1 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 NATIONAL ISSUE INDIGENOUS VACCINE SOON FOR A(H1N1): ICMR CHIEF: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has initiated steps to produce an indigenous vaccine for the A(H1N1) influenza and it expects the vaccine to be available in four to six months at affordable rates. About icmr: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world. The Governing Body of the Council is presided over by the Union Health Minister Dr. V.M. Katoch is the present Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research. VIOLENCE SPREADS IN LALGARH : There were reports of violent incidents happening at lalgarh, many CPI offices burnt, many leadersas been kidnapped and killed. Police Santrosh Birodhi Janashadharaner Committee (PSBJC) [Peoples Committee against Police Atrocities], is the main force in the riots, there have been many reports that this force has joined hands with the Maoists Head of Police Santrosh Birodhi Janashad-haraner Committee- Chhatradhar Mahato Background of the movement: The entire chain of events started after the land mine explosion targeting the convoy of West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and union steel and mines minister Ram Vilas Paswan, as they were returning from the inauguration of the Jindal Steel Works special economic zone (SEZ) in Salboni in West Midnapore district. Around 5000 acres of land have been acquired for this project, of which 4500 acres have been handed over by the Government and 500 acres have been purchased directly by Jindal from landowners. Reportedly, a large portion of this land was vested with the government for distribution amongst landless tribals as part of the land reforms program and also included tracts of forests. Moreover, although the land was originally acquired for a usual steel plant, last September Jindal got SEZ status for the pro-ject, with active help from the State Government, which dispensed with the requirement for following most regulations for building and running the plant, including 2 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 crucial requirements such as doing an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). First,The government was, and is, not bothered about the setting up of an SEZ having a polluting steel plant in the mid-dle of a forested area, dispossessing tri-bals from their land and endangering their means of survival. Secondly, The police harass and arrest tribal villagers after every Maoist attack; this time in order to hide their own failure and in providing security to its political masters, and to save their skin from the wrath of the government, the police went on a rampage in the tribal villages. Having no clue about the real perpetrators of the land mine explosion, they started beating up and arresting people indiscriminately. All above causes resulted in outbreak About naxalism:

Naxalite or Naxalism is an informal name given to communist groups that were born out of the Sino-Soviet split in the communist movement in India.

Ideologically they belong to various trends of Maoism.

Initially the movement had its centre in West Bengal.

In recent years, they have spread into less developed areas of rural, central and eastern India, such as Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh through the activities of under-ground groups like the Communist Party of India (Maoist). The term Naxalites comes from Naxalbari, a small village in West Bengal, where a section of Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) led by Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal led a violent uprising in 1967, trying to develop a "revolutionary opposition" in opposition to the CPI(M) leadership. Government stand toward naxalism: Centre bans CPI (Maoist): The Centre on Monday banned the Communist Party of India (Maoist), terming it a terrorist organisation. It invoked Section 41 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against the extremist outfit. The group is officially banned, by the State Governments of Orissa, Chattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, among others. The party has protested these bans. They are regarded as a serious security threat and the Indian government is taking countermeasures, pulling the affected states together to coordinate their response The Government says it would combine improved policing with socio-economic measures to defuse grievances that fuel the Maoist cause to stop the origin of Naxals. 3 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 Operation Lalgarh: Operation Lalgarh is an ongoing opera-tion in India against the Maoists who have been active in organising a tribal movement alongside a group called the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCA-PA). The operation is organised by the police and security forces in Lalgarh, Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal to restore law and order in the area and flush out the Maoists. ORIGIN OF CPI(MAOIST): The Communist Party of India (Maoist) is an underground, non-parliamentary Maoist political party in India. It was founded on September 21, 2004, through the merger of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) People's War and the Maoist Communist Centre of India. Leaderof the organisation is Muppala Lakshmana Rao Their ideology consists of Communism, Anti - Revisionist Marxism - Leninism, Maoism COUNTER INSURGENCY MEASURES OF THE GOVERNMENT AGAINST NAXALS: Salwa Judum: Salwa Judum is an anti-Naxalite movement in Chhattisgarh which started in 2005 as a " supposed civilian movement amongst the tribals of the region", and later evolved into a state-funded militia, used as a counter-insurgency strategy to bring the area dominated by Naxalites (Indian Maoists rebels) back under government control. SPOs or 'Special Police Officers': Chhattisgarh state has over the years trained a number of SPOs or 'Special Police Officers', from amongst the tribals, who are part of Salwa Judum in the state, also with its formation the state witnessed a marked rise in retaliatory Naxalite action, as a result in 2008, chhattisgarh along with neighboring Jharkhand accounted for over 65% of the total naxal violence in the country. The Greyhounds: The Greyhounds were constituted in 1989 as an elite anti-naxalite force equipped to penetrate inaccessible and inhospitable areas and stay in such places for long periods. While its beginnings were modest, the force has grown substantially with two sub-headquarters, a regional training centre, and as many as 40 assault units. Specialised training, modern weaponry, ad-vanced communication systems, and a flexible operational strategy have given the group the qualities of speed, strength, and surprise. 4 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 COBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action): COBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) is a specialized unit of the CRPF created to counter the Naxalite problem in India. This specialized CRPF unit is the only pa-ramilitary force in the country that is specifically trained in guerilla warfare. This elite fighting unit has been trained to track, hunt and eliminate small Naxalite groups. THERE ARE NUMBER OF PARAMILITARY ORANISATIONS INVOLVED. IN FIGHTING NAXALS AND OTHER ISSUES SOME OF THEM MAY BE LISTED BELOW AS FOL-LOWS: The Assam Rifles:

The Assam Rifles are an Indian paramilitary force. The unit can trace its lineage back to a paramilitary police force that was formed under the British in 1835 called Cachar Levy.

Since then the Assam Rifles have undergone a number of name changes before the name Assam Rifles was finally adopted in 1917. Over the course of its history, the Assam Ri-fles and its predecessor units have served in a number of roles, conflicts and theatres in-cluding World War I where they served in Europe and the Middle East, and World War II where they served mainly in Burma. In the post World War II period the Assam Rifles has expanded greatly as has its role. There are currently 46 battalions. of Assam Rifles under the control of the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs Director General OF Assam Rifles is Lt Gen Karan Singh Yadava The Border Security Force (BSF): The Border Security Force (BSF) is a border patrol agency of the Government of India. Established on December 1, 1965, it is a component of the paramilitary forces of India (PMF) and its primary role is to guard India's international borders during peacetime and also prevent transnational crime. Like most paramilitary units of India, the BSF is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is one of the many law enforcement agencies of India Director General of BSF is M.L.Kumawat. The Central Industrial Security Force: It was set up under an act of Parliament on March 10, 1969 with a strength of 2,800. CISF was subsequently made an armed force of the Union of India by another act of Parliament passed on June 15, 1983. 5 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 Its current strength is 105,000. It is directly under the federal Ministry of Home Affairs and its headquarters are at New Delhi. The CISF provides security cover to 269 industrial units located all over India. Industrial Sectors like Atomic Power Plants, Space Installations, Defence Production Units, Mints, Oil Fields and Refineries, Major Ports, Heavy Engineering, Steel Plants, Barrages, Fertilizer units, Airports and Hydro electric/thermal power plants are protected by CISF. Most of these installations are located in difficult terrains of the country with harsh climatic conditions. Director general of Cisf is N R DAS The Rapid Action Force (RAF): The Rapid Action Force (RAF) is a specialised wing of the Indian CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force). It was established on 11 December 1991 and became fully operational in October 1992, to deal with riots & related unrest NIA GETS TWO CASES: The National Investigation Agency (NIA),was set up in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks has got its first two cases from Assam. The cases, registered by the Assam Police, pertain to recovery of cash, weapons and mobile phones. National Investigation Agency (NIA) is a new federal agency approved by the Indian Government to combat terror in India. The agency will be empowered to deal with terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states. The National Investigation Agency Bill 2008 to create the agency was moved in Parliament by Union Home Minister on 16 December 2008 Radha Vinod Raju, Special Director General of Police in Jammu and Kashmir, is appointed as Director General of the newly established National Investigation Agency (NIA). Some of the salient features of NIA are- The Bill for constitution of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to be applicable to whole of India, citizens of India outside India and persons on ships and aircraft registered in India. Officers of the NIA to have all powers, privileges and liabilities which the police officers have in connection with investigation of any offence. The police officer in charge of a police station on receipt of the report of the offence shall forward it to the state government which in turn will send it to the Centre. If the Centre feels the offence is terror related, it shall direct the NIA for investigation. 6 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 Provision for transfer of investigation and trial of offences to state government with Centre's prior approval is required. NIA may investigate other offences connected with terror-related offences. A state government shall extend all assistance to NIA for investigation of terror-related offences. Provisions of the Act with regard to investigation shall not affect powers of the state government to investigate and prosecute any terror crime or other offences. The Centre shall constitute special courts for trial of terror-related offences. Special Courts may sit at any place for any of its proceedings. For speedy and fair trial, the Supreme Court may transfer any case pending with the special court to another special court in the same state or any other state, and the High Court may transfer such cases to any other special court within the state. Offences punishable with imprisonment for less than three years may be tried summarily. Special court to have all powers of the court of sessions under CrPC for trial of any offence under the Act. Proceedings to be held 'in camera' if special court deems it necessary. Trial to be held on day-to-day basis on all working days and to have precedence over the trial of other offences. State governments empowered to constitute one or more special courts. No appeal shall be entertained after the expiry of 90 days. Highlights of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2008. Use of bombs, dynamite, poisons or noxious gases, biological radioactive nuclear sub-stances are terror act. Aiding, abetting or committing a terrorist act shall be punishable with imprisonment up to ten years. Funding terror activities, organising training camps and recruiting persons for committing terror acts shall be punishable with at least five years' imprisonment. Detention of accused up to 180 days if investigation not completed. No bail shall be granted if accused is not an Indian citizen and has entered the country unauthorisedly. No accused, if in custody, to be released on bail or on his own bond. Court shall presume, unless contrary is shown, that accused has committed offence. National Security Guards: The National Security Guards (NSG) is a commando unit originally created for counter-terrorism and hostage rescue missions. Raised in 1986, it is popularly known as the Black Cats for the uniform worn by its operators. 7 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 Like most military and elite security units in India, it is rather media-shy and the general Indian public is largely unaware of its capabilities and operational details. The NSG draws its members from the Indian Army and various central police units. It is India's premier counter-terror outfit and is typically deployed in situations that would be beyond the capabilities of regular police units. An NSG team with a dedicated transport aircraft is always stationed at Palam airport in New Delhi, ready to deploy in 30 minutes. ABOUT SASTRA SEEMA BAL(SSB): SSB is a Border Guarding Force (BGF) under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs. SSB was set up in early 1963 in the wake of the Indo-China conflict to inculcate feelings of national belonging in the border population and develop their capabilities for resistance through a continuous process of motivation, training, development, welfare programmes and activities in the then NEFA, North Assam, North Bengal, hills of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh. To promote a sense of security among the people living in the border areas To prevent trans-border crimes and unauthorized entry into or exit from territory of India To prevent smuggling and any other illegal activities. NEW CENTER FOR LANDSLIDE STUDIES: The Government is planning to set up the National Centre for Landslide Research, Studies and Management in one of the landslide prone States to deal with landslide management in a comprehensive manner. Giving a new impetus to Project Tiger: 1. JIM CORBETT PARK(Uttarakhand)is Seeking to re-define the prestigious Project Tiger and to introduce the concept of shared responsibility for all stakeholders 2. The Union Ministry for Environment and Forests has circulated a draft Cabinet Note mooting a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) to be signed by the Centre, the States and Director Project Tiger. 3. It seeks to lay out roles and responsibilities of all the stakeholders and also link the flow of funds from the National Tiger Conservation Authority. 4. It seeks to put in place the concept of shared responsibility as saving and preserving the tiger is a national cause, About project tiger: 8 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 Project Tiger is a project initiated in India in 1972 to protect the Bengal Tigers. It was launched on April 1, 1973 and has become one of the most successful wildlife conservation ventures. The project aims at tiger conservation in specially constituted tiger reserves representative of various biogeographical regions throughout India. It strives to maintain a viable conservation of reliant tiger population in their natural environment. In 2007, there were more than 40 Project Tiger wildlife reserves covering an area of 37,761 km. Project Tiger helped increase the popula-tion of these tigers from 1,200 in the 1970s to 3,500 in 1990s. However, a 2008 census held by Government of India revealed that the tiger population had dropped to 1,411. Since then the government has pledged US$153 million to further fund the project, set-up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers, and fund the relocation of up to 200,000 villagers to minimize human-tiger interac-tion. Project elephant: Project Elephant (PE), a centrally sponsored scheme, was launched in February 1992 to provide financial and technical support to major elephant bearing States in the country for protection of elephants, their habitats and corridors. It also seeks to address the issues of human-elephant conflict and welfare of domesticated elephants. The Project is being implemented in 13 States / UTs, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Uttranchal, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal Asia home to highest paid expats: Asian countries are home to some of the wealthiest expatriates in the world and about 25 per cent of the highest paid foreign assignees prefer to live in India. According to the 2009 Expat Explorer Survey by HSBC Bank International, highest paid expats in the world prefer liv-ing in Asia, while their lowest paid counter-parts usually chose Australia and Western Europe. Liberhan Commission submits report: The Justice Liberhan Commission, which probed the sequence of events that led to the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya on Decem- 9 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 ber 6, 1992, submitted its report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh The Commission was asked to probe the sequence of events leading to, and all the facts and circumstances relating to the occurrences in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid complex at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992 involving the destruction of the structure; the role played by the (then) Chief Minister, members of the Council of Ministers, officials of the Uttar Pradesh government and by individuals, organisations and agencies concerned or in connec-tion with the destruction of the struc-ture and deficiencies in security measures that might have contrib-uted to the events that took place on December 6, 1992. New scheme for slum-free India: PROPOSED POINTS FOR THE PLAN ARE: The Centre will formulate a new scheme for slum dwellers and the urban poor in an effort to promote a slum-free India in the next five years. The Rajiv Awas Yojana will focus on according property rights to slum dwellers and urban poor by the States, providing basic amenities and enabling the construction of houses through access to subsidised credit. This plan would explore the possibility of partnership between the urban poor, municipalities, parastatal au-thorities, State and the Centre and private developers to create afford-able homes for the urban poor. The Centre would extend support to States that were willing to assign property rights to people living in slum areas In this plan a model legal framework for consideration by States and Union Territo-ries for according property rights to slum dwellers and urban poor will be developed The model will draw on best practices both within and outside the country and circu-lated to the States and UTs to enable them to establish their own legal-regulatory frameworks suiting local conditions . It will cover the provision of security of tenure to the urban poor and also making land available for affordable housing, basic amenities and informal sector activities of the poor through the process of urban plan-ning. an effort would also be made to include cit-ies with a population of 5 lakh and above under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission and projects implemented 10 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 under it would be subject to social audit, a manual for which would be circulated to the States and UTs. Further a skill development programme for employment promotion for the urban poor will be launched to enable them to access wage employment offered by the market or undertake self-employment. The target will be 10 lakh over the next 5 years, starting with 2 lakh in 2009-2010. The focus will be on imparting quality train-ing and skill certification through reputed institutions or skills training providers so that the urban poor youth can enhance their income and improve their living conditions. YASHPAL COMMITTEE SUGGESTS NEW APEX BODY FOR HIGHER EDUCATION 1. The creation of a National Commission for Higher Education and Research that will subsume as many as 13 existing professional councils and regulatory agencies, including the University Grants Commission, the Medical Council of India and the AICTE, is a key recommendation of a committee headed by well-known educationist Yashpal. 2. The 43-page final report by the committee to advise on renovation and rejuvenation of higher education in India, will be handed over to the Ministry of Human Resource Development MHRD after its formal adoption on June 22, a committee-member told The Hindu. 3. The proposed autonomous statutory body will comprise six members and a chairman appointed by the President. 4. State Higher Education Councils, along the lines of those existing in West Bengal, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, will form the second tier of the system. 5. The committee recommends that all research bodies connect with universities in their vicinity, and all universities combine teaching and research. About yaspal committee: A National Advisory Committee was set up by the Government in March 1992 under the chairmanship of Prof. Yash Pal, former Chairman of the UGC to suggest ways and means to reduce academic burden on school students . The Committee popularly known as Yash Pal Committee, submitted its report in July 1993 (Annexe - I). On receipt of the Committee's report, a Group was set up on 25.8.1993 under the chairmanship of Shri Y.N. Chaturvedi, Additional Secretary, Department of Education to examine the feasibility of implementing the 11 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 recommendations made in the report of Yash Pal Committee. It is also known as the Committee to Advise on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education headed by professor yashpal SHOPIAN TRAGEDY: Nilofar Ahanger and her teenage sister-in-law, Asiya Jan was raped and killed in shopian, a place which is in jammu and kashmir Since then, Jammu and Kashmir has seen escalating clashes between mobs and police in which more than 100 people have been injured. Incompetence and opportunism have combined forces to generate the crisis. Local residents insist that the women were raped and then murdered by police or troops stationed in the area. Secessionist political groups as well as the Peoples Democratic Party agreed. MEIRA KUMAR SET TO BECOME SPEAKER: Meira Kumar is an Indian politician and a five time Member of Parliament who was elected as Speaker. She was elected unopposed as the first woman Speaker of Lok Sabha on 3 June 2009. List of Speakers Balram Jakhar of the Congress is till date the longest serving speaker, who served for 9 years, 10 months, and 27 days NAMES OF SPEAKERS ARE LISTED AS FOLLOWS: Number Name 1 G.V. Mavlankar 2 M. A. Ayyangar 3 Sardar Hukam Singh 4 N. Sanjiva Reddy 5 G. S. Dhillon 6 Bali Ram Bhagat 7 N. Sanjiva Reddy 8 K.S. Hegde 9 Balram Jakhar 10 Rabi Ray 11 Shivraj Patil 12 P.A. Sangma 12 G.M.C. Balayogi 13 Manohar Joshi 14 Somnath Chatterjee 15 Meira Kumar 12 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 Articles relating to office of speaker: Article 93- The Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of the People The House of the People shall, as soon as may be, choose two members of the House to be respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker thereof and, so often as the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the House shall choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be. Article 95 -Power of the Deputy Speaker or other person to perform the duties of the office of, or to act as Speaker An iconoclast who courted controversies: Kamala Das is an eminent author who enjoyed the status of being one of the first poets writing in English from Kerala whom to be recognised nationally and internationally. An iconoclast of her generation who unabashedly spoke about the Indian womans sexual desires and a maverick who courted controversies, she was decorated with prizes such as the Kent Award and nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature. Summer in Calcutta (1965), The Descendants (1970), The Old Playhouse And Other Poems (1973), The Anamalai Poems (1985), and Only the Soul Knows How to Sing (1996) are some of the poems written by her NPCIL SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH WEST-INGHOUSE: Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) have signed a memorandum of understanding recently for commencing discussions on techno-commercial aspects of AP1000 pressurised water nuclear reactors in India. The agreement was signed by Chairman and Managing Director, NPCIL, Shrey-ans Kumar Jain and President and Chief Executive Officer, WEC, Aris S. Candris in the presence of chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Anil Kakodkar. About 50 per cent of the worlds 440 nuclear plants are based on Westinghouse technology. RANGANATH MISHRA COMMISSION: Ranganath Mishra Commission is an enquiry commission assigned by Government of India to study and find solution for the minority status of India. The report was conducted by National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities.. LIBERHAN COMMISSION-: 13 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 Liberhan Commission headed by the retired judge of Supreme Court M S Liberhan was constituted on December 16, 1992 by an order of the Indian union home ministry is constituted to investigate the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. THE MUKHERJEE COMMISSION: It is constituted to inquire about the death of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The Mukherjee Commission is also not the first commission created to ascertain the death of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The two previous commissions were the Shah Newaz Commission (appointed by Jawaharlal Nehru) and The Khosla Commission respectively. The Khosla Commission, created by the government of Indira Gandhi (daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru), reported that all documents relating to Prime Minister Nehru and the reports of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose were either missing or destroyed. KALELKAR COMMISSION First Backward Classes Commission, The Kaka Kalelkar Commission was set up to take account of Article 340 of the Constitution of India, The First Backward Classes Commission was set up by a presidential order on January 29, 1953 under the chairmanship of Kaka Kalelkar. Its terms of references were to: Determine the criteria to be adopted in considering whether any sections of the people in the territory of India in addition to the SC and ST as socially and educationally backward classes, Using such criteria it was to prepare a list of such classes setting out also their approximate members and their territorial distribution. .Investigate the conditions of all such socially and educationally backward classes and the differences under which they labour and make recommendations SARKARIA COMMISSION: Sarkaria Commission was set up in June 1983 by the central government of India. The Sarkaria Commission's charter was to examine the relationship and balance of power between state and central governments in the country and suggest changes within the framework of Constitution of India. The Commission was so named as it was headed by Justice Rajinder Singh Sarkaria, a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India. PAKISTAN COURT ORDERS REALSE OF HAFIZ: 14 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 A Full Bench of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday ordered the release of Hafiz Saeed, the chief of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa, known as a front organisation of the Lashkar-e-Taiba. The LeT has been blamed for the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, among other strikes. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan: The 'Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan' is a flagship programme of the Government of India pioneered by Atal Bihari Vajpayee for achievement of universalization of elementary education in a time bound manner, as mandated by the 86th amendment to the Constitution of India making free and compulsory education to children of ages 6-14 (estimated to be 205 million in number in 2001) a fundamental right. The programme aims to achieve the goal of universalization of elementary education of satisfactory quality by 2010. Goals of SSA: 1) All in school by 2005. 2) Complete 5 years of primary education by 2005 and 8 years of schooling by 2010. 3) Satisfactory Quality with emphasis on education for life. 4) Bridge all gender and social gaps at primary level by 2007 and elementary level by 2010. 5) Universal retention by 2010. The programme seeks to open new schools in those habitations which do not have schooling facilities and strengthen existing school infrastructure through provision of additional class rooms, toilets, drinking water, maintenance grant and school improvement grants. Existing schools with inadequate teacher strength are provided with additional teachers, while the capacity of existing teachers is being strengthened by extensive training, grants for developing teaching-learning materials and strengthening of the academic support structure at a cluster, block and district level. SSA seeks to provide quality elementary education including life skills. SSA has a special focus on girl's education and children with special needs. SSA also seeks to provide computer education to bridge the digital divide. BSNL GEARING UP FOR 3G LAUNCH: With 3G services to be shortly rolled out on its CellOne network, BSNL Chennai Telephones will have a portfolio that can boast of virtually every available technology Wi-fi, BlackBerry and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV). Chennai Telephones officials are focused on rolling out 3G services at least by July-end with Union Communications Minister A. 15 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 Raja declaring nation-wide coverage as high priority. WHAT IS 3G: 3G or 3rd Generation a family of standards for wireless communications defined by the International Telecommunication Union, which includes EDGE, CDMA2000, the UMTS family as well as DECT and WiMAX. Services include wide-area wireless voice telephone, video calls, and wireless data, all in a mobile environment. Compared to 2G and 2.5G services, 3G allows simultaneous use of speech and data services and higher data rates (up to 14.4 Mbit/s on the downlink and 5.8 Mbit/s on the uplink with HSPA+). Thus, 3G networks enable network operators to offer users a wider range of more advanced services while achieving greater network The first pre-commercial 3G network was launched by NTT DoCoMo in Japan branded FOMA, in May 2001 on a pre-release of W-CDMA technology. The first commercial launch of 3G was also by NTT DoCoMo in Japan on October 1, 2001, 3G networks offer a greater degree of security than 2G predecessors. By allowing to authenticate the network it is attaching to, the user can be sure the network is the intended one and not an impersonator. 3G networks use the KASUMI block crypto instead of the older A5/1 stream cipher. However, a number of serious weaknesses in the KASUMI cipher have been identified. CHERN MEDAL AWARD The Chern Medal is awarded every four years on the occasion of the International Congress of Mathematicians to an individual whose accomplishments warrant the highest level of recognition for outstanding achievements in the field of mathematics. All living, natural persons, regardless of age or vocation, shall be eligible for the Medal. The Medal will be awarded for the first time at ICM 2010 in Hyderabad, India This prize is jointly awarded by IMU and the Chern Medal Foundation (CMF). CMF funds the Chern Medal Award. The Medalist receives a cash prize of US$ 250,000. In addition, each Medalist may nominate one or more organizations to receive funding totaling US$ 250,000, for the support of research, education, or other outreach programs in the field of mathematics (the Organization Awards). 16 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 The details of the Chern Medal Award, the nomination process, and the selection criteria can be found in the Chern Medal Program Guidelines. The Chern Medal Award is established in memory of the outstanding mathematician Shiing-Shen Chern (1911, Jiaxing, China - 2004, Tianjin, China). SLUMDOG MAY BECOME ENGLISHS MILLIONTH WORD: The frontrunner is Hinglish term jai ho, with the two other Indian entries of slumdog and cuddies. The million-word milestone brings to notice the coming of age of English as the first truly global language, president and chief word analyst of Global Language Monitor Paul J J Payack said. Jai ho, a song composed by A.R.Rahman, and slumdog achieved popularity through the multiple Academy Award Winner film Slumdog Millionaire. Slumdog refers to those living in Indian slums, while cuddies is used to refer to la-dies underwear. RAGHAVAN COMMITTEE REVIEWS PRO-GRESS IN IMPLEMENTING ANTI-RAGGING MEASURES: The Supreme Court-appointed Raghavan Committee entrusted to monitor the meas-ures to prevent ragging in higher educa-tional institutions Key Recommendations 1) Central Regulatory bodies to take ragging situation as an important factor in accreditation of educational institution. 2) Set up anti-ragging cells at central, state and college level 3) Setup of toll-free helpline for ragging victims 4) Strong law against ragging with responsibility to prove not-guilty that of perpetrator 5) NCERT, SCERT school books to include chapter on ragging 6) Psychological counseling on anti-ragging and human rights at senior secondary level. 7) Colleges to organize interactive sessions between juniors and seniors in presence of college staff. 8) Staggered entry of freshers and seniors in colleges IMPORT OF MOBILES WITHOUT IMEI BANNED: The Centre has banned the import of mobiles without IMEI number, extended the ban on the import of dairy products from China. IMEI: The International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI) is a number unique to every GSM and WCDMA and 17 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 iDEN mobile phone, as well as some satellite phones . It is usually found printed inside the battery compartment of the phone. It can also be displayed on the screen of the phone by entering *#06# into the keypad .The IMEI number is used by the GSM network to identify valid devices and therefore can be used to stop a stolen phone from accessing the network For example, if a mobile phone is stolen, the owner can call his or her network provider and instruct them to "ban" the phone using its IMEI number. This renders the phone useless, whether or not the phone's SIM is changed KARIA MUNDA IS DEPUTY SPEAKER: Seven-time member of Parliament Karia Munda was unanimously elected Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha His election, close on the heels of Meira Kumar being elected Speaker, was hailed by members as an articulation of the nations commitment to social justice. SOME FACTS ABOUT ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA: The Election Commission of India is an autonomous, quasi-judiciary constitutional body of India. Its mission is to conduct free and fair elections in India. It was established on January 25, 1950under Article 324 of the Constitution of India. The Election Commission is one of the four pillars of the Indian Constitution, the other three being the Supreme Court of India, the Union Public Service Commission and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India The commission presently consists of a Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners,appointed by the president. As of now , the CEC is Navin Chawla. The two Election Commissioners are S.Y.Quraishi and former Power Secretary V.S. Sampath Chief Election Commissioners The following have held the post of the Chief Election Commissioner of India Sukumar Sen 21 March 1950 to 19 December 1958 K.V.K. Sundaram 20 December 1958 to 30 September 1967 S.P. Sen Verma 1 October 1967 to 30 September 1972 Nagendra Singh 1 October 1972 to 6 Feb-ruary 1973 T. Swaminathan 7 February 1973 to 17 18 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 June 1977 S.L. Shakdhar 18 June 1977 to 17 June 1982 R.K. Trivedi 18 June 1982 to 31 De-cember 1985 R.V.S. Peri Sastri 1 January 1986 to 25 November 1990 V.S. Ramadevi 26 November 1990 to 11 December 1990 T.N. Seshan 12 December 1990 to 11 December 1996 M.S. Gill 12 December 1996 to 13 June 2001 J.M. Lyngdoh 14 June 2001 to 7 Febru-ary 2004 T.S. Krishnamurthy 8 February 2004 to 15 May 2005 B.B. Tandon 16 May 2005 to 28 June 2006 N. Gopalaswami 29 June 2006 to 20 April 2009 Navin Chawla 21 April 2009 to present ADDRESSING URBAN POVERTY: The countrys urban poor, according to Planning Commission estimates, number 80 million and constitute 25.70 per cent of the urban population. The socio-economic dynamics of urban poverty are very different and the problems the urban poor face are different from that faced by their rural counterparts who at 220 million form 28.3 per cent of rural population. Though the urban poor have better access to employment and income, these are irregular and are mostly in the informal sector. The other key determinants of urban poverty are the levels of access to facilities, such as housing, sanitation and drinking water, and services such as health care and education. Two economic factors aggravate the despair of the urban poor: the nature of employment, and the absence of social security. In urban areas, the incidence of poverty is higher among workers in the informal sector. While the governments proposal to extend the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to urban areas, with modifications, is welcome to the extent that it will provide job opportunities and incomes to the urban poor, measures that prevent a relapse into poverty are also required A social security system for all unorganised workers, therefore, is a pri-ority. Improving the conditions of housing for the urban poor is another area for urgent action. The larger aim of poverty reduction programmes should be to ensure that the vulnerable are not impoverished because of the pressures of urban living. 19 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AUTHORITY The Centre has intensified efforts to set up a National Environment Protection Authority for ensuring the implementation of the Environment Protection Act 1986 in letter and in spirit. The Authority, which will be backed by legislation, will replace the Central Pollution Control Board and will be an independent, professional and science-based body. It will monitor and ensure compliance of norms. Similar bodies will be constituted at the State level and they will replace the pollution control boards. COMITEE FOR COASTAL SECURITY: The Government has decided to set up a high level committee under the Chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary to review the measures taken for coastal security at regular intervals. The committee will be headed by the Cabinet Secretary. The other members of the committee will include the Chief of Naval Staff, Secretaries of all concerned Ministries such as Defence, Home, Petroleum and Chief Secretaries of Coastal States. OPERATION BLUESTAR: Operation Blue Star was an Indian military operation ordered by Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, to remove Sikh separatists who were amassing weapons in the Golden Temple in Amritsar .The operation was launched in response to a deterioration of law and order in the Indian state of Punjab. The operation was carried out by Indian army troops with tanks and armoured vehicles. Militarily successful, the operation aroused immense controversy, and the gov-ernment's justification for the timing and style of the attack are still under debate. Operation Bluestar was included in the Top 10 Political Disgraces by India Today magazine. The impact of the military assault, its aftermath and the increased tensions led to assaults on members of the Sikh community within India and uproar amongst Sikhs worldwide

In India, many Sikhs resigned from armed and civil administrative office and returned their government awards.

Revenge for the desecration of the Sikh shrine was pledged by some in the Sikh community, and Indira Gandhi was assassinated by 2 of her Sikh bodyguards on 31 October 1984. OPERATION POLO: 20 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 The 1948 liberation of Hyderabad, also termed as "Hyderabad Police Action" and code-named "Operation Polo" by the Indian military was the Indian armed forces action that ended the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad and led to the incorporation of the princely state of Hyderabad in Southern India, into the Indian Union. The military operation was carried out because the State of Hyderabad under Osman Ali Khan, Asif Jah VII, decided to remain independent after the partition of India. OPERATION VIJAY: The Invasion of Goa also known as the Liberation of Goa or Portuguese-Indian War, codenamed Operation Vijay by the Government of India, was the Indian armed forces action that ended Portuguese rule in its Indian enclaves in 1961. The armed action, involving air, sea and land strikes for over 36 hours, ended 451 years of Portuguese colonial rule in Goa. 34 Indians and 31 Portuguese were killed in the fighting. The brief war drew a mixture of worldwide praise and condemnation. In India, the action was seen as a liberation while Portugal viewed it as aggression. Operation Cactus: The 1988 Maldives Coup, whose rescue efforts were code-named Operation Cactus by the Indian armed forces, was the attempt by a group of Maldivians led by Abdullah Luthufi and assisted by about 80 armed mercenaries of a Sri Lankan secessionist organisation, People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), to overthrow the government of the island republic of Maldives. The coup was foiled after Indian forces were invited by the Maldivian government to intervene. INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRIC meeting were held Yekaterinburg(Russia). Out comes of the meeting : The BRIC countries were committed to advance the reform of international finan-cial institutions so as to reflect changes in the world economy. Among the other goals flagged: opposition to protectionism, the need for a comprehensive and balanced outcome to the WTOs Doha Development Round, cooperation in the energy field including amongst producers and consumers of energy and transit states, and food security They endorsed the creation of a BRIC Joint Business Forum which could cooperate in areas as diverse as agriculture, aviation, en-ergy, pharmaceuticals and services. 21 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 The leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) vowed to jointly combat the global crisis and build a more fair international financial system. ABOUT SHANGHAI COOPERATION OR-GANIZATION (SCO) : The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental mutual-security organization which was founded in 2001 by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Except for Uzbekistan, the other countries had been members of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organization The Council of Heads of State is the top decision-making body in the SCO. This council meets at the SCO summits, which are held each year in one of the member states' capital cities. The official working languages of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization are Chinese and Russian. Secretary General is Bolat Nurgaliyev Its head quarters is in beijing, china Current observers: India, Iran, Mongolia, Pakistan currently holds observer status Sri Lanka and Belarus will be granted dialogue partner status in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at the groups summit. ABOUT BRIC BRIC or BRICs is an acronym that refers to the fast-growing developing economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. The ac-ronym was first coined and prominently used by Goldman Sachs in 2001. The four countries, combined, currently ac-count for more than a quarter of the world's land area and more then 40% of the world's population On June 16, 2009, the leaders of the BRIC countries held their first summit in Yekater-inburg, and issued a declaration calling for the establishment of a multipolar world order The Goldman Sachs global economics team released a follow-up report to its initial BRIC study in 2004. The report states that in BRIC nations, the number of people with an annual income over a threshold of $3,000, will double in number within three years and reach 800 million people within a decade .. In 2025, it is calculated that the number of people in BRIC nations earning over $15,000 may reach over 200 million. The core focus of the summit was related to improving the current global economic situation and discussing how the four 22 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 countries can better work together in the future, as well as a more general push to re-form financial institutions. In the aftermath of the summit the BRIC nations suggested that there was a need for a new global reserve currency that is 'diver-sified, stable and predictable'. The statement that was released stopped short of making a direct attack on the perceived 'dominance' of the US dollar, something which the Rus-sians have been critical of however, it still led to a fall in the value of the dollar against other major currencies DECISSIONS IN BRIC: Joint Statement of the BRIC Countries Leaders The leaders of the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India and the Peoples Republic of China, have discussed the current situation in global economy and other pressing issues of global development, and also prospects for further strengthening collaboration within the BRIC, at our meeting in Yekaterinburg on 16 June, 2009. They have arrived at the following conclusions: 1. They stress the central role played by the G20 Summits in dealing with the financial crisis. They have fostered cooperation, policy coordination and political dialogue regarding international economic and financial matters. 2. They called upon all states and relevant international bodies to act vigorously to implement the decisions adopted at the G20 Summit in London on 2 April, 2009. 3. They should cooperate closely among themselves and with other partners to ensure further progress of collective action at the next G20 Summit to be held in Pittsburgh in Septem-ber 2009. 4. They looked forward to a successful outcome of the United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development to be held in New York on 24-26 June 2009. 5. They ware committed to advance the reform of international financial institutions, so as to reflect changes in the world economy. 6. The emerging and developing economies must have greater voice and representation in international financial institutions, and their heads and senior leadership should be appointed through an open, transparent, and merit-based selection process. 7. They also believed that there is a strong need for a stable, predictable and more diversified international monetary system. 8. They are convinced that a reformed financial and economic architecture should be based, inter alia, on the following principles: 23 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 9. Democratic and transparent decision-making and implementation process at the international financial organizations; 10. Solid legal basis; 11. Compatibility of activities of effective national regulatory institutions and international standard-setting bodies; 12. Strengthening of risk management and supervisory practices. 13. They recognized the important role played by international trade and foreign direct investments in the world economic recovery 14. They called upon all parties to work together to improve the international trade and investment environment. They urged the international community to keep the multilateral trading system stable, curb trade protectionism, and push for comprehensive and balanced results of the WTOs Doha Development Agenda. 15. The poorest countries have been hit hardest by the financial crisis. The international community needs to step up efforts to provide liquidity for these countries. The international community should also strive to minimize the impact of the crisis on development and ensure the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals 16. Developed countries should fulfill their commitment of 0.7% of Gross National Income for the Official Development Assistance and make further efforts in increasing assistance, debt relief, market access and technology transfer for developing countries. 17. The implementation of the concept of sustainable development, comprising, inter alia, the Rio Declaration, Agenda for the 21st Century and multilateral environmental agree-ments, should be a major vector in the change of paradigm of economic development. 18. They stood for strengthening coordination and cooperation among states in the energy field, including amongst producers and consumers of energy and transit states, in an effort to decreasing uncertainty and ensuring stability and sustainability. 19. They supported diversification of energy resources and supply, including renewable en-ergy, security of energy transit routes and crea-tion of new energy investments and infrastructure. 20. They supported international cooperation in the field of energy efficiency. 21. They stood ready for a constructive dialogue on how to deal with climate change based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibility, given the need to combine measures to protect the climate with steps to fulfill our socio-economic development tasks. 24 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 22. They reaffirmed to enhance cooperation among our countries in socially vital areas and to strengthen the efforts for the provision of international humanitarian assistance and for the reduction of natural disaster risks. 23. They took note of the statement on global food security issued today as a major contribution of the BRIC countries to the multilateral efforts to set up the sustainable conditions for this goal. 24. They reaffirmed to advance cooperation among the countries in science and education with the aim, inter alia, to engage in fundamental research and development of advanced technologies. 25. They underlined the support for a more democratic and just multi-polar world order based on the rule of international law, equality, mutual respect, cooperation, coordinated action and collective decision-making of all states. 26. They reiterated their support for political and diplomatic efforts to peacefully resolve disputes in international relations. 27. The members strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reiterated that there can be no justification for any act of terrorism anywhere or for whatever reasons 28. . They took note that the, draft Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism is currently under the consideration of the UN General Assembly and call for its urgent adoption. 29. They expressed strong commitment to multilateral diplomacy with the United Nations playing the central role in dealing with global challenges and threats. In this respect, they re-affirm the need for a comprehensive reform of the UN with a view to making it more efficient so that it can deal with todays global challenges more effectively. 30. They reiterated the importance we attach to the status of India and Brazil in international affairs, and understand and support their aspirations to play a greater role in the United Nations. 31. They have agreed upon steps to promote dialogue and cooperation among countries in an incremental, proactive, pragmatic, open and transparent way. 32. The dialogue and cooperation of the BRIC countries is conducive not only to serving com-mon interests of emerging market economies and developing countries, but also to building a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity. 33. Russia, India and China welcome the kind invitation of Brazil to host the next BRIC summit in 2010. BOTH BRIC AND SCO IMPORTANT TO IN-DIA: 25 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 The four leaders can exchange views on the global financial and economic situation and can arrive at important decisions Some amount of preparation has to be made at academic level to flesh out a broader agenda for the group and that India hoped some avenues for economic cooperation would emerge There was a broad convergence of views between the BRIC countries on a number of political issues and there would be a discussion on these though not necessarily any policy decision. MORE REPORTS RELATING TO BRIC AND INDIA: a) The BRIC countries support the adoption of a wide range of mid- to long-term measures in order to provide for a solution to the issue of food security. Such measures may include: b) Rendering additional resources and assistance to the agricultural sector through the channels of respective national budgets and international development institutions, mainly to household agriculture, which is the main source for food production; c) Joint technological innovations and international cooperation to introduce advanced technologies in the agricultural sector of developing countries to significantly increase agricultural productivity d) Intellectual property rights in the agricultural domain should strike a balance between the common good of humankind and incentives to innovation; e) Upgrading agricultural infrastructure, including irrigation, transportation, supply, storage and distribution systems and promoting technical assistance, access to credit and crop insurance policies. In this context public-private partnerships could play a significant role; f) Improving the exchange of knowledge and commercialization of sustainable biofuels. g) Ensuring wider access to food at the national and international level through appropriate policies and well functioning distribution systems especially for the poor and most vulnerable people in developing countries; h) Sharing of best practices of operating successful public distribution programmes and i) Equipping developing countries with financial and technological means to fully implement adaptation measures to minimize the adverse impacts of climate change on food security. EU PAKISTAN SUMMIT HELD 26 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 The meeting was held in Brussels, which was the first EU-Pakistan sum-mit, was chaired by Vaclav Klaus, Pres-ident of the Czech Republic, which cur-rently holds the EUs six-month rotating presidency. During his discussions with EU leaders, Mr. Zardari pushed for greater access to European markets, saying that trade rather than aid was his chief goal in this landmark summit with the EU. The EU wanted Pakistan to take the fight against terrorism very seriously. FACTS ABOUT THE EUROPEAN UNION: The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 member states, located primarily in Europe. It was established by The Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993, upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community. The EU has developed a single market through a standardized system of laws which apply in all member states, ensuring the freedom of movement of people, goods, services and capital. It maintains common policies on trade, ag-riculture, fisheries, and regional development. A common currency, the euro, has been adopted by sixteen member states constituting the Euro zone Important institutions and bodies of the EU include the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the European Court of Justice and the European Central Bank. The European Parliament is elected every five years by member states' citizens, to whom the citizenship of the European Union is guaranteed.

The European Union is composed of 27 independent sovereign states which are known as member states: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The European Commission acts as the EU's executive arm and is responsible for initiating legislation and the day-to-day running of the EU. It is intended to act solely in the interest of the EU as a whole, as opposed to the Council which consists of leaders of member states who reflect national interests. The commission is also seen as the motor of European integration China amends filtering software programme : 27 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 The Chinese government appeared to relent to public criticism over its decision to introduce Internet filtering software on computers, clarifying that installing the software will now not be made mandatory. Green Dam Youth Escort: This is the name of the software which would identify and block porno-graphic images, erotic texts, and unde-sirable websites GREEN DAM , A RESTRICTION: Green Dam is being viewed by many Internet users here as a move by the government to tighten restrictions on information at a time when the rapid growth in the number of Internet users in China 298 million at the last count has made it increasingly difficult for the government to monitor Internet forums and blogs. Irans council to conduct partial vote recount: Irans embattled government has taken one more step to defuse tensions in Tehran by agreeing to a partial recount of the votes polled in Fridays disputed presidential election. The council told that they are ready to recount those boxes that presidential candidates claim to have been cheated, they did not rule out the possibility of cancelling the results, acknowledging that the council was empowered to do so. Irans president , Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Opposition leader-Mr. Mousavi Irans supreme leader - Ayatollah Ali Khomeini Iranian authorities have ruled out the annulment of the disputed presidential elections held recently and announced fresh measures to suppress the opposition movement seeking a re-poll. Irans Guardian Council, which supervises the conduct of elections, said that there was no basis to order a re-election. ABOUT IRAN: The political system of the Islamic Republic is based on the 1979 Constitution. The system comprises several intricately connected governing bodies. The Supreme Leader of Iran is responsible for delineation and supervision of the general policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Legislature of Iran is known as the Majlis which is a unicameral body. India, Malaysia to study of degrees mutual recognition: India and Malaysia on Tuesday agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in education. 28 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 RIGHTS PROBES LEFT UNFINISHED A Commission of Enquiry appointed by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2007 to investigate 16 cases of alleged violations of human rights ended without completing its goal The eight-member commission was headed by the former Supreme Court Judge, Nissanka Udalagama, HILLARY PLEDGES TO EXPAND TIES WITH INDIA Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday said she would visit India next month and pledged to work for a dramatic expansion of India-U.S. ties giving New Delhi a greater role in solving global challenges. RUSSIA, CHINA TO TRADE IN NATIONAL CURRENCIES: Russia and China agreed to switch part of bilateral trade to their national currencies as the oil deals between the two countries amounted to $100 billion dollars. Greater use of the national currencies by Russia and China could affect the value of the dollar considering that their trade stood at $56 billion last year. China has emerged as Russias biggest trade partner, overtaking Germany and the Netherlands even as bilateral trade declined by 50 per cent in January-April. To offset the decline, the two countries agreed by undertaking big investment pro-jects in machine building, power gen-eration, construction, consumer in-dustries, agriculture, transport, com-munications, high-tech and mining. AGREEMENT WITH UKRAINE TO UP-GRADE AN - 32 India has signed a $ 400 million agreement with Ukraine to upgrade its fleet of transport aircraft AN-32 aimed at extending its life and improving avionics. AN-32: It is a medium range transport aircraft that used to ferry both men and material across the country has been in the service of the Air Force for over two decades. INDIAUKRAINE RELATIONS: Diplomatic relations between India and Ukraine were established in January 1992. Indian Embassy in Kiev was opened in May 1992 and Ukraine opened its Mission in New Delhi in February 1993. More than 17 bilateral agreements have been signed between India and Ukraine, including agreements on Cooperation in Science and Technology, Foreign Office Consultation, Cooperation in Space Research, Avoidance of Double Taxation 29 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 and Promotion and Protection of Investments. The India Ukraine trade relation and economic cooperation has developed on the basis the long-standing friendship between the two countries. In March, 1992 the Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation was signed between India and Ukraine, providing a major boost to India-Ukraine trade relations. There has been a three-fold increase in the India Ukraine trade during 2003-2005 and it has exceeded US$ 1 billion. The total turnover in India Ukraine trade during 2005-2006 has exceeded US$ 1.2 billion. The main items being imported by Ukraine from India are drugs, pharmaceutical production, Ores and minerals, tobacco products, tea, coffee, spices, silk and jute. The main items imported by India from Ukraine are chemicals, equipment, machines After Russia, Ukraine is India's second largest trading partner in the Common-wealth of Independent States (CIS). Under the Agreement signed between India and Ukraine in May 1992, the Joint S&T Committee meets annually to discuss implementation of projects, holding of exhibitions and cooperation in scientific research. The Committee last met in Kiev in October 2007 and approved 11 S&T projects for implementation. Days of Ukrainian Science and Technology were held in New Delhi in December2004. U.S., U.K. SEEKS OBSERVER STATUS The U.S. and U.K. have sought observer status in the fledging Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), an initiative of the Indian Navy to bring together littoral states in the region to arrive at a common understanding of regional maritime environment. The move shows the growing recognition of the Indian Navy and its engagement with navies of the countries in the Indian Ocean region. The inaugural session of regional maritime security initiative IONS was held in February 2008, which was attended by Chiefs of Navy of 26 littoral states. WHAT IS IONS: It is meant to be a regional forum through which the chiefs can periodically meet to constructively engage one another through creation and promotion of regionally relevant mechanism, events and activities. AIR FRANCE PLANE DISAPPEARS: Air France flight 447, which was flying from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to Paris with 216 passengers and 12 crew on board, is believed to have crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. 30 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 The Brazilian Army on Tuesday discovered small debris from a plane in the Atlantic Ocean about 650 km. northeast of the Fernando de Noronha Island, in the region where Air France flight 447 emitted its last desperate signals. However, officials are unable to confirm whether the debris comes from the aircraft, which was plying the Rio-Paris route and which disappeared without a trace on early Monday morning. TACKLE JUNDULLAH, IRAN TELLS PAKI-STAN Jundullah is a Pakistan-based anti-Shia group Pakistan is scrambling to clear the air with Iran following last weeks bomb blast in a mosque in the Iranian town of Zahedan for which Tehran has blamed Jundullah, known to be a Pakistan-based anti-Shia militant outfit. Kaspersky antivirus is a product of -Germany LEBANON SET FOR CRUCIAL ELECTUIONS Lebanon is set for crucial elections on Sunday which could see an alliance led by Hezbollah and former Prime Minister Michel Aarons Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) edge out the countrys ruling pro-western combination. Hezbollah literally is a Shi'a Islamist political and paramilitary organization based in Lebanon Hamas, meaning "Islamic Resistance Movement" is a Palestinian Islamic socio-political organization UNMIN TERM TO BE EXTENDED: The United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), which has been assisting in Ne-pals peace process since 2007, is likely to get a new mandate. A Cabinet meeting on Wednesday has agreed to extend its term one more time. UNMIN has been looking after Maoists weapons and Maoist combatants sheltered in 28 different cantonments. INDIAN-ORIGIN WOMAN IN RACE FOR GOVERNOR : The daughter of a Punjabi Sikh immigrant from Amritsar in the United States, Namrata Nikki Randhawa Haley has announced her candidacy for the Republican Party nomination for the Governor of South Carolina, which will go to polls next year. At present, Nikki (37), as she is popularly known here, is a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. If elected, Nikki would be the second Indian-American and first women from the community to be the Governor of a 31 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 State, after Bobby Jindal, who is the Gover-nor of Louisiana Water Leaders Summit-held at Singapore INDIAN OCEAN RIM ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION The Indian Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC), initially known as the Indian Ocean Rim Initiative, is an international organization with 18 member states. It was first established in Mauritius on March 1995 and formally launched on 6-7 March 1997. The Association disseminates information on trade and investment regimes, with a view to helping the region's business community better understand the impediments to trade and investment within the region. These information exchanges have been intended to serve as a base to expand intra-regional trade FOUNDING MEMBERS: Australia, India, Kenya, Mauritius, Oman, Singapore, South Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Srilanka, Tanzania, Yemen, Bangladesh, Iran, Thailand, United Arab Emirates. DIALOGUE PARTNERS: China, Egypt, France, Japan, United Kingdom. All-party committee for reconciliation in Sri Lanka: APC is a comitee formed to discuss in depth issues and priorities in development and emerging political trends in the post-Prabakaran era. The committee, which would meet once every month under the chairmanship of Mr. Rajapaksa, would function especially in the context of the new development needs fol-lowing the defeat of the LTTE, and the need for national reconciliation in the new era of peace. Abu Dhabi becomes worlds clean energy hub: Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is set to become the inter-national hub for dissemination of clean en-ergy technology after the city was elected as headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), a grouping of 129 countries. IRENAs headquarters will be located at Masdar, a zero-carbon-emission mini-city which is being built at a cost of $22 billion. The city will house 50,000 people and is expected to become fully functional by 2015. IRENAs innovation centre will be based in Bonn and a liaison office will be located in Vienna. 32 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA): The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organization for promoting the adoption of renewable energy worldwide. It aims to provide concrete policy advice and facilitate capacity building and technology transfer. IRENA was formed on January 26, 2009, by 75 countries signing the charter of IRENA Mandated by governments worldwide, IRENA aims to become the main driving force in promoting a rapid transition to-wards the widespread and sustainable use of renewable energy on a global scale: Acting as the global voice for renewable en-ergies, IRENA will provide practical advice and support for both industrialised and de-veloping countries, help them improve their regulatory frameworks and build capacity. The agency will facilitate access to all rele-vant information including reliable data on the potential of renewable energy, best prac-tices, effective financial mechanisms and state-of-the-art technological expertise Post-LTTE: Indias Policy Options on SriLankas Ethnic Issue: The fall of the LTTE coincided with the re-election of UPA government in India and Indias overall policy towards Sri Lanka, therefore, is not expected to change dramatically. The new government under Manmohan Singh however, will want Colombo to address two key issues on a priority basis. India requires Sri Lanka to take up humanitarian relief for those affected and displaced by the conflict. Several thousands are wounded and hundreds of thousands displaced. In this regard, India has already announced a grant of more than Rs.1 billion which included dispatching over 100,000 packs containing rations and shelter material for a family sufficient for three weeks. Separately the Tamil Nadu government has announced a package of Rs.250 million as humanitarian relief. India is also considering the expansion of its 50-bed hospital in Trincomalee manned by a 62-member medical team from the Indian armed forces India is considering an additional Rs.5 billion aid package exclusively for the displaced civilians. The next step is resettlement of the displaced at their place of origin. India can cooperate with other countries and aid agencies involved in the relief and resettlement to evolve a coordinated approach. 33 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 India believes that the Sri Lankan government should seriously work on a political solution that includes devolution of power, participation in the election and full rights for Tamils as citizens of SriLanka. Indias consistent position on the islands ethnic issue has been in favor of a politically negotiated settlement acceptable to all sections of the Sri Lankan society within the framework of an undivided Sri Lanka and consistent with democracy, pluralism and respect for human rights. In this regard, India wants the Sri Lankan government to put forward a credible devolution package at the earliest. India should make every effort to pressurize Sri Lanka to begin a process of healing and national reconciliation. Without an appropriate reconciliation process, the wedge between the two communities majority Sinhala and minority Tamil cannot be bridged. A sustainable peace can only be realised with such a process. It is indeed a long-drawn process that requires Indian help on a sustained basis. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN SRI LANKA: IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIA: India continues to be an important factor in Sri Lanka owing to the shared cultural, linguistic and strategic interests of the two nations to the extent that no permanent solution can be achieved without taking India into consideration. Recent times have witnessed a significant shift in Indias stance, from that of a neutral bystander to an anti-LTTE stand, as reflected in the strong statement issued by the government stating that it has no sympathy for the LTTE This is probably the strongest statement that the Indian government has ever made against the insurgent group. India acceptance of the APRC All Party Representative Committee (APRC) report and its diluted recommendations is another sign of retreat. Indias increasing cooperation with Sri Lankan government in economic and non-lethal military matters has also raised several questions on Indian neutrality in minds of the Tamil population. Indian interests are best served in an united Sri Lanka under a federated structure, with adequate safeguards for the interests of all sections of the population. But it cannot put much faith on the current Sri Lankan government to bring this about. In political considerations the domestic Tamil sentiments in India restricts it from using force. The Sri Lankan government must be apprised of the fact that it cannot deal with the Tamil problem with total impunity. 34 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 India has red lines and were those red lines to be crossed India will take some action. There are two such red lines. One is internal and the other external. Huge atrocities, genocides would unify Tamil Nadu against the centre, forcing the government in turn to intervene in Sri Lanka. This pressure is slowly mounting up, but it is not apparent that India is proactively trying to avoid that. Then there is Indias international red line, which would be impinged if Sri Lanka were to pose a threat to Indias geo-strategic interests. India would certainly like to help Sri Lanka increase its involvement in the SAARC and other regional processes like the BIMSTEC and through that develop greater cooperation with its neighbours and economic development for itself. It would like to see a more egalitarian Sri Lankan society and politics. It can also be a significant help on the economic front. For example, the FTA between India and Sri Lanka has been working very well for both countries and should be strengthened. ECONOMY INFLATION IN NEGATIVE: Annual year-on-year rate of inflation turned negative in the week ended June 6, 2009, from 0.13 per cent in the week ended May 30, 2009. This implies that the average wholesale price level was lower during the week ending June 6, 2009, than it was a year ago. The decline in the inflation rate is due to primarily to decline in the inflation rate of fuel and power, which in turn declined primarily because of the base effect. The economy last recorded negative inflation over 30 years back in 1978-79. INFLATION: In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time. When the general price level rises, each unit of the functional currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation is a decline in the real value of money-a loss of purchasing power in the internal medium of exchange which is also the monetary unit of account in an economy .A chief measure of general price-level inflation is the general inflation rate, which is the percentage change in a general price index (normally the Consumer Price Index) over time. Inflation is usually measured by calculating the inflation rate of a price index, usually the Consumer Price Index. 35 AP 2241, II FLOOR, 12th MAIN ROAD, ANNANAGAR, CHENNAI 40, PHONE : 044-26216435, 9444166435 The Consumer Price Index measures prices of a selection of goods and services purchased by a "typical consumer. The inflation rate is the percentage rate of change of a price index over time. Stagflation: Stagflation is an economic situation in which inflation and economic stagnation occur simultaneously and remain unchecked for a period of time. The portmanteau stagflation is generally attributed to British politician Iain Macleod, who coined the term in a speech to Parliament in 1965. The concept is notable partly because, in postwar macroeconomic theory, inflation and recession were regarded as mutually exclusive, and also because stagflation has generally proven to be difficult and costly to eradicate once it gets started. INFLATION- CAUSES AND REMEDIES: The main cause of todays inflation is because of global oil price rise. Since import of crude oil is a must, the prices of petrol, diesel and domestic gas has gone up. All sectors of business depend on transportation for their transport of goods, which has automatically transformed the increase in prices.