NEWSLINE FEBRUARY 16th 2010

  National

Republic Day Awards

Achievers whose works were recognized globally through major international awards last year? Nobel laureate scientist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Magsaysay awardee social worker Deep Joshi and Oscar Winners musician AR Rahman and sound recordist Resul Pookkutty? are among the 130 persons to receive the prestigious Padma Awards this year. However, the Bharat Ratna was not conferred upon anyone.

Padma Vibhushan

• Shri Ebrahim Alkazi (Art)
• Shri Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman (Art)
• Smt. Zohra Segal (Art)
• Dr. Yaga Venugopal Reddy (Public Affairs)
• Dr. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (Science and Engineering)
• Dr. Prathap Chandra Reddy (Trade and Industry)

Padma Bhushan

• Shri  Ilaiyaraaja (Art)
• Shri Aamir Khan (Art)
• Shri Akbar Padamsee (Art)
• Shri Allah Rakha Rahman (Art)
• Ms. Mallika Sarabhai (Art)
• Shri Moosa Raza (Civil Service)
• Shri Fareed Zakaria (Journalism)
• Prof. Bipan Chandra (Literature and Education)
• Prof. Mohammad Amin (Literature and Education)
• Dr. Noshir M. Shroff (Medicine)
• Prof.(Dr.) Satya Paul Agarwal (Medicine)
• Shri Sant Singh Chatwal (Public Affairs)
• Shri Balasaheb Vikhe Patil (Social Work)

Padma Shri

• Ghulam Mohammed Mir (Public Service)
• Saif Ali Khan (Art)
• Virender Sehwag (Sports)
• Vijender Singh (Sports)
• Saina Nehwal (Sports)
• Rekha (Arts)

Ashok Chakra Awardees

• Major Mohit Sharma
• Havildar Rajesh Kumar
• Major D. Sreeram Kumar

Kirti Chakra Awardees

• Sub-Inspector Bhopal Singh
• Constable Rel Deo Sangma

N-capable Agni-III missile successfully test-fired

India on February 7, 2010, successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-III ballistic missile from the Wheeler Island off Orissa coast. According to defence sources, the indigenously developed surface-to-surface missile was tested from a rail mobile

launcher near Dhamara, about 100 km from Balasore. The test was a success. Agni-III missile is powered by a two-stage solid propellant system . With a length of 17 metres, the missile's diameter is 2 metres and launch weight is 50 tonnes .

ISRO tests 3 rd biggest rocket motor

Indian Space Research Organisation has successfully tested the third biggest solid rocket motor in the world after the booster rocket of NASA's Space Shuttle and Ariane Space's Ariane-5 launch vehicle. The rocket was tested on ground at Sriharikota, ISRO's biggest and most powerful rocket motor called S-200, powered by 200 tonnes of solid propellant. This is a vital step in the development of its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk-III) which will put a satellite weighing 4 tonnes in orbit.

CJI against having regional SC Benches

Virtually slamming the Law Commission's radical recommendation for a Supreme Court each in four regions for easy access to litigants and fight pendency, Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan warned that such a move could lead to disintegration of SC's authority. Almost identical to a recent opinion of Attorney General Goolam E Vahanvati to the Department of Justice, the CJI's views could push the last nail into the Commission's 229th report suggesting regional Benches of SC and a Constitutional Court in the capital.

India's safeguard agreement with IAEA comes into force

The safeguard agreement with regard to civilian nuclear facilities between India and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has come into force, US President Barack Obama has said. Obama said this in a memorandum issued to the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as mandated by the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Non-proliferation Enhancement Act regarding the safeguards agreement between India and the IAEA.

Maruti beats Suzuki in output

Riding on the healthy growth in the Indian market, Maruti Suzuki has beaten Japanese parent Suzuki in annual vehicle production in 2009. According to 2009 production numbers, Maruti manufactured a total of 966,399 units, while Suzuki, that holds a 54% stake in the Indian car major, produced 908,302 vehicles.

Meghalaya: 1 State, 2 Chief Ministers

Meghalaya, which has witnessed just two chief ministers complete their five-year terms since its creation in 1972, is attempting elusive political stability with what amounts to a novel contribution to democracy: two CMs instead of one. According to a formal state government notification, Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) President Friday Lyngdoh, who had the rank of Deputy CM, has been brought on par in rank and status with Chief Minister DD Lapang to quell increasing threats to the shaky Congress government. Besides the two CMs, the state also has a couple of Deputy CMs -- Mukul Sangma and Bindo M Lanong.
Technically speaking, Lyngdoh will enjoy the status of the CM with all its perks as well as protocol. As for executive power, it will continue to rest with Lapang. Lyngdoh won't have executive powers but shall function as political advisor to CM Lapang.

Economy to grow by 7.5 per cent. in 2009-2010

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that the economy is expected to register a growth rate of 7.5 per cent. in this financial year (2009-10), up from 6.7 per cent. a year ago. The economy, which had been growing at over 9 per cent., slipped to 6.7 per cent. in 2008-09 following the impact of the global economic crisis triggered by the fall of investment bank Lehman Brothers in September 2008. Driven by stimulus packages and easing of monetary policy, India's economy during the second quarter (July-September 2009-10) expanded by 7.9 per cent., much more than anticipated by any analyst or thinktank.

2009 India's hottest year ever, 1°C over average

2009 was the hottest year ever recorded in India and almost a degree warmer than usual. The annual mean temperature for 2009 was 25.55 degrees Celsius, 0.913 degrees higher than the long-term annual average of 24.64 degrees Celsius. Interestingly of the 12 hottest years in the 108 years since 1901, when the Met Department started maintaining records, 8 have been in the past decade. This is in keeping with the global trend of the last decade being the warmest.

  International

UK's Costa Book of the Year prize

Poet Christopher Reid was awarded Britain's Costa Book of the Year Award with a poetry collection written in tribute to his late wife. Reid's "A Scattering" - inspired by his wife's death from cancer in 2005 - beat four other finalists to the USD 48,426 prize, which aims to reward the most enjoyable book in the last year by writers based in the UK and Ireland.

US vows 17% emission cut by 2020

US pledged to cut its greenhouse gas emission by 17% by 2020 from the 2005 level, hoping that countries like India and China would follow suit as agreed upon during the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change in December 2009.

China OKs controversial GM rice

China has given the green light to the controversial genetically modified rice after they are put through a process of production trials and deemed suitable for wider commercial use. Beijing's argument is that GM rice is necessary to feed its growing population in the face of shrinking farmland. The adoption of GM rice in China might result in its world wide use and weaken the resistance to it.

  Sports

Pakistan previal in the Tie-Breaker for Hockey Gold

India had to content with a silver after going down to arch-rivals Pakistan 4-5 in a keenly contested hockey summit clash in 11 th South Asian Games in Dhaka.

India continued it's dominance in the game's medal tally with a staggering 176 medals including 90 gold medals.

Australian Open 2010

The 2010 Australian Open took place in the Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, from January 18 to January 31, 2010. It was the 98th edition of the Australian Open, and the first Grand Slam event of the year.

Men's Singles: Roger Federer was the eventual champion, defeating finalist Andy Murray in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(11).

Women's Singles: Serena Williams defended her title after winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 against Justine Henin in the final.

Men's Doubles: Bob and Mike Bryan were the defending champions and they defended their title after winning 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3, against Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic.

Women's Doubles: Serena Williams and Venus Williams defended their 2009 title with a 6-4, 6-3 win over top-seeded Cara Black and Liezel Huber in the finals.

Mixed Doubles: Top seeds Cara Black and Leander Paes won in the finals 7-5, 6-3, against Ekaterina Makarova and Jaroslav Levinský .

OZ colts are World's best

Australia became the first team to win the under-19 Cricket World Cup thrice as they defeated Pakistan by 25 runs in the final at Bert Sutcliffe Oval at Christ Church. Pakistan, chasing a victory target of 208 runs, were bowled out for 182 in 46.4 overs. Australia won the title for the third time, having emerged champions at home in 1987-88 and in New Zealand in 2001-02. Pakistan, too, were in contention to win the tournament thrice as they won back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2006.

Bhullar wins Asian Tour's Season Opener

Gaganjeet Bhullar gave Indian golf a great present right at the start of the year with a brilliant course record and Asian Tour International by one shot at the Suwan Golf and Country Club at Bangkok.

  News and Views

• Two Central paramilitary forces got new Chiefs with Vikram Srivastava and Ranjeet Kumar Bhatia? both Uttar Pradesh cadre IPS Officers? taking over as Director General of CRPF and ITBP respectively. Vikram Srivastava's elder brother Raman Srivastava is already heading the counrty's second largest paramilitary force, BSF.
• Indian-American Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri has been appointed as a member of US President Barack Obama's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, along with five others.
• Yusuf Pathan smashed an unbeaten 210 as West Zone created history by chasing down the target of 536 against South Zone to win the Duleep Trophy.
• Mark Greatbatch is the new coach of the New Zealand Cricket team. He replaces Englishman Andy Moles.
• A life-size bronze sculpture of a man in mid-stride, his arms hanging at his side made history by being the most expensive work of art ever sold at an auction. Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti's 1961 creation, Walking Man I (L'hommequi Marche I) was sold to an anonymous buyer for over $104.3 million? $104,327,006, to be precise? beating Pablo Picasso's Boy with a Pipe (Garcon a la pipe) which sold for $104,168,000 in 2004.
• S Sundareshan is the new Petroleum Secretary, he took over charge from RS Pandey on February 1 after the latter's superannuation. A 1976 batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, Sundrareshan is a management graduate from the University of Leeds, UK and is a special Secretary in the Ministry.

  Science and Technology

From waste to biofuel: Bugs the way

Researchers have genetically engineered one of the most common bacteria on the planet? E coli? to digest simple sugars from plant waste and turn it into valuable biofuel. The technology could lead to low-cost, low-carbon, high-performance renewable fuels.

N-explosion on Earth created Moon: Study

Contradicting the belief that Moon is a chunk of rock that broke away from Earth due to an explosion in space, a new study claims it was created as a result of a nuclear blast on the planet's surface itself. The study suggests that if the Moon had been separated from the Earth by an external force, it would be composed of whatever knocked into it and the planet.

Battery is out, new plastic to store power

The battery which has powered our lives for generations, may soon be consigned to the dustbin of history. British scientists have created a plastic that can store and release electricity, revolutionsing the way we use phones, drive cars and even wear clothes. It means the cases of mobiles and iPods could soon double up as their power source? leading to gadgets as thin as credit cards. The technology could also lead to flexible computer screens that can be folded up and carried around like a piece of paper. And it could even be used to create 'electric clothes' that charge up as a person moves around and which slowly release heat when the weather gets cold. A prototype designed by the Imperial College, London takes five seconds to charge from a normal power supply and can light an LED for 20 minutes.