CURRENT EVENTS – 2009
Sub-Junior Archery championship
JANUARY
Separate pay commission for armed force
personnel
1 : In a move to redress the grievances of armed
forces personnel over anomalies in pay
structures, the Union Government decides to
place officers in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel
and their equivalents in the other two services
on a higher pay band and constitute a separate
pay commission.
Fastest man on earth
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, the fastest man
on earth, edges US swimming ace Michael Phelps
to be voted the 2008 Athelete of the Year by the
international media at Brussels, Belgium.
Three fold salary hike
2 : The Union Government decides to bring in
an ordinance giving a three-fold salary hike to
judges, hereafter, the Chief Justice of India will
get Rs. 1 lakh.
Kilinochchi capture by troops
In a major blow to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE), Sri Lankan troops capture the
northern town of Kilinochchi, which has been the
Tigers’ administrative and political headquarters.
India signs agreement with Malaysia
3 : India signs an agreement with Malaysia
aimed at improving the recruitment process of
workers and their working conditions, besides
promoting legal migration.
Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Award
Inaugurating the 96th Session of the Indian
Science Congress in Shillong, Meghalaya, Prime
Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh presents the
Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Award to eminent
scientist Dr. K. Kasturirangan.
National Award – Braille Press
4 : Lok Sabha Speaker Mr. Somnath Chatterjee
gives away the National Award for the Best Braille
Press to Mr. A.K. Mittal of the All India Confederation
of the Blind at a ceremony in New Delhi.
Awami League leader
Bangladesh’s Prime Minister elect Ms. Sheikh
Hasina announces that veteran Awami League
leader Mr. Zillur Rahman would be the country’s
next President.
Hopman Cup - Tennis
Russia defeat Italy in the group stage at the
Hopman Cup tennis in Perth, Australia.
New C.M. for Jammu & Kashmir
5 : National Conference President Mr. Omar
Abdullah is sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister
of Jammu & Kashmir, nine other ministers are
also sworn in along with him.
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5 : Arjun Rao of Jharkhand bags two Gold
medals in the 29th sub-junior National Archery
championship in New Delhi.
Nuclear Power expansion programme
6 : Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL)
approves a massive expansion programme to
enhance its manufacturing capacity to 20,000
MW by 2012 and its foray into nuclear power
equipment production such as generators,
turbines and nuclear reactors.
New P.M. for Bangladesh
Sheikh Hasina, leader of the grand alliance that
won the December 2008 general elections in
Bangladesh, is sworn in as Prime Minister of the
country in Dhaka, the nation’s capital.
Sri Lanka records against Bangladesh
Sri Lanka register a record 465-run victory - the
fifth largest win by runs in the history of the game
- over Bangladesh in the second and final test of
the series in Chittagong, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka’s
Tillakaratne Dilshan is adjudged both Man of
the Match and Man of the Series.
Unparalleled fraud in Satyam
7 : In an unparalleled instance of fraud in India’s
corporate history, B. Ramalinga Raju resigns as
chairman of Satyam Computer Services India’s
fourth largest IT company, after admitting that the
accounts of the company were fudged to the tune
of Rs. 7,106 crore over several years.
Jawaharlal Nehru Prize - 2008
The Hindu Media Resoure Centre (HMRC) of
M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation,
Chennai, is awarded the prestigious Jawaharlal
Nehru Prize for 2008.
59th Senior National Basketball
Championships
Indian Railways win both the men’s and women’s
titles in the 59th Senior National basketball
championships in Surat, Gujarat.
G.D. Birla Award - 2008
8 : Prof. Raghavan Varadrajan of the Indian
Institute of Science, Bengaluru, is chosen for the
prestigious G.D. Birla Award for Scientific
Research for 2008 for his work in the area of
molecular biophysics.
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award
9 : The seventh edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya
Divas (PBD) comes to an end in Chennai, Tamil
Nadu. Hon’ble President Ms. Pratibha Devisingh
Patil gives away the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
awards to 13 members of the Indian diaspora,
including Vice-Presidents of two nations.
Beighton Cup Championship
Punjab and Sind Bank and Punjab Police are
declared joint champions in the 113th All-India
Beighton Cup hockey championship in Kolkata,
West Bengal.
1 CURRENT EVENTS - 2009
 National shooting championship
9 : Suma Shirur of Railways wins the women’s
Gold in the 10m air rifle event of the National
shooting championship in Thodupuzha, Kerala.
INSA – Platinum Jubilee
10 : Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh
inaugurates the platinum jubilee of the Indian
National Science Academy (INSA) in New
Delhi.
Qatar Open title
Britain’s Andy Murray defeats Andy Roddick of
USA 6-4, 6-2 in the final to retain his Qatar Open
title in Doha, Qatar.
Medium range missile - Akash
11 : In a boost to the country’s missile
development effort , the Indian ir Force finally
places an order with Bharat Electronics Limited
(BEL) for two squadrons of medium-range,
surface-to-air missile Akash.
NTPC - signs agreement with Mizoram
The National Thermal Power Corporation
(NTPC) signs an agreement with the Mizoram
government for the execution of the 460 MW
Kolodyne Stage II Hydro Electric Project on the
Kolodyne river in the State.
Agreement between Russia and Ukraine
Russia and Ukraine reach an agreement on
resuming natural gas supplies to Europe after
the latter agrees to allow international monitors
in the country in the wake of allegations
regarding misuse of the transit shipments.
Vibrant Gujarat - 2009
12 : The “Vibrant Gujarat 2009” industrial
summit opens in Ahmedabad, with top
industrialists from the country and abroad
promising over Rs. 9 lakh crore investment in
the State.
66th Golden Globe Awards
Slumdog Millionaire, a British movie with
overwhelmingly Indian content and backdrop,
emerges as a big winner at the 66th Golden
Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, USA, scooping
up four awards including the Best Original
Score for famous Indian music director A.R.
Rahman.
New Scholarships programme at
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge, the U.K.,
announces a new scholarship programme –
Manmohan Singh Under-Graduate
Scholarships – for Indian students in honour of
the Prime Minister.
Fastest Wicket taker
Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis becomes the
fastest to complete 50 wickets (in 19 matches) in
ODIs as Sri Lanka crush Zimbabwe by 130 runs
in a triangular series match in Dhaka,
Bangladesh.
World Footballer of the year
12 : Manchester United and Portugal star
Cristiano Ronaldo is conferred the FIFA World
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Footballer of the Year award for 2008 at a
ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland.
Dam in the Himalayas
13 : A study titled “Mountains of Concrete :
Dam Building in the Himalays”, released in New
Delhi, underscores the need for a comprehensive
assessment of the impact of climate change on
dam building in the Himalayas; it asserts that
climate change is likely to have the most serious
implications for dams.
Australia beat South Africa in T20
Australia beat South Africa by six wickets in a
T20 match in Brisbane, Australia.
Marine Security
14 : The Central Government announces that
it will shortly finalise a marine security blueprint
that will put in place a coastal command
structure to enhance protection of the country’s
7,516 km-long coastline.
China becomes third largest economy
China officially becomes the world’s third largest
economy, as the country’s GDP grew by 13
percent in 2007 to $ 3.4 trillion - nearly three
times of Indian economy.
Bangladesh defeat Sri Lanka
Bangladesh defeat Sri Lanka by five wickets in
a triangular series ODI in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
National shooting championship
15 : Vijay Kumar of Army claims the Gold in
men’s 25m standard pistol event of the National
shooting championship in Thodupuzha, Kerala.
C r i c i n f o Te s t B a t t i n g a n d B o w l i n g
performance
16 : Dashing Indian opener Virender Sehwag
receives the ‘Cricinfo Test Batting Performance
of the Year’ award while the ‘Test Bowling
Performance of the Year’ award is given to South
African pacer Dale Steyn, in New Delhi.
Bravery Awards for 2008
17 : Indian Council for Child Welfare President
Ms. Gita Siddarth announces the National
Bravery Awards 2008 for 20 children in New
Delhi.
State of the World’s children - 2009
A UNICEF report titled “State of the World’s
Children 2009” reveals that forty percent of the
world’s child marriages take place in India.
Printpack India - 2009
A six-day quadrennial event on printing and
packaging technology titled “Printpack India-
2009” opens at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.
Mini Ratna Status
The Union Government grants ‘Mini Ratna’
status to Airports Authority of India (AAI),
enabling it to invest up to Rs. 500 crore at any
airport.
National carrom championship
B. Radhakrishnan of Tamil Nadu wins the 38th
Senior National carrom championships men’s
title defeating second-seeded M. Nataraj of
2 CURRENT EVENTS - 2009
 Indian Airlines in the final while World No.1 I.
Ilavazhagi of Tamil Nadu retains the women’s
title defeating Rashmi Kumari of BSNL in
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
Sangeet Natak Academy Ratnas
18 : The General Council of the Sangeet Natak
Academy elects four eminent personalities in the
field of performing arts, namely Ms. Sitara Devi,
Mr. Khaled Choudhury, Mr. R.C. Mehta and Mr.
Bhupen Hazarika, as Sangeet Natak Academy
Ratnas.
India invest in S Tel Limited
Bahrain-based integrated telecommunications
company Batelco announces plans to invest in
India in 2009 by purchasing a 49 percent stake
in S Tel Limited.
Study on the health of the Toto Tribal
The Department of Biotechnology under the
Ministry of Science and Technology approves a
proposal of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose
Cancer Research Institute, Kolkata to conduct
a study on the health patterns and health
management of the Toto tribal people in north
Bengal.
Russia and Ukraine agree on price of
natural gas supply
18 : Russia and Ukraine agree on the price of
natural gas supply to Ukraine for 2009 in
Moscow, Russia, resolving the three-week
standoff that left much of Europe freezing in the
heart of a cold winter.
President rule at Jharkhand
19 : President’s rule is imposed on Jharkhand,
on the recommendation of the State Governor,
ending political uncertainty in the State following
Chief Minister Mr. Shibu Soren’s resignation.
Maximum sentence limit for criminal
offences
Hon’ble President Ms. Pratibha Devisingh Patil
gives her assent to the Criminal Procedure Code
(Amendment) Bill, which restrains the police
from arresting a person for criminal offences for
which the maximum sentence is up to seven year
imprisonment.
IT infrastructure project in Kolkata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mr. Buddhadeb
Bhattacharjee lays the foundation of the
Rs.130-crore information technology
infrastructure project in Kolkata.
Tr i p l e p l a y s e r v i c e s o v e r a s i n g l e
connection
Bharti Airtel launches its Internet Protocol
Television (IPTV) service in New Delhi, thus
becoming the first private company to offer
“Triple Play Services” (telephony, broadband
and entertainment services), over a single
connection.
Chinese new capital
The Chinese government decides to make
Yongchang the new capital of Beichuan county
which was severely destroyed due to an
earthquake in 2008.
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Change in Madarasa certificate
20: In a bid to mainstream madrasa education,
the Union Government decides to place
madrasa certificates on a par with those issued
by the Central Board of Secondary Education
(CBSE) and affiliates of the Council of Board
of School Education (COBSE) in India.
Vice-President of US
Mr. Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th
President of the US by Chief Justice Mr. John
Roberts in Washington, while Mr. Joe Biden is
sworn in as the 47th Vice-President of the nation.
President of Table-Tennis Federation
Mr. Ajay Chautala is unanimously re-elected as
the President of the Table Tennis Federation of
India for another four-year term.
Deputy C.M. of Punjab
21 : Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal is sworn in as
Punjab’s Deputy Chief Minister.
Pilot project on alternative cropping system
22 : The Union Government sanctions a grant
to Rajahmundry (Andhra Pradesh)-based
Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI) to
under take a pilot project on ‘Alternative
Cropping System to beedi and chewing tobacco’
in various States.
China’s GDP growth
22 : Latest reports put China’s 2008 GDP growth
at 9 percent, which is the slowest in last seven years.
Pension to Olympians
The Union Government decides to give a monthly
pension of Rs.8,000 each to Olympians Niranjan
Das (Wrestling) and Goa Chand Seal (Swimming)
with immediate effect under the National Welfare
Scheme for Sports persons.
India bans import of toys from China
23 : In order to protect the domestic industry from
cheap imports and dumping, India bans import of
toys from China.
Payloads on Board Chandrayaan-I
ISRO sources reveal that the Imaging X-ray
Spectrometer, one of the 11 payloads on board
Chandrayaan-1, received X-ray signals of
aluminium, magnesium and silicon on December
12, 2008.
Japan launches GOSAT
Japan successfully launches the world’s first
Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT),
dedicated to monitoring greehouse gas emissions
on the Earth, from Tanegashima, a small island in
southern Japan.
Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe in Test series
Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by six wickets in the
third and final ODI to clinch the three-match series
2-1 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Olympic sportsman & woman of the year
Swimmer Michael Phelps is chosen as the US
Olympic Committee’s Sportsman of the Year, while
gymnast Nastia Liukin and swimmer Natalie
Coughling tie in the voting for Sports woman of the
Year.
3 CURRENT EVENTS - 2009
 India sign agreement with Kazakhstan
24 : India and Kazakhstan sign a major agreement
in New Delhi for supply of uranium and a
comprehensive cooperation in civil nuclear energy
programme.
Free newspaper subscriptions to teenagers
French President Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy promises to
provide free newspaper subscriptions to teenagers
for their 18th birthdays while announcing a nine-
fold rise in the state’s support for newspaper
deliveries and doubling of its annual print
advertising outlay.
Padma Awards - 2009
25 : As many as 133 personalities – 10 for Padma
Vibhushan, 30 for Padma Bhushan and 93 for
Padma Shri – are chosen for the prestigious Padma
Awards.
Ashok Chakra & Kirthi Chakra Awards-
2009
The Union Government names eleven personalities
for Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime
gallantry award and 13 for Kirti Chakra.
Best Producer of the year Award
Slumdog Millionaire wins top honours from the
Producers Guild of America, winning the Darryl
F Zanuck Producer of the Year Award, in Los
Angeles, USA.
Padma Awards - 2009
In all 133 personalities from various fields were
named on January 25th, 2009 including 10 for
Padma Vibushan 30 for Padma Bhushan and
93 for Padma Shri. The details of Awards and
Awardees.
Pa d m a Vi b h u s h a n : S. Bahuguna, G.
Madhavan Nair, Anil Kakodkar, Sister Nirmala,
A.S. Gangully and others.
Padma Bhushan : Shekhar Gupta, C.K.
Prahlad, D. Jayakanthan, Isher Judge
Ahluwalia, C.S. Seshadri, Ramachandra Guha,
Sarojini Varadappan, Abhinav Bindra, Sam
Pitroda, Satish Nambiar and others.
Padma Sri : Aishwarya Rai, Vivek (Comedy
Actor) M.S. Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Pankaj
Advani, Aruna Sairam and others.
Ashok Charka Award 2009
26 : After the terror attacks in Mumbai, six
security personnel who laid down their lives
fighting terrorists, when honoured with Ashok
Chakra on the 60th Republic day. In all 11
security man were awarded posthumously Ashok
Chakra at the investiture ceremony. Chief of the
Anti-Terriorist squard of Maharashtra Hemant
Karkare, Addl. Commissioner of Police Ashok
Kamte, Inspector of Anti-Extortion call of
Maharashtra Crime Branch Vijay Solaskar and
Asst. S.I. of Police Tukaram Ombale were given
the award for sacrificing their lives while fighting
with terrorists in Nov. 2008.
Kirti Chakra Award
The Constable Ambadas Ramchandra Pawar
was thought to have died in the random firing
by the two terrorists at the Chhatrapati Shivaji
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Terminus here on Nov. 26. Wearing ordinary
workday clothes, he was one among the 56 killed
there. He was killed in the time of action and for
this, he was posthumously awarded the Kirti
Chakra.
National Communal Harmony Award
26 : Mr. Dominic Emmanuel and Anjuman
Sair-e-Gul Faroshan are selected for the
National Communal Harmony Award for 2008
in New Delhi.
Best CFO in public sector
27 : NTPC Director (Finance) Mr. A.K. Singhal
is adjudged the Best Chief Financial Officer
(CFO) in the public sector category by the
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
International conference on food security
At an international conference on food security
in Madrid, Spain, Mr. Jacques Diouf, the head
of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation,
appeals to double global food production by
2050 to ward off mass hunger.
IGNOU launches a one year post-graduate
Inidra Gandhi National Open University
(IGNOU) launches a one-year post-graduate
diploma course in pharmaceutical sales
management.
PGCIL signs agreement with World Bank
Power Grid Corporation of India Limited
(PGCIL) signs a $400 million loan agreement
with the World Bank to fund a basket of
transmission projects during the 11th Five-Year
Plan.
Ceat India Cricketer of the year 2008-09
Mumbai skipper Wasim Jaffer is declared the
‘Ceat India Cricketer of the Year 2008-09’ in
Mumbai.
Price cut for Petrolium products
28 : Harnessing the benefit of the falling crude
oil prices, the Central Government cuts the retail
prices of petrol, diesel and LPG by Rs. 5 a litre,
Rs. 2 a litre and Rs. 25 a cylinder, respectively.
UMPP in Jharkhand owned by Reliance
Mr. Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Power Ltd.
(RPL) bags the 4,000 MW Tilaiya Ultra Mega
Power Project (UMPP) in Jharkhand.
CCEA approves CMRP
29 : The Cabinet Committee on Economic
Affairs (CCEA) approves the Chennai Metro Rail
Project.
Gopalaswami suo motu send to President
30 : The Chief Election Commissioner, Mr. N.
Gopalaswami, suo motu sends a
recommendation to the President that Election
Commissioner Mr. Navin Chawla should be
removed from office on the alleged ground of
‘partisanship’.
Wildlife Awards -2008
Over 10 wildlife enthusiasts, comprising
conservationists, non-governmental
organisations, government officers, lawyers,
journalists and academicians, are chosen for the
Earth Heroes 2008 Wildlife Awards.
4 CURRENT EVENTS - 2009
 Williams sisters win Aus. Open (Women’s
Doubles) - 2009
30 : Serena and Venus Williams win their eight
Grand Slam women’s doubles title and their third
title in Australian Open defeating Ai Sugiyama
(Japan) and Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia)
6-3, 6-3 in Melbourne.
CNN-IBN sportsperson of the year
Ace shooter Abhinav Bindra, the first Olympic
individual Gold medal winner for India, is
declared the CNN-IBN Sportsperson of the Year.
SBI slashes interest rate on new home
loans
31 : State Bank of India, the country’s largest
bank, slashes interest rates on new home loans
to 8 percent.
Serena clinches Aus. Open (Women’s
singles) - 2009
Serena Williams of USA clinches the 2009
Australian Open women’s singles title, defeating
Dinara Safina of Russia in the one-sided final
in Melbourne, Australia.
FEBRUARY
Ambikatanayadatta National Award
1 : The prestigious Ambikatanayadatta
National Award, instituted by the D.R. Bendre
National Memorial Trust, is confer red on
S a h i t y a A k a d e m i P re s i d e n t M r. S u n i l
Gangopadhyay.
New Prime Minister of Iceland
Ms. Johanna Sigurdardottir, one of the most
experienced politicians of Iceland, is appointed
the Prime Minister of the country, after Mr. Geir
Haarde resigns as the premier following
unprecedented economic instability in the
nation.
Aus. Open (Men’s singles) - 2009
World No. 1 Rafael Nadal of Spain clinches
the 2009 Australian Open men’s singles title,
beating Roger Federer of Switzerland in the final
in Melbourne, Australia.
First ever Indian pair win Aus. Open
2009
Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza of India
become the first-ever Indian pair to win a Grand
Slam mixed doubles title, crushing Andy Ram
(Israel) and Nathalie Dechy (France) in the final
of the event at the Australian Open 2009.
IAEA sign life time agreement
2 : India and the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) sign a safeguards agreement in
New Delhi, which, when fully implemented, will
serve as the framework for the importing of both
nuclear reactors and the fuel to power them
throughout their lifetime.
CNN-IBN Indian of the year 2008
The Chairman of Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO), Dr. G. Madhavan Nair,
and Team Chandrayaan are declared the CNN-
IBN Indian of the Year 2008.
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Twelve Indian languages in IT giant
Microsoft
3 : IT giant Microsoft unveils several initiatives
aimed at enabling Indian users to compute using
12 Indian languages.
Two more medical institution in India
5 : The Union Cabinet approves two more
AIIMS-like medical institutions, one in West
Bengal and the other in Uttar Pradesh, at a cost
of Rs. 823 crore each. The Cabinet also decides
to upgrade five government medical colleges in
five States to the level of AIIMS.
3G mobile services in New Delhi
MTNL launches its 3G mobile services in New
Delhi, offering facilities like faster Internet surfing
and Data downloads, like TV, video on
demand, video calls and Voice Over Internet
Protocol (VOIP)
Ban-Ki-Moon conferred sustainable
Development Award
The UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban-Ki-Moon,
is conferred the Sustainable Development
Leadership Award at the 9th Delhi Sustainable
Development Summit (DSDS), organised by the
Energy and Resources Institute in New Delhi.
Cuban-Russian signed agreement
Cuban President Mr. Raul Castro concludes a
week-long visit to Russia, having signed various
crucial pacts aimed at revitalising bilateral ties.
9th consecutive win in ODI record
Mahendra Singh Dhoni creates a record by
leading India to their ninth consecutive ODI win
- the most by an Indian team ever-as India beat
Sri Lanka by 67 runs in the fourth match of the
Wealthsurance series in Colombo.
Highest wicket taker in Test
Legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah
Muralitharan, the highest wicket-taker in Tests
with 769 wickets, becomes the highest wicket-
taker in ODIs too, as he bags his record breaking
503rd wicket (Gautam Gambhir) in the fourth
match of the series against India, surpassing
former Pakistan paceman Wasim Akram (502).
Costliest players in Twenty-20
6 : English cricketers Kevin Pietersen and
Andrew Flintoff become the costliest players in
the Twenty20 Indian Premier League (IPL) as
they win record contracts – $1.55 million each
– to play for Bangalore Royal Challengers and
Chennai Super Kings respectively, at the
auctions in Panaji, Goa.
Largest stone dome in the world
8 : The Global Vipassana Pagoda, the largest
stone dome in the world built without supporting
pillars, is inaugurated by the Hon’ble President
Ms. Pratibha Devisingh Patil in Mumbai.
Worst wildfire disaster in Aus.
More than a hundred people are killed and
entire towns razed in the worst wildfire disaster
in the history of Australia.
5 CURRENT EVENTS - 2009
 India wins ODI series against Sri Lanka
8 : India win the Wealthsurance ODI series
against Sri Lanka 4-1, even as Sri Lanka win
the fifth and final match by 68 runs in Colombo.
Swashbuckling Indian batsmanYuvraj Singh is
adjudged the Man of the Series and Sri Lankan
wicketkeeper-batsman Kumara Sangakkara is
named the Man of the Match in the fifth ODI.
Exercise Tropex 2009
9 : The Indian Armed Forces conduct the largest
ever amphibious exercise “Exercise Tropex
2009”, on the Madhavpur beach in Gujarat.
Grammy Award
Indian tabla maestro Mr. Zakir Hussain wins the
Grammy Award in the Best Contemporary
World Music Album category for his
collaborative album Global Drum Project.
British Academy of film & TV arts awards
Slumdog Millionaire sweeps the British Academy
of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards,
winning seven prizes including the Best Music
Score for Indian composer A.R. Rahman.
Bharat Ratna Award - 2009
10 : Noted Hindustani classical vocalist Pandit
Bhimsen Joshi (87) is presented the Bharat
Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, in
Pune, Maharashtra.
Saraswati Samman Award 2008
11 : Kayakalpa, an Assamese novel by Mr.
Lakshmi Nandan Bora, is selected for the 18th
Saraswati Samman-2008. The award, instituted
by the K.K. Birla Foundation in 1991, is among
the most prestigious literary awards in the
country and carries a cash prize of Rs.5 lakh.
Aero India - 2009
Aero India-2009, the much-awaited premier air
show in Asia, gets off to a flying start in
Yelahanka, Bengaluru. The event has 592
exhibitors, including 289 foreign exhibitors from
25 countries.
President of Bangladesh
Veteran politician Mr. Zillur Rahman is elected
President of Bangladesh by the country’s
election commission.
Chairman of the Committee of Governors
12 : Mr. A.R. Kidwai, Chair man of the
Committee of Governors, submits a crucial
report on socio-economic development and
empowerment of women in India to Hon’ble
President Ms. Pratibha Devisingh Patil in New
Delhi.
Pak. Promises with India to register a
case towards Mumbai attack
Pakistan fulfils a big par t of its promise of
cooperation with India on the November 2008
Mumbai terror attacks by registering a case of
terrorism against eight Pakistani suspects, and
formally acknowledging that part of the planning
for the attacks was hatched in Pakistan.
Spain defeat England in Football
Spain defeat England 2-0 in a friendly football
match played in London (England).
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Railway Budget - 2009
13 : Union Railway Minister Mr. Lalu Prasad
presents the Interim Railway Budget 2009-10 in
the Parliament, the high point of the budget
being a 2% cut in fares.
Australia wins Chappell-Hadlee Trophy
Australia retain the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy
after their 5th ODI of the series against New
Zealand is abandoned due to rain in Brisbane,
Australia. Earlier, both teams won two matches
each.
Backward districts of desert state
14 : A convergence programme to be operated
jointly by the UN agencies and the Rajasthan
Government for achieving the UN Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) is launched in five
backward districts of the desert State.
US Congress approves tax cut and job
creation
The US Congress approves a $787 billion
stimulus package to revive the battered economy
of the nation through tax cuts and job creation.
Saudi Appoint first ever women Dy.
Cabinet Minister
King Abdullah, the monarch of Saudi Arabia,
appoints Ms. Noura al-Fayez as a deputy cabinet
minister, thus making her the first ever woman to
be appointed as minister in the history of the
nation.
Fastest Man on Earth
Olympic champion Usain Bolt, billed as the
‘Fastest Man on Earth’, is named Jamaica’s
Sportsman of the Year.
1st woman to fly the mighty Russian jet
15 : Ms. Suman Sharma, a 30-year-old Indian
woman, becomes the world’s first woman to fly
the mighty Russian MiG-35 fighter jet at the Aero
India international air show in Bengaluru.
Finance Ministers G7 nations hold
meeting
Finance Ministers from the G7 nations hold an
important meeting in Rome, Italy, which renews
calls for a concerted global response to the
financial and economic crisis.
Miss India - US Student
A 19-year-old student from the US, Ms.
Nikkitasha Marhawa, clinches the 18th Miss
India Worldwide crown in Durban, South Africa.
ABN Amro Open Tennis tournament
Andy Murray of Britain wins the ABN Amro
Open tennis tournament, defeating World No. 1
Rafael Nadal of Spain in the final in Rotterdam,
the Netherlands.
R u s s i a w i n s Pa t t a y a O p e n Te n n i s
tournament
Top-seeded Vera Zvonareva of Russia wins the
Pattaya Open tennis tournament, beating India’s
Sania Mirza in the final in Pattaya, Thailand.
6 CURRENT EVENTS - 2009
 Pranab presents 12th Interim Budget
16 : External Affairs Minister Mr. Pranab
Mukherjee, who is incharge of Finance due to
PM Dr. Manmohan Singh’s illness, presents
India’s 12th Interim Budget in the Parliament.
Peace from the Taliban in Swat
17 : Pakistan defends its decision to set up
Islamic courts in a large part of the North West
Frontier Province to buy peace from the Taliban
in Swat, calling it a positive step towards restoring
government’s rule in the militant-overrun valley.
Universal value by US & Japan
The US and Japan agree to intensify
consultations and coordination with the
Republic of Korea, Australia and India, which,
according to them, share ‘universal value’.
West Indies greats in ICC’s ceremony
West Indies greats Vivian Richards, Andy
Roberts and Michael Holding are formally
inducted in the ICC’s Hall of Fame in a ceremony
in Dubai.
C.K. Nayudu Award
18 : The Col. C.K. Nayudu Award for lifetime
achievement comprising a trophy, a citation and
a cheque for Rs. 15 lakh is presented to former
batting maestro Gundappa Viswanath at the
BCCI Awards function for 2007-08 in Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
Passes Money Laundering Bill
19 : The Rajya Sabha passes the Prevention of
Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill, 2008,
which will strengthen the legal framework to
tackle cases effectively.
UNESCO’s latest list on languages
20 : With 196 of its languages listed as
endangered, India tops the UNESCO’s latest list
of countries having the maximum number of
dialects on the verge of extinction.
Indian archers win medals
Indian archers win five medals, including a
Gold, in the Asian Grand Prix championship in
Bangkok, Thailand.
New Power Projects at Rajasthan
21 : The Neyveli Lignite Corporation decides
to setup four new power projects of 125 MW each
in Bikaner district of Rajasthan.
SPU in Himachal Pradesh
Union Steel Minister Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan lays
the foundation stone for SAIL’s ninth steel
processing unit (SPU) in Kangra district of
Himachal Pradesh.
EPF reccommends rate of interest
22 : The Central Board of Trustees of
Employees Provident Fund (EPF) recommends
a rate of interest of 8.5 percent for 2008-09.
BSNL releases ‘Indian Golden 50’ plan
Calling it “the beginning of an era of sub-Re. 1
tariff for calls between any two destinations
across the country in the Indian telecom sector”,
BSNL releases the details of the ‘Indian Golden
50’ plan.
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Slumdog Millionaire wins 8 awards
22 : Slumdog Millionaire wins eight Academy
Awards, including Best Picture and Director,
Sean Penn wins Best Actor for Milk and Kate
Winslet wins Best Actress for The Reader, Indian
music maestro A.R. Rahman wins two Oscars
while another Indian Resul Pookutty wins an
Oscar for the Best Sound Mixing.
Memphis Open Tennis Championship
Victoria Azarenka of Belarus wins the Memphis
Open tennis championship, beating Caroline
Wozniacki of Denmark in the final in Memphis,
USA.
Sri Lankans world record in Test Series
Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene and Thilana
Samaraweera post a world record stand of 437
for the fourth wicket in the opening Test of the
series against Pakistan in Karachi, Pakistan.
Cabinet approves for NTT with Japan
subscribe
23 : The Union Cabinet’s Committee on
Economic Affairs gives its approval for NTT
Docomo Inc. of Japan to subscribe to and acquire
27 percent equity in Tata Teleservices Ltd.
India plans its first astronauts into space
India approves a £1.7 billion plan to launch its
first astronauts into outer space by 2015.
Memphis Open Tennis Tournament
Andy Roddick of USA clinches the Memphis
Open tennis tournament men’s title, defeating
Radek Stepanck of the Czech Republic in the
final in Memphis, USA.
Delhi Laws Bill - 2009
24 : The Parliament passes the National
Capital Ter ritory of Delhi L aws (Special
Provisions) Bill, 2009, extending the
moratorium on sealing till December 31, 2009.
NASA’s orbiting carbon observator y
lands in the Pacific Ocean
NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory lands in
the Pacific Ocean near Antarctica after failing
to reach Earth’s orbit.
Triple century by Younis Khan
Pakistan skipper Younis Khan scores an 306 in
the first Test against Sri Lanka, becoming only
the third Pakistani cricketer to score a triple
century.
Indian grandmaster wins chess in France
Indian grandmaster P. Harikrishna wins the
Nancy Masters international chess tournament
in France.
IFFCO signs agreement in the Qatar
25 : The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative
(IFFCO) Ltd. signs an agreement with Qatar
Fertiliser Company for setting up a joint venture
for production of fertiliser and chemicals in
Qatar.
Iran tests power plant at Bushehr
Iran tests its first nuclear power plant at
Bushehr.
7 CURRENT EVENTS - 2009
 Army Officers killed in Dhaka
25 : The Bangladesh Rifles mutinies in Dhaka,
killing a large number of army officers.
Union Govt. Unevils package to Export
26 : The Union Government unveils a Rs.325
crore package to exports of leather, textiles, gems
& jewellary and food products.
BSNL launches 3G mobile services
27 : State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.
(BSNL) launches 3G mobile services in 11 cities
and announces a rate of Re. 1 a minute for a
video call in the Rs. 2,500 plan.
Aus. free trade agreement with New
Zealand
ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand sign a free
trade agreement to increase commerce.
New Zealand beat India in T-20
New Zealand clinch the Twenty20 series against
India 2-0, beating India in the second and final
encounter by five wickets in Wellington, New
Zealand.
Dubai open tennis championship
28 : Novak Djokovic of Serbia clinches the
title of the Dubai Open tennis championship,
beating David Ferrer of Spain in the final in
Dubai, UAE.
Venus clinches 41st singles title
Venus Williams of USA clinches the 41st singles
title of her career when she defeats Italy’s Flavia
Pennetta in the final to win the Mexican Open
tennis tournament in Acapulco, Mexico.
MARCH
President rejects CEC’s recommendation
1 : Accepting the Centre’s advice, Hon’ble
President Ms. Pratibha Devisingh Patil rejects Chief
Election Commissioner Mr. N. Gopalaswami’s
recommendation that Mr. Navin Chawla be
removed as Election Commissioner.
China’s Chang’e 1 impacts the moon
China’s first lunar probe, Chang’e 1, impacts
the Moon.
India beat New Zealand in hockey test
series
India clinch the hockey Test series against New
Zealand, beating the hosts 2-0 in the fourth and
final match in Auckland, New Zealand.
15th Lok Sabha Election date announced
2 : The Election Commission of India
announces that the general elections to the 15th
Lok Sabha will be held in five phases – on April
16, 23 and 30, and May 7 and 13.
RPL merger with RIL
The Boards of Directors of Reliance Industries
Ltd. (RIL) and its refinery subsidiary Reliance
Petroleum Ltd. (RPL) approve the merger of the
firms, creating one of the world’s largest
petrochemical entities.
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Geoff wins World Golf championship
2 : Geoff Ogilvy of Australia wins the World
Golf Championship (WGC) title, beating Paul
Casey of England in Arizona, USA.
Nuclear agreement with US
3 : India receives a formal approval for an
Additional Protocol to its safeguards agreement
with the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) from the IAEA’s Board of Governors,
thereby completing all of its major commitments
stemming from the July 2005 nuclear agreement
with the US.
Director of FBI meets Home Minister
The Director of the FBI of USA, Mr. Robert
M u e l l e r, m e e t s H o m e M i n i s t e r M r. P.
Chidambaram in New Delhi and discusses
security and terrorism related issues.
Terrorist attack in Lahore
Seven Sri Lankan cricketers are wounded and
six policemen killed in a terrorist attack in Lahore,
Pakistan.
New Chief Election Commissioner
4 : The Union Government announces the
appointment of Mr. Navin Chawla as the new
Chief Election Commissioner with effect from
April 20, 2009.
RBI - cuts repo rate
The Reserve Bank of India cuts repo (lending
rate) by 50 basis points to 5 percent and reverse
repo (borrowing rate) by an identical margin to
3.5 persons with immediate effect.
Asian cross-country championship
India win three Bronze medals in the 10th Asian
cross-country championship held at Manama,
Bahrain.
Inflation dropped to over 6 years
5 : Inflation updates released by the
government reveal that the rate of inflation
dropped to over a six-year low at 3.3 percent
for the week ended February 21, 2009.
Jamaican wins in world Athletics
Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell wins the 100-m
event at the World Athletics Tour Meet in
Melbourne, Australia.
Prithvi destroys Dhanush
6 : In a third successful mission, the Defence
Research and Development Organisation’s
interceptor missile, which is an advanced version
of the Prithvi missile, destroys a Dhanush missile,
which simulated the trajectory of a ballistic
missile, 80 km over the Bay of Bengal.
NASA launches pioneering telescope
NASA launches a pioneering telescope, named
Kepler, to survey a corner of the galaxy in the
hope of learning if other planets like the Earth
exist.
Manipur beat Punjab - football
Manipur beat Punjab 19-0 in a match of the
17th National women’s football championship
in Neyveli, Tamil Nadu.
8 CURRENT EVENTS - 2009
 14th World Conference on Tobacco
8 : The 14th World Conference on Tobacco or
Health (WCOTH) is inaugurated in Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
Sachin scores 43rd ODI century
Sachin Tendulkar scores his 43rd ODI century
(an unbeaten 163 off 133 balls), as India beat
New Zealand by 58 runs in the third ODI of the
series in Christchurch, New Zealand, to take an
unassailable 2-0 lead.
Thailand open Golf championship
India’s Jyoti Randhawa clinches the title at the
Thailand Open golf championship in Phuket,
Thailand.
Obama lifts Bush’s restrictions on cell
research
9 : US President Mr. Barack Obama lifts former
President Mr. George W. Bush’s restrictions on
embryonic stem cell research.
Status to newly established educational
institutions
10 : The Yashpal Committee on “Renovation
and Rejuvenation of Universities” seeks an
immediate end to the practice of according
deemed university status to newly established
educational institutions, under section 3 of the
University Grants Commission (UGC) Act.
US senate passes omnibus bill
The United States Senate passes a $410 billion
omnibus spending bill.
France will rejoin NATO
11 : President Nicolas Sarkozy announces that
France will rejoin NATO’s military command.
Fastest century by Sehwag
Explosive opening batsman Virender Sehwag
scores the fastest century (off 60 balls) by an
Indian in ODIs, as India clinch the ODI series
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against New Zealand by humbling them by 10
wickets in the fourth match in Hamilton, New
Zealand; this is the first ODI series win for India
on New Zealand soil in 33 years.
First-ever Director-General of Air Force
12 : Air Marshal D.C. Kumaria takes charge
as the first-ever Director-General (Operations)
at Air Force Headquarters in New Delhi.
Bill Gates the world’s richest man again
A Forbes report reveals that Microsoft founder
Mr. Bill Gates has become the world’s richest man
again, overtaking investor Mr. Warren Buffet.
G20 leaders agree global financial crisis
14 : In a crucial meeting in London the UK,
G20 leaders agree on a broad framework to
tackle the global financial crisis.
India clinch ODI series
India clinch the ODI series against New Zealand
3-1, even as New Zealand win the fifth and final
encounter by 8 wickets in Auckland, New
Zealand.
India’s trade relations of offshore
evidence
15 : Marine archaeologists unearth a stone
anchor in the Gulf of Khambhat (off the Gujrat
coast) with a design similar to the ones used by
Chinese and Japanese ships in the 12th-14th
century A.D., giving the first offshore evidence
indicating India’s trade relations with the two
Asian countries.
Nawaz Shariff’s ‘long march’
In an unprecedented show of power, former
Pakistan Prime Minister Mr. Nawaz Sharif defies
a house arrest and leads a ‘long march’ from
Lahore to Islamabad, demanding the
restoration of deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar
Chaudhary.
9 CURRENT EVENTS - 2009