January 1 -10 2013 Current Affairs

• Collins dictionary has named “Gangnam Style”, as one of the top 12 words of the year, one word from each month. The Gangnam Style video also entered Guiness World Records for being most watched YouTube video starring Korean singer ‘Psy’.
• Russian business major, Sistema, has decided to continue trade ties with India as its subsidiary Glonass signed new pacts in the field of satellite navigation
• Former England captain and cricket commentator Anthony William "Tony" Greig (66) passed away.
•  Pratibha Ray who is a famous Oriya novelist has been chosen for the prestigious Jnanpith award for the year 2011 in recognition to her contribution to the field of Indian literature. She will be the fourth Oriya author to get the award.
• The underwater missile K-15 (K-15 Sagarika missile) developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was successfully launched off the Visakhapatnam coast. After
  one more flight, the two-stage missile will be integrated with Arihant, India’s nuclear-powered submarine.
•  US President Barack Obama nominated John Kerry to replace
  Hillary Clinton as secretary of state.
• The retired US General Norman Schwarzkopf who led the U.S. Forces for a victory in the first Gulf War in Operation Desert Strom in 1991 died. I
• India achieved a third consecutive success in the launch of anti-aircraft air-to-air Astra missile, which was fired from a static launcher on the ground at Chandipur, Odisha. Astra destroyed  Lakshya, a pilotless target aircraft, successfully.
•   For the first time in history of space endeavors, a celestial  object would be moved by humans.
  NASA scientists are planning to capture a 500,000 kg asteroid,  relocate it and turn it into a space station for astronauts to refuel at on their way to Mars.
• As per latest figures of Commerce and Industry Ministry, Germany, with around $23.8 billion or 18.3 billion euro turnover is India’s top trading partner within European Union (EU) during 2011-12.
•  China launched Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), a kind of global positioning system, in the Asia-Pacific from its Beidou satellite network with an aim to gain up to 20 % of global market share by 2015.
•  22-year old Bhakti Sharma from India is the youngest in the world to have crossed seven seas, including four oceans. Besides, she is only the third person in the world to have swum across the Arctic Ocean, and is now targeting the Antarctic Ocean to become the youngest to swim in all five oceans.
• Vanitha Narayanan has been appointed as managing director of IBM India by the company. She replaced Shanker Annaswamy.
•  The constitution of the 14th Finance Commission has been announced by the government. The Commission will have 5 members which will be headed by former RBI Governor Y.V.
  Reddy. The panel is to submit its report by October 31, 2014.
  Members of the Panel:
  1 Chairman: Dr. Y.V. Reddy
  2 Former Finance Secretary Sushma Nath
  3 NIPFP Director M. Govinda Rao
  4 Planning Commission Member Abhijit Sen
  5  Former Acting Chairman of National Statistical Commission Sudipto Mundle.
  6  Urjit Patel succeeded Subir Gokarn to become new deputy governor at the Reserve Bank of India.
•  In what is being seen as a setback to Gujarat CM Narendra Modi government, the apex court upheld the appointment of Justice R.A. Mehta as Lokayukta by the Governor as it was done in consultation with the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court.
•  Syed Asif Ibrahim. A 1977 batch Madhya Pradesh cadre IPS officer. Took charge as director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB). Ibrahim is the first Muslim to hold the top post in IB.
• Social activist Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan who was shot at by a Taliban gunman in 2012, will be awarded with Ireland’s esteemed Tipperary International Peace Prize for 2012 in recognition to her courage and determination to speak out in support of equal access to education for every child.
• Indian origin scientist Venkatesh Mannar who is President of Micronutrient Initiative, Canada, has been conferred with Canada’s ‘highest’ civilian award – the Order of Canada.
•  The Haryana Government will implement a new initiative known as ‘Kanyadan’ from April 1, 2013 under which an incentive of Rs 11,000 per girl will be given to each of the beneficiary brides during the mass marriage ceremony to be organized by Red Cross Societies or any registered NGO in the state.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced a ban on journalistic activities by foreign tourists in India.
• Tulsi Gabbard- American politician and the Congresswoman for Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district. She has become the first Hindu American ever to be sworn in as a member of the US
  House of Representatives.
• Government owned company National Aluminium Co Ltd (NALCO) has commissioned its first 50 MW wind power project at Gandikota in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh built with the cooperation of Suzlon at the cost of Rs 275 crore.