us

DEMAND NOTE IS THE FIRST NOTE ISSUED IN US  KNOWN AS GREEN BACK






the following countries has signed a bill to avert fiscal
cliff in the country?
[A]France
[B]Germany
[C]United States
[D]Britain
United States
U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law the fiscal cliff bill that extends lower
tax rates permanently on annual household income under $450,000 and postpones
automatic spending cuts for two months

Superstorm Sandy

November 1st, 2012

Superstorm Sandy batters New Jersey coast of US

• Hurricane Sandy (also referred to as Superstorm Sandy) a tropical cyclone that severely affected portions of the Caribbean, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States in late October 2012.
• Sandy developed from a tropical wave in the western Caribbean Sea on October 22, 2012
• Superstorm Sandy hit the US East Coast with fierce winds and heavy rain, causing huge destruction. Large number of areas was inundated, leaving nearly 5.5 million people without electricity in New York and New Jersey.
• Sandy is estimated in early calculations to have caused damage of at least $20 billion to $25 billion (2012 USD), which would rank it among the top five most destructive hurricanes on record.
• The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) declared an alert at the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in New Jersey, which is currently in a regularly scheduled outage, as the water level reached the minimum high level criteria.

the recent elections in U.S., who among the following Wisconsin Democratic
Representative made history with her election to become the first openly gay US
Senator-------[B]Tammy Baldwin









the following became the third Indian-American ever to be
elected to the U.S. House of Representatives?
[A]Manan Trivedi
[B]Jack Uppal
[C]Ami Bera
[D]Syed Taj
Ami Bera
Dr Ami Bera created history by becoming only the third Indian-American ever to be
elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, as five others from the community bit
the dust in the polls.So far only two Indian-Americans have been elected to the U.S.
House of Representatives.Dalip Singh Saund, was the first Indian-American elected
to the U.S. Congress in 1950s, while Bobby Jindal, was a House member from 2005
to 2008 before being elected as the Governor of Louisiana.Bera whose parents
migrated to the U.S. some 50 years ago was endorsed by charismatic Bill Clinton,
the former U.S. president, last month and he campaigned in his favour
twice.Republican Ricky Gill lost by more than 10,000 votes (nearly seven percent
votes) to incumbent Democrat Jerry McNerney.Rest of the four Indian American
candidates - Dr Syed Taj, Dr Manan Trivedi, Upendra Chivukula and Jack Uppal -
also lost the Congressional elections

US Presidential Elections 2012: Barack Obama won the Second Term

President Barack Obama won re-election on 6 November 2012 overthrowing a severe challenge from Republican Mitt Romney resisting concerns over his handling of economy and anxiety over the future.

The President Barack Obama had secured over 270 votes in the Electoral College which was needed to win the race.

He was re-elected for a second term in the White House securing another four years in which he will try to fulfil the promise that greeted his election in 2008.

The victory of Barack Obama indicated the unchanging triumph of a new, 21st-century America: multiracial, multi-ethnic, global in outlook and moving beyond centuries of racial, sexual, marital and religious tradition.

Barack Obama is the America's first black president who had won the election by convincing voters to stick with him as he tries to reignite strong economic growth and recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Obama scored narrow wins in Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire - all states that Romney had contested - while the only swing state captured by Romney was North Carolina.

Pollsters were expecting a tie after the Presidential debates and surveys, but in the ultimate analysis Obama got over 300 votes but not anywhere near his 2008 score of 349.

Ami Bera became 3rd Indian-American to win US Congressional Election

Ami Bera, 47, California-based, Indian-American has become the only 3rd of the community to win Congressional election, making it to US House of Representatives on 6 November, 2012 by defeating Republican Dan Lungren.

On 6 November 2012, Bera had neck to neck competition with the opponent Lungren with just 184 votes lead. The lead increased to 3800 votes on 13 November 2012. Later, on 15 November 2012, it was announced by The Sacramento County Registrar of Voters that the lead of Bera had increased by 5696 votes or 2.2 percent. Gradually the lead widened and Bera won the seat to the House of Representatives.

Bera at present is in Washington for the orientation course that is organized for the new lawmakers. This is incidentally led by the opponent Lungren.

There were five more Indian-Americans in the competition for this seat but all these people lost to Bera. These people were Syed Taj from Michigan, Manan Trivedi from Pennsylvania, Upendra Chivukula from New Jersey and Jack Uppal and Ricky Gill from California. All of these were Democrats except Ricky Gill who represented the Republican Party.

Previously, Dalip Singh Saund created history when he became the 1st Indian-American elected to the House in 1950s. Saund was the mathematician with interests in farming. The 2nd Indian-American to be elected was Bobby Jindal in 2005 and 2008, the health-policy expert. He is now the Governor of Louisiana.

Democrat Bera now has become the third Indian-American to repeat the deed by defeating Republican Dan Lungren in the Seventh Congressional District of California. Ami Bera is a renowned physician.

US approves missile-defense system to UAE, Qatar

November 8th, 2012

The US DSCA (Defense Security Cooperation Agency) has given approval to the possible sales of Lockheed Martin Corp missile-defense system to UAE and Qatar. The deal has come against the backdrop of heightened tensions with Iran. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have requested the sale of up to $7.6 billion in Lockheed Martin Corp missile-defense systems. UAE and some members in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) had shown interest in the Lockheed’s THAAD (Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense) weapon systems.

What is GCC?

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a political and economic alliance which brings together Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

Why US approved this sale?

The US has been working with Gulf countries, on a bilateral basis, to enhance the range of radar coverage and related capabilities across the Gulf for the earliest possible defense against any missiles fired by Iran. The sale is aimed at strengthening US cooperation with Gulf nations on missile defense and step-up pressure on Iran over its nuclear program.

The sale is expected to contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the US by assisting two nations that have been and remain key forces "for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East."

US CENSUS REPORT----5% CONSITS OF ASIAN POPULATION


NEW HORIZONS---SPACECRAFT WAS LAUNCHED BY NASA TO STUDY PLUTO

Unique SMS service from NASA to help spot ISS

November 6th, 2012

To celebrate 12^th anniversary of crews living and working aboard International Space Station (ISS) NASA launched a new SMS service that will help people on earth to spot International Space Station (ISS) without a telescope.  “Spot the Station” service will send you a text message or an email as the ISS passes over your house, to help you see the object. It will tell people where to look to be able to see it easily — even without a telescope.

The International Space Station is the third brightest object in the sky after the Sun and the Moon, but people often get confused with other heavenly bodies in the sky.

NASA spacecraft to land like helicopters

In an attempt to enable its future space capsules to land like helicopters, NASA has tested a new rotor landing system. The objective is to replace parachutes with spinning blades to enable soft and controlled landings on land instead of the ocean.

• The rotor re-entry and landing system is designed for capsule-inspired spacecraft like the Orion Multipurpose Crew Vehicle that should fly before the end of the decade.
• The landing system’s process is called auto-rotation, and while it’s been proven on helicopters it’s never been tried on spacecraft.
• The biggest challenge being faced by design Engineers getting is getting the blades deployed the right way.

About "Orion" Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV)

• A planned beyond-low-earth-orbit manned spacecraft.
• The MPCV’s debut unmanned multi-hour test flight, known as Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1), is scheduled for a launch aboard a Delta IV Heavy rocket in 2014.
• The first manned mission is expected to take place after 2020.
• The MPCV is being developed for crewed missions to the moon, an asteroid and then to Mars.

By 2017, US can become world’s biggest oil producer

The world’s foremost energy watchdog, the  International Energy Agency (IEA) in its recent report “World Energy Outlook 2012” has held that US can become the world’s largest oil producer by 2017.

How would this happen ? Predictions for USA and Global Predictions….

How would this happen ?

• US would benefit from so-called unconventional sources of oil and gas, including shale gas and shale oil, derived from fracking – blasting dense rocks apart to release the fossil fuels trapped within.
• These sources could fuel the US’s energy independence, and make the country the world’s biggest oil producer by 2017.

Predictions for USA

The IEA also forecasts that the United States will

• become world’s biggest oil producer by 2017
• rely more on natural gas than either oil or coal by 2035 due to its cheap domestic supply and uses by industry and electricity generators

Global Predictions

Globally, the IEA indicates that:

• more than 90% of oil and gas from the Middle East could be sold to Asia, and chiefly to rapidly developing countries such as China
• fossil fuels will dominate the world’s energy picture as it has in the past
• But, in the power sector, renewable energy (wind, solar, and hydroelectricity) use worldwide will be second to coal by 2035 due to technology improvements and continued subsidies
• Russia, which remains the largest individual energy exporter throughout the period, sees its revenues from oil, natural gas and coal exports rise from $380 billion in 2011 to $410 billion in 2035
• huge increases in greenhouse gas emissions that would put hopes of curbing dangerous climate change beyond reach.

Thus, predictions in The IEA in its World Energy Outlook 2012:

• fossil fuels will dominate the energy sector through 2035
• United States will become the world’s largest oil producer by 2017, overtaking both Saudi Arabia and Russia
• US will become almost energy independent by 2035
• OPEC will be exporting 90 percent of its oil to Asia, changing the security dynamics in the Middle East.

The IEA is not the only agency with this prediction; Citigroup Inc. indicated that the United States will achieve this goal before the end of this decade.

the following has recently become the first ever Hindu to be elected
to the United States Congress?
[A]Meera Nanda
[B]Aseem Shukla
[C]Tulsi Gabbard
[D]Mihir Meghani
Tulsi Gabbard










U.S. takes China to WTO on dumping row
The US-China trade pettifoggeries might now be an eternal issue at the WTO as US announced that it would
be “challenging China’s imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties on more than $3 billion in exports of
American-produced automobiles”.
Current Affairs Published on www.gktoday.in from January 1, 2012 to
September 10, 2012
The U.S. had called for dispute settlement consultations with China at the WTO in an effort to rule out these unjust
tariffs, which seem to typify heretofore another exploitation of trade remedies by China.
In one case it earns grip at the WTO, the current clash would stage the 3rd case of the U.S. officially complaining about
averred abuse of trade remedies by China during the President’s tenure in office.









US President Barack Obama’s most ambitious social legislation, the Health Care Law (The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act). , made it mandatory for all American citizens to have health insurance or pay a penalty

Bisin is a naturally occurring lantibiotic (an antibacterial peptide) discovered by us. Unlike earlier lantibiotics discovered, such as nisin, bisin also kills Gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria.

The food-preservative properties of bisin could lead to food products that resist spoilage for years

Which among the following company has launched the largest
healthcare fraud case in US history for $3 billion dollars in July 2012?
[A]GlaxoSmithKline

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's twin lunar Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 9:08 a.m. EDT (6:08 a.m. PDT) Saturday, Sept. 10, to study the moon in unprecedented detail.

GRAIL-A is scheduled to reach the moon on New Year's Eve 2011, while GRAIL-B will arrive New Year's Day 2012. 

SAN SALVADOR-----EARTHQUAKE IN 2001



hilary clinton belongs to-----democratic party



2001,NASA LAUNCHED A SPACECRAFT TO MARS NAMED ODYSSEY


Company in News: “Interviewstreet”
“Interviewstreet” provides Technical platform to US Govt
Interviewstreet played a key role in preparing technological platform to the US government’s
Equal Pay program. The US govt hired Interviewstreet to develop a technology platform on which
to build the tools that would promote President Obama’s initiative to promote equal pay for
women in corporate America. The startup provided them a product that programmers could use to build the best
mobile or software applications for a national contest on the equal pay initiative.
Current Affairs Published on www.gktoday.in from January 1, 2012 to
September 10, 2012
Interviewstreet: A brief
 An Indian IT start-up company cofounded by two alumini of NIT Trichy- Vivek Ravisankar & Harishankaran K
 The startup helps companies to sift out best programming talent from the larger pool with the help of their web
based tools
 It assists companies to create customized programming tests (in any language) and evaluate candidates based on
their programming skills before proceeding for an interview. It saves the precious time of companies as only
individuals with optimum skiil set will be interacted with.
 The idea of this startup originated when two engineers rolled out a platform for mock interviews with college
students during placement season to churn out best programming talents. Both of them were hired by Amazon
and IBM but they quit their job in order to expand their startup.
 Currently Interviewstreet’s customers include US space agency Nasa, game developer Zynga, Facebook and
Amazon
What is so unique with Interviewstreet?
 First Indian company to be selected for an incubation programme at Y Combinator, the iconic Silicon Valley seed
fund.






U.S. military identifies ‘KILLER’ soldier
The soldier who allegedly killed 16 Afghan civilians, mostly women and children, has been identified by
US Military asStaff Sergeant Robert Bales (38). Sergeant Bales was flown out of Kuwait, even as
Afghan President Hamid Karzai conveyed fury at his removal from Afghan soil.
Although the Obama administration has signalled that this would not set back U.S. plans to draw down troops by 2014,
there is a strong view that, combined with the Koran-burning incident in February 2012, U.S.-Afghan relations are
deteriorating.
In the meantime Sergeant Bales’ attorney, John Henry Browne, dismissed allegations of alcohol and domestic issues,
attributing Sergeant Bales’ stress to PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). Accounting PTSD as a justifying factor Mr.
Browne held that Sergeant Bales was sad about returning to combat after being wounded twice in Iraq and he even
saw a comrade’s leg blown off the day before the massacre.






Americas’ leaders end summit; no accord on Cuba
A meeting of the heads of state of the Western Hemisphere has finished without a joint declaration
as the leaders were unable to reach a concurrence on whether Cuba should be authorized to attend
the next summit. US and Canada opposed demands by the Latin American nations to invite Cuba to
the next Summit of the Americas to be held in Panama in 2015. The summit’s host, Colombian President Juan Manuel
Santos, denied the meeting was not a success
The US President Barrack Obama held that Cuba has yet to make the needed advancements as Cuba has not yet
moved to democracy, and not yet observed basic human rights.
Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa boycotted the summit in protest at the lack of an invitation for Cuba.
• 50 years ago, Communist Cuba was expelled from the Organisation of American States.












Gunman kills 6 at Sikh Temple in Wisconsin
 A gunman shot 6 worshippers dead at a Sikh temple at Oak creek in Wisconsin.
 Oak Creek: A city in Milwaukee County of Wisconsin state of US.
 Wisconsin: A state located in north central region of the US. The US has 50 states.
 Sikhism is 5th largest organized religion in the world, with more than 30 million followers.
 More than 5 lakh Sikhs live in US.










US, Pakistan sign NATO Supply Agreement
US, Pakistan signed NATO Supply Agreement on transporting supplies for NATO troops in Afghanistan through
Pakistan.
As per the agreement, the US will give $ 1.1 billion aid to Pakistan for fighting terrorists within its borders. The
agreement will expire by the end of 2015.
Core of the agreement:
 Bars Transportation of arms and ammunition for NATO/ISAF in Afghanistan via Pakistan
 Allows Arms shipments and equipment for training of Afghan security forces
 NATO tankers to use routes from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan
 No tax or duty on the containers. Commercial carriers will have to pay a fee.
 Pakistan will ensure the security and speedy transfer of cargo while engaging with the US authority
 Containers travelling to Afghanistan will be bound to return via Pakistan
 The Defence Ministry which will function as a central coordination authority will review daily operations and
other matters related to the supply routes
 2 monitoring offices for NATO supplies to be established at the Defence Ministry and the US embassy














U.S. to establish National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute
(NAMII) to prevent jobs drain to India
The US administration has decided to establish institute for manufacturing innovations to help prevent jobs going to
India and China.
It plans to set up National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII),in Ohio, through public-private
partnership and has received $70 million as initial financial assistance.
Earlier, in March 2012, Obama had declared plans to invest $1 billion to catalyze a network of up to 15 manufacturing
innovation institutes that would serve as regional centres of manufacturing excellence and help to make
manufacturers more competitive and promote investment in the U.S.
What is Additive Manufacturing Technology?
· NAMII will offer the innovation infrastructure required to support new additive manufacturing technology and
products to become a global centre of excellence in this field.
· Additive manufacturing, which is also known as 3D printing, is a new way of making products and components from
a digital model, and will have significance to a wide range of industries, including defense, aerospace, automotive, and
metals manufacturing.













United States X-51A vehicle crashes in test flight
X-51A built by U.S. which was designed to travel from London to New York (around 5570 km) in 45 minutes crashed
into the Pacific Ocean in its test flight. The test was conducted off the coast of California at Mach 6 speed- (up to 7,300
kmph) which means six times the speed of sound.
What is X-51A?
 It is an unmanned U.S. military jet specially designed to fly at hypersonic speeds.








The Arab-Israeli conflict refers to the political tensions and open hostilities between the Arab peoples and the Jewish community in the Middle East that has lasted for over a century. After the establishment of the zionist movement the conflict intensified with the creation of the modern state of Israel in 1948. After that many peace process were initiated to solve the conflict.

Oslo accord was the first direct face to face agreement between the government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation organization.

Oslo accord was signed in Washington during the Presidency of Bill Clinton.

Regarding recent visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to India
- India is the first non European country to have a cabinet level meeting with Germany.
- Angela Merkel assured German's full support to India's infrastructure development.
- Germany has decided to shut down all their nuclear power plants by 2022 due to domestic pressure at same time Germany extended its help to India in the development of nuclear energy to address global concern on climate change.














135th and the Final Space Shuttle Mission
135th and the final space shuttle mission lifted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida
Space shuttle Atlantis was launched into history
12-day mission will ferry 3.5 tonnes of supplies to the ISS (International Space Station)
Upon its return, the 30-year space shuttle programme will come to a close, with Atlantis and the
other two shuttles retired to museums



Perfect landing by Atlantis
The space shuttle Atlantis made a perfect landing, bringing an official end to 30 years of U.S. space
shuttle missions At 0556 Local Time, the space ship with a crew of 4 astronauts on board touched the ground at the Kennedy Space Center in the southern state of Florida
Perfect weather conditions and a crowd of hundreds welcomed the shuttle home
Atlantis' 13-day mission capped off its 33rd and final flight after 26 years in service
The 4th shuttle in NASA's fleet, Atlantis first flew into space in October 1985. The crew departed
from the ISS (International Space Station) after an 8-day visit to deliver a year's worth of supplies,
and haul trash and used equipment back to Earth







US blocks aid to Pakistan
 United states has suspended a 1.1 billion dollar military aid to Pakistan. This suspension is a part of a massive 662-billion dollar defence spending bill which President Obama is expected to sign this year. The aid was to be given to Pakistan under category Pakistan Counter-insurgency Fund.

The DARPA Falcon Project (Force Application and Launch from CONtinental United States) is a two-part joint project between the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the United States Air Force (USAF) and is part of Prompt Global Strike.One part of the program aims to develop a reusable, rapid-strike Hypersonic Weapon System (HWS), now retitled the Hypersonic Cruise Vehicle (HCV), and the other is for the development of a launch system capable of accelerating an HCV to cruise speeds, as well as launching small satellites into earth orbit. This two-part program was announced in 2003 and continued into 2006.^[2]

The latest project to be announced under the Falcon banner was a fighter-sized unmanned aircraft called Blackswift which would take off from a runway and accelerate to Mach 6 before completing its mission and landing again. The memo of understanding between DARPA and the USAF on Blackswift—also known as the HTV-3X—was signed in September 2007. The Blackswift HTV-3X did not receive needed funding and was canceled in October 2008.^[3]

Current research under FALCON program is centered on X-41 Common Aero Vehicle (CAV), a common aerial platform for hypersonic ICBMs and cruise missiles, as well as civilian RLVs and ELVs. The prototype Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2) first flew on 22 April 2010; the second test flew 11 August 2011.

Native Americans from Cahokia brewed and consumed first type of Tea 1000 Years Ago
As per scientists, Native Americans were first to prepare the first type of primitive form of tea some 1000 years back. It has been discovered that inhabitants of Cahokia, a massive pre-Columbus settlement near the meeting point of Missouri and Mississippi rivers in Illinois, consumed a ‘Black Drink’.
 Cahokia was a city with as many as 100,000 residents in its prime – the largest prehistoric North American city north of Mexico.





US to issue 14% more visas for Indians
 The US has taken a number of steps to modify and accelerate visa process and aim 14% annual increase in travellers from India that would help boost business and political ties.





US to cut down army by 1 lakh
 The US Pentagon has declared curtailment of its military forces by 100,000 in view of a $487 billion cut in its budget over the next 10 years. However it asserted that even after the retrenchment, US will remain a force to contend with anytime and anywhere.
 US military will be smaller and leaner, but it will be agile, flexible, rapidly deployable and technologically
advanced. Army will be gradually resized to 490,000 from the present force level of 562,000. Marine Corps will be 182,000 from 202,000. The transition to take place over the next 5 years.







 US President signs 662 billion dollar defence spending bill into law
 United States President Barack Obama signs a massive 662 billion dollar defence spending bill into law.
 The defence authorization bill for the year 2012 also seeks to suspend 60 percent of 1.1 billion dollar military aid to Pakistan – under the category Pakistan Counter-insurgency Fund.This seems to be a point of no return in the mistrust between Pakistan and US.
 The bill also imposed tough new sanctions against Iran’s central bank and financial sector. The sanctions require foreign firms to make a choice between either doing business with Tehran’s oil and financial sectors or central bank, or with the US economy and financial sector.It is being considered the sharpest economic conflict between US and Iran.
 President Obama signed the bill despite what he called serious reservations about provisions regulating
detention and prosecution of suspected terrorists.