Archive Memorable Points- from Info links

• United Nations Security Council Resolution 1696, demanding Iran halts its enrichment programme, 31 July 2006
• United Nations Security Council Resolution 1737, imposing initial sanctions on Iranian nuclear imports and exports., 23 December 2006
• United Nations Security Council Resolution 1747 broadened sanctions to cover a ban on Iranian arms exports in March 2007
• United Nations Security Council Resolution 1803: criticized Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment, and urged governments to exercise “”vigilance”” against Iranian people and banks suspected of involvement in illicit nuclear activities. March 2008″

Patient Zero:
Patient Zero is considered the first person to be infected with the H1N1 virus. The outbreak began in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, with evidence that there had been an ongoing epidemic for months.

Walk The World:
Walk the World is a joint effort between the United Nations World Food Programme and its partners, led by TNT, Unilever and DSM. Employees from these companies walk with WFP Goodwill Ambassadors, staff, and beneficiaries as well as government and NGO partners to show their solidarity in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. 2010 event is on June 6.

On compensation packages of private sector bank chiefs:
Reserve Bank of India is coming up soon with draft guidelines on the compensation packages of private sector bank chiefs. This move of the RBI is aimed at aligning the salary structures with business performance. This is our central bank’s response to the concerns expressed over the high compensation packages of top bank executives at 2009 G-20 Pittsburgh summit. Apart from the above, there was also an agreement that banks will be required to set aside much larger capital reserves by 2012 to minimize the need for future bailouts, but it will be left to individual national regulators to set their own capital requirements.

Primary Task of the Commercial Offices:
The primary task of these wings is to assist the Government in formulation of its trade and economic policies through regular feedback on the prevailing global market trends, trade activities, etc.

CIS Countries and Baltic Countries:
After disintegration of former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), 15 countries came into existence. Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which was established in 1991, is successor body to the USSR, formed to ensure continued cooperation in trade and military policy and recognition of borders. However only 12 countries are known as CIS today and rest 3 are called Baltic States
12 countries namely Russian Federation, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan are the members of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and rest of the 3 countries namely Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are known as Baltic States

Focus CIS Programme:
When launched in 2003, this programme aimed to focus at countries of the CIS region with emphasis in the first phase on 7 countries namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan nd Ukraine. With a view to enhance India’s trade with countries of the CIS region, the scope of the Focus: CIS Programme has been extended to rest of the CIS region, namely to Russian Federation, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia & Moldova as well. Therefore, w.e.f. April 2004 the programme covers all the 12 CIS countries

Swawalamban Scheme:
If a person joins the New Pension Scheme with a minimum contribution of Rs 1,000 and a maximum contribution of Rs 12,000 per annum during financial year 2010-11. Rs. 1000 will be contributed by the Central Government in his/her account for a year. Name of this scheme is swavalamban and government will contribute Rs 1,000 per year to each NPS account opened in 2010-11 in the limits of minimum contribution of Rs 1,000 and a maximum contribution of Rs 12,000 per annum. Please note Rs. 100 crore have been allotted for this scheme in Union Budget 2010-11

Financial Stability and Development Council
Financial Stability and Development Council is the name given to apex-level organization charged with the responsibility of monitoring macroeconomic and prudential supervision of the economy, including the functioning of large financial conglomerates as announced in the Union Budget 2010-11. The new body would also address inter-regulatory coordination issues and focus on both financial literacy and financial inclusion. The objective behind setting up the new body is to strengthen and institutionalize the mechanism for maintaining financial stability. And the justification for the creation of such a body comes from the global financial crisis of 2008-09, which made governments across the world review the structure of the banking and financial markets.

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