May 2012 National Affairs

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on 28 May 2012 quashed the 4.5 per cent sub-quota for minorities carved out of the 27 per cent reservation for OBCs by the Union government. A high court division bench of Chief Justice Madan Lokur and Justice P V Sanjay Kumar observed that the Union government’s move was based on religious lines and not any other consideration. The court was hearing to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by backward classes leader R Krishnaiah against the sub-quota. The Union Government will move to the Supreme Court against the high court verdict.

The Union Government of India on 1 June 2012 announced to constitute an implementation panel to look into the ways of implementing the Dharmadhikari committee report on Air India and Indian Airlines merger. The implementation panel will also suggest the issues including pay, allowances and career progression structure. The four-member Dharmadhikari committee constituted in January 2012, on integration of nearly 29000 employees of Air India and Indian Airlines.

May 2012 Bilateral Relations Affairs

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returned 29 may after a three-day visit to Myanmar during which the two countries agreed to expand trade, improve connectivity and bring peace in border areas and emphasised on closer ties to boost energy security. The two countries inked a dozen agreements, including a $500 million credit line, on areas like border area development and air services. Manmohan Singh, who held wide-ranging talks with President Thein Sein, also met Myanmar's iconic leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who said she was "very happy at the prospect of closer ties with India".

May 2012 Science and Technology

Scientists at the Tomato Genome Consortium (TGC) successfully sequenced the genomes of tomato. It will increase the vegetable’s production worldwide and decrease its price. Indian scientists were also the part of the research. The Department of Biotechnology funded the Indian initiative and it was supported by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research.

AWARDS
Indian author Rahul Bhattacharya, on 29 May 2012 won the prestigious Ondaatje Prize 2012 for his book The Sly Company of People Who Care. He is the first Indian author to have received this award. Bhattacharya was also conferred with the Hindu Literary Prize for Best Fiction, 2011 for the same book.
The award is presented to the author who is a citizen of or who has been resident in the Commonwealth.

May 2012 Sports

Defending champion Vishwanathan Anand of India won the FIDE ( Federation Internationale des Echec) World Chess Title on 30 may 2012 for the record fifth time. Anand beat Boris Gelfand of Israel in a rapid-chess tie-breaker. The world title is Anand’s fourth in a row as he had also claimed the title in 2007, 2008, and 2010. The 42-year-old had claimed his maiden world title in 2000 after beating Latvian Alexei Shirov in Tehran. He is also the first Asian to win the FIDE world chess championship.
England Batsman Kevin Pietersen announced his retirement from limited-overs edition of International cricket. He, however, will continue to play test cricket for the country. Pietersen who had made his international debut in 2004 has played a total of 127 one-day internationals and 36 Twenty20 internationals. South Africa-born Pietersen has scored 4184 one-day international runs at an average of 48.14. He is the sixth highest run getter from England.

May 2012 Awards

The Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama received the 1.7 million dollar Templeton Prize on 14 May 2012 for his role in promoting links between spirituality and science. The award was conferred at a ceremony in St. Paul's Cathedral, London.

Miss India World Vinya Mishra and Yesteryear actress Sushma Seth were awarded with Kalpana Chawla excellence award on 6 May 2012 at Mavlankar Auditorium, New Delhi. The award was instituted by PECOBA (Punjab Engineering College Chandigarh Old Boys Association) .Kalpana Chawla was an alumnus of this College and got her degree in aeronautical engineering in 1982 from this college.

May 2012 Persons

General Bikram Singh- assumed the charge as the 25th Chief of the Indian Army. He succeeded General V K Singh whose 26-month tenure came to end on 31 May 2012.He will remain at the top position for next two years and three months. Prior to his appointment to the top post, General Bikram served as commanding officer of the Eastern Army Command.

SHAH RUKH KHAN-The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) on 18 May 2012 banned Kolkata Knight Rider’s co-owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan from entering the Wankhede Stadium for five years. He was banned for misbehaving with its officials and violating its rules.

New Appointements 4 IBPS Preparation

● Jim Yong Kim—President, World Bank.
● Obiageli Katryn Ezekwesili —Vice-President, Africa World Bank.
● Christine Lagarde (France) —Managing-Director, IMF.
● Ban Ki-Moon—General -Secretary, UNO.
● Haruhiko Kuroda —President, Asian Development Bank.
● Arvind Virmani —Executive-Director in World Bank (from India)
● Siddharth Tiwari—Secretary IMF.

Bihar bans Manufacture and Sale of Gutka and Paan Masala

Nitish Kumar led Bihar government has imposed a ban on the manufacture, sale and storage of Gutka and Paan Masala in the state for one year, with immediate effect.

Officials in the chief minister’s office said the health department had issued a notification to this effect.

As per an order issued by the commissioner of food safety-cum-secretary, health, the manufacture, sale, distribution and storage of all the gutka and paan masala containing tobacco and nicotine would be banned in the state for the next one year under the Food Safety and Standards (Regulation) Act 2011 “in the public interest”.

Surface-to-air Akash missile test fired

Two days after its successful trial, India today again test-fired the indigenously developed surface-to-air Akash missile from the test range at Chandipur near Balsoer.

"The user specific trial, which formed part of the country's routine air defence exercises, was conducted from the ITR," said a Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) official associated with the ‘Akash’ missile project.

To re-validate the technology and operational efficacy of the anti-aircraft missile, Defence forces conducted the trial with logistic support provided by the ITR.

Buddhist encyclopaedia published in Russia

The first encyclopaedia of Buddhist philosophy has been brought out in Russia where Buddhism has seen a revival after the collapse of Communism.

The encyclopaedia analyses the philosophical aspects of Buddhism in the context of different civilisations, cultures and religions, including Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.

Releasing the book at a function held at the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences India’s Ambassador Ajai Malhotra said that the philosophy of Lord Buddha was a relevant today as ever and would continue to inspire future generations across the world.

Indian-origin student cracks 350 years' old math puzzles

A 16-year-old Indian-origin 'genius' from Germany has managed to crack puzzles that had baffled the world of maths for more than 350 years.

Shouryya Ray, from Dresden, has solved two fundamental particle dynamics theories which physicists have previously been able to calculate only by using powerful computers.

Shouryya has been hailed a genius after working out the problems set by Sir Isaac Newton.

His solutions mean that scientists can now calculate the flight path of a thrown ball and then predict how it will hit and bounce off a wall, the Daily Mail reported.

Roger Federer wins Madrid Masters

Madrid - Roger Federer put his best fighting tennis on display to produce a 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory over Tomas Berdych on Sunday to capture a third Madrid Masters title which will see him usurp Rafael Nadal as world No 2 on Monday.

The Swiss, with 16 Grand Slam titles, will now stand behind Novak Djokovic on Monday on the ATP list after sending Nadal back to third with his winning performance on the controversial blue clay laid down at the Caja Magica.

"I feel amazing," said Federer, who came through on his fourth match point as Berdych ploughed a forehand into the net.

Indian American Pradeep Khosla named as Chancellor of California varsity

Indian American Pradeep Khosla, IIT alumni, has been named as the eighth Chancellor of the University of California (UC), San Diego.

Khosla, 55, is currently working as the Dean of College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

UC President Mark Yudof made the announcement of Khosla's appointment, which will be confirmed by the university Board of Regents on May 16, Lynn Tierney, UC’s vice-president of communications, told India-West.

Anish Kapoor unveils 'awkward' London Olympic tower

British sculptor Anish Kapoor on Friday unveiled the controversial tower he designed for London's Olympic Park, defending the tangled red structure as 'awkward' but beautiful.

Officials hope the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower, which looms 115 metres (376 feet) over the Olympic Stadium in east London and includes two viewing platforms and a restaurant, will continue to attract visitors long after the Games.

The sculpture, named after the Luxembourg-based steel company that provided most of its funding, is the tallest in Britain and 72 feet (22 metres) taller than New York's Statue of Liberty.

E-waste volume set to reach eight lakh metric tonnes: Government

E-waste generated in the country is expected to reach eight lakh metric tonnes, marking an increase of nearly five-and-half times of the same generated in 2005, the government told the Rajya Sabha today.

In a written reply to the House, Environment and Forest Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said, "Based on a survey by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), it is estimated that 1.47 lakh metric tons of e-waste was generated in the country in 2005, which is expected to increase to about 8 lakh MT by 2012."

On steps taken by government to tackle import of such waste, she said, "Import is permitted only for recycling or recovery or reuse with the permission of the Environment Ministry or the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)."

Reforms in Biotechnology Sector

Minister of State for Planning, Science &Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Ashwani Kumar stated in Rajya Sabha today Govt. proposes to bring reforms in the regulatory framework in the bio-technology sector.

In reply to a question he said that currently research import, export, manufacture and use of all biotechnology products and processes involving genetically engineering are regulated through a elaborate food and environmental safety assessment under EPA Act 1986 (Rules 1989) administered under the Ministry of Environment and Forest. 

National Judicial Commission

The proposal for setting up of National Judicial Commission has been on the anvil since 1990. But despite the recommendations of various Commissions including the 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission, the proposal has not reached a logical conclusion.

The Constitution (Amendment) Bills moved in 1990 as well as 2003 lapsed on both the occasions due to dissolution of the House. Giving this information in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today, Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of Law & Justice said that currently, appointment of Judges to High Courts and Supreme Court is based on Memorandum of Procedure for appointment of Judges of Supreme Court and High Courts prepared in 1998.

India Post Celeberates 25 Years of Speed Post Service

Shri Kapil Sibal ,Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology today inaugurated the two day annual conference of Heads of Circle of the Department of Posts. A special cover to mark 25 years of Speed Post was also released by the Minister on the occasion. The Minister gave away prizes to top three Postal Circles for generating highest rate of revenue growth in Speed Post during 2010-11, on the occasion.

While Karnataka Circle walked away with the first prize and DG Post’s Rolling Trophy, Jammu and Kashmir Circle and Jharkhand Circle secured the second and third position respectively. Speed Post is the premium Express Mail Service of India Post. It was launched in August, 1986 to meet the “felt-need” of the developing Indian economy. It offers a time-bound and assured delivery of letters, documents and parcels up to 35kg across the nation and around the world.

Dmitry Medvedev confirmed as Russian prime minister

Russian Parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly confirmed Dmitry Medvedev's appointment as prime minister in a job swap with president Vladimir Putin amid anti-government protests here for a third day.

Medvedev, 46, was confirmed as the country's new prime minister with a vote of 299-144 in the State Duma.

Putin submitted Medvedev's candidacy for the post shortly after his inauguration as president yesterday. Medvedev occupied the presidential post in 2008-2012.

Before the vote, Putin, 59, who was sworn-in for a record third term as President, introduced Medvedev to the lawmakers as an experienced politician who stood behind crucial reforms in the country.

Vladimir Putin sworn in as Russia's President

Vladimir Putin has been sworn in as Russia’s president for a third term after four years as Prime Minister.

Mr. Putin was first elected president in 2000 and the new six-year term will keep him in power until 2018.

Mr. Putin’s inauguration on Monday comes a day after an opposition protest drew more than 20,000 people, fewer than the mass demonstrations that preceded his election but still a sign that the anger over Mr. Putin’s return to the Kremlin has not faded.

The protest turned violent when some demonstrators tried to march toward the Kremlin and helmeted riot police beat back the crowds with batons and detained more than 400 people.