NATIONAL
Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry on launched a web portal for implementation of the National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education (NSIGSE) in New Delhi. Web portal was developed by the Canara Bank to implement the scheme.
Vinod Rai, Comptroller and Auditor General of India is the new chairman of the 45-nation strong Asian Organization of the Institutions of the Accountants General. ASOSAI is the largest regional organisation of the government auditors. India took over the post of chairman from Pakistan.
Delhi government hiked the reservation for OBC [Other Backward Classes] in higher education institutions from 21 percent to 27 percent.
Supreme Court directed the union government to implement the ambitious interlinking of rivers project.
25 agriculture and allied activities were included in the new version of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, MGNREGA.
Haryana government announced to increase minimum wages of skilled and unskilled labourers. The state government decided to increase minimum wages of unskilled labourers to Rupees 186 a day while the wages for skilled labourer was raised to Rupees 211.42 a day.
Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Panel (PMEAC) projected 7.5 - 8 per cent growth rate for the fiscal 2012-13.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit launched a major State-wide de-worming campaign, as a part of the Chacha Nehru Sehat Yojna.
Supreme Court cancelled 122 2G licences granted during the tenure of former Telecom Minister A Raja declaring it as “illegal” and blamed the government's flawed first-come-first-served policy.
Gujarat topped the list of most preferred business destination in India in year 2011.
India's indigenously developed micro-light pilot-less target aircraft Lakshya-1 was successfully test flown from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur.
Union cabinet approved the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP-2012) to facilitate access to central government owned shareable data and information.
Delhi became the first State in the country to issue e-stamp papers in all denominations.
According to Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin, December 2011 released by the Registrar General of India (RGI), Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has dropped further by 3 points from 50 to 47 infants deaths per 1000 live births during 2010. IMR for rural areas has dropped by 4 points from 55 to 51 infant deaths per 1000 live births while the Urban rate now stands at 31 from the previous 34/1000.
INTERNATIONAL
United Nations (UN) appointed former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan as the joint United Nations-Arab League envoy to Syria.
Iran launched three nuclear projects including a fourth generation Ultra Centrifuge, which is capable of enriching the Uranium faster than its earlier models.
President of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, after weeks of protest. The protest was against his decision to sack a judge he had accused of favouring the opposition.
Vice President of Maldives Mohammed Waheed Hassan was sworn in as President, following Nasheed’s resignation.
Indonesia became the 157th country to adopt the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
SHADE- The pact signed by India, japan and China to achieve the most efficient use of Naval forces present in the Indian ocean region. This initiative is called the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE).
Iran successfully launched an observation satellite called navid satellite into orbit above Earth.
INDIA AND WORLD
India and ADB (Asian Development Bank) signed the third and last tranche of loan agreement, amounts to 120.6 million US dollars to support electricity transmission and distribution capacity in Assam under the Assam Power Sector Enhancement Investment Programme. It amounts to 120.6 million US dollars.
India and the USA discussed ways of expanding their growing strategic partnership and cooperation at the 12th Defence Policy Group meeting held in New Delhi.
The 12th India-EU Summit was held in New Delhi.
India and Saudi Arabia agreed to set up a Joint Working Group on Defence Co-operation.The focus was on strengthening bilateral co-operation in the defence sector.
India and the USA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Washington to co-operate on Labour and employment issues during the visit of labour and employment minister Mallikarjun Khagre.
SPORTS & GAMES
South African Golfer James Barry Kruger won Avantha Masters Golf tournament in New Delhi. Popularly called Jbe Cruger, it was his maiden European Tour title.
Former Indian tennis player Manisha Malhotra conferred upon a top International Olympic Committee Award for her contribution in promoting sport among women.
Serbian tennis star, Novak Djokovic was awarded with the highest Serbian award, the Gold Star of Karadjordje.
Egypt defeated India 2-1 in the final of the SDAT-WSF Under-21 Squash World Cup.
Ajay Mittal of Haryana won the gold medal at the 55th National Shooting Championships for shotgun.
PERSONALITIES
Akhlaq Mohammad Khan (Shahryar), renowned Urdu poet and noted lyricist of Umrao Jaan, passed away. Khan had received the Jnanpith Award for 2008.
Whitney Houston, winner of six Grammy Awards died.
Music composer Rajesh Roshan was honoured with the Lata Manageshkar award by the Madhya Pradesh government.
Rahul Bhatia, Managing Director of InterGlobe Enterprises group chosen for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2011.
Vodafone India appointed Analjeet Singh as its non executive Chairman.
Mike Pandey, Veteran environmental filmmaker was honoured with the prestigious V. Shantaram Life Time Achievement Award.
Mallikarjun Kharge, union minister for labour and employment was presented with Pride of India award by the Indian-American community in Washington.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Freedom's Mother – Anisul Hoque
The Convert – Deborah Baker
River Of Smoke- Amitav Ghosh
When Loss Is Gain- Pawan K. Verma
The Best Thing About You Is You – Anupam Kher
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Kotak Securities launched a ready to trade kit aimed at on-the-spot broking. The kit has been named My Box.
Flipkart, online shopping major unveiled its digital music store Flyte.
Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd, appointed R.P. Singh as the Director (Personnel) of the company. He would take the charge from 1 April 2012.
US banking major Citi group sold its 9.85 percent stake in HDFC for around 1.9 billion dollars.
National Australia Bank opened its maiden branch in Mumbai, India.
RBI panel on priority sector lending proposed increment in the target (priority sector) for foreign banks to 40% of net bank credit from the current level of 32 per cent with sub-targets of 15 per cent for exports and 15 per cent for the MSE sector.
Competition Commission of India gave its nod to the proposed merger of Netizen Rajsthan with Reliance Infratel. Netizen Rajsthan, is a 100% subsidiary of Reliance Infratel.
Facebook, integrated the music site from Indiatimes Gaana.com as an application into its new Timeline.
RBI changed bank rate to realign it with Marginal Standing Facility rate after nine years. The bank rate, a benchmark rate at which RBI buys or re-discounts bills of exchange or other commercial papers eligible for purchase, was hiked with immediate effect to 9.5% from 6%. The bank rate will change whenever there is a change in the repo rate.
Indian FMCG major Marico bought the Paras Pharmaceuticals’ personal care arm from British consumer care giant Reckitt Benckiser.
RBI issued the Draft Circular for Deployment of White Label Automated Teller Machines (WLAs) from non-bank entities. The central banks' issuance of the draft reflected the bank’s intention to accelerate the growth and penetration of ATMs in the country. WLA means ATM owned, run and maintained by third parties on a contract basis from a financial institution.
SEBI gave its approval to the listing of 64.27 lakh shares of MCX[Multi Commodity Exchange of India] in the capital market.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Scientists identified two genes, NACP and MAPT linked to Parkinson's disease, a finding which may pave the way for better treatments for the second most prevalent neurological condition after dementia.
Researchers at the Harvard Smithsonian centre for Astrophysics discovered that the planet GJ1214b was largely covered in water. GJ1214b was described as a super-Earth. It is approximately 2.7 times Earth’s diameter and weighs almost 7 times as much.
Astronomers found the fourth habitable planet outside our solar system called GJ667Cc. The planet is 22 light years from Earth. The newly found planet is rocky in nature. It orbits its star every 28.15 days. It has a mass at least 4.5 times that of earth. The team of astronomers analysed data from the European Southern Observatory.
AWARDS & HONORS
Noted Hindi writer Professor Ramdarash Mishra was selected for the 21st Vyas Samman for his poetry collection Aam Ke Patte published in 2004.
84th Academy Awards/Oscars Ceremony
Best Picture - The Artist
Best Actor - Jean Dujardin for The Artist
Best Actress - Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady
Best Director - Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Best Supporting Actor - Christopher Plummer for Beginners
Best Supporting Actress - Octavia Spencer for The Help
Best Animated feature film - Rango
Best foreign language film - A Separation ( Iran)
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards
Album of the Year: 21 - Adele
Record of the Year: Rolling in the Deep, Adele
Song of the Year: Rolling in the Deep, Adele
Best New Artist: Bon Iver
The British songstress, Adele swept the awards winning a staggering six golden gramophones for her Album, 21.
The 65th annual British Academy Film awards
Best Picture: The Artist
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin – The Artist
Best Actress: Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
Best Supporting actress: Octavia Spencer – The Help
Best Supporting actor: Christopher Plummer – Beginners
Best Animated film: Rango directed by Gore Verbinski
Best Documentary: Senna
Outstanding British film: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Best Film not in the English language: The Skin I Live In (Spanish thriller film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar)
Outstanding debut: Tyrannosaur
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