Aspirants Times Magazine Vol.3 - June 2009

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IFS Exam Special All About Indian Forest Services (IFS) Exam 2009 HOT TOPICS (Exclusive Interview) UPSC Topper Mayank Pandey

- Law Commission Recommendation - Annual Performance Assessment Report - Sports and Awards

Articles -15th Lok Sabha Election - Impact of Terrorism - Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Discomfited - Wildlife Conservation in India

(Hindi) - Mahila Arakshan

Special Study material of Current Affairs and General Studies for IAS Mains Exam Copyright © 2009

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“ Thank you for the overwhelming support for Aspirants Times Vol.1 & Vol.2 Digital Magazine. We are working hard to bring you the best possible... ” Founder, UPSCPORTAL.COM

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INDEX Editorial • Inspiration is the way to Success..................................................................03 SECTION - 1: Civil Service Exam Strategy • IFS Examination Strategy ............................................................................05 • 15th Lok Sabha Election...................................................................................11 • Impact of Terrorism.........................................................................................17 • LTTE Discomfited............................................................................................24 • Wildlife Conservation in India........................................................................31 )...............................................................39

• Hindi Article (

SECTION - 2: Hot Topics • Law Commission Recommendation............................................................47 • Assessment Report (Performance Index For Civil Servants).................... 50 SECTION - 3: Interview • An Exclusive Interview With Mayank Pandey............................................52 SECTION -4: Current Relevant Facts • Important Current Affairs ..................................................................55 SECTION - 5: SPORTS...............................................................................68 SECTION - 6: AWARDS ............................................................................74

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Editorial Inspiration is the way to success... Now third volume of Aspirants Times is with you. Through your continuous support and encouragement, we are in position to provide all important and useful materials for forthcoming examination of civil services, state level civil services and other high level exams held by UPSC and state PSC. In the very first vol ume of As pi rant Ti m e s, w e pr ovi ded you m a t erial rel at ed to Ge ne ral Studies 2009, strategy for Civil Services Prelims and covered many important topics for IAS main exam. Similarly in Second issue, we provided you strategy for Indian Engineering Services(IES) and articles, notes for UPSC mains exam. In this issue, we are providing you strategy and introduction for another coveted exam- Indian Forest Service(IFS). With this issue, you will also find suf ficient material for Civil Services Main Exam 2009. As always we have presented Columns, National, International, Sports, Awards, Personalities and Important events, in very lucid manner. For UPSC Main Exam 2009, articles on Impact of Terrorism on Social, Economic and legal structure on the Countries, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam-Discomfited End of Te r ror , Wildlife Conservation in India. Hindi article on Women Reservation and Women’s Empowerment is included. Under the Hot Topics, Law Commission recommendation, Three Regional Benches Need of Time, Annual Performance Assessment Report, New performance index for civil servants have been covered. Editor’s Talk to Readers: Inspiration always plays an important role in success. As MAYANK PANDEY(IAS Topper) told to UPSCPORTAL.COM that always believe in yourself and be confident , commi tme nt and cons istency is the mantra of success. In this volume, you will find int ervi ew of M A YANK PANDE Y, w h o got 170t h pos ition in Ci vi l Services Examination 2008. He also cleared JRF twice, Bihar PCS(J)-40thrank, UP PCS(J)-20th rank. I want to tell one and most important thing to our readers that providing every fact and every news is not useful for examination. Crucial is to decide useful topics for exam and then serve them in the way that your mind could grasps them easily and memorise it for long period. Here we are trying our best in this front. We wish to your success in forthcoming examinations. Meet you in july issue. Thanks. Editor: R.K.Pandey and UPSCPORTAL Team

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followed by specialised orientation for the Forest Service at the Indira Gandhi National Forest AcadIndian Forest Services emy, Dehradun. After training candidates are posted as the assistant conservator, district conMake a Good Strategy and Enjoy the servator, chief conservator, principal conservator, Forest and the inspector general of forests. The senior By R. K. Pandey most post is that of the Environment Secretary in Indian Forest Service (IFS) offers a highly chal- the Union Government. The number of vacancies lenging and rewarding career like IAS and IPS. It to be filled on the resul ts of the 2009 exami na tion is also counted among prestigious and powerful is expected to be approximately 75. services where you can play larger role in the inPlan of the Examination terest of people, environment and country. The maintenance of the natural resources of the country is very essential for a balanced all round de- 1. The examination comprises: Written Examivelopment of the country. Maintenance of forests nation in compulsory and optional subjects. Total is so important for maintaining the ecological marks of exam is 1400. balance that the Indian Forest Service has been set up for this very purpose. They play very cru- 2. Interview for Personality Test of such candicial role in the management and supervision of dates as may be called by the Commission. the country’s forest reserves and wild life. Compulsory: IFS is also an All India service like IAS and IPS. (1) General English and (2) General Knowledge The Indian Forest Service was created in 1966 for (300 marks each). protection, conservation and regeneration of forest resources. Being an All India Service, the members are recruited by the union level but their services are put under the various State cadres, with the privilege of serving both under the state government and under the Central government. For the recruiting officers of Indi an For es t Servi ce, the UPSC conducts the Indian Forest Service Exam every year. The exam generally held in the month of July. The examination for 2009 is going to be held on July 11. The pattern of exam is similar to that of civil services but there are some differences as there is no preliminary test, so selection is done in two phases. Selected candidates are sent for foundation training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, which is

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Optional: Any two of the following subjects: (1) Agriculture, (2) Botany, (3) Chemistry, (4) Civil Engineering, (5) Geology, (6) Agricultural Engineering, (7) Chemical Engineering, (8) Mathematics, (9) Mechanical Engineering, (10) Physics (11) Zoology, (12) Statistics, (13) Forestry and (14) Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science (200 marks each). Provided that the candidates will not be allowed to offer the following combination of subjects:(a) Agriculture and Agricultural Engineering (b) Agriculture and Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science. (c) Chemistry and Chemical Engg.

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(d) Mathematics and Statistics. (e) Of the Engineering subjects viz. Agricultural Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering - not more than one subject. There are conventional (Essay) type questions in all the subjects of the Examination. The standard of question papers in general English and general is expected of a Science/Engineering graduate of an Indian University. The standard of papers in other subjects will be approximately that of Bachelor's degree of an Indian University. There will be no practical examination in any of the subjects. All Question Papers must be answered in English. Question Papers will be set in English only. The duration of each of the papers referred to above will be three hours.

merit list. The objective of personality test is to judge the suitability of candidates as officers of Indian Forest Service. The candidates will be interviewed by a Board of competent and unbiased observers who will have before them a record of this career. The object of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for the Service. The candidate will be expected to have taken an intelligent interest not only in his/her subjects of academic study but also in events which are happening around him both within and outside his own State or country, as well as in modern currents of thoughts and in new discoveries which should rouse the curiosity of well-educated youth. The technique of the interview is not that of a strict cross examination, but of a natural, though directed and purposive conversation, intended to reveal mental qualities of the candidate. The Board will pay special attention to assessing the intellectual curiosity, critical powers of observation and assimilation, balance of judgment and alertness of mind, initiative, tact, capacity for leadership; the ability for social cohesion, mental and physical energy and powers of practical application; integrity of character; and other qualities such as topographical sense, love for out-door life and the desire to explore unknown and out of way places.

Number of Questions: Total number of questions in the optional papers of optional subjects is eight. All questions carry equal marks. Each paper will be divided into two parts, viz. Part A and Part B, each part containing four questions. Out of eight questions, five ques tions are to be at temp t ed. O ne question in each part will be compulsory. Candidates will be required to answer three more questions out of the remaining six questions, taking at least one question from each Part. In this way, at least two questions will be attempted from each The candidates appearing in the interview may Part i.e. one compulsory question plus one more. expect some questions on current affairs, forest related issues, Indian Polity, Planning Process, Budgeting and Economic Geography. The personInterview: The written examination is followed by a Person- ality test also aims at testing leadership qualities, ality Test in the form of personal interview. The mental alertness, initiative, balance of judgement, maximum marks for interview is 300. The inter- analytical capabilities etc. views are held by the UPSC soon after the result of written test is declared. The marks obtained in Number of Attempts: the interview are added to the marks obtained by Every candidate appearing at the Examination, a candidate in the written test to draw up the final who is otherwise eligible, shall be permitted four

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attempts at the examination. The restriction is effective from the examination held in 1984. Provided that this restriction on the number of attempts will not apply in the case of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates who are otherwise eligible. Provided further that the number of attempts permissible to candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes, who are otherwise eligible shall be seven. A candidate shall be deemed to have made an attempt at the examination if he actually appears in any one or more papers. Notwithstanding the disqualification/ cancel lation of candidature the fact of appearance of the candidate at the examination will count as an attempt.

vided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) shall be a person in whose favour a certificat e of el igi bi lity ha s been issued by the Government of India. A candidate in whose case a certificat e of el igi bility is necessary, may be admitted to the examination but the offer of appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility certificat e ha s been issued to him by the Government of India.

Age Limits: (a) A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 30 years on 1st July, 2009, i.e. he must have been born not earlier than 2nd July, 1979 and not later than 1st July, 1988. Training: Selected candidates are sent for foundation train- (b) The upper age limit prescribed above will be ing at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy, relaxable :– which is followed by specialised orientation in (i) upto a maximum of five years if a candi dat e Forest Service at the Indira Gandhi National For- belongs to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe. est Academy, Dehradun with inputs on wildlife (ii) upto a maximum of three years in the case of management, tribal welfare, soil conservation, candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes forest management, engineering survey, weapon who are eligible to avail of reservation applicable to such candidates. handling etc. Eligibility

Nationality: A candidate must be either :(a) A citizen of India, or (b) a subject of Nepal, or (c) a subject of Bhutan, or (d) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India. or (e) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Srilanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India. Pro-

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(iii) upto a maximum of five years if a candi dat e had ordinarily been domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir during the period from the 1st January, 1980 to the 31st day of December, 1989. (iv) upto a maximum of three years in the case of Defence Services personnel disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof: (v) upto a maximum of five years in the case of ex-servicemen including Commissioned Officers and ECOs/SSCOs who have rendered at least

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five years M i litary Servi ce as on 1s t Jul y, 2009 and ha ve been rel eased (i) on comp l et ion of assignment (including those whose assignment is due to be completed within one year from 1st July, 2009) otherwise than by way of dismissal or discharge on account of misconduct or ineffici enc y, or (ii) on account of physical disability attributable to Military Service, or (iii) on invalidment. (vi) Upto a maximum of five years in the case of ECOs /SSCOs w h o ha ve comp l et ed an ini tial period of assignment of five years of M i litary Servi ce as on 1s t Jul y, 2009 and w h os e assignme nt ha s been extended beyond five years and in w h os e case the M i ni stry of D e f ence issues a certificate t hat they can apply for civil employment and that they will be released on three month's notice on selection from the date of receipt of offer of appointment. (vii) upto a maximum of 10 years in the case of blind, deaf-mute and Orthopaedically handicapped persons. Minimum Educational Qualificat i ons : The candidate must hold a Bachelor’s degree with at least one of the subjects namely Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics and Zoology or a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Forestry or in Engineering of any of Universities incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University Under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualificat ion. Examination Centre AGARTALA GANGTOK PANAJI (GOA) AHMEDABAD HYDERABAD PATNA AIZAWL IMPHAL PORT BLAIR ALLAHABAD ITANAGAR RAIPUR BANGALORE JAIPUR RANCHI

DEHRADUN BAREILLY LUCKNOW JAMMU TIRUPATI SAMBALPUR DELHI BHOPAL MADURAI JORHAT UDAIPUR SHILLONG DHARWAD CHANDIGARH MUMBAI KOCHI SHIMLA VISHAKHAPATNAM DISPUR CHENNAI NAGPUR KOHIMA SRINAGAR CUTTACK KOLKATA THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

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How to Prepare Compulsory Papers General English:Candidates will be required to write an essay in English. Other questions will be designed to test their understanding of English and workmanlike use of words. Passages will usually be set for summary or precis. The standard of papers in General English is such as may be expected of a Science or Engineering graduate of an Indian University. General Knowledge General Knowledge including knowledge of current events and of such matters of every day observation and experience in their scientific aspects as may be expected of an educated person who has not made a special study of any scientific subj ect . The paper will also include questions on Indian Polity including the political system and the Constitution of India, History of India and Geography of a nature which the candidate should be able to answer without special study. The standard of papers in General Knowledge will be such as may be expected of a Science or Engineering graduate of an Indian University. Suggested Readings The following topics must be covered for General Studies:• Current Affiars Na t iona l and Int ernat iona l

• Indian Polity • Indian Economy • Geography of India • Science and Technology • History of India and Freedom Movement • Study of thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi,

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Jawaharlal

• Nehru and Rabindranath Tagore

• Statistics and General Mathematics Ability

It is essential to read one national newspaper, magazines like Frontline, Mainstream, EPW and any monthly competitive magazine to get mastery over General Studies. At the time of studying the round up of national and international affairs, efforts should not be merely taking up the information but also to understand the issues involved. Go into the background of events. For History: NCERT books of class XI and XII, Wonder that was India by AL Basham, History of India Vol- 1 and 2, Freedom Struggle by Bipan Chandra For Geography: Class XII books of Geography (NCERT), a good Atlas. Indian Polity: Introduction to the Indian Constitution by DD Basu and Our Parliament by Subhash Kashyap Indian Economy: NCERT and other books on Evolution of the Indian Economy and Indian Economy by Dutta Sunderam General Science: NCERT books on science, a science magazine or newspaper supplements on science. Current Events: A national newspaper, A Competitive Magazine. General Mental Ability: Do the Quantitative Aptitude published in magazines, past years test papers. A practice in writing is required to attempt the paper timely and perfectly. You should not be only informative but analysis the topic. You must carefully read the questions in order to make

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out what the examiner is asking. Having done that, it is important to organise your thoughts before writing and the sequence of the answer should be from the most important/potent aspect to less important aspects. Be Carefull

» All Question Papers must be Answered in English. Question Papers will be set in

English only.

» The duration of each of the papers referred to above will be three hours.

Candidates must write the papers in their own hand. In no circumstances, will they be allowed the help of a scribe to write the answers for them.

» The Commission have discretion to fix qual ifyi ng m a rks in any or al l the subj ect s of

the examination.

» If a candidate’s handwriting is not easily legible, a deduction will be made on this

account from the total marks otherwise accruing to him/her.

» Marks will not be allotted for mere superfici al knowl edge. » Credit will be given for orderly, effective and exact expression combined with due

economy of words in all subjects of the examination.

» In the question papers, wherever required, SI units will be used. » Candidates should use only International form of Indian numerals (i.e. 1,2,3,4,5,6 etc.) while answering question papers. » Candidates will be allowed the use of Scientific (No n- Pr ogramma bl e type) Ca l cul a-

tors at the conventional (Essay) type examination of UPSC. Programmable type Calculators will however not be allowed and the use of such calculators shall tantamount to resorting to unfair means by the candidates. Loaning or interchanging of calculators in the Examination Hall is not permitted. This Article is Available Online Also:http://upscportal.com/civilservices/mag/vol-3/article/IFS-Exam-Strategy

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15th Loksabha Election

Historic win : In recent past, no single party crossed the number 200, so winning 2006 seats Coalition Government Formed with by Congress on its own makes a historic victory. New Hope and Ambition When we observe situation immediate before voting, we find tha t the re w e re m a ny cha l lenges By R. K. Pandey before congress. Congress picked up an alliance The result of 15th Lok Sabha was declared on May on the eve of the election in West Bengal. But 17, 2009. Actual result was very different from two of the participating parties, the RJD and LJSP, all predictions and exit poll. It proved all survey parted on the issue of seat-shares in Bihar. The false and unrealistic. The UPA’s tally reached 262 Samajwadi Party in UP, which had joined the coaseats, with the Congress itself accounting for 206 lition late on the crucial issue of the Indo-Ameriof them. There is huge gap between it and its near- can nuclear power deal to save the coalition from est rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Na- collapse, also separated on the same issue. Memtional Democratic Alliance (NDA). The NDA got bers of the Bihar party pleaded that they remained only 157 seats, with the BJP’s own score being committed to the UPA and continued to be in the 116. The non-Congress, non-BJP formation was Ministry. reduced to 72. The Fourth Front, which sought to develop a separate political identity in order to If Verdict 2009 were to be summed up in a short enhance its bargaining power with the Congress phrase, this is it. Large sections of the electorate and the UPA in a post-poll situation, was also across the country voted to bring back the regime brought down, to just 27 seats. Obviously, this of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance result went contrary to the perceptions that held (UPA) and brought it within striking distance of sway among the political class and observers the simple-majority mark of 272. Though the numthroughout the election process. bers thrown up by the results would, technically, imply a hung Parliament, there is little doubt The main perception was about a hopelessly hung about the mandate given to the Manmohan Singh Parliament. Even the Congress, which now bask- led government to run its course for five years, ing in the glory of a spectacular victory, had shared without too many pressures and problems from this view and gone about looking for new allies smaller parties and allies. The message was very for a post-poll scenario. That search had even taken clear, that role of regional and smaller parties in it to the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United), the 15th Lok Sabha, and through it in the formawhich has been a consistent partner in the NDA tion of the new government was minimised. The for the past decade and a half. Midway through verdict was such that the UPA had the opportuthe process, Sharad Pawar, UPA Minister and nity to form the government by choosing its alpresident of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), lies at its own will and convenience and, at a pinch, made bold to predict that the Congress would get even with the support of independents who do not 150 to 160 seats and that the UPA would have to have specific pol itical af filiati ons . take the support of the Left parties to form the government. Winning Factors: The primary factor was the

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view among large sections of the electorate that only the Congress can provide a stable, secular government. The second factor relates to the track record of the Manmohan Singh government, particularly its social sector initiatives such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) and the bank loan waiver. The third crucial factor was the shift of the Muslim vote towards the Congress in the Hindi heartland in general and in Uttar Pradesh in particular. That the election issues highlighted by the NDA, such as internal security and the bringing back of black money from Swiss banks, failed to generate popular appeal was also a factor. The internal security plank fell flat becaus e the earlier NDA regi m es had also witnessed several internal security challenges that were not countered properly, such as the attack on the Parliament House and the Kandahar hijack. The leadershi p provi ded by Soni a Gandhi to the Congress and the UPA as a whole was also a factor that raised the UPA’s prospects. The Rahul Gandhi effect supplemented this, especially in Uttar Pradesh. Finally, the presence of several regional spoilers, who took the form of new political parties and essentially weakened the adversaries of the UPA, also helped produce this verdict. The BJP campaign for the elections was particularly non-productive. The party sent mixed signals even on its leadership by projecting Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as a potential Prime Minister midway through the elections. This caused great humiliation even to Lal Krishna Advani. The manner in which Advani condoned Varun Gandhi’s communal utterances in Pilibhit also did not go down well with the electorate. The open tussle between party president Rajnath Singh and general secretary Arun Jaitley over the organisational preparations for the elections in Assam and some of the caustic comments made

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on Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh by Modi and other leaders also boomeranged. As a result, the larger Congress win was on negative vote more than on positive vote. A reason why the party is strongly focusing on the personality of Rahul Gandhi is just that. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and even Priyanka Vadra have been played up much by the national media as well. There is heavy investment in propping up the dynasty and strengthening the case for dynastic succession. It is difficul t to judge how m u ch cont ribution has really been made by these and other personalities to the Congress victory. The image of the Congress party with very limited talent has been strengthened by the outcome of this election. There is no doubt that the BJP has proved incompetent in focusing on more real issues and wasting much less energy in negative campaigning. Its dividend from a socially divisive agenda cannot go up any further. And its loss from diminishing return has given that bit of extra mileage to the Congress. It should not be ignored that these two parties are pursuing a common agenda of promoting a two-party system in which they should be the two poles. The negative campaigning of the BJP has served that objective well. Facts on 15th Loksahba Election

» The highest number of candidates that an EVM

can support is 64 and if the number exceeds this, the commission will have to use manual ballot for elections.

» The EVMs are designed by Electronics Corpo-

ration of India Ltd. and Bharat Electronics Ltd. EVMs were first us ed in Indi a 1989- 90 in 16 assembly constituencies in three states. Kerala was

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the first stat e.

» The Government spends Rs. 10 crore approxi-

mately on conducting a Lok Sabha election. » Photo electoral roll was used in 522 Parliamentary seats in 2009 elections. » The number of electorate in 2009 general elections was 71.377 crore with an increase of 4.3 crore from the 2004 general elections.

Shashtra Seema Bal was deployed along the IndoNepal border in Uttar Pradesh during the Lok Sabha elections.

» Danseuse Mallika Sarabhai, who was contest-

ing as an Independent from the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat, had challenged her opponent L.K.Advani to a public debate on his achievements.

General Elections in India » Total number of candidates was 8070. The Constitution of India came into force on Janu» 7514 was male candidates: while number of ary 26, 1950. The first gene ral , el ect ions under

female candidates was 556. » Percentage of female candidates was 6.9 % of total candidates. » The number of polling stations were 8,34,944 in 2009. There were 2046 observers and 1.4 lakh microobservers in 2009. » The total number of polling staffs was 46.9 lakh. » Total number of Booth Level Officers (BLO) was 8.34 lakh.

the new Constitution were held during the year 1951-52 and the first el ected Pa rliame nt came int o being in April, 1952, the Second Lok Sabha in April,1957, the Third Lok Sabha in April,1962, the Fourth Lok Sabha in March, 1967, the Fifth Lok Sabha in March, 1971, the Sixth Lok Sabha in March, 1977, the Seventh Lok Sabha in January,1980, the Eighth Lok Sabha in December, 1984, the Ninth Lok Sabha in December, 1989, the Tenth Lok Sabha in June, 1991, the Eleventh Lok Sabha in May, 1996, the Twelfth Lok Sabha in March, » Highest number of candidates was 43 in Chennai 1998, the Thirteenth Lok Sabha in October, 1999, the Fourteenth Lok Sabha in May, 2004 and the South, Tamil Nadu while lowest number of canFifteenth Lok Sabha in May, 2009. didates was 3 in Nagaland. » Highest polling station was AuleyPhu in Leh. New Government: Dr Manmohan Singh was It was setup at an altitude of 15,300ft. sworn in as the Prime Minister of India for the second consecutive term along with his 19 Cabi-

» Number of seats in the Lok Sabha (lower house net colleagues at a simple and brief function at

of Parliament): 545 (of which two are appointed by the President) Moni Kumar Subba, the Congress candidate for the Tezpur LS seat, was the richest candidate in the poll fray in Assam. He has declared assets worth Rs 60 crore.

» For the first time , a wo me n bat tal ion of the

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the Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 22. Thus he become the first pr im e mi ni ster sinc e Jawa ha rlal Nehru in 1961 to be elected to another five year term after completing his first Jawa ha rlal N e hr u was re-elected in 1962. There were four new faces in the first edi tion of the Un i on Ca bi ne t . Al l the others were in the outgoing Cabinet. All but two

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were from the Congress party.

Shri Sharad Pawar : Minister of Agriculture, Food & Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs & Among the new entrants in the Cabinet were Public Distribution Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress leader who trounced the Communists in West Bengal, Shri A. K. Antony : Minister of Defence Rajasthan Congress unit president CP Joshi, Congress general secretary M Veerappa Moily, and Shri P. Chidambaram : Minister of Home Afformer Karnataka chief minister S M Krishna. The fairs new Cabinet of the Congress-led UPA Government is a mix of the old and the new, reflect ing Kum. Mamata Banerjee : Minister of RailManmohan Singh’s experience and the youthful- ways ness. Agatha Sangma, the daughter of former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma, is the youngest min- Shri S. M. Krishna : Minister of External Afister in the Manmohan Singh cabinet at the age of fairs 28 years. Jitin Prasada of Congress, who was the minister of state for steel, was the youngest min- Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad : Minister of Health ister in the previous UPA government at 35 years and Family Welfare of age. Shri Sushil Kumar Shinde : Minister of Power Shri M. Veerappa Moily : Minister of Law and Justice Shri S. Jaipal Reddy : Minister of Urban Development Shri Kamal Nath : Minister of Road Transport and Highways Shri Vayalar Ravi : Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs

Council of Ministers Dr Manmohan Singh : Prime Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee : Minister of Finance

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Smt. Meira Kumar : Minister of Water Resources Shri Murli Deora : Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Kapil Sibal : Minister of Human Resource Development

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Smt. Ambika Soni : Minister of Information tice and Empowerment and Broadcasting Shri Kantilal Bhuria : Minister of Tribal AfShri B. K. Handique : Minister of Mines : Min- fairs ister of Development of North Eastern Region Shri M. K. Alagiri : Minister of Chemicals Shri Anand Sharma : Minister of Commerce and Fertilizers and Industry Shri A Raja : Minister of Communications and Information Technology Shri Virbhadra Singh : Minister of Steel Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh : Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises

Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha is composed of representative of the people chosen by direct election on the basis of adult suffrage. The qualifying age for membership of Lok Sabha is 25 years. The Lok Sabha at Kum. Selja : Minister of Housing and Urban present consists of 545 members including the Speaker and two nominated members. Lok Sabha, Poverty Alleviation & Minister of Tourism unless sooner dissolved, continues for five years e et ing and Shri Subodh Kant Sahay : Minister of Food from the date appointed for its first m the expiration of the period of five years operat es Processing Industries as dissolution of the House. Dr. M. S. Gill : Minister of Youth Affairs and However, while a Proclamation of Emergency is Sports in operation, this period may be extended by Parliament by law for a period not exceeding one year Shri G. K. Vasan : Minister of Shipping at a time and not extending, in any case, beyond a Shri Dayanidhi Maran : Minister of Textiles period of six months after the proclamation has ceased to operate. The maximum strength of the Dr. Farooq Abdullah : Minister of New and House envisaged by the Constitution is 552, upto 530 members to represent the States, up to 20 Renewable Energy members to represent the Union Territories and Shri Mallikarjun Kharge : Minister of Labour not more than two members of the Anglo-Indian Community to be nominated by the President, if, and Employment in his opinion, that community is not adequately Shri Pawan K. Bansal : Minister of Parlia- represented in the House. mentary Affairs The total elective membership is distributed Shri Mukul Wasnik : Minister of Social Jus- among the States in such a way that the ratio beShri C. P. Joshi : Minister of Rural Development : Minister of Panchayati Raj

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tween the number of seats allotted to each State and the population of the State is, so far as practicable, the same for all States. An exercise to redraw Lok Sabha constituencies' boundaries has been carried out by the Delimitation Commission based on the Indian census of 2001. The number is divided among the 28 States and the 7 Union Territories as follows:-

Seats in States and Union Territories

» Uttar Pradesh - 80 » Maharashtra - 48 » Andhra Pradesh - 42 » West Bengal - 42 » Bihar - 40 » Tamil Nadu –39 » Madhya Pradesh - 29 » Karnataka - 28 » Gujarat - 26 » Rajasthan - 25 » Orissa - 21 » Kerala - 20 » Jharkhand - 14 » Assam -14 » Punjab - 13 » Chhattisgarh - 11 » Haryana - 10 » Delhi - 7

» Jammu & Kashmir - 6 » Uttarakhand - 5 » Himachal Pradesh - 4 » Arunachal Pradesh - 2 » Goa - 2 » Manipur - 2 » Meghalaya - 2 » Sikkim - 1 » Mizoram - 1 » Nagaland - 1 » Tripura - 2 » Andaman & Nicobar Islands - 1 » Chandigarh - 1 » Dadra & Nagar Haveli - 1 » Daman & Diu - 1 » Lakshadweep - 1 » Pondicherry -1

Anglo-lndians (if nominated 2 by the President under Article 331 of the Constitution)

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Impact of Terrorism On Social, Economic And Legal Structure of The Countries Obstacle to Global Peace Dr. Arvind shukla Sr. lecturer, Invertis Institute Of management Studies, Bareilly.

The term "terrorism" since the 1970s was directed to various phenomenon, starting from fearsome threats Until today the world under UN has failed to come to an agreement about what is an acceptable defini tion for terror ism. It is still under debate despite attempts made by many experts. The effort to approach terrorism from a defini tiona l perspective has thus become a never-ending effort, let alone conform the defini tion itsel f. So many defini tions of terror ism ha ve been at tempted, but I am not going to discuss the diversities of terrorism defini tion. W h a t I int end to discuss here is that for the purpose of enforcing the law against the act of terror, Indonesia has enacted a law on terror in its Act number 15 and 16, 2003 which goes as follows: "Every person deliberately uses violence or threatens to use violence causing terror or wide fear against person or causing massive victims, by taking others' freedom or the loss of life, property of others, or causing damage and destruction against vital and/ or strategic installations or environment or public facility or international facility, shall be penalized with a death penalty or life imprisonment or at least four years imprisonment and maximum 20 years imprisonment. "

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It is vital tool for our law enforcement as a vanguard of terror act attempted by any individual or group within our jurisdiction. So from law enforcement perspective the law is vital to stop a would-be criminal (s) from attempting to commit crime of terrorism which used to be absent in Indonesia for several years. From a perspective of motives of terrorist acts are recognized as follows: publicizing a statement through acts of ruthlessness. In that way they can make fast and massive publication; act of vengeance towards groups considered disadvantageous to them; serving as a catalyst for militarization or mass mobilization; spreading hatred and inter-communal conflict ; announc i ng a certai n group as the enemy and should be held responsible; victims are not the goal but a means to create "neural war"; create mass panic, damage public trust towards the government including security and law enforcement authorities. Whereas the justificat ions of terror ism taken on by terrorists including: justifying all means for the accomplishment of transcendental goals; extreme violence considered to be therapeutic, full of blessings and regenerative; the executor places himself/herself as part of history, where the act is a consequential element of history under the perspective of moral balance (a deserved treatment); the act of terrorism perceived as a minor crime; many among them even take this act insignificant in comparison to the enemy's posing threat that suppresses them structurally; Let us now look at how terrorism has developed and its trend these days.

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Trends of Terrorism:Terrorism is a global crime. It has become the predominant geopolitical theme. The affairs of the world are influenc ed in im p or tant areas by the terrorist agenda. The thinking of policy makers and law enforcers is shaped increasingly by the need to respond appropriately to the threat of terrorism. Terrorism represents a challenge not just to the bases of civilized society, but also to the very foundations of the world order. Terrorism activities threaten fundamental nations' law and order, human rights and it is the enemy of mankind. Terrorism, in one form or another, has been around for a long time, and there is no realistic prospect of its becoming extinct in the foreseeable future. All of those concerned with the effective combat of terrorism must be prepared for the long haul. There is no simple solution to terrorism.

humanitarian. The iron fist appr oach al one w i ll not succeed. Terrorist will often have the advantage over the law enforcer in the sense that he/ she is able to decide when and where he/she will strike, and how hard he/ she will strike. Law enforcement, on the other hand, has to maintain constant vigilance. That is not easy at a time when commercial airlines can be used as flyi ng bomb s , and when terrorist strategy is planned by internet, mobile phone, satellite and coded messages on websites.

The threats we face from terrorism are constantly changing in all sorts of ways. Just when progress is being made against a terrorist group, splintering often occurs, and hardliners break away and form splinter groups committed to the campaign of violence. It is feared that weapons of mass destruction previously controlled by governments can now be purchased on the black market. It is Terrorism is fuelled by various factors. These in- said that not only the weapons but also the scienclude the openness of free societies, the easy ac- tists with the knowledge of how to make them ay cess to technologies by means of violence and a are available if the price is right. And financ e m radical and global ideology of hatred. Conflict s be the key. Terrorists, like more conventional in some countries particularly in the Middle East criminals, need access to adequate funds in order e apons , commu ni have inevitably formed a global issue and soli- to fina nc e the i r act ivi ties . W darity among terrorists. This global issue has be- cation systems and transport all come at a price, come a unifying factor to share the sufferings and as does training. establish a sense of togetherness based on religious brotherhood among the believers to resist against Terrorism seeks power through violence, and money is a means to achieve that. Terrorism needs the oppressor. access to international payment systems in order Terrorism will remain a menace as long as there to fina nc e and sus tai n its camp ai gns . Te rror ists, are people who are driven by fanaticism, para- like organized criminals, make active use of credit noia and extremism. So long as there exists in the card fraud and check fraud. This is why vigorous e m u s t be exerci sed on world poverty, strife, injustice and oppression, identification che cks regi m conditions will exist which terrorists can turn to potential customers by credit card companies. The their advantage. No doubt that the campaign loopholes are in the area of money laundering legagainst terrorism is one that must be mounted at islation that must be closed. various levels, including political, economic, and Terrorism as it was define d a sys tema t ic us e of

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violence or the threat of violence to achieve political, social or economic goals. Terrorism uses extreme physical violence to shock the targeted audience. The psychological impact generated in the mind of people as a natural corollary of that matters more to the terrorists than the physical attack on the victims (Cline, Ray S, 1998). Terrorism is as old as the civilization of mankind itself and has existed in all ages in some form or other which might be known anarchists, revolutionaries, fundamentalist or dissidents against the established authority or even ruling tyrants having no tolerance or dissent. However, terrorism was not as widespread phenomenon as it is today in contemporary political system of the world. Terrorism has, in fact, become a global phenomenon with increasing and rather well identifiabl e links between different terrorist group and organization. They use each other's areas for recruitment and training, exchange of illegal weapons, engage in joint planning and ventures and also provide administrative and other logistic support. This type of terrorist activities show a new dimension due to circumstances characterized by the advancement of science, technology and diverse social, economic, political and historical reasons conditioning it.

or no by standards. Another form of global terrorism is sponsored terrorism, which is operated from safe areas in another country, which are out of reach of the counter insurgency forces of the targeted country. There cannot be any single cause of terrorism. Causes of terrorism may range from socio-economic and political conditions to theories based on the personality and environment of the terrorist. Terrorism is motivated by a variety of inner drives ranging from fina nc i al gai ns to revenge, from fundamentalism to deprivation, political frustration, regional disparities, marginalization of sub-national groups, extremism, despair, injustice, discrimination, resentment against the existing regime, feeling of insignificanc e, int ervention into personal freedom, weak government, separatism and oppression, inequality etc.

Terrorism produces harmful effects in several ways. The consequences of terrorism can be disastrous for all countries, both rich and poor, and their people. The normal social life gets totally disturbed and a large number of innocent lives go in vein. Fear and terror haunt everybody and the productivity of people is miserably stalled. Everything may come to a halt and the dream of leading a life of happiness and peace is shattered. Economic and social development of the society cease The development of computer science, satellite to uncertainly. Almost all become paralyzed amid and mobile links have also affected the modern- terrorist incidents. ization of terrorist activities. This further facilitated by support of states/ governments unfavor- Terrorism breaks down the social, economic poable to each other. An element of international litical and legal structures of the affected counterrorism comes into the picture when specific tries and the entire process of development stops. persons of the nation are designed as targets by Socio-cultural mosaic goes to rack and ruin, and the members of another group outside that nation. the economy of the country suddenly becomes a It is, therefore, described as warfare without ter- shamble. The rule of law and human rights ritory. It is warfare without neutrals and with few crumble and people suffer terribly. For develop-

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ing countries, terrorism is fatal to their development planning because they can hardly withstand the violent assaults of terrorism; their longing for a better and brighter future goes up in smoke. Moreover, terrorism not only weakens the established political authority but also brings about political instability. In that situation the maintenance of the rule of law and human rights become almost impossible. Terrorism idealizes violence, does away with morality, distorts politics, promotes totalitarianism, subverts progress, destroys the apparatus of freedom in democratic societies. In fact, it destroys the will of a civilized society to defend itself. It appears that everything the mankind strives for collapses like a house of cards. As a matter of fact, terrorism is war against civilization.

against their public order and institutions that protect the liberty and security of their citizens but, also at the same time as a serious danger to peaceful international relations and cooperation, which is clearly understood as encompassing human rights and values as well as the principles of equal rights and self determination of people. It is, therefore, that the transnational character of contemporary terrorist events has prompted international efforts to suppress them at the global regional and bilateral levels. Suggestions for stemming the growth of transnational crime

The answer seems to be intensifying law enforcement, more vigilance along borders, depriving the criminals of their profits, assisting poor count ries with their efforts at strict law enforcement by way Today, terrorism poses a great threat not just to of providing training to their law enforcement human life, human rights, dignity and democratic officers, pr ovi di ng ne ces sary technol ogy, ha rmo values but to very existence of a civilized life. If nizing laws, sharing information, concluding inthe present trend continues, human civilization ternational agreements to facilitate co-operation itself will be a casualty. That is why Jerusalem and co-ordination in law enforcement and more Conference on International Terrorism held in importantly, political will and commitment. 1979 declared that ‘terrorism is a serious and e far exceed growing threat to the people of all states which Profits gene rat ed by or gani zed crim live under the rule of law, that it is no longer a those that legitimate business enterprises could national problem, but a global one; that it cannot make. The incentive for organized crime, whether e be constrained, and eliminated, except by con- local or transnational, is profit. If organi zed crim certed international action; and that the case for syndicates can be deprived of their profits, the y such action is overwhelming and urgent’. will cease their activities – altogether. It will therefore be worthwhile to examine and explore (Jonathan Institute, 1979) the ways and means of depriving them of their profits. The m o s t ef fect ive w a y to do thi s is conPrevention and Control Strategies:In this age of increasing globalization and inter- fiscat ion of the pr oceeds of such illegal act ivi ty dependence, the national and international dimen- by judicial means or with suffici ent saf eguards , sion of terrorism in fact, constitutes two facets of by administrative means. the same social phenomenon which infringes upon the interest of all states, not only as an assault A sine qua non in this direction is effective mu-

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tual legal assistance in the investigation and pros- iii. Protocol against trafficki ng in Fi rearms and ecution. iv. Protocol against Corruption It has been found that certainty of detection and effective and expeditious disposal of cases is a Combating terrorism at regional level is becomdeterrent to would be criminals. At present extra- ing effective and popular. The external support is dition procedures take a long time. Simplified ex- often found in every operation of terrorist acts in tradition procedures will go a long way in expe- any part of the world whether in the context of inter-connection between a group and its rival ditious disposal of cases. group, a group and its enemy state, or a state and The international community responded to the its unfriendly state. It is here that regional coopphenomenal growth of transnational organized eration can be an effective instrument for the supcrime by signing in the year 2000, the UN Con- pression to terrorism. In Europe, besides their vention against Transnational Organized Crime. individual national legal and institutional meaBy the end of 72 hours 124 countries have signed sures, a historic convention known as the “Eurothe Convention. This is an indication of the enor- pean Convention on the Suppression of Terrormity of the problem transnational crime poses to ism, 1977” was signed and ratified. “Sout h As ia Countries also recognized the importance of comthe world. bating terrorism at regional level and conseSuccess of the struggle against transnational or- quently, signed a Convention titled the “Convenganized crime lies in the answers to the six points tion on Suppression of Terrorism, 1987” and ratified it. set out above. The most significant step in the di rect ion of the prevention of transnational organized crime is the adoption of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. It has obligated states to act despite constraints of bank secrecy and also to extend co-operation in confiscating and seizing of assets obtained through corruption and transferred to different jurisdictions.

Similarly, in view of the complexity and problems of terrorism some bilateral and multilateral agreements between groups of countries have also been concluded. And many countries have extradition treaties between them.

At the international level, response and cooperation against international terrorism has been invoked many a time, and a variety of measures and The following four protocols add muscle counter-measures have been designed for checking the menace of terrorism. Concerned by the to the convention, namely, increase of terrorist acts, the United Nations Geni. Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Traf- eral Assembly in 1972 established a 35-member ficki ng in Pe rsons , speci al ly W o me n and Chi l- ad hoc Committee on International Terrorism, and in 1977 asked it to study the underlying causes of dren. terrorism and recommend ways to combat terrorism. In 1979, the Assembly stressed the imii. Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants

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portance of International cooperation for dealing with the acts of international terrorism. Adopting the report of the Committee, it condemned all acts of international terrorism that endangered or took human lives or jeopardized fundamental freedoms. In 1994, the General Assembly adopted a Declaration on Measures to Eliminate international Terrorism, which condemned all acts and practices of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiabl e, w h e rever and whomever they were committed. States were urged to take measures at the national and international levels to eliminate international terrorism. Important international Conventions on terrorism are the Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft (Tokyo, 1963), the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft (The Hague, 1970); the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Act against the Safety of Civil Aviation (Montreal, 1971); the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons, including diplomatic Agents (New York, 1973); the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (Vienna, 1980); the Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serving International Civil Aviation (Montreal, 1988); the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms located on the Continental Shelf (Rome, 1988) and the Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of Detection (Montreal, 1991). The UN General Assembly also adopted the Convention against the Taking of Hostages in 1979 and the Convention on the Safety of United Na-

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tions and Associated Personnel in 1994, and International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings in 1997.’ Despite all these Conventions adopted and ratified, decl arat ions ma de, and res ol ut ions passed against international terrorism within the UN system outside, terrorism has become a ubiquitous phenomenon in the contemporary international affairs, and continues to grow. Every state is supposed to refrain from organizing, instigating assisting or participating in acts of civil strife on terrorist acts in another state or involved in organized activities within its territory directed towards the commission of such acts as well as prosecuting and punishing the perpetrators of terrorist acts. A concerted action has to be initiated and sustained by all States whether they are affected or not in collaboration and co-operation with each other with strong determination and will to root out terrorism altogether from the world. Of course, mutual agreement at the international, and regional levels have consolidated and strengthened co-operation between the countries in the fight agai ns t terror ism. H a rd line pol ici es against terrorism adopted by some countries have achieved success in this regard. But, it seems that combating of terrorist activities in a significant proportion will be possible only if terrorism is condemned and fought universally, unequivocally and effectively, by all the countries in the world. Conclusion:Terrorism has no respect for national boundaries, and the problem-taking place in any part of the world today will sure enough to become the problem of all tomorrow. Terrorism is a monster like Frankenstein’s creation that is too horrible and

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dangerous. It is even a threat to those countries that create or promote it. Therefore, terrorism is a phenomenon which must be condemned, fought, resisted, controlled and, eventually, eliminated at all levels-national, regional and international. Conditions necessary for wiping out terrorism must, accordingly, be cultivated and strengthened nationally, regionally and internationally, and unilaterally, bilaterally or multilaterally. Terrorist acts confronted by a state cannot be eliminated by the affected States alone because of the international linkage of the terrorist groups. It is, therefore, clear that all the nations must form a common front to fight terror ism. If the m u ch needed spirit of international cooperation in the required degree is not properly established, the world would become a dangerous place to live. It is for this reason that one nation’s peace and security will be determined by the success of all nations’ response to any kind of terrorism particularly for international terrorism.

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Tiger rebels when President Mahinda Rajapaksa told the country that the war is over. On the ground, the rebels have admitted that their 25year struggle for a Tamil homeland has reached End of Terror But Political Steps To"its bitter end". However, the victory has come at wards Effective Devolution Needed a high price in terms of civilian life and damage to Colombo's international reputation. According By Dr. Divya a t ed 7, 000 et hni c Ta mi l Author is an expert and analyst of social and to UN figur es , an es tim civilians were killed between 20 January, when a political issues military offensive pushed back the rebels into a Founder and chief of Liberation Tigers of Tamil tiny enclave in the north-east, and 7 May. AlEelam(LTTE) Velupillai Prabakaran was shot though the military largely blocked the world's dead by the Sri Lanka Army on May 18,2009 at media from covering the carnage in the so-called a ges ha ve conveyed part Mullivaikkal in Mullaithivu district in northern no-fire zone , some TV im of the horror, showing civilians making a desperSri Lanka. The 37-year-old quest of the LTTE has ended with the death of its all in all Prabakaran. ate break across a lagoon to escape the last strip He was 54 years old. His elder son Charles of land controlled by the rebels. Antony, and also the entire top leadership of the LTTE, including the LTTE’s intelligence chief, Doctors have recounted the cries of the wounded Pottu Amman, and the Sea Tigers chief, Soosai, at a makeshift hospital that they had to abandon were killed after being encircled by the Sri Lankan because of continual artillery shelling – bombardments denied by the Sri Lankan military. UN ofarmed forces. fici al s and huma n right s groups ha ve been horriUntil the last, Prabakaran, a ruthless and dreaded fied at the di sregard for ci vi lians on bot h sides , terrorist yet ironically remaining an inspirational particularly in the fina l stages of the conflict. symbol to thousands of Sri Lankan Tamils, re- Despite pleas from the US president, Barack mained uncompromising on his goal of armed Obama, and the UN secretary-general, Ban Kistruggle, a struggle that despite its lofty claims Moon, Colombo has zealously pursued its objechad often manifested in ruthless violence even tive of wiping out the separatist Liberation Tidirected at fellow Tamils. Yet in the early 1980s, gers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) once and for all. Prabakaran had indeed appeared eager to be seen as a revolutionary fight er, in the m o ul d of he roi c For Rajapaksa, military victory is the climax of his election campaign in November 2005, when figur es of legendary revol ut ions . Pr abakaran, w ho had little patience for the sophistry of political he ruled out autonomy for Tamils – a harbinger negotiations, made a virtue out of his sole reli- of the military option. Rajapaksa has been able to dress up the offensive as part of the global fight ance on violence and armed struggle. against terrorism. There is little sympathy for the Tigers. A ruthless group, listed as a terrorist Crisis of Human Rights:Thousands of Sri Lankans celebrated their organisation by both the US and the EU, the Tigovernment's military victory over the Tamil gers pioneered suicide attacks, carried out assas-

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Discomfited

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sinations and stand accused of using civilians in the war zone as human shields and shooting those who tried to flee. However, such tactics provide no excuse for the Sri Lankan government's blatant disregard for the plight of civilians. While many Tamils are appalled by the Tigers' tactics, they also harbour deep grievances about their treatment by the Sinhalese majority. Analysts claim the government's conduct has hardened an already humiliated Tamil diaspora, storing trouble for the future. If the Tigers' leadership is removed or killed in a government assault, it's easy to imagine one of the newly energised generation stepping in to fill the voi d. The dr eam of an independent Ta mi l home l and in Sri Lanka resonates powerfully across the diaspora and will certainly live on even after the defeat of the LTTE as a conventional military force. The deaths of tens of thousands of innocent Tamil civilians – while their family members watch from afar – is a recipe for another, possibly more explosive, generation of terrorism. For now, the Sri Lankan government has prevailed, militarily. It has a huge humanitarian problem on its hands, with tens of thousands of displaced civilians to care for, and it will need international aid. For western leaders who have urged restraint, this is the time to call on Rajapaksa to address Tamil demands for devolution of power and language rights now that the military conflict is over. India’s Opinion India told Colombo to tackle the grievances of the Tamil minority which gave rise to the ethnic conflict . It sought pol itical steps towa rds “ef fect ive devol ut ion” of powe r w i thi n the Sri La nkan Co nstitution so that Sri Lankans of all communities, including the Tamils, could feel at home and lead lives of dignity of their own free will. India’s response came soon after Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa called up External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to confirm tha t the arme d resistance by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had ended and its leader Velupillai Prabakaran was dead. India had promised to work with the people and the Government of Sri Lanka to provide relief to those affected by the tragic conflict , and to rapi dl y reha bi litat e al l thos e w h o ha d been di spl aced, bringing their lives to normality as soon as possible. In several interactions at the top level, India had received assurances from the Sri Lankan government that after the LTTE was militarily defeated, it would ensure the political accommodation of its Tamil origin citizens through several measures. Concerned at the developing unease among parties committed to a peaceful solution in eastern Sri Lanka, where the LTTE had already been routed, India wanted Colombo to take steps that guaranteed safety, a better quality of life and the genuine feeling of participation by Tamils of Indian origin in both provinces. These included Sri Lanka adhering to its earlier promise of implementing its Constitution’s

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From TNT to LTTE Prabakaran was drawn into the Tamil struggle after the Sri Lankan government passed a series of legislations, first aimed at the plantation Tamils and then against the Sri Lankan Tamils themselves. Repeated violence against the Tamils in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s influenced Prabakaran to take to armed struggle. Prabakaran, still in his teens, first formed the Tamil New Tigers (TNT) in 1972. The tiger was chosen as the emblem because the tiger represented the Chola flag and stood for Tamil patriotism and a Tamil nation. Yet the TNT was a forerunner of the LTTE, just as ruthless and fascist in its tactics. Apart from the assassination of Alfred Duraiappa, the record of the TNT included raids on banks, lamp-posting killing of informants and murdering secret service police officers. Prabakaran had a child-like craving for the LTTE to be recognised “as the sole representative of the Tamil race.” Unfortunately that craving turned into a deadly cannibalistic tendency to devour other Tamil militant groups, thus undermining the struggle for equal rights for Sri Lankan Tamils. The result was that most of his military energies were spent on the destructive task of liquidating other militant leaders and groups. An early chilling indication of Prabakaran’s fascistic side was his personal gunning down of the Mayor of Jaffna, Alfred Duraiappa, in July 1975. With the dastardly assassination of Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, 1991 by means of suicide belt-bomber Dhanu at Sriperumbudur, about 35 km from Chennai, Prabakaran was proclaimed an absconding offender. Prabakaran was the No. 1 accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The assassination led to the LTTE being banned by India and further ostracism internationally with a number of countries including the U.S. and the U.K. following suit. ‘Thirteenth Amendment plus’ which should include moving some items from the concurrent to provincial list and the setting up of a second chamber of federal representatives. As part of helping in providing humanitarian relief, India had already announced a Rs. 100-crore grant which included dispatching over one lakh family packs containing rations and shelter materials for a nuclear family that would last. India was also considering expanding of its 50-bed hospital, manned by a 62-member medical complement from the armed forces. It planned to increase the size of the de-mining team to ensure that civilians had access to more safe areas than was possible at present. India had received feelers from several countries for a joint effort to provide relief and to reconstruct the battered northern and eastern provinces. Some countries that kept a watch over the peace process or actively participated in it would like to be involved in the setting up of democratic institutions and associated infrastructure in the area. India had so far preferred to operate alone or through the International Committee of the Red Cross. It had earlier not favoured a joint civilian evacuation programme proposed by the U.S.

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Background of conflict : The root of modern conflict goes back to Br itish colonial rule when the country was known as Ceylon. A nationalist political movement from Sinhalese communities arose in the country in the early 20th century with the aim of obtaining political independence, which was eventually granted by the British after peaceful negotiations in 1948. Disagreements between the Sinhalese and Tamil ethnic communities flared up w h e n dr awing up the country's first pos t-independence constitution. Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike's declaration of the "Sinhala Only Act" language policy was the spark that led to conflict . The ci vi l w a r is a di rect res ul t of the es calation of the confrontational politics that followed. Communal uprisings in the 1950s, 1977, and the formation of the Tamil United Liberation Front TULF with its Vaddukkodei (Vattukottai)) resolution of 1976 were key events. These led to a hardening of attitudes on both sides.

secession from Sri Lanka. In late 1977, in the aftermath of a serious communal clash in August that year, Junius Richard Jayawardene's UNP government granted only the educational rights demanded by the Tamils. But to the Tamil leadership that was losing the control it had on the Tamil militants after not being able to follow through with the election promise of seceding from Sri Lanka to form Tamil, it was too little too late. After nearly two decades of violence, a ceasefire was signed in 2002, but it broke down in January 2008, leading to renewed fierce fight i ng. The violence killed more than 60,000 people, damaged the economy and harmed tourism in one of South Asia's potentially prosperous societies. A ceasefire and a political agreement reached between the government and rebels in late 2002 raised hopes for a lasting settlement. But Norwegian-brokered peace talks stalled and monitors reported open violations of the truce by the government and Tamil Tiger rebels. Escalating violence between the two sides in 2006 killed hundreds of people and raised fears of a return to all-out war. In January 2008, the government said it was withdrawing from the 2002 ceasefire agr eeme nt . The ceasefire expi red a for tni ght lat er. Fol lowi ng a renewal of fight ing, in January 2009 governme nt troops captured the northern town of Kilinochchi, held for ten years by the Tigers as their administrative headquarters.

The TULF supported the armed actions of young militants who were dubbed "our boys." These "boys" were the product of the post-war population explosion. Many partially educated, unemployed Sinhala and Tamil youth fell for simplistic racist and violent revolutionary solutions to their problems. The leftist parties had remained "non-communal" for a long time, but the Federal Party (as well as its off-shoot, the TULF), deeply conservative and dominated by Vellala casteism, Sri Lankan Civil War did not attempt to form a national alliance with The Sri Lankan Civil War is the name given to the ongoing conflict on the island- na t ion of Sri the leftists in their fight for language right s. Lanka. Since July 23, 1983, there has been on and Following the sweeping electoral victory of the off civil war, predominantly between the governUNP in July 1977, the TULF became the leading ment and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam opposition party, with around one sixth of the to- (LTTE, also known as the Tamil Tigers), a sepatal electoral vote winning on a party platform of ratist armed organization which fight s for the cre-

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ation of an independent state named Tamil Eelam in the north and the east of the island. Over 70,000 people have been offici al ly listed as ki lled in the war since 1983. As one of the world's deadliest ongoing armed conflict s, it ha s caus ed signi ficant adversity to the population, environment and the economy of the country. The tactics employed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have resulted in the organization being banned as a terrorist organization in 32 countries, including the United States, Japan, Brazil, Australia, the nations of the European Union, and Canada. After two decades of fight ing and thr ee fai led at tempts at peace talks, including the unsuccessful deployment of the Indian Army as a peacekeeping force from 1987 to 1990, a lasting negotiated settlement to the conflict appeared pos sibl e w h en a cease-fire w a s decl ared in D e cemb er 2001, and a ceasefire agreeme nt signe d w i th int erna t iona l mediation in 2002. However limited hostilities renewed in late 2005 and the conflict began to escalate until the government launched a number of major military offensives against the LTTE beginning in July 2006, and drove the LTTE out of the entire Eastern province of the island. The LTTE then declared they would "resume their freedom struggle to achieve statehood".

Kilinochchi, main military base Mullaitivu and the entire A9 highway. As a result of the latest fight ing, experts pr edi ct the long running conflict coul d soon come to an end, with the government taking over the fina l bit of territory controlled by the Tamil Tigers. However the rebels have vowed to fight on, and are expected to wage an underground guerrilla campaign, launching hit and run attacks against the military and suicide bombings around the country, if they were defeated as a conventional force. The fate of civilians trapped in the 'no-fire zone ' has become a major concern for the international community at this stage of war. On April 22, 2009, the UN Security Council has called on Tamil Tiger rebels to lay down their arms and let the UN help evacuate civilians from the war zone.

Indian involvement:Became involved in the conflict in the 1980s for a number of reasons, including its leaders' desire to project India as the regional power in the area and worries about India's own Tamils seeking independence. The latter was particularly strong in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where ethnic kinship led to strong support for independence for The government then shifted its offensive to the Sri Lankan Tamils. Throughout the conflict , the north of the country, and formally announced its Indian central and state governments have supported both sides in different ways. withdrawal from the ceasefire agreeme nt on January 2, 2008, alleging that the LTTE violated the agreement over 10,000 times. Since then, aided Beginning in the 1980s, India, through its intelliby the destruction of a number of large arms smug- gence agency RAW, provided arms, training and gling vessels that belonged to the LTTE, and an monetary support to a number of Sri Lankan Tamil international crackdown on the funding for the militant groups, including the LTTE and its rival Tamil Tigers, the government has taken control Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO). of 99.8% of the territory previously controlled by The LTTE's rise is widely attributed to the initial the Tamil Tigers, including their de-facto capital backing it received from RAW. It is believed that

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by supporting different militant groups, the Indian government hoped to keep the Tamil independence movement divided and be able to exert overt control over it. India became more actively involved in the late 1980s, and on June 5, 1987, the Indian Air Force airdropped food parcels to Jaffna while it was under siege by Sri Lankan forces. At a time when the Sri Lankan government stated they were close to defeating the LTTE, India dropped 25 tons of food and medicine by parachute into areas held by the LTTE in a direct move of support toward the rebels. Negotiations were held, and the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord was signed on July 29, 1987, by Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President Jayewardene. Under this accord, the Sri Lankan Government made a number of concessions to Tamil demands, including a devolution of power to the provinces, a merger—subject to later referendum—of the Northern and the Eastern provinces into the single province, and offici al stat us for the Ta mi l language (thi s w a s ena ct ed as the 13t h A me ndme nt to the Constitution of Sri Lanka). India agreed to establish order in the North and East through a peacekeeping force, and to cease assisting Tamil insurgents. Militant groups including the LTTE, although initially reluctant, agreed to surrender their arms to the IPKF. Signing of Permanent Ceasefire Ag r eeme nt Sri Lankan government and LTTE formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on February 22, 2002, and signed a permanent ceasefire agreeme nt (CF A) . N o r wa y w a s name d mediator, and it was decided that they, together with the other Nordic countries, monitor the ceasefire thr ough a commi ttee of experts na me d the Sri La nka M o ni tor ing M i ssion. In August, the government agreed to lift the ban on the LTTE and paved the way for the resumption of direct negotiations with the LTTE. Following the signing of the ceasefire agreeme nt , comme rci al ai r flight s toJ aff na began and the LTTE opened the key A9 highway, which linked government controlled area in the south with Jaffna and ran through LTTE territory, allowing civilian traffic thr ough the V a nni region for the first tim e in m a ny years, but onl y af ter payi ng a tax to the LTTE. Many foreign countries also offered substantial fina nc i al suppor t if peace w a s achi eved and optimism grew that an end to the decades long conflict w a s in sight . The m u ch ant ici pat ed peace talks began in Phuket, Thailand further rounds followed in Phuket, Norway and Berlin, Germany. During the talks, both sides agreed to the principle of a federal solution and the Tigers dropped their long standing demand for separate state. This was a key compromise from the LTTE, which had always insisted on an independent Tamil state and it also represented a compromise from the government, which had seldom agreed to more than minimal devolution. Both sides also exchanged prisoners of war for first tim e.

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At the time the Sri Lankan government, which was facing an unrelated Marxist youth uprising by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna in the south, called in the Indian military immediately after the agreement was signed. A force dubbed the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was formed, and it initially oversaw a cease-fire and a m o des t di sarma me nt of the m i litant groups . The Sri La nkan governme nt pulled its troops south and put down the JVP rebellion as the IPKF took over control of most areas in the North of the country. While most Tamil militant groups laid down their weapons and agreed to seek a peaceful solution to the conflict , the LTTE ref us ed to di sarm its fight e rs . Kee n t o ens ure t he s uccess of the accord, the IPKF then tried to demobilize the LTTE by force and ended up in full-scale conflict w i th the m. The three year long conflict w a s al so m a rked by the IPKF bei ng accus ed of commi tting various abus es of human rights by many human rights groups as well as some within the Indian media. The IPKF also soon met stiff opposition from the Tamils. Simultaneously, nationalist sentiment led many Sinhalese to oppose the continued Indian presence in Sri Lanka. These led to the Sri Lankan government's call for India to quit the island, and they allegedly entered into a secret deal with the LTTE that culminated in a ceasefire. The LTTE and IPKF continued to have frequent hostilities, and according to some reports, the Sri Lankan government even armed the rebels in order to see the back of the Indian forces. Although casualties among the IPKF mounted, and calls for the withdrawal of the IPKF from both sides of the Sri Lankan conflict grew, Ga ndhi ref us ed to remo ve the IPKF from Sri La nka. H o we ver, fol lowi ng his defeat in Indian parliamentary elections in December 1989, the new prime Minister V. P. Singh ordered the withdrawal of the IPKF, and their last ship left Sri Lanka on March 24, 1990. The 32 month presence of the IPKF in Sri Lanka resulted in the deaths of 1100 Indian soldiers and over 5000 Sri Lankans. The cost for the Indian government was estimated at over 20 billion rupees. This Article is Available Online Also:http://upscportal.com/civilservices/mag/vol-3/article/LTTE-Discomfited

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all, 33% of Indian plant species are endemic. India's forest cover ranges from the tropical rainforest of the Andaman Islands, Western Ghats, and Northeast India to the coniferous forest of the Aiming to Sustainable Growth and Himalaya. Between these extremes lie the salDevelopment dominated moist deciduous forest of eastern India; teak-dominated dry deciduous forest of cenBy Sangeeta Gupta tral and southern India; and the babul-dominated Author is an expert of various competitive thorn forest of the central Deccan and western examination. Gangetic plain. Important Indian trees include the Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, medicinal neem, widely used in rural Indian animals, and other organisms. Domesticating wild herbal remedies. The pipal fig tree, shown on the plant and animal species for human benefit ha s seals of Mohenjo-daro, shaded the Gautama Budoccurred many times all over the planet, and has dha as he sought enlightenment. a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative. Wildlife can be found in all ecosys- Many Indian species are descendants of taxa origitems, Deserts, rain forests, plains, and other areas nating in Gondwana, to which India originally beincluding the most developed urban sites all have longed. Peninsular India's subsequent movement distinct forms of wildlife. While the term in popu- towards, and collision with, the Laurasian landlar culture usually refers to animals that are un- mass set off a mass exchange of species. However, touched by human factors, most scientists agree volcanism and climatic changes 20 million years that wildlife around the world is impacted by hu- ago caused the extinction of many endemic Indian forms. Soon thereafter, mammals entered man activities. India from Asia through two zoogeographical passes on either side of the emerging Himalaya. Indian wildlife:The wildlife of India is a mix of species of diverse As a result, among Indian species, only 12.6% of origins. The region's rich and diverse wildlife is mammals and 4.5% of birds are endemic, conpreserved in numerous national parks and wild- trasting with 45.8% of reptiles and 55.8% of amlife sanctuaries across the country. Since India is phibians. Notable endemics are the Nilgiri leaf home to a number of rare and threatened animal monkey and the brown and carmine Beddome's species, wildlife management in the country is toad of the Western Ghats. India contains 172, or essential to preserve these species. According to 2.9%, of IUCN-designated threatened species. one study, India is home to about 60-70% of the These include the Asiatic lion, the Bengal tiger, world's biodiversity. India, lying within the and the Indian white-rumped vulture, which sufIndomalaya ecozone, is home to about 7.6% of all fered a near-extinction from ingesting the carrion mammalian, 12.6% of avian, 6.2% of reptilian, of diclofenac-treated cattle. and 6.0% of flowe ring pl ant speci es . In recent decades, human encroachment has posed Many ecoregions, such as the shola forests, also a threat to India's wildlife; in response, the sysexhibit extremely high rates of endemism; over- tem of national parks and protected areas, first

Wildlife Conservation in India

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established in 1935, was substantially expanded. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger to safeguard crucial habitat; further federal protections were promulgated in the 1980s. Along with over 500 wildlife sanctuaries, India now hosts 14 biosphere reserves, four of which are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves; 25 wetlands are registered under the Ramsar Convention. The varied and rich wildlife of India has had a profound impact on the region's popular culture. Common name for wilderness in India is Jungle which was adopted by the British colonialists to the English language. The word has been also made famous in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. India's wildlife has been the subject of numerous other tales and fables such as the Panchatantra and the Jataka tales. The gradual emergence of the human beings as the most dominant species among all other species of animals and the attempt of the human beings to set themselves apart from other species is the main underlying cause of the contemporary environmental disaster. The main reason behind a threat to the wildlife and the ecosystem is the constantly growing deforestation, poaching and negligence towards animals and nature. The Indian Government has started nature projects like, Project Tiger, Nature Camps, Jungle Lodges, etc. to encourage wildlife awareness among the common people. Besides preserving the natural heritage, these projects also promote eco-tourism. Various Projects:Gir National Park in Gujarat is the only existent habitation for the nearly extinct Asiatic Lions in India. The Kaziranga Sanctuary in Assam is a major example of good effort to save the endangered Rhinoceros. Similarly, Periyar in Kerala is doing a great job to preserve the wild Elephants

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and Dachigam National Park is progressing rapidly to save Kashmiri Stag. Wildlife Conservation in India occupies a total area of about 3.29 million sq. km. that contains flor al and fauna l speci es , m a mma l s, rept iles , insects and birds. The Wildlife Conservation in India has become the most popular holiday destinations because of its diverseness. In India there are 571 sanctuaries and reserve parks that are protected by the Indian Government, mainly meant for the protection of the extinct species of animals and birds. Predators, Carnivores and Herbivores, - all are equally important to maintain the vital ecological processes as nutrient and water cycling. India has over 500 animal sanctuaries, referred to as Wildlife Sanctuaries (IUCN Category IV Protected Area). Among these, the 28 Tiger Reserves are governed by Project Tiger, and are of special significanc e in the cons ervat ion of the tiger. Some wildlife sanctuaries are specifically named Bird Sanctuary, eg. Keoladeo National Park before attained National Park status. Many National Parks were initially Wildlife Sanctuaries. Wildlife sanctuaries of national importance to conservation, usually due to some flagship faunal species, are named National Wildlife Sanctuary, like national chambal (gharial) Wildlife Sanctuary for conserving the Gharial (1978). Some of the important wildlife sanctuaries in India are:• Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh

• Corbett National Park in Uttar Pradesh • Gir National Park & Sanctuary in Gujarat • Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh • Kaziranga National Park in Assam

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• Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala • Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan • Sunderbans National Park in West Bengal • Dachigam National Park in Jammu & Kashmir • Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam National Parks of India:India's first na t iona l park (an IUCN cat egor y II pr ot ect ed area) wa s es tabl ishe d in 1935 as Ha i ley National Park, now known as Jim Corbett National Park. By 1970, India only had five na tiona l parks . In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger to safeguard the habitats of conservation reliant species. Further federal legislation strengthening protections for wildlife was introduced in the 1980s. As of April 2007, there are 96 national parks. All national park lands encompass a combined 38,029.18 km², 1.16% of India's total surface area. A total of 166 national parks have been authorized. Plans are underway to establish the remaining scheduled parks. Biosphere Reserves The term ‘Biosphere Reserve' should denote an area: • Which is, set aside for the conservation of the resources of the biosphere and for the improvement of the relationship between man and the environment; List of National Parks

• Dibru-Saikhowa National Park-Assam • Bandipur National Park-Karnataka • Desert National Park-Rajasthan • Dachigam National Park-Jammu and Kash- • Bannerghatta National Park-Karnataka • Vansda National Park-Gujarat mir • Betla National Park-Jharkhand • Corbett National Park-Uttarakhand • Chandoli National Park-Maharashtra • Bhitarkanika National Park-Orissa • Campbell Bay National Park-Andaman and • Blackbuck National Park, Velavadar-Gujarat Nicobar • Buxa Tiger Reserve-West Bengal • Anshi National Park-Karnataka • Fossil National Park-Madhya Pradesh • Balphakram National Park-Meghalaya • Great Himalayan National Park-Himachal • Bandhavgarh National Park-Madhya Pradesh Pradesh Conti..

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• Indira Gandhi National Park (Annamalai

National Park)- Tamil Nadu • Dudhwa National Park-Uttar Pradesh

• Intanki National Park-Nagaland • Guindy National Park-Tamil Nadu • Govind Pashu Vihar-Uttarakhand • Kaziranga National Park-Assam

• Khangchendzonga National Park-Sikkim • Kishtwar National Park-Jammu and Kashmir • Van Vihar National Park-Madhya Pradesh • Kanha National Park-Madhya Pradesh • Mollem National Park-Goa • Mount Harriet National Park-Andaman and

Nicobar

• Which is, to serve as sites for long term scientific res earch

as w e l l as educat ion al l over the w o r ld.

The programme of Biosphere Reserve was initiated under the 'Man & Biosphere' (MAB) programme by UNESCO in 1971. Biosphere Reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems promoting solutions to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use. They are internationally recognized, nominated by National Governments and remain under sovereign jurisdiction of the states where they are located. Biosphere Reserves serve in some ways as 'living laboratories' for testing out and demonstrating integrated management of land, water and biodiversity (CES., UNESCO, 2005., IUCN, 1979). List of Biosphere Reserves • Achanakmar-Amarkanta- Madhya Pradesh & Chhattishgarh

• Agasthyamalai- Kerala • Dehang-Debang- Arunachal Pradesh • Dibru-Saikhowa- Assam • Great Nicobar- Andaman and Nicobar • Gulf of Mannar - Tamil Nadu • Khangchenjunga – Sikkim • Manas- Assam • Nanda Devi-Uttaranchal • Nilgiri -Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka • Nokrek-Meghalaya • Pachmarhi -Madhya Pradesh • Simlipal-Orissa • Sunderbans-West Bengal

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IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation.Founded in 1948, its headquarters is located in the Lake Geneva area in Gland, Switzerland. The IUCN brings together 83 states, 108 government agencies, 766 Non-governmental organizations and 81 international organizations and about 10,000 experts and scientists from countries around the world. IUCN's mission is to influenc e, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.

Biosphere Reserve Objectives Each Biosphere Reserve is intended to fulfill thr ee basic func t ions , w h i ch are comp l eme nt ary and mutually reinforcing: • A conservation function - to contribute to the conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic variation; • A development function - to foster economic and human development which is socio-culturally and ecologically sustainable; • A logistic function - to provide support for research, monitoring, education and information exchange related to local, national and global issues of conservation and development (UNESCO, 2005). The Indian government has established 15 Biosphere Reserves of India, (categories roughly corresponding to IUCN Category V Protected areas), which protect larger areas of natural habitat (than a National Park or Animal Sanctuary), and often include one or more National Parks and/or preserves, along buffer zones that are open to some economic uses. Protection is granted not only to the flora and fauna of the protected region, but also to the human communities who inhabit these regions, and their ways of life. Four of the fifteen bi os phe re res erves are a part of the W o r ld Ne t wo r k of Bi os phe re Reserves, based on the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme list.

• Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve • Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve

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• Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve • Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Conservation of wildlife in India:The need for conservation of wildlife in India is often questioned because of the apparently incorrect priority in the face of dire poverty of the people. However Article 48 of the Constitution of India specifies tha t "the stat e sha l l endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country" and Article 51-A states that "it shall be the duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures." Large and charismatic mammals are important for wildlife tourism in India and several national parks and wildlife sanctuaries cater to these needs. Project Tiger started in 1972 is a major effort to conserve the tiger and its habitats. At the turn of the 20th century, one estimate of the tiger population in India placed the figur e at 40, 000, yet an Indian tiger census conducted in 1972 revealed the existence of only 1827 tigers. Various pressures in the later part of the 20th century led to the progressive decline of wilderness resulting in the disturbance of viable tiger habitats. At the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) General Assembly meeting in Delhi in 1969, serious concern was voiced about the threat to several species of wildlife and the shrinkage of wilderness in the India. In 1970, a national ban on tiger hunting was imposed and in 1972 the Wildlife Protection Act came into force. The framework was then set up to formulate a project for tiger conservation with an ecological approach.

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Project Tiger which was launched on April 1, 1973, has become one of the most successful conservation ventures in modern history. The project aims at tiger conservation in specially constituted 'tiger reserves' which are representative of various bio-geographical regions falling within India. It strives to maintain a viable tiger population in their natural environment. Today, there are 27 Project Tiger wildlife reserves in India covering an area of 37,761 km².Project Elephant, though less known, started in 1992 and works for elephant protection in India. Most of India's rhinos today survive in the Kaziranga National Park. The wildlife institute of India (WII) is a government institution run by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education which trains wildlife managers and wildlife researchers. Trained personnel from WII have contributed in studying and protecting wildlife in India. WII has also popularized wildlife studies and careers. The institute is based in Dehradun, India. It is located in Chandrabani, which is close to the southern forests of Dehradun. The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education also runs the Forest Research Institute and the Indian Institute of Forest Management Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 :In 1972 by the Government of India. Prior to 1972, India only had five des igna t ed na t iona l parks . Among other reforms, the Act established schedules of protected plant and animal species; hunting or otherwise harvesting these species was largely outlawed. The Act provides for the protection of Wild animals, birds and plants and for matters connected therewith or ancillary or incidental thereto. It extends to the whole of India, except the State of

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Jammu and Kashmir which has its own wildlife act. It has six schedules which give varying degrees of protection, with absolute protection being provided under Schedule I and part II of schedule II with the highest penalties prescribed for offences under these schedules and Species listed in the Sch. IV are also protected but the penalties are much lower, with the enforcement authorities having the power to compound offences (as in they impose fines on the of fenders).

This Article is Available Online Also:http://upscportal.com/civilservices/mag/vol-3/article/Wildlife-Conservation-in-India

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of cases. It referred to various reports submitted by the parliamentary committees recommending such regional Benches and said , there were tried all the measures to reduce the backlog of cases Three Regional Benches and the result appeared to be far from satisfacNeed of Time tory. The time has come when the entire judicial set-up will have to be re-hauled and refurbished The Law Commission of India headed by its Chair- in order to make the goal of speedy justice a pulperson Justice A.R. Lakshmanan has recommended sating reality. on May 07,2009 that a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court be set up at Delhi and three re- Why Should be New Benches Set-up? gional Benches at Chennai/Hyderabad, Kolkata The advantage of setting up Benches is that this and Mumbai to deal with appeals from High Courts can be made effective without any delay since the from the respective regions to exercise cessative constitution of Benches is a matter within the purjurisdiction of the apex court in each of the re- view and jurisdiction of the Supreme Court itself. gion. If the judge strength of the zonal benches is con-

Law Commission Recommendation

The Commission, in its report to be submitted to the government said: “The apex court would thus be relieved of the backlog of accumulated cases which are causing a burden and continuous strain on the resources of the apex court.” It said: “Since the accumulated cases pertaining to a particular region would be dealt with by the particular zonal Bench, the apex court would be free to deal with only constitutional cases such as interpretation of the Constitution, matters of national importance such as references made by the zonal Benches to larger Benches due to conflict of aut hority or any other reason, cases where the interests of more than one State are involved such as inter-State disputes on land, electricity, water, etc. Reference made under Articles 143 and 217 of the Constitution, Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections, suits between two or more States, etc.” The Commission suggested that all PILs from any part of India should be decided by the apex Constitution court to ensure no contradictory orders were issued and also to halt the mushroom growth

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fine d to two judges , each zone w i ll requi re onl y six judges which means that only 24 judges will be required for the four zones and other judges will be available in the apex court which have a Constitution Bench working on a regular basis. Apex Court's View:A parliamentary panel's repeated recommendations to establish more benches of the Supreme Court - aimed at enhancing its accessibility - have fallen on deaf ears in January 2009. While the apex court continued to stonewall the idea of establishing just a single bench 'even on experimental basis', the government is wary of accepting the panel's recommendation to amend the constitution to set up more benches. The Supreme Court's view on this issue is well known. According to it, no proposal at present to set up any bench of the Supreme Court anywhere in the country. The particular parliamentary panel has been stressing with unfailing regularity the need to set up at least three Supreme Court benches, one each at Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai for over

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the last two decades. But the Supreme Court had been consistently rejecting the proposal which would enhance its accessibility by its decentralisation. During the 14th Lok Sabha term, the parliamentary panel on the law and justice ministry, then headed by Congress stalwart and present External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, had recommended at least thrice between 1999 and 2000 to have more Supreme Court benches. And the Supreme Court rejected it every time. The recommendation was repeated in mid-2005 by the present parliamentary panel, headed by Natchiappan, who said at least one Supreme Court bench should be set up in Chennai 'at least on experimental basis'. Expressing its exasperation over the apex court's aversion to have any bench in other parts of the country, the committee had observed that it was not satisfied w i th the persistent opposition of the Supreme Court in establishing more benches in other parts of the country, more so when the court does not have any convincing reason or the justificat ion the reof ' . The committee therefore endorsed its earlier view that the establishment of benches of the Supreme Court in other parts of the country would be of immense help to the poor, who cannot afford to travel from their native places to Delhi .Factoring in the apex court's consistent opposition to the establishment of its bench, the parliamentary panel went to the extent of asking the government to amend the constitution to set up more Supreme Court benches. Article 130 of the constitution provides that 'the Supreme Court shall sit in Delhi or in such other place or places as the chief justice of India may, with the approval of the president, decide from time to time. But Union Law Ministry said the apex court has rejected the idea of setting

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up its bench in Chennai 'even on an experimental basis'. Cases Pending in Courts:Over three million cases are pending in India's 21 high courts, and an astounding 26.3 million cases are pending in subordinate courts across the country. At the same time, there are almost a quarter million under-trials languishing in jails across the country. Of these, some 2,069 have been in jail for more than five years, even as the i r gui lt or innocence is yet to be ascertained. This has been revealed by offici al figures emer ging f rom t he home ministry's department of justice, under a Right to Information Act application placed by a citizen. It has also been found that over a quarter of all pending high court cases are at Allahabad.

• The Allahabad High Court had some 1.09 mil-

lion pending cases, with over eight out of every 10 cases being civil cases at the end of 2006. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of India had a total of 39,780 civil and criminal pending cases at the end of last year. Madras High Court (406,958 pending cases) and Bombay High Court (362,949) were the others with a large number of pending cases. Sikkim is the lowest with just 51 pending cases. Of the pending cases in high courts, 704,214 were criminal and 3.2 million were civil cases.

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In subordinate courts, Uttar Pradesh again topped the number of pending cases (4.6 million), followed by Maharashtra (4.1 million), Gujarat (3.9 million), West Bengal (1.9 million), Bihar (1.2 million), Karnataka (1.06 million), Rajasthan (1.05 million), Orissa (1 million), Andhra Pradesh (900,000).

• In another query, the National Crime Records

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codification of the Pe na l Co de, the Cr im i na l Pr ocedure Code and a few other matters. Thereafter, the second, third and fourth Law Commissions were constituted in 1853, 1861 and 1879 respectively which, during a span of fifty years cont ributed a great deal to enrich the Indian Statute Book • Bihar (with 628 prisoners) topped the number with a large variety of legislations on the pattern of states with the maximum number of under-tri- of the then prevailing English Laws adapted to Indian conditions. The Indian Code of Civil Proals kept for over five years. Punj ab al so ha d 334 under-trials for over five years and U t tar Pr adesh cedure, the Indian Contract Act, the Indian Evihad 212. Delhi itself had 344 under-trials languish- dence Act, the Transfer of Property Act. etc. are products of the labour of the first four La w Co ming in jails for over five years. missions. Bureau that functions under the home ministry told Hari Kumar P. of Kasargod in a Right to Information Act reply that the number of under-trials in India was highest in Maharashtra (15,784) and Madhya Pradesh (15,777).

• On the positive side, some states had no under-

After independence, the Constitution of India with its Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy gave a new direction to law reform geared to the needs of a democratic legal order in a plural society. Though the Constitution stipulated the continuation of pre-Constitution Laws (Article 372) till they are amended or repealed, there had been demands in Parliament and What is Law Commission? outside for establishing a Central Law CommisLaw Reform has been a continuing process par- sion to recommend revision and updating of the ticularly during the last 300 years or more in In- inherited laws to serve the changing needs of the dian history. In the ancient period, when religious country. and customary law occupied the fiel d, ref orm pr ocess had been ad hoc and not institutionalised The Government of India reacted favourably and through duly constituted law reform agencies. established the First Law Commission of IndeHowever, since the third decade of the nineteenth pendent India in 1955 with the then Attorneycentury, Law Commissions were constituted by General of India, Mr. M. C. Setalvad, as its Chairthe Government from time to time and were em- man. Since then eighteen more Law Commissions powered to recommend legislative reforms with have been appointed, each with a three-year term a view to clarify, consolidate and codify particu- and with different terms of reference. The Eighlar branches of law where the Government felt teenth Law Commission was constituted under Dr. the necessity for it. Justice A R Lakshmanan, Former Judge Supreme trials in jail for this long a period without their trials being completed. These states included Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, and Tripura, apart from some smaller states and union territories.

Court of India through a Government order with The first such Co mmi ssion w a s establ ishe d in 1834 effect from September 1, 2006. It will have a three under the Charter Act of 1833 under the Chair- year term ending August 31, 2009. manship of Lord Macaulay which recommended This Article is Available Online Also:http://upscportal.com/civilservices/mag/vol-3/hot-topic/Law-Commission Copyright © 2009

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SECTION - 21 (Hot Topics: Assessment (Article: Hindi Article) Report (Performance Index For Civil Servants)

Annual Performance Assessment Report New Performance Index For Civil Servants The Ministry of Personnel has brought about changes in the method of evaluating the performance of the civil servants working under the government. Extending the ambit of changes for other civil services, which are not All India Services, the existing nomenclature of the Annual Confident ial Re por t (ACR) ha s been m o di fied as Annual Performance Assessment Report (APAR). The process had begun two years ago with the introduction of the new All India Services (Performance Appraisal Report) Rules, 2007, which only catered to the three All India Services (AIS) - Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS). Unlike other services, All India Services have state cadres. The All India Services (Performance Appraisal Report) Rules, 2007, provided for numerical assessment of the officers on a 1- 10 scal e, which was known as the "benchmark score". These rules further specified tha t perfor ma nc e appr ai sal of AIS officers wi ll not be based sol el y on the i r accomplishments, but will also take into account their integrity in handling the various responsibilities. "The full APAR including the overall grade and assessment of integrity shall be communicated to the concerned officer af ter the repor t is comp l et e with the remarks of the reviewing officer and the accepting authority. Where government servant has only one supervisory level above him as in the case of personal staff attached to officers, such

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communication shall be made after the reporting officer ha s comp l et ed the perfor ma nc e asses sment", the rules say. The concerned officer sha l l be given the opportunity to make any representation against the entries and the final gradi ng gi ven in the report within a period of 15 days. The representation shall be restricted to the specific fact ual obs ervat ions cont ai ne d in the repor t leading to assessment of the officer in terms of attributes, work output etc.The authority after due consideration may reject the representation or may accept and modify the APAR accordingly. The decision of the authority and the final gradi ng sha l l be communicated to the officer repor ted upon within 15 days. When the new PAR rules came into effect in 2007, the goal was to make performance appraisal a tool for career planning and training, rather than a "mere judgmental exercise". New All India Services (Performance Appraisal Report) Rules, 2007 A performance appraisal report assessing the performance, character, conduct and qualities of every member of the Service shall be written for each fina nc i al year or as m a y be speci fied by t he Government. Provided that a performance appraisal report may not be written in such cases as may be specified by the Ce nt ral G o vernme nt , by general or special order. Provided further that if a performance appraisal report for a fina nc i al year is not recor ded by 31s t of December of the year in which the fina nc i al year ended, no remarks may be recorded thereafter and the officer m a y be assessed on the basis of the overall record and self assessment for the year, if he has submitted his self-assessment on time.

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Explanation: For the purposes of this rule, “a Minister” shall not be construed as having demitted the office if he continues to be a Minister in the Council of Ministers with a different portfolio or in the Council of Ministers immediately reconstituted after the previous Council of Ministers of which he was a Minister with the same or a different portfolio provided the Prime Minister or the Chief Minister, as the case may be, continues in office. Review of the performance appraisal report: (1) The reviewing authority shall record his remarks on the performance appraisal report, within the timeframe specified in the Sche dul e 2. (2) Where the report is written by the reviewing authority under sub-rule of rule 5, or where the reviewing authority has not seen, and the accepting authority has seen, the performance of a member of the Service for at least three months during the period for which the performance appraisal report is written, the accepting authority shall review the performance appraisal report of any such member for any such period within the timeframe specified in the Sche dul e 2. (3) It shall not be competent for the reviewing authority, or the accepting authority, to review any such performance appraisal report unless it has seen the performance of the member of the Service for at least three months during the period for which the report has been written, and in every such case an entry to that effect shall be made in the performance appraisal report. (4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rules (1) and (2), it shall not be competent for the reviewing authority or the accepting authority to review any such performance appraisal report(a) Where the authority reviewing the performance appraisal report is a Government servant, after one month of his retirement from service, and (b) In other cases, after one month of the date on which he demits office. This Article is Available Online Also:http://upscportal.com/civilservices/mag/vol-3/hot-topic/Assessment-Report-For-CSE

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WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK! Please post your Feedback/Suggestions Online: http://upscportal.com/civilservices/contact Copyright © 2009

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SECTION - 31 (Interview : An Article) Exclusive Interview With Mayank Pandey) (Article: Hindi

An Exclusive Interview With Mayank Pandey Name : Mayank pandey Date of birth: 1/03/1981 High school: FCI Inter college gorakhpur 1996 Ist division 61% Intermediate: FCI Inter College Gorakhpur 1998 Ist division 62% B.Sc.: St Andrew’s College Gorakhpur 2001 IInd division 57% LL.B.: St Andrew’s College Gorakhpur 2004 Ist division 68% Gold Medallist of gorakhpur university LL.M. : Faculty of LAW , Delhi University 2007 Ist Division 61% Gold Medalist of DU Success Story : Bihar PCS (J) 40th Rank, UPPCS (J) 20th Rank, JRF Qualified Twice, IAS 2008 - 170th AIR Rank.

INTERVIEW UPSCPORTAL: What were the basic mantras of your success? Mayank Pandey- Confidenc e commi tme nt and cons istenc y are the m a nt ra of succes s. UPSCPORTAL: When did you start your preparation for the IAS examination? What was your strategy for this examination?

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SECTION - 31 (Interview : An Article) Exclusive Interview With Mayank Pandey) (Article: Hindi

Mayank Pandey: I started preparation from June 2007 appeared in pre in may 2008 you have 2 devote one and half year for this exam. For pre I was confident becaus e w i th law pr e is easy but for mains I was apprehensive specially for public administration so I made extensive study first and at the last sel ect ive approach. UPSCPORTAL:What were your optional? Mayank Pandey: First optional- Law 2nd Public Administration. UPSCPORTAL: How did you plan for pre exam? Mayank Pandey: For pre with law concentrate on bare act for IPC, TORT, CONSTITUTION and books for international law and jurisprudence. UPSCPORTAL: What about General studies? Mayank Pandey: Syllabus is very vast so there is a need of smart approach geography, science, reasoning and current covers almost 60-70 questions so I prepared these well.

Mayank Pandey: SMART approach of study i.e. SIMPLE, MEASURABLE ,ANSWERABLE, REVISABLE AND TRICKY. UPSCPORTAL: Did you join any coaching institute? What is your opinion about coaching institute? Mayank Pandey: I joined vazi ram for GS and for Public AD I joined SUNIL gupta’s answer writing classes besides that Alok sir of AMBITION coaching guided me in law for mains. Selection of coaching institute is very imp coz it will save your time energy and give you a right direction. UPSCPORTAL: Tell Us About Your Interview? Mayank Pandey: My interview was in I.M.G.Khan’s board it was about 35 minutes board was very cordial questions were asked about Naxalisn , Financial crisis criminal justice reform and the problems of my native place Gorakhpur. UPSCPORTAL: What is your suggestion for new comers?

UPSCPORTAL: What is the best way to prepare current affairs?

Mayank Pandey: Always believe in yourself and be confident .

Mayank Pandey: Besides reading you will have to think over current event because opinion based question have been asked in mains which requires knowledge plus your own articulation.

UPSCPORTAL: Your opinion about Aspirants Times?

UPSCPORTAL: What about time management? And what was your strategy for mains?

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Mayank Pandey: Aspirants Times is the best magazine for civils because coverage of this magazine is very extensive. The articles about matter of current importance are well articulated and rich in content.

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SECTION - 31 (Interview : An Article) Exclusive Interview With Mayank Pandey) (Article: Hindi

UPSCPORTAL: What is your opinion about self study? Mayank Pandey: Self-study is inevitable for civil services. UPSCPORTAL: Do you think civil services exam is true test of a candidate’s merit? What is your advice to the candidate who failed in the exam? Mayank Pandey: Try & Try again never lose your confidenc e. Some t im e s luck for cede labor but there is no substitute of labor. UPSCPORTAL: What do you feel about the secret of your success? To whom do you refer for the credit your success? Mayank Pandey: The credit for my success goes to my mother who is a source of inspiration for me and specially my roommate Brajesh Rajak and Shailendra who were my helping hand throughout the preparation... Best of luck .. UPSCPORTAL Team! This Article is Available Online Also:http://upscportal.com/civilservices/mag/vol-3/interview/Interview-With-Mayank-Pandey

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CURRENT AFFAIRS

• Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik on May

31,2009 took charge as the 19th chief of the India Air Force from Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major, who demitted office. With more than four decades of distinguished service, Air Chief Marshal Naik (60) saw action in the 1971 India-Pakistan war. He has been decorated with the Param Vishist Seva Medal and the Vishist Seva Medal. Born on July 22, 1949 in Nagpur, Air Chief Marshal Naik was commissioned into the IAF on June 21, 1969 as a fight er pi lot . An al umn us of Sai ni k School , Satara, and the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla, Maharashtra, he has held many ‘Command Staff’ and ‘Instructional’ appointments. He has clocked more than 3000 hours of flyi ng. He has also served as Air Officer Co mma ndi ngin-Chief of the Central Air Command, Allahabad. Besides being a fellow of the National Defence College, New Delhi, the College of Defence Management, Secunderabad, and the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, he has attended courses such as the flyi ng ins truct or ’ s cour se, the jungl e and snow survival course and the junior commander’s course. He is also one of the Honorary Aides-de-Camp to the President, the Supreme Commander of the armed forces.

the month of April,2009. Even as certain sectors showed signs of revival in the last few weeks, exports continued to decline for the seventh month in a row dropping sharply by 33.2 per cent $10.74 billion in April, the highest fall in the last 14 years, from $16.08 billion in the same month a year ago. After an impressive growth rate of over 30 per cent in the first six m o nt hs of 2008- 09, exports started declining since October. In 2008-09, exports grew by a megre 3.4 per cent to $168.7 billion. According to the offici al figures, oil im ports contracted by 58.5 per cent to $3.6 billion in April, while non-oil inbound shipments too dropped by 24.6 per cent to $12.1 billion. exports would remain in the range of $170 billion in 200910. With rising oil product prices, the trade deficit for the current fiscal wo ul d rema i n at $100 billion compared to last year’s $120 billion.

• The Board of Approval (BoA) in the Ministry

of Commerce and Industry on june 3,2009 has approved 10 special economic zones (SEZs) and allowed one-year extension to four projects, including Mukesh Ambani-promoted Rewas Ports, for land acquisition. The BoA gave formal approvals to eight proposals, including those of Gulf Oil Corporation, Emmar MGF and Larsen and Toubro. Two other proposals were also given inprinciple approvals. The Board also allowed leading realty players DLF to withdraw four of its IT/ ITeS tax-free enclaves, asking the company to refund Rs. 6-7 crore worth of fiscal sops it wo ul d have availed itself of. Four developers, including Ambani-promoted Rewas Ports in Raigad, Maharashtra, and K. Raheja group have been al• The continued recession and economic down- lowed extension of in-principle approval by one year. These projects have not been able to acquire turn, especially in the U.S. and European markets, the required land. The total investment expected took a toll on exports as well as imports. Imports from these approved SEZs would be about Rs. dropped by 36.6 per cent to $15.75 billion during

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while deaths due to terrorism decreased by 6,700, or 30 percent. According to the report, coordination, sophistication, and frequency of suicide bombings in Pakistan continued to grow in 2008. The report also noted that India-Pakistan relations were improving despite an increased number of infiltrat ions acros s the Li ne of Co nt rol , unt il the y u mb ai attack • The Supreme Court on june 01,2009 expressed were significant ly set back by the M its anguish over the increasing incidents of dowry in November 2008. deaths and suggested that no mercy be shown to those accused of burning women to death over • Congressional Research Service has prepared a dowry demands and such persons should be report according to which Pakistan with about 60 hanged. The Bench was hearing an application nuclear warheads primarily targeted towards India is continuing production of fissile m a t erial for filed by Pr em Kuma r G u l ati, the el der bot he r-inlaw of the bride, who was burnt to death in weapons and adding to its weapons production faHaryana. He was awarded life imprisonment by cilities and delivery vehicles. CRS is a research the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The appli- wing of the US Congress which prepares reports cant was accused of burning his brother’s wife in for Congressmen. It confirme d the recent stat ecollusion with his brother and mother. The Court ments and media reports that Pakistan was expandsaid that in India hundreds of innocent women are ing its nuclear arsenal. According to the report, being burnt to death. It is an uncivilised act. This Pakistan stores its warheads unassembled with the is against the norms of civilised society. It’s bar- fissile cor e separat e from non- nucl ear expl os ives, and these are stored separately from their delivbaric. ery vehicles. • US State Department released an annual report u j arat cadr e, on terrorism on April 30,2009. According to the • A 1973 batch IAS officer of the G report, India ranks among the world’s most ter- Ashok Chawla was appointed Finance Secretary rorism-affected countries. The report on terror- in the Government of India. Ashok Chawla hold various important portism was released on April 30. The report highfolios in the fiel d of lighted the 26/11 Mumbai carnage and seven economy, Industry, other major terror strikes across India in 2008. Chemicals & FertilizThe terrorism report 2008 was heavily focused ers, Oil and Natural on Pakistan, far more than Iraq or Afghanistan, Gas, Insurance and inand paints a grim picture of a country in the throes frastructure. He also of endemic extremist violence. Approximately worked as Secretary, 11800 terrorist attacks occurred in various counDepartment of Ecotries during 2008, resulting in over 54,000 deaths, nomic Affairs and Secinjuries, and kidnappings. Compared to 2007, atretary, Ministry of tacks decreased by 2,700, or 18 percent, in 2008 1,000 crore. The two proposals that have got inprincipal approvals include Krishnapatnam Infratech in Kota Mandal (Andhra Pradesh) and Maharaja Multitrade in Nashik (Maharashtra) for multi-product and multi-services SEZs respectively.

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Civil Aviation. Also he was given Additional • Leader of Meghalaya United Alliance Donwa charge of the Department of Financial Services Dethwelson Lapang was sworn-in as the Chief since May 1,2009. Minister of Meghalaya on May 13,2009. Meghalaya United Alliance is comprises of the • 1975 batch IAS officer of An dhr a Pr adesh cadr e Congress and a regional party, United Democratic H. S. Brahma took the charge of Secretary, Union Party. The alliance has 37 Members of LegislaMinistry of Power on May 12,2009. He was ear- tive Assembly -26 from the Congress, nine from lier Special Secretary, National Disaster Manage- UDP and two Independents-in the 60-member ment Authority in the Ministry of Home Affairs. house. Meghalaya was under President's rule since March 18, 2009 after the governor reported that • 1971 batch IAS officer of An dhr a pr adesh cadr e there was a 'breakdown of constitutional machinJS Sarma took the charge of the chairman of the ery.' President's rule was lifted on May 8. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on May • Ruth Padel, one of Britain’s most respected po14,2009. He succeeded ets and great-great-granddaughter of Charles Daro ma n Pr of es sor Nripendra Misra who superan- win had been elected the first w nuated on March 22. After of Poetry at Oxford University in 300 years beatNripendra Misra’s retirement ing Indian academic Arvind Krishna Mehrotra. AK Sawhney, the senior-most Later on May 26,2009 she was forced to quit folmember in Trai had been act- lowing a row over her alleged involvement in a ing as the TRAI chairman. TRAI smear campaign against her main rival, Nobel is an independent regulator for all issues relating laureate Derek Walcott. to telecom and broadcasting. The salary and emoluments for the TRAI chairman's position was • Aditya Puri, managing director of HDFC Bank recently increased to Rs 3 lakh per month, who was ranked as India's holds a three-year term as the industry regulator. Best CEO (overall) in Finance Asia • Pascal Lamy was reappointed director-general magazine's annual of World Trade Organisation. The General Coun- poll of investors and cil, on 30 April,2009 endorsed reappointment of analysts. He defeated Lamy for a second term of four years. He was Infosys Technology, elected unopposed for the post as none of the Bharti Airtel and ReWTO's 153 member states put forward another liance Industries to candidate by the deadline of December 31, 2008. take the top spot in A French political advisor and businessman Pas- 2009 poll. Finance cal Lamy had worked as European Commissioner Asia conducts annual for Trade. He is also Honorary President of Paris- polls to rank Asia's top companies in different categories, including those with the Best CEO. based think tank Notre Europe.

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• Leader of African National Congress (ANC), • Leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Uni-

Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma took oath as fourth President of South Africa since the end of apartheid. He was administered the oath by Constitutional Court Chief Justice Pius Langa in front of Father of the Nation for the New South Africa and first bl ack pr es ident N e l son M a ndel a and 30 Heads of States and Governments on May 10,2009 in Pretoria. Jacob Zuma, a self-taught man who fought the apartheid regime from inside South Africa and spent 10 years in prison in Robben Island along with Mandela succeeded outgoing President Kgalema Motlanthe. Jacob Zuma was the head of the ANC’s internal security wing during the struggle against apartheid. The election held in April 2009, his party ANC polled 65.9 per cent of the votes and narrowly missed getting the two-thirds majority in parliament.

• Human rights activist and vice-president of the

People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Binayak Sen was granted bail by Supreme Court on May 25,2009. Binayak Sen was arrested under the act on the charges of acting as a courier for an alleged Naxalite ideologue. He had been in detention in Raipur jail since since May 14, 2007 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

fied Ma rxi st Le ni ni st) Ma dha v Ku ma r Ne pal sworn in by President Ram Baran Yadav as second Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal on May 25,2009. Earlier he received 359 votes out of the 601-member Constituent Assembly and was declared winner. Nepali Congress president Girija Pr asad Ko i ral a and senior congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba proposed Madhav Kumar Nepal’s name while CPN-UML chairman Jhalanath Khanal and 21 other Constituent Assembly members supported it. The UCPN (Maoists) boycotted the election announcing they would not support the government. The CPN (unified) and the Jana t a D a l al so boycotted the House. He replaced first M a oi st prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda who had resigned on May 4, following a row over the tenure of Army chief General Rookmangud Katawal.

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The former Deputy Director-General of the Telecom department, Runu Ghosh was sentenced to three-year rigorous imprisonment by a court on May 15,2009 for amassing disproportionate assets worth Rs 20.94 lakhs during the tenure of former union minister Sukhram and ordered forfeiture of the assets. She was convicted for acquiring the illegal wealth during a period from November 1, 1992 to August 16, 1996 while serving as deputy director general in the Telecom department

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Conservative supermarket magnate Ricardo Martinelli was elected New President of Panama bility of home minister in newly formed cabinet on May 3,2009. He got 61 percent votes and rulin Andhra Pradesh. She became first w o ma n in ing party candidate Balbina Herrera got 37 perAndhra Pradesh to hold the post of home minister cent votes. Former President Guillermo Endara was a distant third. 54 -year-old Herrera served of state.

• P. Sabita Indra Reddy was given the responsi-

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as housing minister under outgoing President Martin Torrijos . Pr es ident s in Pa na ma are el ected for a single, five-year term. The U. S. -educat ed, pro-business 57-year-old Martinelli owns Panama's largest supermarket chain. He promised work for a national unity government.

•

Sister Mary Prema was declared new superior general of the Missionaries of Charity, a congregation founded by Mother Teresa. German-born nun Mary Prema replaced Sister Nirmala Joshi, who was re-elected for the third time on 13 March,2009 but she requested to be relieved of her duties due to ailing health. Miss Joshi has led the congregation since 1997, after the death of Nobel laureate Mother Teresa. Missionaries of Charity (MoC)was established in Kolkata in 1950 by Mother Teresa. She was awarded Nobel Peace prize in 1979. MoC is a Roman Catholic religious order comprising of over 4500 sisters in 133 countries.

•

•

Horst Koehler was reelected as the President of Germany by a single vote for a second five year term on May 23,2009. The 1224-seat assembly members and state representatives of the country's 16 state legislatures, who include local television celebrities and sports stars, voted in a secret ballot. He had the backing of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats and the opposition Free Democrats. Horst Koehler received 613 votes while his opponent the center-left Social Democratic Party candidate Gesine Schwan secured 503 votes. Horst Koehler had been managing director of the International Monetary Fund between 2000 and 2004.

• INS Airavat, the fifth indi genous ly- bui lt land-

ing ship tank, was commissioned into the naval fleet at the Ea stern N a val Co mma nd (ENC) base Visakhapatnam on May 19,2009. The warship can carry 10 main battle tanks, 11 combat trucks and 500 troops and has a considerable range and endurance on sea. Third of the Shardul Class of ships, INS Airavat is the most contemporary and fully indigenized LST (L) in the Indian Navy. The warship has soft-kill ability through chaff rockets which could be used to clutter the sensory inputs of an incoming energy aircraft or missile. It is also fitted w i th remo t e pr opul sion cont rol , bat tle damage control and automated power management systems. INS Airavat would augment the operational capabilities and reach of the Eastern Naval Command, in addition to enhancing the amphibious and disaster relief potential of the Eastern Fleet.

The government of India appointed Hardeep Singh Puri as India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He succeed Nirupam Sen, whose term ended March 31,2009. A 1974-batch Indian Foreign Service officer , Hardeep Singh Puri served as India’s ambassador to Brazil and prior to his new appointment, he was as secre- • The ‘Time’ magazine has published Time 100 tary (economic affairs) list of the World's Most Influent ial Pe opl e’ in the in the external affairs category of political leaders, celebrities and acaministry. demicians among others in the May 11,2009 annual Time 100 issue. World's Most Influent ial

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People list was prepared by magazine's editors and it was different from popular choice in TIME. com's online poll. Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani (31st) and Oscar winning Indian music director A R Rahman (59th) made it to the list. Democratic senator Edward Kennedy and British premier Gordon Brown made it to the first and second spot res pect ivel y. U S secret ary of St at e H i llary Cl int on is in the eighth place, Pakistan army chief Ashfaq Kayani is sitting pretty at the 19th position, just a spot ahead of President Barack Obama. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos and media celebrity Oprah Winfrey also placed on the list. Sri Lankan performer in the ‘O Saya’ song of Slumdog Millionaire, Maya Arulpragasam placed 43rd.

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The U.S. State Department's security director Gregory Starr was appointed new U.N. security chief overseeing the world body's far-flung secur ity operat ions . St arr wa s gi ven res pons ibi lity of protecting more than 285 U.S. embassies and consulates overseas as well as 100 domestic facilities. He replaced David Veness of Britain who resigned in June 2008 over the December 2007 truck bombing at U.N. offices and anot he r bui ldi ng in A l gi ers tha t ki lled 17 U . N. staf fers and inj ur ed 40 ot he rs.

Prakash Mehra passed away Seventy year old Veteran film ma ker Pr akash M e hr a passed awa y on May 17,2009 at Andheri in Mumbai.. Mehra had begun his career as a production controller in the late 50s and turned director with the musical super hit Haseena Man Jaayegi (1968) starring Shashi Kapoor. He is credited for giving Amitabh Bachchan that big break with his Zanjeer, following which there was no looking back for Bachchan. They together made seven film s , mo s t not abl e of the m bei ng He ra Phe ri (1976) , Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), Laawaris (1981), Namak Halal (1982) and of course Sharaabi (1984). Bal Brahmachari (1996) was his last directed film and Re kha starrer M u j he M e ri Bi wi Se Ba cha o (2001) w as his last produced film . Pr akash M e hr a wa s one of the first Bol l ywoo d dir ect ors to t ry venture into Hollywood.

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Madhu Kannan was appointed managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Bomb ay Stock Exchange (BSE) on May 11,2009 by its board. Prior to his appointment, he was a managing director (corporate strategy) with Bank of America-Merrill Lynch based in New York. Kannan also held various senior roles across businesses at the NYSE Euronext. The post of CEO was lying vacant ever since its managing director, Rajnikant Patel, resigned abruptly in August 2008.

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Rajan Santosham, cardiothoracic surgeon and chairman of the Santosham Chest Hospital Rajan

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Santosham was elected the Regent for India of the American College of Chest Physicians and Surgeons, U.S. He was also elected the president of the Indian Association of Cardio-Vascular Thoracic Surgeons that was held on May 17,2009 at Srinagar in Kashmir.

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Congress leader YS Rajasekhara Reddy took the oath as the 14th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on May 20,2009. He became the first Chi ef Minister in the State to be sworn in for a second consecutive term after serving full five-year tenure. Andhra Pradesh governor ND Tiwari also administered the oath of office to 35 m i ni sters, who were inducted into the ministry.

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Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and director-general, The Energy and Resources Institute, R.K. Pachauri took over as chairman, governing council, National Agro Foundation (NAF). NAF was founded by the C. Subramaniam, who was an architect of India’s Green Revolution.

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Britain's Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin resigned on May 19,2009 because of a backlash over excessive expense claims by lawmakers. He is the first speaker to be for ced out of office sinc e 1695. Be f or e M a rtin’ s res igna tion, Sir John Trevor was last speaker to be forced from his position in 1965. He was found guilty of accepting a bribe in 1695. Michael Martin was elected to represent a Glasgow constituency in the House of Commons in 1979 as a member of the Labour Party and became speaker in 2000.

the careers of several MPs following damaging revelations about widespread abuse of the claims system by members of all parties.

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Admiral SM Nanda died after a prolonged illness on May 11,2009 in New Delhi. He led the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pak Conflict of 1971. Ninety three-year-old Nanda, a Padma Vibhushan award winner, Admiral Nanda was appointed the Chief of Naval Staff on March 1, 1970. He retired in 1973. He was awarded the Param Vishist Seva Medal (PVSM) and the Ati Vishist Seva Medal (AVSM) for his distinguished service.

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The Brazilian theater director and playwright Augusto Boal passed away on May 2,2009. He was 78. Augusto Boal was known for the interactive genre called the ‘Theater of the Oppressed.’ It was a way to establish a dialogue between audience, playwright, director and actors that encouraged political activism. Boal was arrested, jailed and tortured before being exiled to Argentina by the dictatorship that ruled Brazil between 1964 and 1985.

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Sant Rama Nand, associate head of the Jalandhar-based Dera Sacha Khand died on May 25,2009 after he wounded in the fatal shooting at a Sikh temple in Vienna. He was 57. At least 15 other people were wounded, including four of the attackers, who were eventually overpowered by • British Justice Minister Shahid Malik was worshippers. forced to resign on May 15,2009 in the MPs’ expenses claims scandal. The scandal already ruined

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Former South Korean President Roh Moohyun died after throwing himself off a rocky cliff that overlooks his home in the village of Bongha, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul on May 23,2009. He was 62. Roh was under investigation for receiving millions of dollars in bribes from a businessman while in office. H i s admi ni stration ended in 2008 dogged by scandal and infight ing. Ro h Moo-hyun’s Uri party was hit by scandal and infight ing, and the re w a s fierce publ i c oppos i tion to several of his policies. He was suspended early in 2004, after parliament voted to impeach him over a breach of election rules, but the Constitutional Court later overturned the move and he was reinstated.

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A prominent and influent ial yoga teache r Krishna Pattabhi Jois passed away in Mysore at the age of 93. He popularised the school of yoga known as Ashtanga, characterised by fast-paced exercises that involve pronounced, but controlled, breathing while holding varying postures. He opened his own school, the Ashtanga Yoga Institute.

Lakshmi Automatic Loom Works Limited and the Lakshmi Card Clothing Manufacturing Company. He was the founder-president of the South India Cotton Association (1978-1998) and continued to be its emeritus president.

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Sri Lankan Army killed Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam chief Velupillai Prabakaran with at least 18 top leaders including Pottu Amman, B. Nadesan and S. Pulithevan in an intense battle on May 18,2009. Prabhakaran founded LTTE on a culture of suicide attacks and had developed an aura of invincibility. He was the prime architect of the bloody 30-year civil war, and was responsible for the assassinations of several political leaders including India's Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in1991 and Sri Lankan President Premadasa in1993.

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Many people died in Mexico from swine flu in • Gadar Activist Bhagat Singh Bilga died on April and May,2009. Government decided to shut down all schools nationwide for more than a week May 22,2009 in Birmingham, England, at his son’s and vastly limit public gatherings in the country. residence. He was 102. He was the last surviving A virus subtype H1N1 is an epidemic of a new member of the pre-Independence Gadar Party strain of influenz a vi rus ident ified i nApr i l 2009, founded in San Francisco in 1913 by U.S.-based commonly referred to as ‘swine flu’ . Indians to join in the struggle for India’s independence. He openly and totally opposed the Khalistan • A key strategic town north of Mogadishu, agitation. Jowhar was taken control by the Somali insur• Chairman and managing director of Lakshmi gent group al-Shabaab on May 17,2009.

Mills G.K. Sundaram died in Coimbatore on May 18,2009 at the age of 95. A doyen of the textile • Sikh guru Sant Rama Nand of to Sach Khand industry, Sundaram was also the chairman of dera was killed with others in a rival group attack

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on a Sikh temple in Vienna, Austria. Later many people wounded in post-Vienna clashes in Punjab and Haryana states of India.

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Scientists found evidence of an unexpected particle whose curious characteristics may reveal new ways that quarks can combine to form matter. The new particle was temporarily designated as Y(4140). It has a mass equivalent to 4140 million electron volts (MeV) of energy – in the sense of Einstein’s mass-energy relation – and the symbol Y is indicative of its as yet unconfirme d and illunderstood status. At present, it is not clear what exactly Y (4140) is made of.

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A new 47-million year old primate fossil Ida, found in Germany was unveiled to the world at the American Museum of Natural History in New York on May 19,2009. It may be a key link to explaining the evolution of early primates and, perhaps, telling them about developments that led to modern human beings. Dr. Jorn Hurum of the University of Oslo, who led the two-year effort to determine the fossil's importance, nicknamed it ‘Ida’ after his own six-year-old daughter. Ida, the fossil of a young female that probably resembled a modern-day lemur was described as the most complete primate fossil ever found.

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Tropical cyclone Aila wreaked havoc in Kolkata, its suburbs and across south Bengal. Aila also hit Bangladesh's southern coastlines with wind-driven tidal surged inundating residential areas and breaching embankments. Many people died on both sides.

Books and Authors

• Challenge and Strategy-Rethinking India’s Foreign Policy : Rajiv Sikri • Is Slam in Danger of Going Soft? :Larry Rohter • India and the Global Financial Crisis: Managing Money and Financ:Y. V. Reddy • The Boy with the Topknot: A Memoir of Love, Secrets and Lies in Wolverhampton: Sathnam Sanghera • CIA's eye on South Asia: Anuj Dhar

• Tiger Hills : Sarita Mandanna • The Icon : Marshal of the Indian Air force Arjun Singh : Air Commodore Jasjit Singh • Government in India : An Inside View: T.S.R. Subramanian • Why I Supported the Emergency: Essays and Profiles: Khushwant Singh • The Two Lolitas : Michael Maar

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AWACS aircraft was inducted into Indian Air Force on May 28,2009. Earlier the AWACS aircraft landed at Jamnagar air base in Gujarat. The aircraft will operate from the Agra air base under the Central Air Command as part of the extended fleet of the IL- 76s fami ly. Indi a became the first country in South Asia to own an AWACS, popularly called 'an eye in the sky'. The aircraft being looked as a replacement for the IL-76 include Embraer and Gulfstream 550, which can carry out flyi ng m i ssions of over nine hours at a stretch.

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A meeting of the SCO security chiefs was held in Moscow in May 2009. The meet voiced concern over the situation in Pakistan and the risk of its nuclear weapons falling into terrorist hands. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental mutual-security organization which was founded in 2001 by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

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The Supreme Court strengthened the Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by the former CBI Director, R.K. Raghavan, by inducting the two more former CBI officers to pr obe rel at ivel y gruesome incidents during the 2002 Gujarat riots. Thus it became a six-member team now.

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Astra is India’s first beyond vi sual range ai r-to- ai r m i ssile (BVRAM) . It w a s tes t-launc he d from the integrated test range at Chandipur-on-sea on May 7,2009. Astra is a high-end tactical missile and is envisaged to intercept enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds in head-on mode at a range of 80 km and in tail-chase mode at 20 km.

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Former Governor of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab passed away on May 2,2009 at his house in Shamli town of Uttar Pradesh at the age of 93. He was also a member of the Lok Sabha from 1998 to 1999.

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Renowned Marathi film di rect or and edi tor N S Va i dya di ed at the age of 83. He wo n m a ny acclaims including ‘Filmfare’ award for best direction and editing of the film ‘Le k Cha l al i Sasarla’ in 1985.

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A team from Appalachian State University and Deccan College Pune analyses 4000- year-old skeleton from India and found the evidence of leprosy. The skeleton represents both the earliest archaeological evidence for human infection with Mycobacterium leprae in the world and the first evidence for the disease in prehistoric India. The study demonstrates that leprosy was present in human populations in India by the end of the mature phase of the Indus Civilisation (2000 BC) and provides support for one hypothesis about prehistoric transmission routes for disease.

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World Bank Report According to World Bank report, India can further its climate resilience through a combination of measures and right incentives aimed at multiple levels of government-local, state, and national. The Report, ‘Climate Change Impacts in Drought-and Flood-Affected Areas: Case Studies in India’ is the first of its ki nd in Sout h As ia Re gi on. The Report looks at options to tackle the problem of adaptation to climate change in selected climate hotspots. It addresses both current climate vulnerabilities, identifies ef fect ive coping strategies and investigates future climate impacts and adaptive responses. The report’s regional focus is on two drought-prone regions of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra and a flood pr one regi on in Or issa. It m a kes a strong case for a shi ft in agricultural systems in order to overcome future climate change pressures. The report said that building climate risk assessment as a requirement for all longlived infrastructure projects; explores new and innovative fina nci al ins trume nt s to pr omote income diversification in rur al areas; emp ha sizes the need for aggres sivel y pur suing water conservation and controlling groundwater demand at a larger geographical scale and suggests strengthened support for agricultural research and extension to promote sustainable modes of dryland farming. The report has suggested a better manage climate risks through setting up a climate information management system to help integrate baseline information into policy, planning and investment decisions.

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Amnesty International launched its report on May 28,2009 in London. The 2009 Report provides key trends and events in 2008 across 157 countries. According to the report, the World is sitting on a social, political and economic time bomb that will explode if human rights concerns are not addressed. Billions of people are suffering from insecurity, injustice and indignity around the world and the global fina nci al situat ion m a de the human rights crisis far worse. More people were driven into poverty and placed at increased risk of human rights violations. In Africa, the food crisis, a hallmark of 2008, had a disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups. In Asia, millions of people swelled the ranks of those already living in poverty, as the cost of food, fuel and other commodities increased dramatically in 2008. Facts: » Across the region, the gap between rich and poor remained vast.

» Amnesty International recorded torture and

other forms of ill-treatment in 14 of the G-20 countries during 2008. » China is also the world’s leading executioner.

» China increased repression of human rights defenders, religious practitioners, ethnic minorities, lawyers and journalists. » In Japan, the number of executions increased and prisoners faced prolonged periods of solitary confine me nt and ina dequat e acces s to me di cal care. » The world needs leadership that moves states

from narrow self-interest to multilateral cooperation.

» The world needs a new global deal for human

rights.

» During 2008 many governments continued to

» The consequences of the economic crisis can ignore the voices of the poor and the marginalized. only be addressed with a coordinated global re» The fina nc i al crisis and rising food pr ices af - sponse based on human rights and the rule of law. fected those already living in or close to poverty in the Middle East and North Africa, » World leaders must invest in human rights as » Recession has fuelled even greater repression, purposefully as it invests in economic growth. as protests stemming from poverty, economic disparities or a lack of justice are brutally suppressed. • A six-day international festival of children’s » In Latin America and the Caribbean, poverty, films showc asing films from 2 0 count r ies was held in Kolkata from May 24,2009. Hollywood inequality and discrimination increased. hit ‘Kung Fu Panda’ was the inaugural film of the festival, it also included award-winning film s » At least 2,390 people were executed worldwide. from the Netherlands, Italy, France, Iran, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia and the USA – all G-20 mem- etc as well as some UNICEF productions. ber states – accounted for the highest number of executions

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User trial of nuclear-capable ‘Agni-II' missile was successfully conducted by the Army on May 19,2009. Scientists from Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) were present to provide the necessary logistical support. The test of ‘Agni-II', an indigenously built Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile was carried out from a mobile launcher pad-4 of Integrated Test Range at Wheelers Island near Dhamra, about 80 km from Balasore (Orissa). The state-owned Bharat Dynamics Ltd is the nodal agency for the production of Agni-I and Agni-II missiles. Agni-II missile was first tested on April 11, 1999, and inducted in the Army in 2004. The indigenously built surface-to-surface Agni-I missile has a strike range of 1500 km, while Agni-II missile has the capability of hitting targ ets at ranges between 2500 to 3,000 km with a 1000 kg pay-load.

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SPORTS

for the first tim e in 26 Cha mp i ons League m a tche s and failed to defend its 2008 title. This was the third title of the season for Barcelona. Thus it became the first team to w i n the Spani sh trebl e of La Liga, the King's Cup and the Champions League. Manchester United earlier won European Champion Clubs’ Cup in 1968, then 1999 and 2008. Barcelona won first Eur opean Cha mp i ons Cup in 1992 and then in 2006. The UEFA Champions League is usually referred to as simply the Champions League or less frequently as the European Cup. It is an annual football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It is the most prestigious club trophy in European football. Prior to 1992 the tournament was offici al ly cal led the Eur opean Champion Clubs' Cup. The all-time record-holder is Real Madrid, who won the competition nine times, including the first five s eas ons it was contested.

l As part of the ‘Win in India with India’ programme launched by FIFA President Sepp Blatter in 2007, the football’s world governing body has sanctioned 10 international standard artifici al tur f fiel ds to the Al l Indi a Football Federation (AIFF).The AIFF is understood to have picked states where the I-League clubs are based and where the ambitious Asian Football Confederation programme ‘Vision India’ is being implemented to lay the turfs. States like Goa, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Manipur, Punjab, Delhi, Sikkim, Maharashtra and Karnataka stand a good chance to get the turfs. FIFA is expected to handle the project independently in terms of bidding process, contract signing and testing. Each artifici al l Inter Milan retained their Series A title with turf is expected to cost a minimum of Rs four three games to spare after second-placed AC Milan put in a weak performance to lose 2-1 at Udinese crore. on May 17,2009. Inter's triumph, in former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho's first season i n l In Table Tennis World Championship held at Yokohama in Japan, China swept away the cham- charge, is their fourth straight scudetto and their pionship bagging all the gold and silver medals 17th overall. Mourinho now won titles with in the in the eight-day bonanza. Remaining three Porto, Chelsea and Inter. It was Mourinho’s fifth bronzes were won by Hong Kong, South Korea title in seven years in three different countries and host Japan. Wang Hao of China won men’s having claimed the Portuguese crown with Porto in 2003 and 2004 and the English Premier League singles fina l def eating comp at riot W a ng Li qi n and Olympic champion Zhang Yining won women’s trophy in 2005 and 2006 with Chelsea. Similarly in Spain, Barcelona was gifted its 19th Primera singles title defeating fellow Chinese Guo Yue. Liga title without kicking a ball on Saturday when second placed Real Madrid was beaten 3-2 at l Barcelona registered 2-0 victory against holder Manchester United in the European Champions Villarreal. League Football fina l on M a y 28 at the stadi um in Rome, Stadio Olimpico. Manchester United lost l England won the three matches one-day Cricket series 2-0 by defeating West Indies’ in the third

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and fina l m a t ch at Edgbaston. Engl and pos ted a » Left arm seamer RP Singh of Deccan Chargers daunting total of 328 for seven after being put in won the Purple Cap by taking maximum scalps by West Indies captain Chris Gayle. It was their (23) in the event. sixth highest one-day total.

• Deccan Chargers clinched the nail biting final s

» Matthew Hayden of Chennai Super Kings

grabbed Orange Cap for scoring maximum runs by six runs against Royal Challengers Bangalore (573) in Twenty20. to win the Indian Premier League —Season » Adam Gilchrist of Deccan Chargers was adII at the Wanderers in judged Golden Player of the Tournament. Johannesburg on May 24,2009. Royal Chal- • East London’s 34-year-old actress and model lengers Bangalore skipDune Kossatz was crowned Miss IPL Bollywood per Anil Kumble won South Africa at a glittering event at the Monte the toss and put Deccan Casino entertainment complex in Johannesburg on Chargers to bat led by May 24. She represented Chennai Super Kings. Adam Gilchrist. Deccan scored 143 for the loss of 6 wickets. It • South Korea won Asia Cup hockey title after was Kumble's four- beating Pakistan 1-0 in a tough title-clash on May wicket haul that restricted Deccan Chargers to a 16. World's top goal scorer Sohail Abbas of Pasub-150 score. Chasing a modest 144 for win, kistan, who was recalled for the tournament, failed Bangalore scored 137 for nine. Put into bat, the to convert any of the three short corners. Drag Chargers had earlier found their nemesis in Anil flick speci al ist Ki m Byung- hoon of Sout h Ko r ea Kumble (4/16) and it took Herschelle Gibbs' un- scored the winner in the 65th minute and fini she d beaten 48-ball 53 and Andrew Symonds' brisk 33 as tournament's top scorer with six goals. It was to reach 143 for six. Rajashtan Royals had won third Asia Cup hockey title for South Korea. Their first edi tion of IPL he l d in Indi a in Ap r il-M a y previous two titles came in 1994 and 1999. Korea now holds both the Asian Games and the Asia Cup 2008, defeating Chennai Super Kings. titles and also secured a place at the 2010 World Cup in India. FACTS

» 19-year-old Manish Pandey become the first

• National champion Sayali Gokhale won the

Indian to hit an IPL century when he made 117 women’s singles title in the Spanish Open badfor Bangalore against Deccan in a round-robin minton championship at Madrid on May 24. She beat Lianne Tan of Belgium 21-9, 21-18 in 23 match. minutes. The rest of the Indian team wasn’t able » Bangalore skipper Anil Kumble was named to climb the highest step of the podium. English and Danish won four titles. In the men’s singles Man of the Match.

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Champions League Twenty20: Inaugural Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) tournament will be played in India from October 8-23,2009. Earlier the tournament was scheduled to be held in 2008 but was postponed because of the Mumbai attacks. CLT20 is a joint venture of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Cricket Australia (CA) and Cricket South Africa (CSA). IPL chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi will also be Chairman of CLT20. The Royal Challengers, Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils will represent India. Champions League Qualifier s: » Deccan Chargers (Ind) » Royal Ch'gers Bangalore (Ind) » Delhi Daredevils (Ind) » Cape Cobras (SA) » Eagles (SA) » Victoria (Aus) » New South Wales (Aus) » Otago (NZ) » Trinidad & Tobago (WI) » Wayamba (SL) » Twenty20 Cup winners and losing fina l ists (Eng) final , P. Ka shyap los t to H a ns -Kr istian V i ttinghus of Denmark, while the women’s doubles pair of Shruthi Kurien and Aparna Balan went down to the second-seeded Danish duo Line Damkjær Kruse and Mie Schjøtt-Kristensen. In the mixed doubles fina l , the Engl ish pai r of Ro bi n M i ddl et on and Mariana Agathangelou beat Arun Vishnu and Aparna Balan.

at Khanty Mansiysk, Russia, from November 21 to December 14, 2009. Among the women, AirIndia’s Subbraman Meenakshi defeated second seed China’s Ju Wenjun and tied for the third place. • World champion Viswanathan Anand was formally presented the Chess Oscar on May 6,2009 by the FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in Baku, Azerbaijan. H e wa s awa rded for the year • Grandmaster Surya Shekhar Ganguly won the 2008 for his outstanding play while retaining his Asian chess championship following a draw World Championship title in Bonn. It was his sixth against China’s Zhou Jianchao in the 11th and fi- Oscar. Thus he became only non-Russian to have nal round at Subic, Olongapo City in the Philip- won the award more than 5 times. To put this pines, on May 24. Sandipan Chanda and his ONGC achievement in perspective, the late colleague K. Sasikiran joined Ganguly as the Robert.J.Fischer, chess genius from U.S.A, won it qualifiers for the W o rld Cup sche dul ed to be he l d three times.

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which concluded in Yerevan, Armenia on may 30,2009.India, which had claimed two gold and a silver medal in the previous edition held in 2007, ended its campaign with a silver and three bronze medals this time around. Pin weight (46kg) pugilist Sandeep was the lone Indian to make it to the fina l s af ter Na mi t Ba ha dur (50kg) , Shi va Tha pa (52kg) and Vikas Khatri (54kg) lost in the semis to settle for bronze medals. Up against host • Pei-Ying Tsai of Taiwan’s (271) won the Ma- Armenia’s Koryun Soghomonyan, Sandeep was laysian amateur Open golf tournament title by tied 1-1 with his rival at the end of the first round three strokes. Rashid Khan signed off with a three but it all went downhill for the Indian thereafter. The second round belonged to Soghomonyan, who under 69 to leapfrog 10 places and fini sh tied thi rd. Vikram Rana slipped to 16th place after a round landed a flur ry of punc he s to not ch up five poi nts and establish a 6-3 lead over Sandeep. The decidof 76, while Gagan Verma, fini she d tied 23rd carding third round followed a similar script and ing 77. Sandeep could add just one more point to his tally • Nike Golf athlete Paul Casey won BMW PGA and Soghomonyan eventually won 10-4. Championship at Wentworth Club in the United • Suranjoy Singh won the flywe i ght gol d in boxKingdom. Paul Casey (271) carded 68 to win the title ahead of Ross Fisher (64), who fell just one ing after beating Armenia’s H Danielyan 4-1 on stroke behind. Shiv Kapur of India signed off with May 16,2009 at the European Grand Prix event in Usti Nad Labem, Czech Republic. With Suranjoy’s a level-par round to fini sh tied 35t h w h i le compatriot Jyoti Randhawa ended tied 64th after re- gold, Indian boxers grabbed four medals in he event. Earlier, Beijing O l ymp i cs br onz e turning his best card of the week. medallist Vijender Si ngh (75kg) , M a noj Ku ma r and Jai Bhagwan (60kg) ended with bronze • Indian judoka Ram Ashrey Yadav won a silver (64kg) after losing in the semifina l s. medal in the 73kg event at the Asian Judo Championship held from May 21-24,2009 at Chinese • Zhu Qinan of China and Artur Aivazian of Taipei. Among other Indians, Anil Kumar(100kg), I Sanju Singh (66kg), KH Tombi Devi (48kg) and Ukrain got first and second pl ace res pect ivel y in o r ld Cup in L Nirupama Devi (57kg) reached the semifina l s. the air rifle event of the shoot ing W Milan on May 23,2009. World record-holder Five other Indians ended up at the seventh place Suma Shirur fini she d fifth wit h a t otal of 499. 7. in their respective categories. The 35-year-old who had shot a world-record 400 out of 400 in the Asian Champion• Gold eluded Sandeep Singh who lost fina l but equaling ship in Kuala Lumpur in 2004, shot her best score India managed its best-ever haul of four medals in a World Cup with a 398. Lajja Gauswami shot at the AIBA World junior boxing championships a 397 but had to settle for the ninth place from among 90 shooters. The maximum number of chess Oscars has been won by the Chess Master, Garry Kasparov-a record 11 times. The first w i nner of Che ss O s car w a s Be nt Larsen in 1967 and the award ceremony was held in Madrid. In 1988 Puig died and the award was not given until 1995. They were reinstituted in the year 1995, by the popular Russian chess magazine-'64'.

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• Helio Castroneves won Indianapolis 500 on May 24,2009 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in

Speedway. It was third victory of Castroneves at Indianapolis 500. Castroneves, a Brazilian who won at the Indianapolis in 2001 and 2002, also became the first for ei gn- bor n dr iver w i th thr ee Indy 500 wins, and the victory marked Penske Racing’s record 15th in the race. He became the ninth driver to win the historic race three times, and his timing couldn't have been better.

•

Jorge Lorenzo won the French Grand Prix and took the overall MotoGP championship lead from Valentino Rossi on May 17,2009. The Spanish rider fini she d 17. 71 seconds ahe ad of M a rco M e l andr i of Italy, with Dani Pedrosa of Spain overtaking Italian racer Andrea Dovizioso took third place with a stunning late burst.

• Valentino Rossi won the MotoGP world championship table after taking his first wi n of

the season

in Spain on May 3,2009. Dani Pedrosa was on secon and Casey Stoner on third place.

• The Indian archery group won three gold and four silver medals in the second Asian Grand Prix

meet held at Tehran from May 18 to May 24,2009. The men’s recurve team, consisting of Tarundeep Rai, Muni Ram Tirkey and Kapil, grabbed the gold medal beating Iran 217-211. Bangladesh won the bronze medal defeating Nepal. The third gold medal was earned by compound archer L. Haridas Singh in the individual event. The men’s and women’s compound teams fini she d second bes t to Iran in the final . The m e n’ s and w o me n’ s comp ound teams finis hed s econd bes t toI ran i nt he final. The men lost 220-227 and the women went down 207-208 to Iran. Tarundeep Rai won the third silver medal losing the fina l 107- 108 to Iran’ s M i lad V a zi ri Te ymo or looei in the m e n’ s recur ve indi vi dual event . Compound women archer Sweety Kumari too settled for silver going down 102-108 to Seyedeh Vida Halimian Avval of Iran. Tirkey and Sushma lost to Nadar M. and Zahara Nemati of Iran respectively in the individual recurve bronze medal play-off.

•

Qualifier D u an Yi ng Yi ng of Chi na def eated the fifth-s eeded Ker en Shl om o of Israel 6-3, 6-4 in the fina l of the $10, 000 ITF wo me n’ s tenni s tour na me nt at the DL TA Co mp l ex on Ma y 30,2009.Though the tall Chinese allowed things to drift a bit towards the end, when she missed three

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SECTION - 51 (SPORTS) (Article: Hindi Article)

matchpoints while trying to serve out the match in the eighth game of the second set, she was easily the better player against the stocky Israeli. The 20-year-old Chinese served well hit the flanks w i th punch and accuracy that proved too good for Shlomo. Results Singles Final: Duan Ying Ying (Chn) bt Keren Shlomo (Isr) 6-3, 6-4 Doubles (fina l ): He Chun Yan (Chn) and Rushmi Chakravarthi bt Kristina Pejkovic (Aus) and Keren Shlomo (Isr) 6-2, 6-1.

• Roger Federer of Switzerland won the Madrid Masters Tennis defeat-

ing World No.1 Rafael Nadal of Spain 6-4, 6-4 on May 17,2009. The second-ranked Federer broke Nadal once in both sets before firing hi s sixth ace to win his 15th Masters Series title on the second match point. Federer also won in Madrid in 2006. Federer ‘s win ended a five-ma t ch, 18-month losing streak against the Nadal of Spain.

• Dinara Safina

of Ru s sia wo n Ital ian Op en Te nni s tour na me nt def eat ing comp at riot Svet lana Kuznetsova at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome on May 9,2009. Safina w o n he r first singl es title in 2009, playing her fourth fina l of the season. H e r vi ct or y w as w o r th 350000 US dol lar.

•

World number one Rafael Nadal of Spain won his record fourth Rome Masters Tennis on May 3,2009 beating defending champion Novak Djokovic 7-6 (2), 6-2. Earlier Nadal had won the title in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

•

Romanian qualifier Al exandr a Du l ghe ru wo n W a rsaw Op en on he r W T A Tour debut beat ing eighth-seeded Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine on May 23,2009.

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SECTION - 61 (AWARDS) (Article: Hindi Article)

AWARDS The 62nd edition of Cannes Film Festival held at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, in the resort town of Cannes, in the south of France from May 13 to May24,2009. The main prize of Cannes Film Festival, the Palme d’Or went to Austrian director Michael Haneke for his austere but powerful The White Ribbon. The film is set amo ng a sma l l Pr ot es tant commu ni ty in nor the rn G e rma ny in the year before the outbreak of First World War. For the first tim e in Ca nne s hi stor y, in 2009, jur y ha d a majority of women, five out of the ni ne m e mb ers.

WINNERS

» Palme d'Or: Das Weisse Band (The White Ribbon) directed by Michael HANEKE » Grand Prix: Un Prophète (A Prophet) directed by Jacques AUDIARD » Best Director: Brilliante Mendoza of the Philippines for Kinatay. » Best Screenplay: Lou Ye for Chun Feng Chen Zui De Ye Wan (Spring Fever) » Best Actress: Charlotte Gainsbourg in Antichrist directed by Danish film-maker's Lars Von Trier » Best Actor: Austrian Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds directed by Quentin Tarantino » Jury Prize Ex-aequo: Fish Tank directed by Andrea Arnold and » Bak-Jwi (Thirst) directed by Park Chan-Wook » Lifetime achievement award for his work : Les Herbes Folles (Wild Grass) directed by Alain Resnais » Palme d'Or for Short Film: Portugal's Arena directed by João salaviza » Short Film Special Distinction: The Six Dollar Fifty Man directed by Louis Sutherland

• Wildlife biologist M.D. Madhusudan was awarded the Whitley Award in recognition of his work

to reduce human-wildlife conflict in the W e stern G h a ts. M . D . M a dhus udha n is working as the Director of the Mysore-based Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF). The award, reckoned to be one of the most important international nature conservation awards, includes a 30000 ponds project grant to carry forward outstanding science-based research and conservation efforts. Two other Indian conservationists Sudipto Chatterjee and Supraja Dharini also received Associate Awards. Sudipto Chatterjee was given 10000 ponds to develop an action plan to conserve wild rhododendrons in the Eastern Himalayas while Supraja Dharini was given similar support for a community based initiative to protect sea turtles and dolphins in Kancheepuram.

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SECTION - 61 (AWARDS) (Article: Hindi Article)

• Bina Agarwal, Professor of Economics at the Institute of Economic

Growth was conferred the Leontief Award 2009. The Award is given to recognise outstanding contribution to economic theory that addresses contemporary realities and supports just and sustainable societies. Leontief Award has been instituted in the honor of Nobel laureate Wassily Leontief, given by the Global Development and Environment Institute at Tufts University, US. John K. Galbraith, Amartya Sen, Paul Streeten, Herman Daly, Dani Rodrik and Robert Wade are among the distinguished winners of the Leontief Award in previous years.

• Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Biotechnology-major, Biocon

was awarded ‘Nikkei Asia Prize’ 2009 for Regional Growth on May 11,2009. Japan's business daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) awards Nikkei Asia Prizes annually to individuals or institutions from Asia Pacific regi on recogni zi ng out standi ng achi eveme nt s tha t im p r ove the qual ity of life in Asia. Established in 1996 to commemorate the 120th anniversary of Nikkei's founding, the Prize is given to promote mutual understanding among Asian nations and to help people around the world deepen their understanding of Asia.

• Pro-democracy leader of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi was chosen for Mahatma Gandhi Interna-

tional Award for Peace and Justice 2009. Leader of National League for Democracy (NLD) of Myanmar 63-year old Suu Kyi is a prisoner for the last two decades in her own country, Myanmar. Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Peace and Justice is awarded by the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation of South Africa. Ela Gandhi is the chairman of the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation.

• All India Radio has got three awards at the 10th International Radio Festival of Iran organized by

Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), in Tehran. ‘Family No.1’ a programme on HIV/AIDS produced by All India Radio, Lucknow was given the Best Programme Award in the category- ‘Radio Competition’. The Presenter of the ‘Family No.1’ Vivek Srivastava was given the Best Presenter Award in the competition. The script writer of the programme ‘Ripples in a Still Pond’ Ms. Anubha Mukerji Sen bagged Second Prize in the category of ‘Script Writers’ of the programme-entries. This Article is Available Online Also:http://upscportal.com/civilservices/mag/vol-3/study-material/Awards

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