Current Affairs, Current Events, General Knowledge

Current Event 2010

Current Event National, Jan 2010
9 Jan	The Centre approves the proposal of the US-based soft drinks major PepsiCo to inject additional equity of $200 million (around Rs. 930 crore) into its Indian arm within three years.
10 Jan	The Planning Commission constitutes a 25-member expert panel to explore options before the country for a low-carbon economy.
	The Asian Development Bank (ADB) sanctions $150 million aid for the Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB)
11 Jan	Two ballistic flight tests of Astra, the Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), are successfully carried out fom the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Balasore, Orissa.
	Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh launches the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission, or "Solar India"
	India and Bangladesh Prime Minister Ms. Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Dr. Manmohan Singh, the pacts are aimed at bolstering Bilateral ties.
12 Jan	Seeking to aggressively pursue export of products to China and Japan, the centre announces the inclusion of both the countries in the MarketLinked Focused Programme (MLFP) scheme; the Centre also unleashes incentive worth Rs. crore for exporters, especially those in the labour intensive sectors.
13 Jan	The Centre announces a slew of new measures to curb the soaring price of essential commodities.
14 Jan	India and France exchange the instruments of ratification of the agreement on civil nuclear energy cooperation, bringing into force the historic Indo-France N-deal
	The Central Government allows ONGC Videsh to invest $39 million (Rs.1,651 crore) for oil exploration in two deep-sea blocks in Nigeria over the next five years.
15 Jan	The millennium's longest (11-Minute) annular solar eclipse covers a swathe of 1000 km in India; the spectacle enthrals millions.
	The Central agrees to releas Rs. 12,000 crore in cash to loss-making state-run oil companies to cover for their losses in the 2009-10 fiscal.
16 Jan	The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests decides to conduct a vulnerability line mapping along the country's coastline, to ensure the safety of those living close to the coast.
	The Centre annoumces that the next assembling centre for the BrahMos missiles will be Rajasthan's Pilani. At present BrahMos missiles are assembled only in Hyderabad.
17 Jan	Jyoti Basu, the famous Leftist icon of India, passes away at the age of 95 in Kolkata, West Bengal.
18 Jan	The Suprime Court extends to June 30, 2010 the deadline for the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to fix the tariff for the Direct-to-Home (DTH) platform.
19 Jan	At the joint Economic Group (JEG) dialogue held in Beiging (China), India and China agree to work together to bridge the widening trade gap between the two nations.
20 Jan	Malaysian Premier Md. Najib Tun Razak visit India; during this visit, India and Malaysia sign an extradition treaty and two two other accords on economic cooperation and higher education.
21 Jan	Former Foreign Secretary Mr. Shiv Shankar Menon is appointed as a new National Security Adviser (NSA); he succeeds Mr. M.K. Narayanan.
	The Cabinate Committee on Infrastructure accords in-principle approval for the establishment of the National Knowledge Network (NKN) that will interconnect all knowledge institutions of the country.
22 Jan	Lt. Gen. Vijay Kumar Singh is appointed the new chief of the Army Staff; he succeeds Gen,Deepak Kapoor.
23 Jan	Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed attend and delivers the keynote address at the 16th edition of the India-maldivas Partnership Summit, organised by the Confederation of India Industry (CII) in chennai, Tamil nadu.
24 Jan	The second ministerial-level meeting of the BASIC group of nations-Comprising China, India,South Africa and Brazil-is held in New Delhi.
	In a milestone, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) tests its biggest and most powerful rocked motor called the S-200, powered by 200 tonnes of solid propellant. The test is conducted at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
25 Jan	The Civilian Awards for 2010 are announced on the eve of the nation's 61st Republic Daky; in all, the President approves the names of 130 persons for the awards -6 for Padma Vibhushan, 43 for Padma Bhushan and 81 for Padma Shri. The President also approves 442 gallantry awards.
	India and South Korea sign four crucial agreement in various sectors; the agreements are signed in New Delhi during the state visit of South Korean Prime Minister Mr,Lee Myung -bak.
26 Jan	Hon,ble President Ms. Pratibha Patel confers the gallantruy awards on the recipients on the occasion of the 61st Republic Day; Visiting South Korean Premier Mr.Lee Myung-bak takes part in the Repubic Day celebrations in New Delhi as the chief guest.
27 Jan	Seeking to enhance its presence in mineral and oil rich African counries. The agreement is signed in Luanda , Angola.
28 Jan	The 2010 Environmental performance Index,released worldwide, places India at the 123rd rank among 163 countries; the list is topped by Iceland.
29 Jan	In a move to contain rising inflation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hikes the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)-the portion that commercial banks are required to keep with the central bank-by 75 basis points from 5 percent to 5.75 percent.
30 Jan	The high-level task force, constitude toset a growth agenda for the development of the micro,small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector, submits its recommemdation to prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh.
	India submits its emission cut proposals to the UN; in its proposals, India says that it will endeavour to reduce its emission intensity by 20-25 percent by 2020 in comparison to the 2005 levels.
31 Jan	In a step that could creat a major socio-political impact in Punjab as well as other parts of the country, Dera Sachkhand Ballan announces a new religion, Ravidassia Dharm; it is also announced that the community will have its own separate religion book, Amrit Bani Guru Ravidass.
International
9 Jan	Afghan President Mr.Hamid KarZai submits a new list of Cabinet nominees to replace Ministers rejected by the nation's parlaiment.
10 Jan	Reports reveal that after a 13-month slump, China's exports posted strong growth in December 2009, helping the country surpass germany to become the world's largest exporter. Mr. Ivo Josipovic is elected the President of croatia.
11 Jan	Sri Lanka and India sign a commercial pact in colombo, with India Promising the island nation an assistance of $185 million for the construction of a Railway Line in the War-torn Northern Province of Sri Lanka.
12 Jan	Foreign Ministers of Afganistan , Pakistan and host United Arab Emirates (UAE) , along with the reoresentatives of 40 countries, the European Union (EU) and the UN Mision in Afghanistan, hold a crucial security meet in Abu Dhabi. An earthquake of a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude devastates the Caribbean nation Haiti, killing Lakhs of People and rendering millions homeless.
13 Jan	Internet Giant Google threatens to close its operations in china, following a string of vicious cyber attacks on its services.
14 Jan	Japan and Germany agree to work together on climate change, nuclear disarmament and rebuilding Afghanistan , during aTokyo visit by german Foreign minister Mr. guido Westerwelle.
15 Jan	Russia lifts its opposition to a long-delayed reform of the European Court if Human rights in a major gesture towards the west; the new move will also improve the Russian legal system.
16 Jan	The Government of hong Kong approves a controversial $8.6 bollion rail link to China's high-speed rail network.
17 Jan	Amnesty international accuses Israel of ''collectively punishing'' the population of the Gaza Strip with border closures.
18 Jan	Chilean billionaire Mr. Sebastian Pinera is elected as the nation's President; with his election, the latin American nation Witnesses a political shift to the right to the right after 20 years of leftist rule.
19 Jan	Cadbury, the flagbearer of the British Chocolate industry , is acquired by US giant Kraft Foods for $19 billion ; the amalgamation creates a world leader in food and confectionery.
20 Jan	In a major setback for US President Mr. Barack obama, Republican Mr.Scott Brown Captures the US Senate seat held by the legendary Democrat Edward Kennedy for neraly half a century.
21 Jan	A report released by the Chinese Government reveals that after suffering one of its worst declines in decades, China's econiomy has rebounded strongly, recording 8.7 percent growth in 2009.
22 Jan	In a Crucial Development, the Us Supreme Court that labour unions and corporations can spend unlimited amounts to influence federal elections, throwing out a ban that had been in effect for 63 years.
23 Jan	A year after the Gaza War, Israel pays the Un $10.5 million as compensation for danaging its offices during an attack by its defence forces.
24 Jan	Afghanistan postpones parliamentary elections for four months , saying it will not be safe to hold elections amid a spiralling Taliban Insurgency.
25 Jan	Dalai Lama's envoys arrive in Beijing for the resumption of talks with china, Which have been suspended since November 2008 over disagreements on the question of Tibet's autonomy.
26 Jan	In a Significant development, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) says that the Copenhagen Accord, finalised at the Copenhagen Conference in December 2009, is not a legally binding document but merely a political one.
27 Jan	Sri Lankan President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa is re-elected for a second term; in the presidential elections, he beats former army chief Gen. (Retd.) Sarath Fonseka by a comfortable margin. The World Economic Forum summit is convened in Davos, Switzerland.
28 Jan	Spelling bad news for outsourcing hubs including India, US President Mr. Barack Obama says in his 2010 state of the Union Address that his government will cut tax breaks of companies that outsource jobs to offshore destinations.
29 Jan	Microsoft Founder Mr. Bill Gates announces that his foundation will commit $10 billion over the next decade to research and deliver vaccines to the poorest nations of the world.
30 Jan	Russia seals a multi- billion dollar package of seals to supply weapons to Lybia, Signalling a return to the strategically important region of North Africa.`
31 Jan	Faced with growing discontent over land seizures by the government and real estate developers , china's State Council announces a major overhaul of land laws that will slowthe process of home demolitions and give home owners greater compensations for their land.
FEBRUARY 2010 (National)
1 Feb	A report released by the centre shows that continuing with a rising trend for the second consecutive month India's exports registered a 9.3 percent growth in December 2009, while imports also turned positive after posting negative growth for the last 11 months.
2 Feb	German President Dr. horst Koehler arrivesin India on a statet visit; during his meeting with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, India and Germany decide to setup security and economic cooperation by finalising host of cricial pacts.
3 Feb	The Centre Constitutes a high-level committee, headed by justice B.N. SriKrishna, on the Telangana issue, to hold wide-ranging consultations with all sections of the people and political parties and groups in Andhra pradesh. The government- appointed kirit ParikhCommitte recommends complete decontrol of petrol and diesel prices; a hike of Rs.100 per LPG cylinder and an increase of Rs. 6 a litre of Kerosene.
4 Feb	India and the UK agree on a text of a civil nuclearcooperation deal that is likely to be signed soon on a convenient date; the agreement is reached in London, UK, in a meeting between British Business Secretary Mr. Peter Mandelson and Visiting Indian Commerce and Industry Minister mr. Anand Sharma.
5 Feb	The Ministers of Health and family Welfare and Railways sign an Mou for developing healthcare infrastructutre along the railway network across the country. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh inaguurates the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) in New Delhi.
6 Feb	The Chief Ministers' Conference on Price Rise is Convened in New Delhi; at the Conference, the government decides to setup a high-profile standing Core Group to suggest measures to tackle price rise.
7 Feb	The Chief Ministers' Conference on Internal security is held in New Delhi; Various crucial issues are discussed in the meeting. Agni-III, the longest- range(3,500km) N-Capable missile in India's arsenal. is successfully test-fired from the Wheeler Island off Orrisa.
8 Feb	The second India-Arab Investment Projects Conclave is held in New Delhi. India announces that it intends to double bilateral trade with the Arab world from the present $114 billion by 2014.
9 Feb	The Union Environment Ministry announces its decision to impose a moratorium on release of Bt. brinjal, the transgenic brinjal hybrid.
10 Feb	Mr. S. C. Sinha is appointed the Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
11 Feb	India and the UK sign a joint declaration for civil nuclear cooperation to facilitate the entry of British companies into the India atomic power sector.
12 Feb	Human Resource Development Minister Mr. Kapil Sibal takes the decision to notify the Right to Education Act, 2009.
14 Feb	A Government report says that Palakkad district in Kerala has become the first fully electrified district in the country.
16 Feb	Nepalese President Mr. Ram Baran Yadav visits India.
17 Feb	A Group of Ministers(GoM) clears the "Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical, Medical Educational Institutions and University Bill", drafted by the HRD Ministry, to provide for a Central Law to curb malpractices.
20 Feb	India and Bangladesh sign a pact to set up a joint vrnture 1,320 MW power plant as a mark of cooperation. The two sides also agree to set up a cross border power grid.
21 Feb	Mr. L. K. Advani is unanimously elected Working Chairman of the National Democrative Alliance(NDA).
23 Feb	The Union Government secures Cabinet approval for a new agreement with the US that aims, inter alia, at promoting privatisation of agricultureal extension services and facilitating collaborations between American agribusiness and the Indian farm sector.
25 Feb	India submits three dossiers to Pakistan at a meeting between Foreign Secretary Ms. Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Mr. Salman Bashir in New Delhi.
28 Feb	India and Soudi arabia sign an extradition treaty during high level talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
International
1 Feb	US President Mr. Barack Obama unveils a $3.83 trillion budget in the cingress; the new budget will pour more money into the fight against unemployment, boost taxes on the wealthy , and freeze spending on a numbers of government programmes.
2 Feb	Amnesty International appoints Mr. Salil Shetty , an Indian who headed the UN Millennium Mission, as its enxt Secretary General. The US Government Proposes $3.2 billion in assistance to pakistan in fiscal 2011 , a substantial jump in American aid to that country.
3 Feb	Iran announces its readiness to send abroad the bulk of its low-enriched uranium stocks in return for its Tehran research reactor.
4 Feb	Russia offers to send narcotics police to Afghanistan to shore up the global fight against drug porduction and trafficking in that country.
5 Feb	A Landmark dael batween Northern Ireland's two major political parties,the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein, Removes the last hurdle to granting full autonomy to the province envisaged inthe 1998 Good Friday Agreement thet brought decades of sectarian violence to an end.
6 Feb	Resourcehouse , an Australian mining firm, signs a record $60 billion deal to supply coal to energy-hungry China for the next 20 years. it is the biggest ever xeport contract in Australia's history.
7 Feb	Iran president Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad orders the cheif of the nuclear progremme to begin higher uranium enrichment , days after the country seemed to have accepted a UN-drafted nuclear deal.
8 Feb	Mr. Laura Chinchilla becomes Costa Rica's first Women President after a convincing election triumph. Marin Cilic of Croatia wins the Zagreb Indoors tennis tournament title, beating Michael Berrer of Germany in the final in Zagreb, Croatia.
9 Feb	Iran sets in motion the process of further refining its stocks of lightly enriched uranium at its atomic facility in Natanz. The 11the South Asian Games concludes in Dhaka, Bangladesh; India emerge on top with a haul of 175 medals including 90 Gold, 55 Silver and 30 Bronze, followed by Pakistan (19-25-36) and Bangladesh (18-23-56).
11 Feb	Iranian President Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declares Iran a "Nuclear State", saying that the country has produced its first stock of 20 percent enriched uranium for its nuclear programme. A report published in the New Scientist says that scientists at the National Institute of Standards adn Technology, USA, have created the world's most precise clock based on a single aluminium atom. The new clock would neither gain nor lose one second in about 307 billion years.
12 Feb	Cricket is formally endorsed as a recognised sports by International Olympic Committee(IOC).
13 Feb	A high powered laser destroys a target missile in flight off the Central California Coast, USA, in a milestone test of a futuristic missile defence system conducted by US.
14 Feb	Andrew Dodt of Australia wins the title of the 1.5 million Avantha Masters golf championship in Gurganon, Haryana. Physicists at the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory create the hottest temperature ever in the laboratory---4 trillion degrees Celsius---hot enough to break matter down to the kind of soup that existed microseconds-after the birth of the universe.
15 Feb	Indian origin lawyer Mr. Rashid Hussain is appointed USA's new special envoy to the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), a post vital to America's bid to repair strained relations with the Muslim world. Australian all-rounder shane Watson wins the prestigious Allan Border Medal, besides being named Australia's ODI Player of the Year. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and an observation deck to the space outpost. The new deck, named Tranquility, will give the resident astronauts of the orbital station a panoramic view of the station and the Earth below.
16 Feb	The 2009 Sangeet Natak Akademi (Akademi Ratna) Fellowships are awarded to the winners at a ceremony held in New Delhi; the winners are: Pandit Jasraj, Shreeram Lagoo, Yamini Krishnamurti, Lalgudi Jayaraman, Kamlesh Dutt Tripathi and Kishori Amonkar.
19 Feb	Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama is honoured with the prestigious Democracy Service Medal by the Government of USA in function in Washington, USA.
21 Feb	Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova wins the title of the WTA Tour's Memphis tournament, beating Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden in the final in Memphis, USA.
22 Feb	Ian Poulter UK beats compatriot Paul Casey to win the Accenture Match Play golf championship in Marana, USA. Iraq war movie The Hurt Locker sweeps the board at the BAFTA Awards in London, the UK, winning the Best Film and Best Director Award for Kathryan Bigelow; other awards won by the film include Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing and Sound.
23 Feb	Eminent journalist Mr. Sanjoy Hazarika is awarded the Dr. Jean Mayer Award for Global Citizenship by the US based Tufts University for his contributions to the north-east of India.
24 Feb	A report released by the World Trade Organization (WTO) says that world trade fell by 12 % in 2009, the biggest fall since the end of the World War II in 1945. Sachin Tendulkar becomes the first cricketer in history to score a double century in an ODI; he achieves this feat in the second ODI of the series against South Africa in Gwalior. Riding on his unbeaten 200 (off 147 balls), India beat the visitors by 153 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The Sasakawa Prize of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is conferred on Mr. Sameer Hajee, an NRI scientist, who invented a portable light that can be recharged by pedalling for 20 minutes. The device, called the Nuru Light, was developed for use in areas without electricity.
25 Feb	Mr. Viktor Yanukovych is sworn in as Ukraine's President at a majestic ceremony in Kiev, Ukraine. The National Weightlifting championship concludes in Udaipur, Rajasthan; Services bag the men's team title, while All India Police claim the women's crown. Famous social worker Ms. Ela Phatt is chosen for the prestigious Niwano Peace Prize of Japan for 2010 for her contribution to the upliftment of poor women in India. A much-awaited energy venture, known as "power plant in a box", is unveiled by its Indian-American inventor, K.R. Sridhar, in Washington, USA. The groundbreaking invention promises clean electricity to homes, office buildings and even whole villages in the developing world. The device, called Bloom Box, can generate electricity from multiple fuels while producing relatively less greenhouse gas emissions.
26 Feb	The Indian women's cricket team beat the visiting English side by five wickets in the fourth match of the ODI series, thus sealing the series 3-1, in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
27 Feb	The Commonwealth Shooting Championship ends in New Delhi. India clinch the top  position with 35 Gold, 25 Silver and 14 Bronze, followed by England (4-15-12) and Wales (4-2-7).
28 Feb	The 21st Winter Olympic Games, held in Vancouver, Canada, ends. Hosts Canada clinch the top position with 14 Gold, 7 Silver and 5 Bronze, followed by Germany (10-13-7) and USA (9-15-13).
March	National
6 March	Actress Jaya Bachchan is honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony held at the British Academy of Film & Television Arts in London, England, for her "inspiring contribution to Indian cinema.
March	International
2 March	In yet another milestone for Chandrayaan-1, the Houston (US)-based Lunar and Planetary Institute says that the Indian Moon mission had found not only water molecules and new type of rocks, but also ice on the Moon.
8 March	The 82nd Academy Awards, better known as the Oscar Awards, are presented in a grand ceremony in Los Angeles, USA. The Hurt Locker, a smallbudget film on the Iraq war, wins six awards, while Avatar, a global blockbuster, wins three. The prominent winners are: Sandra Bullock (Best Actress for The Blind Side), Jeff Bridges Locker (Best Film), Kathryn Bigelow (Best Director for The Hurt Locker), Christoph Waltz (Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Inglourious Basterds), Mo'Nique (Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Precious), etc. A team of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, devise a way to produce 30 KWh of electricity enough to power an entire household using one bottle of drinking water and four hours of sunlight. The key to these claims is a new, affordable catalyst that uses solar electricity to split water and generate hydrogen.
April	National
8 April	The Union Cabinet approves the big ticket disinvestment in Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) to mop up about Rs. 16,000 crore by selling its equity and issuing fresh shares to the public.
10 April	The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announces that it will launch the first in a constellation of seven satellites envisaged for the ambitious Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) by the end of 2011.
13 April	The Indian Army agrees to acquire the indigenous two-stage ramjet Akash missile.
17 April	ISRO's Cartosat 2B high-resolution satellite is flagged off from Bengaluru to Sriharikota, wherefrom it will be launched.
18 April	The government launches the second edition of the Triton series of exercises designed to test the security of the Kerala coast.
20 April	Mr. Mukul Sangma is sworn in as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya; he replaces Mr. D.D. Lapang.
22 April	The Centre announces that the sea along the Indian coasts will be brought under the ambit of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) guidelines.
23 April	Navies of India and the US begin annual war exercises, the 14th edition of MALABAR, involving anti-submarine warfare surface firing, visit board, search and seizure and submarine operations, in the Arabian Sea.
27 April	To extend the social security benefits to more workers under the ESI scheme, the Centre raises the maximum wage limit for the facility from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 a month.
30 April	Mr. Justice Sarosh Homi Kapadia is appointed the 38th Chief Justice of India; he succeeds Justice K.G. Balakrishnan. Pilot production of the air-launched version of the India-Russia BrahMos missile starts in Russia, in line with plans to fit it in the Indian Air Force's Su-30MKI fighter aircraft by 2012.
April	International
8 April	Mr. R.P. Goenka, Chairman Emeritus of RPG Enterprises, receives the Lifetime Achievement Award from All India Management Association (AIMA) in New Delhi. Prasun Chatterjee, an Indian environmetal engineering student whose research has contributed to a new way of detecting toxic and copper in water, wins one of the highest US research honours, the 2010 Ellen Gonter Environmental Chemistry Award, from the American Chemical Society.
10 April	Polish President Lech Kaczynski and a high-profile delegation are killed when a plane carrying 97 people crashes near the Russian city of Smolensk.
12 April	British-Indian author Mr. Rana Dasgupta wins the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for 2010 for his epic tale Solo set in Communist and post-Communist Bulgaria, Australian author Ms. Glenda Guest's Siddon Rock is adjudged the Best First Book.
13 April	The two-day, 47-nation Nuclear Security Summit concludes in Washington, USA, with the adoption of a short final communique and seven-page work plan aimed at prompting the effective securty of nuclear material worldwide.
15 April	The BRIC nations - (Brazil, Russia, India and China) hold a summit in Brasilia; at the same venue, India, Brazil and South Africa also hold the IBSA summit. Both the summits underscore a shared quest for greater collective influence within the changing geometry of the international system. The Eyjafjallajokull volcano of Iceland, that erupted a day before, takes a heavy toll on the European aviation industry, makin it impossible to operate flights anywhere in Europe.
17 April	In a significant development, Ira calls for the suspension of the US from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and proposes a five-point plan to democratise the global security architecture.
19 April	A new page in Pakistan's history is turned with President Mr. Asif Ali Zardari signing the 18th Amendment Bill that transfers the power of the presidency to the Parliament and brings back the 1973 Constitution drafted during the regime of former President Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
20 April	Noted Hindi writer Hrishikesh Sulabh is chosen for the International Indu Sharma Katha Samman for 2010 for his story collection Vasant Ke Hatyare.
21 April	Mr. D. M. Jayaratne is appointed Prime Minister of Sri Lanka by the nation's President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa.
25 April	Mr. P. Kamalanathan, an ethnic Indian, wins a prestigious parliamentary by-election in Malaysis, giving a boost to the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) that claims to speak for the 1.7 million community.
26 April	The two-day annual spring meting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank concludes in Washington, USA; at the meeting, the member nations endorse voice reform to increase the voting power of developing and transition countries (DTC) in the World Bank by 3.13 percentage points, bringing their proportional voice to 47.19 percent.
27 April	A South Korean mountaineer, named Ms. Oh Eun-sun, becomes the first woman in the world to scale the world's 14 highest mountains, by conquering the Annapurna in the Himalayas.
28. April	The 16th South asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) convenes in Thimphu, Bhutan; at the meeting, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh leads the SAARC leaders in introspecting on the progress made by the eight-member regional forum in its 25 years of existence.
30 April	The World Expo 2010 opens amid much fanfare in Shanghai, China; Chinese President Mr. Hu Jintao inaugurates the opening ceremony attended by more than 20 heads of states and  governments, apart from a large number of high-level dignitaries from across the world. Belgium becomes the first nation in Europe to ban the burqa in public places. The Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2010 is held in Mumbai. Ms. Manasvi Mamgai of Mumbai is adjudged Miss India World, Bengaluru girl Ms. Nicole Faria is named Miss India Earth; Ms. Neha Hinge of Pune wins the Miss India International crown.
April	Sports
12 April	India win the inaugural Pearls World Cup Kabaddi Punjab 2010 title, beating Pakistan in the final in Ludhiana, Punjab.
15 April	Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani defends his Asian billiards title with a win over Peter Gilchrist of Singapore in the final in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
17 April	Dipika Pallikal of India wins the WISPA (women's) title, beating Emma Beddoes of England in the final of the Indian Challenger squash tournament in Kolkata; Mohamed El Shorgagy of Egypt wins the men's title.
May	National
1 May	Mr. Atul Khare, an Indian, is appointed by UN Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon as Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations.
3 May	The Lok Sabha passes a bill to raise the ceiling on gratuity for employees in the private sector to Rs. 10 lakh from Rs. 3.5 lakh.
7 May	In a ignificant development, the Supreme Court holds that candidates in the "Meritorious Reserved Category (MRC)" selected on merit and placed in the "General/Unreserved Category" in the Central Civil Services Examination (CSE) can be given a choice to opt for a service of higher preference in terms of Rule 16(2) of the CSE Rules. The contentious Nuclear Liability Bill is introduced in the Lik Sabha amid protests and walkout by the NDA and the Left parties.
9 May	The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announces that Russia will develop a lander that will ferry a rover to explore the Moon's surface as part of the Chandrayaan-II mission, slated for launch in 2013.
13 May	In a big-ticket investment aimed at giving a boost to its holding of oil and gas assets abroad, the ONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL), along with its partners, enters into an agreement with the Venezuelan governement to develop a $20 billion oil project in that country. The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, crosses a milestone, with the thermal baffle, a crucial piece of cooling equipment, successfully lowered into it.
15 May	Former Vice-President and three-time Chief Minister of Rajasthan in the past, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat of BJP passes away in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
16 May	Seeking to expand cooperation with the Indian Space Research Oraganisation (ISRO) on its Chandrayaan-II missin, the US offers assistance through Boeing, which partners with NASA on its space exploration programmes. Mr. ratan Kumar Sinha is appointed Director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Trombay.
17 May	After two successive setbacks, Agni-II surface-to-surface ballistic missile is successfully test-fired from theWheeler island off the Orissa coast. The intermediate-rangemissile can carry nuclear weapons and hs a range of 2,000 km.
18 May	Leading private sector lender ICICI Bank agrees to take over the Bank of Rajasthan.
20 May	Pakistan sends a note verbale to India on the disputed Kishanganga project, clearly indicating its intention to set up a Court of Arbitration as provided in the despurte settlement mechanism under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
21 May	The Central Government grants the Maharatna status to four public sector giants - National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), and Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL).
22 May	Arjun Vajpai, a 16-year-old boy from Noida, becomes the youngest Indian to scale Mount Evrest.
23 May	The first indigenously-built Light Combat Helicopter, developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), successfully makes its inaugural test-flight in Bengaluru.
24 May	The Uniion Ministry of Commerce and Industry through a notification brings cotton and cotton waste under the restricted list for exports.
25 May	Turkmenistan President Mr. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visits India; during his meeting with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, the two sidesdiscuss energy cooperation and sign several agreements signalling the desire of both countries to strengthen bilateral ties.
28 May	Addressing a joint session of the Bhutanese Parliament in Thimphu, Bhutan, Lok Sabha Speaker Ms. Meira Kumar announces the setting up of a Parliamentary Friendship Group to help reinforce and renew the bonds of friendship between India and Bhutan.
29 May	The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry rejects a proposal to bring medical education under the purview of teh proposed National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER).
30 May	The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grants a corpus of $5 million to the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) to strengthen the National Tobacco Control Programe in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, over a three-year period up to 2010.
May	International
6 May	Mr. Goodluck Jonathan is sworn in as the President of Nigeria, hours after the death of incumbent President Umaru Yar'Adua.
7 May	North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il ends his four-day visit to China; he tells the Chinese government that he is willing to help revive stalled negotiations over his country's controversial unclear programme.
8 May	Pakistan successfully test-fires two surface-to-surface missiles---Hatf-III (Ghaznavi) and Hatf-IV (Shaheen)---capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional warheads. The heads of state and governments of the 16 Eurozone nations launch a historic $110-billion finacial aid package to bail out the heavily-indebted Greece from bankruptcy.
9 May	Russia marks the 65th anniversary of victory in World War II with a spectacular military parade in Moscow; for the first time ever, serving US, British, French and Polish troops, as well as many former Soviet states join over 10,000 Russian soldiers in th e parade.
12 May	Britain's first post-war coalition government, with Conservative leader Mr. David Cameron as Prime Minister and his Liberal Democrat counterpart Mr. Nick Clegg as Deputy Prime Minister, takes office, as the sun sets on the 13-year Labour rule. Human Resource Development Minister Mr. Kapil Sibal is conferred the Stephen P. Duggan award by the New York (USA)-based Institute of International Educaton; he is given the award for his contribution to the spheres of governance and education in India.
13 May	The world's first-ever ATM that dispenses gold in place of currency notes is unveiled in Abu Dhabi; the machine named "Gold To Go: gives out one, five and 10-gram gold bars as well as gold coins. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), USA, announces that it will fly a plasmapowered rocket that can reach Mars in a little over a month's time. The rocket is named Variable Specific Impulse Magneto-plasma Rocket (VASIMR). Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director-General of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency Visionary Award by the US-based Alliance to Save Energy.
14 May	Time magazine selects Indian mathematician Mr. Anand Kumar's school---Super 30---in the list of Best of Asia in 2010.
15 May	The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approves immediate disbursement of $1.3 billion of financial assistance to Pakistan.
19 May	The French Cabinet approves a draft law to ban the burqa, the Muslim full-face veil, from public spaces, opening the way for the bill to be tabled in the Parliament.
22 May	13-year-old American boy JordanRomero scripts history by becoming the youngest person in the world to conquer the Mount Everest.
25 May	Indian-origin politician Ms. Kamla Persad-Bissessar is sworn in as th e Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago.
31 May	Hon'ble President Ms. Pratiba Patil wraps up her six-day Chia visit; she becomes the first Indian head of state to visit China in a decade.
May	Sports
9 May	Mark Webber, the Australian racer of the Red Bull team, clinches the title of the Spanish Grand Prix Formula One championhip in Barcelona, Spain.
10 May	Dempo Sports Club clinches the title of the 2010 I-League football tournament, beating Lajong United of Shillong in the penultimate round in Shillong, Meghalaya; it is the fourth I-League title of Dempo.
11 May	Indian chess wizard Viswanathan Anand retains his FIDE World Chess Championship title, beating Bulgarian contender Veselin Topalov in the 12 and deciding game in Sofia, Bulgaria. Playing with black pieces, Anand pulls off a win in 56 moves.
12 May	Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav clinches the Gold medal in the 74-kg freestyle category at the Asian Wrestling Championship, beating Saeed Riahi of Iran in the final in New Delhi.
13 May	India's Olympic hero Sushil Kumar notches up his first-ever Gold at the Asian Wrestling Championship, beating South Korean Dae Sung Kim in the final in New Delhi.
14 May	Chiara Cainero of Italy wins the Gold at the women's skeet competition in the shotgun World Cup in Dorset, England.
16 May	England wins the 2010 ICC World Twenty 20 title, beating Australia in the final by seven wickets in Barbados, West Indies. This is England's first title in an ICC global event. India and South Korea are declared joint winners of the Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament, after the final is washed out in Ipoh, Malaysia. Rafael Nadal of Spain beats Roger Federer of Switzerland in the final to clinch the title of the Madrid Masters tennis championship in Madrid, Spain.
17 May	Australia win the title of the ICC Womens' World Twenty20, beating New Zealand by three runs in the thrilling summit clash in Barbados, West Indies.
18 May	Seema Tomar of India bags the women's trap Silver in the shotgun World Cup in Dorset, England; this is the first-ever trap medal in a World Cup by an Indian woman shooter.
21 May	Maria Sharapova of Russia clinches the Strasbourg Open women's singles title in Strasbourg. France.
23 May	Italian giants Inter Milan win the 2010 Champions League football title, beating German giants Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final in Madrid, Spain.
24 May	India's Joshna Chinappa wins the German Ladies' Squash Open, beating Swiss opponent Gaby Schmohl in the final of the WISPA World Tour event in Saarbrucken, Germany.
26 May	Zhu Qinan of China wins the air rifle Gold in the shooting World Cup in Fort Benning, USA.
27 May	Indian men beat Iran 3-1 in a crucial match of the World table tennis team championships in Moscow, Russia.
June	National
1 June	Jharkhand comes under President's rule with Hon'ble President Ms. Pratibha Patil accepting a recommendation of the Union Cabinet.
2 June	Tata Nano, the world's cheapest car at Rs. 1 lakh, rolls out of the assembly line at its new plant at Sanand, Gujarat, raising the hopes of the lower and middle class families in the country of fulfilling the dream of owning a four-wheeler. South African President Mr. Jacob Zuma visits India; during his visit, India and South Africa launch the India-South Africa CEOs Forum.
6 June	The Union Government decides to appoint the Natonal Knowledge Commission Chairman and Adviser to the Prime Minister on ublic Information Infrastructure and Innovation, Mr. Sam Pitroda, as the head of "India Smart Grid Task Force".
7 June	Former Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan takes over as the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission.
8 June	In the largest-evertelecom takeover by an Indian firm, Bharti Airtel completes a deal to buy out Kuwait-based Zain Telecom's African business for $10.7 billion. SBI Chairman Mr. O.P. Bhatt is elected the new Chairman of the Indian Banks Association (IBA) for 2010-11.
11 June	The 16-day auction of the Broadband Wireless Spectrum (BWA) ends; through the auction, the Centre raises Rs. 38,617 crore. Internet service provider Infotel emerges as the sole pan-India licence winner in the auction.
12 June	The Central Government approves capital infusion of Rs. 6,211 crore in five public sector banks---IDBI, Central Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, UCO Bank and Union Bank of India.
13 June	India's anti-tank missile Nag is successfully test-fired; the missile proves its capability of destroying a target at a range of 500 m, hitting a moving object in 3.2 seconds.
18 June	The indigenously developed, nuclear-capable ballistic missile Prithvi-II is successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range in Orissa.
19 June	In a meeting held in New Delhi, the State Education Ministers endorse the Centre's move to have a core curriculum in science and mathematics for Class XI and XII.
20 June	The National Rural Health Missiion (NRHM) authorities suggest the introduction of a rural cadre of healthcare workers, saying that clinical care proveders with a shorter duratoion of training are a competent alternative to physicians.
26 June	India is granted observer status on the board of the Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) project, the next generation astronomical observatory that will be located on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA.
28 June	India and Canada sign a civil nuclear cooperation agreement; the agreement is signed in the presence of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and his Canadian counterpart Mr. Stephen Harper in Toronto, Canada.
29 June	The Indian Navy inducts two water-propelled fast attack craft, INS Cankarso and INS Kondul, at a ceremony in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The two ships will shore up the security of the country's coastline.
30 June	A report released by the Centre reveals that the India's current account deficits (CAD), reflecting its position in trade and invstment with other nations, rose to 2.9 percent of DGP in 2009-10 against 2.4 percent a year ago.
June	International
2 June	Japan's Prime Minister Mr. Yukio Hatoyama resigns; he becomes the fourth successive Premier of the country to quit after a year or less at the helm.
3 June	Ukraine officially takes NATO menmbership off its agenda in a volte face of the policy once ardently pursued by the previous President, Mr. Vikor Yushchenko.
June	Sports
1 June	Renjith Maheshwari of India clinches the Gold in men's triple jump at the Asian Grand Prix 2010 in Pune, Maharashtra.
5 June	Francesca Schiavone becomes the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title after defeating Australia's Samantha Stosur 6-4, 7-6(2) in the French Open final in Paris.
6 June	Rafael Nadal recaptures the French Open crown defeating Robin Soderling of Sweden by 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 retaking th e World No. 1 spot. It is Nadal's fifth win in the French Open since 2005.
7 June	The first Australia-India Energy and Minerals Forum meeting is held in Perth, Australia; both sides express willingness to work jointly in the areas of development of use of brown coal, energy efficiency, improvement of coal-based power plants, hydro power development and power generation technology research, and development of smart grids. MMTC Director (Personnel) Mr. A. Mahapatra is conferred the International HR Excellence Award for 2010 by the Institute of Personnel Management, Sri Lanka. The Dawning Nebulae, a Chinese supercomputer, is adjudged the second fastest supercomputer in the world---with a commputing speed of 1.27 petaflops per second---in the biannual testing of the world's 500 fastest supercomputers.
8 June	Japan's new Prime Minister Mr. Naoto Kan affirms that the will resolve the status of a controversial US air base "in accordance with the agreement" that Japan and the US announced in May 2010.
10 June	The 2010 Orange Prize for fiction, Britain's highly-regarded honour for woman writers, is conferred on American novelist Ms. Barbara Kingsolver for her novel The Lacuna.
9 June	The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) imposes the fourth round of sanctions on Iran; of the 15 members of the Council, 12 vote in favour of the sanctions.
11 June	The annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
13 June	Astronomers at the Oxford University, England, announce that they havediscovered seven diverse new planets. The planets, which range from "shrunken Saturns" to "bloated Jupiters", include a rare brown dwarf with 60 times the mass of Jupiter.
14 June	Iran and Pakistan ink the last of a series of agreements to operationalise the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline deal. As per the deal, Iran commits itself to supplying natural gas to Pakistan from 2010 onwards. In a significant development, American geologists disover $1 trilllion worth of mineral deposits in Afghanistan. Veteran Gandhian Social worker and National Youth Project (NYP) Director Mr. S.N. Subba Rao is conferred the Anuvrat Ahimsa International Peace. Award at a ceremony in New Delhi.
21 June	The G.D. Birla Aards, instituted by the Birla Academy of Art and Culture, are presented in New Delhi. The awardees are: Mr. V.P. Dhananjayan (cultural heritage), Ms. Zokhunmi Vankung (service to humanity) and Dr. Percy Barnevik (rural upliftment in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu). Celebrated democracy campaigner Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi of Kyanmar becomes the first recipient of the Benazir Bhutto Shahid Award for Democracy instituted by the Pakistan People's Party in the memory of the slain leader.
22 June	Tata Group Chairman Mr. Ratan Tata is made an Honorary Doctor of Law by the University of Cambridge, UK, in recognition of his business achievements and philanthropic work.
23 June	Dr. Asko Parpola, Professor-Emeritus of Indology, Institute of World Cultures, Finland, is conferred the prestigious Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi Classical Tamil Award at the inaugural World Classical Tamil Conference in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
26 June	The two-day G8 and G20 summits open in Toronto, Canada. At both the meetings, world leaders pledge to counter terrorism and work collectively for a sustainable recovery of the global economy. The Home/Interior Ministers of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations hold a conference in Islamabad, Pakistan. In the conference, it is decided to act jointly against any form of terrorism.
27 June	The G20 leaders, on the closing day of their Toronto meet, approve a deal to slash their national deficits within three years, seeking to overcome divisions among world powers on how best to nurture a fragile global economic recovery.
30 June	In a move to break the political deadlock in the nation, Nepal's Prime Minister Mr. madhav Kumar Nepal resigns after 13 months in power.
June	Sports
8 June	Virender Sehwag maintains his No. 1 position in the ICC rankings for Test Batsmen; India hold on to their top spot.
10 June	India win the men's team recurve Gold medal at the Archery World Cup (Stage II) in Antalya, Turkey.
13 June	Indian badminton ace Saina Nehwal wins the title of the Yonex Sunrise-India Open Grand Prix badminton championship, beating Choo Wong Mew of Malaysia in the final in Chennai.
19 June	Sergiy Stakhovksy of Ukraine beats Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia in the final to lift the title of the UNICEF Open tennis tournament in S'Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.
20 June	Indian badminton ace Saina Nehwal clinches the second Super Series title of her career by winning the Singapore Open, beating Tzu Ying Tai of Chinese Taipei in the final in Singapore.
24 June	India clinch the Asia Cup beating Sri Lanka by 81 runs in the final in Dambulla, Sri Lanka.
27 June	Saina Nehwal of India wins the Indonesian Open Super Series badminton title, beating Sayaka Sato of Japan in the final in Jakarta, Indonesia.
28 June	Niccolo Campriani of Italy wins the men's air rifle title at the Shooting World Cup in Belgrade, Serbia.
July	National
1 July	Mr. Sharad Pawar, Union Agriculture Minister and the former President of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), is appointed the new President of International Cricket Council (ICC). He becomes the second Indian after Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya to hold the ICC's top office.
2 July	The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) hikes the short-term indicative interest  rates---repo rate and reverse repo rate---by 25 basis points to 5.5 and 4.0, respectively, to rein in inflation and inflationary pressures.
3 July	Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Ms. Sonia Gandhi inaugurate the swanky, world-class Terminal 3 at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. Spread over 5.4 million square feet, the terminal is the world's sixth largest.
4 July	National Security Adviser (NSA) Mr. Shiv Shankar Menon begins an important China visit, to explore how the two nations could expand both economic and cultural engagements.
12 July	ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C15) puts five satellites in orbit; the five satellites are: ISRO's Cartosat-2B, Alsat of Algeria, NLS 6.1 AISSAT-1 of University of Toronto (Canada), NLS 6.2 TISAT-1 of University of Applied Sciences (Switzerland), and Studsat, built by 35 students of seven engineering colleges in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
15 July	The Centre approves a symbol for the rupee, helping the Indian currency join the elite club of the US dollar, euro, the pound sterling and the Japanese yen. the symbol, designed by Bombay IIT post-graduate Mr. D. Udaya Kumar, is a blend of t he Devanagari "Ra" and the Roman "r".
19 July	Data released by the Centre show that India's exports registered an impressive 32 percent growth during the first quarter of 2010-11, reaching $50.8 billion; imports also grew 34 percent at $83 billion during the same period, while the country's trade deficit stood at $32.2 billion.
21 July	Remote sensing satellite Cartosat-2B sends high quality images of the Indian landmass, including Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh and Madurai in Tamil Nadu; the images were taken by the satellite's panchromiatic camera, which has a resolution as high as 0.8 metre.
22 July	The Union Cabinet approves the inclusio/amendment of the names of castes and communities in the Central Lists of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in respect of Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Rajasthan and the UT of Daman & Diu.
23 July	The State Bank of India (SBI) raises $1 billion (about Rs. 4,700 crore)through bonds from the US market. The Union Government announces that India will mount its first scientific expedition to the South Pole in November 2010.
25 July	In a bid to give boost to production of solar energy, the Union Government ropes in power finance bodies---Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC)---to finance new projects under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), under which the government aims to add at least 1,000 MW solar power by the end of 2013. Rashtrapati Bhavan is presented with an International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 14001: 2004 Certificate for having emerged as the country's first urban habitat with excellent environmental management systems.
26 July	In a boost to its efforts to build an anti-missile system, India successfully test-fires an interceptor missile off the Orissa coast. The missile destroys an "enemy" ballistic missile over the Bay of Bengal.
29 July	The Parliament approves the imposition of President's Rule in Jharkhand.
30 July	Election Commissioner Mr. Shahabuddin Yaqoob Quraishi takes over as Chief Election Commissioner (CEC); he succeeds mr. Navin Chawla. The Union Cabinet gives its nod for legislation to raise the retirement age of High Court judges from 62 to 65.
	International
12 July	The International Criminal Court charges Sudanese President Mr. Omar al-Bashir with three counts of genocide in the troubled Darfur region.
13 July	The Delhi Metro is bestowed the Outstanding Civil Engineerimg Project Award by the Asian Civil Engineering Coordinating Council.
14 July	The world's largest solar power plant, named "La Florida", opens in Badajoz, Spain. Spread over 550,00 square metres, the plant can produce 50 MW of power. 2010 FIFA World Cup winners Spain replace Brazil at the top of the most recent FIFA World rankings.
15 July	Argentina becomes the first country in Latin America to legalise same-ses marriage, following a landmark Senate vote. Indian badminton superstar Saina Nehwal climbs up to the World No. 2 slot in the international badminton rankings.
16 July	Viraat Badhwar becomes the first Indian to win the Callaway junior golf championships; he beats Rico Hoey of USA in the final in San Diego, USA.
18 July	Om Prakash Singh of India wins the Gold in the men's shot put event at the Savo Games in Finland. The Metro Citizens' Forum volunteers' programme of the Delhi Metro wins the "Stevie Distinguished Honoree" medal at the International Business Awards, 2010, in Virginia, USA.
19 July	Mumbai clinch the 63rd Rangaswamy Cup senior national men's hockey championship, beating Haryana in the final in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. "Bombay Sisters" C. Saroja and C. Lalitha are chosen for the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi award of the Music Academy.
21 July	British astronomers announce the discovery of the heaviest and brightest star ever known to exist. The star named R 136al has a mass some 300 times bigger than our Sun. The new star is so bright that it would outshine our Sun by as much as the Sun outshines the Moon.
22 July	In a groundbreaking ruling, the International Court of Justice says that Kosovo's unilateral declaration of inependence from Serbia in February 2008 did not violate any international law. Delhi Chief Minister Ms. Sheila Dikshit is chosen for the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak Award for 2010, in recognition of her contribution to politics. Hon'ble President Ms. Pratibha Patil presents the 4th Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in New Delhi. The prominent awardess are: Siddarth Varadarajan (Journalist of the Year - Print), Arnab Goswami (Journalist of the Year - Broadcast); Harish Damodarn (Best Non-Fiction Book in English for India's New Capitalists), etc.
25 July	African Union (AU) leaders meet in Kampala, Uganda; the leaders condemn a recent ghastly terrorist attack that killed 76 people in Uganda. Alberto Contador of Spain wins the 2010 Tour de France cycling championship in Paris, France.
27 July	Sandeep Sejwal of Railways sets a natinal record (two min. 18.31 sec.) in men's 200m breast-stroke at the Federation Cup aquatics meet in New Delhi.
29 July	Iran's ally Turkey says that Iran is ready to stop enriching uranium to 20 percent purity if the global powers agree to export medium-enriched nuclear fuel for its Tehran-based medical reactor. Virdhawal khade of Maharashtra wins four Gold medals at the Federation Cup aquatics meet in New Delhi. Legendary actor Sunil Dutt is posthumously conferred the National Amity Award; the late actor's daughter, Ms. Priya Dutt, receives the honour from Vice-President Md. Hamid Ansari in New Delhi.
31 July	India and the US sign the much-debated agreement on modalities for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, under the civilian nuclear deal between the two countries. The agreement is signed in Washington, USA by Indian Ambassador Ms. Meera Shankar and US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Mr. William Burns. The 42nd Jnanpith Award for 2006 is presented to Konkani litterateur Mr. Ravindra Kelekar; Lok Sabha Speaker Ms. Meira Kumar gives away the award at a function in Panaji.
August	National
1 August	The Centre announces its plans to expand the coverage of Below Poverty Line (BPL) population under the public distribution system (PDS) to 8.7 crore from the current 6.52 crore based on the accetance of the Tendulkar Committee's poverty projections for 2011 by the Planning Commission.
2 August	The World Heritage Committee, in its 34th session held in Brasilia, Brazil, inscribes Jaipur's Jantar Mantar in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
3 August	The Centre appoints two full-time and seven part-time members to the 19th Law Commission of India, which was reconstituted in September 2009.
5 August	The Union Textile Ministry announces a new scheme to improve the skills of 2.56 lakh textile workers at a cost of  Rs. 272 crore in the remaining two years of the 11th Five-Year Plan.
8 August	The Rajya Sabha passes by voice vote the Trade Marks (Amendment) Bill, 2009, that allows any person or enterprise to seek registration or trade mark in any of the 84 member countries of the Madrid Protocol. The Bill had already been passed by the Lok Sabha in December 2009.
16 August	Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh gives the green signal for setting up a National Innovation Council, to be headed by technocrat Dr. Sam Pitroda.
21 August	External Affairs Minister Mr. S.M. Krishna and his Japanese counterpart Mr. Katsuya Okada hold an important summit in New Delhi; in the meeting, the two sides spell out the paramenters for a bilateral civil nuclear accord.
24 August	Former Union Power Secretary Mr. Harishankar Brahma is appointed Election Commissioner.
25 Auqust	With the government conceding a major point to the Opposition on supplier liability, the Lok Sabha passes the controversial Givil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, 2010. As per the Bill, nuclear operators are to be strictly liable for damages resulting from an accident, but their liability is capped at Rs. 1,500 crore. In earlier drafts, the cap was Rs. 500 crore.
26 Auqust	The Union Cabinet approves the long-awaited Direct Taxes Code Bill under which the government has proposed to like the income tax exemption limit from the existing base of Rs. 1.6 lakh to Rs. 2 lakh. The Bill also seeks to remove surcharge and cesses on corporate tax asa measure of providing relief to industry while simplifyig taxation norms.
28 Auqust	The 2010 Commonwealth Games theme song, Jiyo Utho Badho Jeeto, composed by A.R. Rahman, is released during a function in Gurgaon, Haryana.
29 August	Foreign Secretary Ms. Nirupama Rao visits Sri Lanka for a first-hand assessment of India's assistance to the nearly three lakh displaced Tamils in that country.
31 August	The Centre decides to declare the elephant as a national heritage animal.
	International
1 August	Renowned Indian sand artist Mr. Sudarsan Pattnaik wins the first prize at the 8th International Sand Sculpture Championship held in Berlin, Germany.
2 August	The mascot of ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is unveiled at a ceremony i n Colombo, Sri Lanka. The mascot, named "Stumpy", is the image of an elephant.
5 August	Russian Presient Mr. Dmitry Medvedev voics support for South Africa's bid to join the BRIC group, which unites Brazil, Russia, India and China. Asher Noria of India wins the double trapn Gold by equalling the junior World record in the 50th World shooting championship at Munich, Germany. A. Sharath Kamal scripts history by becoming the first Indian to enter the top 50 of the world table tennis rankings. Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal's name is approved for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the country's highest sports honour, by the Government of India. Alongside, the names of the winners of Arjuna Awards, Dhyan Chand Awards and Dronacharya Awards are also announced.
6 August	Federation of Indo-Israel Chambers of Commerce confers the prestigious Businessman of the Decade award on Tata Group Chairman Mr. Ratan Tata in a ceremony in Mumbai.
8 August	Tejaswini Sawant scripts history by becoming the first Indian woman to clinch Gold at the World Shooting Championship, winning the 50m rifle prone event in Munich, Germany, equalling the world record in the process. Bengal win the 64th Santosh Trophy, beating Punjab 2-1 in the final in Kolkata.
9 August	Colombia ushers in a new government and swears in Mr. Juan Manuel Santos as the President; he succeeds Mr. Alvaro Uribe.
11 August	Russia announces that it has deployed S-300 air defence missiles in Abkhazia, Georgia's former breakaway region. The 50th World shooting championship concludes in Munich, Germany; India finish a creditable 14th among 105 countries with two Gold medals (Tejaswini Swant and Asher Noria) and a Bronze. China(21 Gold, 20 Silver and 11 Bronze) to the medals tally, while Russia (21-13-12) take the second place.
12 August	B. Adhiban becomes India's 23rd Grandmaster when he completes the final Grandmaster norm by winning the Olomouc International chess tournament in Czech Republic.
13 August	In a crucial development, Russia announces that it will shortly begin the start-up of the reactor at Iran's first atomic power plant in Bushehr.
15 August	Sri Lankan President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa dedicates to the nation the first phase of the $1.5-billion Hambantota port, being constructed with Chinese help. Indian Grandmaster K. Sasikiran regains the title at the Hogeschool Zeeland chess tournament at Vissingen in the Netherlands.
16 August	Chinese government figures show that after three decades of spectacular growth, China overtakes Japan in the second quarter of 2010 to become the world's second largest economy behind the US.
17 August	Australian Prime Minister Ms. Julia Gillard proposes that her country turn into a republic at the time of succession to Queen Elizabeth II in Britain. Indian Woman Grandmaster Padmini Rout wins a Bronze in the World Junior girls' chess championship in Chotowa-Czarna, Poland; Anna Muzychuk of Slovenia clinches the Gold.
19 August	Indian shuttler H.S. Prannoy wins a Silver medal at the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore.
23 August	Golfer Arjun Atwal scripts history by becoming the first Indian and only the sixth Asia-born player to win on the PGA Tour, when he secures a one-stroke victory at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, USA.
24 August	Miss Mexico Ximena Navarrete (22) is crowned Miss Universe 2010 at the pageant held in Las Vegas, USA. Miss Jamaica Yendi Phillipps is adjudged the first runner-up and Miss Australia Jesinta Campbell is adjudged the second runner-up.
25 August	Iran test-fires its home-built surface-to-surface Fateh 110 missile, less than a week after a similar test that was carried out on another missile.
27 August	Kenyan President Mr. Mwai Kibaki signs a new constitution that institutes a new US-style sstem of checks and balances and has been hailed as the most significant political event in the country since Kenya's independence nearly half a century ago.
29 August	Russia's Prime Minister Mr. Vladimir Putin formaly opens the Russian section of an oil pipeline to China, hailing it as an oil pipeline to China, hailing it as an important step in diversifying energy exports away from Europe. Hon'ble President Ms. Pratibha Patil gives away the National Sports and Adventure Awards  2010; star shuttler Saina Nehwal gets the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. Te President honours 15 sportspersons with the Arjuna Award, five coaches with the Dronacharya Award, three with theDhyan Chand Award (for lifetime achievement in sports), four with the Tenzing Norgay Award and three institutions with the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar.
	National
4 September	The Centre announces that it will allow export of 55 lakh bales of cotton effective October 1, 2010, and will revisit the policy for a thorough review in Mid-November indicating that shipments beyond this ceiling will attract export duty.
5 September	The BrahMos cruise missile is successfully test-fired from Chandipore, Orissa, the high point of the launch being that the missile performs a steep dive at a supersonic speed. The test creates a world record, as it is for the first time that a cruise missile is tested at supersonic speeds in a steep-dive mode. In a glittering ceremony held in New Delhi distinguished teachers from various parts of the country are felicitated on the occasion of Teacher's Day.
	International
2 September	In a historic move, the Israelis and the Palestinians embark on direct peace talks in Washington, USA, a breakthrough after 20 months of stalled dialogue.
3 September	Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar is awarded the honorary rank of Group Captain of the Indian Air Force at a special function in New Delhi. He is the first sportsperson to win this honour.
6 September	Rwanda's re-elected President Mr. Paul Kagame is sworn in for a second term in office; the swearing-in ceremony held in the nation's capital Kigali witnesses a large gathering of his followers. US President Mr. Barack Obama unveils plans to spend at least $50 billion for the expansion and renewal of US roads, railways and airports, in a fresh bid to fire up sluggish economic growth in the country. In a move to take on anti-nuclear protesters, the German Government, led by Ms. Angela Merkel, decides to press ahead with plans to extend the life of Germany's nuclear power plants.