Thursday, January 31, 2013

RBI relaxes rules for FII in debt

RBI relaxes rules for FII in debt

January 30th, 2013
 
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has notified certain relaxations in the rules for FII in debt, these are:
  • The investment limit in Government Securities (G-Secs) by Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) and long-term investors has been enhanced by $5 billion to $25 billion from current $20 billion.
  • The investment limit in corporate bonds by FIIs has also been increased by $5 billion $50 billion from current $45 billion.
  • Investment rules have been eased by removing the maturity restrictions for first time foreign investors on dated G-Secs. Earlier, first time foreign investors of G-Secs were mandated to buy securities with at least 3-year residual maturity. However, such investments will not be allowed in short-term paper like Treasury Bills.
  • Foreign investors are also restricted from buying certificates of deposits and commercial paper.
  • The RBI specified a sub-limit of $25 billion each for infrastructure and other than infrastructure sector bonds within the total corporate debt limit of $50 billion.
  • Qualified Foreign Investors (QFIs) will remain eligible to invest in corporate debt securities (without any lock-in or residual maturity clause) and mutual fund debt schemes, subject to a total overall ceiling of $1 billion.
  • Foreign investors have been dispensed with the condition of one year lock-in period for the limit of $22 billion (comprising the limits of infrastructure bonds of $12 billion and $10 billion for non-resident investment in IDFs) within the overall limit of $25 billion for foreign investment in infrastructure corporate bond.
  • The residual maturity period (at the time of first purchase) requirement for the entire limit of $22 billion for foreign investment in the infrastructure sector has been uniformly kept at 15 months. The 5-year residual maturity requirement for investments by QFIs within the $3 billion limit has been brought down to 3 years original maturity.
Who are long-term investors?
Long-term investors include SEBI-registered sovereign wealth funds (SWFs), multilateral agencies, endowment funds, insurance funds, pension funds and foreign central banks.
 

Delhi eliminates Leprosy

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

DRDO begins AWACS programme

India to test fire sub-sonic missile Nirbhay

World’s first cloned buffalo delivers a calf

Sunday, January 27, 2013

India is part of World’s largest optical telescope project

SC prohibits tourists from entering Jarawa tribe habitat

Friday, January 25, 2013

Supreme Court: A non-member can also move Speaker for disqualification of defectors

Supreme Court: A non-member can also move Speaker for disqualification of defectors

January 24th, 2013
 As per the latest ruling of the apex court, not only an MLA but any interested person has the right to inform the Speaker of the fact that a member has incurred disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution (anti-defection law) and the presiding officer is bound to take action on the complaint. What is the issue?
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Utkar Keshari Parida, who is not an MLA, had filed an application to the Speaker seeking disqualification of all 4 MLAs who defected the party and joined Biju Janata Dal (BJD). However. The Speaker took no action. Parida moved the Orissa High Court which held that the writ petition was maintainable. The Supreme Court dismissed the Speaker’s appeal against the ruling which said “Although disqualified under paragraph 2(1) (a) of the Tenth Schedule, in the absence of any application for disqualification to the Speaker, they [the four MLAs] would continue to function as members of the Assembly, which was not the object sought to be achieved by the 52nd Amendment, by which the Tenth Schedule was introduced in the Constitution.” It held that the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill, which finally became the Constitution 52nd Amendment Act, 1985, indicated that the evil of political defection had become a serious problem and if it was not curbed, it could very well undermine the very foundation of our democracy and the principles which sustain the same. In such an event, if the provisions of the Tenth Schedule are interpreted to exclude the right of any person interested to bring to the notice of the Speaker of the House the fact that any or some of its members had incurred disqualification on any of the eventualities indicated in paragraphs 2 and 4 therein, it would render the inclusion of the Tenth Schedule in the Constitution otiose and defeat the objects and intent of the 52nd Amendment.

Winners of 58th Idea Filmfare Awards

Winners of 58th Idea Filmfare Awards

January 24th, 2013
 
The grand Annual 58th Idea Filmfare Awards event was organized in Mumbai. The following are the winners under various categories: POPULAR AWARDS:
  • Best Actor (Male): Ranbir Kapoor (Barfi!)
  • Best Actor (Female): Vidya Balan (Kahaani)
  • Best Film: Barfi!
  • Best Director: Sujoy Ghosh (Kahaani)
  • Best Supporting Actor (Male): Annu Kapoor (Vicky Donor)
  • Best Supporting Actor (Female): Anushka Sharma (Jab Tak Hai Jaan)
  • Best Debut (Male) Ayushmann Khurrana (Vicky Donor)
  • Best Debut (Female) Ileana D’Cruz (Barfi!)
  • Best Music Director: Pritam (Barfi!)
  • Best Lyrics: Gulzar (Challa) (Jab Tak Hai Jaan)
  • Best Playback Singer (Male): Ayushmann Khurrana (Paani Da Rang, Vicky Donor)
  • Best Playback Singer (Female): Shalmali Kholgade (Pareshaan, Ishaqzaade)
  • Best Debut Director: Gauri Shinde (English Vinglish)
  • Best Dialogue: Anurag Kashyap, Akhilesh Jaiswal, Sachin K Ladia, Zeishan Qadri (Gangs of Wasseypur)
  • Best Screenplay: Sanjay Chouhan & Tigmanshu Dhulia (Paan Singh Tomar)
  • Best Story: Juhi Chaturvedi (Vicky Donor)
  • RD Burman Award For Upcoming Talent In Music: Neeti Mohan (Jiya Re) (Jab Tak Hain Jaan)
  • Lifetime Achievement Award: Yash Chopra
  • Sony Trendsetter Of The Year: Barfi!
CRITICS AWARDS:
  • Critics’ Award for Best Actor (Male): Irrfan Khan (Paan Singh Tomar)
  • Critics’ Award for Best Actor (Female): Richa Chadda (Gangs of Wasseypur)
  • Critics’ Award for Best Film: Gangs of Wasseypur
TECHNICAL AWARDS:
  • Best Action: Sham Kaushal (Gangs Of Wasseypur)
  • Best Cinematography: Setu (Kahaani)
  • Best Editing: Namrata Rao (Kahaani)
  • Best Production Design: Rajat Podar (Barfi!)
  • Best Sound Design: Sanjay Maurya & Allwin Rego (Kahaani)
  • Best Costume Design: Manoshi Nath & Rushi Sharma (Shanghai)
  • Best Choreography: Bosco-Caesar (Aunty Ji – Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu)
  • Best Background Score: Pritam (Barfi!)
  • ‘Barfi!’ with 7 awards was the film wining highest number of awards.
 

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Scientists discover Billion Year Old River on Mars

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

ISRO to launch SARAL on February 14, GSLV in April

ISRO to launch SARAL on February 14, GSLV in April

January 21st, 2013
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has planned to launch SARAL (Satellite with Argos and Altika) on February 14, 2013. The launch, which was planned for 12-12-12, was deferred due to some technical issues and to carry out additional to improve reliability. Along with Indo-French SARAL, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) will put into orbit six small experimental satellites built by western universities for a fee. SARAL would be similar to ISRO’s Oceansat-2, but with an altimeter to measure heights. In October 2012, NASA depended upon Oceansat-2 to get details of Hurricane ‘Sandy’ that brought huge devastation on the eastern U.S.
Forthcoming Launches of ISRO:
  • In April 2013, ISRO expects to resume flying the GSLV rocket. The GSLV-D5 will lift the communications satellite GSAT-14 into orbit. GSLV programme was put on hold after it suffered two successive failures in April and December 2010.
  • In May 2013, the first of the national navigational satellites or navsats — the IRNSS-1 — is expected to be launched on a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. IRNSS or the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System with its seven satellites will be India’s own regional Global Positioning System.
  • GSAT-7, a satellite dedicated for the Navy, will be launched around May on a European Ariane rocket.
  • INSAT-3D and GSAT-10, will be launched in the second half of this year.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Battery safety concerns ground Boeing 787 and the issue with using “Lithium-ion Batteries”

Black Holes are growing faster than previously believed

Black Holes are growing faster than previously believed

January 19th, 2013
 
Scientists from Swinburne University have revealed that the growth of super massive black holes, which are present at the centers of galaxies, does not occurs in the same way as it was previously thought.
Previous Thoughts and New Discovery:
Previous Thoughts:
It was thought that black holes increased their mass in step with the growth of their host galaxy. Both black holes and budding stars competed for the available gas to feed for their growth but the ratio of ratio of black hole mass to galaxy mass was thought remain preserved. It was thought that the star clusters contained a constant 0.2% of the galaxy mass.
New discovery:
It has now been discovered that Black holes have been growing much faster than we previously thought. It has been found that in big galaxies each ten-fold increase of a galaxy’s stellar mass is associated with a much larger 100-fold growth in its black hole mass. However, the opposite behavior exists among the tightly packed clusters of stars that are observed at the centres of smaller galaxies and in disk galaxies like our Milky Way because smaller the galaxy, the greater the fraction of stars in these dense, compact clusters which makes them dominant over black holes. Scientists also claim to have solved long-elusive mystery of “Intermediate Mass” black holes with masses between that of a single star and one million stars. As per researchers, numerous galaxies already known to contain a black hole – albeit of a currently unknown mass – should contain these missing `intermediate mass’ black holes which may be big enough to be seen by new generation of extremely large telescopes. These black holes will also hold the potential to consume planets and stars venturing too close to them.
 

Saturday, January 19, 2013

IRFC to issue Tax-free bonds

RBI introduces Dollar- Rupee swap facility

India among major victims of ‘Red October’

Friday, January 18, 2013

Source of Iodine oxide gas responsible for destruction of ozone over oceans identified

Source of Iodine oxide gas responsible for destruction of ozone over oceans identified

January 17th, 2013
Scientists at the University of York and Leeds in Britain have established that the majority of ozone-depleting gas iodine oxide observed over the remote ocean comes from a previously unknown marine source. As per researchers, the main source of iodine oxide can be explained by emissions of hypoiodous acid (HOI) – a gas not yet considered as being released from the ocean – along with a contribution from molecular iodine.
Since the 1970s when methyl iodide (CH3I) was discovered as everywhere in the ocean, the presence of iodine in the atmosphere has been understood to come mainly from emissions of organic compounds from phytoplankton — microscopic marine plants.
As per latest research,  reactive iodine, along with bromine, in the atmosphere is accountable for the destruction of huge amounts of ozone – around 50 % more than estimated by the world’s most advanced climate models – in the lower atmosphere over the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Scientists quantified gaseous emissions of inorganic iodine following the reaction of iodide (compound of iodine with another element or group) with ozone in a series of lab experiments and formation of both molecular iodine and HOI.
Researchers call it a self destruction mechanism, where more concentration of ozone leads to formation of more halogen gases which in turn destroy it.
This reaction could be responsible for around 75% of observed iodine oxide levels over the tropical Atlantic Ocean.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Scientists develop drug to help paralyzed walk again