PERSONS AND PLACES IN NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2012

1. Aseem Trivedi: Political cartoonist and anti-corruption and Internet freedom crusader Aseem Trivedi was arrested by police on grounds of sedition and insulting the national flag and constitution in one of his cartoons.
2. Justice Altamas Kabir: The senior most Supreme Court Judge, Justice Altamas Kabir, was on appointed the next Chief Justice of India.
3. Kaushik Basu: The World Bank has appointed Kaushik Basu as its Chief Economist and Senior Vice President. 
4. Syed Mustafa Siraj : Veteran Bengali writer Syed Mustafa Siraj passed away recently after a brief illness in Kolkata
5. Vrandavan:  A town in Uttar Pradesh was in news as large number of widows from eastern states like West Bengal are living here in sub standard living conditions.
6. New Delhi: The Sixth Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Ministerial Meeting was held in New Delhi on September 4, 2012.
7. Verghese Kurien: The father of “White Revolution” and founder of the cooperative dairy movement in the country, died  at the age of 90
8. Brajesh Mishra: Brajesh Mishra, India’s first National Security Adviser during NDA regime, died recently
9. Haqqani Network: The Haqqani network is one of the most dangerous terror groups in Afghanistan. It is mainly fighting U.S.-led forces. It has a long record of carrying out high-profile attacks in Kabul. US has recently included it in the list of terrorist group
10. Lakhdar Brahimi: He is an Algerian veteran United Nations envoy and advisor is apointed as new envoy of U.N and Arab League to Syria
11. Bagram Airfield:  Also referred to as Bagram Air Base, is one of the largest U.S. military bases in Afghanistan. It is located next to the ancient city of Bagram in Parwan province of Afghanistan was in news recently because of  fate of inmates who were arrested by US.
12. Benghazi, Libya: The US Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Evans was killed on September 11, 2012 with three others in a rocket attack on their car in Benghazi, Libya.
13.  Mustafa Abu Shagour: Libya’s national congress has picked Mustafa Abu Shagour, the current Deputy Prime Minister, as the country’s Next Prime Minister
14. Haile Mariam: He is the new Prime Minister elect of Ethiopia.
15. Leng Thirith:  Ex-social affairs minister in the murderous Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia was accused of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
16. Aung San Suu Kyi: U.S. Congress has presented Myanmar democracy leader Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi with the Congress’ highest civilian honour
17. Ebrahim Alkazi:  He has been conferred France’s highest cultural award for his contribution in nurturing and presenting modern theatre in India and preserving the treasures of photography and other art forms for posterit
18. Varanasi: The Second International Buddhist Conclave was held in Varanasi on September 29, 2012.
19. Tehran:  Capital of Iran hosted the 116 Non Align Movement Summit, with its focus on Syrian Crisis
20. Hadia Tajik: The Pakistani origin Norwegian lawyer was appointed as Minister of Culture in Norway
21. Johannesburg: The 9th World Hindi Conference was organized in Johannesburg, South Africa from 22-24 September, 2012.
22. Dr. Sima Samar: A well known human rights and women’s right advocate and activist of Afghanistan has jointly won prestigious Swedish Right Livelihood Award.
23. Ernakulam:  It will be declared as the first district in the country having ‘meaningful financial inclusion’ on November 22

National

1. A Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C21) blasted off from Sriharikota on September 9 and placed two foreign satellites in orbit, accomplishing the Indian Space Research Organisation’s 100th mission, a milestone in the country’s space journey
2. The Government of India is going to put a cap on the maximum price at which essential drugs can be sold in the country. These include commonly used AIDS and cancer drugs, painkillers, TB drugs, sedatives, lipid lowering agents and steroids.
3. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, which met on September 14, 2012 under the leadership of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, decided to allow 49 per cent FDI in aviation sector
4. Air India gets the nod by the cabinet to come up with two subsidaries i.e. Air India Engineering Services Ltd. (AIESL) and Air India Transport Services Ltd. (AITSL).
5. The National Stock Exchange has launched operations of its new trading platform for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with the first listing in this segment and said some more companies would follow. The new platform is called Emerge.
6. India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its twenty second flight (PSLV-C21), was launched on September 9, 2012 from the First Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota.
7. The Union Environment Ministry recently rejected the proposal to set up a radar surveillance system in Narcondam Island in the Andamans by the Indian Coast Guards. The Ministry took this step in an effort to conserve Narcondam hornbills.
8. India on September 19, 2012, test-fired its nuclear-capable strategic missile Agni-IV.
9. The Government has moved towards limiting the oil subsidy bill by increasing diesel prices by Rs 5 a litre and limiting the number of subsidized LPG cylinders to 6 per year per connection.
10. A committee headed by former Chairman of the Finance Commission Vijay Kelkar has proposed a new roadmap for fiscal consolidation
11. This missile has a strike range of about 4000 km. The test fire was done from a test range in Wheeler Island off Odisha coast.
12. Big Bang Reforms: The Government has notified the rules for allowing foreign retailers to set up stores in India. The Government also notified conditions for 49% investment by foreign airlines in Indian carriers and permitting greater foreign investment in some sections of the broadcasting sector.
13. Delivery of the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, to be renamed INS Vikramaditya, to the Indian Navy has been further delayed by several months because of technical troubles with its engines detected during the ongoing sea trials
14. The  Union Cabinet  recently approved the sale of minority stakes in five PSEs — Hindustan Copper (9.59%), Oil India (10%), RITES (10%), MMTC (9.33%) and Nalco (12.15%) —with a target revenue collection of Rs. 15,000 crore
15. The Delhi government recently announced a ban on all gutka products in the capital. Delhi is the 9th state to do so
16. The central Government is about to make the national level minimum wage rate of Rs 115 per day mandatory in all states. This move is expected to benefit approximately 400 million unskilled workers across the country.
17. The Government recently introduced the 117th Constitution Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill upon becoming an Act would amend the Constitution to provide reservation to members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in government job promotions
18. Supreme Court has ruled that auctions are not the only permissible method for disposal of natural resources across sectors. It held that the 2G verdict was confined to allocation of spectrum and is not applicable to other resources
19. Sri Lankan President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa is on a three-day visit to India, to inaugurate a Buddhist University in Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh at the invitation of the State Government

International

1. China’s Communist Party has expelled disgraced leader Bo Xilai from the organization. He was also removed from the membership of the National People’s Congress, bringing an end to his political career. 
2. The border forces of Bangladesh and India have completed their five-day meet on border issues, and Bangladesh has made a commitment to expedite fencing by resolving disputes around the zero line. The porous Indo-Bangladesh border will soon see greater pace and rigour in fencing.
3. India and other G4 countries have reiterated their demand for reform of the UN Security Council (UNSC).
4. Top officials from India and the US organized meetings to strengthen collaboration in the energy sector with special focus on mobilising clean and affordable sources for their requirements
5. Sudan and South Sudan failed to reach a final agreement on ending hostilities and resuming oil production even as a September 22 deadline set by the UN Security Council expired.
6. Russia has ordered the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to halt its operations in the country
7. Nepal’s major political forces have agreed to go in for fresh elections for a Constituent Assembly (CA). The four major political forces — Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC), Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) and United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) agreed on this issue of elections.
8. Protests against Japan for its control over the disputed Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea have spread across over a dozen cities of China and turned violent.
9. A state of emergency was forced in the western Rakhine state of Burma, after deadly communal clashes
10. Germany’s highest court has approved the creation of the Euro zone’s permanent bailout facility, but said that Germany must retain its effective veto on all of the vehicle’s decisions
11. Japan has announced plans to end its reliance on nuclear power within 30 years. It is a historic policy shift prompted by the triple meltdown at the Fukushima power plan
12. Canada has closed its Tehran embassy and ordered Iranian diplomats be expelled. It has also accused the Islamic Republic of being the biggest threat to world peace
13. An early general election was held in the Netherlands on 12 September 2012 after Prime Minister Mark Rutte handed in his government’s resignation to Queen Beatrix on 23 April.
14. President of Palestine, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas visited India on 11th September 2012.
15. China to complete Qinghai–Tibet Rail Link
16. China recently commissioned its  first  aircraft  carrier – Liaoning.  The  300 metre- long  Liaoning is a  refurbished  and  upgraded  version of  the  Soviet  carrier  Varyag which  China  purchased  from Ukraine. It came  after  years  of sea  trials  and  tests  to  fit  the carrier  with  weapons  and engines.