Current Affairs: January 7, 2012

January 7th, 2012

The 10th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas begins in Jaipur
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh formally inaugurates the event.
Pravasi Bhartiya Divas is celebrated on 9th Jan each year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of India.
The day commemorates the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi in India from South Africa.
Theme of 2012 Pravasi Bhartiya Divas is "Global Indian -Inclusive Growth".
8 seminars on issues like, water management, Solar energy, Health, Tourism and Rural development are being organized in the program.
Pink city beautifully decorated and tight security arrangements made for the 3 day event.

Trinidad and Tobago has supported India's candidature for a permanent seat in a reformed and expanded UN Security Council.
The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Mrs. Kamla Persad Bissessar is India's chief guest in the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2012.
The join statement issues after delegation level talks between the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and his Trinidad counterpart Mrs. Kamla Persad Bissessar in New Delhi said that two leaders discussed a host of global issues, including terrorism, climate change and UN reforms.
It has been decided that India and Trinidad and Tobago would intensify the energy collaboration. In this context, a delegation led by Petroleum Minister S. Jaipal Reddy will visit Trinidad and Tobago in 2012 to identify the areas of cooperation.
Trinidad and Tobago is the largest and most vibrant economy in the Caribbean. It is rich in oil and gas resources.
India and Trinidad and Tobago also signed five agreements to enhance their economic and cultural ties.

Rural development Minister Jairam Ramesh says that Government is planning to lower the age bar from 40 to 18 for widows entitled to central pension scheme.
At present BPL widow in the age group of 40 to 59 are eligible for pension.
Ministry has proposed to the Finance Ministry to enhance the pension amount from existing 200 to 500 rupees for the old age people, differently abled as well as for widows.

Former Union Minister Sukh Ram surrendered before a local court in Delhi which sent him to jail to serve his three-year sentence in a telecom scam case in 1993.
Sukh Ram had been telecom minister between January 18, 1993 and May 16, 1996, in the Narasimha Rao government.
He had conspired with former bureaucrat Runu Ghosh and Hyderabad-based businessman P Rama Rao and approved the ARM Ltd's bid despite its rates being higher than other bidders.
Runu Ghosh and Rama Rao have surrendered before the trial court and were sent to jail to serve their sentence of two and three years respectively.
Besides the jail term, the convicts were also asked to pay a fine of 2 lakh rupees each.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy held an interaction with journalists from Tamil Nadu in Thiruvanathapuram .
The CM urges the people of Tamil Nadu to respond to the safety concerns of the States.
He reiterates that the present quantity of water will be ensured to Tamil Nadu if a new dam is built in Mullapperiyar.
Kerala is prepared to shoulder the entire cost of the new dam.

African National Congress (ANC) is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
Africa's oldest liberation movement successfully brought an end to the Apartheid which once saw South Africa legally divided on the basis of race.
African National Congress (ANC) is South Africa's governing Africanist political party.
It defines itself as a "disciplined force of the left".
The organization was founded as South African Native National Congress (SANNC) on 8 January 1912 in Bloemfontein to increase the rights of the black South African population.
John Dube was its first president. The organization became the ANC in 1923 and formed a military wing, the Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) in 1961.
It has been the ruling party of post-apartheid South Africa on the national level since 1994.
The year-long celebrations have begun with a golf tournament.

Jamaica's new Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, states that she intends to make the island country a republic by removing Queen Elizabeth as the head of state.
She was speaking ahead of celebrations to mark 50 years of Jamaican independence from Britain..
In her inaugural address, Ms Simpson Miller said the time has come for Jamaica to break with the British monarchy and have its own president.

At present, for single brand retailers, 51 per cent FDI is permitted in India.
The Government states that it will soon notify 100 per cent foreign direct investment in single-brand retail.

Australia defeated India by an innings and 68 runs in the second cricket test at Sydney.
With this win, Australia takes a 2-0 lead in the 4-match series.
India made 191 in the first innings after opting to bat first, were all out for 400 in the second.
Anchored by Skipper Michael Clarke's brilliant 329 not out, Australia amassed a mammoth 659 for 4 (declared) in the first innings.
The third test will be played at Perth from January 13th.