India's Top 10 Corruption Scams

The

Top Scams in India

1) 2G Spectrum Scam

We have had a number of scams in India; but none bigger than the scam involving the process of allocating unified access service licenses. At the heart of this Rs.1.76-lakh crore worth of scam is the former Telecom minister A Raja – who according to the CAG, has evaded norms at every level as he carried out the dubious 2G license awards in 2008 at a throw-away price which were pegged at 2001 prices.

2) Commonwealth Games Scam

Another feather in the cap of Indian scandal list is Commonwealth Games loot. Yes, literally a loot! Even before the long awaited sporting bonanza could see the day of light, the grand event was soaked in the allegations of corruption. It is estimated that out of Rs. 70000 crore spent on the Games, only half the said amount was spent on Indian sportspersons.
The Central Vigilance Commission, involved in probing the alleged corruption in various Commonwealth Games-related projects, has found discrepancies in tenders – like payment to non-existent parties, will-ful delays in execution of contracts, over-inflated price and bungling in purchase of equipment through tendering – and misappropriation of funds.

3) Telgi Scam

As they say, every scam must have something unique in it to make money out of it in an unscrupulous manner- and Telgi scam had all the suspense and drama that the scandal needed to thrive and be busted.
Abdul Karim Telgi had mastered the art of forgery in printing duplicate stamp papers and sold them to banks and other institutions. The tentacles of the fake stamp and stamp paper case had penetrated 12 states and was estimated at a whooping Rs. 20000 crore plus. The Telgi clearly had a lot of support from government departments that were responsible for the production and sale of high security stamps.

4) Satyam Scam

The scam at Satyam Computer Services is something that will shatter the peace and tranquillity of Indian investors and shareholder community beyond repair. Satyam is the biggest fraud in the corporate history to the tune of Rs. 14000 crore.
The company’s disgraced former chairman Ramalinga Raju kept everyone in the dark for a decade by fudging the books of accounts for several years and inflating revenues and profit figures of Satyam. Finally, the company was taken over by the Tech Mahindra which has done wonderfully well to revive the brand Satyam.

5) Bofors Scam

The Bofors scandal is known as the hallmark of Indian corruption. The Bofors scam was a major corruption scandal in India in the 1980s; when the then PM Rajiv Gandhi and several others including a powerful NRI family named the Hindujas, were accused of receiving kickbacks from Bofors AB for winning a bid to supply India’s 155 mm field howitzer.

The Swedish State Radio had broadcast a startling report about an undercover operation carried out by Bofors, Sweden’s biggest arms manufacturer, whereby $16 million were allegedly paid to members of PM Rajiv Gandhi’s Congress.

Most of all, the Bofors scam had a strong emotional appeal because it was a scam related to the defense services and India’s security interests.

6) The Fodder Scam

If you haven’t heard of Bihar’s fodder scam of 1996, you might still be able to recognize it by the name of “Chara Ghotala ,” as it is popularly known in the vernacular language.
In this corruption scandal worth Rs.900 crore, an unholy nexus was traced involved in fabrication of “vast herds of fictitious livestock” for which fodder, medicine and animal husbandry equipment was supposedly procured.

7) The Hawala Scandal

The Hawala case to the tune of $18 million bribery scandal, which came in the open in 1996, involved payments allegedly received by country’s leading politicians through hawala brokers. From the list of those accused also included Lal Krishna Advani who was then the Leader of Opposition.
Thus, for the first time in Indian politics, it gave a feeling of open loot all around the public, involving all the major political players being accused of having accepted bribes and also alleged connections about payments being channelled to Hizbul Mujahideen militants in Kashmir.

8) IPL Scam

Well, I am running out of time and space over here. The list of scandals in India is just not ending and becoming grave by every decade. Most of us are aware about the recent scam in IPL and embezzlement with respect to bidding for various franchisees. The scandal already claimed the portfolios of two big-wigs in the form of Shashi Tharoor and former IPL chief Lalit Modi.

9,10) Harshad Mehta & Ketan Parekh Stock Market Scam

Although not corruption scams, these have affected many people. There is no way that the investor community could forget the unfortunate Rs. 4000 crore Harshad Mehta scam and over Rs. 1000 crore Ketan Parekh scam which eroded the shareholders wealth in form of big market jolt.


Courtesy : http://trak.in/tags/business/2010/11/25/top-10-corruption-scams-scandals-india/

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Current Affairs Quiz Congratulations to all of you as we add this new resource to help you do better in your UPSC IAS exams. We shall be giving updated Current Affairs Quizzes that will include 2010 General Knowledge, Current Affairs Gk Questions and more. The Current Affairs Quiz will help you refresh your memory on current affairs of India and the world targetted at getting you ready for the UPSC exam. This 2010 General Knowledge Quiz will updated on monthly basis. June Quiz 1. Which of the following days in July is celebrated as Kargil Vijay Diwas to mark the Indian victory in the Kargil war back in 1999?  30 July  31 July  26 July  2. This Sikkim high court Chief facing impeachment on charges of corruption and judicial misconduct resigned on 29 July 2011. Identify him ?  Justice Paul  Justice PD Dinakaran  Justice Soumitra Sen  3. Who was elected Karnataka's 26th chief minister by BJP's legislator on 3 August 2011 ?  B S Yeddyurappa  D V Sadananda Gowda  Dr. V S Acharya  4. Restoration work on which of the following tombs in New Delhi led to the discovery of the country's oldest sunken garden ?  Isa Khan's tomb  Humayun’s tomb  Safdarjang tomb  5. The foreign minister of Libya, Abdel Aati Al Obeidi visited India to brief about latest developments in his nation. What was the name of visiting Libyan foreign minister?  Abdel Aati Al Obeidi  Hosni Mubarak  Hina Rabbani Khar  6. President of India Pratibha Patil Visited South Korea as Part of ___?  India’s Look East Policy  India’s Look West Policy  India’s Look North Policy  7.Italy Approved a Draft Law Banning Women from Wearing Veils in Public. Besides Italy, which other nations have banned women from wearing veil in Public ?  India and Pakistan  China and Afghanistan  Belgium and France  8. Which State government recently decided to provide bicycles to ASHA activists to boost rural health services ?  Madhya Pradesh  Haryana  Bihar  9. NSSF was approved by the Union Cabinet of India on 28 July 2011. NSSF stands for__  National Social Security Fund  National Services Security Fund  National Social Services Fund  10. The Government Set up NATGRID to Access all Intelligence Data. Consider the following statements on NATGRID. i) NATGRID has been formed to link databases for inputs to combat terrorism. ii) It is meant to improve India’s capability to counter threats to its internal security. Choose the right option:  Both i and ii are correct  Only i is correct.  Only ii is correct    Score =  Correct answers:

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General Studies - Current Affairs

RECENT NOTEWORTHY DEVELOPMENTS

1. Critically Endangered Sumatran Rhino expecting calf
   
   1. This development is considered as a breakthrough in conservation efforts to save the Sumatran rhino from extinction
   2. The Sumatran Rhino is listed as Critically Endangered, and is mostly found in the island of Sumatra (Indonesia)
      
   3. The number of Sumatran rhinos have halved in the past fifteen years, with only about 200 surviving in the world today
      
   4. The eight year old rhino in a wildlife reserve in Sumatra is expected to give birth in May 2010. It will be the fourth Sumatran rhino calf to be born in captivity
   5. The two-horned Sumatran rhino is the smallest of the world’s five rhino species
      
   6. Rhino have been heavily poached for their horns that are believed to have medicinal properties, especially in East Asian medicine
2. Marine Census discovers 5000 new species
   
   1. A preview of the Census of Marine Life has revealed that the project has discovered more than 5000 new species
      
   2. Scientists presented these early findings in San Diego. The final report from the decade-long census will be released in Oct 2010
   3. The project has involved more than 2000 scientists from 80 countries
   4. The new species found include bizarre and colourful creatures as well as organisms that produce therapeutic chemicals
   5. Findings include the Kiwa hirsuta family of crabs, so named because of their extremely furry appearance, discovered near Easter Island
      
   6. A new species of sponge that produce an anti-cancer chemical have been found in the Florida Keys
      
   7. The census is expected to help develop policies that will better protect marine species and habitats
3. Microsoft-Yahoo search deal approved
   
   1. Microsoft’s plans to buy Yahoo’s internet search and search advertising businesses have been cleared by both European and American regulators
      
   2. Both the European Commission (EC) and the US Dept. of Justice have ruled that the deal will enhance competition and be beneficial to consumers
   3. Major business deals such as this require approval from the Dept. of Justice and the EC in order to be valid in the US and Europe respectively
      
   4. Under the deal, Yahoo will use Microsoft’s Bing search engine, while Yahoo will provide the main advertising sales team for Bing
   5. Yahoo is the internet’s second largest search engine in terms of usage, while Bing is the third. Google, with about 65% market share, is the first. This deal will establish Bing as the second in the market
4. New tiger reserve declared
   
   1. The Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala has been declared as India’s 38^th Tiger Reserve
      
   2. The Parambikulam Tiger Reserve in the Sungam Hills between the Anaimalai Hills and Nelliampathy Hills in the Western Ghats in Kerala
      
   3. It is estimated that there are 15 tigers in the Parambikulam reserve. Parambikulam is also home to numerous reptiles, birds and other species
   4. It is estimated that there are about 1100-1200 tigers in India
   5. The Parambikulam Tiger Reserve is the second Tiger Reserve in Kerala, the other one being the Periyar Tiger Reserve
      
5. New farming system heralded
   
   1. A new system of farming based on using fertiliser trees to increase crop yield is being heralded by scientists from around the world
   2. The system uses the Acacia tree to increase nitrogen content in soils which leads to increase in crop yields of as much as 150%
      
   3. The Acacia tree stores the same amount of nitrogen in its leaves as about three bags of commercial fertiliser. When the leaves die and fall to the ground, the nitrogen is released into the soil
   4. The system, used traditionally in Africa, is expected to greatly benefit paddy yields in India, decrease fertiliser use and help address climate change
   5. Other benefits of using the Acadia trees for fertilisers include timber and fuel for farmers, longer growing seasons and higher resistance to drought
6. Chennai Declaration on Biodiversity adopted
   
   1. The Chennai Declaration on Biodiversity has been adopted, calling on nations to prioritise conservation of the earth’s multitude of plant, agricultural, forest and marine species
      
   2. The Declaration was adopted by representatives of organisations like the UN Environment Programme, UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (UNFAO), the International Rice Research Institute, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Food Prize Fund, and India’s National biodiversity Authority and the Ministry of Environment and Forests
   3. The Declaration was adopted on 17 Feb 2010 after days of negotiation at the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai
      
   4. Among the strategies set out by the Declaration are
      1. According economic value to services rendered by nature and agriculture
      2. Finding markets for neglected but nutritious crops
      3. Including rural communities in biodiversity strategies
      4. Promoting biodiversity literacy through public education
      5. Refocusing research and development priorities
   5. 2010 is the International Year of Biodiveristy

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Indian Current Affairs 2011

Current affairs, is the mainstay of the civil service examination, what with one portion of the exam dedicated to general studies. The current affairs of India and international current event affairs, are an important part of the general studies paper, both in the mains and the prelims. At the interview current affairs news rules and decides the rank of the candidate and even whether s/he will get through or not. In such a scenario the coverage of current affairs in India as well as current world affairs, becomes an important part of your preparations.



For the very purpose of getting you ready for the challenge that is Current Affairs In India, we are covering the 2010 current affairs including politics current affair, current affair news, science current affairs, general knowledge current affair, current government affair and international current affairs. Only studying India's current affairs or political current affairs is not sufficient as you have to cover international events and current affairs along with the Indian current affairs, as well as those in the field of science and sports.

 

Current Affairs For February 2011

 

National

2G scam: Former Telecom Minister A. Raja sent to Tihar Jail

• Former Telecom Minister A Raja was sent to Tihar Jail in Jail in Delhi on Feb 17th in relation to the 2G scam. He will be in judicial custody for fourteen days until March 3rd. He was also earlier arrested by the CBI on 2nd Feb and was held in their custody in view of the evidence they had collected against him regarding his involvement in the 2G scam. A. Raja has been accused of issuing 2G licenses at throw away prices creating massive losses for the exchequer. According to the national auditor CAG, the 2G spectrum phone licenses were sold in 2008 for a fraction of their value and this has resulted in a notional loss of Rs. 1.76 lakh crores. The 2 G scam has created major uproar in Parliament and has sent shock waves across the country. 

ULFA & Government begin Assam peace talks

 
• Leaders of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) met Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Feb 10 to signify the start of the much long-awaited peace talks aimed at ending 30 long years of insurgency in Assam. History was created when the eight member ULFA team headed by Arabinda Rajkhowa met Chidambaram at his North Block office for a first round of peace talks. This is a highly significant development considering ULFA has been trying since 1979 to carve out an independent homeland of Assam. While ULFA has not put up any demands or finalised any agenda for talks, the beginning of talks itself is being seen as a very positive step to restoring peace in the state.

PM announces JPC on 2G spectrum scam

 
• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced that his government would set up the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate the 2G spectrum scam. The government finally agreeing to introduce the JPC does not come about as unexpected. With the opposition being absolutely unrelenting in their demands for the introduction of the probe, the Congress had to finally give in. The previous years winter session in parliament ended with only ten working hours on record. In order to ensure that the budget session does not get similarly affected, several meetings with the different political parties were set up and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee tried to bring about a compromise, which in the end proved to be futile. In the Lok Sabha, on the first day of the budget session the PM said “On account of the controversy relating to allocation of 2G spectrum, the winter session of Parliament was lost. Our country can ill-afford this...in paralyzing Parliament, we all do disservice to those who have elected us.” Later on he also announced the introduction of the probe when he went on to add “It is in these special circumstances that our government agrees to a JPC...we are a functioning democracy and must try to resolve our difference is the spirit of collaboration not competition.” 

Govt to release Rs. 150 coin soon

 
• With the Income Tax Department celebrating 150 years of taxation in the country the government will issue coins of Rs. 150 in denomination. The special coins which also includes Rs 5 denomination would be released by the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee ahead of his budget speech. The Rs 150 coin is prepared from an alloy of copper, nickel, silver and zinc. ‘Sathyameva Jayathe’ and ‘India’ would be engraved on the front side of the coin while the back side will feature a portrait of portrait of 'Chanakya and lotus with honeybee'. The Rs 5 coins will also be minted in a similar fashion. This is a special occasion with the IT department having completed 150 years of taxation from 1860 to 2010.

HC upholds Death Penalty for Kasab

 
• The Bombay High Court on Feb 21 confirmed the death penalty to 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab and termed the case being the rarest of rare and held that there was "no scope of reform" of the convict. This comes nine months after the lone 26/11 terrorist who was captured alive was ordered to be sent to the gallows by the trial court on May 6, 2010. Kasab, an LeT operative was captured alive at Girgaum Chowpatty in Mumbai on November 26, 2008 while none other operatives who has come with him were gunned down by the security forces at the terror sites. Justice Ranjana Desai told Kasab through video conferencing "Aapko saza-e-maut yeh adalat barkarar karti hai. Aap Supreme Court mein appeal zari kar sakte hain (Your death sentence is upheld. You can appeal before the Supreme Court,"

Godhra verdict: Ahmadabad court convicts 31, acquits 63

 
• A special court in Ahmedabad on February 22nd convicted 31 people and acquitted 63 including main accused Maulvi Umarji, in the 2002 Godhra train burning incident that left 59 people dead mostly Kar Sevaks who were returning from Ayodhya on the Sabarmati Express. This triggered the 2002 Gujarat communal riots which left over 1200 people dead mostly Muslims. The court was the first one to pronounce a judgment, among the nine trying the 2002 Gujarat riots cases. The court accepted the prosecution’s contention that there was a conspiracy behind the incident. Apart from the charges of murder, attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy, the accused were convicted under IPC sections 147, 148 (rioting with deadly weapons), 323, 324, 325, 326 (causing hurt), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on religious grounds), various sections of the Indian Railways Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and Bombay Police Act. 

Kidnapped Malkangiri Collector, junior engineer released

 
• Malkangiri District Collector RV Krishna and Junior Engineer Pabitra Majhi were finally released by the Maoists after being kept for a week in captivity. The two were abducted by the Maoists on Feb 16th and the Maoists in a letter to the government, listed 14 demands for the safe release of the two hostages. These included halting anti-Maoist operations by security forces, release of all political prisoners, scrapping of accords with MNCs for land transfer and projects, and compensation for the families of Maoist sympathizers killed in police custody. Dandapani Mohanty and academicians G. Haragopal and R. Someswar Rao were chosen as mediators and had discussions with the Maoists. The negotiators had made the government agree to 14 key demands including the release of Ganti Prsadam, Padma (wife of top Maoist Ram Krishna), and Sriramulu Srinivas, another top Maoist. After intense round of negotiations the government finally relented and made arrangements to secure bails for the jailed Maoists. A further twist in the tale occurred when the Maoists released only Majhi and held back the Collector making a fresh list of demands. However after another round of discussion, common sense prevailed and the Maoists released the collector a day later. 

Sports News

Cricket World Cup 2011 Officially Opened 

 
• The 10th edition of the ICC cricket World Cup, was officially launched on 17th Feb with a grand opening ceremony being held in Dhaka, Bangaldesh. The stadium was filled with spectators and evening proved to be visual spectacle with colourful fireworks, songs and dance routines to mark the start of the eagerly awaited event. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared the event open amid thundering cheers while the fourteen participating Captains were revealed to the public being carried in tricycles. Shankar Ehsaan Loy and other popular artists performed at the venue with the show stopper being Bryan Adams.

National Games Held in Jharkhand 

 
• The 34th National Games, was finally held in Jharkand and the event turned to be very successful. The games were held from 12th February 2011 to 26th February 2011.Many athletes all over the country took part in various disciplines and quite a few records were broken in the process. The long-postponed 34th National Games was originally scheduled for 2007. The Games have been deferred six times – four times due to delay in developing infrastructure and then postponed again due to the coming of Assemble Elections.

India start their Word cup campaign on a bright note

 
• India played Bangladesh at Mirpur in the first WC match of the tournament on Feb 19. India started with a bang scoring 375 with both Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli hitting sensational hundreds to take the match away from the hosts. Sehwag particularly looked murderous. The Indian team was expected to be under pressure to perform well against Bangladesh as their previous campaign in 2007 resulted in an early exit and left many disappointed fans back at home. 

Viswanathan Anand regains No.1 Ranking Again

 
• World Champion Viswanathan Anand played against Magnus Carlsen of Norway to end the match in hard fought draw and finished second in the Bilbao Final Masters chess tournament. But the icing on the cake was when the Indian ace dethroned Carlsen from the number one ranking in Live rating list for the first time since January this year and ended up as the top player in ratings too. 

Brazilian striker Ronaldo announces retirement

 
• Former Brazil striker Ronaldo announced his retirement from soccer on Feb 14. The 34-year-old three-time world player had a year end contract with Corinthians. But a shock loss led to an early elimination from the Libertadores Cup and violent protests from fans. Ronaldo further added that frequent injury problems were one of the main reasons in him deciding to announce his retirement. Thus ends a brilliant career in which he scored more than 400 goals including a record 15 at World Cups.

 

 

International News

Mubarak resigns, Egypt celebrates

 
• The people of Egypt went wild with celebrations after President Hosni Mubarak resigned and handed power to the military on 11th February. For eighteen days thousands of people had taken to the streets all over Egypt demanding the ouster of their autocratic President who had been in power for the past thirty years. One of the key reasons for such public outrage has been widespread poverty, inflation and rampant corruption in the government for many years. Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the anti-government protests burst with joy when the announcement was made. This has been a hard fought struggle for the people of Egypt after many episodes of violence having been reported between the public and Mubaraks forces. 

China overtakes Japan as world's second-biggest economy

 
• China has now overtaken Japan as the world's second-biggest economy. Japan's economy was worth $5.474 trillion (£3.414 trillion) at the end of 2010, figures from Tokyo have shown while that of China's economy is closer to $5.8 trillion for the same period. China has been enjoying a manufacturing boom for quite a few years now and it is expected that at its current rate of growth, analysts see China replacing the US as the world's top economy in about a decade. The US economy is currently almost three times the size of the Chinese economy in dollar terms.

New Zealand earthquake strikes Christchurch, killing at least 148 people

 
• A massive earthquake on 22nd Feb has caused massive destruction in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. The 6.3-magnitude earthquake was the second in five months for the city and the death toll continues to increase with the police having confirmed 148 deaths with 200 still missing. The damage caused has been said to be much worse than the 7.1-magnitude quake on 4 September, which left two people seriously injured but no fatalities. The city's historic cathedral was one of the many buildings that got significantly damaged, while cars lay in a mangled heap under a pile of rubble and roads cracked open with fissures as a result of the tremors. Dazed, bleeding residents could be seen wandering through streets strewn with debris and piles of concrete.

Libyan people take to the streets in their demand for freedom 

 
• Inspired by the outcomes of Tunisia and Egypt over the past few weeks the people of Libya have also taken out to the streets in their cries for freedom against their autocratic leader Muammar Gaddafi. Thousands of people have joined the struggle and there have been continuous reports of frequent clashes with the Muammars loyalists and the protesting public. Scores of people have been reported killed in continuing violence in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, amid escalating protests against Muammar Gaddafi's 40-year rule across the North African nation. With each passing day the leader seems to be losing support from people working in his own government and is also under increasing pressure from International powers to step down.

The Kings Speech Wins Best Picture at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards

 
• ‘The Kings Speech’ had a great outing at this years Oscars winning four awards. The film won in the best picture category and its director Tom Hooper received Best Director. Colin Firth received the award for best actor for his central role in Kings Speech while best female actor went to Natalie Portman for Black Swan. ‘The Best Supporting Actor’ and The Best Supporting Actress’ awards were bagged by Christian Bale and Melissa Leo for their performances in film, ‘The Fighter’. Indian musician AR Rahman missed out on his two nominations for his score in ‘127 hours.’

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