19.09.2010 - Current Affairs

• BJP Parliamentary Party chief L.K. Advani called up Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Sunday to discuss the firing outside the Jama Masjid in which two foreign tourists were injured, and enquired about the steps being taken to handle the situation.
• China has suspended senior bilateral contact with Japan over the detention of a Chinese captain accused of ramming his boat against Japanese patrol vessels in disputed waters, said state media on Sunday.
• The Indian economy is entering a new phase of development as the prospects for balanced growth in 2010-11 have given rise to expectations that the performance in the next and subsequent years will be even more heartening. As a result of the bountiful rainfall in many regions in North India and even in the areas such as Bihar and Eastern States where it was apprehended for a time that severe drought condition would prevail, the yield of food and cash crops in the kharif season may constitute an all-time record.
• Bharti Airtel on Friday said it had tied up with technology major IBM for managing its computing technology and services for its African operations spanning 16 countries. The strategic partnership would enable Bharti Airtel to scale up its network and systems to cater to more than 10-crore African customers by 2012.
• When Indian officials last month wanted to engage with their Chinese counterparts over the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) objection to the visit of the chief of the Army's Northern Command, they were faced with a problem. They were directed to voice their concerns to an official in the Foreign Ministry. Yet, this was a government department that had had no role in the decision, and, according to some officials, had even voiced reservations that the PLA's move would unnecessarily strain relations against the backdrop of a recent warming up of ties.
• The University Grants Commission (UGC) has embarked on a major programme with an aim to introduce career-oriented programmes in universities and colleges across the country. In the academic year 2011-12, the commission will support a variety of such courses in science, arts and commerce. These courses will be offered as an add-on activity under the scheme.
• Making amends for their opening-day defeats, Somdev and Bopanna downed their higher-ranked rivals in a do-or-die situation and led India to its first ever win in a Davis Cup tie from a 0-2 deficit.