What was going on when I was born?

President Reagan said developing nations must provide incentives to private enterprise so it can play a much larger role in building their economies. Mr. Reagan, addressing the 36th annual meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, said that, unless a nation acted to spur its own economic growth, no amount of outside aid would help. (Page A1.) West German and French engineering companies contracted to supply 22 compressors along a pipeline that will bring gas from Siberia to the Soviet Union's western border. The $956.5 million deal, signed in Dusseldorf, was the first step toward building a pipeline to supply Europe with Soviet natural gas. (D11.)

Although it may be too soon to tell how high rates will go, spokesmen for commercial banks and thrift institutions assert that last week's decision to remove the interest-rate ceiling on the retirement savings accounts they offer might set off a bidding war for funds. The decision by Federal banking regulators is drawing fire from sa vings banks and savings and loan associations, which fear that a pr ice war would increase their cost of money. The move, however, has be en generally applauded by commercial banks. Spokesmen for both the commercial banks and the thrift institutions said that higher rates would have to be offered than at present. ''With banks competing to make these long-term commitments in I.R.A. and Keogh accounts,'' Edmond Shanahan, president of Bell Federal Savings in Chicago, said, ''my fear is that we will see some people who jump too soon and for the next 40 years regret their actions.''

Reports of suspected child abuse and neglect have increased recently in New York City, and the city has expanded its social service efforts to address the family problems involved. The number of reports has risen from 14,300 in 1976 to more than 19,300 last year, when 32,078 children were involved. More than half of the reports prove unfounded, and part of the increase is credited to greater public awareness. But social agency officials believe that because of unemployment, poor housing and other situations that cause stress, there has been an actual increase in violence in society in general and in violence directed against children. Public awareness of the problem has been heightened by several tragic cases recently, including the death of a 5-year-old boy on Monday. The boy was declared dead on arrival at Jamaica Hospital, after he was found unconscious and covered with bruises.

Congressional sources reported tonight that President Reagan's new arms program is likely to include deployment of 100 MX mobile missiles in 1,000 silos in the West and the construction of 50 of the new B-1 bombers. The White House refused to confirm those details, but announced tonight that ''basic decisions'' had been made on the arms program. A program such as the one described by the Congressional sources would represent a gradual approach to building up a stronger nuclear deterrent. Administration sources say Caspar W. Weinberger, the Secretary of Defense, has been recommending this type of approach to the President.

After Monday's hectic trading and wide price swings, the stock market advance d broadly yesterday, with trans portation and some technology issues posting the biggest gains. The Dow Jones industrial average was up as much as 12 points early in the day. But prices slid somewhat in afternoon trading as some investors apparently sold to realize short-term profits. The Dow finally ended the day with a gain of 5.33 points, at 847.89.

AMONG some of the finest Italian chefs of New York there is a considerable variance in opinion over whether their kitchens yield examples of a cucina nuova or new interpretations of historic culinary traditions. The question is, of course, what is new? Questions of that sort are, in general, dear to the Italian heart, which often seems to thrive on contention. So the answers from a group of chefs were, as might be expected, si or no, or forze -which means perhaps. Most of them said in interviews that they believe that what many people look upon as ''new'' cookery is merely recognition of the varieties of Italian cooking that have existed for years. It is an awareness spurred by widespread travel and increasing gastronomic sophistication, an awareness that goes beyond pasta doused in heavily spiced tomato sauce - the ultimate Italian culinary cliche. Still others suggest that Italian chefs have been put on their mettle these days by new Italian immigrants, many of them wealthy, many with discerning palates, who know the finest foods of Rome, Florence and Venice and will pay well for it - which they must do in most of these places - provided it is fine.

New York City hopes to build a major outdoor performing-arts center on a 14-acre waterfront park at the north end of Battery Park City bounded by views of the Lower Manhattan skyline and the Hudson River. The city has allocated $300,000 for an immediate study to see if the project is feasible. The center would be the first such outdoor arena for the performing arts in the city since Lewisohn Stadium, the Doric-columned amphitheater at City College that was the city's summer cultural center for about half a century, ended its famous concerts in 1966. Gordon J. Davis, the Parks Commissioner, said yesterday that public and private funds had been raised for a detailed analysis of the project, which will be conducted by Cooper Eckstut Associates, the architects who are responsible for the revised Battery Park City master plan. He estimated that the center would cost $25 million to $30 million to build and said he hoped it wou ld be paid for with bothprivate and public funds.

An article on the Washington Talk page yesterday incorrectly identified Ira J. Furman. He is deputy director of the Office of Government and Pub- lic Affairs for the National Transpor- tation Safety Board.

The Chrysler Corporation said today that it would increase the price of its 1982 model cars an average of 3.7 percent - about $300 a car - a smaller increase than either of its major domestic competitors or the two leading auto importers have announced. It addition, the company said it would freeze, at least temporarily, the prices of its average-equipped Plymouth Omni/Dodge Horizon subcompact models and its Plymouth Aries/ Dodge Reliant ''K'' car compact, a fuel-efficient vehicle that Chrysler introduced last year to buoy sales in its struggle to avoid bankruptcy. These cars are equipped with standard transmissions and lack air-conditioning. Chrysler's chairman, Lee A. Iacocca, descri bed the prices as ''a calculated risk designed to shake the market and shake it hard.'' He said the price freeze on the company's lower priced models was aimed at people earning from $10,000 to $25,000 a y ear, who have been unable to buy new cars because of rising pric es and high interest rates. The subcompact and compact models now sell for between $5,499 and $6,131.

THE reported dangers of illness brought on by eating raw fish and meat often cause fear and confusion in the minds of those who enjoy such foods, either for their esthetic or nutritional benefits. Among foods p osing such questions are clams and oysters, which can cause hepatitis if taken from polluted waters , and rare or raw meat in the form of steak tartare or beef carpacci o, which can transmit beef tapeworms to humans. Recognizing the pos sibility of infection, but uncertain of the likelihood, some people forgo the suspected foodentirely, some continue eating it, ignoring t he dangers, and many eatit and worry. Most recently, such concern has been expressed over the dangers of eating raw saltwater fish in the forms of Japanese sushi and sashimi, Scandinavian gravlax, South American ceviche and raw or green herring, which is popular in the Netherlands. When raw, most saltwater fish that are eaten can be carriers of anisakis simplex, a parasitic roundworm that may invade the gastrointestinal tract of humans, causing mild to serious complications. But again, the warnings of parasitologists and physicians are difficult to reconcile with the absence of known infection.

President Reagan told developing nations today that they must provide incentives to private enterprise so it can play a much larger role in building up their economies. Opening the 36th annual meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Mr. Reagan said that ''no amount of aid will produce progress'' unless third world nations deal with their own financial and economic problems by providing incentives and commercial opportunities to private enterprise. The President cited the ''magic of the marketplace'' in telling 2,000 delegates from more than 140 countries, many of them socialists, that the key to economic advancement is to ''reward honest toil and legitimate risk.'' Biggest American Contribution Mr. Reagan reiterated American support for the I.M.F. and the World Bank, which provide the bulk of assistance to the third world, although he also said that a growing and prosperous American economy would be the biggest contribution this country could make to developing nations.

In the frail ligh t of morning, a young man stood at the corner of Broad and Wal l Streets, in front of the Bankers Trust building and across from t he New York Stock Exchange, and preached in a sonorous voice, half s tatement, half harangue. It was 9 A.M. yesterday, and the market th e day before had back-flipped from intimations of disaster into one of its finest trading days this year; the Exchange would open in an hour. ''Yesterday you saw the shadow of doom and disaster,'' cried the young man, a member of a charismatic sect. ''Yesterday you saw ruin and judgment. But nothing signifies except the word of the Lord. Nothing matters except the work of the Lord. The material possessions you crave are not real.''