GENERAL NEWS – MAY 2009

Friday, May 01st 2009
New pension scheme starts today
Starting May 1st any individual will be able to invest in a pension fund with the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). The facility will now be available for the general public. The scheme is similar to the one currently in operation for central government employees, which yielded an average return of 14.5% in 2008-09. Under this National Pension Scheme(NPS), money invested in the pension fund during the working life of the investor will come back partly as a lump sum amount and partly as an annual payment or pension. Under this scheme one can invest any amount, however tax benefits will be available only up to Rs 1 lakh under Section 80C. But the minimum annual contribution has been mandated at Rs 6,000.

Saturday, May 02nd 2009
Two more missions for ISRO
The Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) is reading itself for two more critical missions for India- Astrosat(astronomy mission) and Megha-Tropiques. The launch has been slated for 2010. The Byalalu center in Mysore which is currently working on the moon mission will also work on the other two proposed projects simultaneously. Astrosat is the first Indian astronomy mission, which will enable multi-wavelength observations of celestial bodies, cosmic sources in X-ray and UV spectral bands simultaneously.

Friday, May 15th 2009
'Green Oscar ' goes to an Indian biologist
M D Madhusudan director of the NGO- Nature Conservation Foundation won the Whitley Award. This award is considered the 'Green Oscar'. The Indian wildlife biologist received this award in recognition of his work to reduce human-wildlife conflict in the Western Ghats in Karnataka. He was awarded a trophy and a cash prize of £30,000 by Princess Anne at a glittering ceremony at Royal Geographical Society in London. Presently he is working with farmers around Bandipur tiger reserve on a pilot community-based conflict mitigation project. His team has developed solar-powered electric fences to protect crops. 

Monday, May 25th 2009
A R Kulkarni passes away
Former chairman and one of the founder members of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) and eminent historian Prof A R Kulkarni passed away on Sunday in Pune. He was suffering from throat cancer and was ailing for last one year. He was a scholar in Marathi history and was the president of Indian History Congress in 1992, the year Babri Mosque was demolished.

Tuesday, May 26th 2009
San Su Kyi named for Gandhi peace award for 2009
The Mahatma Gandhi Foundation in South Africa has awarded the 2009 Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Peace and Justice to the leader of National League for Democracy (NLD) of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi. Suu Kyi has been a prisoner in her own country for the last two decades for her pro-democracy movement.

Thursday, May 28th 2009
Munro wins Man Booker prize
Alice Munro the Canadian short story writer has won this year's Man Booker International Prize. The Man Booker international prize is affiliated with the Booker prize and is one of the world's most prestigious literary awards. It is unique as it can be won by an author of any nationality providing their work is available in English. The Man booker is worth $95,000 and is awarded every two years. The panel of judges had writers like Jane Smiley, Amit Chaudhuri and Andrey Kurkov. Alice Munro well known for her collection of short stories published her first collection of stories, Dance of the Happy Shades, in 1968, which won Canada's prestigious Governor General's Award.