October 2009 INDIA

October 2009

 

Major Floods in Andhra and Karnataka (4th October 2009): -Five days of torrential rain have left at least 205 people dead and 750,000 displaced in southern India, authorities said. Floods submerged villages, severed transport and communication links and raised fears of disease spreading in relief camps. Large parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka states – which weeks ago were suffering a severe drought – have been inundated. Air force helicopters dropped food and drinking water packages to hundreds of cut-off villages. The flooding worsened after authorities released water from rain-swollen reservoirs to prevent them from bursting their banks.

Dolphin is national aquatic animal (5th October 2009): -Dolphin is now India’s national aquatic animal. The decision was taken following a suggestion by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at a meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA), chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said the new status for the dolphin would help save the rare freshwater species from disappearing from the country’s aqua map.

October 6, 2009: One-third of world’s child brides from India says a UNICEF Report:-As per a latest UNICEF report more than one third of the world’s child brides are from India. Some facts:-Nearly 25 million women in India were married in the year 2007 by the age of Children in India, Nepal and Pakistan may be engaged or even married before they turned. Despite rising literacy levels and a ban on child marriage, tradition and religious practices are keeping the custom alive in India, as well as in Nepal and Pakistan. More than 50% of world’s child brides are in south Asia. This leaves children beyond the reach and protection of state services and unable to attend school or access basic healthcare. A 44 million, or 13 percent of all children in south Asia, are engaged in labour, with more than half in India.

US announce $100,000 aid for India’s flood victims (8th October 2009) :- Heavy rain and floods have inundated many parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra killing over 200 people and leaving millions homeless. The US announced $100,000 aid for the victims of recent floods in parts of southern and western India.’The heart-breaking personal loss, the destruction of homes and property, and the loss of cattle and crops have been devastating,’ US ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer said while announcing the aid.

India can hold 2010 Games: CWG Officials (10th October 2009)- The Commonwealth Games Federation officials have expressed buoyancy over India’s capability to host the 2010 event, after completing the second day of inspection.Visiting shooting range in Tughlaqabad, Jamia Milia complex, the Rugby 7s facility in Delhi University and Siri Fort Complex where the badminton event is scheduled to take place, the delegates were convinced that the country could hold ‘great’ Games in 2010. In the press release released by the committee, Australia’s Don Stockins has been quoted as saying “So far it’s good. The block that we visited in the Games Village was good; if all end up like that it will be great. Delhi will be a great host and it is a very pretty city.” Jamaican Olympic Association Vice-President Donald Anderson has also expressed confidence in India’s facility to host the games next year.

Test fires nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile(12th October 27, 2009): – India successfully test fired the nuclear-capable surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missile twice from a test range in Orissa, officials said. The missiles were fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Balasore district, some 230 km from state capital Bhubaneswar first at 10.28 a.m. and then again five minutes later at 10.33 a.m.The tests were described as part of a “user trial”. Two naval ships tracked and monitored both the missiles hitting the targets accurately. All the radars and other sensors along the east coast monitored the missiles’ trajectory parameters. The missiles have a striking range of about 350 km.Prithvi is India’s first indigenously built ballistic missile. It is one of five missiles being developed under India’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).Two versions of the missiles have already been deployed with the Army and the Air Force. According to defense officials in the national capital, Prithvi missile has the capability to carry 500-kg of warhead.

A.R.Rahman wins Ghent Award (23rd October 2009):- Oscar winner musician A. R. Rahman’s ‘Jai ho’ has again won laurels at prestigious World Soundtrack Academy awards in Ghent (Belgium).This song from SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE won “best original song written for film” category at the ninth World Soundtrack Awards announced at Ghent.