New Appointments
1. Chairman and MD of General Insurance Corporation (GIC) - Mr Ashok Kumar Roy
2. New Pakistan High Commissioner to India - Salman Bashir
3. New president of World Bank - Jim Yong Kim (Korean-born)
4. Governor of Uttarakhand - AzizQureshi
5. Governor of Goa - Vanchu
6. Governor of Andhra Pradesh - E S L Narasimhan (re-elected)
7. Governor of Maharashtra - K. Sankaranarayanan (re-elected)
8. US Ambassador to India - Nancy J Powell
9. Army-Chief - Lt General Bikram Singh
10. President of International Chamber of Commerce India (ICC India) - Harsh Pati Singhania
11. President of Germany - Joachim Gauck
12. Chairman & MD of India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO)- Smt. Rita Menon
13. Secretary General of SAARC – Ahmad Saleem
14. President of the European Council - Herman Van Rompuy (re-elected)
15. President of Maldives - Dr Mohamed Waheed
16. President of Yemen - Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi
17. President of Malawi - Joyce Banda
18. President of Nicaragua - Daniel Ortega (re-elected)
19. President of Nigeria - Goodluck Jonathan (re-elected)
20. President of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) - M. Rafeeque Ahmed
21. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation 's new MD - Mr. Mangu Singh
22. CEO of Prasar Bharti – Jawhar Sircar
23. Chairperson of the National Film Development Corporation - Ramesh Sippy
24. General president of the Indian Science Congress – Manmohan singh
25. India's ambassador to Belgium - Rahul Khullar
26. CMD of Coal India Limited – S Narsing Rao
27. President of Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) - Mr Rajkumar Dhoot
28. Indian High commissioner to U.K. – Jaimini Bhagwati
29. President of FICCI - Mr R.V. Kanoria
30. Directors of RBI's central board - DK Mittal
31. President of Asian organisation of the Institution of the Accountants General (ASOASI) - Mr Vinod Rai (Comptroller and Auditor General of India).
32. President of Guyana - Donald Ramotar
33. Editor-In-Chief of The Hindu group – Siddharth varadarajan
34. New king of Malaysia - Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah
35. Union Railway Minister – Mukul Roy
36. Union Aviation Minister – Ajit Singh
37. Chief Minister of U.P. – Akhilesh Yadav
38. Chief Minister of Punjab – Prakash singh badal
39. Chief Minister of Goa – Manohar Parikar
40. Chief Minister of Uttrakhand – Vijay Bahuguna
41. Chief Minister of Manipur – Okram Ibobi Singh
Current Awards and Honours
1. Maharashtra Bhushan Award (2011-12) - Anil Kakodkar
2. National Awards Winners for 2012
a. Best Film – Kannada film ‘Byari’ and Marathi film ‘Deool’
b. Best Hindi Film – I Am
c. Best Actor – Girish Kulkarni (Marathi film ‘Deool’)
d. Best Actress – Vidya Balan (The Dirty Picture)
e. Best Director – Gurvinder Singh (Punjabi film ‘Anhe Ghore Da Daan’)
f. Salman Khan’s Chillar Party team won 3 National awards including Best Children’s film
g. Vidya Balan bagged the Best Actress award for her superlative performance in ‘The Dirty Picture’
3. Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2011 - Soumitra Chatterjee (Bengali actor)
4. Saraswati Samman (2011) - Dr AA Manavalan (Tamil) for his work 'Irama Kathaiyum Iramayakalum' (Ramakatha and Ramayanas).
5. Moorti Devi Award (2011) - Dr Gulab Kothari for his book “Mein Hi Radha, Mein Hi Krishna”
6. Bihari Puraskar (2011) - Rajasthani poet Dr Arjundeo Charan for his work “Ghar To Ek Naam Hai Bharose Ro”
7. Vyas Samman (2011) - Hindi writer Ramdarash mishra for his work “aam ke patte”
8. Life time achievement award at 8th Dubai International film festival – A.R. Rahman
9. V. Shantaram Life Time Achievement Award - environmental filmmaker Mike Pandey
10. Best Friend of American Worker - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
11. Kalidas Samman (2009-10) - Dr. N. Rajam and Saroja Vaidyanathan
12. Lata Mangeshkar Award (2011) by the Madhya Pradesh government - Rajesh Roshan
13. National Medals of Arts and Humanities award USA (2011)- Amartya Sen
14. Templeton Prize (2012)- Dalai lama
15. 54th Grammy award - 2012
a. Album of the Year: "21," Adele
b. Record of the Year: "Rolling in the Deep" Adele
c. Song of the Year: "Rolling in the Deep" Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth
d. British singer Adele got 6 Grammy award
16. Laureus award in sports - 2012
a. Sports man of the year - Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
b. Sports woman of the year – Vivian Cheruiyut (Kenya)
17. 65th BAFTA award – 2012
a. Best film - The Artist
b. Best Actor - Jean Dujardin (Film - The Artist)
c. Best Actress - Meryl Streep (Film - The Iron Lady)
d. Best Director - Michel Hazanavicius (Film - The Artist)
e. Film The Artist directed by Michel Hazanavicius got 6 awards
18. 84th Oscar awards 2012
a. Best Picture - The Artist (Directed by Thomas Langmann)
b. Best Director - Michel Hazanavicius (Film - The Artist)
c. Best Actor - Jean Dujardin (Film - The Artist)
d. Best Actress - Meryl Streep (Film - The Iron Lady)
e. The Artist and Hugo both movie got 5 awards
19. 69th Golden Globe award – 2012
a. Best Film in Drama - The Descendants and In Comedy or Musical - The Artist
b. Best Actor in Drama - George Clooney (Film -The Descendants) and in Comedy or Musical - Jean DuJardin (Film - The Artist)
c. Best Actress in Drama - Meryl Streep (Film - The Iron Lady) and in Comedy or Musical - Michelle Williams (Film - My Week With Marilyn)
20. Best Football player male (FIFA) 2011– Lional Messi ( Barcelona player)
21. Best Football player female (FIFA) 2011- Homare Sawa (Japan)
22. Gandhi International Award for Peace and Reconciliation - Dalai Lama
23. Banker’s of the year by business standard – Rana kapoor MD of Yes bank
24. Person of the year by TIME Magazine – The Protester
25. Best Indian Football player AIFF 2011 – Sunil Chhetri
Important Summits and Conferences
1. 20th ASEAN Summit - Phnom Penh (Cambodia)
2. 4th BRICS summit - New Delhi
3. 10th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change - New Delhi
4. Arab summit 2012 - Baghdad (Iraq)
5. Nuclear security summit 2012 – Seoul (South Korea)
6. 12th Annual summit of European Union and India - New Delhi
7. G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting - Mexico City
8. Friends of Syria Meeting – Istanbul (Turkey)
9. 5th Ministerial level India-UK Economic Financial Dialogue – New Delhi
10. United Nation Conference on Sustainable Development 2012 – Rio de janeiro (Brazil)
11. 17th National youth Festival – Mangalore (Karnataka)
12. World Economic Forum – Davos (Switzerland)
13. World Polio Summit 2012 - New Delhi
Important Obituaries
1. NKP Salve - Union Minister and Ex-BCCI President
2. Homai vyarawala – First Indian photographer
3. Kim Jong-il – North Korean leader
4. P K iyengar - Indian nuclear physicist
5. Indira Goswami - Assamese novelist
6. Runako Morton - West Indies batsman
7. MOH Farooq - Governor of Kerala
8. Dev Anand – actor
9. S. Bangarappa – ex-chief minister of Karnataka
10. Vaclav Havel – Ex-President of czech republic
11. Sailen Manna - Football captain
12. Joy Mukhurji - Actor
1. NKP Salve - Union Minister and Ex-BCCI President
2. Homai vyarawala – First Indian photographer
3. Kim Jong-il – North Korean leader
4. P K iyengar - Indian nuclear physicist
5. Indira Goswami - Assamese novelist
6. Runako Morton - West Indies batsman
7. MOH Farooq - Governor of Kerala
8. Dev Anand – actor
9. S. Bangarappa – ex-chief minister of Karnataka
10. Vaclav Havel – Ex-President of czech republic
11. Sailen Manna - Football captain
12. Joy Mukhurji - Actor
Important Operation and committee
1. India and USA navy exercise – Malabar 2012
2. The IAF's Eastern Air Command commenced Exercise codenamed “Pralay”
3. Rangrajan committee – Sugar industry
4. Kakodkar committee - railway safety
5. Sam pitroda committee - railways
6. Shyamala Gopinath committee – Financial frauds
7. M.V. Nair committee – Priority lending sector
8. Shivraj patil committee – Productivity in Agriculture sector
9. B.K. chaturvedi committee – Power sector reform
India’s Rank in Important world Index
1. Human development Index – 134th
2. World Hunger Index – 66th
3. World Corruption Index – 95th
4. World Competitiveness Index – 56th
5. Annual Global Innovation Barometer – 6th
1. Human development Index – 134th
2. World Hunger Index – 66th
3. World Corruption Index – 95th
4. World Competitiveness Index – 56th
5. Annual Global Innovation Barometer – 6th
Important National Events
1. Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said that tea would be declared the National drink by next year.
1. India successfully test fired nuclear-capable Agni-V (ICBM), which covered a range of more than 5,000 km from Wheeler Island in Orissa.
2. Shahrukh Khan and Vidya Balan will be brand ambassadors sanitation
3. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the world.
4. Abhishek Manu Singhvi resigned as Congress spokesperson and Chairperson of Parliament's Standing Committee.
5. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched heaviest, indigenous radar imaging satellite, RISAT-1 satellite into space aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C19) from Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh). RISAT-1's radar will be able to see through clouds and work in darkness.
6. India's second moon mission Chandrayaan-2 will be launched in 2014.
7. New members of Rajya sabha :-
a. Arun Jaitley (BJP)
b. Mayawati (BSP)
c. Vilasrao Deshmukh (central minister)
d. Rajeev Shukla (central minister)
e. Chiranjeevi (Actor)
f. Jaya Bachchan (Samajwadi Party)
g. Dilip Singh Tirkey (former hockey captain)
8. Sachin Tendulkar, Rekha and industrialist Anu Aga were nominated in Rajya sabha
9. India will host next meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank (ADB) in May next year
10. The Reserve Bank of India asked banks to allow intra-bank account portability in cases where full KYC (know your customer) details of the concerned account have been ascertained.
11. President Pratibha Patil visited Seychelles and South Africa
12. Russian submarine K-152 Nerpa inducted in Indian Navy as INS Chakra
13. India opened third research centre Bharti after Dakshin Gangotri and Matri
14. Supreme court judge Dalveer Bhandari elected in International court of justice
15. Bengal Government will launch own daily newspaper and TV channel named Paschim Banga and Dainik
16. India joined in project of largest thirty meter telescope (TMM) in Hawai island (USA)
17. Rajasthan State Assembly passed a resolution to form Legislative Council
18. According to Stockholm international peace research institute - Largest importer is India (2nd China)
19. Bihar Day, celebrated on 22 March when it was separated from Bengal 100 years ago (1912)
20. French company Dassault Rafaletoday bagged India's biggest contract for supplying 126 combat aircraft for the Air Force
21. The World Health Organization has confirmed that India has gone a whole year without having a new case of polio
22. The Supreme Court quashed all 122 spectrum licenses (2G licenses) granted during the tenure of former communications minister A Raja.
23. India tested interceptor missiles from Wheeler Island in Orissa
24. The Supreme Court of India has urged that the project for the linking of the rivers of India be accelerated and implemented
25. 10th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) held from 7-9 January, 2012 in Jaipur. kamla persad-bissessar (Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago) was the Chief Guest
26. India cleared a $1.23-billion deal for purchasing 490 French air-to-air missiles MICA for the Indian air force Mirage 2000 fleet
1. Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said that tea would be declared the National drink by next year.
1. India successfully test fired nuclear-capable Agni-V (ICBM), which covered a range of more than 5,000 km from Wheeler Island in Orissa.
2. Shahrukh Khan and Vidya Balan will be brand ambassadors sanitation
3. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the world.
4. Abhishek Manu Singhvi resigned as Congress spokesperson and Chairperson of Parliament's Standing Committee.
5. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched heaviest, indigenous radar imaging satellite, RISAT-1 satellite into space aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C19) from Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh). RISAT-1's radar will be able to see through clouds and work in darkness.
6. India's second moon mission Chandrayaan-2 will be launched in 2014.
7. New members of Rajya sabha :-
a. Arun Jaitley (BJP)
b. Mayawati (BSP)
c. Vilasrao Deshmukh (central minister)
d. Rajeev Shukla (central minister)
e. Chiranjeevi (Actor)
f. Jaya Bachchan (Samajwadi Party)
g. Dilip Singh Tirkey (former hockey captain)
8. Sachin Tendulkar, Rekha and industrialist Anu Aga were nominated in Rajya sabha
9. India will host next meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank (ADB) in May next year
10. The Reserve Bank of India asked banks to allow intra-bank account portability in cases where full KYC (know your customer) details of the concerned account have been ascertained.
11. President Pratibha Patil visited Seychelles and South Africa
12. Russian submarine K-152 Nerpa inducted in Indian Navy as INS Chakra
13. India opened third research centre Bharti after Dakshin Gangotri and Matri
14. Supreme court judge Dalveer Bhandari elected in International court of justice
15. Bengal Government will launch own daily newspaper and TV channel named Paschim Banga and Dainik
16. India joined in project of largest thirty meter telescope (TMM) in Hawai island (USA)
17. Rajasthan State Assembly passed a resolution to form Legislative Council
18. According to Stockholm international peace research institute - Largest importer is India (2nd China)
19. Bihar Day, celebrated on 22 March when it was separated from Bengal 100 years ago (1912)
20. French company Dassault Rafaletoday bagged India's biggest contract for supplying 126 combat aircraft for the Air Force
21. The World Health Organization has confirmed that India has gone a whole year without having a new case of polio
22. The Supreme Court quashed all 122 spectrum licenses (2G licenses) granted during the tenure of former communications minister A Raja.
23. India tested interceptor missiles from Wheeler Island in Orissa
24. The Supreme Court of India has urged that the project for the linking of the rivers of India be accelerated and implemented
25. 10th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) held from 7-9 January, 2012 in Jaipur. kamla persad-bissessar (Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago) was the Chief Guest
26. India cleared a $1.23-billion deal for purchasing 490 French air-to-air missiles MICA for the Indian air force Mirage 2000 fleet
Important International Events
1. United States troops will leave Afghanistan at the end of 2014
2. Standard and Poor’s (S&P) lowered India’s long-term rating from stable (BBB+) to negative (BBB-) (which is the lowest investment grade rating)
3. Pakistan test-fired the nuclear-capable Hatf-4 Shaheen-1A ballistic missile
4. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited India
5. India, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed on TAPI pipeline project (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India)
6. Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal is wealthiest man in Britain, according to The Sunday Times
7. President of Russia – Vladimir Putin
8. 61 Indian companies are included in Global-2000 list of Forbes -2012
9. South Sudan became 188th Member of World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
10. According to Forbes magazine richest person of world Carlos Slim Helu (Mexico) and richest person of India Mukesh ambani.
11. South Korean steel company will establish a steel plant in Jagatsinghpur district of Orissa.
12. Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed has resigned after weeks of unrest
13. Maldive expelled from commonwealth ministerial action group
14. Prime minister of mauritius Navinchandra ramgoolam visit to india
15. Kofi annan special envoy of united nation to Syria
16. Highest per capita income - Qatar
17. Pakistan elected as a temporary member of United Nation security council for 2012-13
18. Croatia will become 28th member of EU in July 2013.
19. The United Nations framework convention on Climate held in Durban (South Africa) in 2011
20. Canada announces exit from kyoto climate treaty
21. The Bangladeshi parliament has passed bill that will enable the return of property seized from the country's Hindu minority.
22. All American soldiers have been returned from Iraq
23. India and Nepal signed Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty (DTAA)
Important Economic news
1. In 2011-12 => Import - $488.6 billion (32% Increased)
Export - $303.7 billion (21% Increased)
Trade deficit - $184.9 billion
2. Seoul-headquartered Woori Bank has set up its first Indian branch in Chennai.
3. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut the policy rates by 50 Basis points. Revised Rate of RBI
a. Bank Rate – 9% (Decreased 50 basis point in April 2012)
b. Cash Reserve Ratio – 4.75% (Decreased 75 basis point in March 2012)
c. Statutory Liquidity Ratio – 24% (Unchanged)
d. Repo Rate – 8% (Decreased 50 basis point in April 2012)
e. Reverse Repo Rate – 7% (Decreased 50 basis point in April 2012)
f. Marginal Standing Facility Rate – 9% (Decreased 50 basis point in April 2012)
g. Target for Inflation Rate for March 2013– 6.5%
h. Target for Growth Rate of GDP (2012-13) – 7.3%
4. RBI has made it mandatory for all banks to print the MICR and IFSC code on the passbook and statement of account of the customers.
5. Reserve Bank asked banks not to levy any penalty on pre-payment of loans taken on floating rate
6. Record food grain production in India 2011-12 => 252.56 million tones
Wheat production => 90.23 million tones
Rice production =>103.41 million tones
7. The interest rate on the Employees' Provident Fund will be increased to 8.6 per cent from 8.25 per cent for the current fiscal.
8. IMF lowered India's growth projection to 6.9 per cent for 2012.
9. Power generation capacity in india now more than 2,00,000 MW. In 11th Five year plan 54,964 MW capacity added.
10. RBI permitted RRB and cooperative bank to participate in Centralized Payment systems. Now these banks can transfer fund through NEFT and RTGS.
11. Foreign exchange reserves in India on March 2012 – $296 billion dollar
12. March 2012 Inflation rate on whole sale price index – 6.89% and on Consumer price index – 9.47%
13. Centre launched a $2 billion infrastructure debt fund (IDF) to catalyse long-term lending to core sectors. The fund, which will be set up jointly by private sector lender ICICI Bank, Bank of Baroda, Citibank and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)
14. Cheque and Draft will be valid for 3 month from 1 April 2012.
15. Poverty line for rural areas is Rs 672 and for urban areas is Rs 859 (2009-10). In India 354 million or 29.8 % of Indians are below than poverty line.
16. Teledensity in India in december 2011 – 76.86%
17. After SBI and NABARD ownership of National Housing Bank will be transferred from RBI to Government
Abbreviation in News
1. NCTC - National Counter-Terrorism Centre
2. GAAR - General anti avoidance rule
3. TCS -Tax Collection at Source
4. DTAA – Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement
5. TIEA – Tax Information exchange Agreement
6. EFSF – European Financial Stability Facility
7. NPS – New Pension Scheme
8. MMRCA – Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft
9. DRDO - Defence Research and Development Organisation
10. GSLV - Geo-Synchronous Launch Vehicle
11. ISRO - Indian Space Research Organisation
12. EEFC - Exchange Earner's Foreign Currency
13. NDMA – National Disaster Management Authority
14. BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
15. BASIC – Brazil, South Africa, India and China
16. PPP – Public Private Partnership and Purchasing Power parity
17. MTCR – Missile Technology Control Regim
18. NSG – Nuclear Suppliers Group
19. IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency
20. CEPA – Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
21. CECA - Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement
22. FIPB – Foreign Investment Promotion board
23. PSLV – Polar Satellite Launch vehicle
24. ICBM – Inter-continental Ballistic missile
25. CCEA – Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
26. IDF – Infrastructure Debt Fund
27. CRIS – Comparative Rating Index for Sovereign
28. GRAIL – Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory
29. NCHER – National Commission for Higher Education and Research
30. NCHRH - National Commission for Human Resources for Health
31. FII – Foreign Institutional Investor
32. DII – Domestic Institutional Investor
33. GST – Goods and Services Tax
34. DTC – Direct Tax Code
35. MPLADS – MP Local Area Development Scheme
36. FCNRA – Foreign Currency Non Resident account
37. MFI - Micro Finance Institutions
38. MFDC – Micro Finance Development Council
39. TRAI - Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
40. CIC - Central Information Commission
41. BCCI - Board of Control for Cricket in India
42. SAARC - South-Asian Association for Regional Co-operation
43. ASEAN – Association of South East Asian Nation
44. TAPI - Turkmenistan-Aghanistan-Pakistan-India
45. NLD –National League for Democracy
46. MSF – Marginal Standing Facility
47. MIRV - Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle
48. ECBs - External Commercial Borrowings
49. NHRC - National Human Rights Commission
50. NEFT - National Electronic Funds Transfer
51. RTGS - Real Time Gross Settlement
52. NIA - National Investigation Agency
53. S&P - Standard and Poor’s
