Sample Content: Economy & Energy "Economy Watch"

Ericsson gets $1.3 b contract from Bharti

• Bharti Airtel awarded a $1.3-billion network expansion contract to Ericsson that would help the mobile operator to deliver enhanced voice quality and faster data access to its subscribers. Ericsson will expand and upgrade Airtel’s network in 15 of India’s 22 telecom circles to put in place a converged network and expanded coverage in rural India.
• As part of this contract, Ericsson will supply its industry-leading portfolio of energy efficient 2G/2.5G radio base stations, circuit and packet core, microwave transmission and Intelligent Network. In addition, Ericsson will ensure that Bharti Airtel’s core and transport network is 3G-ready in order to reduce time to market and enable the fast rollout of 3G services at a later date.

India Infra to invest in Karaikal Port

• Karaikal Port Private Ltd (KPPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marg, an infrastructure and real estate development company, has finalised its fund raising plans for its second phase of expansion.
• It is a deep-water port at Karaikal district of Puducherry. It is to be developed over three phases with the final phase getting operational by 2016. Phase-I of the development, which is now operational comprises two berths. Phase-II now under implementation involves a capital expenditure of Rs. 1,500 crore and will become operational by September 2011.
• India Infrastructure Fund (IIF), which is managed by IDFC Project Equity Company Limited, will be investing Rs. 150 crore into the equity capital of KPPL towards Phase-II expansion. (Locate In Atlas)

1. Who is Anna Hazare?

An ex-army man. Fought 1965 Indo-Pak War

 2. What's so special about him?

He built a village Ralegaon Siddhi in Ahamad Nagar district, Maharashtra

 3. So what?

This village is a self-sustained model village. Energy is produced in the village itself from solar power, biofuel and wind mills.

In 1975, it used to be a poverty clad village. Now it is one of the richest village in India. It has become a model for self-sustained, eco-friendly & harmonic village. 

 4. Ok,...?

This guy, Anna Hazare was awarded Padma Bhushan and is a known figure for his social activities.

1. Interpersonal Skill including communication skill is nothing but “communication” section of Management and Public Administration
It is wrong notion. This is added to test your language expertization in a written exam .Earlier only interview was only platform to asses your communication skill and language mastery.

2. Decision Making and Problem solving skill is nothing but “Decision Making” section of Management and Public Administration
It is wrong notion. It is not to benefit any special section. It is introduced to asses your common sense reasoning and your moral and ethical dimension of decision making.

3. Comprehension and English Language Comprehension skill is same
ELCS is to test the English language common for all ,whereas Comprehension is in Hindi for Hindi medium students whereas it is in English for English medium students.

4. Data Interpretation and Data Sufficiency are separate aspects
It is wrong. Data Sufficiency is an indispensable part of Data Interpretation.

By: Vivek Kumar Singh
Editor, CSAT Comprehensive Manual (IAS Preliminary Paper II)
UPSCPORTAL.Com

India and World "Multiple Choice Questions"

1. Consider the following statements :
1. India – Bangladesh Sunder bans Ecosystem forum was launched recently
2. The project was funded by Asian Development Bank and will be executed over five years.
Which of the above statement is / are wrong ?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2.

2. Which of the statement is wrong ?
(a) In Kyrgyzstan the U.S. military base is at manas which become one of the focal pointsfor transporting American troops and equipment to Afganistan.
(b) In Kyrgyzstan, Russia also has amilitary base at kant.
(c) “Tulip Revolution” of 2005 was related with the Kyrgyz political movement.
(d) Dushanbe is the Capital of Kyrgyzstan, and its new President is Roza outnbayeva.

3. The 47 Countries attended the two meet fornuclear Security summit at Washington. The next meeting in 2012 will be held in –
(a) New Delhi
(b) Islamabad.
(c) Tokyo
(d) Seoul

4. The Recent Conference on Disarmament and non – Proliferation which held in -
(a) Tehran
(b) New Delhi
(c) Colombo
(d) Dhaka

5. Consider the following statements :
1. Article VI of the NPT Calls for disarmament, but there is no time frames have been fixed within its framework to achieve this.
2. India, Iran, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea are not the member of NPT.
Which of the above statement is correct ?
(a) 1 Only
(b) 2 Only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Suggested Reading for IAS - CSAT

Comprehension:
1. For  Basics  read  Newspaper articles, Journals and magazine.
2. Then go for ‘Comprehension’ section of  ‘CSAT Comprehensive Manual’ edited by Vivek Kumar Singh.

Interpersonal skills including communication skills:
1. For all level read ‘Interpersonal skills including communication skills’ section of  ‘CSAT Comprehensive Manual’ edited by Vivek Kumar Singh.

OR

For all level read ‘Interpersonal skills including communication skills’ section of  ‘CSAT Guide’ by TMH.

Logical reasoning and analytical ability
1. For  basics  read ‘Logical reasoning and analytical ability’ section of  ‘CSAT Comprehensive Manual’ edited by Vivek Kumar Singh.
2. For Intermediate level read ‘Logical reasoning and analytical ability'   of UPSCPORTAL  Publication
3. For advanced level  read ‘Analytical Reasoning’  by M. K. Pandey-BSC Publications.

Decision making and problem solving:
1. For all level read ‘Decision making and problem solving’section of  ‘CSAT Comprehensive Manual’ edited by Vivek Kumar Singh.
2. 'Problem Solving' by K. Kundan

General mental ability:
1. It  is  nothing new for old IAS aspirants because it was in the old GS Preliminary syllabus.
2. For basics read ‘General mental ability’section of  ‘CSAT Comprehensive Manual’ edited by Vivek Kumar Singh.
3. For Intermediate level read ‘Basic numeracy and General mental ability’  of UPSCPORTAL  Publication
4. For  advanced level read ‘Magical Maths’ by M. Tyra-BSC Publications

Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude etc. (Class X level) including Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc.  - Class X level
1. For basics read ‘Basic numeracy’  section of  ‘CSAT Comprehensive Manual’ edited by Vivek Kumar Singh.
2. For Intermediate level read ‘Basic numeracy and General mental ability’  of UPSCPORTAL  Publication.
3. For  advanced level read ‘Magical Maths’ by M. Tyra-BSC Publications.

English language comprehension skills (Class X level)
1. For basics read ‘English language comprehension skills’ of UPSCPORTAL  Publication.
For all level read ‘English language comprehension skills’ section of  ‘CSAT Comprehensive Manual’ edited by Vivek Kumar Singh

2. For basics read ‘English Grammar and Usage' of   UPSCPORTAL  Publication.
For advanced level read ‘English Grammar, Composition  and Usage’ by Wren and Martin / Nesfield.

NOTE:-
(a) Questions relating to English Language Comprehension skills of Class X level (last item in the Syllabus of Paper-II) will be tested through passages from English language only without providing Hindi translation thereof in the question paper.
(b) The questions will be of multiple choice, objective type.
(c) The prospective candidates are advised to note that no changes are being introduce at this stage in the Civil Services (Main) Examination and Personality Test in the scheme of Civil Services Examination (CSE).

CSAT Preparation Books & Study Materials:

• English Language Comprehension Skills ^New!
• Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency ^New!
• English Grammar and Usage  ^New!
• Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability (In Press)
• Basic Numeracy & Mental Ability (In Press)

• The King's Speech takes top Oscar crowns
• Yashwantrao Chavan Award for Mahasweta Devi

India and World

India North America:

Indian-American appointed federal judge in California

• In yet another historic appointment for the Indian-American community under the Obama administration, Vijay Gandhi was sworn in Magistrate Judge for the District Court of the Central District of California.
• Mr. Gandhi is the first Indian-American federal judge in California and only the second ever Indian-American federal judge in the history of the United States. The first was Judge Amul Thapar, who was appointed to the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Kentucky on December 13, 2007.
• While Mr. Justice Gandhi was not appointed by the White House, he had to go through a rigorous district courts selection process including appearing before a merit selection panel, interviews by the full court and appointment by statute, said Ms. Matsuoka.
• Other high-profile appointments of Indian-Americans by the Obama administration include Rajiv Shah as administrator, USAID; Vivek Kundra as Federal Chief Information Officer; Aneesh Chopra as First Chief Technology Officer; Farah Pandith as Special Representative to Muslim communities; Richard Verma as Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs at the State Department; Preet Bharara as U.S. Attorney for Southern District of New York; and actor Kal Penn as White House’s Associate Director of the Office of Public Liaison.

Canadian court bars kirpan

• A Canadian court has refused to allow a Sikh religious leader to enter the courtroom with a kirpan, a symbol of Sikh religion, saying it “could be used as a weapon.”

Five leading Indian firms under U.S. scanner for Iran links

• With five leading Indian firms under the American scanner for doing business with Iran’s oil and gas sector, the Manmohan Singh government might soon have to walk its talk on opposing sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
• In a week in which the House of Representatives voted to speed up the process of reconciling its anti-Iran bill with the version passed by the Senate, the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) made public a report naming the five Indian companies as part of a list of 41 foreign firms helping Iran develop its oil and gas sector.
• The Indian companies named are the Indian Oil Corporation, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, ONGC Videsh (OVL), Oil India Limited and the government-sponsored private company, Petronet LNG. In addition, the U.K.-based Hinduja group is listed.

Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission

SET: Hindi

• Pranab shifts focus to Bharat Nirman
• Coal cess to fund forest protection schemes
• India, ASEAN set $70 b trade target

International Events "Multiple Choice Questions"

1. Which is the first European country to ban the burqa and niqab in public?
(a) France.
(b) Belgium.
(c) Switzerland.
(d) Belarus.

2. Consider the following statements:
1. Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, are the countries which lie in the Mekong basin.
2. The above four Countries in 1995 set up the Mekong River Commission to facilitate Joint management and water sharing in the Mekong region.
3. Until now, human remains from only 200,000 years
Which of the above statements giver above is/are correct ?
(a) 1 Only
(b) 2 Only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 Nor 2.

3. China has building Xiaowan dam, which is the world’s highest dam.It is on the river of.
(a) Mekong river
(b) Brahma Putra river
(c) Yarlung Tsangpo river
(d) Non of the above.

4. Recently Russia has offered nuclear help to which of the following Latin American country :
(a) Brazil
(b) Argentina
(c) Ecuador
(d) Venezuela

5. Pass port Controversy is recently in news in which country ?
(a) China
(b) Sri Lanka
(c) Nepal
(d) Bhutan

International Events

Belgium ban veils in public

• Belgium has moved to the forefront of a campaign to restrict the wearing of the Muslim veil by women when a key vote left it on track to become the first European country to ban the burqa and niqab in public.

Mekong basin countries have fears over China’s projects

• China’s dam-building spree along the Mekong river in south-western Yunnan province has raised fears among several of its neighbours, who say the dams have led to shrinking levels of water downstream.
• Officials from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, countries which lie in the Mekong basin, voice their concerns over eight dams that China is building along the Mekong, in talks with Chinese officials in Thailand.
• The four countries in 1995 set up the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to facilitate joint management and water-sharing in the Mekong region, though China and Myanmar have so far refused to formally join the body. The Mekong runs almost half of its 4,400 km course in China’s south-west, where it is known as the Lancang, before entering Myanmar and Laos.
• The MRC’s concerns closely echo those voiced by India in the past over China’s plans to build dams along the Brahmaputra, or the Yarlung Tsangpo as it is known in Tibet.
• An estimated 60 million people depend on the Mekong river in the five countries that lie downstream. China has already built three dams in Yunnan. Five more are in the works, including the massive $4-billion Xiaowan dam, scheduled to open in 2012, which is the world’s highest dam. (Locate in Atlas)

Russia offered nuclear help to Venezuela

• Russia has agreed to help Venezuela draw up plans for a nuclear power plant, said President Hugo Chavez
• Russia and Venezuela also launched a joint business to tap vast oil deposits in eastern Venezuela, and Mr. Chavez said Moscow has offered to help Venezuela set up its own space industry including a satellite launch site.
• Mr. Putin also pledged to keep selling arms to Venezuela. Mr. Chavez’s government has already bought more than $4 billion in Russian weapons since 2005, including helicopters, fighter jets and 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles.

President Pratibha Patil on Friday presented the second lot of Padma awards for 2011 to 64 winners, including Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the former Attorney-General K. Parasaran, WIPRO chief Azim Premji, Telugu film star Akkineni Nageswara Rao, and the former Finance Commission Chairman Vijay Laxman Kelkar, who were honoured with the Padma Vibhushan.

In all, the government had announced 128 awards — 13 Padma Vibhushan, 31 Padma Bhushan and 84 Padma Sri on Republic Day eve.

At the first investiture ceremony on March 24, the President presented the awards to four Padma Vibhushan, 15 Padma Bhushan and 42 Padma Shri winners. On Friday, eight persons received the Padma Vibhushan, 16 the Padma Bhushan and 40 the Padma Shri.

The Indian Navy, INVITES ENGINEERS TO JOIN THE INDIAN NAVY AS SHORT SERVICE COMMISSIONED OFFICERS IN TECHNICAL BRANCHES COURSE COMMENCING - JAN 2012

BATCH: JAN 12

SSC Short Service Commission Executive {GS (X)}

• Application Status: Manual Application being received
• Date of Commencement of Manual Application: 12-03-2011
• Last Date Of Receipt of Manual Application at Naval Head Quaters: 04-04-2011
• Date Of Birth: Between 19.5 to 25
• Gender: MALE