CURRENT AFFAIRS AUGUST 2012

1 August, 2012
• Union government notified a law permitting investments by Pakistan citizens and companies in India in sectors/activities other than defence, space and atomic energy
• US administration announced to impose sanctions on any institution that his administration suspected of engaging in trade with Iran including Chinese banks
• Somalia’s Constituent Assembly endorsed a draft constitution billed as a key step to ending decades of civil war

2 August, 2012
• Deputy Attorney General of Pakistan, Khurshid Khan was sacked after earning the ire of lawyers for performing voluntary service at Hindu and Sikh shrines in India
• Russian President Vladimir Putin met British Prime Minister David Cameron on the sidelines of the London Olympics. The two leaders agreed that they have differing point of views over Syria
• Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi swore in Cabinet that retained military chief Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi as Defence Minister

3 August, 2012
• Pakistan’s Supreme Court scrapped the government’s new contempt law, which seek immunity for the legislators from contempt law
• Russia regretted resignation of United Nations-Arab League envoy for Syria Kofi Annan’s and pledged continued support to his plan for ending violence in that country.
• The UN General Assembly adopted a Saudi-drafted resolution on Syria that expressed grave concern at the rising violence in the country

4 August, 2012
• The Afghan Parliament voted to dismiss two top Security Ministers
• A grandson of ex-US President Harry Truman, who ordered the atomic bombings of Japan during World War II, visited Hiroshima to attend a memorial service for the victims
• Sudan and South Sudan inked a deal over oil

5 August, 2012
• At least six persons were killed and several injured by one or more gunmen, at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in US
• Saudi King Abdullah invited Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for an extraordinary summit of Muslim leaders to be held in August 2012 in Makkah
• Hundreds of archaeological treasures looted from Afghanistan were returned to the country’s National Museum
• At least 45 people were killed in a suicide bombing in south Yemen

6 August 2012
• Seven persons including the attacker killed and twenty injured in a shoot out at a Gurudwara in Wisconsin in the United States.
• Haryana Minister of State for Home Gopal Kanda resigns after being booked for abetment to suicide

7 August 2012
• Voting today to elect the next Vice President of India
• Finance Ministry to review tax provisions with retrospective effect to boost investment

8 August 2012
• Monsoon Session of Parliament begins today; About 36 pending bills likely to be passed.

9 August 2012
• Lok Sabha takes up for discussion BJP Adjournment Motion on Assam violence

10 August 2012
• Raghuram Rajan, former chief economist of International Monetary Fund (IMF) was appointed as the Chief Economic Advisor in the Finance Ministry. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet cleared the appointment of Rajan as the new CEA on 10 August 2012

11 August 2012
• Hamid Ansari sworn in as the Vice President of India

12 August 2012
• Mumbai situation returns to normal after yesterday's violence in a protest rally against Assam violence; 20 people taken into custody; crime branch starts probe to ascertain any conspiracy angle.

13 August 2012
• 30th Olympic Games conclude in London; India finishes with a record haul of six medals.
• Abu Jundal, Key Handler of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack makes confessional statement before a magistrate

14 August 2012
• Pune Police arrest 11 persons for attacks on the North-East students

15 August 2012
• In his Independence Day address, Dr. Manmohan Singh, stresses on efforts to bring transparency and accountability to end corruption
• Announces new schemes for skill development for jobs, urban housing and improved health services

16 August 2012
• About 10 terrorists storm Pakistan Air Force base at Kamra in Punjab province in an early morning attack; gun battle with security forces continues
• Prime Minister asks Karnataka Chief Minster to ensure safety of students from the North-East

17 August 2012
• Karnataka government initiates measures to build confidence among people from North East, living in the state

18 August 2012
• Government bans bulk SMS and MMS for 15 days throughout the country to check spread of rumours; Six arrested in Karnataka for sending threatening text messages to people from the North-East

19 August 2012
• Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, the silver medallist of Athens Olympics 2004, was named the head of the 15-member committee, set up to select the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardee and Arjun Award winners. Aslam Sher Khan, the former hockey team skipper, was named the head of the 15-member committee that will select the Dronacharya Awardees

Question. Recent G20 summit was held in which country recently?
Answer. Mexico

Question. Rio+20 the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development was held in which country recently?
Answer. Brazil

Question. Who in the list won the 2012 Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience award?
Answer. Aung San Suu Kyi

Question. Which country won the Euro Cup 2012?
Answer. Spain

Question. Recently Parliament of which country was dissolved for failing to deliver new constitution?
Answer. Nepal

Question. Which Oil giant has recently bought 80% stake in RIL’s 2 Oil Blocks in Iraq’a Kurdistan region?
Answer. Chevron

Question. Which metal is the best conductor of electric current?
Answer. Silver

Question. Who was the first person to address the United Nations in Hindi?
Answer. Atal Behari Vajpayee

Question. Which imaginary line, located at zero degrees latitude, divides the earth into Northern and Southern hemispheres?
Answer. Equator

Question. Which city did Sikandar Lodi found in 1504 on the banks of Yamuna River?
Answer. Agra

Question. Who coined the name `Pakistan’?
Answer. Choudhary Rahmat Ali

Question. Vishvambhar Mishra was the original name of which spiritual guru?
Answer. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu