Days and Dates in News [January, 2012]

March  02 – Common Wealth Day .

March 08 – International Womens Day , International Literacy Day.

March 13 – World Kidney Day .

March 15 – Worlds Disabled Day , World Consumers Day.

March 08 – Ordnance Foctories Day.

March 21 – World Sleep Day ,World Forestry Day , International Day For The Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

March 22 – World Day For Water.

March 23 – World Meterological Day .

March 24 – World TB Day , Internation Day For Achievers .

March 25 – International Day Of Remembrance .

March 26 – Bangladesh Day .

March 27 – World Drama Day .

Committees in News [January, 2012]

The Supreme Court – appointed empowered committee heard the submission made by Kerala and Tamil Nadu on the Mullaperiyar Dam issue on 2 Jan 2012.  Kerala complained to the empowered committee headed by former Chief Justice of India, Justice A S Anand that a survey done by the expert panel last month was biased and the panel had supported Tamil Nadu during its inspection of the dam site.

A two – member export panel comprising C D Thatte and D K Mehta had visited the dam site after Kerala expressed fears in the wake of recent tremours in the area.

Books in News [January, 2012]

Visually challenged boy pens Novel

Inspired by author J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and series , a visually challenged 18 year-old Viswanath Venkat Dasari from a former’s family in Gokavaram of East Godavari District, has spent seven years of his life and wrote a book ‘Pharaoh and the King’, a story based on Indian and Egyptian mythology.  The book was published by Author House, UK. Priced at $19.95, the book was released in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Abbreviation in News [January, 2012]

AFSPA – Armed Forces Special Powers Act

AMC – Asset Management Company.

CII – Confederation of Indian Industry.

CRR – Cash Reserve Ratio.

FIU – Financial Intelligence Unit. . FDI – Foreign Direct Investment.

FIR – First information Report.

NCM – National Commission for Minorities.

NCTC – National Counter Terrorism Centre .

NEET – National Eligibility cum Entrance Test.

NIA – National Investigation Agency .

NPA – Non Performing Asset.

NREGS – National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

NTPC – National Thermal Power Corporation.

NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

SEBI – Securities and Exchange Board of India.

SAIL – Steel Authority of India Limited.

FCCB – Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds.

WPI – Wholesale Price Index.

IPICOL – Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Ltd .

UIDAI – Unique Identification Authority of India .

IAMAI -Internet And Mobile Association of India .

FCCB – Foreign Reliant Iregated Area Development .Currency Convertible Deberture .

A P R P R P – Andhra Pradesh Rural Powerty Reduction Project.

T R I AD  - Tank Reliant Iregated Area Development .

I W A I – Inland Waterways Authority Of India

O E C D -Organisation For Economic – Cooperation and Development .

A I B E A – All India Bank Employees Association .

N  R E D C A P – New and Renewable Enenrgy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh .

J N N S M  - Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission .

T R R A I N – Trust For Retailers and Retail Associates of India .

F I E O – The F ederation Of Indian Export Organisation .

M M R C A  - Meduim Multi Role Combat Aircraft .

P H C G – Publicis Healthcare Communications Group .

Places in News [January, 2012]

7.0 Magnitude Earthquake hits Japan

A strong earthquake with a strong magnitude of 7.0 struck heavily eastern and northern Japan on 1 January 2012, but there were dno immediate reports of injuries or damages or no tsunami warning issued .

Person in News [January, 2012]

A) Appointments

A P K Reddy has been appointed as the new president of the AP Smallscale Industrial Societies Federation on 3 January 2012.

Yahoo appoints Paypal’s Scott Thompson as new CEO 4 months after firing Carol Bartz on 4 January 2012.

Muralidharan takes charge as Coast Guard Chief. Vice – Admiral M P Muralidharan has taken charge as the 19th Director General of the Indian Coast Guard on 6 January 2012.

Farida Group Chairman, Raffiq Ahmed was appointed as the new President of Federation of Indian Exports Organisation ( FIEO ) on 7 January 2012

T.G. Venkatesh elected chief of APBA

Minister for Minor and Lift Irrigation T.G. Venkatesh has been elected the new president of Andhhra Pradesh Badminton Association ( APBA ) on 8 January 2012.

B D Park is Samsung India’s new MD. Consumer Electronics and mobile phone major Samsung India Electronics on 9 Jan. 2012 announced the appointment of BD Park as its new managing director and the president and CEO of its South-West Asia operations.

NGRI gets new Director

Prof. Mrinal K. Sen has been appointed as the new Director of the National Geophysical Research Institute ( NGRI ), a part of the Council of the Scientific and Industrial Research ( CSIR ) on 10 January 2012.

UTIMF gets an interim chief

Imtaiyazur Rahman has been appointed as the interim chief executive officer of UTI Mutual Fund, the fifth largest fund house in India by assets under management ( AUM ).

B) Resigns

VS Achuthanandan offers to resign as Opposition Leader

Stung by the allegations of corruption and a vigilance FIR registered against him, former Kerala CM and CPM leader VS Achuthanandan has offered to quit the post of Opposition leader in the State Assembly on 13 January 2012.

Pawar To Make Retirement . National Congress Party ( N C P ) Cheif and Maratha strongman  Sharad Pawar has annouced that , he will not contest the next Loksabha election and make way for younger leadership . he will be copleting his 45 yrs in politics .

C) Deaths

Dancer who brought Bharatnatyam to Mao’s China dies

Chinese dancer Zhang Jun, who brought Bharatnatyam and Kathak to Mao’s China in the 1950s and inspired thousands to follow her passion for classical Indian culture over a celebrated five decade-long teaching career , passed away in Beijing on 10 January 2012 after a long battle with cancer.  She was 79.

India’s 1st  woman photo journalist passes away . Homai Vyarawalla, the country’s first woman photojournalist died in Vadodara on 15 January 2012.

Indai’s Water man Passes Away

Dr .C.H.Krishnamurthy Rao, chairman 7 managing director of Chemfab Alkalies Ltd  passes away on 20 th Jan 2012 .he was known as water man.

Deputy Cheif Minister Passes Away. Former Deputy cheif minister c.Jaganatharao passes away on 23 rd Jan 2012 .

Intellectual Writer Died. Sukumar Azhikode , award winning writer , scholar and probaly the most influential gandhian died on 24th Jan 2012 .

M . O . H Farook Passes Away . kerala Governor and three times Puducherry Cheif Minister and M P  M. O .H Farook died in chennai on 26 th Jan2012.

First Music Arranger Died . India ‘s first music arranger Anthony Prabhu Gonsalves deid on 18 th Jan 2012 .

D) Visitors

Pak army Chief leaves for China

pakistan Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani went to China on a five – day official visit to China at the invitation of the Chinese leadership on 4 January 2012.

Saudi Arabia  Minister of Commerce, Taffic Bin Fazhan Al – Rabia, who is on a visit to India met Union Minister of Commerce & In dustry, Anand Sharma.  Trade between both the countries exceeded Rs. 2,500 crore dollars in the year 2010 – 11.

Trinidad PM visit to India

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar visited India on 6 January 2012.  Both the countries agreed for 5 Pacts.

Bangladesh PM in Tripura

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheik Hasina visited Tripura on Jan 11, 2012.  She met Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.  She has been invited to receive an honourary doctorate from Tripura Univesity.  This is the first visit by a Bangladesh Prime Minister to Tripura, which played an important role in Bangladesh’s War of Liberation in 1971.  She also addressed India-Bangladesh Business Meet, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry ( CII ) and the Federation of Bangladesh chambers of Commerce ( FBCCI ) in association with government of Tripura.

Nepal Deputy PM on a 4-day visit to India

Nepal Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar has been on a 4-day visit to India to hold talks on security issues.  During his stay in New Delhi, Mr Gachhadar, who is also the country’s Home Minister, will meet his Indian Counterpart Mr P Chidambaram, and Defence Minister, Mr A K Antony, among others.

Visit Of InBer CEO CarlorBrito To India

The worlds largest brewer AB InBER , Carlos Brito has been visited  to India in the last weak of  Jan  2012 .Brito now heads the joint exiting  making him one of  the top 30 global CEO’s in the world .

Thailand P M Visits India

Thailand  Prime Minister Yingluck Shina Watra has visited India  25 th Jan 2012 . she will be our cheif guest for 63 rd Republic Day celebrations at red fort.

1.5 Lakh Indains Visited Srilanka In 2011

In the period from Jan to Nov in 2011, 1.5 lakh Indian people has been visited Srilanka out of the total of about 6.5 lakh tourists ,and the numbers from India are expected to reach an all time high due to the International Criket committie ‘s Twenty-20 World Cup being held in Srilanka this year .

E) Miscellaneous

$376 m Stock Award for Cook. The one-time stock award worth for Apple’s CEO is the largest given by a company in a decade.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook received a one-time stock award worth nearly $400 million , the largest given by a company in a decade on 10 January 2012.

Gilani not an honest man, says Pak SC. Pakistan’s Supreme Court on 10 Jan 2012 said PM Yousaf Raza Gilani was”not an honest man” and slammed hid government for “wilful disobedience” while warning him that he could be removed from office if he does not take action on corruption cases against president Zardari.

Zardari flies to Dubai

Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari flew out on a surprise trip to Dubai on 12 January 2012.  Although it was described as a one-day private visit, his sudden disappearance at a time of government military stand off triggered by memogate fuel speculation that he may not return.

British royal faces 22-yr jail in Turkey over TV documentary

The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson is reportedly facing more than 20 years in jail, after Turkey authorities charged for breaching “”privacy”" of orphans in the country by secretly filming them for a TV documentary.

Suu Kyi launches  bid for Parliament. Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi launched her historic bid for a seat in Parliament on 18 Jan. 2012.  The Nobel Peace Prize winner is standing in April 1 by-elections.

Science and Technology [January, 2012]

Challenging Iran begins ‘ 12 with N – fuel rod feat, missile test

Iranian scientists have produced the nation’s first nuclear fuel rod, a feat of engineering the West has doubted Tehran capable of, the country’s nuclear agency said on 1 January 2012.

Nasa probe on track, reaches Moon orbit

Grail, 110th Mission to Earth’s Satellite, will help understand Lunar enigma better .As planet Earth rang in the new year, a different counter sown was happening at the moon.  After a 3 1/2 month journey, a Nasa spacecraft flew over the Moon’s South pole, fired its engine and dropped into orbit on 1 January 2012 in the first of two back – to – back arrivals over the new year weekend.

A massive star called VFTS 102 is the fastest star that rotates at the rate of million milles per hour — 100 times faster than our Sun was found to date.

Iran tested successfully two missiles that can chase 200 kms target in the Strait of Hormutz on 2 January 2012.

RE60, Bajaj’s 4-wheeled vehicle, launched

India’s Bajaj Auto Ltd launched its first-ever four-wheeled vehicle RE60 on 3 January 2012 saying the RE60 would target commercial users and three-wheeled vehicle owners in India..

Below Antarctic sea, a lost world of unknown species

British Scientists have discovered what they claim is a ” lost world ” of unknown species nearly 8, 000 feet deep on sea floor off the coast of Antarctica —- kept alive by undersea volcanoes.

The stem cells that can produce different cells in an eye were identified by Nural stemcells Institute of Regenerative Research Foundation Scientist Sally Temple on 5 January 2012.

AIDS vaccine for monkeys raises hopes for humans

Scientists in Washington have developed a new vaccine that partially protects monkeys from an infection much similar to HIV, a breakthrough which they say could be a new weapon in the battle against AIDS. Hydrogen – driven three – wheelers.

 The world got its first fleet of hydrogen – fuelled three – wheelers on 9 Jan. 2012 when seven vehicles were unvieled at the ongoing Auto Expo 2012 in New Delhi.  Called ‘ HyAlfa ‘, the three – wheeler is almost zero-emission vehicle while its fuel consumption is substantially lower as compared to 1kg of hydrogen giving 80 km mileage.The three-wheelers have been developed under a project DelHy 3W, of the United Nations Industrial Development organisation ( UNIDO’s ) Internal Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies ( UNIDO-ICHET ) in association with Mahindra & Mahindra and IIT Delh, besides being supported by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy ( MNRE ).

Acer unveils world’s thinnest laptop. The Taiwan-based computer titan Acer unveiled the world’s thinnest laptop in Las Vegas on 9 January 2012.

New earthworm species discovered in Port Blair

Pointing to the rich biodiversity of the Andaman and Nicobar islands , a team of researchers from Thiruvanthapuram has identified a new species of earthworm on 10 January 2012.  The species has been named “”Moniligaster ivaniosi”" .

Two more planets orbiting binary stars discovered

Kepler-34 b, Kepler-35 b binary star systems have low-density gas plannets orbiting them..More than 700 planets orbiting a star ( extrasolar planets ) have been discovered till date.  But a planet orbiting two stars was more in the realms of fiction recently. Scientists on 11 January 2012 discovered two circumbinary planets Kepler – 34 b and Kepler – 35 b orbiting binary stars.

Morocco Rocks Come From Mars

Scientists have cliamed that chunks of a meteorit which fell in Moracco last Jully 2011 were from Mars .which happened once in every fifty years .

World Smallest 3D Map Created . Scientists have created a miniature world map which has now been accepted by the Guinness World Record as the worlds smallest 3D map  .A map which can only seen through a microscope .

11 Solar Systems . NASA ‘s kepler telescope has discovered 26 new planets spread among 11 solar systems.