: Thousands of Bangladeshi Muslims set fire
to at least 10 Buddhist temples and 40 homes in Ramu town and its adjoining villages —
some 350 km from Dhaka in anger over a Facebook photo of a burned Quran on 30th
September 2012.
18. 32 killed in blasts across Iraq : A wave of bombings and shootings in Iraq on 30th
September 2012 killed at least 32 people and wounded 104 .The violence was centred in
Baghdad and the surrounding areas of Taji, Madain and Tarmiyah.
19. Worldwide protests against the film “Innocence of Muslims” : The attacks will be
continued on 14th September 2012 also in several countries, including Egypt, Iran, Kuwait
and Saudi Arabia due the release of the film Innocence of Muslims.UN Secretary General
Ban Ki-moon has denounced as “hateful” an anti-Islam movie produced in the United
States.
20. Russia to mine super hard diamonds: Russia has declassified a huge deposit of unique
super hard diamonds that dwarf the global reserves of the precious stone and can meet
the worldwide demand for another 3,000 years.The deposit, located in an asteroid crater
120 km in diameter, has been kept under wraps for nearly 40 decades as the Soviet Union
mined enough diamonds elsewhere and also produced synthetic diamonds.
21. Imran Khan on anti-drone ‘peace march’ to tribal belt : Imran Khan on 6th October
2012 set off on a motorcade “peace march” to the terrorists-riddled South Waziristan to
protest US drone strikes in the tribal belt.
22. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Re-Elected for fourth term : Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez has been re-elected for the third term. Mr Chavez defeated
opposition leader Henrique Capriles. Mr Chavez garnered 54.42 per cent of the vote while
his rival bagged 44 per cent votes.
23. Pakistani youth support Malala Yousufzai : Pakistani teenaged rights campaigner,
Malala Yousafzai, who was on 14th October 2012 shot by the Taliban for publicly opposing
them against the girl education.She got the support from all over the world.
24. Ali Zidan elected Libya PM : Libya’s 200-member General National Congress has elected
a former congressman and human rights lawyer Ali Zidan as the country’s new Prime
Minister on 14th October 2012.
25. Austrian skydiver breaks sound barrier : Austrian national Felix Baumgartner, who
jumped from a height of 39 km, became the first skydiver to record the highest ever
freefall and also the first human to go faster than the speed of sound.
26. Five New Non-Permanent Member Countries Elected to UN Security Council : UN
General Assembly elected five new non-permanent members to the Security Council. The
New Members are South Korea, Luxembourg, Argentina, Australia and Rwanda.
27. Iran bans export of 50 basic foods to preserve supplies : Iran has banned the export
of around 50 basic goods in order to preserve supplies of essential items in the wake of
tightening Western sanctions
28. 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.
29. 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.
30. 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.
31. 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.
32. 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.

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33. 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.
34. 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.
35. Mahama Re-elected as Ghana’s President : On 10 December Ghana’s incumbent
President John Dramani Mahama of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has
won the country’s presidential election.Mahama took 50.70 percent of the total valid votes
cast, while his closest challenger, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic
Party (NPP) obtained 47.74 percent.With his re-election, Mahama becomes the fourth
president to be elected under the Forth Republic.He had served as Ghana’s vice president
since 2009.
36. UN, Pakistan Launched ‘Malala Fund’ : Pakistan joined forces with the United Nations
on 10 December 2012 to launch a fund aimed at boosting girls’ education throughout the
world.The fund is named for Malala Yousafzai, the 15-year-old Pakistani girl. Pakistan’s
President Asif Ali Zardari also announced a $10-million donation for a global war chest to
educate all girls by 2015 set up in the name of Malala Yousafzai for campaigning for girls’
education.
37. Shinzo Abe Elected As Japan’s New PM : The former Prime Minister and the Leader of
LDP Shinzo Abe elected as a Prime Minister with a clear victory over the Prime Minister
and leader of the Democratic Party of Japan(DPJ) Yoshihiko Noda in the Parliamentary
Elections on 26 December 2012.The lawmakers in Japan voted in favour of Abe by 328
votes. Opponent Banri Kaieda, the newly chosen leader of DPJ received merely 57 votes.
38. Jacob Zuma re-elected as South Africa’s President : South Africa’s ruling African
National Congress on 18 December 2012 re-elected President Jacob Zuma as the party
chief with a thumping majority. Mr.Zuma received the support of over 75 per cent of the
total voting delegates at the ANC National Conference held in Bloemfontein. Juma was
Deputy President of South Africa from 1999 to 2005
39. Park elected South Korean President : Park Guen-hye, the daughter of former military
dictator Park Chung-hee, beat her opponent on 19 December 2012 in the South Korean
presidential elections. Park is the country’s first woman President. She is the former head
of the ruling Conservative Saenuri Party, had secured the necessary votes and defeated
Moon Jae-in, of the Democratic United Party.
40. Pak Cleared Anti-terror Bill : On 20 December Pakistan’s National Assembly passed a
bill that will give intelligence and security agencies sweeping powers to conduct
surveillance and collect data from SMS’s and emails.The National Assembly or lower house
of parliament approved the “”Fair Trial Bill 2012 “” after incorporating amendments
proposed by the main opposition PML-N and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which is part
of the ruling coalition led by the Pakistan People’s Party.
41. U.S. House Passed Defense Bill : On 20 December US (United States) House of
Representatives passed the Defence Authorization Act of 2013. The bill authorizing 633.3
billion – dollar in defense spending for 2013, easing limits on satellite exports and
providing more Marines for embassy security.
42. Napolitano Dissolved Italian Parliament : On 22 December Italian President Giorgio
Napolitano dissolved Parliament following the resignation of Prime Minister Mario Monti.
Italian Government under the leadership of Mario Monti brought forward a series of
austerity reforms backed by EU and business leaders.
43. Morsi signed on Egypt’s New Constitution : On 25 December Egyptian President
Mohamed Morsi signed into law a new Islamist-drafted constitution. He signed a
declaration enforcing the charter late after the official announcement of the result of a
referendum approving the basic law. Two-thirds of the members of the 270-seat council
were elected earlier this year in a vote in which only 12 per cent of registered voters
participated. The remaining 90 were appointed by Mohamed Morsi, the Islamist president.
44. Pakistan Recognised the Republic of Kosovo : On 26 December Pakistan Government
officially recognised Kosovo as an independent state, almost five years after it declared
independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008. Pakistan is the 98th country among the

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193 U.N-member states to recognise Kosovo .Kosovo is a small south east European state
lies between Albania, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro.
45. Palestinian Authority to be Named ‘State of Palestine’ : On 7 January Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has signed a decree changing the name of the
Palestinian Authority to the “”State of Palestine,”" according to the organization’s official
news agency.
46. Pakistani Supreme Court Orders Arrest of Prime Minister : On 15 January 2013
Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the prime minister in connection with a
corruption case linked to power projects. The Supreme Court gave authorities 24 hours to
arrest Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and 16 others.This is the first in the history of
Pakistan to arrest a Prime Minister. The orders of the Court came following the allegations
in connection with a corruption case linked to power projects, done during his office of the
Water and Power Minister.
47. Obama Signed 23 Executive Orders on Gun Safety : On 16 January President Barack
Obama announced 23 executive actions on gun control laws, making them stricter,which
would come into effect immediately after his signatures. One of these measures include
requiring the target shooters to keep their guns locked and also to ban military-style
assault weapons, high capacity magazine as well as to make the background check
mandatory.Obama announced that this was his attempt to keep children safe, keeping in
view the massacre of Newtown where 20 first grade children along with six adults were
killed.
48. 140 Nations Agreed On Global Mercury Limits : On 19 January , More than 140
nations have agreed on the first legally binding treaty to curb mercury pollution.Delegates
at UN discussed in Geneva approved measures to control the use of the highly toxic metal,
which is widely used in chemical production and small-scale mining, in order to limit
mercury emissions.The governments agreed to ban the production, export and import of a
range of products containing mercury by 2020.The treaty has been discussed for four
years, but it is only now that the negotiators agreed over the final version of the
document. The treaty, known as the Minamata Convention on Mercury, provides controls
and reductions across a range of products and processes where mercury is used, released
and emitted.
49. Milos Zeman Elected as Czech Republic new President : On 25 January A leftist
candidate Milos Zeman won the Czech Republic’s first presidential election decided by
direct vote.Milos Zeman, a former prime minister and head of the Citizens’ Rights Party,
won with 54.8% of the vote.He defeated Karel Schwarzenberg, an aristocratic foreign
minister with the TOP09 party, who garnered 45.2%.Zeman replaces Vaclav Klaus, who
must step down after serving the maximum of two terms.

INDIA & WORLD

1. EC signs MoU with South Korean counterpart : The Election Commission of India on
01 August 2012 signed an MoU with its South Korean counterpart to help each other in
strengthening the electoral processes and political culture. The Memorandum of
Understanding was signed by Chief
Election Commissioner of India V S Sampath on behalf of the poll panel and by Justice
Nung Hwan Kim of the Republic of Korea at a brief ceremony. This is the 13th MoU signed
by ECI with other countries and international election panels.
2. India-Israel Sign MoU on research programme : India and Israel on 02 August 2012
entered into a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for launching a programme that
would promote collaborative research across a wide range of disciplines from medical and
information technology to social sciences, humanities and arts. The programme, which will
run for five years will provide support up to $1,00,000 a research project for three years
.The MoU was signed by Chairman of the Israel science Foundation professor Benjamin
Geiger and Chairman of University Grants Commission ved Prakash.
3. India, Monaco ink tax information exchange agreement :Tata Communications’
payment solutions providing arm has bagged an exclusive order to install and manage
nearly 14,000 ATMs for all public sector banks in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West
Bengal,Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands by 2013—14.”Government of India

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and Government of Principality of Monaco have signed a Tax
Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) on 02.August 2012″.
4. 4. India, Iran & Afghanistan to expand trade,transit through Chabahar port: India,
Iran and Afghanistan have moved one step closer to expand their trade and economic ties.
At a trilateral meeting in Teheran, they agreed to work for expanding trade, investment
and transit cooperation through Chabahar port in Iran. A joint working group consisting of
the representatives of the three countries will meet within the next three months in
Chabahar to expedite the process.
5. 5.India to help Sri Lanka set up SEZs :India will help Sri Lanka establish a special
economic zone to manufacture auto components in Trincomaee, commerce minister Anand
Sharma said in colombo on 03 August 2012. The SEZ would promote exports to the
production chains in India.
6. 6. Indian Scientist , Amitabh Ghosh in NASA team helped choose Curiosity’s
landing site : An Indian scientist, Amitabh Ghosh part of the NASA team which had
identified the landing site of the ‘Curiosity’ rover on Mars on 6August 2012 described the
Spot as “very exciting and holding “great promise”.
7. Pakistan asked India to register Oil Marketing: Companies (OMCs) with Pakistan
State Oil In the wake of New Delhi’s decision to allow pakistani investments, Islamabad
has asked India to register its oil marketing companies(OMCs) with Pakistani State Oil to
take part in spot tenders for
supply of petroleum products such as petrol,diesel, furnace oil and petcoke.
8. India Ranked Second in Search Queries for Education on Google :Indian Ranked
second in education queries on Google.After the US, Indian people from IIT Delhi and IIM
Ahmadabad were the most searched in their respective categories. India was Ranked 8th
in 2008, at present it is behind only to the US.
9. TB screening for Indians seeking UK visa :From August 16, Indians planning to travel
to UK for more than six months will be screened for tuberculosis before they are given a
visa under a pre-entry TB screening programme extended to India. However, the
screening will not be required for those travelling for six months or less.The Home Office
announced that all such applicants would be required to submit a certificate from a local
clinic approved by the British Government to show that they are “TB-free’’. There will be a
fee of Rs 1500 for screening, to be borne by the applicant.
10. India gets first Embraer jet with Indian airborne radar tech : India, with taking the
delivery of the first Embraer 145 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) in Brazil on
17 August 2012, moved one more step ahead in aerial security.India and Brazil signed a
deal reportedly worth $ 210 million for the supply of three aircraft by 2014. This includes a
comprehensive logistic package that entails training, technical support, supply of spare
parts and ground support equipment.
11. Government extends ban on import of milk, milk products from China :The Food
Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has recommended the extension of the
ban till June 2013 or until further orders.The banned milk products include chocolate,
chocolate products, candies, confectionery, food preparations with milk or milk solids as
ingredient.
12. Sonia is Sixth in Forbes list of 100 most powerful Women : The Forbes magazine on
22nd August 2012 ranked united progressive Alliance(UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi the
sixth most powerful woman in the world in the list of 100women.Germany Chancellor
Angela Merkel got the first place. United States Secretary Hillary Clinton got the second
place and Michelle Obama got the 7th Place.
13. Ranking by World Bank : As per the World Bank Report, India has been ranked at 132
amongst the sample 183 Countries.Recognising the need for Reforming the Regulatory
Environment for doing business in India, a Committee under the Chairmanship of Shri.
M.Damodaran has been constituted on 23 August 2012 by this ministry to extensively
examine different areas
of root functioning such as financial reforms, governance reforms, liberalized policy
framework,process reforms etc, and to suggest a roadmap for improving business climate
in India.
14. Pak hails India’s move to allow FDI : Pakistan 01 August 2012 welcomed India’s
decision to allow Pakistani Foreign Direct Investment, saying the move will create goodwill
and give a boost to efforts to normalise bilateral relations. Foreign Office spokesman
Moazzam Khan welcomed the Indian government’s decision to allow Pakistani investments
in all areas except defence, space and atomic energy. Pakistan can explore sectors like

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cement, textiles and sports for investments in India. Besides, the FDI proposals from
Pakistan need to be cleared from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).
15. America Court Summons to Parkash Singh Badal : Punjab Chief Minister Parkash
Singh Badal, who was served summons by a US court last month in a case of alleged
custodial torture and extra judicial killings of Sikhs, has sought dismissal of the motion
against him or additional time of 90 days to defend the charges.The US District Court for
the Eastern District of Wisconsin had issued Summons against Badal on August 8 when he
was in Wisconsin on a private visit to attend a marriage ceremony.
16. No mobile connection for more than 3 months to any foreign tourist: Government
: To check misuse of SIM cards, the government has asked Telecom Service Providers not
to provide mobile connection for more than three months to any foreign tourist visiting
India.According to the fresh guidelines, which have come into effect recently, the
Department of Telecom (DoT) has told the service providers that the proof for issuance of
a mobile connection to any foreigner would be the passport having a valid visa.
17. India, Pakistan to ink 3 pacts to boost economic activity :Hoping that the
forthcoming visit of External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna would lead to a liberal visa
regime agreement, Commerce and Industry Minister, Anand Sharma, on 04th September
2012, said India and Pakistan would soon ink three agreements in the areas of customs
co-operation, mutual recognition of standards and redressal of trade issues to give a fillip
to economic activity.
18. India, China to resume joint military exercises : India and China announced on 04th
September 2012 they would resume joint military exercises after a four-year gap, a move
designed to build trust in the often prickly relationship between the world’s two most
populous nations.
19. Five Indian firms in Forbes list of world’s most innovative companies : Five Indian
companies including Larsen & Toubro, Hindustan Unilever and Infosys are ranked on
Forbes magazine’s list of “The World’s Most Innovative Companies” topped by four US
companies.Larsen & Toubro got the ninth rank,Hindustan Unilever got the 12th rank,
Infosys got 19th rank,Tata Consultancy Services got 29th rank and Sun Pharmaceutical
Industries got 38th rank.Four US companies- Cloud computing king Salesforce.com, drug
major Alexion Pharmaceuticals, internet retail giant Amazon.com and open source software
leader Red Hat took the top four places.
20. India, Pakistan ink visa agreement : Pakistan and India have announced on 8th
September 2012 that they will ease tough visa restrictions, an important step forward in
improving relations between the nuclear armed neighbours.
21. ECIL to supply converters to international science centre : Public sector electronic
manufacturing firm, Electronic Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), has been selected to
supply power converters to the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR), an
international science centre at Darmstadt near Frankfurt in Germany.ECIL signed a
bilateral contract for supply of convertors with Bose Institute, designated nodal agency to
coordinate between various departments involved in the project.Accordingly, ECIL would
be involved in design, development, manufacturing and supply of around 500 ultra stable
power converters that cost around 7.5 million Euros (about Rs. 50 crore) of the total
Indian contribution of around 36 million Euros.
22. Onno Ruhl appointed World Bank country director for India : The World Bank has
appointed Onno Ruhl as the country director for India. He will replace Roberto Zagha, who
retires in October. Ruhl, a Dutch national, was previously the director for operation
services and quality in the South Asia region of the World Bank, the multi-lateral funding
agency.
23. Saudi Arabia, India hold talks on defence ties : The first meeting of the India-Saudi
Arabia joint committee on defence cooperation was held on 10th September 2012 at New
Delhi and both sides discussed proposals for exchange of high-level visits, training and
functional exchanges in various areas.
24. India pledges $10-million for Palestine : The Prime Minister Manmohan 11th
September 2012 announced to an assistance of $10 million to Palestine’s budget for this
year to help address its financial requirements.Prime Minister made this announcement
after signing three bilateral pacts – the areas of information and communication
technology, vocational training and education with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas,
who is at present in New Delhi for his three-day long state visit.
25. India, Pakistan trade bodies sign Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) : The
Islamabad Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry(IWCCI)and the Punjab, Haryana

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and Delhi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) on 12th September 2012 signed
an MoU to promote trade and investment and improve linkages between business
communities of the two countries.
26. Highest under-5 deaths in India : In the Child Mortality Estimates Report 2012
published by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), India was placed at the top position
in the chart of 10 countries that topped on the chart. The other countries with their names
on the chart are Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, China, Pakistan, Indonesia,
Ethiopia, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
27. Delhi, Mumbai among least expensive cities around world : A report released Friday
by the Swiss bank UBS, covering 72 cities in 58 countries Capital Delhi and financial hub
Mumbai are the least expensive cities and Tokyo is the most expensive city for food in the
world.
28. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation won work in Jakarta Metro Rail Project : Delhi Metro
has bagged the work of Management Consulting Services for building the Phase- I of
Jakarta Mass Rapid System in Indonesia.This is the first time that Delhi Metro has got a
project outside the country since its inception in 1997.
29. Afghanistan, US, India hold first trilateral meeting : India, Afghanistan and the US
held their first trilateral meeting in New York on 25th September 2012.The major point of
discussion was on the situation in Afghanistan along with the issue of terrorism.
30. India ranks lower than China in global food security index : India has been ranked
66, much lower than neighbouring China, in the 2012 Global Food Security Index released
by the American chemical company DuPont on 26th September 2012.India is ranked 66 ,
China (ranked 39) , Sri Lanka (ranked 62),Pakistan (ranked 75) and Bangladesh ( ranked
81) in the list of 105 countries.
31. India, Australia signs MoU to strengthen bilateral cooperation : India and Austrlia
has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 1st October 2012 for strengthening
long-term relationship and bilateral Cooperation on Road and Rail Infrastructure.The
agreement was signed between the Minister of Railways and Road Transport and
Highways, Dr. C.P.Joshi and visiting Federal Minister of Transport, Innovation and
Technology of Austrlia, Mrs. Doris Burse in New Delhi.
32. India, Austrlia tie up to develop ‘smart cities’ : India tie up with Austrlia to develop
two “smart cities” in all states with a host of modern features like intelligent transport and
carbon neutral status in each of the states in the second phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru
National Urban Renewal mission.Initially half a million to one million population cities will
be developed as smart cities with the help of Austrian Institute of Technology who is
expertise in this field.
33. India gets $500 mn World Bank fund for secondary education : World Bank, the
multilateral lending agency, and the government of India 5th October signed a loan
agreement worth $ 500 million for Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) in the
country.
34. India lags behind China, Pak in reducing hunger level :India lags behind
neighbouring China, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in reducing hunger level, says the 2012 Global
Hunger Index (GHI) released by US-based International Food Policy and Research
Institute.India is ranked 65th out of 79 countries in GHI, behind China at 2nd place,
Pakistan at 57 and Sri Lanka at 37.
35. IOC signs MoU with Korea Gas : Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), on 17th October 2012,
entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Korea Gas Corporation (Kogas)
for jointly exploring opportunities in exploration of oil and gas and LNG business.
36. Cabinet clears Rs 8,000cr missile purchase for armed forces : Proposals worth over
Rs 8,000 crore for procuring around 10,000 ‘Invar’ missiles from Russia for the Army’s T-
90 tanks and over 200 air-launched versions of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles for
the IAF were cleared on 18th October 2012 by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
37. India and Australia Sign Four Agreements of Cooperation : India and Australia
agreed to expand cooperation in security and Defence including fight against
terrorism.They also agreed to begin negotiations for an agreement on Civil Nuclear Energy
Cooperation which will precede actual cooperation. Both the countries also signed four
agreements in the field of space science technology and education, cooperation in student
mobility and welfare, skill development and textiles.
38. Iran to complete gas pipeline work by year-end : Iran has said it was for India and
Pakistan to sort out issues related to the proposed Indo-Iran gas pipeline, even as it

8


committed itself to complete its part of 800 km of gas pipeline to India till Irani boundaries
by the end of this year.
39. India, New Zealand sign five pacts to cooperate in field of education : India and
New Zealand signed five Memoranda of Understanding in the different fields of education
on 19th October 2012.
40. India, Switzerland to cooperate in Transport sector : India and Switzerland on 19th
October 2012 discussed ways and means for enhancing cooperation in the field of
Transport sector including roads and Railways.
41. India & Pakistan may introduce a common currency called “Papee” : After taking
into consideration the decade long success of Euro, and due to increasing demands of
businessmen of India (and terrorists of Pakistan), both countries’ ruling leaders (i.e.
India’s UPA, and Pakistan’s Military) are thinking about introducing a common currency for
India and Pakistan.The name with the highest votes , is a word derived by adding “pa”
from ‘Pa’kistan and “pee” from Indian Ru’pee’ i.e. “Papee”
42. Hyderabad is world’s 3rd best city to visit in 2013 : Hyderabad has been named as
one of the best cities in the world to visit in 2013 by travel guide book Lonely Planet
published on 22nd October 2012.The top 10 cities according to Lonely Planet to visit in
2013 are San Francisco, Amsterdam, Hyderabad, Derry/Londonderry, Beijing,
Christchurch, Hobart, Montreal, Addis Ababa and Puerto Iguazu.
43. India, Japan focus on expanding defence cooperation : India and Japan on 22nd
October 2012 discussed ways to expand their security and defence cooperation at a
meeting of their foreign and defence secretaries in Tokyo.
44. ‘Super 30’ ties up with Tokyo University : The ‘Super 30’ programme for training
students of the backward sections for the IIT-JEE tied up on 24th October 2012 with the
University of Tokyo, which will sponsor study of its students in Japan.This agreement is a
follow-up of the Japanese Government Program named Global 30, of engagement with
Super 30 for increasing the flow of Indian Students to Japan.
45. 7th SAFF begins in Goa: The Seventh South Asia Film Festival (SAFF)-2012 held at
Panaji in Goa from.
46. India-US-Japan trilateral meet : The US’ ‘pivot-to-Asia’ policy, Iran, China-Japan
maritime dispute and South China Sea will be among the issues to be discussed during the
3rd round of India-US-Japan Trilateral dialogue in New Delhi on 29th October 2012. The
meet will also focus on finding areas of cooperation between the three countries.
47. India to give financial assistance to Nepal’s Palpa District :India is to provide an
assistance of four crore and thirty-three lakh Nepali rupees for Palpa District in Western
Nepal on 31st October 2012.
48. 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.
49. 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.
50. 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.
51. 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.
52. 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.
53. 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.

9


54. 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.
55. 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.
56. 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.
57. 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”.
58. 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.
59. 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.
60. 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.
61. 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.
62. 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.
63. Nitish Kumar, Hazare, Malala Among “The Top 100 Global Thinkers” List : On 2
December According to the United States-based Foreign Policy magazine has released its
list of the “100 Top Global Thinkers” from 2012. The magazine has placed the Indians in
the list include Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who features way below at the 77th
place, Anna Hazare who has been placed at the 37th position for his anti-corruption
crusade in the country. 15-year-old Pakistani child rights activist Malala Yousafzai at 6th
position, Aung San Suu Kyi is ranked first in list.
64. Bangladesh Agreed on Zero Line Fencing along Tripura Border : On 2 December
Bangladesh had agreed to set up barbed wire fencing along zero line in nine stretches on
the Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura. According to the MHA communique, fencing along
zero line was to be allowed in 9 areas.
65. India & Japan Signed Currency Swap Agreement : India signed a bilateral swap
arrangement (BSA) with the Bank of Japan to swap their local currencies for an amount of
$15 billion for a three year period on 4 December 2012.The BSA will effect from 5
December 2012.
66. India is Among Top Five Terror-Hit Nations : The Australian think tank released The
Global Terrorism Index (GTI) on 4 December 2012, according to this GTI, India, Pakistan
and Afghanistan were among the nations most impacted by terrorism in 2011. In 2011,
the Middle East, India, Pakistan and Russia were the areas most impacted by terrorism.
India’s GTI rank was 4 out of the 159 countries surveyed. While Iraq stood at number1,
Pakistan at number 2, Afghanistan at number 3 and Yemen was number 5.
67. Bangalore Best Indian City To Live : Bangalore ranks better than New Delhi, Mumbai,
Chennai and Kolkata amongst Indian cities in overall global quality of living index,

10


according to a Mercer 2012 Quality of Living Survey.Bangalore’s overall quality of living
rank went up from 141 in 2011 to 139 in 2012 and is highest amongst other Indian cities.
68. India Ranked 94th Position in Corruption : Denmark, Finland and New Zealand
tied for the first place in watchdog Transparency International’s 2012 index of the least
corrupt countries. India is on 94th position in the Corruption Perceptions Index. Most
corrupted nations are Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia in 174th positions.
69. US Extends Exemptions For India to Iran Oil Sanctions : On 8 December the US
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has extended exemptions to India, China ,South Korea,
Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Taiwan from Iranian Sanctions
Act mainly because of their significant reduction in oil import from Iran.The 9 countries
have again qualified for an exception to sanctions outlined in Section 1245 of the National
Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2012, based on additional reductions in
the volume of their crude oil purchases from Iran.This is for the second time that countries
including India has received waiver from US under the Iranian sanctions act.
70. 3 Indian Projects among Strategic- Global Infrastructure Projects List : Three
Indian projects have placed in the new york’s Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum “Top
100 Strategic Global Infrastructure Projects “ list. GIFT city (Gujarat International Financial
Tech city), Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project (Maharashtra) and the Hyderabad
Metro Rail (HMR) project (Andhra Pradesh).
71. India, Ukraine Signed on Five Agreements : India and Ukraine on 10 December 2012
signed on five agreements in New Delhi to enhance cooperation including in areas of
defence, Nuclear, Science and Technology and also to remove barriers in trade and
commerce.
72. Indians ‘Largest Ethnic Minority Group in UK :On 11 December According to the
2011 Britain population census record Indians are the largest ethnic minority group in the
UK.With 1.5 percent of the Hindu religion became a third-largest religion in the nation’s.
The Christian population in the country is also a drop in the statistics.. The Muslim
community population in the country’s fastest growing increased by 3 percent to 4.8.
73. India& Pak Signed on New Visa Agreement : The new Visa Agreement between India
and Pakistan on 14th December, 2012 at New Delhi. However, the Visa-on-Arrival will
come into effect from 15th January, 2013. Shri Sushilkumar Shinde, Home Minister of
India and Mr. A. Rehman Malik, Pakistan Interior Minister singed on the agreement.
74. Cell Phone Connections to exceed the World Population by 2014 : The
International Telecommunications Communication Union (ITU) to be designed and released
Information Society 2012 – Observe report on 11 December. According to the report
number of cell phone connections exceeding the world’s population by 2014. Now 6 billion
(hundreds of millions) cell phone connections they will reach 730 Millions by 2014 .Then
the world’s population is 700 crore.Already in Russia 1.8 times cell phone accounts more
than 25 million people.
75. Indians now Live Longer but in Poor Health in Old Age : According to the the
prestigious British medical journal, ‘The Lancet ‘ report the life expectancy (LE) at birth of
an average Indian male has gone up by 15 years between 1970 and 2010. An average
Chinese male is living 10 years longer than an Indian male, while a Chinese woman is
living 11.5 years longer than her Indian counterpart. An average American lives nearly 13
years longer than an Indian.
76. World Malaria Report 2012 : According to the WHO “ World Malaria Report 2012” India,
the country most affected by malaria in the South East Asian Region, is projected to see a
decrease of 50-75 per cent in malaria case incidence by 2015.In South East Asia Region,
Bhutan, Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand have registered decreases of 75 per cent or
more in the incidence of microscopically confirmed malaria incidence rates between 2000
and 2011.
77. Hinduism Third Largest Religion of World :According to the ‘ Pew research ‘ survey
report Hinduism is the third largest religion of the world after Christianity , Islam and 97
per cent of all Hindus live in the world’s three Hindu-majority countries (India, Mauritius
and Nepal), and nearly nine-in-ten Christians (87 per cent) are found in the world’s 157
Christian majority countries.In the total world population 2.2 billion Christians (32 per cent
of the world’s population), 1.6 billion Muslims (23 per cent) around the world as of 2010.
78. India & Russia signed Rs 22,000 crore Defence Deals : India and Russia signed
defence deals worth around Rs. 22,000 crore ($4 billion) on 24 December. According to
this pact Russia will sell India 71 military helicopters for $1.3 billion and technological kits
to assemble 42 Sukhoi jet fighters for $1.6 billion.

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79. India – Pakistan Exchanged Nuclear Unit’s Lists : On 1 January India and Pakistan
exchanged their nuclear units’ lists , as it is customary since 20 years. The list which
contains the names of nuclear units of two countries, are exchanged between India and
Pakistan as a custom and part of an agreement which prevents them from aiming the
nuclear installations of each others’ nations.
80. Thousands of illegal Indian Migrants in UK : According to a 2012 UK Home Office
report, India has been named along with Pakistan, China, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh,
Afghanistan, Vietnam, Brazil and Iran as the main sources of illegal immigration to
Britain.What the report does not mention is how many of the 863,000 illegal migrants that
it says are living in the UK are students. This is a contentious area because critics of the
coalition government claim it is counting students among overall immigrants.
81. World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report :According to the World Economic
Forum (WEF) report , India ranks lowest among the world’s major economies for its
preparedness to tackle global environmental risks and second-lowest for economic
risks.Switzerland is best placed among the world’s 10 major economies for adapting to or
recovering from global economic and environmental risks.While India is ranked 9th in
terms of its ability to tackle global economic risks, it comes last at 10th position for
environmental risks.However, India fared relatively better at 6th position in terms of the
government’s risk management effectiveness.The US and China were ranked fourth and
fifth respectively.
82. Indians Top the List of Working in Dream Jobs : According to survey conducted by
networking website LinkedIn,Indians have emerged at the top of the list of people working
in their dream job.The dream job league table:1. India – 44 percent 2. Indonesia – 42
percent 3. United Arab Emirates – 35.7 percent 4. Germany – 33 percent 5. Brazil – 32
percent 6. Austria – 31 percent 7. Switzerland – 30 percent 8. USA – 29 percent 9. France,
Canada, Sweden, South Africa – 28 percent 13. Singapore, Hong Kong – 27 percent 15.
Australia – 26 percent 16. New Zealand – 25 percent 17. UK – 21 percent
83. India – Vietnam Signed on Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises : On 15 January
India and Vietnam signed an MoU aimed at building capacity for developing institutional
framework and identifying thrust areas and opportunities for micro, small and medium
enterprises in this country.The MoU was signed here between the Ministry of Planning and
Investments of Vietnam and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) of
India .
84. India and Sri Lanka signed Anti-terror, Tax evasion Agreements : On 22nd January
India and Sri Lanka signed two separate agreements on combating international terrorism
and avoidance of double taxation, eyeing elevation of “robust” bilateral ties to building of
a special economic partnership.The two key accords were signed after the 8th India-Sri
Lanka Joint Commission meeting held at New Delhi , both countries discussed enhanced
cooperation in a range of areas including civil nuclear energy.At the meeting, the Indian
side was led by External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid while the Lankans were led by
his counterpart G.L. Peiris.During the meet, both the parties also decided setting up of the
Special Economic Zone at Trincomali and a textile and pharmaceutical cluster in Sri Lanka.
85. International Tea Producers Forum formed : On 22 January India, along with five
other tea producing countries, has formed the International Tea Producers Forum (ITPF) at
Colombo.Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry D Purandesari signed the
joint communique on behalf of India along with representatives of Kenya, Sri Lanka,
Indonesia, Rwanda and Malawi in Colombo.The ITPF will initially be an independent body
but in future may get affiliated to Food & Agriculture Organisation of United Nations.
86. India , Bangladesh Signed Extradition and Visa Agreements : On 28 January
Bangladesh and India signed an extradition treaty and struck a deal to relax business visa
restrictions between the neighbouring countries. However, refusal provisions were
incorporated into the extradition treaty.Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde signed the
agreement with his Bangladeshi counterpart Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir at the end of their
bilateral talks.
87. India Dropped to 140th Rank in Press Freedom : According to the report Reporters
Without Borders India has dropped nine places to the 140th rank in the list of 179
countries in the latest World Press Freedom Index.China (173rd, +1) shows no sign of
improving. Its prisons still hold many journalists and netizens, while increasingly unpopular
Internet censorship continues to be a major obstacle to access information.As last year,
the list is topped by three European countries – Finland, Netherlands and

12


Norway.Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea continue to be at the bottom of the list as
has been in the last three years

NATIONAL

1. Ban on SIMI upheld by Tribunal: A special tribunal has upheld the ban imposed by the
Centre on Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), which has links with Pakistan-based
terrorist outfits including Lashkar-e-Taiba and its front, Indian Mujahideen. The Home
Ministry on February 3 extended the ban on SIMI by two more years.
2. India is the second-largest mobile phone user in world : India is the second-largest
mobile phone user with over 900 million users in the world said Union Health Minister
Ghulam Nabi Azad in London on 03 August 2012. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
(TRAI) announced that the mobile users in India are increased to 93.4 crore.
3. Hamid Ansari re-elected as India’s 14th Vice President : Hamid Ansari has been re-
elected as the 14th Vice President of India.He received 490 votes in his favour.His rival,
BJP nominee Jaswant Singh polled 238 voted.He became the only person after
Dr.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan to get a second term.
4. PSCC recommends declaration of tea as ‘national drink’: The Parliamentary Standing
Committee on Commerce (PSCC) headed by BJP Rajya Sabha member Shanta Kumar has
recommended declaration of tea as a ‘national drink‘.Stating this at Palampur on Friday,
Kumar said the 102nd report of the Committee on the Tea Industry had placed in both
houses of the Parliament that 96 percent to 99 percent people in both Urban and Rural
areas of the country consume tea and as such it has already acquired the status of a
national drink.
5. NRHM to be expanded to towns also : The government will expand the scope of the
NRHM(National Rural Health Mission) to all towns and cities, by converting it into a
National Health Mission(NHM).
6. Mobile base Station radiation limit will be cut from September 1 : The Union
government has told parliament that exposure limit of radio frequency fields(base station
emissions) will be brought down to one-tenth of the existing level from 1st September
2012,because they receive petitions in High Courts and Supreme Court on fears of health
hazards like cancer from mobile tower radiations.RF signals produced by base stations are
caused for short and long term health effects.
7. Complete ban on child labour below 14 approved by Cabinet : The Union Cabinet on
28th August 2012 approved a proposal for amending the Child Labour (Prohibition and
Regulation) Act, 1986, to ban employment of children aged up to 14 in any form of
industry. It will be an offence to employ such children not only in factories or industries but
also in homes or on farms, if their labour is meant to serve any commercial interest.
8. Supreme court upholds death sentence for Kasab : The Supreme court has upheld
the death sentence for pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab in the 26/11/2008 Mumbai terror
attack.
9. 2% Reservation to Sports Persons : Youth Services and Sports – Sports Policy -
Incentives to Sports Persons – Extension of Sports Reservation to Two (2%) to meritorious
sports persons in direct recruitment in Government Departments / Undertaking / Grant –
in – Aid Institutions at all levels – Instructions and Guidelines – Notification Orders Issued.
10. Sebi plans investor website in 13 Indian languages : Market regulator Sebi is
planning to soon offer its investor website in as many as 13 Indian languages, besides the
existing one in English, to spread awareness among investors and to help resolve their
grievances.
11. Supreme Court lifts ban on iron ore mining in Karnataka: Supreme Court partially
lifts ban on iron ore mining in Karnataka on 3rd September 2012, on the basis of the
recommendations of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC). CEC divides the leases of
iron ore mines in three categories A,B,C.marginal irregularities and no irregularities of
leases come under A category, most irregularities in leases come under C
category,moderate irregularities come under B category.The Supreme Court has lifted the
banwould only be effective in 18 category A mines, subject to their compliance with
statutory clearances.The ban will continued on the remaining leases.

13


12. Lok Sabha passed two Bills on 3rd September 2012 : Lok Sabha passed two bills on
3rd September 2012 They are 1.Sexual harassment may mean loss of business
licence:Non-compliance with the provisions of the law will be punishable with a fine of up
to Rs 50,000. Repeated violations may lead to higher penalties and cancellation of licence
or registration to do business.2.National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) expansion bill
passed
13. 4.6 magnitude quake rocks Ladakh, no impact in Kashmir : A 4.6 magnitude quake
rock Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir on 4th September 2012 afternoon. However, it
was not felt in the Kashmir valley.Its epicentre was in Southern Xinjiang China, located at
a distance of 327 km from Leh.
14. MGNREGA work days raised to 150, crop loans cut to 7% : Empowered Group of
Ministers(EGoM) on drought headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar decided to
increase the number of guaranteed work days under Mahatama Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) to 150 days and cut interest rates on crop loans to 7
percent for one year for the farmers in drought-affected states.
15. Women and Child Development Ministry launched a Web Portal named Track
Child : The Union Women and Child Development Ministry on 18 September 2012 decided
to launch a web portal named Track Child, which will serve as a central database of all
those children who have gone missing in different parts of the country. The portal will act
as a coordination mechanism between child homes, police departments and state
governments.
16. Govt launches Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme : The Finance Minister P
Chidambaram on 21st September 2012 cut withholding tax on overseas borrowings to 5
percent from 20 percent and approved the Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme
(RGESS).While the RGESS is aimed at encouraging first time retail investors to invest in
stock markets through tax concessions, the cut in withholding tax to 5 percent seeks to
lower the cost of foreign borrowings by the Indian companies.The RGESS will give tax
benefits to new investors who invest up to Rs 50,000 and whose annual income is below
Rs 10 lakh.
17. C P Joshi given additional charge of Railways : Union Minister of Road Transport and
Highways C P Joshi has been assigned the additional charge of the Ministry of Railways in
place of Mr Mukul Roy, who was among the six Ministers who resigned from the United
Progressive Alliance (UPA) government 22nd September 2012.
18. Election Commission Ban the usage of animal and birds in poll campaign : The
Election Commission of India (ECI) on 26th September 2012 issued an order banning the
use of animals and birds by political parties during campaigns. People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA) India said that following repeated requests by animal activist,
the Election Commission asked political parties and candidates to refrain from using
animals for their campaigns.
19. FICCI urges Centre to ban bauxite exports : Trade body Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has urged the Union ministry of commerce
and industry to ban bauxite exports fearing closure of alumina refineries for shortage of
the key raw material required to produce alumina.
20. Supreme Court directs Centre and states to provide basic facilities to students :
The Supreme Court on 3rd October 2012 directed all schools across the country to provide
basic infrastructure facilities like drinking water and toilets to school children within six
months and failure to implement will be viewed seriously. The order was passed on a
petition filed by an NGO Environmental and Consumer Protection Foundation.
21. Kejriwal forms political party, promises to change the system : Social activist
Arvind Kejriwal added a new dimension to his movement against corruption as he formally
launched his political party and said it belonged to the people of the nation. :
22. Ministry of Rural Development Launched Nirmal Bharat Yatra : Ministry of rural
development on 3 October 2012 started a campaign named Nirmal Bharat Yatra which
focuses on making the country free from open defecation.The yatra will begin from Wardha
District of Maharashtra from 3 october 2012 and will go through Indore, Kota, Gwalior, and
Gorakhpur and end up in Bettiah district of Bihar on November 17, covering about 2000
km of distance.
23. SC orders new survey to identify bonded labour : The Supreme Court on 15th
October 2012 directed all states and Union Territories to conduct fresh surveys to identify
bonded labour problems in the country and regretted that a large number of children
continue to work as domestic help even after the enactment of the Right to Education Act.

14


24. Centre to launch Aadhaar based delivery system : The much awaited Aadhaar
enabled system for direct cash transfer to beneficiaries under social schemes such as
MNREGA and pension will be launched on 19th October 2012 by PM Manmohan Singh at
Dudu, Rajasthan.
25. India’s infant mortality rate drops : India’s infant mortality rate (IMR) has come down
by three points from 47 to 44 deaths per 1,000 live births during 2011.
26. Centre, states sign MoU for broadband linking of villages : The Central government
has signed a tripartite agreement with 16 states and union territories and a special
purpose vehicle Bharat Broadband Network Ltd (BBNL) has been launched to expedite the
mission of connecting every gram panchayat with broadband network.

Reshuffling of Central Cabinet

Cabinet Ministers Portfolio
M. Veeerappa Moily Petroleum & Natural Gas
S. Jaipal Reddy Science & Technology and Earth Science
Kamal Nath Urban Development & Parliamentary Affairs
Vayalar Ravi Overseas Indian Affairs
Kapil Sibal Communications & Information Technology
C.P. Joshi Road Transport & Highways
Kumar Selja Social Justice & Empowerment
Pawan Kumar Bansal Railways
Salman Khursheed External Affairs
Jairam Ramesh Rural Development
K. Rahman Khan Minority Affairs
Dinsha J. Patel Mines
Ajay Maken Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation
M.M. Pallam Raju Human Resource Development
Ashwani Kumar Law & Justice
Harish Rawat Water Resources
Chandresh Kumar Katoch Culture
Ministers of State with Portfolio
Independent Charge
Jyotiraditya Madharao Scindia Power
K.H. Muniappa Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
Sachin Pilot Corporate Affairs
Jitendra Singh Youth Affairs & Sports
Manish Tewari Information & Broadcasting
K. Chiranjeevi Tourism
Ministers of State Portfolio
E. Ahamed External Affairs
D. Purandeswari Commerce & Industry
Jitin Prasada Defence & Human Resource Development
S. Jagathrakshakan New & Renewable Energy
R.P.N. Singh Home
K.C. Venugopal Civil Aviation
Rajeev Shukla Parliamentary Affairs & Planning
Shashi Tharoor Human Resource Development
Kodikunni Suresh Labour & Employment
Tariq Anwar Agriculture & Food Processing Industries
K.J. Surya Prakash Reddy Railways
Ranee Narah Tribal Affairs
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Railways
A.H. Khan Choudhury Health & Family Welfare

15


Sarvey Sathyanarayana Road Transport & Highways
Ninong Ering Minority Affairs
Deepa Dasmunsi Urban Development
Porika Balram Naik Social Justice & Empowerment
Kruparani Killi Communication & Inforamtion Technology
Lalchand Kataria Defence

Resigned Cabinet Ministers Portfolio
S.M. Krishna External Affairs
Ambika Soni Information and Broadcasting
Mukul Wasnik Tourism
Mahadev Khandela Minister of State Justice and Empowerment

27. 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.
28. 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.
29. 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.
30. Sexual Assault a Gender-Neutral Offence Bill Passed by Lok Sabha : The Criminal
Law (Amendment) Bill, replacing the word ‘rape’ by the phrase ‘sexual assault’ and seeking
to widen the scope of the offence passed by Lok Sabha on 4 December. Both men and
women could soon be able to invoke the provisions of a criminal law in case of sexual
assault .The amendment bill expands the definition so that cases of sexual assault where
victims were male would fall under the same law along with cases where victims were
women.
31. Cabinet Approved Naval Base Phase II of Project “Seabird “ : On 7 December The
Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) cleared a Rs 13,500 crore major expansion plan of
the strategic Karwar naval base Phase II Alpha of the project “Seabird “in Karnataka is set
to become the country’s biggest Naval base by 2025. The Karwar naval base is India’s
third major naval base after Mumbai and Visakhapatnam on the east coast.
32. Over 7 Crore Unemployed Youth in India : According to the National Sample Survey
Office (NSSO) report an approximate 7 crore youth people in India are either unemployed
or under-employed. The figures were revealed by Labour and Employment Minister
Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajya Sabha.”As per results of the latest survey conducted by NSSO
during 2009-10, the number of unemployed or under-employed persons on usual status
basis in the country was 95 lakhs and about six crore respectively.
33. Rajya Sabha Passed SC/ST Quota Bill : A Constitution 117th amendment bill providing
for quota for SCs and STs in government job promotions was on December 17 passed by
Rajya Sabha.
34. Unlawful Activities Amendment Bill Passed by Rajya Sabha : On 20 December
Parliament passed a bill that makes economic offences, including circulation of high
quality counterfeit currency, a terrorist act.The Rajya Sabha passed Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2012 by voice vote while several parties. The bill was
already passed by Lok Sabha.
35. LokSabha Approved Company Bill 2011 : On 18 December Lok Sabha passed the
Companies Bill 2011 paving the way for a new modern company law.The Bill is aimed at
improving corporate governance. It contains provisions to strengthen regulations for
corporate as well as auditing firms.
36. Banking Bill passed by Lok Sabha : The Banking Laws Amendment Bill, 2011, have
been passed in the Lok Sabha on 20 December .The amendments pave the way for the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to issue new bank licences, and also opens door for more
foreign investment into the sector.
16


37. Usha Mehra commission for Delhi incident victim Nirbhaya’s Case : A female
physiotherapy intern student Nirbhaya beaten and gang raped in Delhi on 16 December
and died on 29 December while undergoing emergency treatment in Singapore for brain
and gastrointestinal damage from the assault.The government has formed a committee of
enquiry under justice Usha Mehra to reconstruct the events leading to the incident identify
lapses by police and other agencies and fix responsibility for the crime.
38. Microsoft Launches 14 Innovation Centres in India : Microsoft Corporation (India)
Pvt. Ltd had launched 14 Microsoft Innovation Centres (MICs) in India. It has signed
agreements with leading academic institutions across four States.As part of the global
programme, which currently has 75 MICs, Microsoft aims to launch a 100 such centres in
India in the next two years.
39. Govt Launched Direct Cash Transfer Scheme in 20 Districts : On 1 January 2013
The government launched its scaled down Cash Transfer Benefit (CBT) in 20 districts,but
food, fertiliser and fuel subsidies will not be covered in the initial phase. All 26 schemes are
ready for rollout. On 1 January 2013 the seven schemes in which payout is due in the (20
selected) districts, the money will be transferred through the direct benefit transfer system
using the UIDAI platform.The scheme is going to be rolled out in 43 districts by 1 March
2013, 20 districts from January 1, 11 districts from February 1 and 12 districts from March
1. By end of 2013, the direct cash benefit transfer will be rolled out in all the districts of
the country.
40. PA Sangma launched National People’s Party : PA Sangma, who broke away with
the NCP in 2012 to contest the presidential elections, though unsuccessfully, on 05
January 2013 launched National People’s Party (NPP), and chosen a book as its symbol.
Sangma has chosen to align his party with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
41. President Released Stamps on Swami Vivekananda : On 12 January The President,
Shri Pranab Mukherjee released the Commemorative Postage Stamps, at the
Commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, in New Delhi .
42. Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2012 : On 17 January According to the
Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2012 report has found that learning levels have
dipped to an all-time low. So, almost half the 6-7 year-olds (Class I) in India cannot read
even one letter in any language, over 57% cannot read any English while almost 40%
cannot recognize numbers between 1 and 9.The 12.8% children between Class I and V
could not read a single letter while 10.7% could not recognize numbers 1 to 9. The
number of children in Class V who could read Class II text fell from 53.7% in 2010 to
46.8% in 2012. In 2010, seven out of 10 children could solve a two-digit subtraction
problem with borrowing. This has come down to five out of 10 in 2012.

STATES

1. Orissa is the first state to provide e-payment : facility for government employees
Orissa became the First Indian state to provide epayment facility for government
employees from 1 August 2012.Now, the government employees in the state will receive
their salaries and pensions
through the online Portal of Reserve Bank of India.Employees received their salaries and
pensions directly to their bank account.
2. Keshubhai Patel launched Gujarat Parivartan (GPP) Party : Former Chief Minister of
Gujarat, Keshubhai Patel launched Gujarat Parivartan (GPP) Party on 6 August 2012.
Keshubhai Patel and the former union textile minister Kanshiram Rana resigned from
Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) on 4 August 2012. This Party would contest all the 182 seats in
Gujarat assembly elections which will be held by the end of 2012.
3. Himachal Bagged top slot in Environment Index :Environment Performance
Index(EPI)-2012 compiled on July Month.According to the Survey Report conducted across
all 28 states and 7 Union territories, the EPI is an Indication of the “ Environmental well-
being of a state”. Himachal
bagged first and Andhra Pradesh bagged Second. The rankings, the report added, have

17


been decided based on five broad parameters: air pollution, forests, water quality, waste
management and climate change.
4. MJP merges with Keshubhai party : The anti-Narendra Modi factions in the Bharatiya
Janata Party(BJP)in Gujarat under one umbrella, the Mahagujarat Janata Party(MJP),
formed five years ago, was on 8 August 2012 merged with the Gujarat Parivartan
Party(GPP) formed by the former Chief Minister and Mr. Modi’s arch rival Keshubhai Patel.
5. Maharashtra bans Bt cotton seeds : The Maharashtra government has banned the sale
and distribution of the genetically modified Bt cotton seeds of Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds
Company (Mahyco), a partner of US multinational Monsanto, in the state with immediate
effect for supplying inferior quality seeds. “The government has banned the Mahyco
company with immediate effect,”
agriculture commissioner Umakant Dangat told IANS(Indo-Asia News Service) 9 August
2012,
when asked about the canceling of the company’s license.
6. Haryana to ban food articles containing Nicotine and Tobacco : Haryana
government will impose a complete banon food articles containing nicotine and tobacco
from 2012 August 15.
7. House Sparrow declared “State Bird of Delhi” : The good old house sparrow, which is
becoming rarer by the day, has been declared “State Bird of Delhi” by Chief Minister Sheila
Dikshit as part of a new campaign to save the species and enhance awareness about their
life and habitat.High court imposed a fine of Rs.5000 rupees to State Government for the
appointment of DGP
8. The State Government challenged the Central : Administrative Tribunal(CAT) order in
the High Court. Ironically for the State, the High Court imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on the
government, while declaring the appointment of Dinesh Reddy in the post of DGP as
invalid.
9. Drug Trial Related Deaths Highest in Maharastra : According to data released by the
Drug Controller General of India Maharastra has recorded the maximum deaths number of
deaths due to serious adverse events (SAEs) during drug trials, while Madhya Pradesh saw
the least number of such deaths.During the 49 months period (January 2008 to January
2012) , the country had recorded the 2,061 drug trial related deaths. while maharastra
recorded maximum number of deaths 268 deaths to stand first among top five states.It is
followed by Andhra Pradesh (153), Delhi/National Capital Region (97), Gujarat (87) and
Karnataka (78). The number of deaths in Maharashtra was over 10 times that of Madhya
Pradesh, which is the lowest among the top 10 States. :
10. Delhi launched the Kerosene-free Delhi scheme : Delhi Government set to launch an
ambitious scheme(Kerosene-free Delhi scheme ) on 21st August 2012 under which 3.56
lakh households will get LPG cylinder and a gas stove free of cost.
11. Punjab Approves Rs.93crore Milk Production Scheme : The Punjab Government has
started a special programme to increase the milk production in the state by spending
Rs.93crore during 2012-13. This was announced by Dairy Development Minister Gulzar
Singh Ranike. Punjab government has bought 3 lakh doses of foreign semen from America
and Canada for improvement of cow breeds in the state.
12. Uttarakhand Cabinet increases age limit for jobs : Uttarakhand Cabinet the maximum
age limit for government jobs had been increased from 35 to 40 years for general category
candidates from 21 August 2012 onwords.Candidates belonging to other categories would
also get the benefit of the decision accordingly.
13. ‘Odisha tops in FDI proposals; Andhra, Gujarat next’ : Odisha attracted the largest
value of investments from foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals filed in 2011-12,
followed by Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.Odisha garnered 27 per cent of the total
investments (worth about Rs 49,527 crore), though barely 17 FDI proposals were filed
for the State. Andhra Pradesh ranked second with a share of about 19 per cent through
about 70 proposals, attracting investment worth about Rs 33,936 crore.Gujarat, which
received 131 FDI proposals, ranked third with a share of over 11 per cent attracting
proposed investment worth Rs 20,258 crore.
14. Jaane Apna Rajasthan’ scheme for NRIs : The Rajasthan Government on 27 Aug
launched a scheme aimed at making the young non-resident Indians(NRIs) familiar, with
the culture and traditions of the state under the ‘ Jaane Apna Rajasthan’(Know your
Rjasthan)scheme announced by the chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. According to this scheme
the NRIs who visit Rajasthan will be taken around” historical places, tourist

18


attractions,sanctuaries,famous educational institutions, ancestral villages and major
Industrial projects” will be shown to them . :
15. HC(High Court) fixes quota in local bodies at 50 percent : The AP High Court on 04
September 2012 ruled that the combined reservations for Backward Classes, Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Panchayat Raj local bodies should not exceed the
upper ceiling of 50 per cent.The court directed the state to cut the quota for BCs and bring
the cumulative figure down to 50 per cent. :
16. Bill for special status for six districts in Hyderabad-Karnataka region introduced :
In the Lok Sabha on 7th September 2012 ,Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde introduced
a Bill to amend the Constitution and thus provide a special status to the Hyderabad-
Karnataka region , under a new Article 371(J).Once it is approved by Parliament the
Hyderabad-Karnataka region covering six backwards districts – Bidar, Gulbarga, Koppal,
Yadgir, Raichur and Bellary – will get more central funds for development and will be on
par with the Telananga region of Andhra Pradesh. Besides, there will be reservation in jobs
and education for the locals. :
17. Supreme Court issues notice to Tamil Nadu government on 69 per cent
reservation : The Supreme Court 10th September 2012 issued a notice to Tamil Nadu
government on a petition challenging the constitutional validity of the 69 per cent
reservation by the state government in employment and educational institutions. The
petition, filed by students, challenged the government’s decision to exceed the 50 per cent
limit in reservation mandated by the Mandal Commission judgement.The ten student
petitioners from Tamil Nadu had approached the Court after failing to secure admission to
the Medical College despite having secured 198/200.
18. Punjab government amends Canal and Drainage Act : The offence of “theft of canal
water” can now attract both fine and 6 months imprisonment after an amendment in the
law relating to canals and drainage.Punjab Irrigation Minister, Janmeja Singh Sekhon
informed that the Punjab government has amended section 70 of the Act for this. :
19. NHRC issues notice to Maharashtra over farm suicides: The National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC) has sought a reply from the Maharashtra government over seven
farm suicides that took place last week within a span of 72 hours in the state’s Vidarbha
region.A total of 528 farmers have committed suicide in the Vidarbha region between Jan 1
and Sep 2 this year.
20. Ban on gutka in Delhi comes into effect : A blanket ban on manufacturing, sale,
storage and display of all gutka products in the national capital came into effect from 13th
September 2012. States like Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Kerala, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and
Bihar have already announced ban on gutka products. A similar comprehensive ban came
into effect in Gujarat from 12th September 2012.
21. Haryana government institute awards for women : Haryana government has
instituted four state-level awards to felicitate women who have done outstanding work in
different fields. These are 1.Indira Gandhi Mahila Shakti Award(given to those engaged in
promoting self help groups or women empowerment initiatives, established their own
business or industry and have contributed to development of women besides
entrepreneurship and done exemplary work in public service.) 2.Kalpna Chawla Shaurya
Award(who perform acts of bravery and meritorious services) 3.Bahin Shano Devi
Panchayti Raj Award(exemplary work in promoting female literacy, health and nutrition,
universalisation of education, sanitation, water, hygiene and other health determinants)
and 4.Life time Achievers Award( given to woman of 60 years of age or above, who has
excelled in administrative skills, career or profession, leadership quality, courage and
creative work) and Women Outstanding Achievers Award(women who have done
commendable work in their respective fields)
22. Door-to-door cancer campaign in Punjab : Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal
sanctioned the “biggest ever” door-to-door campaign for a symptoms-based early
detection and awareness about cancer.At least 50,000 personnel and volunteers would
visit 54 lakh households in 12,603 villages and 217 census towns, for the exercise that
begins in Faridkot district on October 2.
23. In Goa Housewives with family income less than Rs 3 lakh to get Rs 1000 to fight
inflation : Housewives in Goa just got a breather from rising inflation, the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government on 2nd October 2012 launched a scheme to
provide an allowance of Rs 1,000 a month to housewives in households whose annual
incomes are less than Rs 3 lakh.

19


24. EC announces dates for assembly polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh :The
Election Commission on 3rd October 2012 announced dates for Gujarat and Himachal
Pradesh Assembly elections. While Gujarat will have elections in two phases – December
13 and 17, Himachal Pradesh will vote on November 4. The counting for both the assembly
elections will take place on December 20.
25. UP government announces ban on gutka industry from April 2013 : On 3rd October
2012 Uttar Pradesh government decided to impose a ban on gutka industry in the state
with effect from April 2013.
26. Supreme Court bans mining activities in Goa : In Goa, the Supreme Court imposed a
complete ban on the mining activities as well as transportation of iron and manganese ore
on 5th October 2012.
27. Arvind Kejriwal launches ‘bijli-paani satyagraha’ in Delhi : Activist Arvind Kejriwal
on 6th Octomber 2012 launched a ‘bijli-paani satyagraha’ in Delhi to protest against
“inflated” power and water bills and hike in tariffs by restoring electricity connection to the
household of a labourer which was disconnected for non-payment of bills.
28. EC fiat to Himachal Pradesh : On 7th October 2012 The Election Commission (EC)
stopped the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh from distributing free PDS bags carrying
photographs of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
29. Maharashtra tribals demand ban on alcohol : Tribal women from Maharashtra’s
Chandrapur have sent 80,000 postcards to Chief Miniter Prithviraj Chavan asking to make
the district liquor-free.
30. UPRVUNL, NLC to set up thermal plant at Ghatampur : The UP Rajya Vidyut Utpadan
Nigam Ltd (UPRVUNL) and the central government PSU Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd
(NLCL) signed a joint venture agreement (JVA) to set up a 2,000 MW thermal power plant
at Ghatampur (Kanpur) on 7th October 2012 .
31. Union Government ruled out the decision of Cauvery River Authority : Decision of the
Cauvery River Authority was ruled out by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 8
October 2012. The Prime Minister ordered Karnataka to release 9000 cusecs of water to
Tamil Nadu every day, till 20 October 2012.
32. Railways put 400 CCTVs at 10 stations to improve security system : The Delhi
division of Northern Railway authorities have completed the installation of 400 CCTVs at
10 stations with Rs. 20 crore to ensure better security and mobility at its stations.Only in
the New Delhi Railway station they installed more than 100 CCTV cameras as part of an
integrated security system (ISS).
33. President’s son Abhijit Mukherjee wins Jangipur Lok Sabha by-poll : Abhijit
Mukherjee, son of President Pranab Mukherjee and Congress candidate, on 13th October
2012 won the Jangipur Lok Sabha by-election by 2,536 votes defeating the CPI-M rival
Muzaffar Hussain. :
34. Union Power Ministry gave its Nod to Implement Islanding Scheme in Delhi : The
Union Power Minister Veerapa Moily on 17 October 2012 announced the implementation of
Islanding Scheme for Delhi by January 2013 to protect it from massive disruptions caused
due to grid failures in power supply. The scheme of Delhi is different to that of the existing
ones in cities like Mumbai and Kolkata because the transmission lines of different states is
routed through Delhi.
35. Haryana to give Rs.11,000 to couples at mass weddings : The Haryana Government
has announced on 20th October 2012 that it will give Rs.11,000 to each newly wedding
couple at a mass marriage.
36. Uttarakhand Named best Performing States in terms of Environmental standards
: The state of Uttarakhand on 29 October 2012 tops the Environmental Performance Index
(EPI) list of being best-performing States and Union territories in terms of environmental
well-being released by Planning Commission.
37. 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
38. 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.

20

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