Monday, March 25, 2013

List of Secretaries General of UNASUR

NameStateNational partyTook officeLeft office
1Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Carlos Kirchner
 ArgentinaFront for Victory—Justicialist Party4 May 201027 October 2010
The first Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations and died in office.
Post vacant by death
2María Emma Mejía
María Emma Mejía Vélez
 ColombiaAlternative Democratic Pole—Colombian Liberal Party9 May 201111 June 2012
The second Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations.
3Alí Rodríguez
Alí Rodríguez Araque
 VenezuelaUnited Socialist Party of Venezuela11 June 2012Incumbent
The third Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations.

List of Secretaries General of The Organization of American States

No.
Period
Name
Country
1
1948–1954
AlbertoLlerasCamargo
 Colombia
2
1954–1955
Carlos Dávila
Died while in office
 Chile
3
1956–1968
José A. Mora
 Uruguay
4
1968–1975
Galo Plaza
 Ecuador
5
1975–1984
Alejandro Orfila
 Argentina
6
1984–1994
João ClementeBaena Soares
 Brazil
7
1994–2004
César Gaviria
Re-elected to a second term at the 1999 General Assembly
 Colombia
8
15 September 2004 – 15 October 2004
Miguel Ángel Rodríguez
Resigned
 Costa Rica
15 October 2004 – 26 May 2005
Luigi R.Einaudi(acting)
 United States
9
26 May 2005 – present
José Miguel Insulza
Elected 2 May 2005 (see: OAS Secretary General election, 2005)
 Chile

List of Secretaries General of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation


No.
Name
Country of origin
Took Office
Left Office
1
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Malaysia
1971
1974
2
Hassan Al-Touhami
Egypt
1974
1975
3
Amadou Karim Gaye
Senegal
1975
1979
4
Habib Chatty
Tunisia
1979
1984
5
Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada
Pakistan
1984
1988
6
Hamid Algabid
Niger
1988
1996
7
Azeddine Laraki
Morocco
1996
2000
8
Abdelouahed Belkeziz
Morocco
2000
2004
9
Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu
Turkey
2004
2014
10
Iyad bin Amin Madani
Saudi Arabia
2014



List of Secretaries General of Organization of American States

S.No.PeriodNameCountry
11948–1954Alberto Lleras Camargo Colombia
21954–1955Carlos Dávila
Died while in office
 Chile
31956–1968José A. Mora Uruguay
41968–1975Galo Plaza Ecuador
51975–1984Alejandro Orfila Argentina
61984–1994João Clemente Baena Soares Brazil
71994–2004César Gaviria
Re-elected to a second term at the 1999 General Assembly
 Colombia
815 September 2004 – 15 October 2004Miguel Ángel Rodríguez
Resigned
 Costa Rica
15 October 2004 – 26 May 2005Luigi R. Einaudi (acting) United States
926 May 2005 – presentJosé Miguel Insulza
Elected 2 May 2005 (see:OAS Secretary General election, 2005)
 Chile

List of Secretaries General of the European Commission

 S.No.Name Start period End period 
 1 Catherine Day2005  Present
 2 David O'Sullivan2000  2005 
 3 Carlo Trojan1997  2000 
 4 David Williamson, CB1987  1997 
 5 Emile Noel1957  1987 

Saturday, March 9, 2013

NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAMMES

MALARIA
The National Anti-Malaria Programme is the world’s biggest health programme against a single communicable disease and continues to be the country’s most comprehensive and multi-faceted public health activity. Earlier deaths due to malaria were completely eliminated. Unfortunately, due to various factors, these achievements could not be maintained. Resurgence of malaria necessitated renewed vigourous anti-malaria activities and the programme was modified in the context of escalating malaria incidence. During the year 2008, 1.52 million cases and 0.76 million pf. cases with 935 deaths have been reported.

FILARIA
Lymphatic Filariasis is a serious debilitating and incapacitating. The infected person may develop swelling limbs and genitals which keep on increasing making the person incapacitated. This disease has been reported from over 250 districts in 20 states and UTs wherein over 590 million people live. The National Filaria control programme is being implemented since 1955. The national health policy has envisaged the goal of lymphatic filariasis elimination by the year 2015. In 2005, in 229 districts, 346.89 million persons were administered a dose of DEC against targeted population of 434.49 million, showing a coverage rate of 79.84%.

KALA-AZAR
Kala-azar is a parasitic disease caused by Leishmania donovani transmitted by sandflies phlebotomus orgentipes. Kala-azar is endemic in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and parts of Uttar Pradesh. National Health Policy, has envisaged the goal of Kala-azar elimination by the year 2010. The disease incidence has come down from 77,099 cases in 1992 to 44553 cases in 2007 and deaths from 1416 to 203 respectively. During the year 2008,33234 cases and 146 deaths have been reported. While till March, 2009, 2254 cases and 5 deaths were reported.

TUBERCLUOSIS
TB is serious public health problem in India. India accounts for nearly onefifth of Global TB burden. Every year there are approximately 19 lakh new cases in the country of which approximately 8 lakh are new smear positive and therefore highly infectious. To control TB, national TB control programme (NTCP) is in operation in the country since 1962. Two persons die from TB in India every three minutes more than 900 persons every day. In the year 2008, there were 3.8 million bacillary pulmonary cases, 3.9 million abacillary cases and 0.8 million extra-pulmonary cases.

LEPROSY The National Leprosy Control programme was launched by the Government of India in 1955. It was redesignated as the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) in 1983. The second phase of National Leprosy elimination project was started from 1 April 2001 for a period of three years with the objective to achieve elimination of Leprosy as a public health problem by 2005, thereby reducing the case load to less than 1/10,000 population. In the year 1981, the country had a prevalance of 57.6 cases per 10,000 population which has come down to 0.72 per 10,000 population in March 2009.

BLINDNESS
The national programme for control of Blindness (NPCB) was launched in the year 1976 with the goal of reducing prevalence of blindness to 0.3 percent. As per survey in 2001-02, prevalence of blindness is estimated to be 1.1%. As per the survey conducted during 2006-07, the estimated prevalence of blindness has come down to 1%.

AIDS The AIDS programme implementation has been completely decentralized to States and Union Territories. Each state and Union territory has registered a state AIDs control society (SACS) responsible for implementating the programme at the State/UT level. In 2006, the country is estimated to have 3.1 million HIV positive persons, with an estimated adult HIV prevalence of 0.36%. Trends of HIV infection in 2006 indicate a mixed response in the country. While there is increase in some areas, in other areas it has shown decline. India continues to be in the category of concentrated epidemic. A total of 1,82,787 AIDS cases have been reported since 1986 till 31st March 2007.

MENTAL DISEASE
The national health programme was started in 1982 for providing community based mental health care using the existing public health infrastructure. The WHO report on Global Burden diseases has projected mental illness to be the fourth major cause of morbidity. Several mental disorders that include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, organic psychosis and major depression affect nearly 20 per 1000 population.

CANCER
Cancer is an important public health problem in India with nearly 8-9 lakh new cases occurring every year in the country. It is estimated that there are 25 lakh cases of cancer in the country at any given point of time.According to a survey 40% of the cancer cases are due to comsumption of tobacco. With the objectives of prevention, early diagnosis and treatment, the National Cancer, Control programme (NCCP) was launched in 1975-76. The programme was revised in 1984-85 and subsequently in December 2005. There are 23 regional Cancer Centres recognized under the programme in different parts of countries to provide the specialized treatment and undertake research in the field of cancer.

REGIONAL RURAL BANKS

Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) had been established to take the banking services to the doorsteps of rural masses especially in remote rural areas with no access to banking services. These banks were originally intended to provide institutional credit to those weaker sections of the society at concessional rate of interest, who depend on private money-lenders. The banks were also intended to mobilise and channelise rural savings for supporting productive activities in the rural areas. However, with effect from 22 March 1997, the RRBs were allowed to lend outside the target group by classifying their advances into ‘Priority Sector’ and ‘others’. Similarly the interest rates on term deposits offered by RRBs have also been freed. Subsequently, it has been decided to permit RRBs at their discretion to offer differential rate of interest on their term deposits of maturity subject to certain conditions. The credit outstanding of all the 196 RRBs stood at Rs. 32,870 crore as at the end of March 2005 and Rs. 62,143 crore was mobilized as deposits by RRBs till that date.

RESERVE BANK OF INDIA

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was established under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 on 1 April 1935 and nationalised on 1 January 1949. The Bank acts as banker to the Central Government, state governments, commercial banks, state co-operative banks and some of the financial institutions. It formulates and administers monetary policy with a view to ensuring stability in prices while promoting higher production in the real sector through proper deployment of credit. RBI plays an important role in maintaining the stability of exchange value of the rupee and acts as an agent of the Government in respect of India’s membership of International Monetary Fund. The Reserve Bank also performs a variety of developmental and promotional functions. These apart, the Reserve Bank also handles the borrowing programme of the Government of India.

The Reserve Bank is the sole authority for issue of currency in India other than one rupee coins and subsidiary coins and notes.
As the agent of the Central Government, the Reserve Bank undertakes distribution of one-rupees notes and coins, as well as small coins issued by the Government.

Countries by rail transport network size

Rank Country Railway Length (km)
1 India 65,000
2 Russia 128,000
3 China (PRC) 93,000
4 United States 226,427
5 Canada 46,552
6 Australia 38,445
7 Germany 37,679
8 Argentina 35,897
9 South Africa 31,000
10 France 29,901
11 Brazil 29,817
12 Mexico 26,704
13 Italy 24,179
14 Japan 23,474
15 Ukraine 22,300
16 Romania 22,298
17 Poland 19,627
18 United Kingdom 16,321
19 Kazakhstan 15,079
20 Spain 15,064
21 Sweden 12,821
22 Iran 11,106
23 Turkey 10,991
24 Czech Republic 9,487
25 Indonesia 8,529
26 Hungary 7,942
27 Pakistan 7,791
28 Egypt 6,700
29 Finland 5,919
30 Chile 5,898
31 Austria 5,927
32 Belarus 5,491
33 Sudan 5,478
34 North Korea 5,235
35 Cuba 5,076
36 Switzerland 5,063
37 Algeria 4,316
38 Uzbekistan 4,230
39 Bulgaria 4,159
40 New Zealand 4,128
41 Norway 4,114
42 Thailand 4,071
43 Democratic Republic of the Congo 4,007
44 Myanmar (Burma) 3,955
45 Serbia 3,809
46 Slovakia 3,658
47 Nigeria 3,528
48 Belgium 3,513
49 South Korea 3,381
50 Turkmenistan 3,181
51 Vietnam 3,147
52 Mozambique 3,116
53 Zimbabwe 3,000
54 Uruguay 2,993
55 Netherlands 2,896
56 Bolivia 2,866
57 Portugal 2,842
58 Bangladesh 2,835
59 Kenya 2,778
60 Angola 2,761
61 Tanzania 2,722
62 Croatia 2,974
63 Greece 2,552
64 Namibia 2,382
65 Latvia 2,269
66 Tunisia 2,218
67 Syria 2,139
68 Denmark 2,667
69 Azerbaijan 2,918
70 Iraq 2,032
71 Peru 2,020
72 Morocco 1,989
73 Republic of Ireland 1,919
74 Malaysia 1,849
75 Mongolia 1,810
76 Lithuania 1,766
77 Colombia 1,663
78 Taiwan (Republic of China) 1,661
79 Georgia 1,513
80 Sri Lanka 1,508
81 Saudi Arabia 1,412
82 Zambia 1,237
83 Slovenia 1,228
84 Moldova 1,156
85 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1,103
86 Israel 1,001
87 Cameroon 974
88 Ecuador 966
89 Ghana 953
90 Senegal 906
91 Botswana 888
92 Guatemala 885
93 Madagascar 854
94 Armenia 869
95 Guinea 837
96 Estonia 816
97 Gabon 810
98 Malawi 797
99 Republic of the Congo 795
100 Djibouti 781
101 Benin 758
102 Mali 733
103 Mauritania 728
104 Honduras 699
105 Macedonia 699
106 Ethiopia 699
107 Cambodia 650
108 Côte d'Ivoire 639
109 Burkina Faso 622
110 Tajikistan 616
111 Fiji 597
112 Togo 568
113 El Salvador 562
114 Dominican Republic 517
115 Liberia 490
116 Philippines 479
117 Albania 423
118 Kyrgyzstan 417
119 Lebanon 401
120 Panama 355
121 Venezuela 336
122 Eritrea 306
123 Swaziland 301
124 Costa Rica 278
125 Luxembourg 275
126 Jamaica 272
127 Uganda 259
128 Jordan 251
129 Montenegro 249
130 Hong Kong (People's Republic Of China) 210
131 Singapore 199.4
132 Guyana 187
133 Suriname 166
134 Puerto Rico (US) 96
135 Sierra Leone 84
136 Antigua and Barbuda 77
137 Afghanistan 75
138 Nepal 59
139 United Arab Emirates 52
140 Saint Kitts and Nevis 50
141 Haiti 40
142 Paraguay 36
143 Brunei 13
144 Liechtenstein 9
145 Nicaragua 6
146 Nauru 5
147 Western Sahara 5
148 Laos 4
149 Lesotho 3
150 Monaco 1.7
151 Vatican City 0.862
  World 1,370,782

IMPORTANT FACTS

1.     The Speaker is the presiding officer of the lower house (Lok Sabha) of Parliament of India.
2.     The Speaker holds office from the date of election till immediately before the first meeting of the next Lok Sabha. He/She is eligible for re-election.
3.     On the dissolution of the Lok Sabha, although the Speaker ceases to be a member of the House, he/she does not vacate her office.
4.     The Speaker may, at any time, resign from office by writing under his/her hand to the Deputy Speaker.
5.     He/she decides whether a bill is a money bill or a non money bill.
6.     He/she maintains discipline and decorum in the house and can punish a member for their unruly behaviour by suspending them.
7.     He/she permits the moving of various kinds of motions and resolutions like themotion of no confidence, motion of adjournment, motion of censure and calling attention notice as per the rules.
8.     The Speaker decides on the agenda to be taken up for discussion during the meeting.
9.     The first speaker of the Lok Sabha was Shri G.V. Mavalankar.
10.     Meira Kumar is the first women speaker of the Indian Parliament.
11.     The UK is a country in north-western Europe. It is bordered to the south by the English Channel; to the east by the North Sea; to the west by the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
12.     The United Kingdom is made up of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
13.     England, Scotland and Wales together forms Great Britain.
14.     Great Britain and Northern Ireland together form the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" (UK).
15.     The UK is a developed country and has the world's seventh-largest economy by nominal GDP and eighth-largest economy by purchasing power parity.
16.     It was the world's first industrialised country.
17.     The UK is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946. It has been a member of the European Union and its predecessor the European Economic Community since 1973.
18.     The Royal Greenwich Observatory in London is the defining point of the Prime Meridian.
19.     The UK's de facto official language is English (British English). According to the 2011 census, Polishhas become the second largest language spoken in England.
20.     England's national sport is cricket although some of England's football teams are world famous, such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.
21.     A mountain pass is a saddle point between two areas of higher elevations and makes a path for crossing between the chains of mountains.
22.     The Khardung la's pass is located at the Ladakh range of the Himalayan ranges. It is a gateway to the valleys of Shyok and Nubra.
23.     The Karakoram pass is located in the Karakoram Ranges between Jammu and Kashmir border and the Xingjiang region of China.
24.     Bara-lacha la is present in Zanskar range connecting Lahaul district in Himachal Pradesh to Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, situated along the Leh-Manali highway.
25.     Jelep La is a high mountain pass between India and Tibet in East Sikkim District of Sikkim. It connects Lhasa to India.
26.     Nama Pass is located in eastern Kumaun region of the Pithoragarh District of Uttarakhand, India. It links Kuthi and Darma Valley.
27.     Nathu La connects the Indian state of Sikkim with China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
28.     Rohtang Pass is a high mountain pass on the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas, connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys of Himachal Pradesh, India.
29.     Shipki La is a mountain pass and border post on the India-China border. The river Sutlej enters India (from Tibet) through this pass.
30.     Zoji La is a high mountain pass in India, located on the Indian National Highway 1 between Srinagar and Leh in the western section of the Himalayan mountain range.
31.     A credit card is a payment card issued to users to pay for goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for them to banks within stipulated time.
32.     The credit card issuer gives a certain amount of time to pay back all of what holder has borrowed before they charge interest. This period of time is called the grace period and is usually between 20 and 25 days.
33.     Zero interest credit cards or interest free credit cards help customers to avoid paying interest on credit, if they repay the debt within a specified period of time.
34.     In 1950, Diners Club became the first company to offer a credit card that could be used at multiple locations.
35.     A Debit card is essentially like an ATM card. When a person makes any purchases using a debit card, then bank account is instantaneously debited to the extent of the purchase amount.
36.     Benefits to customers include: convenience; rewards and benefits packages; also offer reward points which may be redeemed for cash, products, or airline tickets.
37.     Credit Card associations are an association of card-issuing banks such as Discover, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, etc. that set transaction terms for merchants, card-issuing banks, and acquiring banks.
38.     Visa International has the largest global ATM network in over 113 countries.
39.     According to 2009-10, credit card users in India are 18.3 million whereas debit card users are 181.4 million.
40.     On August 6, 1945, during World War II (1939-45), an American B-29 bomber dropped the world's first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
41.     It was done on the executive order of U.S. President Harry S. Truman.
42.     The atomic bomb was equivalent of 20,000 tons of TNT, it has flattened the city and killed tens of thousands of civilians.
43.     Three days later, a second B-29 dropped another A-bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people.
44.     Later Japan's Emperor Hirohito announced his country's unconditional surrender in World War II on August 15, citing the devastating power of "a new and most cruel bomb."
45.     Since then, more have died from leukemia and solid cancers attributed to exposure to radiation released by the bombs.
46.     The effects of the bombing of Hiroshima are still felt today. For generations after the bombing, children were born with severe health defects that are believed to be connected to the effects of the bomb's radiation.
47.     Hiroshima was chosen because it had not been targeted during the US Air Force's conventional bombing raids on Japan and it was also an important military base.
48.     After the war, Hiroshima was rebuilt as a peace memorial city and the closest surviving building to the epicentre was designated the Hiroshima Peace Memorial.
49.     Hiroshima has been declared a City of Peace by the Japanese Parliament.
50.     Rare earth elements or rare earth metals are a group of seventeen elements in the Periodic Table from Atomic no. 57 to 71.