general awareness for iift
DESCRIPTION
General Awareness for IIFT. Japan - Land of the Rising Sun. Naoto Kan – new PM Kuril Islands – source of dispute with Russia Was world’s second and Asia’s largest economy but well ahead of China in per capita income Oldest still ruling Royal House in the world - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
General Awareness for IIFT
Japan - Land of the Rising Sun
Naoto Kan – new PM Kuril Islands – source of dispute with Russia Was world’s second and Asia’s largest economy but well
ahead of China in per capita income Oldest still ruling Royal House in the world Monarch sits on Chrysanthemum Throne No standing army No manufacture, supply or storing of nuclear weapons Okinawa issue with USA [China overtakes Japan as second largest economy]
China - 3rd Largest by Area
Hu Jintao – President; Wen Jiabao – PM Is building GWADAR port in Pakistan, also Karakoram Highway
to Pakistan – Port in Sri Lanka World’s largest FOREX reserves – more than $1 trillion Built THREE GORGES DAM on Yangtze River, world’s largest
hydro-electric dam Built world’s highest railway – linking Lhasa in Tibet with
Golmund; nicknamed Qing-1 Manufacturing hub of world Third largest economy – [China now second largest] Claims Arunachal, disputes Sikkim Economy capitalist, polity communist Promoting civilian nuclear deal with Pakistan Google exits China over censorship China views Kashmir as disputed territory
Thailand
King Bhumibol Adulyadej completes 60 years in power, world’s longest reigning monarch
Thaksin Shinawatra deposed as PM in a military coup Abhisit Vejjajiva new PM Bangkok – capital, Baht – currency Never colonised Red Shirts protest Hindu heritage of Thailand
Myanmar - Stratocracy
General Than Shwe – Leader No.1, visited India in 2006 Aung San Suu Kyi – pro-democracy leader under house
arrest since 1990 Capital moved from Yangon to Pyinmana (aka Naypyidaw) 32.7% BPL population Ruled by army since 1948 Secret nuclear programme? Previously famous as Rice Bowl of the East
Sri Lanka / Bhutan Mahinda Rajapakse – Prez Peace talks between SL
government and the LTTE were brokered by NORWAY
Bhutan – world’s first no-smoking country
King Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is the Chief of State since December 2006
First democratic elections held in Bhutan in March 2008 Prime Minister Jigme Thinley of Bhutan since April 2008 LTTE defeated by Lankan Army Sanath Foneska in limelight Port build with assistance of China Bhutan is semi-independent country Special links with India of Bhutan
Pakistan - First Islamic Republic
Asif Ali Zardari – Prez; Yusuf Raza Gilani – PM Balochistan leader, Akbar Khan Bugti, killed by Pak military Benazir assassinated Pakistan, India fighting proxy war in Afghanistan Proposed Iran gas pipeline to India via Pakistan NWFP – stronghold of al-Qaeda & Taliban Sri Lankan cricket team attacked Epicenter of terrorism Unprecedented floods Low intensity conflict with India Theocratic state Army calls the shots
Afghanistan
Hamid Karzai – Prez elect NATO forces battling resurgent Taliban in the south Taliban headed by Mullah Omar Durand Line – boundary line with Pak is source of dispute Afg-Pak focus for USA Afghanistan Taliban vs Pak Taliban USA fighting a losing battle? India helping in building infrastructure Vast mineral resources in Afghanistan – Pentagon study
Iran
Mahmoud Ahmedinejad – Prez Ayotallah Khameini – Spiritual Head Secret nuclear weapons programme? World’s 2nd largest gas producer & 4th largest oil exporter Has developed missiles like HOOT, a torpedo; Shahab,
Fajr, and Shaegah series Confrontation with west over nuclear power programme Islamic Revolution – 1979 Denial of Holocaust Parsis migrated from Iran
Iraq - Mesopotamia
Jalal Talabani – Prez; Nuri al-Maliki – PM Saddam gets death penalty for Dujail Massacre (1982) Abu Ayyub al-Masri, al-Qaeda chief in Iraq, successor to
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Moqtada al-Sadr – head of Mahdi Army, Shiite militia group USA to withdraw from Iraq The Suni-Shia divide Iran – Iraq war Iraq is Arab, Iran is not
Israel - World’s first Jewish State
Tel Aviv – capital; Knesset – parliament Benjamin Netanyahu – PM Mossad – secret service Owns Barak missile system, supplied to India Is building a Barrier Wall to separate it from Palestinian
areas Tripartite talks in USA Blockade of Gaza strip to punish Hamas Major defence supplier to India Expertise in agriculture ex. drip irrigation Jewish island in sea of Arab Countries
Lebanon Jordan Nicknamed Switzerland of
the Middle East Michel Suleiman – Prez;
Saad Hariri – PM Beirut – Capital;
Nicknamed Paris of the Middle East
Was a French Colony Base for Hezbollah Multi-religious country –
Muslim / Christian Arab but westernised
Hashemite Kingdom King Abdullah II – HoS Lost West Bank to Israel in
1967 War Abu Musab al-Zarqawi,
slain al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, belonged to Jordan
Ally of USA Monarchy
Syria Turkey Bashar al-Assad – Prez Accused of interference
in Lebanon & Iraq Indicted by UN in killing
of former Lebanese PM, Rafiq Hariri
Part of new “Axis of Evil”
Baath socialism Secular but authoritarian Ban on full veils
Recep T Erdogan – PM Nicknamed Sickman of
Europe Controversy over Armenian
Genocide Occupies part of Cyprus Kemal Ataturk made Turkey a
fiercely secular country Sought membership of EU Strained relationship with Israel Bridge between Asia and
Europe India’s Khilafat Movement –
link to Turkey
Sudan - Largest African Nation
Prez Omar al-Bashir Darfur Genocide – 4 lakh dead over 4 years Janjaweed, Govt-backed Arab Muslim militia against
non-Arab Muslims Civil war in the south between Arab Muslims & Christians
– Africa’s oldest still running civil war Warrant against President by International Criminal Court
South Africa - Rainbow Nation
Jacob Zuma new President Second largest HIV infected population after India Desmond Tutu, recipient of Gandhi Peace Prize (’06) Launched centenary of Gandhiji’s launching of Satyagraha
Movement in that country 3 capitals – Pretoria (administrative), Bloemfontein (judicial),
and Cape Town (legislative) Name of Pretoria changed to Tshwane South Africa is venue for World Cup Soccer 2010 Successful conduct of FIFA 2010 Africa’s largest economy Home to Apartheid movement
Africa in a nutshell
African Union – HQ at Addis Ababa, 53 members Uganda – Prez is Yoweri Museveni, accused of genocide
against Acholi Tribe Operation Atlanta anti-piracy operation off the coast of
Somalia 15th NAM summit in Egypt in July 2009 Libya Muammar Gaddafi’s marathon speech in UNO in
September 2009 Constitutional reforms in Kenya Poverty in sub-Sahara Africa Tribal and religious conflicts Poor governance a problem
Brazil - 5th largest country by area
Luiz Inacio LULA da Silva is Brazil prez again Largest ETHANOL producer Member of BRIC & IBSA Brasilia – Capital (named after a wood type) Rio Di Janeiro to host 2016 Olympics Lula da Silva in focus Home to massive Amazon Forest belt South America’s largest Catholic Country
South America in a nutshell
Venezuela reelected Hugo Chavez as prez Eva Morales is elected Bolivia prez Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) – Marxist militant group
in Peru Peru’s prez is Alan Garcia Sebastian Pinera is president of Chile Alberto Fujimori, former President of Peru, sentenced to jail
term on charges of corruption Leftist Presidents / PMs in South America Spanish / Portuguese colonisation Home to ancient civilisations
USA - 300 million pop
Democrats win control of H of R & Senate Barack Obama first Afro-American to be President Robert Gates is new defence secretary Hillary Clinton new Secretary of State Largest exporter & importer – overall; biggest seller of military
equipment Ben Bernanke – new Federal Reserve chief Refuses to sign Kyoto Protocol & shuns International Criminal
Court Sarbanes-Oxley Act – for corporate governance Fence built on USA border with Mexico to curb illegal
immigration & drugs trade Anti-outsourcing stand of USA USA and China are G-2 Ground Zero Mosque issue Landmark civil nuclear deal and civil nuclear liability bill – USA,
India link 2008 global financial crisis roots in USA
Central America in a nutshell
Panama agrees to a new wider Panama Canal Felipe Calderon is prez of Mexico Daniel Ortega, former Marxist leader, prez of Nicaragua Cuban prez Fidel Castro handed over power to Raul Castro
(his brother) Sugar Bowl of the World Illegal immigration to USA Mexico emerging economy
Europe in a nutshell
Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, is ranked World’s Most Powerful Woman by Forbes
Hungary PM Viktor Orban Romania & Bulgaria join EU (EU membership - 27) Silvio Berlusconi is the PM of Italy Italy hosted G-8 summit in July 09 NATO’s 60 years observed Schengen Visa – EU Constitution Financial crisis – PIGS Germany largest economy in Europe European Union – backgrounder
World Trade Organisation Successor to the GATT Established on January 1, 1995 WTO HQ – Geneva, Switzerland DG – Pascal Lamy (France) WTO has 153 members Vietnam is 150th member Russia is yet to become a member of WTO
International - Who’s Who
Ban Ki-moon (S.Korea’s foreign minister) succeeds Kofi
Annan (Ghana) as new Secretary General of the UN
Margaret Chan (China) is new DG of WHO
Barack Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize
Science fiction writer Arthur Clarke passes away
Deep Joshi wins Magsaysay Award
Indra Nooyi – PepsiCo CEO, also ranked world’s most
powerful business woman
Shashi Tharoor – former UN Under Secretary General for
Communications & Public Information and now a former
Union Minister of State for External Affairs
International - Who’s Who
Tharoor – author of The Great Indian Novel, Riot – A
Novel, India: From Midnight to the Millennium, Bookless in
Baghdad, & Show Business
Vandana Shiva – Sydney Peace Prize
World Bank – HO at Washington, Prez - Robert Zoellick (US)
IMF – HO at Washington, MD – Dominique Strauss Kahn (Germany)
ADB – HO at Manila, Prez – Haruhiko Kuroda (Japan) European Commission – HO at Brussels WEF – Founder Chairman Klaus Schwabb (Germany) OECD – Hqrs Paris ASEAN – Hqrs Bangkok SAARC – Secretariat Kathmandu Organisation of Islamic Conference based in Riyadh OPEC – Vienna
International Institutions / Groupings
Business - Facts & Figures
IOC – India’s largest company by revenue Toyota – largest auto company Intel – largest chip-maker Diageo – largest spirits company (owns Smirnoff, JW) McDonald’s – largest fast food chain Vodafone – largest mobile company by revenue in world Bharti Airtel – crosses 11 crore subscribers in India Tata No.1 by market capitalisation in India Vedanta Resources in News Wal-Mart – largest retailer in world BP – credibility crisis Nokia largest hand-set maker
Economy / Business Vedanta to acquire Cairn 1.6 million employed in IT in India (2007) Mobile number portability to be introduced Provident fund companies can invest 15% of their corpus in
shares New Pension Scheme (NPS) launched in April 2009 Natco and Strides Arcolab are permitted to manufacture
generic version of Tamiflu Roche holds patent on Tamiflu G-20 accounts for 90% of global output NCDEX largest agricultural commodity exchange by volume International Finance Reporting Standards to be
implemented by companies by April 2011
Economy / Business Successful IPO of SKS microfinance Discussion paper on new banks by RBI New BPL norms of Tendulkar Commission Cloud computing Direct Taxcode BP Oil spill Base rate mechanism Financial inclusion
Agriculture India second largest producer of pepper No.1 in milk production Among the world top producer of Tea Largest coconut producer in world is India Second largest producer of fish Green Revolution a success in rice and wheat India lags behind in production of pulses, oil seeds 11th plan aims at 4% GDP growth rate in agriculture Agriculture sector neglected in economic reforms GM crops in focus NFSM Organic Farming Unsustainable agriculture sector Percentage of people in agricultural sector Farmers suicides Is shift of population the answer?
Personalities Nandan Nilekani Chairman of Unique Identification
Authority (UIA) C. Rangarajan Chairman of Prime Ministers Economic
Advisory Council Angela Markel re-elected Chancellor of Germany Mohan Bhagwat new chief of RSS Iran’s President Md. Ahmedinejad denies truth of Holocaust President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela wins referendum Ramesh Pokhariyal new Chief Minister of Uttarakhand R. K. Pachauri head of TERI and IGPCC Christian Wulff new President Germany Centenary of Mother Teresa Julian Assange
Awards Nobel Prize – Chemistry for Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
(Indian American) Nobel Literature – Herta Muller (Romania) Deep Joshi – Magsaysay Award, 2009 2009 Man Booker Prize – Hilary Mantel, (UK) 2009 Man Booker International Prize – Alice Munro
(Canada) 2009 Indira Gandhi Prize – Sheikh Hasina 2006 Jnanpith Award – Satyavrat Shastry - Sanskirt,
Ravindra Kelekar - Konkani 2010 Sydney Peace Prize – Vandana Shiva
Sports Castrol 2009 Cricket of Year – Gautam Gambhir 2016 Olympics – Rio De Janiero 2010 FIFA World Cup – South Africa 2014 FIFA World Cup – Brazil 2012 Olympics – London 2011 World Cup Cricket – India / Sri Lanka / Bangladesh 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi World Cup Hockey Arjun Atwal – Golf - Prestigious Golf Trophy Vishwanathan Anand - World Chess Championship -
Sophia
Important Government Programmes
National Highway Development Programme (NHDP), largest Highway Development Programme ever in India
National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP) target group the rural poor
Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) proposed by former President Abdul Kalam
Swarna Jayanti Gramin Swarojgar Yojana (SJSY) replaces Integrated Rural Development Programme
Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) 1985 covers Diphteria, Pertusis, Tetanus, Polio, & Tuberculosis
Integrated Child Development Programme (ICDP) Bharat Nirman – Rural infrastructure
Important Government Programmes
Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) – Urban infrastructure
Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPP) big boost to power production
AIDP RTE RTI SABLA
TThe material given in the slides is indicative of where the focus of preparation for the exam should be. The aspirant should use these as probes for building knowledge base required for the exam.