Current Affairs : January 8, 2010

Books:
India and the Global Financial Crisis – Dr. VY Reddy
Looking East To Look West: Lee Kuan Yew’s Mission India – Sunanda K Datta-Ray

• Currently India is ranked 10th in the stainless steel production in the world, producing 18 to 20 lakh ton per annum and with some import, the consumption of stainless steel in India stands at 22 lakh tons.
• This also includes exports worth 2.50 lakh ton per annum.
• Mumbai is the biggest stainless steel trading centre in Asia for raw materials and finished products. There are more than 3000 traders in Mumbai.
• The per capita consumption of stainless steel in India is 1.2kg, which is the lowest in the world.
• On the other hand, the world’s highest consumption per capita is 30kg in Italy, 24.6kg in South Korea, 21kg in Germany, 16kg in Japan and 6kg in China.
• The world average per capita consumption is 9.4kg. Hence, there is a tremendous scope of increasing production and consumption of stainless in India.
• India is the only country, where 74 per cent production of stainless steel is utilised by utensil manufacturers and for exports (As quoted by Hitendra Bhalaria, Indian Stainless Development Organisation in a News ).

Appointments:
Vimal Kaushik : MD Maytas
The Maytas Infra Limited(MIL) today appointed Vimal Kaushik as its Managing Director and CEO.

Apparel Export Promotion Council Chairman: Premal Udani
Mr Premal Udani has taken over as the new Chairman of Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), taking charge from Mr Rakesh Vaid whose two-year term has ended.

What is APEC?
The AEPC is a body of 8,000 small, medium and large garment exporters. Apart from its core activity of export promotion and assisting the government in complex trade negotiations, the council is involved in training of workers and management students through its Apparel Training and Design Centres and initiatives of the Institute of Apparel Management.
India’s Textile Industry:
India, which exports apparel worth 11 billion dollars annually, ranks as the fifth largest worldwide. Read Here about Textile Industry in India

Awards & Honours:
Jeevan Raksha Padak Awards 2009:
Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards are an offshoot of the Ashoka Chakra series of Gallantry awards, were instituted in the year 1961. Read here the 2009: Jeevan Raksha Padak Awards

NYC Next Idea 2009-2010:

IIT, Madras IIT Madras team of Aashish Dattani, Sriram Kalyanaraman and Vinayshankar Kulkarni has won the NYC Next Idea 2009-2010. NYC Next Idea 2009-2010 is an inaugural global business plan competition launched by New York City in 2009. They have devised a new system to allow utility companies and energy producers to store and distribute energy through remote sites across the five boroughs safely and efficiently.

Learn & Earn Scholarships of Colgate:
“Learn and Earn” was designed by Colgate Palmolive Ltd. to encourage consumers to learn five simple oral care tips and earn scholarships worth Rs 10,000 each. The winners were announced on Jan 8, 2010.

National Updates:
Paa is tax free :
West Bengal and Gujarat have granted tax excemtion to Paa. Some more states like Delhi and Maharashtra may grant exception soon. Paa is among the few successful films of 2009.
Directed by R. Balakrishnan (R Balki), Paa is based on a genetic condition known as Progeria and places emphasis on a father-son relationship. The film released on 4 December 2009, worldwide. Veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja scored the music.

Return of Charlie Chaplin:
Sir Charles Spencer “Charlie” Chaplin was an English comedian actor and film director. he was one of the most famous actors as well as a notable filmmaker, composer and musician in the early to mid Classical Hollywood era of American cinema. He was famous also for his great sense of humor and slapstick comedy skills. He was ranked Chaplin the 10th greatest male actor of all time by American Film Institute.

Now Charlie Chaplin will hit television screens again. A joint effort of gaming, animation production and distribution group DQ Entertainment (DQE) and French entertainment companies- Method Animations and MK2 has developed a Series with animated Charlie Chaplin.

Chaplin’s animated avatar will travel around the world, including India, in colour and stereophonic 3D vision. The JV has tied up with major networks in France, Germany, UK, Scandinavian countries and Australia for broadcasting rights.
It has also entered into deals with home video companies. The venture expects 60-70 per cent of its revenue from broadcast, and the remaining from home video. The worldwide release is slated for Spring 2011. (webindia123)

International Updates:
World’s First quadriplegic to sail across Atlantic
Quadriplegia or tetraplegia is a paralysis caused by illness or injury to a human that results in the partial or total loss of use of all of their limbs and torso. The sensation and control are lost. A 42-year-old British man, Geoff Holt, paralysed for last 25 years has become the first quadriplegic to sail his own boat across the Atlantic Ocean when he crossed a finish line near the Virgin Islands. In 2007, he became the first quadriplegic to sail around Britain. (BBC)

World’s Largest Auto market is China :
China’s auto market has replaced United States and become world largest, due to the stream of Chinese Policy Incentives. China’s annual automobile production capacity first exceeded one million in 1992. China was producing over two million vehicles by year 2000.

The development of the automobile market further accelerated, after China entered WTO in 2001. For next 5 years China’s national automobile market grew by an average 21 percent. In 2006, China’s vehicle production capacity successively exceeded six, then seven million, and in 2007, China produced over eight million automobiles.

In 2008, 9.345 million motor vehicles were manufactured in China, surpassing United States as the second largest automobile maker, after Japan.
In 2009, China has produced more than 10 Million automobiles. SAIC-GM-Wuling is the market leader in China market.

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Month: Current Affairs - January, 2010