General knowledge

Current Event 2009

January 2009
1 Jan		In a move to redress the grievances of armed forces personnel over anomalies in pay structures, the Union Government decides to place officers in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and their equivalents in the other two services on a higher pay band and constitute a separate pay commission New York (USA)-based Financial giant Merrill Lynch goes into history, as it is bought up by Bank of America Corp. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, the fastest man on earth, edges US swimming ace Michael Phelps to be voted the 2008 Athlete of the Year.
2 Jan		Ms. Sheikh Hasina is sworn in as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh
5 Jan		National Conference President Mr. Omar Abdullah is sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir
7 Jan		In an unparalleled instance of fraud in India's corporate history, B. Ramalinga Raju resigns as chairman of Satyam Computer Services India's fourth largest IT company, after admitting that the accounts of the company were fudged to the tune of Rs. 7,106 crore over several years
9 Jan		The Slovak Republic clinch their third Hopman Cup title in Perth, Australia, beating Russia 2-0 in the final of the mixed team tournament.
11 Jan		Marin Cilic of Croatia beats India's Somdev Dewarman in the final to claim the Chennai Open tennis title in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
12 Jan		Slumdog Millionaire, a British movie with overwhelmingly Indian content and backdrop, emerges as a big winner at the 66th Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, USA, scooping up four awards including the Best Original Score for famous Indian music director A.R. Rahman Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo is conferred the FIFA World Footballer of the Year award for 2008 at a ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland.
15 Jan		Mr. Radha Vinod Raju, a senior IPS officer of J&K cadre, is appointed the first Director-General of the National Investigation Agency
16 Jan		Mumbai win the 2009 Ranji Trophy title defeating Uttar Pradesh in the final in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.
19 Jan		President's rule is imposed on Jharkhand, ending political uncertainty in the State following Chief Minister Mr. Shibu Soren's resignation.
20 Jan		Mr. Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the US, while Mr. Joe Biden is sworn in as the 47th Vice-President of the nation
23 Jan		ISRO reveals that the Imaging X-ray Spectrometer, one of the payloads of Chandrayaan-1, received X-ray signals of aluminium, magnesium and silicon. The US approves the first human trials using embryonic stem cells testing, a pioneering therapy for stroke patients. Japan launches the world's first Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT), dedicated to monitoring greenhouse gas emissions on the Earth.
25 Jan		As many as 133 personalities—10 for Padma Vibhushan, 30 for Padma Bhushan and 93 for Padma Shri—are chosen for the prestigious Padma Awards
26 Jan		Eminent Hindi author Ms. Mannu Bhandari's autobiography Ek Kahni Yah Bhi is chosen for the prestigious Was Samman for 2008.
27 Jan		At an international conference on food security in Madrid, Spain, Mr. Jacques Diouf, the head of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, appeals to double global food production by 2050 to ward off mass hunger
29 Jan		The World Economic Forum summit of world leaders commences in Davos, Switzerland to discuss the present economic crisis and to find solutions thereof
31 Jan		State Bank of India slashes interest rates on new home loans to 8 percent To control the problem of piracy off the coast of Somalia, countries of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea pledge to cooperate in arresting pirates Yuki Bhambri creates history by becoming the first Indian to win the Australian Open boys' title, beating F. Georgoudas of Germany in the final in Melbourne, Australia.
February 2009
1 Feb	The prestigious Ambikatanayadatta National Award, instituted by the D.R. Bendre National Memorial Trust, is conferred on Sahitya Akademi President Mr. Sunil Gangopadhyay. British filmmaker Mr. Danny Boyle adds another feather to his cap by bagging the top honour at the Directors Guild of America Awards for his film Slumdog Millionaire in Los Angeles, USA. Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza become the first Indian pair to win a Grand Slam mixed doubles title, crushing Andy Ram (Israel) and Nathalie Dechy (France) in the final of the event at the Australian Open 2009.
3 Feb	Iran successfully places into orbit Omid, its first domestically made satellite.
4 Feb	In a milestone, a Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas takes off from Bengaluru and for the first time drops live stores (bombs) at a firing range
5 Feb	Cuban President Mr. Raul Castro concludes a week-long visit to Russia, having signed various crucial pacts aimed at revitalising bilateral ties
8 Feb	India win the Wealthsurance ODI series against Sri Lanka 4-1, even as Sri Lanka win the fifth and final match by 68 runs in Colombo.
9 Feb	West Zone lift the Duleep Trophy, defeating South Zone in the final in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
10 Feb	Noted Hindustani classical vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (87) is presented the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest Civilian award
11 Feb	Veteran politician Mr. Zillur Rahman is elected President of Bangladesh
12 Feb	In what was the first-ever high-speed impact between two intact spacecraft, two communication satellites—one American, the other Russian—smash into each other nearly 800 km. above the Earth.
14 Feb	King Abdullah, the monarch of Saudi Arabia, appoints Ms. Noura al-Fayez as a deputy cabinet minister, thus making her the first ever woman to be appointed as minister in the history of the nation
15 Feb	Ms. Suman Sharma, a 30-year-old Indian woman, becomes the world's first woman to fly the mighty Russian MiG-35 fighter jet at the Aero India international air show in Bengaluru. Finance Ministers from the G7 nations hold an important meeting in Rome, Italy, which renews calls for a concerted global response to the financial and economic crisis
19 Feb	The Rajya Sabha passes the Prevention of Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill, 2008, which will strengthen the legal framework to tackle cases effectively.
22 Feb	Slumdog Millionaire wins eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Director. Sean Penn wins Best Actor for Milk and Kate Winslet wins Best Actress for The Reader. Indian music maestro A.R Rahman wins two Oscars while another Indian Resul Pookutty wins an Oscar for the Best Sound Mixing
24 Feb	NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory lands in the Pacific Ocean after failing to reach Earth's orbit.
25 Feb	Antarctica's subglacial Gamburtsev Mountain Range is mapped for the first time
28 Feb	In a significant development in the history of Indian warship building, the keel of the first indigenous aircraft carrier is laid by Defence Minister Mr. A.K. Anthony at Cochin Shipyard Ltd. in Kochi, Kerala. The Standing Committee of China's NPC approves the Food Safety Law, which will enhance supervision and strengthen quality standards. Novak Djokovic of Serbia clinches the title of the Dubai Open tennis championship, beating David Ferrer of Spain in the final in Dubai, UAE.
March 2009
1 Mar	Accepting the Centre's advice, Hon'ble President Ms. Pratibha Devisingh Patil rejects Chief Election Commissioner Mr. N. Gopalaswami's recommendation that Mr. Navin Chawla be removed as Election Commissioner. ASEAN concludes its annual summit in Hua Hin, Thailand, and calls for coordinated action against the current recession China's first lunar probe, Chang’e 1, impacts the Moon. India clinch the hockey Test series against New Zealand, beating the hosts 2-0 in the fourth and final match in Auckland, New Zealand.
4 Mar	The Union Government announces the appointment of Mr. Navin Chawla as the new Chief Election Commissioner with effect from April 20, 2009
6 Mar	NASA launches Kepler telescope to survey the galaxy in the hope of learning if other planets like the Earth exist.
8 Mar	The 14th World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCOTH) is inaugurated in Mumbai, Maharashtra. North Korea holds elections for its Supreme People's Assembly Sachin Tendulkar scores his 43rd ODI century (an unbeaten 163 off 133 balls) in the third ODI of the series in Christchurch, New Zealand.
14 Mar	In a crucial meeting in London, the UK, G20 leaders agree on a broad framework to tackle the global financial crisis.
16 Mar	The Pakistani government reinstates the deposed Chief Justice, Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary, surrendering to the demand of the Opposition leader Mr. Nawaz Sharif
19 Mar	Meghalaya is put under President's rule and the State Assembly is kept under suspended animation
20 Mar	Air Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik is appointed the Chief of the Air Staff with effect from June 1,2009. He succeeds Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major
22 Mar	The Fifth World Water Forum, a seven-day focus on the world's water crisis, ends in Istanbul, Turkey, with a pledge by more than 100 countries to strive to provide clean water and proper sanitation facilities for billions in need. The delegates also vow to shore up defences against drought and flood. England defeat New Zealand by four wickets in the final to claim the title of the ICC" Women's World Cup in Sydney, Australia.
23 Mar	Tata Motors launches the much-awaited Rs. 1 lakh car Nano, billed as the "people's car" due to its easy affordability, amid great fanfare in Mumbai, Maharashtra
26 Mar	Mr. Mikhail Leonidovich Gromov, a Russian-French mathematician, is honoured with the Abel Prize for his revolutionary contribution to geometry. This prestigious award is instituted by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and carries a cash award of NOK 6.000,000.
28 Mar	The election process in 141 Lok Sabha constituencies, spread over 13 States and Union Territories, begins with Hon'ble President Ms. Pratibha Patil issuing a notification for the second phase
31 Mar	Hon'ble President Ms. Pratibha Devisingh Patil gives away the Padma Awards in New Delhi. The winners include Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Bollywood actors Ms. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Mr. Akshay Kumar, eminent Tamil writer Mr. D. Jayakanthan and noted Kerala academician Mr. A. Sreedhara Menon, among others. British forces commence their withdrawal from Iraq, six years after the Anglo-American invasion of die country. Indian batsman V.V.S. Laxman returns to the top 20 of ICC Test rankings, up six places to the 15th position.
April 2009
1 Apr	The Cancer Research Foundation India launches an awareness programme under the "Conquer Cancer Campaign" for initiating awareness through a dedicated helpline in the urban areas. Israeli Prime Minister Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu officially assumes the reins of power of the country, along with a 30-member cabinet. India's Gaganjit Bhullar qualifies for playing in this year's British Open golf tournament by winning the international final qualifying event for Asia in Singapore.
2 Apr	Leaders of the world’s largest economies at the G20 Summit in London pledge additional SLA trillion in resources for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other multilateral institutions to boost global growth.
5 Apr	Delhi girl Ms. Ekta Chowdhry is crowned Miss India Universe 2009 at the Femina Miss India pageant held in Mumbai; Ms. Pooja. Chopra of Pune is crowned Miss India World and Shriya Kishore of Mumbai is crowned Miss India Earth. North Korea announces the successful launch of an indigenous communication satellite.
6 Apr	Team India's mainstay Rahul Dravid takes the 182nd catch of his Test career in the final Test against New Zealand in Wellington, thus setting the world record for most Test catches (excluding wicketkeepers), overtaking Australian Mark Waugh's tally.
7 Apr	India record their first Test series win in New Zealand in 41 years, taking the series 1 -0, even as the third and final Test ends in a draw in Wellington, New Zealand.
8 Apr	For the first time. Pakistan acknowledges that besides Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab, some of the other terrorists invoked in the Mumbai attack may have also been Pakistanis
10 Apr	Chandrayaan-1 sends back some important images, one of them being its first full-Earth image captured by the Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC) on board. These images, taken from 4,00,000 km away, with India at the centre, show Asia and West Asia, parts of Africa and Australia forming a terrestrial ring around the Indian Ocean.
12 Apr	In a significant decision, the Supreme Court of India holds that the Appellate Authority (AA), even while affirming the order of the Disciplinary Authority (DA), must give reasons for arriving at the decision. India lift the Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament title after a gap of 13 years, beating Malaysia 3-1 in the final at Ipoh, Malaysia.
13 Apr	Tech Mahindra outbids Larsen & Toubro and Wilbur Ross to acquire the beleaguered San-am Computer Services; it will shell out Rs. 2.889 crore for 51 percent stake in Satyam. Swiss architect Mr. Peter Zumthor is chosen for the Pritzker Prize 2009, a prestigious honour which is considered an equal to the Nobel Prize in architecture.
16 Apr	Polling in 124 of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies—the first of the five-phase elections—witness 58-62 percent turnout
17 Apr	At an international conference held in Tokyo, Japan, donors led by the L'S and Japan pledge more than $5 billion to stabilise Pakistan's troubled economy and fight the spread of terrorism.
19 Apr	Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani wins a record third Asian billiards championship title, beating Singapore's Peter Gilchrist in the final of the Asian billiards championship in Pune, Maharashtra.
20 Apr	In a flawless mission, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV C-12) puts in orbit Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-2), a surveillance satellite, and ANUSAT, the first satellite built by a university (Anna University, Chennai).
23 Apr	French swimmer Alain Bernerd breaks the world record in the 100-metre freestyle event at the French swimming championship, winning the event at 46.94 seconds.
24 Apr	The Government of Oman, through its ambassador to India, urges India to sign the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council
25 Apr	South Africa's long-dominant African National Congress (ANC) party wins over-whelmingly in the parliamentary elections, but fails to get the majority it won in the last elections. The victory puts Mr. Jacob Zuma in line for presidency
26 Apr	Governments around the world rush to check the spread of H1N1, a new type of virulent swine flu
30 Apr	The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) announces the launch of the New Pension System (NPS) for all citizens of the country with immediate effect The six-year British military occupation of Iraq ends formally, a month ahead of schedule, amid conflicting claims whether it was worth the cost and loss of lives. India's Asher Noria clinches the Gold in the double trap event of the International juniors' competition in Suhl, Germany.
May 2009
1 May	Official data reveal that India's merchandise export plummeted by 33.3 percent in dollar terms in March 2009. Workers, trade unions and leftist politicians across Europe mark May Day or International Labour Day with massive demonstrations demanding jobs, better wages and pensions. Australia beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the fourth ODI of the series in Abu Dhabi, UAE, to take the series with an unassailable 3-1 lead.
4 May	Nine months after he was elected the first Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda” announces his resignation from the office in Kathmandu, the capital of the nation
9 May	Mr. Jacob Zuma the indefatigable fighter against apartheid is sworn in as liberated South Africa’s fourth President in Johannesburg
12 May	Russian Prime Minister Mr. Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Mr. Taro Aso signs Nuclear Supply deal in Tokyo, Japan, under which Russia will supply fuel and technology to energy-starved Japan.
13 May	The elections to the 15th Lok Sabha comes to an end with the completion of the fifth and final phase. According to official reports, around 5960 percent of the 71.37 crore voters in the country exercised their franchise in the month-long elections to elect 543 members to the Lok Sabha
15 May	NASA launches two robotic probes—the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS). It is the first step towards returning humans to the Moon by 2020.