1

Current General Knowledge (March-July 2010)

March2010 Vijay Tendulkar, Oriya
writer Manoj Das,
Malayalam poetess
ABBREVIATIONS
Balamaniamma, Tamil
CSAT: Civil Services
writer Indira
Aptitude Test.
Parthasarathy, Bengali
novelist Sunil
AWARDS
Gangopadhyay and
SAARC Environment
Urdu literary critic
Award, 2010
Shamsur Rahman
Environmentalist Baba
Faruqi.
Balbir Singh Seechewal
has been selected for the
Oscar Awards, 2010
award for setting new
Best Movie: The Hurt
milestones in the field of
Locker.
environment, especially
Best Director: Kathyrn
his initiative on cleaning
Bigelow (The Hurt
the Kali Bein rivulet
Locker). She has become
passing through
the first woman director
Kapurthala, Punjab.
to win the honour.
Saraswati Samman,
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges
2009
(Crazy Heart).
“Lafzan Di Dargah”, a
Best Actress: Sandra
poetry collection in
Bullock (The Blind
Punjabi by Surjit Patar,
Side).
has been awarded the
Best Supporting
19th Saraswati Samman
Actress: Mo’Nique.
for 2009.The award,
Best Supporting Actor:
instituted by the K.K.
Christoph Waltz.
Birla Foundation in
Best Animated Movie:
1991, carries an award of
Up
Rs 5 lakh, a citation and
Best Foreign Film: The
a plaque. It is recognised
Secret in Their Eyes
as the most prestigious
(Argentina).
and the highest literary
Chameli Devi Jain
honour in India and is
Award, 2009- The
given every year to an
award for an outstanding
outstanding literary work
woman media-person has
written in an Indian
been shared by Shoma
language and published
Chaudhary, executive
during the last 10
editor of Tehelka, Delhi
years.The first recipient
and Monalisa Changkija,
of the award was
Editor of Nagaland
Harivansh Rai
Page, Dimapur.
Bachchan in 1991 for
his autobiography. Other
Mother Teresa Award,
awardees include
2010-UGC chairman
Marathi playwright
 2
Sukhadeo Thorat has
been given the
prestigious Mother
Teresa Lifetime
Achievement Award for
2010. Thorat, who has
authored 21 publications,
has been instrumental in
introducing several
academic and
administrative reforms in
higher education during
ongoing XIth plan.
DEFENCE
Super Cruiser
BrahMos test-fired
successfully-On March
21, 2010, India joined
the league of select
nations to have a
‘manoeuvrable’
supersonic cruise missile
when it successfully test-
fired the vertical-launch
version of 290-km range
BrahMos from a warship
in the Bay of Bengal off
the Orissa coast. After
the latest test, India has
become the first and only
country in the world to
have a “manoeuvrable
supersonic cruise
missile in its
inventory”.
PERSONS
Koirala, Girija Prasad-
Veteran democratic
leader of Nepal politics
and former Prime
Minister of Nepal, he
died on March 20, 2010.
He was 87. He had the
distinction of becoming
the Prime Minister of
Nepal five times. He had
led the peaceful April
Uprising in 2006 and
abolished the 239-year-
old authoritarian royal
regime of Nepal.
RESEARCH
CERN scientists
recreate how universe
began-On March 30,
2010, scientists came a
little closer to
understanding the Big
Bang—the event that
created the universe—
when they slammed
together two streams of
sub-atomic particles,
moving at very high
speed, at an energy level
never before achieved in
the laboratory.The
collision was
orchestrated at around in
the world’s largest
particle collider, the
Large Hadron Collider
(LHC) at the European
Organization for Nuclear
Research (CERN),
Geneva.The LHC is a
26.6 km circular tube
buried nearly 100 meter
below the earth’s
surface. Indian scientists
have contributed to the
Compact Muon
Solenoid, one of the
ultra-sensitive detectors
that scientists at CERN
used to monitor and
photograph the collision.
The TIFR, the Bhabha
Atomic Research Centre,
Mumbai, Punjab
University and Delhi
University have all been
involved in the project.
SPACE RESEARCH
Chandrayaan-I finds
deepest crater on
 3
moon-Scientists have
discovered moon's
biggest and deepest
crater, some 2,400 km-
long and 9 km deep,
using data from a NASA
instrument that flew
aboard India's maiden
unmanned lunar mission
Chandrayaan-I.The US
space agency's Moon
Mineralogy Mapper
(M3) detected the
enormous crater, the
South Pole-Aitken basin,
that was created when an
asteroid smacked into
moon's southern
hemisphere shortly after
the formation of earth's
only natural satellite.
Chandrayaan-I finds
ice on moon-The success
story of Chandrayaan-I,
the maiden Indian moon
mission, turned a new
chapter with the
discovery of ice deposits
on the moon by an
American payload
aboard the spacecraft.
Analysis of data obtained
by the Miniature
Synthetic Aperture Radar
(Mini-SAR) aboard
Chandrayaan-I
spacecraft has provided
evidence for the presence
of ice deposits near the
moon’s North Pole. The
Mini-SAR instrument
found more than 40
small craters (two to 15
km in diameter) with
sub-surface water ice
located at their base.
MISCELLANEOUS
Census 2010-The 15th
national census exercise,
the biggest census ever
to be attempted in human
history to cover India's
1.2 billion population,
began on April 1, 2010
with President Pratibha
Patil being the first to be
enumerated in the
decennial exercise.The
census is the most
credible source of
information on
demography (population
characteristics),
economic activity,
literacy and education,
housing and household
amenities, urbanisation,
fertility and mortality,
Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes,
language, religion,
migration, disability and
many other socio-
cultural and demographic
data since 1872. The
slogan of Census 2011 is
'Our Census, Our
Future'.
National Population
Registe-The Union
government has given a
go-ahead to the creation
of National Population
Register (NPR), a unique
mechanism to record
biometric particulars of
the entire populace of
India. The work on the
project will start in April
2010 and is expected to
complete by September
2010. The project would
cover an estimated
population of 1.2 billion
and the total cost of the
scheme is Rs 3,539.24
 4
crore. The creation of a
digital database with
identity details of all
individuals, along with
their photographs and
finger biometrics, will
result in the creation of a
biometrics based identity
system in the country.
Once finalized, the NPR
database will be sent to
the Unique Identification
Authority of India
(UIDAI) for biometric
de-duplication and
assigning of a unique
identification number.
This UID number will be
added to the NPR
database.
Cloud Computing-Most
of us who use web-based
email services, watch a
video online, share snaps
using photo-hosting
services, read news
online or watch TV
shows on the internet
may not realise that we
use ‘cloud computing’
services. Cloud
computing stores data
and applications on the
internet. Users do not
have to invest in
hardware (reducing costs
considerably) and
maintenance experts.
They can simply pull up
applications when
needed and use them like
we use utilities, for
example electricity. Most
players provide these
services for free for
individual users. Major
Indian players like
Wipro, HCL
Technologies, Tata
Consultancy Services
(TCS), Infosys and Patni
offer cloud computing
solutions as “software as
a service” or SaaS or on-
demand computing.
APPOINTED;
ELECTED Etc.
Sonia Gandhi: UPA
chairperson and
Congress President, she
has been appointed as the
head of National
Advisory Council
(NAC), four years after
quitting the post over an
office-of-profit
controversy. She will
hold the rank and status
of a Cabinet Minister.
S. Ramadorai: He has
been appointed as the
Chairman of Bombay
Stock Exchange (BSE).
DISTINGUISHED
VISITORS
Vladmir Putin: Prime
Minister of Russia.
Stephen Smith: Foreign
Minister of Australia.
General Mohammad
Abdul Mubeen: Army
chief of Bangladesh.
Nelson Jobin: Defence
Minister of Brazil.
DIED
Girija Prasad Koirala:
Five-time Prime Minister
of Nepal and architect of
the landmark peace deal
with the Maoists that
ended a decade-long
insurgency in Nepal.
G.P. Birla: Noted
industrialist and second
most eldest member of
 5
the Birla clan. He was
86.
MILESTONES
Capt Tejdeep Singh
Rattan: A 31-year-old
Dentist, he has become
the first Sikh in over 25
years to be allowed to
complete US Army
officer basic training
without giving up his
turban or shaving his full
beard.
Sports News in
Brief: March
ARCHERY
Asian Grand Prix
Recurve Men: India’s
Rahul Banerjee won the
gold. The team gold
medal was also won by
India.
Recurve Women:
India’s Deepika Kumari
won the gold. The teasm
event was also won by
India.
Compound Men:
India’s Hansdah won the
gold. The host nation
Thailand won the gold
medal in the team
competition. India took
the bronze.
Compound Women:
Ngeain Aung of
Myanmar won the gold.
India took the team gold
medal.
Mixed Teams: India
won the gold medal in
the recurve category. In
compound, Myanmar
won the gold over India,
and the bronze went to
Vietnam.
BOXING
Commonwealth
Championship, 2010
India won six gold
medals, which till date is
the biggest haul in the
Championships, as also
the tournament, held at
New Delhi. India
bettered their record of
four gold, two silver and
three bronze medals they
had achieved in Scotland
in 2005.Vijender Singh,
the Olympic Games
bronze-medallist, came
out trumps, clinching his
maiden gold in the
Commonwealth Boxing
Championships.Asian
bronze-medallist
Paramjeet Samota (+91),
Asian champion
Suranjoy Singh (52kg),
World Cup bronze-
medallist Dinesh Kumar
(81kg), Jai Bhagwan
(60kg) and Amandeep
Singh (49kg) were the
other gold-medallists.
CRICKET
Deodhar Trophy
North Zone beat West
Zone by 49 runs to win
the Deodhar Trophy
cricket tournament. The
final was played at
Vadodara.
Bangladesh-England
Test series
England crushed
Bangladesh by nine
wickets in the second
and final Test to sweep
the series.
India finish second in
ICC ODI rankings
Indian cricket team
finished the season as
 6
number two ranked,
behind Australia, in One-
Day cricket rankings of
ICC.
Kapil inducted in ICC
Hall of Fame
Legendary all-rounder
Kapil Dev, who led India
to their only ODI World
Cup triumph in 1983, has
been inducted into the
International Cricket
Council’s Hall of Fame.
A commemorative cap
was presented to Kapil
by ICC President David
Morgan, in front of
fellow Hall of Famer
Clive Lloyd, as well as
an audience of ICC
officials and other
invited guests at the
governing body’s
headquarters in Dubai.
The Hall of Fame, run in
association with the
Federation of
International Cricketers'
Associations (FICA),
recognises some of the
legends of the game.
HOCKEY
World Cup, 2010
Australia defeated
Germany 2-1 to deny
Germany a historic hat-
trick of titles. Germany
had won the title in 2002
and 2006. The
Netherlands came back
strongly from a 1-3 first
half deficit to prevail
over England 4-3 and
win the bronze medal.
India could manage eight
spot only. Guus Vogls of
The Netherlands was
declared the player of the
tournament.
NETBALL
National
Championship, 29th
Punjab lifted the men’s
title of the 29th National
Netball championship by
defeating Delhi.
Chattisgarh defeated
Andhra Pradesh to with
the bronze medal. In the
women’s section Delhi
edged Kerala for the top
honours. Chattisgarh
eves won the bronze
medal.
SHOOTING
ISSF World Cup
World champion
marksman Manavjit
Singh Sandhu lived up to
his top billing and
clinched the trap gold in
the ISSF World Cup at
Acapulco, Mexico.
Another Indian, Anirudh
Singh also impressed by
entering his first ever
World Cup final with a
score of 122.
APRIL 2010
Education becomes a
basic right
The Right of Children to
Free and Compulsory
Elementary Education
Act came into force in
the country from April 1,
2010.Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh
recalled the 100-year old
resolve of Gopal Krishna
Gokhale, who urged the
Imperial Legislative
Assembly to confer on
the Indian people the
Right to Education. With
the RTE Act coming into
 7

force, the fundamental challenges have been

right to education as listed for NRHM—
incorporated in the transition from curative
Constitution under to preventive health care,
Article 21 A also became human resource
operative. management, setting of
output and outcome
Five years of National targets, convergence and
Rural Health Mission inclusive growth and
As India celebrated approaches to public
completion of five years health that look at the
of National Rural Health different stages of health
Mission on April 12, transition at State and
2010, Assam won the district levels so that
best performing State appropriate strategies can
award among the north- be adopted.
eastern State category for
implementing the ABBREVIATIONS
programme well. CSP: Concentrated Solar
Rajasthan was adjudged Power (CSP)
the best performing State ICAAN: Internet
among the high-focus Corporation for Assigned
areas, while Tamil Nadu Names & Numbers.
claimed the award in the IDN: Internationalized
category of non-focus Domain Names
States. Claiming credit LCH: Light Combat
for arresting the infant Helicopter.
mortality rate (down to NPR: National
53 in 2008 from 58 in Population Register.
2005 when NRHM UID: Unique
started) and maternal Identification (number)
mortality rate (down to AWARDS
254 in 2004 as against Dan David Prize
301 in 2003), Health Noted Indian author
Minister Ghulam Nabi Amitav Ghosh has won
Azad said the the prestigious Dan
government was in the David Prize for his
process of designing a remarkable reworking of
comprehensive the great tradition of the
programme on western novel in
population stabilisation transnational terms. The
in consultation with the $1 million award is a
State governments.For joint international
the record, India has enterprise endowed by
missed the goal of the Dan David
reaching 2.1 total fertility Foundation and head-
rate by 2010, as quartered at Tel Aviv
envisaged in the National University. It is annually
Population Policy of awarded in three
2000. For the future, five different fields—
 8
archaeology, performing
arts and material
science.Ghosh, 53, is the
third Indian to win the
award, joining an elite
league comprising of
chemist C.N.R. Rao and
musician Zubin Mehta.
The Indian author will be
sharing the prize in the
present dimension with
Dr Gordon E. Moore,
whose Moore's Law has
become the guiding
principle for the semi-
conductor industry.
PM’s Award for
Excellence in Public
Administration
Gulshan Bamra has been
given the award for his
initiative to involve
community in the Naxal-
affected areas of Madhya
Pradesh.
Commonwealth Prize,
2010
British-Indian author
Rana Dasgupta (38) has
won the Commonwealth
Writers’ Prize for ‘Best
Book’ on for his second
book Solo. Rana won a
prize of £10,000 (Rs 8.5
lakh).Solo is a story told
by a 100-year-old
Bulgarian, and includes a
cast of riveting
characters, among them
talking parrots. Though
Dasgupta was born in
Britain and holds a
British passport, he has
been based in Delhi for
over eight years now. His
first novel “Tokyo
Cancelled” had also
drawn enormous
praise.Australian author
Glenda Guest’s “Siddon
Rock” won in the Best
First Book category.
Domain names in
Indian languages
If everything goes well
as planned, India will be
ready to have
Internationalised Domain
Names (IDN) on the
internet in seven Indian
languages—Hindi,
Bangla, Punjabi, Urdu,
Tamil, Telugu and
Gujarati—by 2011. The
Department of
Information Technology
(DIT), Government of
India has submitted its
proposal the Internet
Corporation for Assigned
Names & Numbers
(ICANN), a non-profit
organisation responsible
for managing the
internet’s domain name
system, including IP
address space
assignments, based in
California, USA.
DEFENCE
INS Chennai Missile
Destroyer launched-
Indian Navy launched
INS Chennai, a missile
destroyer in the Project-
15 alpha class, at the
Mazgaon Dock in
Mumbai on April 1,
2010. Project 15 Alpha is
code name for Kolkata-
class destroyers that are
being made in the
Mazgaon dock in
Mumbai. These are the
largest warships ever
constructed at Mazgaon,
the oldest and the most
 9

prolific of all Indian pilots who flew it as

naval dockyards. Aimed “very good”.The Shakti
at adding a new engine being used in the
dimension to the LCH has been jointly
country's naval warfare, developed by the HAL
India has launched the and Turbomeca of
indigenous warship with France with primary
enhanced stealth features focus on high-altitude
and land-attack operations.
capabilities.
OIL
INS Shivalik—India’s Fourth discovery by
first indigenous stealth RIL in Cambay Basin-
warship-On April 29, Reliance Industries has
2010, India affected a announced its fourth oil
generational shift in its discovery in exploratory
warship-building block CB-ONN-2003/1,
capability by located on-land in the
commissioning INS Cambay basin and
Shivalik—the first named ‘Dhirubhai-47’.
indigenously built stealth The block was awarded
frigate that is the biggest under NELP V round of
in its class in the world. exploration bidding.
The ship, which is 143
metres long, can Cairn starts second
tactically fire weapons plant-Cairn India has
even before the enemy started the second crude
detects it. oil processing plant at its
giant Mangala oilfield in
Light Combat Thar deserts of
Helicopter makes Rajasthan, which will
successful first flight- help the company ramp
On March 29, 2010, up output for the nation's
India entered the big most prolific
boys’ league with the oilfield.Mangala
successful first flight of currently produces about
the prototype of its very 30,000 barrels of oil per
own attack helicopter— day (1.5 million tonnes a
Light Combat Helicopter year) which is processed
(LCH). at Train-1 near Barmer
The maiden test flight of before being sold to
the 5.5-tonne attack refiners. The Train-2
chopper, a derivative (second oil processing
version of Banagalore- plant) has a capacity of
based Hindustan 50,000 bpd (2.5 million
Aeronautics Limited tonnes a year).
(HAL) flagship product
Advanced Light PERSONS
Helicopter (ALH)— Kapadia, Justice S.H.-
Dhruv—was termed by Justice S.H. Kapadia has
 10

been appointed the Chief RIL commissions

Justice of India. He is the India’s first one-
38th CJI and will have a megawatt solar plant-
tenure of two years and On April 7, 2010, solar
five months. energy initiative of
Reliance Industries, RIL
Prahalad, C.K.- Dr C.K. Solar Group,
Prahalad, a globally commissioned India's
known influential first one-megawatt solar
management thinker, plant to power a stadium
died on April 19, 2010. to be used in the
The most notable theory Commonwealth Games
propounded by him was 2010.Thyagaraj Stadium,
his “The Fortune at the where the plant has been
Bottom of the Pyramid” commissioned, is
through which he urged planned to be a model
MNCs to evolve a green stadium.
business model that
would cater to the huge Desertec Industrial
market of world’s four Initiative-The Desertec
billion poor. He firmly Industrial Initiative has
believed that such an plans under-way to
approach would help transform swathes of the
eradicate the scourge of Sahara desert into a
poverty. glimmering sea of
He stole the limelight mirrors, with the goal of
with his best seller book transmitting clean and
“The Future of efficient solar energy to
Competition”. He was Europe.
also the first recipient of
the Lal Bahadur Shastri SPACE RESARCH
Award for contributions
to management and IKAROS—First solar
public administration, powered spacecraft-
presented by the Japanese scientists have
President of India in developed a kite-shaped
2000. ‘space yacht’ that uses
only solar power for
Singh, Gen V.K.-Gen propulsion. The
V.K. Singh is the Chief spacecraft—IKAROS—
of Indian army. Gen would be launched into
Singh was awarded the the space for a six-month
Yudh Sena Medal for his mission to Venus. It is
distinguished service the first spacecraft to use
during 'Operation such technology.
Pawan' against the LTTE Its name is an acronym
in Sri Lanka. for Interplanetary Kite-
craft Accelerated by
PROJECTS Radiation of the Sun.
 11
Unique Identification
(UID) number
christened Aadhaar-
Aadhaar, or the 12-digit
unique identification
(UID) number that will
identify the 1.2 billion
residents of India on the
basis of their biometrics,
will have an additional
four digits that will be
hidden from the common
man. As far as people are
concerned, there would
only be a 12-digit
number that would be
relevant for their
identification and use.
However, a provision of
extra four digits would
be a post-fix for this 12-
digit number for pin-
based identification. So,
UID will become a 16-
digit number for use and
the database that will
maintain be maintained
by UIDAI. The first set
of Aadhaars will be
issued between August
2010 and February 2011.
The authority plans to
issue 600 million UIDs
over the next five years.
UIDAI, which is being
headed by Nandan
Nilekani, has been
allocated Rs 1,900 crore
for the financial year
2010-11. Of this, Rs
1,300 crore will be used
to enable the registrars to
enrol people in the
system and the remaining
Rs 600 crore will be
spent for setting up the
information technology
infrastructure.UIDAI
estimates total annual
revenue of Rs 288 crore
from authentication
services in the initial
stages.
APPOINTED;
ELECTED; Etc.
Justice S.H. Kapadia:
He has become the 38th
Chief Justice of India.
D.M. Jayaratne: He has
been appointed Prime
Minister of Sri Lanka.
Mukul M. Sangma: He
has been appointed as the
Chief Minister of
Meghalaya.
Gen V.K. Singh: He has
taken over as the Chief
of Army Staff, Indian
Army.
Chirayu Amin: He has
been appointed as the
interim chairman of
Indian Premier League
(IPL) by the Board of
Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI).
RESIGNED
D.D. Lapang: Chief
Minister of Meghalaya.
Shashi Tharor: Minister
of State for External
Affairs in the Union
Cabinet.
DISTINGUISHED
VISITORS
Admiral Dary
Roughead: Chief of the
US Navy.
DIED
Lech Kaczynski:
President of Poland.
Prabha Rau: Governor
of Rajasthan.
C. K. Prahalad:
Globally known
 12

influential management Prime Minister declares a

thinker. state of emergency in
Bangkok after protesters
MILESTONES storm Parliament in a
Manasvi Magmai: dramatic escalation of
Delhi girl, she has been their bid to topple the
crowned Femina Miss government.
India World. Nicole 10—Polish President
Faria from Bangalore has Lech Kacznski and his
won the Miss India Earth wife are among 97
title and Neha Hinge has people killed in air crash
won Miss India in western Russia.
International title. 14—More than 400
Prasun Chatterjee: An people die as a
Indian environmental magnitude 7.1
engineering student earthquake hits China’s
whose research has Qinghai province on the
contributed to a new way Tibetan plateau.
of detecting toxic lead 15—After 18 years of
and copper in water, has research and testing, the
won one of the highest Indian Space Research
US research honours. Organisation’s (ISRO)
Chatterjee, a research first attempt to put a
student at the University Geosynchronous Satellite
of Lehigh, Pennsylvania, Launch Vehicle (GSLV)
received the 2010 C. powered by an
Ellen Gonter indigenous cryogenic
Environmental engine ends in failure.
Chemistry Award from 19—The Supreme Court
the American Chemical upholds the conviction
Society's (ACS) and life sentence to
Environmental Manu Sharma for the
Chemistry Division. 1999 murder of model
EVENTS Jessica Lall.
APRIL
1—The exercise to Sports News in
conduct the 15th Census Brief: April
of India begins.
6—Seventy three
BADMINTON
security personnel are
Asian Championship,
killed in the deadliest
2010
Naxal strike in the
Men’s Singles: Lin Dan
restive Dantewada
(China).
district of Chhattisgarh.
Women’s Singles: Q-Li
6—Prime Minister
Xuerui (China)
Gordan Brown of UK
Men’s Doubles: Gun
announces General
Woo Cho and Yeon
Elections on May 6; the
Seong Yoo (Korea).
Parliament is dissolved.
7—Thailand’s embattled
 13
Women’s Doubles: Pan
Pan and Quing Tian
(China)
Mixed Doubles: Peng
Soon Chan and Liu Ying
Goh (Malaysia)
The Championship was
held in New Delhi.
CRICKET
Deodhar Trophy-North
Zone beat West Zone by
49 runs to win the
Deodhar Trophy cricket
tournament. The final
was played at Vadodara.
Indian Premier
League-3
Chennai Super Kings
beat Mumbai Indian by
22 runs to win the third
edition of the
tournament. Electing to
bat first, Chennai posted
168 for 5 and then
restricted Mumbai to 146
for 9 to win their maiden
title. Suresh Raina was
declared the man of the
match.Royal Challengers
Bangalore routed Deccan
Chargers by nine wickets
in the third and fourth
place play-off match.
With this win Royal
Challangers qualified for
the Champions League
Twenty20
tournament.Sachin
Tendulkar won the DLF
Golden Player award
and the Orange cap for
hitting the maximum
runs in the tournament.
Pragyan Ojha won the
Purple cap for taking
maximum wickets in the
tournament. The
Kingfisher Fair-play
award was won by
Chennai Super Kings.
KABADDI
World Cup Kabbadi
Championship, 2010-
India outclassed Pakistan
58-24 to win the title.
The championship was
held in Ludhiana,Punjab.
SHOOTING
Narang shoots World
Cup bronze
Ace Indian shooter
Gagan Narang won a
bronze in 10 meter air
rifle event at the World
Cup in Beijing. Russian
Denis Sokolav won the
gold.
May 2010
AWARDS
National Technology
Award, 2010
A pioneer in processing
rice bran oil, A.R.
Sharma, who comes
from dusty town of
Dhuri in Sangrur district,
has been honoured with
the national award by the
Technology
Development Board of
the Ministry of Science
and Technology. Rs 10
lakh and a trophy was
presented to him.
“Lost” Booker Prize
Late author J.G. Farrell
has been honoured for
his novel Troubles, 40
years after it was first
published, in an unusual
take on Britain's most
prestigious literary
award, the Booker
Prize.He scooped The
 14
Lost Booker Prize, an
award for books from
1970 which missed out
the first time around
because of a rule change
in 1971. Previously the
prize, which began in
1969, was retrospective,
meaning the 1970 award
went to novels published
the previous year—but
the 1971 prize went to
those published in 1971.
DEFENCE
Light Combat
Helicopter takes to
skies
The maiden flight of the
indigenously
manufactured Light
Combat Helicopter
(LCH) on May 22, 2010,
heralded India's entry
into the select group of
countries capable of
developing their own
combat helicopters.
EXPEDITION
First Indian to sail solo
around the world
On May 22, 2010,
Commander Dilip Donde
of the Indian Navy
became the first Indian
ever to circumnavigate
the globe solo on a sail-
boat when he steered into
the Mumbai harbour
after his arduous effort
spanning a little over
nine months.
Commander Dilip
Donde, who started the
voyage on August 19
2009 on INSV Mhadei,
touched base back in
India at the Sunk Rock
Light House in Mumbai.
PERSONS
Kapadia, Justice
Sarosh Homi
He has been appointed as
the 38th Chief Justice of
India. Hailing from a
poor family, Justice
Kapadia replaced Justice
Balakrishnan.
SPACE RESEARCH
Space shuttle Atlantis
lands for final time
On May 26, 2010,
Atlantis and its six-man
crew landed at Florida’s
Kennedy Space Center
marking the end of
Atlantis’ 25 years of
service.
APPOINTED;
ELECTED; Etc.
David Cameron: He has
been elected as the Prime
Minister of UK.
Kamla Persad-
Bissessar: A 58-year-old
woman of Indian origin,
she has been elected as
the first woman Prime
Minister of Trinidad &
Tobago. Her party,
People’s Partnership,
won 29 of the 41
parliamentary seats to
end the 43-yeaqr-old rule
of the ruling party.
Justice Sarosh Homi
Kapadia: He has been
appointed as the 38th
Chief Justice of India. He
is an expert in taxation
and commercial laws.
Dr Ratan Kumar
Sinha: He has been
appointed as the new
Director of Bhabha
Atomic Research Centre
 15

(BARC). He is closely Mamta Sodha: 30-year-

associated with the old Dalit girl from
design and development Kaithal, Haryana, she has
of India’s first Thorium- achieved the distinction
based advanced Heavy of climbing Mount
Water reactor. Everest. She was part of
RESIGNED the Mission Mount
Everest 2010 expedition.
Horst Koehler: Jordan: A 13-year-old
President of Germany. American boy from
He resigned following California, he has
criticism over his become youngest person
comments about to climb Mount Everest.
Germany’s military He achieved the feat on
engagement in May 22, 2010.
Afghanistan. He is the Arjun Bajpayee: 16-
first President in year-old resident of Uttar
Germany’s post-war Pradesh's Noida city, he
history to resign before has become the youngest
completing his term. Indian to climb the
Mount Everest. He broke
DISTINGUISHED the record of Krushnaa
VISITORS Patil,18, from
Jacob Zuma: President Maharashtra who
of South Africa. became the youngest
DIED Indian to reach the
Bhairon Singh highest peak in 2009.
Shekhawat: Former Commander Dilip
Vice President of India. Donde: He has become
He was 86. A senior BJP the first Indian to sail
leader, he had also held solo around the world.
the post of Chief Shah Faesal: An MBBS
Minister of Rajasthan. degree holder from
Mac Mohan: Veteran Srinagar, he has topped
character actor of Hindi the Civil Services Exam
film industry, he 2009.
immortalised in the role
of Gabbar Singh’s Gita Gopinath: She is
sidekick “Sambha” in the first Indian woman in
blockbuster “Sholay”. He the history of Harvard
was 71. University to be
MILESTONES appointed a full time
Nitin Nohria: India-born professor at the
American, he has been University. She is a
named the 10th Dean of professor in Economics
Harvard Business Department of Harvard
School. He is the first University.
person of Indian origin to
achieve this honour. EVENTS
 16

MAY topped the medals tally

1—The police in New with eight gold medals.
York foil a major terror China won the most
attack by defusing a medals in total—10,
crude car bomb in the followed Korea and India
heart of city’s famous amassing eight medals
tourist hub of Times each.
Square. CHESS
17—Maoists blow up a World Title, 2010
passenger bus in Viswanathan Anand held
Dantewada district of his nerve and focus
Chhattisgarh, killing better than his opponent,
more than 36 people. Veselin Topalov, to win
17—The Strategic the 12th and final game
Forces Command, with to retain his World
logistics support from Championships title.
DRDO, successfully Anand first won the
launches the Agni-II world title in 2000 and
surface-to-surface, held it till 2002 when the
intermediate range chess world was still
ballistic missile (IRBM). split. He became the
22—In one of the worst undisputed World
air tragedies in India, Air champion in 2007 and
India flight from Dubai then retained the title in
overshoots runway at 2008 when he beat
Mangalore airport and Vladimir Kramnik.
bursts into flames, killing Commonwealth
158 passengers and crew Championship
on board. Grandmaster R.R.
28—More than 80 Laxman clinched his
people are killed as a career best win and
goods train rams into bagged the gold after
already derailed beating GM Pablo
Gyaneshwari Express Lafuente of Argentina at
near Kharagpur, West the Parsvnath
Bengal. The Maoists are Commonwealth Chess
blamed for the Championship.
derailment of the CRICKET
passenger train. T20 World Cup, 2010
Chasing a challenging
Sports news in target of 148 runs,
brief-May England defeated
BOXING Australia by seven
Asian Women’s wickets to win the T20
Championship World Cup. The
The Asian Women's tournament was held in
Championships were West Indies.Australia’s
held in Astana, women held their nerves
Kazakhistan, in May in a low-scoring final as
2010. Kazakhastan they beat New Zealand
 17
by three runs to lift the
Women’s T20 World cup
title.
HOCKEY
Sultan Azlan Shah
Cup, 19th
India and South Korea
were named joint
champions after the final
match was abandoned
following heavy rains in
Malaysia. For defending
champions India it was
their fifth win, matching
Australia, while for
Asian champions South
Korea this was their
second title win; they
had last won the cup in
1996.
TABLE TENNIS
World Team
Championship
Chinese fans were left in
shock after their women
paddlers failed to win the
gold medal at the World
Team Table Tennis
Championships for the
first time since 1991.
The Chinese trio of Ding
Ning, Liu Shiwen and
Guo Yan fell to their
Singaporean counterparts
3-1 in the final in
Moscow as Singapore
claimed their first title in
the event.
WRESTLING
Sushil, Narshing win
gold in Asian Wrestling
Olympic bronze
medallist Sushil Kumar
lived up to his reputation
as he bagged a gold in
men's 66kg freestyle in
the Senior Asian
Wrestling
Championships held at
New Delhi. Narshing
Yadav won a gold in the
74kg freestyle category.
JUNE 2010
ABBREVIATIONS
AFSPA: Armed Forces
(Special Powers) Act,
1958.
NBS: National Business
Register.
AWARDS
IIFA Awards, 2010
Best Film: 3 Idiots.
Best Actor: Amitabh
Bachchan, for his role as
a progeria-afflicted child
in “Paa”.
Best Actress: Shared
jointly by Vidya Balan
for “Paa” and Kareena
Kapoor for “3 Idiots”.
Best Director: Rajkumar
Hirani for “3 Idiots
Best Screenplay: 3
Idiots.
Best Cinematography: 3
Idoits
Best Supporting Actor
(Male): Sharman Joshi
for his role in “3 Idiots”.
Best Supporting Actor
(Female): Divya Dutta
for her performance in
“Delhi 6”.
Best Actor in Negative
Role: Boman Irani for
his role in “3 Idiots”.
Best performance in
Comic Role: Sanjay Dutt
for performance in “All
the Best”.
Best Music Director:
Pritam for “Love Aaj
Kal”.
 18
Best Singer (Male):
Shaan, for “Behti hawa
sa tha woh” (3 Idiots).
Best Singer (Female):
Kavita Seth for “Iktara’
in “Wake Up, Sid!”.
Best Lyrics: Swanand
Kirkire for “3 Idiots”.
Best Debut (Female):
Jacqueline Fernandez
and Mahie Gill share the
award for their role in
“Aladin” and “Dev D”,
respectively.
Best Debut (Male): Omi
Vaidya for his role of
Chatur in “3 Idiots” and
ackky Bhagnani for “Kal
Kissne Dekha”.
Lifetime Achievement
Award: Veteran
filmmaker J. Om Prakash
and yesteryear actress
Zeenat Aman.
Outstanding
achievement by an
Indian in International
Cinema: Anil Kapoor.
The awards ceremony
was held in Colombo, Sri
Lanka.
DAYS, YEARS
World Environment
Day
The World Environment
Day is the biggest global
celebration for positive
environmental action,
coordinated by United
Nations Environment
Programme every year
on June 5. This year’s
theme—Many Species.
One Planet. One Future
—focuses on the
importance of wealth of
species and ecosystems
to humanity. This year's
global host, Rwanda, has
made huge strides on
environmental
protection. Rwanda is
already internationally-
renowned for introducing
a ban on plastic bags,
nationwide
environmental clean-up
campaigns and the
restoration of previously
degraded natural rain
forests as part of a
chimpanzee conservation
programme. Every year
the World Environment
Day is hosted in a
different city with a
different theme with the
message to protect and
save our environment. In
2008, the event was
hosted at Wellington,
New Zealand with the
theme “Kick The Habit
—Towards A Low
Carbon Economy”.In
2009, the event was held
at Mexico City and the
theme was: “Your Planet
Needs You—UNite to
Combat Climate
Change”.
DEFENCE
First flight of Tejas
supersonic fighter
plane-The dream of
having a supersonic
fighter jet of indigenous
built came one step
closer to realisation on
June 2, 2010, when the
Limited Series
Production Tejas aircraft
(LSP-4) took off from
the Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited
airport, Bangaluru, for its
first flight. Test pilot,
 19
Group Captain Suneet
Krishna, flew the aircraft
to an altitude of 11 kms
and went supersonic,
touching 1.1 Mach
speed.
Navy gets two
Warships-
Giving a boost to the
Navy’s defence
capabilities, two state-of-
the-art high-speed
warships, INS Cankarso
and INS Kondul, were
commissioned into the
naval fleet on June 29,
2010. INS Cankarso and
INS Kondul are fitted
with 30-mm CRN-91
gun built by Ordnance
Factory, Medak, and Igla
missiles and set of
machine guns ranging
from light to heavy.INS
Cankarso is named after
an island near Goa while
INS Kondul derives its
name from an island near
Nicobar. Kolkata-based
Garden Reach Ship
Builders and Engineers
built these ships in two
years.
PROJECTS
India’s first integrated
Waste Management
Plant-Infra firm a2z
Infrastructure will set up
India’s first integrated
municipal solid waste
management plant in
Kanpur. The project,
touted to be Asia’s
largest, would comprise
management of the city’s
solid waste in an
environment friendly
manner and subsequent
power generation for
captive and merchant
use.Majority of the fuel
used in the plant will be
RDF (Refuse Derived
Fuel) derived from solid
waste, which is
considered a better
replacement for coal with
lesser emissions. The
power plant will have the
capacity to produce 15
MW power.
IIT-Kanpur to set up
experimental power
plant-The Indian
Institute of Technology,
Kanpur (IIT-K) has
planned to set up a 550
kilowatt (KW) Solar
Energy Research
Experimental Station
(SERES) in its campus.
SPACE RESEARCH
Thirty Meter Telescope
Project-On June 25,
2010, India joined as an
observer in the ambitious
astronomical
observatory, Thirty
Metre Telescope (TMT),
in Hawaii, which will
help in unravelling
mysteries of black hole,
origin of galaxies and
formation of planets
among others. The status
of an observer is first
step by India in
becoming a full partner
in TMT, which will be
fully operational in 2018
and will be world’s most
advanced astronomical
observatory.
MISCELLANEOUS
 20
National Business
Register-The sixth
economic census, set to
take off in 2011, will
provide India with a
National Business
Register (NBR) for the
first time, containing the
details of every business
establishment in the
country.The business
register is to keep an
account of all business
establishments with a
workforce of 10 or more
people—addresses,
sectors, turnovers,
number employed etc.
Now, fly tricolour at
night-India’s National
flag will now fly even
during night, which was
not earlier allowed under
the flag code rules. This
has been possible due to
efforts of industrialist-
turned-politician and
chairman of the Flag
Foundation of India and
MP Naveen Jindal. The
Union Home Ministry
has allowed keeping the
National Flag fly even
during night with a rider
that the flag does not
remain in dark.
APPOINTED;
ELECTED; Etc.
Naoto Kan: He has been
elected as the Prime
Minister of Japan. He has
become the fifth Prime
Minister of Japan in
three years, taking the
helm as the country
struggles to rein in a
huge public debt,
engineer growth in an
aging society, and
manage ties with security
ally USA and a rising
China.
Julia Gillard: She
scripted history when she
was elected as the first
woman Prime Minister
of Australia. She
succeeded Kevin Rudd,
who stepped down
following revolt against
him within the Labour
party. The rebellion had
been spearheaded by Ms
Gillard, opposing his
policies on health,
education and climate
change.
Roza Otunbayeva: She
has been elected as the
first woman President of
Kyrgystan. She claimed
victory in a referendum
in Kyrgyzstan, making
her the interim President
till 2011, a vote held to
decide the legitimacy of
her rule after President
Kurmanbek Bakiyev
regime was ousted in
April 2010.
Benigno Aquino: He has
been elected as the
President of Philippines.
Justice (Retd) K.G.
Balakrishnan: Former
Chief Justice of India, he
has been appointed as
Chairperson of the
National Human Rights
Commission.
Sharad Pawar: He has
taken over as the
President of International
Cricket Council (ICC).
RESIGNED
 21
Madhav Kumar Nepal:
Prime Minister of Nepal.
Shibu Soren: Chief
Minister of Jharkhand.
DISTINGUISHED
VISITORS
Mahinda Rajapaksa:
President of Sri Lanka.
Jacob Zuma: President
of South Africa.
MILESTONES
Nitin Noharia: An
Indian-American he has
taken over as the Dean of
Harvard Business
School. He is the first
person of Indian origin to
occupy the prestigious
and high profile post.
EVENTS
JUNE
11—The first World Cup
football tournament in
Africa kicks-off with a
feast of song and dance
in Johannesburg, South
Africa.
14—The 64-day-old
blockade of the two
crucial highways leading
to Manipur is suspended
by the Naga Student
Federation following
talks with the Union
government. The
organisation had
launched the blockade
protesting elections to
Autonomous District
Councils in Manipur hills
and Manipur
government’s decision to
ban entry of NSCN
leader T. Muivah to the
State.
26—The Union
government finally lifts
government control and
allows oil companies to
fix prices of petrol on the
basis of market forces.
29—Masoists kill 26
CRPF personnel in a
remote area of
Chattisgarh’s
Narayanpur district.
SPORTS: JUNE
BADMINTON
Yonex-Sunrise India
Open Grand Prix-Saina
Nehwal of India beat
Malaysia’s Mew Choo
Wong to win the title.
This was her second
international title win at
home. She had won the
Lucknow Grand Prix in
2009.
Indonesia Open-Saina
Nehwal notched up an
incredible hat-trick of
titles by successfully
defending her Indonesian
Open Super Series title
with s hard-fought win
over Japan’s Sayaka
Sato. She had earlier won
the Indian Open Grand
Prix and the Singapore
Open Super Series.
Singapore Open-Indian
ace Saina Nehwal
clinched the second
Super Series title of her
career by winning the
Singapore Open with a
straight-game triumph
over Chinese Taipie’s
Tzu Ying Tai.
CRICKET
Asia Cup
 22
India defeated Sri Lanka
by 81 runs to win the
Asia Cup. India had set
the Lankans a stiff target
of 299 runs. Dinesh
Karthik was declared
man of the match.
West Indies-South
Africa One Day Series-
South Africa completed a
5-0 white-wash of the
series with a thrilling one
wicket win in the final
match. Earlier, the South
Africans had also won
the Twenty20 two-match
series.
England-Australia One
Day series
England won the five-
match series 3-0. This
followed 2009’s Ashes
triumph and 2010’s
Twenty20 World Cup
final win over their
oldest rivals.
SHOOTING
ISSF Shotgun World
Cup
Double-trap marksman
Ronjan Sodhi clinched
the gold in the
tournament held at
Lonato, Italy.
TENNIS
French Open, 2010
Men’s Singles title:
Rafael Nadal won the
title by defeating Robin
Soderling. This was his
fifth French Open win.
Women’s Singles title:
Francesca Schiavone
became the first Italian
woman to win a Grand
Slam singles title when
she defeated Australian
Samantha Stosur to win
the women’s singles title.
Men’s Doubles title:
Canada’s Daniel Nestor
and Serbia’s Nenad
Zimonjic won by beating
defending champions
Leander Paes of India
and Lukas Dlouhy of
Czech Republic.
Women’s Doubles title:
Serena and Venus
Williams of USA. Serena
Williams won her second
French Open Women's
Doubles title, and the
twelfth title in that
discipline, which this
was the fourth win in a
row in the women's
doubles in the Slams.
Venus Williams won her
second French Open
Women's Doubles title,
and the twelfth title in
that discipline, which
this was the fourth win in
a row in the women's
doubles in the Slams.
Mixed Doubles:
Katarina Srebotnik and
Nenad Zimonji? were the
winners. Srebotnik won
her third French Open
Mixed Doubles title, and
the fourth Slam title in
that discipline. Zimonji?
won his second French
Open Mixed Doubles
title, and the fourth Slam
title in that discipline.
JULY 2010
ABBREVIATIONS
ITIR: Information
 23

Technology Investment court. The Rajiv Gandhi

Region. Khel Ratna is India’s
highest honour given for
AWARDS achievement in sports.
Arjuna Awards, 2009 The award carries a
Indian women’s cricket medal, a scroll of honour
team captain, Jhulan and a cash component of
Goswami, who won the Rs. 500,000. The award
ICC Women's Player of was instituted in the year
The Year Award in 2007, 1991-92 to supply the
is among those named lack of a supreme
for the Arjuna Award for national accolade in the
the year 2009 by the field of sports.
committee headed by
former track queen P.T. Dronacharya Awards,
Usha. Other winners are: 2009
Joseph Abraham This award is given by
(Athletics), Krishna the government
Poonia (Athletics), of India for excellence in
Dinesh Kumar(Boxing), sports coaching. The
Parimrajan Negi (Chess), award comprises
Deepak Kumar Mandal a bronze
(Football), Sandeep statuette of Dronacharya,
Singh (Hockey (Men)), a scroll of honour and a
Jasjeet Kaur Handa cash component of
(Hockey (Women)), Rs.500,000 each. The
Dinesh Kumar award was instituted in
(Kabaddi), Sanjeev 1985. As the best sports-
Rajput (Shooting), Rehan person award is
Jehangir Poncha named Arjuna Award, it
(Swimming), Kapil Dev is appropriate that the
K.J. (Volleyball), Rajeev coaching award is named
Tomar (Wrestling), after Dronacharya, as he
Rajesh Chaudhary was
(Yachting), Jagseer the Guru ofArjuna.Amon
Singh (Paralympic g the winners of 2009
(Athletics)).Awardees award were: Subhash B.
will receive statuettes, Aggarwal (Billiards &
citations and cash prize Snooker), L. Ibomcha
of Rs.5 lakh each. Singh (Boxing) and Ajay
Kumar Bansal (Hockey).
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Captain Roop Chand
Ratna Award, 2009- (Wrestling) and A.K.
India's ace shuttler Saina Kutty (Athletics) were
Nehwal has awarded for lifetime
been selected for the achievement.
prestigious award, for
her outstanding Dhyan Chand Award,
achievements on the 2009
badminton Anita Chanu
 24

(Weightlifting), Satish developing and

Pal (Athletics) and maintaining stadiums,
Kuldeep Singh training facilities etc.
(Wrestling) have been
chosen for the award EXPEDITION
which is India's highest India’s first scientific
award for lifetime expedition to South
achievement in sports Pole-To commemorate
and games. The award is the centenary of
named after the Norwegian explorer
legendary Ronald Amundsen’s
Indian hockey player Dh December 14, 1911 feat,
yan Chand. India will launch its first
scientific expedition to
the South Pole in
CONFERENCE November 2010. An
India’s first sports law eight-member team of
conference scientists would
The Society of Indian undertake the 3,000-km
Law Firms (SILF) long treacherous terrain
organised the first ever from India’s research
‘Sports Law Conference’ station Maitri in the
in New Delhi, on July Antarctic region to the
24-25, 2010, to South Pole.
deliberate on various
issues related to sports PERSONS
and law in India. Among Quraishi, Dr S.Y.
other things, the He has been appointed as
conference discussed the the 17th Chief Election
‘Right to Information’ Commissioner of India.
(RTI) and accountability He is the first Muslim to
of sports federations, and hold the post. Dr.
legalities involved in Quraishi earlier held the
staging major sports position of Election
events like the Olympics, Commissioner.
Asian Games,
Commonwealth Games. PROJECTS
It also discussed gender Three Indian projects
discrimination in sports, among World’s top 100
intellectual property -Global consultancy firm
rights, importance of KPMG, in its
transparency in corporate Infrastructure 100
structure of professional Project Report, has
sports leagues, future of included three Indian
IPL, besides public projects in the list of 100
relation opportunities most interesting
and challenges which are infrastructure projects.
concomitant with it, The three Indian projects
issues relating to are: KG-D6, 4,000-MW
infrastructure in Mundra Plant and the
 25

newly opened Indira the Indian rupee joins the

Gandhi International elite club of US dollar,
Airport project in New British pound, European
Delhi. euro and Japanese yen
SPACE RESEARCH that currently have their
PSLV launches five own symbols.31-year-old
satellites-On July 12, IIT-B postgraduate in
2010, five satellites industrial design, D.
CARTOSAT, Udaya Kumar has
STUDSAT and three designed the new
foreign satellites—were symbol.
launched by the ISRO-
built Polar Satellite APPOINTED;
Launch Vehicle (PSLV). ELECTED; Etc.
The three foreign Dr S.Y. Quraishi: He
satellites—Algerian, Can has been appointed as the
adian and Swiss—were 17th Chief Election
launched as part of a Commissioner of India.
commercial operation. He is the first Muslim to
Studsat weighs one kg head the panel.
and has been built by 35
students of seven DISTINGUISHED
engineering colleges of VISITORS
Karnataka and Andhra David Cameron: Prime
Pradesh. It has a camera Minister of Britain.
that produces high- General Than Shwe:
resolution data. Built at Military ruler of
Rs 175 crore and Myanmar.
weighing 694 kg, Seyed Shamsodin
CARTOSAT-2B is an Hosseini: Minister for
earth observation Economic Affairs and
satellite in a sun- Finance, Iran.
synchronous orbit. Its
application will be
towards cartography in DIED
India. It will generate Ravi Baswani: Hindi
pictures and data relevant film actor who won
for agriculture and rural acclaim for his comic
development. roles in films like “Jane
Bhi Do Yaro” and
MISCELLANEOUS “Chashme Buddoor”. He
Rupee goes designer-On was 64.
July 14, 2010, the Union
Cabinet approved a new David Warren: A
symbol for the Indian pioneering Australian
Rupee—an amalgam of scientist who invented
the Devnagiri ‘Ra’ and the ‘black box’ after
the Roman capital ‘R’, investigating the world’s
minus its stem. With the first jet airliner crash in
gaining of the symbol, 1953. He was 85. The
 26

challenges of medal and the ‘Best

determining the causes of Boxer’ trophy, but the
an air crash led him to Railways Sports
the idea of a recording Promotion Board
device that could clinched the overall title
withstand a crash where for the fourth
there were no survivors consecutive year in the
and no witnesses. 57th Senior Men’s
EVENTS National Boxing
JULY Championships, held in
1—More than 45 people New Delhi.
are killed as terrorists Muralitharan becomes
strike at Sufi shrine of first bowler to take 800
Data Ganj Baksh in wickets-On July 22,
Lahore. 2010, Sri Lankan off-
11—Spain creates spinner Muttiah
history by winning its Muralitharan became the
first Football World Cup first bowler to take 800
title. Test wickets, reaching
12—ISRO-built Polar the milestone in the last
Satellite Launch Vehicle Test of his illustrious
(PSLV) launches five cricket career. The 38-
satellites from year-old spin wizard got
Sriharikota. Indian tail-ender Pragyan
13—The lower House of Ojha caught at slip by
the Parliament of France Mahela Jayawardene to
approves a ban on burqa- reach the magical figure,
like Islamic veils. which puts him several
19—More than 63 pedestals above his
people are killed in a contemporaries.
train collision at Sainthia FOOTBALL
station of Birbhum World Cup, 2010-Spain,
district of West Bengal. the European champions,
Speeding Uttarbanga defeated third-time
Express overshoots finalists the
signal and ploughs into Netherlands 1–0
Vanachal Express. after extra time,
28—A passenger jet with Andrés Iniesta's
crashes into the hills goal in the 116th minute
surrounding Islamabad in giving Spain their first
Pakistan, amid poor world title. In the semi-
weather, killing all 152 finals, Spain defeated
people on board. Germany by 1-0 while
Netherlands had defeated
BOXING Uruguay. GErmany
Senior National defeated Uruguay 3–2 to
Championship-World secure third place.
Youth champion Vikas Germany holds the
Krishan stole the show record for most third
with his maiden gold place finishes in the
 27

World Cup (4), while African soldiers’ song,

Uruguay holds the record Zangalewa. Shakira and
for most fourth place Freshlyground performed
finishes (3).The 2010 the song at the opening
FIFA World Cup was the ceremony and at the
19th FIFA World Cup. It closing ceremony.
took place in South HOCKEY
Africa from June 11 to Asian Champions
July 11, 2010. Trophy (Women)
Korea beat Japan 2-1 to
Golden Ball: Diego win the inaugural Asian
Forlán (Uruguay) Women's Hockey
GoldenBoot: Thomas Championship, held at
Müller (Germany) Busan South Korea.
Golden Glove: Iker India beat higher-ranked
Casillas (Spain) China 2-1 to win the
Best Young bronze medal.
Player: Thomas Rangaswamy Cup, 63rd-
Müller (Germany) Mumbai overcame
FIFA Fair Play Haryana 3-2 to regain the
Trophy: Spain senior national men’s
hockey championship.
The official mascot for The tournament was held
the 2010 World Cup in Bhopal.
was Zakumi, an TENNIS
anthropomorphised Wimbledon
leopard with green hair, Championship, 2010
presented on 22 In the 124th edition of
September 2008. His Championships, Rafael
name came from “ZA” Nadal beat Tomas
(the international Berdych 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 to
abbreviation for South win the men’s singles
Africa) and the title. The women’s
term kumi, which means singles title was won by
“ten” in various African defending champion
languages. The mascot's Serena Williams who
colours reflected those of beat Russia’s Vera
the host nation's playing Zvonareva 6-3, 6-2. In
strip–yellow and the doubles, the men's
green.The official song title went to an unseeded
of the 2010 World Cup, pair, Austria's Jurgen
"Waka Waka", was Melzer and Germany's
performed by the Philipp Petzschner,
Colombian singer playing only their
Shakira and the band seventh tournament as a
Freshlyground from team. The women's
South Africa. The song doubles was won by an
was sung in both English American-Kazakh
and Spanish. The song is combination, Vania King
based on a traditional and Yaroslava Shvedova.
 28

Also unseeded, they Leander Paes and Cara

overcame the Russians, Black, the second seeds,
Elena Vesnina and who beat Wesley Moodie
Zvonareva, 7-6, 6-2. The of South Africa and Lisa
mixed double's Raymond (United States)
championship fell to a 6-4. 7-6.
seeded combination,