RAPID GK SERIES 20

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">1. This Country is said as the œCockpit of Europe is<br /> 2. He is the Father of Indian White Revolution<br /> 3. The abbreviation of MIBOR is<br /> 4. This International Bank has emerged with the recommendations of Economic Commission for Asia and Far East (ECAFE)<br /> 5. The new name of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) is<br /> 6. The new Tourism Campaign ˜Visit India Year 2009 was launched at the current International Tourism Exchange in this place<br /> 7. This committee, which had constituted by RBI suggested for the roadmap of Fuller Convertibility of Rupee<br /> 8. A Byte is equal to this number of bits<br /> 9. The Blue Revolution is associated with<br /> 10. Indian National Congress was established in this year<br /> <br /> <i><strong>ANSWERS</strong></i><br /> <br /> 1. Belgium<br /> 2. Dr. Verghese Kurien<br /> 3. Mumbai Inter-bank Offer Rate<br /> 4. Asian Development Bank (ADB)<br /> 5. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS)<br /> 6. Berlin<br /> 7. Tarapore Committee<br /> 8. 8 Bits = 1 Byte<br /> 9. Fishing<br /> 10. 1885 A.D.</div>

RAPID GK SERIES 20

1. This Country is said as the œCockpit of Europe is 2. He is the Father of Indian White Revolution 3. The abbreviation of MIBOR is 4. Th...

+ Read more »

Food inflation drops to six-year low

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Food inflation slipped into the negative zone, falling to minus 3.36 per cent as the prices of essential items like vegetables, onions, potatoes and wheat declined.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">This is the first time in almost six years that food inflation has fallen, on an annual basis.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Food inflation, as measured by Wholesale Price Index, had stood at 0.42 per cent in the previous week, and at almost 21 per cent in the corresponding week of 2010.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

Food inflation drops to six-year low

Food inflation slipped into the negative zone, falling to minus 3.36 per cent as the prices of essential items like vegetables, onions, p...

+ Read more »

India, Triniadad & Tobago likely to ink several agreements in various sectors

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Several important agreements in the field of health and education are likely to be signed during the visit of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Mrs. Kamla Persad Bissessar, who is on 10 day state visit to India.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Mrs. Bissessar is the first woman of Indian origin who is heading a government.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Mrs. Bissessar is the Chief Guest during this year’s Pravasi Bhartiya Divas being held in Jaipur.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">She will be conferred Pravasi Bhartiya Samman in Jaipur. Besides Delhi and Jaipur, the she will also visit Jodhpur, Kolkata and Mumbai. She will also visit her ancestral village in Buxar district of Bihar.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

India, Triniadad & Tobago likely to ink several agreements in various sectors

Several important agreements in the field of health and education are likely to be signed during the visit of the Prime Minister of Trini...

+ Read more »

Govt launches Intranet Prahari Project for BSF

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The government today launched an Intranet Prahari Project to facilitate Border Security Force, BSF personnel to access their personal data from wherever they are posted.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The  project  was launched at BSF Head quarters in New Delhi .</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The  229 crore rupees Project, network connectivity has been extended up to Battalion level and 237 locations of BSF posts.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

Govt launches Intranet Prahari Project for BSF

The government today launched an Intranet Prahari Project to facilitate Border Security Force, BSF personnel to access their personal dat...

+ Read more »

Philippines: 25 perished in landslide

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">In the Philippines, at least twenty five people were killed and about 100 are missing after a landslide struck in Pantukan, Compostella Valley province, on Mindanao Island.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Unregulated mining activities have made the mountain area unstable and caused a series of accidents.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

Philippines: 25 perished in landslide

In the Philippines, at least twenty five people were killed and about 100 are missing after a landslide struck in Pantukan, Compostella V...

+ Read more »

EU agrees to ban import of Iranian oil

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">European Union member states have agreed in principle to ban imports of Iranian crude oil to put pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The move is expected to be announced formally at an EU Foreign Ministers' meeting at the end of January.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The United States, which recently imposed fresh sanctions on Iran, has welcomed the news.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Iran has dismissed the threat of new sanctions and denied Western claims that it is trying to develop a nuclear weapons programme.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Iran has also denied that a record low of its currency this week was linked to punitive U.S. measures against its banks.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

EU agrees to ban import of Iranian oil

European Union member states have agreed in principle to ban imports of Iranian crude oil to put pressure on Iran over its nuclear progra...

+ Read more »

British Foreign Secy in Myanmar on a historic visit

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The British Foreign Secretary, Mr. William Hague has arrived in the Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw. </span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">This is the first visit to Myanmar by a British Foreign Secretary in more than half a centaury.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">During the trip, he will meet the President of Myanmar Thein Sein and the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. </span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Mr. Hague's talks are aimed at bolstering Myanmar's recent political reforms after years of hard line military rule.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

British Foreign Secy in Myanmar on a historic visit

The British Foreign Secretary, Mr. William Hague has arrived in the Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw.  This is the first visit to Myanm...

+ Read more »

SEBI launches India’s first KYC Registration Agency

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="5497" style="display: block;"> <ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India, SEBI, has launched India’s first Know Your Customer Registration Agency - KRA.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">SEBI’s Chairman, Mr. U.K. Sinha launched the service at Bombay Stock Exchange.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">This  system avoids duplication of customer details and is interoperable, which means that other market participants can share the data and bring in more uniformity.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"> Sebi will soon launch a mass media campaign to educate retail investors about the simplified KYC norms.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div></div>

SEBI launches India’s first KYC Registration Agency

Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India, SEBI, has launched India’s fi...

+ Read more »

Spacewatch: The bright tailed Christmas comet of the year

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">A comet many people thought would be destroyed when it brushed by the Sun on 16 December, Comet Lovejoy has provided a memorable show for observers in the southern hemisphere. So much so, that it has already been called the great Christmas comet of 2011.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Discovered by the Australian amateur astronomer Terry Lovejoy on 27th November, the comet sprouted a bright tail as it plunged towards perihelion and into the sights of five different solar-observation spacecraft. As the comet's icy core raced in a tight arc around the Sun, it appeared to leave its tail suspended in the Sun's atmosphere, only for a spectacular new one to develop as Comet Lovejoy began to pull away from the Sun over the following days.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

Spacewatch: The bright tailed Christmas comet of the year

A comet many people thought would be destroyed when it brushed by the Sun on 16 December, Comet Lovejoy has provided a memorable show for...

+ Read more »

Two illiterate Koraput tribals shine at Science Congress

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"> Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself who gave them certificates of appreciation .. The tribals hailing from Orissa’s most backward district received the GIAHS citation of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Koraput has been recognised among the world’s 20 “Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems” (GIAHS) sites.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Fortytwo-year-old Chandra Pradhan  and 28-year-old Raila Muduli (28) have been using traditional farming methods to promote food security and bio-diversity in their villages. The region is home to one of the oldest gene pools of rice.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

Two illiterate Koraput tribals shine at Science Congress

 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself who gave them certificates of appreciation .. The tribals hailing from Orissa’s most backward dist...

+ Read more »

Myanmar approves Suu Kyi's party for election

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Myanmar's government approved the National League for Democracy to run in upcoming by-elections that will return Aung San Suu Kyi's party to mainstream politics after two decades.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva; text-align: justify;">Western governments have cautiously supported the reforms Myanmar's new government has made since general elections in late 2010, while keeping in place economic sanctions and continuing to urge further reforms.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Most of the 48 Parliament seats being contested in the April 1 by-election were vacated by MPs who became Cabinet ministers after the first parliamentary session last January.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The military is guaranteed 110 seats in the 440-seat lower house, and 56 seats in the 224-seat upper house, and the pro-military party now occupies 80 percent of the remaining 498 elected seats, so the 48 seats up for grabs, even if the NLD wins them all, will not change the balance of power.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

Myanmar approves Suu Kyi's party for election

Myanmar's government approved the National League for Democracy to run in upcoming by-elections that will return Aung San Suu Kyi...

+ Read more »

South Africa's ruling ANC celebrates 100 years

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">South Africa's ruling ANC marks its 100th anniversary this week with a huge celebration attended by dozens of heads of state and buoyed by an unbroken 17 years in power since the end of apartheid.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">More than 100,000 people are expected in the central city of Bloemfontein, where the South African Native National Congress was founded on January 8, 1912. It was renamed the African National Congress in 1923.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">South African President Jacob Zuma will pay tribute to Nelson Mandela and other heroes of the anti-apartheid struggle in a speech at the city's football stadium wrapping up three days of festivities .</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The celebrations include a traditional ceremony, a golf tournament, concerts and gala dinner. Zuma is also expected to light a centenary flame, which will tour South Africa as a symbol of the resistance against apartheid.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

South Africa's ruling ANC celebrates 100 years

South Africa's ruling ANC marks its 100th anniversary this week with a huge celebration attended by dozens of heads of state and buoy...

+ Read more »

Unesco Kalinga Prize recipient fails to arrive

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">A separate function will be organized later this year to confer the UnescoKalinga Prize for Popularization of Science, 2011, to Mexican physiologist and neurobiologist Dr Rene Raul Drucker, the Kalinga Foundation Trust.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Drucker is renowned for his work on sleep, particularly identifying the role played by neurotransmitters during sleep.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Drucker could not make it to receive the award at the international conference for celebration of 60th anniversary of the prize at KIIT University.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

Unesco Kalinga Prize recipient fails to arrive

A separate function will be organized later this year to confer the UnescoKalinga Prize for Popularization of Science, 2011, to Mexican ...

+ Read more »

New telecom network for government soon

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">India's vulnerability to spying activities by unfriendly nations in the Internet era has forced the Government to chalk out a Rs.450-crore plan to develop and deploy a pan-India secure network and network-based services such as e-mail and Internet-telephony, thus providing a foolproof infrastructure for telecom and Internet communication exclusively for government use.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The government does not want any official communication on the Internet to travel outside the country and wants all such traffic to be routed through the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), a government-supported not-for-profit organisation that facilitates exchange of domestic Internet traffic</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

New telecom network for government soon

India's vulnerability to spying activities by unfriendly nations in the Internet era has forced the Government to chalk out a Rs.450-...

+ Read more »

National mission on monsoon prediction likely by month-end

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The Union Cabinet is likely to give its final approval for a national mission to try and improve the accuracy of monsoon forecasts by this month-end.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">This was stated by Secretary in the Ministry of Earth Sciences Shailesh Nayak.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Under the project, scientists would work on models from the United Kingdom's Met Office and the United States' National Centers for Environment Prediction .</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The mission would have two components relating to two different timescales — monthly, seasonal and intra-seasonal scale on the one hand and a medium range forecast, up to 15 days, on the other.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">At present, India Meteorological Department makes its forecasts based on the system of a statistical model, which makes the prediction on the basis of several predictors.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The statistical system has several fundamental and inherent shortcomings. The dynamic numerical models, on the other hand, are expected to come out with better forecasts.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">India does not have a dynamic numerical model of it own. The goal now is to develop a model that would be India-specific within five years.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">That  about 60 scientists from different scientific institutions and organisations within the country and about 30 scientists from abroad would be associated with the project.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

National mission on monsoon prediction likely by month-end

The Union Cabinet is likely to give its final approval for a national mission to try and improve the accuracy of monsoon forecasts by thi...

+ Read more »

Child welfare takes a back seat in planning

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Child welfare continues to be accorded the least priority in planning and implementation of public services or amenities. Other than those institutions, public and private, directly charged with the protection of children, almost all others exhibit a low level of sensitivity to children and low levels of preparedness for child protection, a new study has shown.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Conducted by Childline 1098 — a helpline service for children in distress — the study shows that only 6 per cent of institutional homes maintain records of abuse cases. Less than a fourth of the Juvenile Justice Boards sit on regular working days, while 44 per cent have met only once a week. Twenty-eight schools have reported drop-outs due to child labour, while 21 per cent reported dropouts following child marriages. Of the cases reported by the Juvenile Justice Boards, only 38 per cent are disposed of in less than four months, 35 per cent between four and six months and 26 per cent cases took more than six months.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The study recommends a national child protection network that would work towards sharing, collating, and developing tools. Only 29 per cent of the Child Welfare Committees comply with all the requirements of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000 for composition of the committee while 88 per cent committees reported that the cases were brought to them within 24 hours. Worse, less than 10 per cent police stations have a designated space for dealing with children, 30 per cent of railway security forces have booths that provide assistance to missing and other vulnerable children.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Further, only 4 per cent of schools are providing filtered water to children, 77 per cent schools provide non-filtered water while the remaining did not provide water at all.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Rather surprisingly, 92 per cent government schools reported the existence of parent-teacher associations against 74 per cent private schools. Availability and accessibility of social workers and therapists across all centres is under 35 per cent.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The study, conducted in 11 States, assessed the protection mechanism and the survey was done at six spaces in each State which were chosen randomly. These spaces included public services (schools and public health care) public institutional care (children homes), statutory bodies (juvenile justice boards, child welfare committees), public safety (police, children's courts), common spaces (railway stations, bus stops), and community-based non-residential spaces (day care centres</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

Child welfare takes a back seat in planning

Child welfare continues to be accorded the least priority in planning and implementation of public services or amenities. Other than thos...

+ Read more »

Pakistani troops target Indian border posts

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and fired at Indian posts in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district late Wednesday night to facilitate infiltration of terrorists to this side of the frontier.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva; text-align: justify;">Pakistani troops opened fire at the Indian Army's Kranti and Kirpan posts in the Krishna Ghati sector, about 220 km north of Jammu, from across the LoC.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva; text-align: justify;">Both India and Pakistan had agreed to silence the guns of their armies on the borders in November 2003, but Pakistan has violated it several times since 2005 onwards.</span></span></li> </ul></div>

Pakistani troops target Indian border posts

Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and fired at Indian posts in the Krishna Ghati sec...

+ Read more »

Ram Sethu: SC seeks report on alternative route

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The Supreme Court directed the Centre to place before it the report of Prime Minister- appointed expert panel on the feasibility of building an alternative shipping channel through Dhanuskodi instead of Ram Sethu around the country's southern tip. </span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">A bench comprising justices H L Dattu and C K Prasad also asked the government to supply the report of the panel, headed by noted environmentalist R K Pachauri, to the various parties for and against building of navigational sea route around the country's southern peninsula. </span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The six-member panel headed by Pachauri had been formed in July 2008 by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to find a solution to the controversy over the Rs-2,240 crore Sethu Samudram Shipping Channel Project (SSCP). </span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">SSCP proposes linking Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka by creating a shipping channel through the shallow sea and a chain of islands known as 'Ramar Sethu' and Adam's Bridge. </span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The project was flagged off in 2005 but later met opposition following a decision to dredge 'Ramasethu', believed to have been constructed by Lord Ram to cross to Sri Lanka. </span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

Ram Sethu: SC seeks report on alternative route

The Supreme Court directed the Centre to place before it the report of Prime Minister- appointed expert panel on the feasibility of build...

+ Read more »

Death penalty sought for Egypt's Mubarak

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The prosecution in the case against Hosni Mubarak demanded the death sentence for the former Egyptian president and other defendants including his two sons and the former interior minister. </span></span><br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Mubarak is facing charges of ordering the killing of protesters during the demonstrations which swept him from power last February. The judge adjourned the trial until January 9. </span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

Death penalty sought for Egypt's Mubarak

The prosecution in the case against Hosni Mubarak demanded the death sentence for the former Egyptian president and other defendants inc...

+ Read more »

China launches Asia's largest helicopter

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">China's largest-ever civil helicopter Thursday got certification from the civil aviation administration</span></span><br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The move marks the official approval for the 13-tonne AC313, Asia's largest helicopter, to enter the market, said the Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC), which developed and manufactured the helicopter. </span></span><br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The aircraft focuses on designs of maintainability, life reliability, indemnification and life cycle efficiency, and meets international safety standards, underlining China's abilities in the research and development (R&D) of large helicopters. </span></span><br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">AC313 is also world's first civil helicopter to receive an A-category airworthiness certificate at an altitude of 4,500 meters, the AVIC said.The aircraft can be deployed for emergency rescue operations, forest fire prevention, transport, offshore operations, medical aid, sightseeing and business trips</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

China launches Asia's largest helicopter

China's largest-ever civil helicopter Thursday got certification from the civil aviation administration The move marks the official...

+ Read more »