Current Event National, Jan 2010

Current Event National, Jan 2010
9 Jan The Centre approves the proposal of the US-based soft drinks major PepsiCo to inject additional equity of $200 million (around Rs. 930 crore) into its Indian arm within three years.
10 Jan The Planning Commission constitutes a 25-member expert panel to explore options before the country for a low-carbon economy.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) sanctions $150 million aid for the Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB)
11 Jan Two ballistic flight tests of Astra, the Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), are successfully carried out fom the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Balasore, Orissa.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh launches the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission, or "Solar India"
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 announces the inclusion of both the countries in the MarketLinked Focused Programme (MLFP) scheme; the Centre also unleashes incentive worth Rs. crore for exporters, especially those in the labour intensive sectors.
13 Jan The Centre announces a slew of new measures to curb the soaring price of essential commodities.
14 Jan India and France exchange the instruments of ratification of the agreement on civil nuclear energy 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 oil exploration 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 in India; the spectacle enthrals millions.
The Central agrees to releas Rs. 12,000 crore in cash to loss-making state-run oil companies to cover for their losses in the 2009-10 fiscal.
16 Jan The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests decides to conduct a vulnerability line mapping 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 be Rajasthan'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, West Bengal.
18 Jan The Suprime Court extends to June 30, 2010 the deadline for the Telecom Regulatory Authority 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 to work 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 sign an extradition treaty and two two other accords on economic cooperation and higher education.
21 Jan Former Foreign Secretary Mr. Shiv Shankar Menon is appointed as a new National Security Adviser (NSA); he succeeds Mr. M.K. Narayanan.
The Cabinate Committee on Infrastructure accords in-principle approval for the establishment of 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 succeeds Gen,Deepak Kapoor.
23 Jan Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed attend and delivers the keynote address at the 16th edition of the India-maldivas Partnership Summit, organised by the Confederation of India Industry (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 powerful rocked motor called the S-200, powered by 200 tonnes of solid propellant. The test is conducted at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
25 Jan The Civilian Awards for 2010 are announced on the eve of the nation's 61st Republic Daky; in all, 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 gallantry awards.
India and South Korea sign four crucial agreement in various sectors; the agreements are signed 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 the occasion of the 61st Republic Day; Visiting South Korean Premier Mr.Lee Myung-bak takes part 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 is signed in Luanda , Angola.
28 Jan The 2010 Environmental performance Index,released worldwide, places India at the 123rd rank 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 Reserve Ratio (CRR)-the portion that commercial banks are required to keep with the central bank-by 75 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 the micro,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 will endeavour to reduce its emission intensity by 20-25 percent by 2020 in comparison to the 2005 levels.
31 Jan In a step that could creat a major socio-political impact in Punjab as well as other parts of the country, Dera Sachkhand Ballan announces a new religion, Ravidassia Dharm; it is also announced that the community will have its own separate religion book, Amrit Bani Guru Ravidass.
International
9 Jan Afghan President Mr.Hamid KarZai submits a new list of Cabinet nominees to replace Ministers rejected
by the nation's parlaiment.
10 Jan Reports reveal that after a 13-month slump, China's exports posted strong growth in December 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 nation an assistance of $185 million for the construction of a Railway Line in the War-torn Northern Province of Sri Lanka.
12 Jan Foreign Ministers of Afganistan , Pakistan and host United Arab Emirates (UAE) , along with the reoresentatives of 40 countries, the European Union (EU) and the UN Mision in Afghanistan, hold a crucial security meet in Abu Dhabi.

An earthquake of a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude devastates the Caribbean nation Haiti, killing Lakhs of People and rendering millions homeless.
13 Jan Internet Giant Google threatens to close its operations in china, following a string of vicious cyber attacks on its services.
14 Jan Japan and Germany agree to work together on climate change, nuclear disarmament and rebuilding Afghanistan , during aTokyo visit by german Foreign minister Mr. guido Westerwelle.
15 Jan Russia lifts its opposition to a long-delayed reform of the European Court if Human rights in a major 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 Gaza Strip with border closures.
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 of leftist rule.
19 Jan Cadbury, the flagbearer of the British Chocolate industry , is acquired by US giant Kraft Foods for $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 Captures the US Senate seat held by the legendary Democrat Edward Kennedy for neraly half a century.
21 Jan A report released by the Chinese Government reveals that after suffering one of its worst declines in decades, China's econiomy has rebounded strongly, recording 8.7 percent growth in 2009.
22 Jan In a Crucial Development, the Us Supreme Court that labour unions and corporations can spend unlimited amounts to influence federal elections, throwing out a ban that had been in effect for 63 years.
23 Jan A year after the Gaza War, Israel pays the Un $10.5 million as compensation for danaging its offices during an attack by its defence forces.
24 Jan Afghanistan postpones parliamentary elections for four months , saying it will not be safe to hold elections amid a spiralling Taliban Insurgency.
25 Jan Dalai Lama's envoys arrive in Beijing for the resumption of talks with china, Which have been suspended 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 December 2009, 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 the presidential elections, he beats former army chief Gen. (Retd.) Sarath Fonseka by a comfortable 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 says in his 2010 state of the Union Address that his government will cut tax breaks of companies that outsource jobs to offshore destinations.
29 Jan Microsoft Founder Mr. Bill Gates announces that his foundation will commit $10 billion over the 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 a return to the strategically important region of North Africa.`
31 Jan Faced with growing discontent over land seizures by the government and real estate developers , china's State Council announces a major overhaul of land laws that will slowthe process 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 second consecutive month India's exports registered a 9.3 percent growth in December 2009, while imports 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 with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, India and Germany decide to setup security and economic cooperation by finalising host of cricial pacts.
3 Feb The Centre Constitutes a high-level committee, headed by justice B.N. SriKrishna, on the Telangana issue, '' to hold wide-ranging consultations with all sections of the people and political parties and groups in Andhra pradesh.
The government- appointed kirit ParikhCommitte recommends complete decontrol of petrol and diesel prices; a hike of Rs.100 per LPG cylinder and an increase of Rs. 6 a litre of Kerosene.

4 Feb India and the UK agree on a text of a civil nuclearcooperation deal that is likely to be signed soon on a convenient date; the agreement is reached in London, UK, in a meeting between British Business Secretary Mr. Peter Mandelson and Visiting Indian Commerce and Industry Minister mr. Anand Sharma.
5 Feb The Ministers of Health and family Welfare and Railways sign an Mou for developing 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 to tackle price rise.
7 Feb The Chief Ministers' Conference on Internal security is held in New Delhi; Various crucial issues are discussed in the meeting.

Agni-III, the longest- range(3,500km) N-Capable missile in India's arsenal. is successfully test-fired from the Wheeler Island off Orrisa.
International
1 Feb US President Mr. Barack Obama unveils a $3.83 trillion budget in the cingress; the new budget will pour more money into the fight against unemployment, boost taxes on the wealthy , and freeze spending on a numbers of government programmes.
2 Feb Amnesty International appoints Mr. Salil Shetty , an Indian who headed the UN Millennium Mission, as its enxt Secretary General.
The US Government Proposes $3.2 billion in assistance to pakistan in fiscal 2011 , a substantial jump in American aid to that country.
3 Feb Iran announces its readiness to send abroad the bulk of its low-enriched uranium stocks in return for its Tehran research reactor.
4 Feb Russia offers to send narcotics police to Afghanistan to shore up the global fight against drug porduction and trafficking in that country.
5 Feb A Landmark dael batween Northern Ireland's two major political parties,the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein, Removes the last hurdle to granting full autonomy to the province envisaged inthe 1998 Good Friday Agreement thet brought decades of sectarian violence to an end.
6 Feb Resourcehouse , an Australian mining firm, signs a record $60 billion deal to supply coal to energy-hungry China for the next 20 years. it is the biggest ever xeport contract in Australia's history.
7 Feb Iran president Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad orders the cheif of the nuclear progremme to begin higher uranium enrichment , days after the country seemed to have accepted a UN-drafted nuclear deal.

EVENTS

FEBRUARY 20105—Twin blasts in Karachi claim 25 lives. Terrorists target a Shia religious procession and a hospital.

7—India successfully test-fires its indigenous, nuclear-capable Agni-III missile, with a range of over 3,000 km.

13—More than 11 people are killed in a high-intensity bomb explosion at the German bakery at Koregaon Park, Pune. This is the first major terror strike in India after 26/11 strikes in Mumbai.

15—Maoists kill 24 jawans during s daring attack at a police camp at Simplipal in the West Midnapore district of West Bengal.

18—Naxals gun down 11 persons in a village under Jamui district of Bihar.

21—Taliban behead a Sikh in Pakistan for refusing to pay ‘jazia’ (money to protect a non-Muslim community).

24—Railways Budget is presented in the Lok Sabha by Union Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee.

24—Sachin Tendulkar becomes the first cricketer in the world to hit a double century in One-Day format (in ODI against South Africa, played in Gwalior).

26—Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presents his fifth Union Budget in the Lok Sabha.

26—Nine Indians are among 18 people killed in a series of attacks by militants in central Kabul, Afghanistan.

27—Earthquake measuring 8.8 on Richter scale hits areas around Santiago, Chile, killing more than 500 people and destroying property worth billions of dollars.

27—Prime Minister Manmohan Singh becomes the first Prime Minister in 28 years to visit Saudi Arabia.