Current Event National

8/7/2019 Current Event National

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Current Event National, Jan 2010

9 Jan The Centre approves the proposal of the US-based soft drinks major PepsiCo to injectadditional equity of $200 million (around Rs. 930 crore) into its Indian arm within threeyears.

10 Jan The Planning Commission constitutes a 25-member expert panel to explore options beforethe country for a low-carbon economy.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) sanctions $150 million aid for the Khadi and VillageIndustries Board (KVIB)

11 Jan Two ballistic flight tests of Astra, the Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), aresuccessfully carried out fom the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Balasore, Orissa.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh launches the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission, or "SolarIndia"

India and Bangladesh Prime Minister Ms. Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Dr.Manmohan Singh, the pacts are aimed at bolstering Bilateral ties.

12 Jan Seeking to aggressively pursue export of products to China and Japan, the centre announcesthe inclusion of both the countries in the MarketLinked Focused Programme (MLFP) scheme;the Centre also unleashes incentive worth Rs. %00 crore for exporters, especially those in thelabour intensive sectors.

13 Jan The Centre announces a slew of new measures to curb the soaring price of essentialcommodities.

14 Jan India and France exchange the instruments of ratification of the agreement on civil nuclearenergy cooperation, bringing into force the historic Indo-France N-deal

The Central Government allows ONGC Videsh to invest $39 million (Rs.1,651 crore) for oilexploration in two deep-sea blocks in Nigeria over the next five years.

15 Jan The millennium's longest (11-Minute) annular solar eclipse covers a swathe of 1000 km inIndia; the spectacle enthrals millions.

The Central agrees to releas Rs. 12,000 crore in cash to loss-making state-run oil companiesto cover for their losses in the 2009-10 fiscal.

16 Jan The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests decides to conduct a vulnerability linemapping along the country's coastline, to ensure the safety of those living close to the coast.

The Centre annoumces that the next assembling centre for the BrahMos missiles will beRajasthan's Pilani. At present BrahMos missiles are assembled only in Hyderabad.

17 Jan Jyoti Basu, the famous Leftist icon of India, passes away at the age of 95 in Kolkata, WestBengal.

18 Jan The Suprime Court extends to June 30, 2010 the deadline for the Telecom RegulatoryAuthority of India (TRAI) to fix the tariff for the Direct-to-Home (DTH) platform.

19 Jan At the joint Economic Group (JEG) dialogue held in Beiging (China), India and China agree towork together to bridge the widening trade gap between the two nations.

20 Jan Malaysian Premier Md. Najib Tun Razak visit India; during this visit, India and Malaysia signan extradition treaty and two two other accords on economic cooperation and highereducation.

21 Jan Former Foreign Secretary Mr. Shiv Shankar Menon is appointed as a new National SecurityAdviser (NSA); he succeeds Mr. M.K. Narayanan.

The Cabinate Committee on Infrastructure accords in-principle approval for the establishmentof the National Knowledge Network (NKN) that will interconnect all knowledge institutions of

the country.

22 Jan Lt. Gen. Vijay Kumar Singh is appointed the new chief of the Army Staff; he succeedsGen,Deepak Kapoor.

23 Jan Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed attend and delivers the keynote address at the 16thedition of the India-maldivas Partnership Summit, organised by the Confederation of IndiaIndustry (CII) in chennai, Tamil nadu.

24 Jan The second ministerial-level meeting of the BASIC group of nations-Comprising China,India,South Africa and Brazil-is held in New Delhi.

In a milestone, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) tests its biggest and most


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powerful rocked motor called the S-200, powered by 200 tonnes of solid propellant. The testis conducted at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

25 Jan The Civilian Awards for 2010 are announced on the eve of the nation's 61st Republic Daky; inall, the President approves the names of 130 persons for the awards -6 for Padma Vibhushan,43 for Padma Bhushan and 81 for Padma Shri. The President also approves 442 gallantryawards.

India and South Korea sign four crucial agreement in various sectors; the agreements aresigned in New Delhi during the state visit of South Korean Prime Minister Mr,Lee Myung -bak.

26 Jan Hon,ble President Ms. Pratibha Patel confers the gallantruy awards on the recipients on theoccasion of the 61st Republic Day; Visiting South Korean Premier Mr.Lee Myung-bak takespart in the Repubic Day celebrations in New Delhi as the chief guest.

27 Jan Seeking to enhance its presence in mineral and oil rich African counries. The agreement issigned in Luanda , Angola.

28 Jan The 2010 Environmental performance Index,released worldwide, places India at the 123rdrank among 163 countries; the list is topped by Iceland.

29 Jan In a move to contain rising inflation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hikes the Cash ReserveRatio (CRR)-the portion that commercial banks are required to keep with the central bank-by75 basis points from 5 percent to 5.75 percent.

30 Jan The high-level task force, constitude toset a growth agenda for the development of themicro,small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector, submits its recommemdation to prime

Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh.India submits its emission cut proposals to the UN; in its proposals, India says that it willendeavour to reduce its emission intensity by 20-25 percent by 2020 in comparison to the2005 levels.

31 Jan In a step that could creat a major socio-political impact in Punjab as well as other parts of thecountry, Dera Sachkhand Ballan announces a new religion, Ravidassia Dharm; it is alsoannounced that the community will have its own separate religion book, Amrit Bani GuruRavidass.

International

9 Jan Afghan President Mr.Hamid KarZai submits a new list of Cabinet nominees to replaceMinisters rejected by the nation's parlaiment.

10 Jan Reports reveal that after a 13-month slump, China's exports posted strong growth inDecember 2009, helping the country surpass germany to become the world's largest

exporter.

Mr. Ivo Josipovic is elected the President of croatia.

11 Jan Sri Lanka and India sign a commercial pact in colombo, with India Promising the island nationan assistance of $185 million for the construction of a Railway Line in the War-torn NorthernProvince of Sri Lanka.

12 Jan Foreign Ministers of Afganistan , Pakistan and host United Arab Emirates (UAE) , along withthe reoresentatives of 40 countries, the European Union (EU) and the UN Mision inAfghanistan, hold a crucial security meet in Abu Dhabi.

An earthquake of a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude devastates the Caribbean nation Haiti, killingLakhs of People and rendering millions homeless.

13 Jan Internet Giant Google threatens to close its operations in china, following a string of viciouscyber attacks on its services.

14 Jan Japan and Germany agree to work together on climate change, nuclear disarmament andrebuilding Afghanistan , during aTokyo visit by german Foreign minister Mr. guidoWesterwelle.

15 Jan Russia lifts its opposition to a long-delayed reform of the European Court if Human rights in amajor gesture towards the west; the new move will also improve the Russian legal system.

16 Jan The Government of hong Kong approves a controversial $8.6 bollion rail link to China's high-speed rail network.

17 Jan Amnesty international accuses Israel of ''collectively punishing'' the population of the GazaStrip with border closures.


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18 Jan Chilean billionaire Mr. Sebastian Pinera is elected as the nation's President; with his election,the latin American nation Witnesses a political shift to the right to the right after 20 years ofleftist rule.

19 Jan Cadbury, the flagbearer of the British Chocolate industry , is acquired by US giant Kraft Foodsfor $19 billion ; the amalgamation creates a world leader in food and confectionery.

20 Jan In a major setback for US President Mr. Barack obama, Republican Mr.Scott Brown Capturesthe US Senate seat held by the legendary Democrat Edward Kennedy for neraly half acentury.

21 Jan A report released by the Chinese Government reveals that after suffering one of its worstdeclines in decades, China's econiomy has rebounded strongly, recording 8.7 percent growthin 2009.

22 Jan In a Crucial Development, the Us Supreme Court that labour unions and corporations canspend unlimited amounts to influence federal elections, throwing out a ban that had been ineffect for 63 years.

23 Jan A year after the Gaza War, Israel pays the Un $10.5 million as compensation for danaging itsoffices during an attack by its defence forces.

24 Jan Afghanistan postpones parliamentary elections for four months , saying it will not be safe tohold elections amid a spiralling Taliban Insurgency.

25 Jan Dalai Lama's envoys arrive in Beijing for the resumption of talks with china, Which have beensuspended since November 2008 over disagreements on the question of Tibet's autonomy.

26 Jan In a Significant development, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)says that the Copenhagen Accord, finalised at the Copenhagen Conference in December2009, is not a legally binding document but merely a political one.

27 Jan Sri Lankan President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa is re-elected for a second term; in thepresidential elections, he beats former army chief Gen. (Retd.) Sarath Fonseka by acomfortable margin.

The World Economic Forum summit is convened in Davos, Switzerland.

28 Jan Spelling bad news for outsourcing hubs including India, US President Mr. Barack Obama saysin his 2010 state of the Union Address that his government will cut tax breaks of companiesthat outsource jobs to offshore destinations.

29 Jan Microsoft Founder Mr. Bill Gates announces that his foundation will commit $10 billion overthe next decade to research and deliver vaccines to the poorest nations of the world.

30 Jan Russia seals a multi- billion dollar package of seals to supply weapons to Lybia, Signalling areturn to the strategically important region of North Africa.`

31 Jan Faced with growing discontent over land seizures by the government and real estatedevelopers , china's State Council announces a major overhaul of land laws that will slowtheprocess of home demolitions and give home owners greater compensations for their land.

FEBRUARY 2010 (National)

1 Feb A report released by the centre shows that continuing with a rising trend for the secondconsecutive month India's exports registered a 9.3 percent growth in December 2009, whileimports also turned positive after posting negative growth for the last 11 months.

2 Feb German President Dr. horst Koehler arrivesin India on a statet visit; during his meeting withPrime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, India and Germany decide to setup security andeconomic cooperation by finalising host of cricial pacts.

3 Feb The Centre Constitutes a high-level committee, headed by justice B.N. SriKrishna, on theTelangana issue, to hold wide-ranging consultations with all sections of the people andpolitical parties and groups in Andhra pradesh.The government- appointed kirit ParikhCommitte recommends complete decontrol of petroland diesel prices; a hike of Rs.100 per LPG cylinder and an increase of Rs. 6 a litre ofKerosene.

4 Feb India and the UK agree on a text of a civil nuclearcooperation deal that is likely to be signedsoon on a convenient date; the agreement is reached in London, UK, in a meeting betweenBritish Business Secretary Mr. Peter Mandelson and Visiting Indian Commerce and IndustryMinister mr. Anand Sharma.

5 Feb The Ministers of Health and family Welfare and Railways sign an Mou for developing


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healthcare infrastructutre along the railway network across the country.Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh inaguurates the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit(DSDS) in New Delhi.

6 Feb The Chief Ministers' Conference on Price Rise is Convened in New Delhi; at the Conference,the government decides to setup a high-profile standing Core Group to suggest measures totackle price rise.

7 Feb The Chief Ministers' Conference on Internal security is held in New Delhi; Various crucialissues are discussed in the meeting.

Agni-III, the longest- range(3,500km) N-Capable missile in India's arsenal. is successfullytest-fired from the Wheeler Island off Orrisa.

8 Feb The second India-Arab Investment Projects Conclave is held in New Delhi. India announcesthat it intends to double bilateral trade with the Arab world from the present $114 billion by2014.

9 Feb The Union Environment Ministry announces its decision to impose a moratorium on release ofBt. brinjal, the transgenic brinjal hybrid.

10 Feb Mr. S. C. Sinha is appointed the Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

11 Feb India and the UK sign a joint declaration for civil nuclear cooperation to facilitate the entry ofBritish companies into the India atomic power sector.

12 Feb Human Resource Development Minister Mr. Kapil Sibal takes the decision to notify the Right

to Education Act, 2009.14 Feb A Government report says that Palakkad district in Kerala has become the first fully

electrified district in the country.

16 Feb Nepalese President Mr. Ram Baran Yadav visits India.

17 Feb A Group of Ministers(GoM) clears the "Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical, MedicalEducational Institutions and University Bill", drafted by the HRD Ministry, to provide for aCentral Law to curb malpractices.

20 Feb India and Bangladesh sign a pact to set up a joint vrnture 1,320 MW power plant as a markof cooperation. The two sides also agree to set up a cross border power grid.

21 Feb Mr. L. K. Advani is unanimously elected Working Chairman of the National DemocrativeAlliance(NDA).

23 Feb The Union Government secures Cabinet approval for a new agreement with the US that aims,inter alia, at promoting privatisation of agricultureal extension services and facilitating

collaborations between American agribusiness and the Indian farm sector.25 Feb India submits three dossiers to Pakistan at a meeting between Foreign Secretary Ms.

Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Mr. Salman Bashir in New Delhi.

28 Feb India and Soudi arabia sign an extradition treaty during high level talks in Riyadh, SaudiArabia.

International

1 Feb US President Mr. Barack Obama unveils a $3.83 trillion budget in the cingress; the newbudget will pour more money into the fight against unemployment, boost taxes on thewealthy , and freeze spending on a numbers of government programmes.

2 Feb Amnesty International appoints Mr. Salil Shetty , an Indian who headed the UN MillenniumMission, as its enxt Secretary General.The US Government Proposes $3.2 billion in assistance to pakistan in fiscal 2011 , asubstantial jump in American aid to that country.

3 Feb Iran announces its readiness to send abroad the bulk of its low-enriched uranium stocks inreturn for its Tehran research reactor.

4 Feb Russia offers to send narcotics police to Afghanistan to shore up the global fight against drugporduction and trafficking in that country.

5 Feb A Landmark dael batween Northern Ireland's two major political parties,the DemocraticUnionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein, Removes the last hurdle to granting full autonomy to theprovince envisaged inthe 1998 Good Friday Agreement thet brought decades of sectarianviolence to an end.

6 Feb Resourcehouse , an Australian mining firm, signs a record $60 billion deal to supply coal toenergy-hungry China for the next 20 years. it is the biggest ever xeport contract in


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Australia's history.

7 Feb Iran president Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad orders the cheif of the nuclear progremme tobegin higher uranium enrichment , days after the country seemed to have accepted a UN-drafted nuclear deal.

8 Feb Mr. Laura Chinchilla becomes Costa Rica's first Women President after a convincing electiontriumph.Marin Cilic of Croatia wins the Zagreb Indoors tennis tournament title, beating Michael Berrerof Germany in the final in Zagreb, Croatia.

9 Feb Iran sets in motion the process of further refining its stocks of lightly enriched uranium at itsatomic facility in Natanz.The 11the South Asian Games concludes in Dhaka, Bangladesh; India emerge on top with ahaul of 175 medals including 90 Gold, 55 Silver and 30 Bronze, followed by Pakistan (19-25-36) and Bangladesh (18-23-56).

11 Feb Iranian President Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declares Iran a "Nuclear State", saying that thecountry has produced its first stock of 20 percent enriched uranium for its nuclearprogramme.A report published in the New Scientist says that scientists at the National Institute ofStandards adn Technology, USA, have created the world's most precise clock based on asingle aluminium atom. The new clock would neither gain nor lose one second in about 307billion years.

12 Feb Cricket is formally endorsed as a recognised sports by International OlympicCommittee(IOC).

13 Feb A high powered laser destroys a target missile in flight off the Central California Coast, USA,in a milestone test of a futuristic missile defence system conducted by US.

14 Feb Andrew Dodt of Australia wins the title of the 1.5 million Avantha Masters golf championshipin Gurganon, Haryana.Physicists at the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory create thehottest temperature ever in the laboratory---4 trillion degrees Celsius---hot enough to breakmatter down to the kind of soup that existed microseconds-after the birth of the universe.

15 Feb Indian origin lawyer Mr. Rashid Hussain is appointed USA's new special envoy to theOrganization of Islamic Conference(OIC),a post vital to America's bid to repair strainedrelations with the Muslim world.Australian all-rounder shane Watson wins the prestigious Allan Border Medal, besides beingnamed Australia's ODI Player of the Year.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and an observation deck to thespace outpost. The new deck, named Tranquility, will give the resident astronauts of theorbital station a panoramic view of the station and the Earth below.

16 Feb The 2009 Sangeet Natak Akademi (Akademi Ratna) Fellowships are awarded to the winnersat a ceremony held in New Delhi; the winners are: Pandit Jasraj, Shreeram Lagoo, YaminiKrishnamurti, Lalgudi Jayaraman, Kamlesh Dutt Tripathi and Kishori Amonkar.

19 Feb Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama is honoured with the prestigious Democracy Service Medalby the Government of USA in function in Washington, USA.

21 Feb Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova wins the title of the WTA Tour's Memphis tournament,beating Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden in the final in Memphis, USA.

22 Feb Ian Poulter UK beats compatriot Paul Casey to win the Accenture Match Play golfchampionship in Marana, USA.Iraq war movie The Hurt Locker sweeps the board at the BAFTA Awards in London, the UK,winning the Best Film and Best Director Award for Kathryan Bigelow; other awards won by

the film include Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing and Sound.23 Feb Eminent journalist Mr. Sanjoy Hazarika is awarded the Dr. Jean Mayer Award for Global

Citizenship by the US based Tufts University for his contributions to the north-east of India.

24 Feb A report released by the World Trade Organization (WTO) says that world trade fell by 12 %in 2009, the biggest fall since the end of the World War II in 1945.Sachin Tendulkar becomes the first cricketer in history to score a double century in an ODI;he achieves this feat in the second ODI of the series against South Africa in Gwalior. Ridingon his unbeaten 200 (off 147 balls), India beat the visitors by 153 runs to take a 2-0 lead inthe three-match series.The Sasakawa Prize of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is conferred on Mr. Sameer


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Hajee, an NRI scientist, who invented a portable light that can be recharged by pedalling for20 minutes. The device, called the Nuru Light, was developed for use in areas withoutelectricity.

25 Feb Mr. Viktor Yanukovych is sworn in as Ukraine's President at a majestic ceremony in Kiev,Ukraine.The National Weightlifting championship concludes in Udaipur, Rajasthan; Services bag themen's team title, while All India Police claim the women's crown.

Famous social worker Ms. Ela Phatt is chosen for the prestigious Niwano Peace Prize of Japanfor 2010 for her contribution to the upliftment of poor women in India.A much-awaited energy venture, known as "power plant in a box", is unveiled by its Indian-American inventor, K.R. Sridhar, in Washington, USA. The groundbreaking invention promisesclean electricity to homes, office buildings and even whole villages in the developing world.The device, called Bloom Box, can generate electricity from multiple fuels while producingrelatively less greenhouse gas emissions.

26 Feb The Indian women's cricket team beat the visiting English side by five wickets in the fourthmatch of the ODI series, thus sealing the series 3-1, in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

27 Feb The Commonwealth Shooting Championship ends in New Delhi. India clinch the top positionwith 35 Gold, 25 Silver and 14 Bronze, followed by England (4-15-12) and Wales (4-2-7).

28 Feb The 21st Winter Olympic Games, held in Vancouver, Canada, ends. Hosts Canada clinch thetop position with 14 Gold, 7 Silver and 5 Bronze, followed by Germany (10-13-7) and USA(9-15-13).

March National

6 March Actress Jaya Bachchan is honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony held atthe British Academy of Film & Television Arts in London, England, for her "inspiringcontribution to Indian cinema.

March International

2 March In yet another milestone for Chandrayaan-1, the Houston (US)-based Lunar and PlanetaryInstitute says that the Indian Moon mission had found not only water molecules and new typeof rocks, but also ice on the Moon.

8 March The 82nd Academy Awards, better known as the Oscar Awards, are presented in a grandceremony in Los Angeles, USA. The Hurt Locker, a smallbudget film on the Iraq war, wins sixawards, while Avatar, a global blockbuster, wins three. The prominent winners are: SandraBullock (Best Actress for The Blind Side), Jeff Bridges Locker (Best Film), Kathryn Bigelow(Best Director for The Hurt Locker), Christoph Waltz (Best Actor in a Supporting Role for

Inglourious Basterds), Mo'Nique (Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Precious), etc.A team of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, devise a way toproduce 30 KWh of electricity enough to power an entire household using one bottle ofdrinking water and four hours of sunlight. The key to these claims is a new, affordablecatalyst that uses solar electricity to split water and generate hydrogen.

April National

8 April The Union Cabinet approves the big ticket disinvestment in Steel Authority of India Ltd.(SAIL) to mop up about Rs. 16,000 crore by selling its equity and issuing fresh shares to thepublic.

10 April The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announces that it will launch the first in aconstellation of seven satellites envisaged for the ambitious Indian Regional NavigationSatellite System (IRNSS) by the end of 2011.

13 April The Indian Army agrees to acquire the indigenous two-stage ramjet Akash missile.

17 April ISRO's Cartosat 2B high-resolution satellite is flagged off from Bengaluru to Sriharikota,wherefrom it will be launched.

18 April The government launches the second edition of the Triton series of exercises designed to testthe security of the Kerala coast.

20 April Mr. Mukul Sangma is sworn in as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya; he replaces Mr. D.D.Lapang.

22 April The Centre announces that the sea along the Indian coasts will be brought under the ambit ofthe Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) guidelines.

23 April Navies of India and the US begin annual war exercises, the 14th edition of MALABAR,involving anti-submarine warfare surface firing, visit board, search and seizure and


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submarine operations, in the Arabian Sea.

27 April To extend the social security benefits to more workers under the ESI scheme, the Centreraises the maximum wage limit for the facility from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 a month.

30 April Mr. Justice Sarosh Homi Kapadia is appointed the 38th Chief Justice of India; he succeedsJustice K.G. Balakrishnan.Pilot production of the air-launched version of the India-Russia BrahMos missile starts inRussia, in line with plans to fit it in the Indian Air Force's Su-30MKI fighter aircraft by 2012.

April International

8 April Mr. R.P. Goenka, Chairman Emeritus of RPG Enterprises, receives the Lifetime AchievementAward from All India Management Association (AIMA) in New Delhi.Prasun Chatterjee, an Indian environmetal engineering student whose research hascontributed to a new way of detecting toxic and copper in water, wins one of the highest USresearch honours, the 2010 Ellen Gonter Environmental Chemistry Award, from the AmericanChemical Society.

10 April Polish President Lech Kaczynski and a high-profile delegation are killed when a plane carrying97 people crashes near the Russian city of Smolensk.

12 April British-Indian author Mr. Rana Dasgupta wins the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for 2010 forhis epic tale Solo set in Communist and post-Communist Bulgaria, Australian author Ms.Glenda Guest's Siddon Rock is adjudged the Best First Book.

13 April The two-day, 47-nation Nuclear Security Summit concludes in Washington, USA, with theadoption of a short final communique and seven-page work plan aimed at prompting theeffective securty of nuclear material worldwide.

15 April The BRIC nations - (Brazil, Russia, India and China) hold a summit in Brasilia; at the samevenue, India, Brazil and South Africa also hold the IBSA summit. Both the summitsunderscore a shared quest for greater collective influence within the changing geometry ofthe international system.The Eyjafjallajokull volcano of Iceland, that erupted a day before, takes a heavy toll on theEuropean aviation industry, makin it impossible to operate flights anywhere in Europe.

17 April In a significant development, Ira calls for the suspension of the US from the InternationalAtomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and proposes a five-point plan to democratise the globalsecurity architecture.

19 April A new page in Pakistan's history is turned with President Mr. Asif Ali Zardari signing the 18thAmendment Bill that transfers the power of the presidency to the Parliament and brings backthe 1973 Constitution drafted during the regime of former President Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

20 April Noted Hindi writer Hrishikesh Sulabh is chosen for the International Indu Sharma KathaSamman for 2010 for his story collection Vasant Ke Hatyare.

21 April Mr. D. M. Jayaratne is appointed Prime Minister of Sri Lanka by the nation's President Mr.Mahinda Rajapaksa.

25 April Mr. P. Kamalanathan, an ethnic Indian, wins a prestigious parliamentary by-election inMalaysis, giving a boost to the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) that claims to speak for the1.7 million community.

26 April The two-day annual spring meting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the WorldBank concludes in Washington, USA; at the meeting, the member nations endorse voicereform to increase the voting power of developing and transition countries (DTC) in the WorldBank by 3.13 percentage points, bringing their proportional voice to 47.19 percent.

27 April A South Korean mountaineer, named Ms. Oh Eun-sun, becomes the first woman in the world

to scale the world's 14 highest mountains, by conquering the Annapurna in the Himalayas.

28. April The 16th South asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) convenes in Thimphu,Bhutan; at the meeting, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh leads the SAARC leaders inintrospecting on the progress made by the eight-member regional forum in its 25 years ofexistence.

30 April The World Expo 2010 opens amid much fanfare in Shanghai, China; Chinese President Mr. HuJintao inaugurates the opening ceremony attended by more than 20 heads of states andgovernments, apart from a large number of high-level dignitaries from across the world.Belgium becomes the first nation in Europe to ban the burqa in public places.The Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2010 is held in Mumbai. Ms. Manasvi Mamgai of Mumbai is


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adjudged Miss India World, Bengaluru girl Ms. Nicole Faria is named Miss India Earth; Ms.Neha Hinge of Pune wins the Miss India International crown.

April Sports

12 April India win the inaugural Pearls World Cup Kabaddi Punjab 2010 title, beating Pakistan in thefinal in Ludhiana, Punjab.

15 April Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani defends his Asian billiards title with a win over Peter Gilchristof Singapore in the final in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

17 April Dipika Pallikal of India wins the WISPA (women's) title, beating Emma Beddoes of England inthe final of the Indian Challenger squash tournament in Kolkata; Mohamed El Shorgagy ofEgypt wins the men's title.

May National

1 May Mr. Atul Khare, an Indian, is appointed by UN Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon asAssistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations.

3 May The Lok Sabha passes a bill to raise the ceiling on gratuity for employees in the private sectorto Rs. 10 lakh from Rs. 3.5 lakh.

7 May In a ignificant development, the Supreme Court holds that candidates in the "MeritoriousReserved Category (MRC)" selected on merit and placed in the "General/UnreservedCategory" in the Central Civil Services Examination (CSE) can be given a choice to opt for a

service of higher preference in terms of Rule 16(2) of the CSE Rules.The contentious Nuclear Liability Bill is introduced in the Lik Sabha amid protests and walkoutby the NDA and the Left parties.

9 May The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announces that Russia will develop a landerthat will ferry a rover to explore the Moon's surface as part of the Chandrayaan-II mission,slated for launch in 2013.

13 May In a big-ticket investment aimed at giving a boost to its holding of oil and gas assets abroad,the ONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL), along with its partners, enters into an agreement with theVenezuelan governement to develop a $20 billion oil project in that country.The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, crosses a milestone,with the thermal baffle, a crucial piece of cooling equipment, successfully lowered into it.

15 May Former Vice-President and three-time Chief Minister of Rajasthan in the past, Bhairon SinghShekhawat of BJP passes away in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

16 May Seeking to expand cooperation with the Indian Space Research Oraganisation (ISRO) on its

Chandrayaan-II missin, the US offers assistance through Boeing, which partners with NASAon its space exploration programmes.Mr. ratan Kumar Sinha is appointed Director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC),Trombay.

17 May After two successive setbacks, Agni-II surface-to-surface ballistic missile is successfully test-fired from theWheeler island off the Orissa coast. The intermediate-rangemissile can carrynuclear weapons and hs a range of 2,000 km.

18 May Leading private sector lender ICICI Bank agrees to take over the Bank of Rajasthan.

20 May Pakistan sends a note verbale to India on the disputed Kishanganga project, clearly indicatingits intention to set up a Court of Arbitration as provided in the despurte settlementmechanism under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).

21 May The Central Government grants the Maharatna status to four public sector giants - NationalThermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Indian OilCorporation (IOC), and Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL).

22 May Arjun Vajpai, a 16-year-old boy from Noida, becomes the youngest Indian to scale MountEvrest.

23 May The first indigenously-built Light Combat Helicopter, developed by the Hindustan AeronauticsLtd. (HAL), successfully makes its inaugural test-flight in Bengaluru.

24 May The Uniion Ministry of Commerce and Industry through a notification brings cotton and cottonwaste under the restricted list for exports.

25 May Turkmenistan President Mr. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visits India; during his meetingwith Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, the two sidesdiscuss energycooperation and sign several agreements signalling the desire of both countries to strengthen


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bilateral ties.

28 May Addressing a joint session of the Bhutanese Parliament in Thimphu, Bhutan, Lok SabhaSpeaker Ms. Meira Kumar announces the setting up of a Parliamentary Friendship Group tohelp reinforce and renew the bonds of friendship between India and Bhutan.

29 May The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry rejects a proposal to bring medical educationunder the purview of teh proposed National Commission for Higher Education and Research(NCHER).

30 May The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grants a corpus of $5 million to the Public HealthFoundation of India (PHFI) to strengthen the National Tobacco Control Programe in Gujaratand Andhra Pradesh, over a three-year period up to 2010.

May International

6 May Mr. Goodluck Jonathan is sworn in as the President of Nigeria, hours after the death ofincumbent President Umaru Yar'Adua.

7 May North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il ends his four-day visit to China; he tells the Chinesegovernment that he is willing to help revive stalled negotiations over his country'scontroversial unclear programme.

8 May Pakistan successfully test-fires two surface-to-surface missiles---Hatf-III (Ghaznavi) andHatf-IV (Shaheen)---capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads.The heads of state and governments of the 16 Eurozone nations launch a historic $110-billionfinacial aid package to bail out the heavily-indebted Greece from bankruptcy.

9 May Russia marks the 65th anniversary of victory in World War II with a spectacular militaryparade in Moscow; for the first time ever, serving US, British, French and Polish troops, aswell as many former Soviet states join over 10,000 Russian soldiers in th e parade.

12 May Britain's first post-war coalition government, with Conservative leader Mr. David Cameron asPrime Minister and his Liberal Democrat counterpart Mr. Nick Clegg as Deputy Prime Minister,takes office, as the sun sets on the 13-year Labour rule.Human Resource Development Minister Mr. Kapil Sibal is conferred the Stephen P. Dugganaward by the New York (USA)-based Institute of International Educaton; he is given theaward for his contribution to the spheres of governance and education in India.

13 May The world's first-ever ATM that dispenses gold in place of currency notes is unveiled in AbuDhabi; the machine named "Gold To Go: gives out one, five and 10-gram gold bars as well asgold coins.The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), USA, announces that it will fly aplasmapowered rocket that can reach Mars in a little over a month's time. The rocket is

named Variable Specific Impulse Magneto-plasma Rocket (VASIMR).Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director-General of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency Visionary Award by theUS-based Alliance to Save Energy.

14 May Time magazine selects Indian mathematician Mr. Anand Kumar's school---Super 30---in thelist of Best of Asia in 2010.

15 May The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approves immediate disbursement of $1.3 billion offinancial assistance to Pakistan.

19 May The French Cabinet approves a draft law to ban the burqa, the Muslim full-face veil, frompublic spaces, opening the way for the bill to be tabled in the Parliament.

22 May 13-year-old American boy JordanRomero scripts history by becoming the youngest person inthe world to conquer the Mount Everest.

25 May Indian-origin politician Ms. Kamla Persad-Bissessar is sworn in as th e Prime Minister ofTrinidad & Tobago.

31 May Hon'ble President Ms. Pratiba Patil wraps up her six-day Chia visit; she becomes the firstIndian head of state to visit China in a decade.

May Sports

9 May Mark Webber, the Australian racer of the Red Bull team, clinches the title of the SpanishGrand Prix Formula One championhip in Barcelona, Spain.

10 May Dempo Sports Club clinches the title of the 2010 I-League football tournament, beatingLajong United of Shillong in the penultimate round in Shillong, Meghalaya; it is the fourth I-League title of Dempo.

11 May Indian chess wizard Viswanathan Anand retains his FIDE World Chess Championship title,


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beating Bulgarian contender Veselin Topalov in the 12 and deciding game in Sofia, Bulgaria.Playing with black pieces, Anand pulls off a win in 56 moves.

12 May Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav clinches the Gold medal in the 74-kg freestyle category at theAsian Wrestling Championship, beating Saeed Riahi of Iran in the final in New Delhi.

13 May India's Olympic hero Sushil Kumar notches up his first-ever Gold at the Asian WrestlingChampionship, beating South Korean Dae Sung Kim in the final in New Delhi.

14 May Chiara Cainero of Italy wins the Gold at the women's skeet competition in the shotgun WorldCup in Dorset, England.

16 May England win the 2010 ICC World Twenty 20 title, beating Australia in the final by sevenwickets in Barbados, West Indies. This is England's first title in an ICC global event.India and South Korea are declared joint winners of the Sultan Azlan Shah hockeytournament, after the final is washed out in Ipoh, Malaysia.Rafael Nadal of Spain beats Roger Federer of Switzerland in the final to clinch the title of theMadrid Masters tennis championship in Madrid, Spain.

17 May Australia win the title of the ICC Womens' World Twenty20, beating New Zealand by threeruns in the thrilling summit clash in Barbados, West Indies.

18 May Seema Tomar of India bags the women's trap Silver in the shotgun World Cup in Dorset,England; this is the first-ever trap medal in a World Cup by an Indian woman shooter.

21 May Maria Sharapova of Russia clinches the Strasbourg Open women's singles title in Strasbourg.France.

23 May Italian giants Inter Milan win the 2010 Champions League football title, beating Germangiants Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final in Madrid, Spain.

24 May India's Joshna Chinappa wins the German Ladies' Squash Open, beating Swiss opponentGaby Schmohl in the final of the WISPA World Tour event in Saarbrucken, Germany.

26 May Zhu Qinan of China wins the air rifle Gold in the shooting World Cup in Fort Benning, USA.

27 May Indian men beat Iran 3-1 in a crucial match of the World table tennis team championships inMoscow, Russia.

June National

1 June Jharkhand comes under President's rule with Hon'ble President Ms. Pratibha Patil accepting arecommendation of the Union Cabinet.

2 June Tata Nano, the world's cheapest car at Rs. 1 lakh, rolls out of the assembly line at its newplant at Sanand, Gujarat, raising the hopes of the lower and middle class families in thecountry of fulfilling the dream of owning a four-wheeler.South African President Mr. Jacob Zuma visits India; during his visit, India and South Africalaunch the India-South Africa CEOs Forum.

6 June The Union Government decides to appoint the Natonal Knowledge Commission Chairman andAdviser to the Prime Minister on ublic Information Infrastructure and Innovation, Mr. SamPitroda, as the head of "India Smart Grid Task Force".

7 June Former Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan takes over as the Chairman of the National HumanRights Commission.

8 June In the largest-evertelecom takeover by an Indian firm, Bharti Airtel completes a deal to buyout Kuwait-based Zain Telecom's African business for $10.7 billion.SBI Chairman Mr. O.P. Bhatt is elected the new Chairman of the Indian Banks Association(IBA) for 2010-11.

11 June The 16-day auction of the Broadband Wireless Spectrum (BWA) ends; through the auction,the Centre raises Rs. 38,617 crore. Internet service provider Infotel emerges as the sole pan-

India licence winner in the auction.12 June The Central Government approves capital infusion of Rs. 6,211 crore in five public sector

banks---IDBI, Central Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, UCO Bank and Union Bank ofIndia.

13 June India's anti-tank missile Nag is successfully test-fired; the missile proves its capability ofdestroying a target at a range of 500 m, hitting a moving object in 3.2 seconds.

18 June The indigenously developed, nuclear-capable ballistic missile Prithvi-II is successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range in Orissa.

19 June In a meeting held in New Delhi, the State Education Ministers endorse the Centre's move tohave a core curriculum in science and mathematics for Class XI and XII.


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20 June The National Rural Health Missiion (NRHM) authorities suggest the introduction of a ruralcadre of healthcare workers, saying that clinical care proveders with a shorter duratoion oftraining are a competent alternative to physicians.

26 June India is granted observer status on the board of the Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) project,the next generation astronomical observatory that will be located on Mauna Kea, Hawaii,USA.

28 June India and Canada sign a civil nuclear cooperation agreement; the agreement is signed in thepresence of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and his Canadian counterpart Mr. StephenHarper in Toronto, Canada.

29 June The Indian Navy inducts two water-propelled fast attack craft, INS Cankarso and INS Kondul,at a ceremony in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The two ships will shore up the security ofthe country's coastline.

30 June A report released by the Centre reveals that the India's current account deficits (CAD),reflecting its position in trade and invstment with other nations, rose to 2.9 percent of DGP in2009-10 against 2.4 percent a year ago.

June International

2 June Japan's Prime Minister Mr. Yukio Hatoyama resigns; he becomes the fourth successivePremier of the country to quit after a year or less at the helm.

3 June Ukraine officially takes NATO menmbership off its agenda in a volte face of the policy onceardently pursued by the previous President, Mr. Vikor Yushchenko.

June Sports

1 June Renjith Maheshwari of India clinches the Gold in men's triple jump at the Asian Grand Prix2010 in Pune, Maharashtra.

5 June Francesca Schiavone becomes the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title afterdefeating Australia's Samantha Stosur 6-4, 7-6(2) in the French Open final in Paris.

6 June Rafael Nadal recaptures the French Open crown defeating Robin Soderling of Sweden by 6-4,6-2, 6-4 retaking th e World No. 1 spot. It is Nadal's fifth win in the French Open since 2005.

7 June The first Australia-India Energy and Minerals Forum meeting is held in Perth, Australia; bothsides express willingness to work jointly in the areas of development of use of brown coal,energy efficiency, improvement of coal-based power plants, hydro power development andpower generation technology research, and development of smart grids.MMTC Director (Personnel) Mr. A. Mahapatra is conferred the International HR ExcellenceAward for 2010 by the Institute of Personnel Management, Sri Lanka.

The Dawning Nebulae, a Chinese supercomputer, is adjudged the second fastestsupercomputer in the world---with a commputing speed of 1.27 petaflops per second---in thebiannual testing of the world's 500 fastest supercomputers.

8 June Japan's new Prime Minister Mr. Naoto Kan affirms that the will resolve the status of acontroversial US air base "in accordance with the agreement" that Japan and the USannounced in May 2010.

10 June The 2010 Orange Prize for fiction, Britain's highly-regarded honour for woman writers, isconferred on American novelist Ms. Barbara Kingsolver for her novel The Lacuna.

9 June The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) imposes the fourth round of sanctions on Iran; ofthe 15 members of the Council, 12 vote in favour of the sanctions.

11 June The annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is held in Tashkent,Uzbekistan.

13 June Astronomers at the Oxford University, England, announce that they havediscovered sevendiverse new planets. The planets, which range from "shrunken Saturns" to "bloated Jupiters",include a rare brown dwarf with 60 times the mass of Jupiter.

14 June Iran and Pakistan ink the last of a series of agreements to operationalise the Iran-Pakistangas pipeline deal. As per the deal, Iran commits itself to supplying natural gas to Pakistanfrom 2010 onwards.In a significant development, American geologists disover $1 trilllion worth of mineraldeposits in Afghanistan.Veteran Gandhian Social worker and National Youth Project (NYP) Director Mr. S.N. SubbaRao is conferred the Anuvrat Ahimsa International Peace. Award at a ceremony in New Delhi.

21 June The G.D. Birla Aards, instituted by the Birla Academy of Art and Culture, are presented in


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New Delhi. The awardees are: Mr. V.P. Dhananjayan (cultural heritage), Ms. ZokhunmiVankung (service to humanity) and Dr. Percy Barnevik (rural upliftment in Kanchipuram,Tamil Nadu).Celebrated democracy campaigner Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi of Kyanmar becomes the firstrecipient of the Benazir Bhutto Shahid Award for Democracy instituted by the PakistanPeople's Party in the memory of the slain leader.

22 June Tata Group Chairman Mr. Ratan Tata is made an Honorary Doctor of Law by the University of

Cambridge, UK, in recognition of his business achievements and philanthropic work.

23 June Dr. Asko Parpola, Professor-Emeritus of Indology, Institute of World Cultures, Finland, isconferred the prestigious Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi Classical Tamil Award at the inauguralWorld Classical Tamil Conference in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

26 June The two-day G8 and G20 summits open in Toronto, Canada. At both the meetings, worldleaders pledge to counter terrorism and work collectively for a sustainable recovery of theglobal economy.The Home/Interior Ministers of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)nations hold a conference in Islamabad, Pakistan. In the conference, it is decided to actjointly against any form of terrorism.

27 June The G20 leaders, on the closing day of their Toronto meet, approve a deal to slash theirnational deficits within three years, seeking to overcome divisions among world powers onhow best to nurture a fragile global economic recovery.

30 June In a move to break the political deadlock in the nation, Nepal's Prime Minister Mr. madhavKumar Nepal resigns after 13 months in power.

June Sports

8 June Virender Sehwag maintains his No. 1 position in the ICC rankings for Test Batsmen; Indiahold on to their top spot.

10 June India win the men's team recurve Gold medal at the Archery World Cup (Stage II) in Antalya,Turkey.

13 June Indian badminton ace Saina Nehwal wins the title of the Yonex Sunrise-India Open Grand Prixbadminton championship, beating Choo Wong Mew of Malaysia in the final in Chennai.

19 June Sergiy Stakhovksy of Ukraine beats Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia in the final to lift the title ofthe UNICEF Open tennis tournament in S'Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.

20 June Indian badminton ace Saina Nehwal clinches the second Super Series title of her career bywinning the Singapore Open, beating Tzu Ying Tai of Chinese Taipei in the final in Singapore.

24 June India clinch the Asia Cup beating Sri Lanka by 81 runs in the final in Dambulla, Sri Lanka.27 June Saina Nehwal of India wins the Indonesian Open Super Series badminton title, beating

Sayaka Sato of Japan in the final in Jakarta, Indonesia.

28 June Niccolo Campriani of Italy wins the men's air rifle title at the Shooting World Cup in Belgrade,Serbia.

July National

1 July Mr. Sharad Pawar, Union Agriculture Minister and the former President of Board of Control forCricket in India (BCCI), is appointed the new President of International Cricket Council (ICC).He becomes the second Indian after Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya to hold the ICC's top office.

2 July The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hikes the short-term indicative interest rates---repo rateand reverse repo rate---by 25 basis points to 5.5 and 4.0, respectively, to rein in inflationand inflationary pressures.

3 July Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Ms. Sonia Gandhi inaugurate the

swanky, world-class Terminal 3 at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.Spread over 5.4 million square feet, the terminal is the world's sixth largest.

4 July National Security Adviser (NSA) Mr. Shiv Shankar Menon begins an important China visit, toexplore how the two nations could expand both economic and cultural engagements.

12 July ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C15) puts five satellites in orbit; the fivesatellites are: ISRO's Cartosat-2B, Alsat of Algeria, NLS 6.1 AISSAT-1 of University of Toronto(Canada), NLS 6.2 TISAT-1 of University of Applied Sciences (Switzerland), and Studsat, builtby 35 students of seven engineering colleges in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

15 July The Centre approves a symbol for the rupee, helping the Indian currency join the elite club ofthe US dollar, euro, the pound sterling and the Japanese yen. the symbol, designed by


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Bombay IIT post-graduate Mr. D. Udaya Kumar, is a blend of t he Devanagari "Ra" and theRoman "r".

19 July Data released by the Centre show that India's exports registered an impressive 32 percentgrowth during the first quarter of 2010-11, reaching $50.8 billion; imports also grew 34percent at $83 billion during the same period, while the country's trade deficit stood at $32.2billion.

21 July Remote sensing satellite Cartosat-2B sends high quality images of the Indian landmass,including Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh and Madurai in Tamil Nadu; the images were taken bythe satellite's panchromiatic camera, which has a resolution as high as 0.8 metre.

22 July The Union Cabinet approves the inclusio/amendment of the names of castes and communitiesin the Central Lists of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in respect of Chhattisgarh, Haryana,Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Rajasthan and the UT of Daman & Diu.

23 July The State Bank of India (SBI) raises $1 billion (about Rs. 4,700 crore)through bonds from theUS market.The Union Government announces that India will mount its first scientific expedition to theSouth Pole in November 2010.

25 July In a bid to give boost to production of solar energy, the Union Government ropes in powerfinance bodies---Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and the Rural Electrification Corporation(REC)---to finance new projects under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM),under which the government aims to add at least 1,000 MW solar power by the end of 2013.Rashtrapati Bhavan is presented with an International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)14001: 2004 Certificate for having emerged as the country's first urban habitat with excellentenvironmental management systems.

26 July In a boost to its efforts to build an anti-missile system, India successfully test-fires aninterceptor missile off the Orissa coast. The missile destroys an "enemy" ballistic missile overthe Bay of Bengal.

29 July The Parliament approves the imposition of President's Rule in Jharkhand.

30 July Election Commissioner Mr. Shahabuddin Yaqoob Quraishi takes over as Chief ElectionCommissioner (CEC); he succeeds mr. Navin Chawla.The Union Cabinet gives its nod for legislation to raise the retirement age of High Courtjudges from 62 to 65.

International

12 July The International Criminal Court charges Sudanese President Mr. Omar al-Bashir with threecounts of genocide in the troubled Darfur region.

13 July The Delhi Metro is bestowed the Outstanding Civil Engineerimg Project Award by the AsianCivil Engineering Coordinating Council.

14 July The world's largest solar power plant, named "La Florida", opens in Badajoz, Spain. Spreadover 550,00 square metres, the plant can produce 50 MW of power.2010 FIFA World Cup winners Spain replace Brazil at the top of the most recent FIFA Worldrankings.

15 July Argentina becomes the first country in Latin America to legalise same-ses marriage, followinga landmark Senate vote.Indian badminton superstar Saina Nehwal climbs up to the World No. 2 slot in theinternational badminton rankings.

16 July Viraat Badhwar becomes the first Indian to win the Callaway junior golf championships; hebeats Rico Hoey of USA in the final in San Diego, USA.

18 July Om Prakash Singh of India wins the Gold in the men's shot put event at the Savo Games in

Finland.The Metro Citizens' Forum volunteers' programme of the Delhi Metro wins the "StevieDistinguished Honoree" medal at the International Business Awards, 2010, in Virginia, USA.

19 July Mumbai clinch the 63rd Rangaswamy Cup senior national men's hockey championship,beating Haryana in the final in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh."Bombay Sisters" C. Saroja and C. Lalitha are chosen for the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhiaward of the Music Academy.

21 July British astronomers announce the discovery of the heaviest and brightest star ever known toexist. The star named R 136al has a mass some 300 times bigger than our Sun. The new staris so bright that it would outshine our Sun by as much as the Sun outshines the Moon.


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22 July In a groundbreaking ruling, the International Court of Justice says that Kosovo's unilateraldeclaration of inependence from Serbia in February 2008 did not violate any internationallaw.Delhi Chief Minister Ms. Sheila Dikshit is chosen for the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak Award for2010, in recognition of her contribution to politics.Hon'ble President Ms. Pratibha Patil presents the 4th Ramnath Goenka Excellence inJournalism Awards in New Delhi. The prominent awardess are: Siddarth Varadarajan

(Journalist of the Year - Print), Arnab Goswami (Journalist of the Year - Broadcast); HarishDamodarn (Best Non-Fiction Book in English for India's New Capitalists), etc.

25 July African Union (AU) leaders meet in Kampala, Uganda; the leaders condemn a recent ghastlyterrorist attack that killed 76 people in Uganda.Alberto Contador of Spain wins the 2010 Tour de France cycling championship in Paris,France.

27 July Sandeep Sejwal of Railways sets a natinal record (two min. 18.31 sec.) in men's 200mbreast-stroke at the Federation Cup aquatics meet in New Delhi.

29 July Iran's ally Turkey says that Iran is ready to stop enriching uranium to 20 percent purity if theglobal powers agree to export medium-enriched nuclear fuel for its Tehran-based medicalreactor.Virdhawal khade of Maharashtra wins four Gold medals at the Federation Cup aquatics meetin New Delhi.Legendary actor Sunil Dutt is posthumously conferred the National Amity Award; the late

actor's daughter, Ms. Priya Dutt, receives the honour from Vice-President Md. Hamid Ansariin New Delhi.

31 July India and the US sign the much-debated agreement on modalities for reprocessing spentnuclear fuel, under the civilian nuclear deal between the two countries. The agreement issigned in Washington, USA by Indian Ambassador Ms. Meera Shankar and US UnderSecretary of State for Political Affairs Mr. William Burns.The 42nd Jnanpith Award for 2006 is presented to Konkani litterateur Mr. Ravindra Kelekar;Lok Sabha Speaker Ms. Meira Kumar gives away the award at a function in Panaji.

August National

1 August The Centre announces its plans to expand the coverage of Below Poverty Line (BPL)population under the public distribution system (PDS) to 8.7 crore from the current 6.52crore based on the accetance of the Tendulkar Committee's poverty projections for 2011 bythe Planning Commission.

2 August The World Heritage Committee, in its 34th session held in Brasilia, Brazil, inscribes Jaipur's

Jantar Mantar in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

3 August The Centre appoints two full-time and seven part-time members to the 19th Law Commissionof India, which was reconstituted in September 2009.

5 August The Union Textile Ministry announces a new scheme to improve the skills of 2.56 lakh textileworkers at a cost of Rs. 272 crore in the remaining two years of the 11th Five-Year Plan.

8 August The Rajya Sabha passes by voice vote the Trade Marks (Amendment) Bill, 2009, that allowsany person or enterprise to seek registration or trade mark in any of the 84 membercountries of the Madrid Protocol. The Bill had already been passed by the Lok Sabha inDecember 2009.

16 August Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh gives the green signal for setting up a NationalInnovation Council, to be headed by technocrat Dr. Sam Pitroda.

21 August External Affairs Minister Mr. S.M. Krishna and his Japanese counterpart Mr. Katsuya Okadahold an important summit in New Delhi; in the meeting, the two sides spell out the

paramenters for a bilateral civil nuclear accord.24 August Former Union Power Secretary Mr. Harishankar Brahma is appointed Election Commissioner.

25 Auqust With the government conceding a major point to the Opposition on supplier liability, the LokSabha passes the controversial Givil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, 2010. As per the Bill,nuclear operators are to be strictly liable for damages resulting from an accident, but theirliability is capped at Rs. 1,500 crore. In earlier drafts, the cap was Rs. 500 crore.

26 Auqust The Union Cabinet approves the long-awaited Direct Taxes Code Bill under which thegovernment has proposed to like the income tax exemption limit from the existing base ofRs. 1.6 lakh to Rs. 2 lakh. The Bill also seeks to remove surcharge and cesses on corporatetax asa measure of providing relief to industry while simplifyig taxation norms.


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28 Auqust The 2010 Commonwealth Games theme song, Jiyo Utho Badho Jeeto, composed by A.R.Rahman, is released during a function in Gurgaon, Haryana.

29 August Foreign Secretary Ms. Nirupama Rao visits Sri Lanka for a first-hand assessment of India'sassistance to the nearly three lakh displaced Tamils in that country.

31 August The Centre decides to declare the elephant as a national heritage animal.

International

1 August Renowned Indian sand artist Mr. Sudarsan Pattnaik wins the first prize at the 8thInternational Sand Sculpture Championship held in Berlin, Germany.

2 August The mascot of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is unveiled at a ceremony i n Colombo, Sri Lanka.The mascot, named "Stumpy", is the image of an elephant.

5 August Russian Presient Mr. Dmitry Medvedev voics support for South Africa's bid to join the BRICgroup, which unites Brazil, Russia, India and China.Asher Noria of India wins the double trapn Gold by equalling the junior World record in the50th World shooting championship at Munich, Germany.A. Sharath Kamal scripts history by becoming the first Indian to enter the top 50 of the worldtable tennis rankings.Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal's name is approved for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, thecountry's highest sports honour, by the Government of India. Alongside, the names of thewinners of Arjuna Awards, Dhyan Chand Awards and Dronacharya Awards are alsoannounced.

6 August Federation of Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce confers the prestigious Businessman of theDecade award on Tata Group Chairman Mr. Ratan Tata in a ceremony in Mumbai.

8 August Tejaswini Sawant scripts history by becoming the first Indian woman to clinch Gold at theWorld Shooting Championship, winning the 50m rifle prone event in Munich, Germany,equalling the world record in the process.Bengal win the 64th Santosh Trophy, beating Punjab 2-1 in the final in Kolkata.

9 August Colombia ushers in a new government and swears in Mr. Juan Manuel Santos as thePresident; he succeeds Mr. Alvaro Uribe.

11 August Russia announces that it has deployed S-300 air defence missiles in Abkhazia, Georgia'sformer breakaway region.The 50th World shooting championship concludes in Munich, Germany; India finish acreditable 14th among 105 countries with two Gold medals (Tejaswini Swant and AsherNoria) and a Bronze. China(21 Gold, 20 Silver and 11 Bronze) to the medals tally, whileRussia (21-13-12) take the second place.

12 August B. Adhiban becomes India's 23rd Grandmaster when he completes the final Grandmasternorm by winning the Olomouc International chess tournament in Czech Republic.

13 August In a crucial development, Russia announces that it will shortly begin the start-up of thereactor at Iran's first atomic power plant in Bushehr.

15 August Sri Lankan President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa dedicates to the nation the first phase of the$1.5-billion Hambantota port, being constructed with Chinese help.Indian Grandmaster K. Sasikiran regains the title at the Hogeschool Zeeland chesstournament at Vissingen in the Netherlands.

16 August Chinese government figures show that after three decades of spectacular growth, Chinaovertakes Japan in the second quarter of 2010 to become the world's second largesteconomy behind the US.

17 August Australian Prime Minister Ms. Julia Gillard proposes that her country turn into a republic atthe time of succession to Queen Elizabeth II in Britain.

Indian Woman Grandmaster Padmini Rout wins a Bronze in the World Junior girls' chesschampionship in Chotowa-Czarna, Poland; Anna Muzychuk of Slovenia clinches the Gold.

19 August Indian shuttler H.S. Prannoy wins a Silver medal at the inaugural Youth Olympics inSingapore.

23 August Golfer Arjun Atwal scripts history by becoming the first Indian and only the sixth Asia-bornplayer to win on the PGA Tour, when he secures a one-stroke victory at the WyndhamChampionship in Greensboro, USA.

24 August Miss Mexico Ximena Navarrete (22) is crowned Miss Universe 2010 at the pageant held in LasVegas, USA. Miss Jamaica Yendi Phillipps is adjudged the first runner-up and Miss AustraliaJesinta Campbell is adjudged the second runner-up.


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25 August Iran test-fires its home-built surface-to-surface Fateh 110 missile, less than a week after asimilar test that was carried out on another missile.

27 August Kenyan President Mr. Mwai Kibaki signs a new constitution that institutes a new US-stylesstem of checks and balances and has been hailed as the most significant political event inthe country since Kenya's independence nearly half a century ago.

29 August Russia's Prime Minister Mr. Vladimir Putin formaly opens the Russian section of an oil pipelineto China, hailing it as an oil pipeline to China, hailing it as an important step in diversifyingenergy exports away from Europe.Hon'ble President Ms. Pratibha Patil gives away the National Sports and Adventure Awards2010; star shuttler Saina Nehwal gets the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. Te Presidenthonours 15 sportspersons with the Arjuna Award, five coaches with the Dronacharya Award,three with theDhyan Chand Award (for lifetime achievement in sports), four with the TenzingNorgay Award and three institutions with the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar.

September National

8 Sept India and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) ink a grantagreement for $128.4 million to support the continuation of flagship programmes of theNational AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).

9 Sept In a major development, the Union Cabinet announces that a focussed, standalone, house-to-house caste headcount will be conducted between June and September 2011, after theNational Population Register (NPR) is ready.

10 Sept India and Russia gign an agreement to float a joint venture company for designing anddeveloping a multi-role transport aircraft (MTA).

14 Sept A world Health Organisation (WHO) report reveals that Sikkim has dislodged Kerala as theState with the highest suicide rate in India.

17 Sept A group of Ministers (GoM), headed by Finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, approves thenew Mining Draft Bill, which includes the provision that mining companies will have to share26 percent of profits with local people affected by their projects.

19 Sept An Assocham survey reveals that Delhi is the fastest job generating city among the fourmajor metropolitan cities in the country, followed by Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata in thatorder.

23 Sept India announces that it has completely switched over to the cleaner Euro-III and IV petroland diesel, well ahead of the October 1, 2010 deadline fixed by the Ministry of Petroleum andNatural Gas.

24 Sept Peepli Live, a film depicting the growing rural-urban divide in India, is chosen to be India'sofficial entry at the 2011 Oscar Awards i the Best Foreign Film category.

26 Sept Union Finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee launches "Wwavalamban" -a pension schemefor workers in the unorganised sector who do not have access to the social security net.

28 Sept India and Japan start in New Delhi their first-ever army-to-army talks; with this, Japanbecomes the ninth country with which the Indian Army has bilateral dialogue.

29 Sept Tembhli village in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra becomes the first village in India to getUnique Identity (UID) numbers (known as AADHAR numbers); Ms. Ranjana Sonawne, aresident of the village, becomes the first Indian to get the number.

International

2 Sept In a historic move, the Israelis and the Palestinians embark on direct peace talks inWashington, USA, a breakthrough after 20 months of stalled dialogue.

3 Sept Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar is awarded the honorary rank of Group Captain of the IndianAir Force at a special function in New Delhi. He is the first sportsperson to win this honour.

6 Sept Rwanda's re-elected President Mr. Paul Kagame is sworn in for a second term in office; theswearing-in ceremony held in the nation's capital Kigali witnesses a large gathering of hisfollowers.In a move to take on anti-nuclear protesters, the German Government, led by Ms. AngelaMerkel, decides to press ahead with plans to extend the life of Germany's nuclear powerplants.

7 Sept Australian Prime Minister Ms. Julia Gilard wins a 17-day political marathon to lead a minoritygovernment in a hung parliament.

13 Sept Thirty years after the army seized power in a coup, Turkish voters endorese amendments to


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the 1982 constitution aimed at restructuring the judiciary and curbing the power of themilitary.

15 Sept Russia and Norway sign an important Arctic border pact, ending a 40-year dispute over anenergy-rich area in the Barents Sea.

19 Sept A major row breaks out between Russia and Israel over Russian plans to sell supersonic anti-ship missiles to Syria; Israel says that the missiles, if fallen into the hands of Hezbollahmilitants, could be used against the Israeli Navy.

22 Sept Russia bans sale of S-300 antiaircraft missile to Iran; it also stops the exports to Iran oftanks, aircraft and sea vessels.

24 Sept Myanmar's ruling junta announces that detained democracy cmpaingner Ms. Aung San SuuKyi will be entitled to vote in the ensuing elections, despite earlier statements that the wouldbe barred from taking part.

27 Sept Pakistan is elected Chairman of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic EnergyAgency (IAEA).Chinese President Mr. Hu Jintao and his Russian counterpart Mr. Dmitry Medvedev sign aseries of political and commercial deals in Beijing, China.

28 Sept North Korean leader Mr. Kim Jong-il makes his youngest son, Kim Jong-un, ,a four-starGeneral in a move seen as a confirmation that he is slated to become the nation's nextleader.

30 Sept The military rulers of Myanmar announce that detained democracy campaigner Ms. Aung San

Suu Kyi will befreed in November 2010, just days after the country's first election in twodecades.

Sports

10 Sept American twins Bob and Mike Bryan take the men's doubles title of the 2010 US Open,beating the Indo-Pak pair of Rohan Bopanna and Aisamm-ul-Haq Qureshi in the final in NewYork, USA.

11 Sept Argentina beat the Netherlands in the final to win the 2010 women's hockey World Cup inRosario, Argentina.

12 Sept Sushil Kumar scripts history by becoming the first Indian to win a World wrestling

championship Gold medal, when he overpowers Alan Gogaev of Russia to win the 66-kg

freestyle title at the 2010 edition of the championship held in Moscow, Russia.

Kim Clijsters of Belgium defends her US Open women singles title, beating Vera Zvonareva ofRussia 6-2, 6-1 in the final in New York, USA.

13 Sept Rafael Nadal of Spain wins the 2010 US Open men's singles title, beating Novak Djokovic ofSerbia 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 in the final; with this win, 24-year-old Nadal becomes the youngestman in the Open Era to complete a Career Grand Slam.

18 Sept M.C. Mary Kom of India maintains her great record at the women's World boxingchampionship, clinching her fifth successive title at the 2010 World championship final held inBarbados. She beats Steluta Duta of Romania 16-6 in the final of the 48-kg category.

26 Sept Chennai Super Kings clinch the title of the Champions League T20 championship, beatingEastern Cape Warriors of South Africa by eithts wickets in the final in Johannesburg, SouthAfrica.

October National

1 Oct A report reveals that India's exports continued to surge for the tenth successive month,growing by 22.5 percent to 16.64 billion in August 2010 as compared to the last period lastfiscal.

10 Oct The "cold desert" of Leh enters the Guinness Book of World Records after 50,300 saplingnsare planted at a village in less than an hour by 9,000 volunteers under a special drive.

12 Oct India is elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

16 Oct Indian Railways' first AC doubledecker rake is rolled out from the Rail Coach Factory inKapurthala; the rake, comprising eight double-deckers among ten coaches in all, will runbetween Howrah and Dhanbad.


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17 Oct The Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB), the largest of its kind in the world, is inaugurated inMumbai by Commerce and Industry Minister Mr. Anand Sharma.

25 Oct India and Japan decide to extend their cooperation to areas such as joint ventures in rareearth minerals, some unexplored areas in defence, and transport and industrial corridors. Thepacts are reached at a meeting between Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and hisJapanese counterpart Mr. Naoto Kan in Tokyo, Japan.

28 Oct In the biggest-ever deal between Indian and Chinese commpanies till date, Reliance Powerawards a $8.2-billion contract to the Shanghai Electric Group of China, to supply 36 coal-firedgenerators.

31 Oct The Union Environment Ministry announces that forest management panels will henceforthcome under Gram Sabha. The move is aimed at giving local communities a key role inmanaging forest resources.

International

1 Oct China successively launches its lunar probe Chang'e II, The lunar probe will collect data forfuture landings of Chang'e III and Chang'e IV.

3 Oct Germany celebrates 20 years of reunification which officially materialised in 1990 afterdecades of Cold War division.

4 Oct Robert Edeards, the British scientist whose research led to the birth of the world's first test-

tube baby in 1978, wins the 2010 Nobel Prize for Medicine.

5 Oct Andre Geim of the Netherlands and Russian-British national Konstantin Novoselov jointly winthe 2010 Novbel Physics Prize.

9 Oct Four Indian naval ships--INS Tir, INS Shardul, INS Tarangini and ICGS Varuna--arrive in SriLanka for training and exercises with the Sri Lankan Navy.

12 Oct In a landmark trial of the controversial process, US doctors begin the first tests of humanembryonic stem cells in patients, treating a man with spinal cord injures.

14 Oct All the 33 miners trapped in San Jose Mine for 70 days in Chile are rescued safely in a 22-hour rescue operation.

15 Oct The world's longest railway tunnel (57-km long), named the Gotthard Base Tunnel, iscompleted as a giant drilling machine forces its way through the final section of Alpine rock inSedrun, Switzerland.

18 Oct Chinese Vice-President Mr. Xi Jinping is appointed Vice-Chairman of the country's CentralMilitary Commission, a move seen as confirmation that he is on track to succeed President

Mr. Hu Jintao when his term expires in 2012.20 Oct The UK announces the biggest post-War spending cuts, which will see half-a-million jobs

disappear and take nearly away welfare benefits worth over $7 billion over the next fouryears.

21 Oct The US announces one of the largest weapons sales in its history, worth nearly $60 billion, to

Saudi Arabia.

Myanmar's military rulers change the country's official name, flag and national anthem. The

country will henceforth be known as the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, instead of the

earlier Union of Myanmar.

25 Oct The Singapore and Australian stock exchanges announce a multi-billion dollar merger, whichwill create one of the world's largest and most diversified financial trading hubs.

26 Oct China unveils the world's fastest bullet train, named CRH380A, which will connect two of thecountry's main industrial hubs travelling at an average speed of 350 km per an hour. Thehighest speed of the train is 420 km per hour.

30 Oct Ms. Alexandria Mills from USA wins the Miss World 2010 title at the pageant held i n Sanya,China. Ms. Emma Wareus from Botswana and Ms. Adriana Vasini from Venezuela emerge asthe first and second runners-up, respectively.

31 Oct The Shanghai Expo, the biggest world's fair in history, coses its doors after breaking anumber of records during its six-month course. The Expo, on which the Shanghai governmentspent $45 billion, dwarfs what Beijing spent on the 2008 Olympics, and becomes the mostexpensive and well-attended fair in the 159-year history of the world's fair. During its course,


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the event receives 73 million visitors, breaking the record set by Osaka, Japan, in 1970,which had received 64 million visitors.

Sports

2 Oct East Bengal win the title of Federation Cup football championship, beating arch-rivals MohunBagan 1-0 in the final in Cuttack, Orissa.

5 Oct Olympic shooting champion Abhinav Bindra and world record holder Gagan Narang win the

first Gold for India at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, clinching the men's air rifle pairsevent.

13 Oct India retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a seven-wicket win over Australia in the secondTest in Bengaluru. The 2-0 win marks India's first-ever clean sweep over Australia in a seriesof two or more Tests.

14 Oct India comes to No. 2 spot in the medals tally in the 19th Commonwealth Games with SainaNehwal's Gold in badminton just before the closing ceremony. India's tally of medals goes upto 101, for the first time. Australia finish on top while England end up at the third position.

November National

1 Nov Data made available by the Centre shows that India's exports posted a 23.2 percent grwothin September 2010, recording a two-year high of $18.2 billion.

6 Nov US President Mr. Barack Obama begins his historic India visit; during meetings with businessleaders in Mumbai, the two sides sign deals worth $10 billion (nearly Rs. 44,000 crore).

9 Nov The Lok Sabha passes two bills to change the name of Orissa and the name of the languageof the State. The name of the State will be Odisha and the name of the language will be Odia.

11 Nov Mr. Prithviraj Chavan is sworn in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra; he succeeds Mr.Ashok. Chavan.

12 Nov India is elected to the board of UN Women, a new Un agency aimed at promoting equality forand empowerment of women.

18 Nov The Centre announces the setting up of a high-level committee on financing of infrastructurein India.

24 Nov Mr N. Kiran K. Reddy assumes charge as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh; he succeedsMr. K. Rosaiah.

25 Nov The Stragegic Forces Command of the Army successfully test-fires Angi-1, the surface-to-surface missile, from Wheeler Island off Orissa.

26 Nov Mr. Nitish Kumar is sworn in as Bihar Chief Minister for his second consecutive term.

28 Nov The Jaitapur nuclear power project in Maharashtra receives clearance from the UnionEnvironment Ministry.

30 Nov Hon'ble President Ms. Pratibha Patil wraps up her 9-day UAE and Syria visit; furing the visit, a

number of crucial pacts are signed with he two countries.

International

1 Nov Brazilians celebrate the election of their first-ever woman President, Ms. Dilma Rousseff, whoemerges winner after garnering 59 percent of the votes in the presidential run-off. Ms.Rousseff was backed by incumbent President Mr. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

2 Nov Setting aside their historic rivalry, Britain and France sign an unprecedented 50-year nucleardeal nuclear facilities and jointly develop technology.

6 Nov The Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), a key bodythat controls the purse strings of the UN, elects India as one of its members, the otherinductees being China and Japan.

10 Nov A report reveals that China has pulled off a tricky and uncommon feat in space flight,manoeuvring one of its satellites, named SJ-12 to within about 300 metres of another,named SJ-06F, while they were orbiting Earth.

12 Nov The two-day 2010 G20 Summit concludes in seoul, South Korea; at the summit, leaders ofthe world's biggest economies agree to curb "persistently large imbalances" in saving andspending.

13 Nov Myanmar's pro-democracy campaigner Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi is set free after several yearsof house arrest.

15 Nov The 10th Russia, India, China (RIC) trilateral meeting, featuring the Foreign Ministers of the


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three nations, is held in Wuhan, China.

19 Nov Sri Lankan President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa is sworn in for his second term at a grandceremony in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

20 Nov At the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit held in Lisbon, Portugal, the 28members of NATO agree on a missile defence pact in Europe.

23 Nov In an alarming development, North Korea shells a South Korean island, killing four and

injuring many people.27 Nov The Iran Government announces that the fuelling of the Bushehr plant, the nation's first

nuclear power plant, has been completed.

28 Nov The US is catapulted into a grave diplomatic crisis, as WikiLeaks, a whistleblower website,releases a large number of classified cables containing blunt remarks about many foreignnations made by American diplomats.

30 Nov Sri Lanka and Pakistan hold talks in Colombo, wherein the two sides agree to promotedialogue on security and defence issues, including training of security forces and personnel.

9 Nov Italian football legend Roberto Baggio is chosen for the prestigious Peace summit Award for

2010 in recognition of his long-time efforts in charities. This special award is bestowed

annyally by the world's Nobel Peace laureates.

19 Nov Former Brazilian President Mr. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is chosen for the Indira Gandhi Prize

for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2010.24 Nov The 2010 Aga Khan Awards for Architecture are conferred on the recipients in a ceremony in

Doha, Qatar. The awardees are: Wadi Hanifa Wetlands, Riyadh, Sudi Arabia; theRevitalisation of the Hyperecentre of Tunis, Tunisia; the Madinat Al-Zahra Museum, Cordoba,Spain; the Ipekyol Textile Factory, Edirne, Turkey; and the Bridge School, Xiashi, China.

27 Nov The Indo-Pak tennis stars Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, who play as a pair in

the professional tennis circuit, are honoured with the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year

Award in London.

Poet Mr. Hemant Shesh is conferred the Bihari Puraskar 2009 for his poetry collection Jagah

Jaisi Jagah.

30 Nov Two short films on environmental issues--Niyamgiri You Are Still Alive directed by suma

Josson, and Kaippad directed by Babu Kambrath are declared joint winners of the VasudhaAward, India's only government award for an environmental film.

Sports

12 Nov The XVI Asian Games 2010 open amid much pomp and pagentry in Guangzhou, China.

27 Nov The XVI Asiad 2010 comes to an end in Guangzhou, China; China top the medals tally with416 medals (199-119-98), followed by South Korea with 232 (76-65-91), which is thenation's best-ever overall tally at the Asian Games.

29 Nov Swiss maestro Roger Federer wins the title at the ATP World Tour Finals in London, beatingRafael Nadal of Spain in the final.

December National

1 Dec The Centre approves additional capital infusion of Rs. 6,000 crore in 10 public sector bankswith an objective to raise its holding to a minimum 58 percent in all state-run banks.

4 Dec French President Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy begins his high-profile four-day India visit; in his initialinteractions with the media, he pitches for India's inclusion in a reformed UN SecurityCouncil.

6 Dec The fourth of the new Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV)- Sumitra--is launched at the GoaShipyard.

8 Dec India Oil Corporation (IOC) tops the list of top 500 Indian companies compiled by Fortunemagazine, followed by Reliance Industries at the second place.

9 Dec The Centre gives financial sanction for establishment of two new power reactors of 700 MWcapacity each at the Rawatbhata Atomic Power Station in Rajasthan.

10 Dec A report released by the Centre reveals that India's industrial production soared by 10.8


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percent in October 2010.

11 Dec Indian Coast Guard Ship Vijit, the second in the series of 90-m Offshore Patrol Vessels, iscommissioned in Goa.

12 Dec The Centre announces its decision to extend visa-on-arrival facility to five ASEAN countries--Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar.

International

1 Dec The Russian Government warns the WEst of a new arms race if Russia and the North Atlantic

Treaty Organisation (NATO) fail to agree on missile defence in Europe.

Heavy snow and sub-sero temperatures disrupt road, rail and air transport in many parts of

northern Europe.

2 Dec In a report, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) says that India

and China will become global leaders in manufacturing competitiveness by 2015.

3 Dec Data compiled by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) reveals that the year 2010would rank among the top three warmest years since the beginning of instrumental climaterecords in 1850.

4 Dec Iran endorses the establishment of f fully monitored international nuclear fuel bank that couldprovide enriched uranium for atomic power plants; however, the nation's government stops

short of committing to halt domestic production of enriched uranium.

5 Dec A nammoth forest fire--the worstever in the country's history--rages on in Israel, killingscores of people in its wake.

6 Dec Iran's talks with six world powers--five permanent members of the UN Security Council andGermany--get under way in Geneva, Switzerland.

7 Dec US President Mr. Barack Obama strikes a deal with his entrenched Republican opposition to

extend Bush-era tax cuts for another two years.

The UN warns that the peace process in Nepal is moving into a "critical period" and urges the

nation's leaders to resolve "issues of integration and rehabilitation, power-sharing and the

drafting of the new constitution.

8 Dec Dayang Yihao, a Chinese scientific research ship, sets sail from Guangzhou, China on a 376-day global trip that will take it across the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The objective ofthe mission is to conduct research on hot liquid sulfides--which could provide clues about theorigin of life--and deep-sea biological diversity.

9 Dec The UK Government led by Mr. David Cameron narrowly survives a revolt in the House ofCommons to win a crucial parliamentary vote on its plans to raise university tuition fees.

10 Dec A crucial European Union-India meeting is held in Brussels, Belgium; at the meeting, visitingPrime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and European Council President Mr. Herman VanRompuy agree to strengthen bilateral cooperation on a wide range of issues, includingcounter-terrorism, a new initiative to improve cultural ties and legal agreements onextradition.

11 Dec At the 16th Conference of Parties (COP) to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) held in Cancun, Mexico, the Cancun Agreements on emission cuts are adopted.These include long-pending decisions on finance, technology transfer, transparency, a Green

Climate Fund, and a Cancun Adaptation Framework and Reducing Emissions fromDeforestation and Forest Degradation.

12 Dec Kosovo votes in a historic poll, the nation's first since declaring independence in 2008.

Sports

1 Dec Belgian tennis ace Kim Clijsters is named the WTA Player of Year 2010.

10 DecThe Asian Television award for the Best Current Affairs Presenter is conferred on noted IndiaTV personality Mr. Karan Thapar at a glittering ceremony in Singapore.

Current Event National

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