Phelps overall tally now stands at 19

The gold medal that Michael Phelps won in the U.S. 4×200 metre freestyle relay in Tuesday’s final race at the Aquatic Centre made him the most successful Olympic athlete ever.

His overall tally now stands at 19 (15 gold, two silver and two bronze), surpassing the 18 that Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina achieved between 1956 and 1964.

May 31: World No Tobacco Day

May 31: World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is observed around the world every year on May 31, organized by the WHO.

Symbol of World No Tobacco Day:
Ash trays with fresh flowers

Viswanathan Anand defeats Boris Gelfand to win a fourth consecutive World Chess Championship.

World Chess champion Viswanathan Anand, who defeated Boris Gelfand in a tie-breaker to retain his title on Wednesday,and $1.53 million going to the winner. Anand, who won the four game series 2.5-1.5 (1 win and 3 draws), will keep the FIDE(World Chess Federation) world title he has held since 2007(4 times) for another two years. 

Anand was born on 11 December 1969 in Mayiladuthurai, a small town in Tamil Nadu. Anand has won the World Chess Championship five times (2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012)

Haneke’s ‘Amour’ wins top prize at Cannes

Michael Haneke on Sunday won the Cannes Film Festival’s top prize for a second time with his film about love and death, Amour.

The festival jury awarded the second-place Grand Prize to Matteo Garrone’s Italian satire Reality and Ken Loach’s whiskey-tasting comedy The Angels’ Share won the third-place Jury Prize.

Acting prizes went to Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen for “The Hunt” and jointly to Cristina Flutur and Cosmina Stratan for Romanian movie “Beyond the Hills.”

Acting prizes went to Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen for The Hunt and jointly to Cristina Flutur and Cosmina Stratan for Romanian movie Beyond the Hills.

Austrian director Haneke’s powerful and understated film stars two French acting icons 85-year-old Emmanuelle Riva and 81-year-old Jean-Louis Trintignant as an elderly couple coping with the wife’s worsening health.

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article3463000.ece

Awards 2011-2012

NATIONAL


 59th National Film Awards 2011: Best Actor award goes to Girish Kulkarni for film
Deool (Marathi) and Best Actress to Vidya Balan for The Dirty Picture (Hindi).

 Dada Saheb Phalke Award: Soumitra Chatterhee (Veteran Bengali actor for his
lifetime contribution to Cinema)

 Chameli Devi Jain Award (Media):Tusha Mittal of Tehelka‟s Kolkatta News
bureau bagged the award as the Outstanding Woman Media person for her reportage
of life in deep interiors of Orrisa and Chattisgarh affected by civil strife and
Naxalism.

 Padma Awards:: For the list of all the awardees, Please visit:
http://www.rediff.com/news/report/padma-awards-2011-the-winners/20110126.htm

 IPI(International Press Institute Award) India Award: For excellence in Journalism for
the year 2010 was presented to Tehelka and The Week jointly in December last year.

 Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award 2011: Prof. Yash Pal. He is a noted scientist and
educator. He received this award for his excellence in Public Administration,
academics and Management.

 Miss India 2011: Vasuki Sunkavalli (26 year old, Hyderabadi Girl)

 Mahatama Gandhi Award For Peace and Reconciliation: Dalai Lama

 Venkataraman Ramakrishnan who won the  Nobel prize for Chemistry, 2009 was
honoured with the British Royal Knighthood.

 Arjuna Awards 2011
Zaheer Khan Cricket
Rahul Banerjee Archery
Preeja Sreedharan Athletics
Jwala Gutta Badminton
Suranjoy Singh Boxing
Sunil Chhetri Football
Rajpal Singh Hockey
Rakesh Kumar Kabaddi
Tejaswini Sawant Shooting
Virdhawal Khade Swimming
Ashish Kumar Gymnastics
Somdev Devvarman Tennis
Ravinder Singh Wrestling
Ravi Kumar Weightlifting
Vikas Gowda Athletics
Sandhya Rani Wushu
Prasanta Karmakar Swimming
Sanjay Kumar Volleyball
Tejaswini Kabaddi

 Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2011
Gagan Narang Shooting

INTERNATIONAL


 Man Booker Prize: Julian Barnes for his novel „The Sense of an ending‟. The award
promotes the finest in fiction and was first awarded in 1969.

 Miss World 2011: Miss Venezuela Ivian Sarcoss

 PEN/ Pinter International Writer of Courage Award 2011:  Italian
writer, Roberto Saviano, whose work exposed the organised crime of the Neopolitan
mafia will share the award with   Sir David Hare . He was under hiding when the
book was written.

 Ramon Magasaysay Award, 2011: This year there are two Indians who bagged the
award; Nileema Mishra and Harish Hande, who worked for the empowerment of
Indian People. Dr.hande was recognised for bringing solar lights to people who have
no power. Ms. Mishra worked for the poor in Maharashtra by lending them money and addressing their aspirations and adversities. Another Indians who have won the
award include Acharya Vinobha Bhave, Jayaprakash Narayan and Mother Teresa.
The award is named after famous Philipine President and is governed by the
Rockfeller Foundation.

 World Food Prize: The World Food Prize Foundation is honoring John Agyekum
Kufuor former president of Ghana, and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, former president of
Brazil, for creating and implementing government policies that alleviated hunger and
poverty in their countries. The World Food Prize was created in 1987 by Nobel Peace
Prize winner Dr. Norman Borlaug, to recognize individuals who have contributed
landmark achievements in increasing the quality, quantity or availability of food in
the world.

 Guardian First Book Award: Siddhartha Mukherjee (India born  – American
physician) for his extraordinary biography of cancer, The Emperor of All Maladies.
(has already won him a Pulitzer prize in his native US)

 Pulitzer Prizes: http://www.pulitzer.org/awards/2012

 Pritzker Architecture Prize:  “To honor a living architect whose built work
demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision, and commitment,
which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built
environment through the art of architecture.” The international prize, is awarded each
year to a living architect for significant achievement, was established by the Pritzker
family of Chicago through their Hyatt Foundation  in 1979. The award consists of
$100,000 (US) and a bronze medallion. The award is conferred on the laureate at a
ceremony held at an architecturally significant site throughout the world. For the year
2012, the prize has been conferred on Wang Shu for recycling materials from
demolished buildings to create a sustainable design for exciting buildings.

 The Golden Bear Awards: Italian documentary Caesar Must
Die (Cesaredevemorire), showing inmates of a high-security prison staging
Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”, was awarded the Berlin film festival’s top award.
Directors Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani received the Golden Bear award.

 Golden Peacock Award: The 42nd
International Filmfare Festival of India was held
at Panaji, Goa. The Columbian movie Porfirio directed by Alejandro Landes won the
Golden Peacock Award.

 Noble prize Winners:http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2011/# Davis Cup of Tennis: Rafael Nadal secured the victory for Spain. It is Spain‟s 5th
time to to reach Davis Cup Finals and Nadal‟s 20th
victory. He defeated Argentina‟s
Juan Martin Del Potro.

 Golden Globe Awards: 69th
Golden Globe awards honouring the best film and
Television for 2011 were held in Beverly Hills( California).
The Best Motion Picture, Drama: The Descendants.
The Best Performance by an Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iran Lady
By an Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants
Best Animated Feature Film: The Adventures of Tintin
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation (Iran) Jodaeiye Nader azSimin) – Asghar
Farhadi; Sony Pictures Classics.
For more information vistit:  http://www.goldenglobes.org/blog/2011/12/the-69thannual-golden-globe-awards-nominations/
http://www.movieweb.com/news/69th-annual-golden-globe-awards-winners

 Grammy Awards: Record of the Year- Rolling In The Deep, Adele
Album of the Year- 21, Adele
Song of the Year- Rolling In The Deep, Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters
(Adele)
Best New Artist: Bon Iver
For more information vistit: http://www.grammy.com/nominees

 84th Oscars Academy Awards: Actor in the leading role- Jean Dujardin in „The Artist‟
Actress: Meryl Streep in The Iron lady.

The highest award for science in India – CSIR Declares Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize 2011

Eleven Scientist have been selected for Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) Prize for Science & Technology for the year 2011.Dr Samir K Brahamachari, Director General, Council of Scientific Research and Industrial development announced the names of scientists today at the celebration of CSIR foundation Day here today. Till 2010, 463 scientists (including 14 women scientists) have been bestowed with the prestigious SSB Prize.

Biological Sciences

Dr Amit Prakash Sharma

International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi

Dr Rajan Sankaranarayanan

CSIR Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad

Chemical Sciences

Dr Balasubramanian Sundaram

Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore

Dr Garikapati Narahari Sastry

CSIR Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad

Earth, Atmosapere, Ocean & Planetary Sciences

Dr Shanker Doraiswamy

CSIR National Institute of Oceanography, Goa

Engineering Sciences

Dr Sirshendu De

Indian Institute of Technology, Dharagpur

Dr Upadrasta Ramamurty

Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

Mahtematical Sciences

Dr Mahan Mj

Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Howrah

Dr Palash Sarkar

Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata

Medical Sciences

Dr Kithiganahalli Narayanaswamy Balaji

Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

Physical Sciences

Dr Shiraz Minwalla

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai

Some Information: The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology is awarded annually by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for notable and outstanding research, applied or fundamental, in biology, chemistry, environmental science, engineering, mathematics, medicine and Physics. The purpose of the prize is to recognize outstanding Indian work (according to the view of CSIR awarding committee) in science and technology. It is the highest award for science in India.[1] The award is named after the founder Director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar.[2] It was first awarded in 1958.


Any citizen of India engaged in research in any field of science and technology up to the age of 45 years is eligible for the Prize. The Prize is awarded on the basis of contributions made through work done primarily in India during the five years preceding the year of the Prize. The Prize comprises a citation, a plaque, and a cash award of Rs. 500,000. In addition recipients also get Rs 15,000 per month up to the age of 65 years.

Information about Mullaperiyar Dam

1. 2011-ല്‍ പഴക്കം 115 വര്‍ഷം
2. നിര്‍മിച്ചത് കരിങ്കല്ലും ചുണ്ണാമ്പും സുര്‍ക്കിയും കൊണ്ട്
3. സുര്‍ക്കിയില്‍ പണിതതില്‍ നിലനില്‍ക്കുന്ന ഇന്ത്യയിലെ ഒരേയൊരു വലിയ അണക്കെട്ട്
4. ഡ്രെയിനേജ് ഗാലറികളില്ല (വെള്ളത്തിന്റെ സമ്മര്‍ദം കൂടും)
5. കണ്‍സ്ട്രക്ഷന്‍ ജോയന്റുകളില്ലാതെ അണക്കെട്ട് ഒറ്റ ബ്ലോക്കാണ് (വിള്ളലും പൊട്ടലും വ്യാപിക്കാന്‍ സാധ്യത)
6. വെള്ളത്തിന്റെ സമ്മര്‍ദം കണക്കിലെടുക്കാതെ നിര്‍മിച്ചത്. സ്​പില്‍വേകള്‍ ആവശ്യത്തിനില്ല.
7. സുര്‍ക്കിയും ചുണ്ണാമ്പും അടര്‍ന്ന് ഒലിച്ചുപോയി പലയിടത്തും പൊട്ടലുകള്‍
8. തുടക്കം മുതല്‍തന്നെ ചോര്‍ച്ച. 1922, 1928-35, 1961-65 കാലത്ത് സിമന്റ് ചാന്തുകൊണ്ട് ചോര്‍ച്ച അടച്ചു
9. പ്രതിവര്‍ഷം 30.4 ടണ്‍ എന്ന തോതില്‍ 50 വര്‍ഷത്തിനിടയില്‍ 1500 ടണ്ണിലധികം സുര്‍ക്കി ഒലിച്ചുപോയി
10. ഭൂകമ്പ സാധ്യതാ പഠനം നടത്തിയിട്ടില്ല
11. അണക്കെട്ട് ഉടുമ്പഞ്ചോല, കമ്പം ഭ്രംശമേഖലകള്‍ സംഗമിക്കുന്ന സ്ഥലത്തായതിനാല്‍ ഭൂകമ്പ സാധ്യത കൂടുതലാണ്
12. ബേബി ഡാം സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നത് ഭ്രംശ മേഖലയില്‍ (അടിയിലൂടെ ചോര്‍ച്ച രൂക്ഷം.) ഡാം ഇതേവരെ ബലപ്പെടുത്തിയിട്ടില്ല.
13. അടുത്തകാലത്ത് ഇടുക്കി. കോട്ടയം ജില്ലകളിലുണ്ടായ ഭൂചലനങ്ങള്‍ ഭീഷണി ഉയര്‍ത്തുന്നു
14. പെരിയാര്‍ നദി ഒഴുകുന്നതുതന്നെ ഭ്രംശ മേഖലയിലൂടെ
15. അണക്കെട്ടിനെ നിരീക്ഷക്കുന്നില്ല. സ്ഥാപിച്ച ഉപകരണങ്ങള്‍ നശിച്ചു
16. സമ്മര്‍ദം കുറക്കാന്‍ ജലനിരപ്പ് 136 അടിയാക്കി നിജപ്പെടുത്താനും സ്​പില്‍വേകള്‍ കൂട്ടാനും 1979ല്‍ കേന്ദ്ര ജല കമ്മീഷന്‍ നിര്‍ദേശം
17. സമ്മര്‍ദം കുറക്കാന്‍ അണക്കെട്ടിനു മുകളില്‍ കോണ്‍ക്രീറ്റ് ക്യാപ്പിങ് ഉണ്ടാക്കി. പക്ഷെ ഇത് ഫലവത്തല്ല.
18. ഒരു ഭാഗത്ത് കോണ്‍ക്രീറ്റ് ആവരണം പണിത് ഇന്‍സ്‌പെക്ഷന്‍ ഗാലറി നിര്‍മ്മിച്ചു. (ആവരണം അണക്കെട്ടിനോട് ചേരാത്തതിനാല്‍ ഭിത്തിയുമായി ചേരുന്ന സ്ഥലത്ത് ഇപ്പോള്‍ ചോര്‍ച്ച)
19. കേബിള്‍ കൊണ്ട് അണക്കെട്ട് അടിസ്ഥാനത്തോട് ഉറപ്പിച്ചു(ഇത് താത്കാലിക ബലപ്പെടുത്തല്‍ മാത്രം)

കരിങ്കല്ലും സര്‍ക്കിയും ചുണ്ണാമ്പും ഉപയോഗിച്ച് പണിതതില്‍ ഇന്ന് ലോകത്ത് തന്നെ ബാക്കി നിര്‍ക്കുന്ന പഴക്കമേറിയ ഏക അണക്കെട്ടാണ് മുല്ലപ്പെരിയാര്‍ എന്ന കാര്യം പ്രത്യേകം ശ്രദ്ധിക്കേണ്ടതുണ്ട്. ഇത്തരത്തില്‍ കാലപഴക്കമുള്ള അണക്കെട്ടുകളെല്ലാം എല്ലാ രാജ്യങ്ങളും ഡീകമ്മിഷന്‍ ചെയ്തുകഴിഞ്ഞു. അണക്കെട്ട് തകര്‍ന്നാലുള്ള ദുരന്തം മുന്‍കൂട്ടി കണ്ടുകൊണ്ടാണിത്.

ഭൂകമ്പ മേഖലയില്‍ പണിത അണക്കെട്ടായതിനാല്‍ ഭൂചലനമുണ്ടായാല്‍ അണക്കെട്ടില്‍ പൊട്ടലുകളും വിള്ളലുകളും ഉണ്ടാകും. വിള്ളലുകള്‍ ചിലപ്പോള്‍ അകത്താകാം. ഇത് പുറത്ത് കാണണമെന്നില്ല. കാലവര്‍ഷത്തില്‍ അണക്കെട്ട് നിറഞ്ഞ സമയത്ത് ഇത്തരം വിള്ളലുകള്‍ വലുതായി അണക്കെട്ട് തകരാനുള്ള സാധ്യത വളരെ കൂടുതലാണെന്ന് വിദഗ്ധര്‍ ചൂണ്ടിക്കാട്ടിയിട്ടുണ്ട്.

ഭൂവിള്ളലിന് മുകളില്‍ സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്ന ബേബി ഡാമിനെ ഭയക്കേണ്ടതുണ്ട്. ഇപ്പോള്‍ ഇതിന്നടിയിലൂടെ വെള്ളം ചോരുന്നുണ്ട്. ഇതിന് വെറും മണ്‍കയ്യാലയുടെ ബലമേയുള്ളുവെന്ന് അന്നത്തെ മന്ത്രി എന്‍.കെ. പ്രേമചന്ദ്രന്റെ നിര്‍ദ്ദേശാനുസരണം 2006 നവംബര്‍ 13 ന് ബേബി ഡാം പരിശോധിച്ച അന്തര്‍സംസ്ഥാന ജലവിഭവ വകുപ്പ് ചീഫ് എഞ്ചിനീയര്‍ കെ. ദിവാകരന്‍ ചൂണ്ടിക്കാട്ടിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. മുല്ലപ്പെരിയാറിലെ ജലനിരപ്പ് താഴ്ത്തി സമ്മര്‍ദ്ദം കുറച്ചില്ലെങ്കില്‍ ദുരന്തമുണ്ടാകുമെന്നും അദ്ദേഹം മുന്നറിയിപ്പ് നല്‍കിയിരുന്നു
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History

On 29 October 1886, a lease indenture for 999 years was made between Maharaja of Travancore, Vishakham Thirunal and Secretary of State for India for Periyar irrigation works. The lease agreement was signed by Dewan of Travancore V Ram Iyengar and State Secretary of Madras State (under British rule) J C Hannington. This lease was made after constant pressure on Travancore King by the British for 24 years. The lease indenture inter alia granted full right, power and liberty to construct, make and carry out on the leased land and to use exclusively when constructed, made and carried out all such irrigation works and other works ancillary thereto to Secretary of State for India (now Tamil Nadu). The agreement was to give 8000 acres of land for the reservoir and another 100 acres to construct the dam. And the tax for each acre was 5 RS per year. When India became independent, the lease got expired. After several failed attempts to renew the agreement in 1958, 1960, and 1969, the agreement was renewed in 1970 when C Achutha Menon was Kerala Chief Minister. According to the renewed agreement, the tax per acre was 30 RS, and for the electricity generated in Lower Camp using Mullaperiyar water, the charge was 12 RS per kiloWatt per hour. This was without the consent of the Legislative Assembly of Kerala[citation needed]. This agreement expired in 2000. However, Tamil Nadu still uses the water and the land, and the Tamil Nadu government has been paying to the Kerala government for the past 50 years 2.5 lakhs Rs as tax per year for the whole land and 7.5 lakhs RS per year as surcharge for the total amount of electricity generated.

The first dam was built by the British Corps of Royal Engineers. After the first dam was washed away by floods, a second dam was built in 1895. it is built with stone and Surki ( A mixture of sugar and Calcium oxide).

The construction work on a small dam began in 1850 but was abandoned. This was because of fever among workers and demand for higher wages. In May 1882, the work on the dam resumed and was entrusted to Major John Pennycuick. It’s total estimated cost was Rs. 84.71 lakhs. The reservoir was to have a height of 152 feet and a capacity of 10.56 thousand million cubic feet.

The dam’s purpose was to divert the waters of the west-flowing Periyar River eastward, taking the water from the reservoir through a tunnel cut across the watershed and Western Ghats to the arid rain shadow regions of Theni, Madurai District, Sivaganga District and Ramanathapuram districts of Tamil Nadu.[9] Although Kerala claims that the agreement was forced on the then princely State of Travancore, presently part of Kerala, the pact was re-validated in 1970 by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.[10] The lease provided the British the rights over “all the waters” of the Mullaperiyar and its catchment basin, for an annual rent of Rs. 40,000.
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PSC Questions on 17-11-11

1) who was appointed as Chief Mentor for Kerala’s Development?

Ans: Sam Pitroda (He is also widely considered to have been responsible for India’s communications revolution)

2) The first woman of the world to climb Mt. Everest four times?

Ans: Lakpa Sherpa (Nepali)

3) Which is called the Mother of Parliaments ?

Ans: The British Parliament

4) World Computer Literacy Day is celebrated on —-?

Ans: 2nd December

5) Nickname of New York City?

Ans: Big Apple

6) What is the common name for ascorbic acid?

Ans: Vitamin C

7) Who was the first Indian to join the Indian Civil Services

Ans: Satyendranath Tagore

8) Who is the CEO of Yahoo?

Ans: Timothy R. Morse (Carol Bartz lost her position as CEO on Sept 6, 2011)

9) Speed of computer mouse is measured in which unit?

Ans: Mickey

10) A person who speaks several languages is?

Ans: Polygot

Current Affairs 2010

* Bollywood movie which has been banned recently in Pakistan by government over fears of a terrorist attack and for references Osama Bin Laden?
“Tere Bin Laden”.

* The inventor of the black box flight data recorder who died at the age of 85 at a nursing home in Melbourne?
David Warren.

* President of an African country has banned the country’s football team from international competition for two years following their poor showing at the World Cup-2010. Which is that country?
Nigeria.

* Nepal’s prime minister resigned recently, bowing to pressure from opposition Maoists who demanded his ouster in parliament and in street protests?
Madhav Kumar Nepal.

* Who has been sworn in as the 15th president of Philippines?
Benigno Aquino III

* Who was named as the new Coach and manager of the English Premier League club ‘Liverpool’?
Roy Hodgson

* American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-running show with the same host in the same time slot which will end its run in the fall of 2010?
Larry King Live.

* Who was sworn in as Germany’s 10th President on July 1, 2010?
Christian Wulff

* US President Barack Obama has recently declared a state of emergency in Texas. What is the reason?
A federal emergency declared in Texas as Tropical Storm Alex builds to hurricane strength and approaches south Texas and northern Mexico

* Who won the Man of the Match award in the fifth ODI Cricket played between Australia and England at London on July 03, 2010?
Man of the match: Shaun Tait (Australia)

* Who won the Man of the Series award in the ODI Cricket Series played between Australia and England at England?
Eoin Morgan

* Indian batsman who scored his fifth double century in the Test match against Sri Lanka?
Sachin Tendulkar.

* A top leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa drug gang who has been killed while resisting arrest in a military raid?
Ignacio “Nacho” Coronel.

* The Uruguay striker who won the golden ball in the 2010 World Cup, visited Kolkata recently?
Diego Forlan.

* The Bangladeshi government has recently ordered mosques and libraries across the country to remove all books written by a controversial Islamic scholar. Name of that Islamic author?
Syed Abul Ala Maududi.

* Who is selected for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award (2010), the country’s highest sporting honour?
Saina Nehwal

* In a historic vote on 28th July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly has approved a resolution regarding water. What is that?
“Clean water and sanitation are fundamental human rights”

* Who became the ninth Indian cricketer to score a century in his first Test innings (on debut) in the second Test match between India and Sri Lanka at the SSC in Colombo?
Suresh Raina

* Name of the website which released over 75,000 secret US military reports covering the war in Afghanistan?
WikiLeaks.

* Name of the passenger jet which has crashed on July 28, 2010 in a heavily wooded area outside Islamabad in Pakistan killing all 152 people on board?
Airbus 321