Current Affairs February Study PDF Capsule 2016 by AffairsCloud

Current Affairs February 2016
PDF Capsule
Current Affairs PDF: February 2016
Current Affairs for Competitive Exam

Contents
INDIAN AFFAIRS............................................................................................................................................. 3
Union Budget 2016 17 ................................................................................................................................... 39
Prabhus Era: Rail Budget 2016-17 ............................................................................................................... 43
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ....................................................................................................................... 46
BANKING & FINANCE ................................................................................................................................. 64
BUSINESS ........................................................................................................................................................ 78
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS ..................................................................................................................... 89
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS .................................................................................................................. 106
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS .................................................................................................................. 119
SCHEMES ........................................................................................................................................................ 123
MoUs ............................................................................................................................................................... 129
COMMITTEES ................................................................................................................................................ 136
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ..................................................................................................................... 138
DEFENCE......................................................................................................................................................... 149
ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................................................... 153
SPORTS .......................................................................................................................................................... 157
OBITUARY .................................................................................................................................................... 167
BOOKS & AUTHORS .................................................................................................................................. 175
IMPORTANT DAYS ..................................................................................................................................... 176
Kindly Check Other Capsules
AffairsCloud Exam PDF

Current Affairs Study Capsule
Current Affairs Pocket Capsule
Current Affairs Questions & Answers PDF
Help:
If You Satisfied with our Capsule, kindly donate some amount to SavetheChildren.in
Education is a Gift for Life or Kindly Suggest this site to your family members & friends.
2|Page
INDIAN AFFAIRS
30th Surajkund International Crafts Mela started at Faridabad
The annual Surajkund International Crafts Mela is inaugurated by Haryana Chief Minister
Manohar Lal Khattar in Faridabad. This year is the 30th edition of the Surajkund
International Crafts Mela. The event will continue till 15 February.
This year Telangana is selected as the Theme State and the last year Chhattisgarh was
selected as the Theme State for the 29th Surajkund International Crafts Mela.
Key Highlights
The main attractions of the fair are the Rich showcase of regional and international
crafts and traditions.
The Craft Mela celebrates the Indian folk traditions and cultural heritage.
The Surajkund Mela is the largest crafts fair in the world with unique and diversity of the
handicrafts, handlooms and cultural fabric of India.
The Surajkund Mela is planned by the Surajkund Mela Authority & Haryana Tourism in
collaboration with Union Ministries of Tourism, Textiles, Culture and External Affairs.
All the states of India and nearby 20 countries from the world participate in the Mela.
The first edition of the Surajkund Crafts Mela was hosted in 1987.
DIPP gives nod to set up Indias first Defence Industrial Park at Ottappalam
The Union governments Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has agreed to set
up Indias first defense industrial park at Ottappalam a proposal from the Kerala Industrial
Infrastructure Development Corporation.
It is expected that the park will be established in 231.25 crore, Union government and
Kinfra will invest in the project.
Key Highlights
The project will be recognized as a part of the Make in India, Make in Kerala project.
The proposed project aimed to attract the component manufacturers in the defense industry
with modern infrastructure facilities.
The project will be developed under the Modified Industrial Infrastructure upgradation
Scheme (MIIUS) as per the Union government decision.
The park would be established in 60 acres of land.
Such sort of project attracts the foreign investors and help in the Make in India campaign.
Ottappalam will be proved as the best location for the project in every manner.
The park will have its own development and research center with 24*7 power and water
supply.
3|Page

Tamil Nadu to set up 800MW supercritical coal-based power plant
Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalitha laying the foundation stone for the states first 800-MW
supercritical coal-based power plant. which will come up at Athipattu in Tiruvallur
district over 250 acres of land.
About the project :
This is the first time in Tamil Nadu that a 800-MW unit is being established under the
supercritical technology.
The project will be completed in August 2019 and 19.2 million units of power a day
will be generated
Indias fastest-growing state: Meghalaya

Meghalaya becomes the Indias fastest-growing state with a growth rate of 9.7% in 2013-14.
The growth rate of Meghalaya is higher than the fastest-growing state Madhya
Pradesh at 9.5%.
The report was released by IndiaSpend.
But the growth of the state is not creating sufficient jobs and livelihood opportunities.
The highest growth rates in gross state domestic product (GSDP) are traced among
Meghalaya, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh in 2013-14.
The unemployment rate of Meghalaya is second lowest in India with 0.4% in rural areas
and 2.8% in urban areas in 2011-12.
Govt. sets up Tax Policy Council headed by Finance Minister

The Union Government set up a Tax Policy Research Unit (TPRU) and Tax Policy Council by
replacing Tax Research Unit and Tax Policy and Legislation. The TPRU is multi penal body its aim is
to carry out the studies on various topics of fiscal and tax policies referred to it by CBDT and
CBEC.
Key highlights about the Tax Policy Council
The council was headed by the Union Finance Minister with nine other
membersincluding Minister of State for Finance, Niti Aayog Vice Chairman, Commerce
and Industry Minister Revenue Secretary and the Chief Economic Advisor, Finance
secretary, Commerce Secretary and Industry Secretary.
The Council is an advisory body
It will help the Government in identifying key policy decisions for taxation.
The TPRU consist of officers from both the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and
Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC).
The Tax Policy Research Unit consists of economists, statisticians, operational

researchers, legal experts will also helpin taking appropriate tax policy decisions and they
also helps to fulfill the needs of both direct and indirect taxes.
4|Page
The council was set up by the recommendation of the Tax Administration Reform
Commission (TARC) so as to bring consistency, multidisciplinary inputs, and unity in
policy making.
NPS subscribers elevated to 1.15 crore

As of 23rd January, 2016 National Pension System (NPS) had 11,459,555 subscribers with a
total corpus of Rs. 90, 327 crore. The total Assets under Management are worth Rs. 109,140
crore while Assets under Management per subscriber is Rs. 95,000 on an average.
Division of subscribers as per different sectors
Sector
Central Government
State Governments
Corporate Sector
Unorganized Sector
NPS Lite
Atal Pension Yojana (APY)
No. of Subscribers
1611,020
2,859,094
448,509
128,484
4,463,637
1,948,811
No. of Subscribers
14.1%
24.9%
39%
17%
Corpus
Rs. 34,754 crore
Rs. 45,486 crore
Manchester of India gave India its first underwater restaurant

Real Poseidon, Indias first underwater restaurant initiated in Ahmedabad which has been
created 20 feet below ground level. It has been owned by Ahmedabad-based businessman,Bharat
Bhatt.
It has spread across 3000 square ft, its plushed with 1,50,000 litres of water.
It has a 1,200 square ft dining hall for 32 seaters.
Around 4000 species of fish and marine species are sourced from the local markets in
Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Vadodara.
Union Government issues guidelines in wake of Zika Virus outbreak

The Union Health Ministry issued detailed guidelines for fighting against Zika virus. The World
Health Organisation (WHO) had declared an emergency over the spread of the virus
Pregnant women should cancel their travel to the affected areas.
Travellers to the affected countries/areas should strictly follow individual protective

measures.
Persons with co-morbid conditions like diabetes, hypertension should take advice from the
nearest health facility before travel to an affected country.
Mumbai has illustrious potential for Modern Retail

In accordance with the Knight Frank & Retailers Association of India Think India. Think Retail.
2016 report, Mumbai Metropolitan Metro has the highest potential for modern retail in the
country at Rs 1.05 lakh crore.
Mumbai Metropolitan Metro is followed by Delhi National Capital Region, which has total
potential of Rs 77,900 crore and Bengaluru is third in the list, with potential of Rs 48,600
crore.
5|Page

Haryana, Ontario ink pact for cooperation
Haryana and Ontario in Canada had signed a Pact. It was aimed to enhance commercial and
cultural ties. This pack will help to facilitate knowledge transfer in areas like museum
development and cultural preservation
The pact was inked by the Managing Director of Haryana State Industrial and
Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd, Sudhir Rajpal, and Deputy Minister of
Ontario Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade, Helen Angus, in the
presence of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Premier of Ontario, Kathleen
Wynne, and Premier of Prince Edward Island, Wade MacLauchlan.
Counter terrorism conference 2016

President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the Counter-Terrorism Conference 2016 at
Jaipur. Counter terrorism is considered to be about tactics, weapons, force levels and intelligence
gathering.
The important features of counter-terrorism strategy are:
Capacity building to prevent attacks through intelligence collection and collation
Development of technological capabilities
Raising of Special Forces and enactment of special laws
Modi attended Global Ayurveda Fest in Kozhikode

The 3rd edition of Global Ayurveda Festival at Kozhikode, Kerala has been inaugurated by PM
Narendra Modi. Ayurveda Festival Kerala is an international Ayurvedic biennial event started to
serve as a force to galvanize Ayurvedic sector to aspire, plan and achieve greater heights.
This international seminar gave ideal platform to update, learn and train by interacting with
the masters of Ayurveda & Allied Sciences of national and international repute.
Kerala Govt also tied up with Asian and European countries to promote Indian systems of
medicine globally and planned to bring Ayurveda into the National Health Mission.
India ratifies CSC for Nuclear Damage

The Instrument of Ratification of the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for
Nuclear Damage, 1997 has been submitted by India to the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA), marking an important measure in addressing matters related to civil nuclear liabilities.
The instrument was handed over by Indian Ambassador to Austria and Permanent
Representative of India to IAEA Rajiva Misra to Acting Director General of IAEA, Juan Carlos
Lentijo.
This ratification will come into force after 90 days, i.e. May 4, 2016.
6|Page

Invest Karnataka 2016
Invest Karnataka 2016, the first Global Investors Meet (GIM) was held from 3rd to 5th February
2016 with a theme where the future is made at Bengaluru.
During this two day Invest Karnataka event across energy, pharma, information technology &
biotechnology, agriculture, infrastructure and tourism, Karnataka had signed 147
projects with a commitment to invest Rs 1.33 lakh crore.
India Investment Summit 2016

In a bid to succeed Make in India campaign, Ministry of Finance in partnership with SBI
Caps is organized an India Investment Summit in New Delhi.
Focused Areas of Summit Road transport, highways, ports, urban infrastructure, railways,
power and renewable energy and State Level projects
During the event FinMin launched the Logo of National Investment and Infrastructure
Fund (NIIF) which is established as a Category II Alternate Investment Fund
(AIF) under the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Regulations.
Maharashtra rolls out Deradicalisation Programme in wake of IS threat

Maharashtra had rolled out a deradicalisation programme for the minority community
because of home-grown extremism and the global Islamic State (IS) threat.
The program aims to bringing youth of the minority community into the mainstream and
making coordinated efforts in education, sports, urban planning, law and order, skill
development, women and child, social justice, and health.
Odisha permitted tourists into certain tribal areas after three years ban
After 3 years of ban, Odisha government has lifted the restrictions on visit of foreign tourists to
certain tribal areas in the State, which was imposed due to the abduction of two Italian
tourists in Kandhamal district by Maoists.
Highlights of the revised guidelines:
Foreign tourists have been asked to pay respect to the culture and tradition of tribals.
The tourists will have to submit their proposed itinerary to the police superintendents of
the concerned districts.
The foreign tourists have been asked to take photographs only with the consent of the
tribals.
Govt approves Rs 17,000-crore highways projects for 9 states

The government of India had approved highway projects worth about Rs 17,000 crore for 9
states. These projects have been built under National Highways Development Project (NHDP).
These projects are built for Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, Odisha, Uttar
Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Punjab.
7|Page
Under these 18 projects will be built with about 1,000 kms of highways for 9 states
These projects will attract investors in the highway building sector.
Union Government to set up National Organic Farming Research Institute in Sikkim

The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare had decided to set up National
Organic Farming Research Institute in Sikkim by upgrading the Regional Centre of the Indian
Council of Agricultural Research in Gangtok.
The assessment for institute was made by the Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan
Singh and Sikkim Agriculture Minister Somnath Poudyal in New Delhi.
Sikkim will be now the first fully organic state in the country
Prime Minister dedicated Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited to Nation

The Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi had been dedicated to the nation, Brahmaputra Cracker
and Polymer Limited, a petrochemical complex, at Lepetkata, near Dibrugarh.
This is the first ever petro-chemical project in the entire North-East.
The project will help in employment generation, and avoid massive cost overruns.
The Projects includes MUDRA and Start-up India to create fresh opportunities for the
youth.
These projects will provide natural raw material for the industrial purposes.
Sushma Swaraj visit to Sri Lanka An Overview
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was on two day visit to Sri Lanka to discuss the
fishermens issue and rights of minority Tamils.
9th Joint Commission meeting
Both Nations signed MoUs on education and health sectors
Rise of Digital India
9th Joint Commission meeting

The 9th session of Joint Commission meeting was co-chaired by Sushma Swaraj and Sri Lankan
foreign affair minister Mangala Samaraweera.
The discussions covered economic cooperation, trade, power and energy, technical and
maritime cooperation, social, cultural and educational matters, science and technology,
defence cooperation, health, civil aviation, tourism and people-to-people contact.
Both Nations signed MoUs on education and health sectors
Renovating 27 schools in the Tamil-dominated Northern Province.
Building a surgical ward and supplying medical equipment to the Batticaloa Teaching
Hospital in the East.
Fisherman Issue
Both Nations agreed to find an innovative and lasting solution to the fishermen issue.
8|Page
Flashback of issue Sri Lanka accuses Indian fishermen of straying into its territorial
waters, while India maintain they are only fishing in their traditional areas around
Katchatheevu, an islet ceded to Colombo in 1974.
Right of Minority Tamils

Sri Lanka agreed to devolve power to minority Tamils under a new Constitution, aimed at
resolving the ethnic conflict and achieving reconciliation with Tamils.
Rise of Digital India
Sushma Swaraj inaugurates Rise of Digital India exhibition as part of Sangam festival of
India in Sri Lanka 2015-2016.
The exhibition showcased the upgradation of computing sector and digital

technologies in India and how it is positively impacting the day to day lives of society.
India offers succored to Sri Lanka in IT sector

India is all set to assist Sri Lanka in in the information technology (IT) sector and set up an IT park
in island nation that could attract investments in this sector.
Govt consented to Heritage Development Projects for AP & Telangana
In a bid to improve tourist infrastructure in heritage places of Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh and
Warangal in Telangana, urban development ministry has given its stamp of approval to the
projects worth of Rs. 12 crore.
An inter-Ministerial HRIDAY National Empowered Committee approved development of

Heritage Park in Amaravati and 1000 Pillar Temple, Kazipet Durgah andPadmakshi
Temple in Warangal.
About Amaravati Heritage Park

It will be developed over an area of 3.50 acre at an outlay of Rs.7.36 crore.
Division of expenditure:
Area
Exhibition complex with four halls
22 statues
20 shops
Parking area
Pathways
Landscaping
Amount
Rs. 92 lakh
Rs. 2 crore
Rs. 1 crore
Rs. 60 lakh
Rs. 44 lakh
Rs. 76 lakh
Project Sunrise launched for prevention of AIDS in NE states

Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had launched Project Sunrise on for prevention
of AIDS in the 8 North-Eastern states. The funding of project is done by theCentre for Disease
Control of the United States. First cases of HIV were diagnosed in 1986 among sex workers in
Chennai.
The objective of this AIDS prevention project is to diagnose 90 per cent of such drug
addicts with HIV and put them under treatment by 2020.
9|Page

Key highlights
The project will create more awareness about the disease in these N-E states.
This programme will be implemented in 20 districts of the eight states including four
districts of Manipur- Imphal East, Bishnupur, Ukhrul and Churachandpur.
The project will cover one lakh people suffering with HIV/AIDS the government will
provide them treatment and care facilities free of cost.
Maiden Kerala Literature Festival held at Kozhikode

The maiden Kerala Literature Festival was hosted in Kozhikode at which key topics like
spirituality, social media, womens issues, Dalit issues, freedom of expression, environment issues
and media activism were discussed.
Dalit issues were also discussed in a session Dalit Literature Past and
Presentand Consciousness of Indian Religion and the Suicide of Rohith Vemula.
Noted documentaries, feature films and documentary fictions were also screened on
various contemporary topics.
PM dedicates NISER to the nation

National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) at Bhubaneswar, Odisha has
been dedicated by PM Modi to the nation.
The Prime Minister urged the students of NISER to work towards making NISER Indias
greenest campus, and a zero-emission, zero-discharge campus which uses only
renewable energy.
India has over 15 lakh registered companies

As per the latest data compiled by the Corporate Affairs Ministry, India has more than 15 lakh
registered companies but only 10.7 lakh of them were active at the end of 2015.
This is higher than 14.39 lakh companies registered at the end of December 2014.
The Corporate Affairs Ministry is implementing the Companies Act, 2013 whose most
provisions came into force in April 2014.
Akhilesh Yadav launches new UP Revenue Code

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had launched a new UP Revenue Code.
The aim of this launch is to eradicate old laws relating land revenue and land reforms and
greater dispute resolution.
The old revenue laws will be abolished and now new simplified and rapid laws were
maintained and implemented.
The new code 39 Acts is implemented which includes Land Revenue Act 1901 and after
this Zamindari and Land Reform Act 1950 will be abolished.
10 | P a g e

Indias first fully solar-powered educational institute now in Puducherry
Indias first fully solar-powered educational institute had been launched by Sri Aurobindo
International Centre for Education Puducherry.
The institutes produce three times of the electricity it consumes through solar power
plants.
The institute saves Rs 10,000 every month on the electricity bill.
The solar plant system is installed on the roofs of the dining room, primary school, library
and high school of the campus.
The institute has been self-sufficient in energy since September 2014.
Personalised take away bedrolls service in Indian Railways

Union Railway ministry has instigated the Personalised take away bedrolls scheme for
Chennai Central Railway Station and Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station of
Southern Railway.
It has been announced by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu during an event held
at East Tambaram Railway Colony Ground in Tambaram, Chennai.

Features of Bedrolls
Bedrolls are disposable and their cost is inclusive of all taxes and uniform across stations over
Indian Railways.
Type 1 Bedroll kit packed in a non-woven fabric bag consisting of 2 cotton

bedsheets and 1 pillow at a cost of Rs.140.
Type 2 Blanket kit packed in a non-woven bag consisting of 1 blanket at a cost of

Rs.110.
India plans to eliminate malaria in 11 years, ahead of global target

The government India and global development agencies launch a programme to eliminate
malaria in 11 years from the whole world.
The malaria elimination program is framed under three categories which is decided
by the number of cases annually occurred.
Key Highlights
The malaria elimination program is framed under three categories which is decided by
the number of cases annually occurred.
Malaria elimination is defined as a situation where a given area district or state

records no indigenous transmission of Plasmodium vivax and
Plasmodiumfalciparum, the two parasites responsible for the disease. Once all districts
achieve that, a country is said to have eliminated malaria.
In category-1 states should have one of annual parasite incidence (API) at both state and
district levels.
11 | P a g e
In category-2 are states where overall API is less than one but in some districts it is more
than one.
Under the category 3 states where API is more than one at both state and district levels.
Maiden Initiative: NDRF trains 162 dogs for disaster response

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has raising a squad of 162 dogs for their
specialised Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) tasks to succor its personnel in rescuing people
after natural calamities.
NDRF has undertaken an exercise to train special USAR dogs as they are the best companion
of a rescuer during such challenges.
This is the first time that dogs for disaster response are being trained on such a large
scale indigenously.
NaMo inaugurated IOCs Paradip Oil Refinery

PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 15 million tonne per annum Indian Oil
Corporationrefinery at Paradip, Odisha.
It is IOCs 11th refinery that will be instigated with a capacity of 15 MMTPA.
Refinery Cost Rs 34,555 crore
Features of Paradip Oil Refinery:
It has been designed to process broad basket of crude including dirty and cheaper high
Sulphur heavy crudes from Latin America.
Capable to produce Bharat Stage IV (BS IV)/BS V quality transportation fuel to

comply with Auto Fuel Policy.
Major products are premium grade high speed diesel (HSD) and motor spirit (MS).
Major by products Petroleum coke (petcoke) and Sulphur.
Rs 1 lakh crore disbursed under MUDRA Yojana: PM Narendra Modi

Under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved Rs 1
lakh crore loans to small entrepreneurs
MUDRA Yojana was launched in April 2015.
It aims to make youth to be job creators and not job seekers.
Fund will be provided to youth to make them self sufficient.
The loan is distributed among youth for their personal sector which will help them to
utilize their skill and create new job opportunities.
India to hold Global Maritime Summit in April

India will host the first Global Maritime Summit in April the decision was announced in the
International Fleet Review 2016 by the president of India.
Global Maritimeis an independent offshore and engineering consultancy.
12 | P a g e
The headquarter is in Stavanger, Norway.
The company provides engineering, marine and advisory services to the offshore and
shipping industry.
India hosted the International Fleet Review was in the year 2001 in the city of Mumbai.
TRAI issued Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services Regulations, 2016
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI) had issued the Prohibition of Discriminatory
Tariffs for Data Services Regulations, 2016.
Highlights :
The act will prohibit the service providers to charge unfair taxes for data services on
the basis of content used by a consumer.
The aim of the Regulations is to ensure that consumers get an unobstructed and nondiscriminatory access to the internet.
RAI will take care whether the regulation will be properly implemented or not by the
service providers and will commence assess after two years or at an earlier date as it may
suppose to fit.
The service providers are allowed to charge differential tariffs based on the websites/
applications/platforms being accessed on the internet after getting the responses and
the internal deliberations, the Authority had now issued the Regulations 2016.
Some of the mandatory conditions are given as

1. No service provider will offer or charge unfair tariffs for data services on the basis of
content.
2. No service provider shall enter into any arrangement, agreement or contract, by whatever
name called, with any person, natural or legal, that has the effect of discriminatory tariffs
for data services being offered or charged by the service provider for the purpose of
evading the prohibition in this regulation.
3. Providing emergency services at times of public emergency has been permitted with
low taxes for accessing data.
Mumbai set to get Indias first international arbitration centre
The state government of Mumbai plans to set up Indias first international arbitration
centre as a forward of the Make in India framework.
The centre will prove to be a big step forward in realizing the transformation of Mumbai
into an international financial centre
Mumbai Centre for International Arbitration (MCIA) will help in attracting higher
global investments to Maharashtra.
Rajnath Singh approves new disaster management norms

Home minister Rajnath Singh had approved new norms on disaster management to take care
of all emergencies arises due to any natural disaster in the country.
13 | P a g e

Key Highlights
The main focus of the norms is on countering rumours and not taking complaints of
missing persons lightly given the possibility of human trafficking.
A nodal agency had been designated by Indian Meteorological Department for early
warning for cyclone, Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre and Indian National Centre for
Oceanic Information Services for Tsunami and Central Water Commission for floods.
The disasters are categorised in various categories like very harsh type of disaster is
categorised as Red, moderate type is categorised as Orange and low type is
designated as Yellow.
The National Crisis Management Committee will take care of all emergency arising due to
any natural disaster in the country.
GOI initiated Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 for North-East

In a bid to make making hydrocarbons a tool to enable social and economic development, Union
Petroleum and Natural Gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan had released the North East
Hydrocarbon Vision-2030 in Guwahati.
As a part of vision Rs 1, 30,000 crore will infused in the North East region for next 15 years
for the production of hydrocarbon.
CRISIL Infrastructure Advisory has been designated as the Knowledge Partner to develop
for Vision report.
The division of expenditure is blueprinted as Rs 80,000 crore in upstream, Rs 20,000

crore in midstream and Rs 30,000 crore in the lowerstream.
State covered under Vision Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
Highlights of Hydrocarbon Vision 2030

The Vision aims at doubling Oil & Gas production by 2030, making clean fuels accessible, fast
tracking projects, generating employment opportunities and promoting cooperation with
neighbouring countries.
5 Pillars of Vision:
People Clean fuel access to households fostering skill development and involvement of
the local community.
Policy Moderation in light of specific terrain and weather conditions of the region.
Partnership Greater involvement of state governments in planning and

implementation and boosting trade with neighbouring nations.
Projects Pipeline connectivity for carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), natural gas,
and petroleum products, oil and lubricants (POL).
Production Production enhancement contracts, technology deployment, fast-track

clearance, and development of service provider hubs.
14 | P a g e

Maharashtra stood at top Internet Readiness Index
In accordance with the report on Index of Internet Readiness of Indian States, Maharashtra
is leading the list of overall Internet readiness index.
Maharashtra is followed by Karnataka, Gujarat, Telengana and Tamil Nadu.
The report has been released by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI)and Indicus
Analytics.
The Internet readiness index has been prepared on the premise of e-infrastructure index, eparticipation index, IT services and e-governance index.
Key Highlights of Report
Among smaller states, Delhi has been emerged as the topper in terms of Internet readiness index
and in the tele-density department at 221 connections per 100 persons.
Delhi has been followed by Puducherry and Goa while Maharashtra topped the large
state group.
Among the Union Territories, Chandigarh stood ahead in terms of Internet readiness
index.
Laying of Agartala-Akhaura rail line to be completed by 2017

Ministry of External Affairs and Railway will lay the Rail Line to connect Agartala with
Akhaura in that country by 2017 which falls 10 km in the Bangladesh.
Key Highlights
The centre govt has grants Rs 580 crore for lying of the five km railway track up to
Bangladesh border.
The complete project will cost Rs 1,000 crore which would be given by the Centre
government.
The distance between Agartala and Kolkata is 1,700 km through Chicken Neck near
Siliguri will be reduced to 350 km if passengers will go through the new route.
According to the detail project report the team had decided to construct a 3.7-km-long
flyover (viaduct) would be constructed along the five km stretch on the Indian side to
save cultivable lands around the track.
The track will improve the connectivity and will boost the trade between the two
neighbouring countries.
A team of technical experts from Ircon International Limited ( IRCON) will be the
representatives of state government of the Indian.
Government to ease norms for real estate business

Government of India is easing rules for real estate business by giving construction permits
around airports and monuments by developing colour-coded maps.
The permits are taken from Airport Authority of India (AII) in New Delhi to build
projects around the airports.
15 | P a g e
Following the color-coded zonal maps and authorize real estate development the
government will going to empower urban local bodies.
Indian Railways on the way to Digitalization: Launched 3 IT enabled projects

On the sidelines of Digital India and to bring transparency in Indian Railways, Union Railway
Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu has initiated 3 IT enabled applications.
These IT enabled projects have been launched at a function held through Video-Conferencing
at Rail Bhawan in Mumbai.
Here are the new launches:

1. Paperless unreserved ticketing mobile application.
2. Hand Held Terminals for TTEs.
3. E-booking of disposable linen on trains.
About Paperless Unreserved Ticketing:
Indian Railways has developed a paperless Unreserved Ticketing Mobile
ApplicationUTSONMOBILE with the succor of CRIS.
During the booking process, on-screen alerts have been provided to usher the passenger.
Payment for the ticket is done through the Railway Wallet feature in the app.
About Hand Held Terminals:

It will help in apprising the status of passenger list of the train. This app fortifies greater
transparency in the allotment of Accommodation onboard.
About E-booking of Disposable Linen:
This facility will allows passengers to avail bedroll kits through online booking and from over the
counter at select outlets set up by the IRCTC on the stations.
Wild pigs declared vermin in Uttarakhand for a year
The ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has finally notified wild pig as
vermin for a year in Uttarakhand. The notification issued by Vinod Ranjan, additional director
general of forests (wildlife),Uttarakhand.
The forest department has sent the proposal to the ministry to declare both wild pig and
neel gai (blue bull) vermin. But only wild pig has been permitted.
The powers conferred by section 62 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the
central government hereby declares wild pig (sus scrofa) listed at serial number 19, of
the schedule III to the Act to be vermin and to be included in schedule V of the Act, for a
period of one year.
Assam CM Gogoi unveiled Vision Assam 2030

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had unveiled a draft document Vision Assam 2030. The aim
of the vision is to ensure inclusive and sustainable development in the state.
The theme of Vision Assam 2030 is Everything for Everyone
16 | P a g e
The government is trying to transform the future of the people of Assam within 15
years.
It is the efforts of the government to get rid of poverty, illiteracy and hunger for ensuring
healthy lives and achieving gender equality through womens empowerment.
Sikkim Government to construct Mini Sikkim for showcasing states diverse & rich culture
Sikkim government will construct Mini Sikkim for showcasing the states diverse and rich culture.
The new market will enhance the business as it will attract the tourists to the state.
The new project consists of traditional houses of fifteen ethnic communities of

Sikkim.
Government will construct new memorial and museum totally dedicated to the Indian
freedom fighters in West Sikkim district which will consists statues of martyrs from the
state.
Gujarat to have Indias first disabled-friendly beach

The Tithal beach in Valsad district of Gujarat have Indias first disable friendly beach in the
country. This project will provide proper infrastructure in public places to the disable
people.Government will provide Rs.5 crore in the first phase.
Key Highlights about the Project
This is the first disabled-friendly beach in India.
It aims to provide better facilities to the disable peoples at the public places like
hospitals, parks, movie theatres
The facilities will be designed in such a way that disabled people can access them
without any assistance.
Greece is one more impressive example of disabled-friendly infrastructure.
Health Ministry initiated National Framework for Malaria Elimination

On the sidelines of Indias proposed action for the elimination of Malaria by 2030, Union Health &
Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda has instigated the National Framework for Malaria
Elimination (NFME) 2016-2030.
Key objectives of NFME:
To sustain zero indigenous cases and deaths due to malaria the milestones and targets are set for
2016, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2027 and 2030 which will lead to achieve certification of malaria
elimination status to the country.
By 2022 Elimination of malaria from all low and moderate endemic states/UTs.
By 2024 To reduce incidence of malaria to less than 1 case per 1000 population in
all States/UTs and the districts & malaria elimination in 31 states/UTs
By 2027 Interrupt indigenous transmission of malaria in all States/ UTs.
17 | P a g e
By 2030 Prevention of re-establishment of local transmission of malaria in areas

where it has been eliminated and to maintain malaria-free status of the country.
Key Strategic Approaches of NFME
Category 0 Prevention of re- introduction phase
Category 1 Elimination phase
Category 2 Pre-elimination phase
Category 3 Intensified control phase
Short Term Target of NFME

By end of 2016 All states/UTs should include malaria elimination in their broader health policies
and planning framework.
By end of 2017 All states should bring down API to less than 1 per thousand populations.
By end of 2020 15 states/UTs under category 1 (elimination phase) should interrupt
transmission of malaria and achieve zero indigenous cases and deaths due to malaria.
Elephanta Island to get electricity from Independence Day 2016
Elephanta Island will soon get completely electrified by Independence Day 2016.
Elephanta Island is Famous for its Hindu cave sculptures depicting the cult of Shiva.
It is an electricity grid project worth Rs 25 crores.
Elephanta Island is UNESCO world heritage site.
It is a popular tourist destination designatedsince 1987.
It is also known as the City of Caves
The power cable network between mainlands Mumbai will be layed by government.
Madhya Pradesh gets first Mega Food Park

Madhya Pradesh gets its First Mega Food Park promoted by M/s Indus mega Food Part Pvt.
Ltd.It was inaugurated by Union Minister of Food Processing Industries.
The Mega Food Park is expected to cost Rs. 127.70 crore in an area of 53.78 acres.
Key Highlights about the project
It will help to give an impulsion to the growth of the Food Processing Sector in the state.
It will have facilities of 3000 MT Cold Storage, 9000 MT Dry Warehouse, Instant Quick
Freeze (IQF) 5 MT per hour, modern Quality Control lab and other processing facilities for
fruits and vegetables.
The project will help in providing better prices to farmers.
Dr Jitendra Singh and Shri Kiren Rijiju inaugurate the festival Destination North-East2016
The Union Minister of State Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO,
Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space Dr. Jitendra Singh and
Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju had inaugurated the festival Destination
North-East-2016.
18 | P a g e
It will provide platform to the inherent economic, social and cultural strength of the North
East Region (NER) at the national level.
Key Highlights
It will provide platform to the inherent economic, social and cultural strength of the North
East Region (NER) at the national level.
It will be develop the states into a key destination for young entrepreneurs and Startups.
North East festivals will be organized in Mumbai and Bangalore in the coming months.
Gujarat Govts new IT policy aims to create 1 mn new jobs

Gujarat Government announced a new IT Policy and Incentive Scheme (2016-21), aiming to
promote the sector by providing subsidies to investors and create 10 lakh new jobs.
Under the policy, the state Government would provide capital subsidy of a total of Rs. 25
crore to investors and incentives as discounts in stamp duty on land/office
transactions, registration fees, power tariff and VAT to those setting up units and the IT
parks.
It also lays emphasis on setting up R&D institutions, finishing schools and provides
incentives to units as well as IT industry organizations for participation in
international trade fairs..
States can clampdown mobile internet access under Section 144 of CrPC: Supreme Court
States can clampdown mobile internet access under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure
Code (CrPC) as ruled by the Supreme Court.
According to the rule if there is anxiety and people can turn aggressive and disturb public
tranquillity than that particular state can get tough on the mobile internet access.
Blocking the internet facilities during the serious situations will help the government and
local people and avoid the rumours.
It will help to maintain law and order in the state during the violent situations
Vizag to be first major port to run on solar energy

Vizag port in Hyderabad will be the first major port to run on solar energy.
VPT is currently having 2MW solar power plantswhich were built with an investment
of Rs. 60 crore.
It aims to generate 8 MW capacity solar plants.
These projects will help to overcome the burden of energy over the state.
NaMo initiated Make in India week In Financial Capital

In a bid to make Indian economy as a global manufacturing hub, PM Narendra Modi
instigatedMake In India Week at MMRDA ground in Mumbai. The Make in India week will
conclude on 18 February.
19 | P a g e
During the inauguration of biggest business expo PM Modi was joined by the Prime Minister
of Sweden Stefan Lofven, Prime Minister of Finland Juha Sipila and other dignitaries at
the centre.
Participants Dignitaries from 49 countries and Businesses from 68 countries
This flagship event will escalate Make in India initiative and to showcase to the world the
achievements of the nation in the manufacturing sector.
Key Focus of make in India Week:
It will act as platform for exhibiting innovative products and manufacturing processes
developed in India.
Asia Business Forum would comprise of a series of seminars, CEO meets, roundtables
and networking events on economic challenges, investment opportunities, design and
innovation.
Hackathon would be a 24 hour marathon event where coders, engineers and

designers collaborate intensively for 24 hours to come up with ideas to solve urban design
problems.
PM Modi in his speech stated that India is blessed with three Ds: Democracy, Demography
and Demand. To this we have added another D Deregulation.
Maharashtra inked 3 MoUs on the first day of flagship week:
Maharashtra had signed MoUs with 3 companies on the first day of the event, worth Rs.21, 400
crore.
BHU turns 100 years & set to honour PM Modi with Doctor of Law
Established in 1916 by freedom fighter Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, Banaras Hindu
University (BHU) has completed its 100 years of foundation on 13th February 2016.
BHU had played an important role in the freedom movement of India.
It was aimed to act as a bridge between Indias past and modernising world system in the
areas of social sciences, humanities particularly in evolving non-colonial history as a
discipline.
Peacock, Indias National Bird, Could Be Termed Vermin In Goa

The national bird of India Peacock will be termed a vermin and collected in Goa.
They cause brutal damage to crops like monkey and wild boars and therefore declared
Vermin.
Peacock is a protected species under the Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act,
1972.
The step is taken after compiling the record of the complaints received from farmers of
crop destruction by these animals.
20 | P a g e

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa unveils new projects worth Rs 1,002.02 crore
J Jayalalithaa Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu had inaugurated a series of projects worth Rs
1,002.02 crore which are taken up by Highways and Minor Ports Department.
The project includes construction of new bridges, railway over bridges and
buildings.
Foundation stone for construction of five bridges and five railways over bridges had
been laid down.The project will help the local people and the other connected states
Mysuru sat at top in Swachh Survekshan 2016

Minister of Urban Development M.Venkaiah Naidu released the results of Swachh Survekshan2016 of 73 major cities that were surveyed for sanitation last month.
As per results, Mysuru led the list as the cleanest city in the country while Dhanbad has
been ranked at the bottom.

Here is the list of top 10 cities
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
City
Mysore
Chandigarh
Tiruchirapalli
New Delhi Municipal Corporation
Visakhapatnam
Surat
Rajkot
Gangtok
Pimpri-Chinchwad
Greater Mumbai
State/UT
Karnataka
Chandigarh
Tamil Nadu
New Delhi
Andhra Pradesh
Gujarat
Gujarat
Sikkim
Maharashtra
Mumbai
Benefits only for who won quota place The above benefits will not be applicable for
athletes who have lost all chances to win a quota place for India for Olympics 2016. They
would have to apply in the normal course for assistance under NSDF.
The athletes are requested to decide their training programs for preparation for Olympics
2016 on immediate basis.
The 2016 Summer Olympics will hold from August 5 to August 21, 2016 in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil.
Centre sanctions nearly Rs 4,100 crore disaster relief to 7 states

The government of India had sanctioned a sum of nearly Rs 4,100 crore as a disaster relief
fund to seven states.
These seven states are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland,
Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
Key Highlights
The High Level Committee (HLC) had approved Rs 4,087.27 crore as central support to the
21 | P a g e

states affected by floods and drought.
From the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) Andhra Pradesh will get Rs 280.19 crore,
Assam with Rs 332.57 crore, Himachal Pradesh with Rs 170.19 crore, Nagaland with Rs
16.02 crore, Jharkhand with Rs 336.94 crore, Rajasthan with Rs 1177.59 crore and Tamil
Nadu with Rs 1773.78 crore for the natural disasters.
Uttar Pradesh govt amends UP land reform act

Uttar Pradesh had amended the Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reform Act.
The amendment allows the Scheduled castes to sell their farms to non-dalits without
taking permission from District magistrate.
The new amendment replaces the Land Revenue Act of 1901, Zamindari Abolition
and Land Reform Act 1950 and Land Revenue Act, 2015.
Before the act dalits have to sell their land only to daltis which was creating problems for
them while selling their land.
BHEL fully commissions 101 MW power plant in Tripura

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) had commissioned a 101 MW gas-based Combined
Cycle Power Plant (CCPP) in Tripura.
This plant had been commissioned at Monarchak, 66 km from Agartala city.
The order was placed by North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) on
BHEL.
ONGC will supply the gas for the project.
IIT (K), ICMR join hands for joint research

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur and Indian Council of Medical
Research(ICMR) are collaborating for joint research, exchange of faculty and students as well as
tapping into international scientists and entrepreneurs under Global Initiative of Academic
Networks'(GIAN).
Keyfacts :
The two institutes are collaborating to facilitate student exchange programmes for a
short duration, such as summer/winter terms or short courses, or for a longer duration
not exceeding two semesters.
The two entities will also explore joint research projects under IIT Kharagpur-led
IMPRINT (IMPacting Research, Innovation and Technology) initiative in healthcare.
This initiative is likely to be funded by ICMR, ministry of human resource and

development(MHRD), other Indian funding agencies and external funding agencies.
Govt to increase number of e-Seva centres in villages to 250,000
Communication and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad announced to increase
22 | P a g e

number of common service centres in the country to cover 250,000 gram
panchayatssoon.Currently, there are 150,000 such centres in the country.
Highlights :
It will enable village-level entrepreneur to talk to national-level experts for guidance, apart from
being an e-services distribution point.
We have tied up with NIC and a bank and once they go through it will rise monumentally.
We are the first in the country to offer these services.
The government had used their e-procurement system for 1.18 million tenders worth
over 17.2 lakh crore until January 2016.
National Capital goods policy unveiled

The Government of India had unveiled the National Capital Goods Policy under the Make in
India apparition.
Key Highlights
This is the first ever policy for the capital goods sector.
It aims at increasing the production of capital goods from 230,000 Cr in 2014-15 toRs.
750,000 Cr in 2025 and elevating direct and indirect employment from the current 8.4
million to 30 million.
It is a unique scheme for the growth of industrial development by Government for scripting
a new growth.
The new policy foresees increasing exports from the current 27% to 40% of production.
Making India a net exporter of capital goods the policy will increase the share of domestic
production in India from 60% to 80%.
Through Heavy Industry Export & Market Development Assistance Scheme (HIEMDA) the
policy will enhance the export of capital goods of India.
Jharkhand gets first mega Food Park

The Food Processing Sector in Jharkhand gets its first Mega Food Park in the State which will
directly beneficial for about 25,000 30,000 farmers.
The cost of the Mega Food Park is 114.73 crore and will be projected in an area of
51.50 Acres.
It will have facilities of Multi Chamber Cold Storage, Dry Warehouse, Vegetable
Dehydration Line, modern Quality Control& Testing Laboratory and other processing
facilities for fruits & vegetables.
Indian Government to distribute 14 crore Soil Health cards by March 2017

The government of India will distribute Rs. 14 crore to Soil Health card in the country by March
2017
The aim of the initiative is to distributed soil health cards to 66 lakh farmers this
year and to 14 crore peasants by 2017 by achieving the target.
23 | P a g e
The Agriculture Minister highlights the need to convey modern technology in agriculture
sector.
Commemoration of 200th Birth Anniversary of Tatya Tope

The Ministry of Culture with the support of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library organized a
Special Lecture and a National Conference as part of Commemoration of Tatya Topes
200th Birth Anniversary.
Makkhan Lal, of Delhi Institute of Heritage Research and Management, New Delhi gave
the Special Lecture on the topic of First War of Independence and the Indian
Nation.
Cabinet approves to ink a consent in the area of Traditional Medicine b/w AYUSH and
WHO
Union Cabinet has given its stamp of approval to ink a concord in the area of Traditional
Medicine between Ministry of AYUSH, GOI and World Health Organization, Geneva.
For carrying out collaborative activities, the spending will be met from the allocated
budget under the current plan schemes of Ministry of AYUSH.
As a part of collaboration, WHO activities will assign to India for the development of following WHO
technical publications which will help in improving International acceptability and branding of Ayush
systems.
1. Benchmarks for training in Yoga
2. Benchmarks for practice in Ayurveda
3. Benchmarks for practice in Unani Medicine
4. Benchmarks for practice in Panchakarma
Himachals Samej village becomes smokeless by Indian Oil Corporation
The Samej village in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh becomes smokeless by the Indian Oil
Corporation (IOC) under the Union Governments campaign.
Indian Oil Corporation authorities distributed 130 gas connections to the villagers before
these villagers were using fire wood in their homes.
The Indian Oil Corporation initiative made this village hundred percent smokeless.
In Himachal 83 percent people are using the LPG.
Such initiatives will help to make the state fully smoke free and will prevent deforestation.
ICC Cricket for Good and UNICEF launched Team Swachh clinics in partnership with BCCI
International Cricket Council (ICC) and United Nations Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
had launched theTeam Swachh clinics in partnership with BCCI during the ICC WT20 Host City
Tour.
24 | P a g e
The Team Swachh clinics were launched at theHPCA Stadium in Dharamshala,

Himachal Pradesh.
This is the first in the series of alliance between the ICC and UNICEF under the aegis of
Cricket for Good.
The alliance aims at building a social movement for sanitation and toilet use with the
impact of cricket.
CCEA approves construction of 6 railway lines at a cost of Rs. 10,700 cr

The Cabinet on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had approved the construction of 6 railway lines and
a railway bridge at an estimated cost of Rs 10,700 crore.
These six lanes include Hubli-Chickajur line, Wardha (Sewagram) Ballarshah, RamnaSingrauli line Anuppur-Katni, Katni-Singrauli line and Rampur Dumra-Tal-Rajendrapul
line.
The new railway lines will organize the increased railway passenger and their needs.
Haryana, South Korean state of Chungcheongbuk to collaborate on technology and

development
Haryana and South Korean state of Chungcheongbuk had agreed to collaborate on technology
and development.
Haryanas CM Manohar Lal Khattar had accepted the proposal for sister-statehood
relationship made with delegation from South Korea.
Some of the South Korean companies in India are Samsung,LG and Hyundai and
currently added companies are Kakodear, Casco, LS cables and SD Bio Sensor.
For the Happening Haryana Global Investors Summit-2016 government invites the South
Korean businesses and investors which is scheduled to be organized in Gurgaon on March
7-8.
AID to urban poor!! 81,757 houses in 7 states

In a bid to benefit urban poor under the PMs Awas Yojana (Urban), Ministry of Housing & Urban
Poverty Alleviation accredited construction of 81,757 houses for
Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in urban areas in 7
states.
Project Outlay Rs. 4, 076 cr
The total houses sanctioned Housing for All initiative of the

Government will be built under two components viz.
State
West Bengal
Telangana
Bihar
Mizoram
Rajasthan
Jharkhand
Uttarakhand
Houses
27,830
22,817
13,315
8,922
6,052
2,337
484
Cities
38
45
40
6
9
24
1
1. Beneficary Led Construction Out of total houses sanctioned, 58,456 houses will be
built under this component. As a part of this, beneficiaries will build new houses on
their own land with assistance from central and state governments.
25 | P a g e

2. Affordable Housing in Partnership Rest 23,301 houses will be built on the terms
that state governments will provide land and the central government gives an
assistance of 1.50 lakh per each beneficiary.
Khurja Yard gets Ultra-Modern Signalling System makeover
In a bid to match pace with latest technological innovations, Indian Railway Project
Management Unit (IRPMU), an arm of North Central Railway in association with
theConstruction and Open Line Units of the Railway, initiated a computer-based signalling
system at Khurja junction, a city famous for pottery in Uttar Pradesh.
After remodeling and re-signalling, yard will have 256 possible movements leading to
immense flexibility.
Key features of the project:
After remodeling and re-signalling, yard will have 256 possible movements leading to
immense flexibility.
Signalling system in hot standby configuration has been used to provide redundancy to
increase reliability.
All operations are being done through VDUs (Visual Display Unit) provided in SM room of
Khurja station by click of a mouse leading to faster clearance of trains.
Standing room of all lines increased to accommodate full train lengths including two lines
for accommodating long haul trains of 118 wagons increasing freight moving capacity.
Tamilnadu And West Bengal To Invest 150crores In Waste Management

Solid waste management is a project under the Swachh Bharat mission. It has been found that
the Indian cities generate about 170 million tonnes of solid waste every year.
The government has allocated 37000 crores of 62,009 crores for solid waste
management. Now according to sources from urban ministry, Tamil Nadu and West
Bengal have used around 150 crores in this regard.
Tamil Nadu - TN government has set up a waste management plant at Venkatamangalam

West Bengal - West Bengal govt has utilized 92 crores to set up 200 compactors across the state
for waste management
Union Cabinet gives nod to Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016
Union Cabinet had given nod to Election laws (Amendment) Bill 2016 in the Budget session of
Parliament to amend two electoral laws.
Section 11 of the Delimitation Act, 2002 and Section 9 of the Representation of the
People Act, 1950 were amended.
As per the amendment voting rights are given to the people who became Indian citizens
following the exchange of enclaves between India and Bangladesh.
26 | P a g e

First phase of Keralas smart city project inaugurated
The first phase of Keralas dream project i.e. SmartCity project has been jointly initiated by
states CM Oommen Chandy and UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammad Al Gergawi. The
project includes Rs 400 crore 6.5 lakh sq ft information technology tower.
The project is a joint venture of Dubai Holding and Kerala government which is pegged to
provide 5,500 knowledge based jobs.

Apart from the first phase inauguration, ministers also launched 4.7 million sq ft phase-two. It will
be completed in 36 months and provide 60,000 jobs.
Amendments to the Delimitation Act, 2002- approved by Cabinet
The Union cabinet headed by PM Narendra Modi on February 17 gave its assent to
the Amendments of Delimitation Act,2002.This is in continuation of Constitution
(100thAmendment)Act, 2015 and it further allows the introduction of Election laws amendment bill
in 2016.
In a historically important pact signed between Bangladesh and India on 31st July 2015, it
was agreed to exchange 51 Bangladesh enclaves and 111 Indian enclaves
Government nods clearance for 8 Highway projects

The government on Friday gave its approval for clearance of 8 highway projects worth 6000
crores.The total length of the project is about 350 kms.
2 Project has to be based on Hybrid-annuity model and remaining six under EPC method
The major benefiters of the highway project are Maharastra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab
,Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh
Key features of the project
2 Project has to be based on Hybrid-annuity model and remaining six under EPC method
The major benefiters of the highway project are Maharastra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab
,Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh
Now, tricolour to fly high at all central universities

In the aftermath of meeting called by Human Resource Ministry led by Smiriti Zubin Irani
attended by 42 Vice Chancellors it is unanimously decided that central place in all central
universities which comes under the ambit of Union Government Indian National Flag will be flown.
Unfolding Nation Flag will instilling the spirit of nationalism most of the VCs said in the
meeting held at Surajkund in Haryana.
All central universities to fly national flag on a 207 Feet high mast their campuses.
Make In India Week ends on a High Note
The Make In India week launched by PM Narendra Modi in Mumbai between February 1318ended on a high note attracting huge industrial investments.
27 | P a g e

Keypoints
Organized by DIPP and attracted a total investment of 2 Trillion
Maharashtra holds half of the investments
More than 9000 Indian companies and 2000 foreign companies participated
representing 20 countries and 29 states
BHEL commissioned 270 MW unit of GVK power plant in Punjab

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd has commissioned a 270-MW coal-based thermal power project of
GVK Power & Infra Ltd in Tarn Taran District of Punjab.The second unit of the project is expected
to be commissioned shortly of same capacity.
BHEL has also commissioned four Hydel power units of 82.5 MW each at Alaknanda Hydro
Power project in Uttarakhand earlier this fiscal.
These thermal power sets of 270 MW rating have been improvised in house output of
210-250 MW which have been performing much above the national Average and
International benchmarks.
Maharashtra to set up Green Corridor to transport Organs

Maharashtra government has decided to formulate policy on Green Corridor to transport
organs within the stipulated time.
The government also mooted the proposal

to appoint a nodal officer to oversee the
hurdles faced by the police over
jurisdiction issues.
The window period for transport of organs

is about five to six hours .The time not
sufficient to transport of organs by road in
case of farther cities to sort out these
issues Government is proposing more than
one organ at the same time to the
significant cost reduction.
The government is planning to waive 20

% state taxes levied on airlines for air
Sector
Women development
Education, Art, Culture and
Rural Development
Agriculture
General Services,
Social Security
Public Works and transport
Interest Payment
Energy
Medical and Public Health
Urban Development
Public Debt Repayment
Other Economic Services
Mines and Industries
Others
Percent
43.72
15.30
13.78
13.07
10.99
9.76
8
6.90
6.32
4.82
3.53
3.26
2.42
0.72
0.15
ambulances.
Jharkhand State Budget 2016-17 publicized
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das presented Rs 63,502 crore budget for 2016-17 with
strong focus on agriculture, curbing tax evasion and women.
As per annual financial statement, from the total budget outlay, Rs

26,437.34crore was non-plan and Rs 37,065.35 crore was under plan.
28 | P a g e

Key Highlights of Budget
State Budget of 2016-17 proposed to construct 71 new Smart Police Stations in 16 extremisthit districts, CCTV surveillance in Ranchi and Dial 100 for police assistance.
Free LED solar study lamps for school students.
Multi-purpose examination halls to ensure regular studies.
Grants to the poor and the needy to visit religious or other tourist destinations in the
state or the country.
The government will also start a pension scheme for the HIV/AIDS victims at a rate of Rs
600 per month.
90% subsidy for solar pump.
For Women:
Training will be provided to 2,000 women from the SC/ST and OBC categories for
driving light three-wheelers and four-wheelers. Loans will be easily available to buy
vehicles.
Widow pension of Rs. 600 would be given to women above 40.
Working womens hostels are to be constructed in six cities.
For Agriculture:
Setting up of single window system in all blocks of the state, beginning with 100 in
the first phase.
Solar pumps, lift irrigation and organic farming will also be promoted.
Awareness will be created among farmers to use power tillers in place of tractors due to
their efficiency and effectiveness.
MLAs local area development fund has been increased to Rs 4 crore from Rs 3 crore.
They will utilize them only for irrigation projects.
Royal state and Heart of India composed SPVs for Smart Cities
As per the statement of Ministry of Urban Development, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have
leading the charts in establishing the Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) for the implementation of
smart city plans.
(Minister of Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu)
The Ministry of Urban Development will infuse 200 crore for the 20 selected cities only after
SPVs are set up.
Where SPVs have been set up?

SPVs have been set up for five cities which include Jabalpur, Indore and Bhopal in Madhya
Pradesh and Jaipur and Udaipur in Rajasthan.
Madhya Pradesh has set up a 12-member SPV for each of the three cities.
Rajasthan has set up an 11-member SPV for Jaipur and a 13-member body for Udaipur.
The remaining 15 cities will form SPVs in the next two weeks.
29 | P a g e

PMs Hometown Restricts Mobile For Women
Narendra Modi is willing to take the Digital India initiative to the rural regions of the nation whereas
on the contrary in his hometown a village called Mehsana near Suraj has restricted unmarried
women to use mobile. The village leaders say that mobiles like liquor are spoiling the youth.
Flash points
It restricts unmarried women from using a mobile phone
If found violating the village resolution a fine of 2100 is to be paid
A reward of 200 is given to the informers
Girls can speak through their relatives phone
Madhya Pradeshs Katni to have Indias longest railway bridge

Katni in Madhya Pradesh to have Indias longest railway bridge of 14 km in length which is
three and half folds longer than the Vembanad rail Bridge that connects Edappally and
Vallarpadam of 4.6 Km in length.
The Vembanad rail bridge in Kerala build by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) in 28
months at a cost of Rs.200
Once the project comes to operation, it would be the longest Railway Bridge among
the16 railway zones of the country.
Its total length would be 21 Km included the down line of the bridge would be 7 Km
Swachh Himachal Padhai bhi, Safai bhi campaign launched

Anurag Thakur, President of Himimachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) and BCCI secretary
announced the launch of Swachh Himachal Campaign Padhai bhi, Safai bhi in Dharmashala.
Aim: creating awareness and better understanding among youth about the current sanitation
situation in the state and working for the betterment of it.
It seeks the youths to participate in the events organized on behalf of this campaign to
transform of the beauty of the small state and to incentivize them various opportunities
will be offered.
The campaign will be driven across 12 districts focusing urban and rural areas. This
campaign will be led by youths hailing from educational institutions. The selected students
termed Swachh Captains and Teachers included in it be named Swachh Teachers.
Uma Bharti to Inaugurate Jal Manthan 2016

Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharati
to inaugurate Jal Manthan 2 in New Delhi. The first episode of the event was organized in
November 2014.
The Theme of the Event is Integrated Approach for sustainable water

Management and the event will last for two days.
30 | P a g e

Mahamaham Celebration ends with Theerthavari in Tamilnadu
Mahamaham which is a Hindu religious festival celebrated in Kumbakonam once in twelve years
during the full moon of Tamil month Maasi (Feb-March).It ends on Feb 22 this year with the last
day grand eve being the Holydip.Auspicious time of Holy dip is between 12 noon and 1 PM.
Mahamaham also known as Kumba-mela is a ten day festival celebrated by Hindus once
in 12 years
This year the eve began on Feb 13 and ended on Feb 22 with last day being more special
known as the Theerthavari or Holy dip
Around 10 lakh devotees from various parts of the country were gathered to take a Holy
dip in the tank which contains water from 20 Holy Springs.
Last Kumbamela took place on March 6, 2004
Kasaragod district of Kerala declared as Zero Landless District

Kasaragod district of Kerala has been declared as the second zero landless district, after
Kannur.
It was announced during the title deed mela by the Keralas home minister Ramesh
Chennithala. The event was presided by states revenue minister Adoor Prakash.
30,900 plots have been identified for zero landless scheme in Kasargod District.
As a part of project, 73 acres of land in Kasaragod taluk and 971.10 acres have been
made available in Hosdurg taluk.
Other Highlights of Events
To ensure land for all in the state, 10,271 landless families were given title deeds for
three cents land each under the project.
27 applicants were handed over the title deeds directly by the Ministers at the function
while the rest were allotted land through 51 counters specially set up in the stadium
grounds.
The plots for the applicants were chosen through draw of lots in the presence of peoples
representatives with the assistance of the C-Dit.
Empowered Group of State Transport Ministers formed to suggest measures on transport

sector
Union Ministry of Road and Transport and Highways led by Mr. NitinGadkari announced the
Empowered Group of State Transport ministers Headed by Rajasthan Transport Minister Yunus
Khan formed to suggest measures on ailing transport sector.
AIM: To Advice on policy issues to make the Countrys transport sector modern efficient and
transparent manner, and pledged to strengthen the sector.
To sort out accidents and traffic jams there is a need for technology that uses Satellite it
similar to Air traffic Control and river Traffic Control
31 | P a g e
He also stated 5 lakhs accidents that accounts about 1.5 lakh lives and pledged to
reduce 50% of them by next five years.
42nd Khajuraho Dance Festival Begins In MP

The 42nd Khajuraho Dance Festival begun in Khajuraho, Chhatrapur District in Madhya Pradesh
The famous festival to showcases verities of classical Dances including Kathak,

Bharatanatyam,Oddissi, and Kuchipudi giving a picture of the ancient tales like Mahishsur
Mardini and Krishna Rasa the auspicious showcase is organized by Department of Culture,
Madhya Pradesh.
The festival is celebrated on the framework of Khajuraho Temple build by Chandela

Dynasty between 950 and 1050 AD.
The Performances includes Classical dances, Documentaries, Short Films related to

fine Arts and it will be held in front of the temples dedicated to Surya (The lord Sun) at
ChitraguptaTemple and Lord Shiva at Vishwanatha Temple.
The Khajuraho Temple is a group of Hindu and Jain Temples in Madhya Pradesh.
They are one of the UNESCO World heritage Sites in India.
Exhibition on history of Indian coin & currency held at Great Hall

Displaying the history of Indian coinage, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley initiated an exhibition
oncoin and currency of India in the Great Hall of North Block, New Delhi.
The exhibition was organised by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.
This exhibition showcased the how money has changed in appearance and
substance and evolved from barter to coins to the present day bank notes and e-money.
Other events at exhibition

Book titled Sentinels of Raisina Hill authored by Mohan Joseph (Controller General of
Accounts) and Dhirendra Singh (former Home Secretary) and other book dubbed Indian Paper
Money penned by Shri Razack presented a copy each of their respective books to the Finance
Minister.
Here are some Interesting and Important facts regarding Indian currency
There cannot be banknotes in denominations higher than ten thousand rupees.
Coins can be issued up to the denomination of Rs 1000 in terms of Coinage Act, 2011.
The highest denomination note ever printed by RBI was the Rs 10000
note in 1938and 1954. These notes were demonetized in 1946 and again in 1978
respectively.
Currency paper is composed of cotton and cotton rag.
Notes are printed at four printing presses located at Nashik (Maharashta), Dewas(Madhya
Pradesh), Mysore (Karnataka) and Salboni (West Bengal).
Coins are minted at the four mints at Mumbai, Noida, Kolkata and Hyderabad.
32 | P a g e
Security Paper Mill that produces papers for banknotes and nonjudicial stamps is situated
at Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh.
The amount of a banknote is written on it in 17 official languages of India.
Assam Cabinet approved Metro Rail for Guwahati

Assam Cabinet approved Mass Rapid Transit System and given green signal to Detailed Project
Report of Guwahati Metro Rail Corporation Limited.
The 203 Km Metro Corridor will be completed in three phases, The Whooping 18,020
crore projects detailed project Report with 4 lines adding 61.4 Km in the first Phase
of the project prepared by RITES Ltd.
Phase I of the Project consists of 4 Lines with 54 Stations and all the trains will come
up with 3 coach structure that has the capacity of carrying 975 passengers each
The Project total cost would be shared by center and state government by 20% eachand
local bodies to contribute Rs. 350 Crore , while the remaining Rs. 10,074 crore will be
funded through soft loans from funding agencies guaranteed by the Center.
The Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi will lay the foundation of the project on
February 29 in Kahnapara where a station will come up to serve as node between the Line
2 and Line 3.
India to host 3rd Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation

As a move to conserve the tiger population the 3rd Asian Ministerial conference is set to begin
on April 12 in India. The conference is inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
13 Nations will participate in this conference which includes Bangladesh, Bhutan,

Cambodia, China, Indonesia, India, Lao-PDR, Myanmar, Malaysia, Nepal, Russia,
Thailand and Vietnam.
It aims at promoting awareness about tiger conservation in Asia and around the world
Countries will share their knowledge about tiger conservation and exchange ideas
India having around 70% of tiger population will be the pivotal country
The tiger population has improved from 1912 to 2226 in India in last few years
Mizoram launched National Food Security Act, 2013

Mizoram Government officially Launched National Food Security Act, 2013 and will come in effect
from March 1, 2016.The Act was launched by Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs
Minister John Rotluangliana at Aizwal in Mizoram.
Highlights :
Priority Group people will be issued Subsidized rice through Public Distribution System from
March 1, necessary arrangements have made to implement on time.
The Act will cover two third of the states population , Up to 75 % of the Rural
population and 50% urban population for receiving the subsidized food grain.
33 | P a g e
Over 706, 296 out of the total population of 11 lakh would be provided rice at subsidized
rate while the non-beneficiaries could buy eight kg of rice per month at a cost of Rs. 15 per
Kg.
9, 814 tonnes of rice would be required every month to meet the requirement of Public
Distribution through this Act.
Sex ratio upgraded from 933 in 2001 to 943 in 2011

In accordance with the information received from Office of Registrar General of India (RGI),
India has shown a mounting in sex ratio from 933 females in 2001 to 943 in 2011 for every
1,000 males.
As per report, female births has increased to 1,06,36,276 in 2013 from 94,63,528 in
2012 as compared to 1,18,44,107 and 1,04,25,752 male births in the corresponding
years.
This improvement in sex ratio is due to the measures taken by govt for girl child through
gender sensitive policies, provisions and legislations.
Cabinet approves incentivise cashless transactions

The Union cabinet has approved to incentivize cashless transactions by providing support in
various ways.
It has withdrawn charges levied by banks, financial organization for using cards and
other digital means of money transfer
It also have paved way to use cashless transactions in government offices by removing
the need to provide proof
Rationalization of Merchant Discount rate on telecom services to promote mobile

banking
This will curb the illegal transactions as most of them are taking place through cash
transactions
President inaugurates Indias first gender park in Kozhikode

The nations first gender park to come up in the Indias Digital state Kerala, and it will be
inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee in Kozhikode.
The Complex named Thantedam Gender Park will come up at Vellimadukunnu

in Kozhikode District, and the laid foundation stone put down on March 8 2013 by the
Kerela Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
The park is initiative mooted by Social Justice Department of Kerala
The Complex named Thantedam Gender Park will come up

at Vellimadukunnu inKozhikode District, and the laid foundation stone put down on
March 8 2013 by the Kerela Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
34 | P a g e
The park is initiative mooted by Social Justice Department of Kerala Government to

address social issues pertaining to all the three genders and to create an environment to
share global Knowledge and Experience in Gender Inequalities.
Union Government released Seismic Microzonation reports for Delhi and Kolkata
Seismic Microzonation reports for Delhi and Kolkata has been released by Union Minister for
Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh Vardhan in New Delhi.
In order to minimize the damage of natural calamities like earthquake, microzonation is a

measure where the emphasis on the impact of earthquake on the habitat is given.
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) classified the entire country into 4 major groups from Zone-V
(High intensity) to Zone-II (Low intensity).
National Capital Territory (NCT) Delhi is located in Seismic zone IV of the macro seismic
zoning map of the country.
earthquake vulnerability of Kolkata placed at the border of Seismic Zone III and IV
Reports regarding Delhi and Kolkata
The Earthquake Risk Evaluation Center (under the IMD) who has merged
withNational Centre for Seismology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, undertook the
microzonation of the NCT Delhi and generated an integrated seismic hazard map of Delhi.
The Seismic Microzonation project for Kolkata was conceived by Indian Institute of
Technology Kharagpur in consortium with a few other organizations in Kolkata under
the aegis of the Geosciences Division, Ministry of Earth Sciences with full financial
support from the Ministry.
Sonam kapoor starrer Neerja declared tax free in Delhi

The movie Neerja starring Sonam Kapoor in the lead role has been declared tax free
in Delhiand UP followed by Maharashtra and Gujarat. The movie is based on the real life
of Neerja Bhanot .
Neerja Bhanot, a young flight attendant was shot dead while saving 350 passengers from
terrorists on hijacked plane in 1986
The film Neerja based on this real life story was declared tax free by Maharastra and
Gujarat initially and now Delhi and UP have also given tax exemption for the movie
Announcement was made by deputy CM Manish Sisodia in Delhi while Uttar Pradesh
CM Akhilesh yadav tweeted about this yesterday
13th World spice congress begins in Ahmedabad

13th world spice congress-an event conducted by spices board, the cochin hill produce merchant
association and All India Spices Importers & Distributors Association begins in Ahmedabad.
It is a three day event. Around 1000 attendants are likely to participate in the event
Slogan: Target 2020: clean, safe and sustainable supply chain
35 | P a g e
India controls almost half of the world trade of spices contributing 48% in volume and
43% value in world spice trade
It exports 18% of the total production
Kerala Becomes Indias First Digital State

Kerala becomes Indias first Digital State in the country by President Pranab Mukherjee,
formally at Digital Empowerment Campaign in Kozhikode.
The states initiative will bridge the Countrys Digital Divide by 2020.
Kerala having linked all villages in the state withbroadband connectivity under
the National Optical Fibre Network Project
Kerala state boasts of many first in the Human Development Index and the
Administrative works of the state to go digitally that makes the work more transparent
and efficient.
Kerala E- Literacy:
Kerala government has launched two major projects in 2002 that made breakthrough, namely
1. Akshaya Project which aims making at least one person in every family E-literate.
2. The IT@school project with the objective of providing basic computer Knowledge to
every high school student.
E-governance in Kerala:
The Digital state has over 600 e governance applications covering almost all
departments and delivering E services to the citizens.
The state has over 95 % mobile density and Internet Access covering over 60 % of the
population.
Digital Literacy Campaign:
This Campaign aims at the Digital Empowerment of citizens from all walks of life and
enable ordinary citizens to access government and private services in secure manner.
Once the Campaign extended throughout the state it will cover about three
millioncitizens in the age group of 30-60 years.
The state is on track towards becoming a fully Digital Society by 2020.
NOFN Project:
Kerala is the first state in the country to complete NOFN project imitated in 2011.
The Department of Telecom is set to Complete NOFN rollout to 2.5 lakh villages and
Panchayats in India by March 2016.
About 70,000 km of Optical Fibre is to be laid for this project and the total cost of the
initiative is Rs. 30,000 crore.
Govt to mobilise Rs 10 lakh crore investment under Sagarmala

Union Government to mobilise Rs. 10 crore investment under Ambitious Sagarmala Project,
the mobilization includes 4 crore in the Infrastructure alone.This ambitious project is important
36 | P a g e

as Maritime logistics is a key component in Indian Economy, Accounting 90 % Export Import
trade by Volume and 72% of Trade by Value.
The project identified 150 projects under its belt, of the 150 projects emphasizing Ports
modernization and community Development projects.
The project identified 150 projects under its belt, of the 150 projects emphasizing Ports
modernization and community Development projects.
Kempegowda airport receives platinum certificate from CII

Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru became the first in the nation to receive Green-Co
platinum certificate from Confederation of Indian Industries(CII)
This certificate is given based on the Green-Co rating system which is first of its kind to
assess the environmental impact created by organizations
It assess the organization based on the implementation of water saving

projects,energy efficiency ,utilization of renewable energy, greenhouse as emission,
waste management, optimizing Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and green supply chain amongst
others.
Earlier CII-silver certificate was given to BIAL in 2012
President inaugurates Indias first IT Park by labour cooperative & Kerala Tourisms
Muziris Heritage Project
President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated UL Cyber Park under the Uralungal Labour
Contract Cooperative Society in Kozhikode, Kerala.
The park to come in 25 acre land and the estimated cost of 270 crore at Nellikode in
Kozhikode district.
The IT Park will provide Direct Employment to 4500 people in the first phase, indirect
employment to 20,000 people, the park will export IT solutions and products to United
States
Kerala Tourisms Muziris Heritage Project
President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the first phase of Kerala Tourisms Muziris
Heritage Project at the International Research and convention Centre,
Kodungalloor.
This project aims to create awareness and understanding of the cultural distinctiveness
and diversity of Muziris and to promote sustainable development.
Muziris project compromises the best of Heritage tourism and to bring economic
benefits to the local people as well as knowledge to tourists about the ancient place.
The project envisages Spice route initiative of the state with the help of UNESCO to
recover historic trade ties with 41 countries.
37 | P a g e

Madhya Pradesh presented State budget of 2016-17
Finance minister Jayant Malaiya proposed the Madhya Pradesh state budget in legislative
assembly in Bhopal on Friday. The budget estimates for 1.58 lakh crores.
Total revenue receipts of the year 2016-17 estimates to be 14 crores which

includes46500 crores as States own tax revenue, 43676.36 crores as share from
Central taxes,11481.63 crores as Non-tax revenue and 24437.15 crores from Central
Grants
Flash points
Total revenue receipts of the year 2016-17 estimates to be 14 crores which

includes46500 crores as States own tax revenue, 43676.36 crores as share from
Central taxes,11481.63 crores as Non-tax revenue and 24437.15 crores from Central
Grants
Revenue expenditure for the year is estimated to be 33 crores in which Plan

expenditure amounts to 74401.69 crores, Tribal sub plan amounts to 16500
croresand Scheduled caste sub plan accounts for 11781.53 crores
Major Schemes
Inter-caste marriage promotion scheme To promote inter-caste marriages

monetary incentive is increased from 50000 rupees to 2 lakh rupees. This scheme aims at
eliminating untouchability
e-shakti campaign It aims at training 3 lakh rural women to use Internet
The budget also proposes a increase in VAT on plastic products
Usha Kiran Kendra It will be set to in every district of the state with an aim
ofempowering women. It will be established on the lines of One Stop Crisis Centers.
These centers will provide legal and economic help to victims of domestic violence
Ladli Laxmi Yojana 903 crore rupees was allotted for the scheme, under which
more than 21 lakh girls have been benefitted till date
An entry tax of 6% for the goods purchased online is to be levied as e-commerce

results in loss of revenues
Punjab Government ban the sale of Army uniform in the state

Punjab government imposed a ban on the sale of Army uniform in the state without proper
identification. This announcement came following the Pathankot and Gurdaspur attacks in the
state.
It becomes mandatory to submit the Phone number and Self attested copy of
identity card to the seller to buy Army uniform
This rule came into force as some terrorists disguised themselves in Army uniform during
the recent Pathankot and Gurdaspur attacks in Punjab
The ban also includes the sale of red and blue stickers used by police vehicles
The government also prohibited the use of plates of political parties on vehicles
38 | P a g e
Union Budget 2016 17

On 29th February 2016, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented his third Union Budget for
2016-17 citing the acceleration of GDP growth to 7.6%. CPI inflation has come down to 5.4%.
Union Budget comes into effect from April 1.
Highlights of Union budget

Nine pillars of budget Governance and ease of doing business, fiscal discipline, tax
reforms, Agriculture and farmers welfare , Rural sector with focus on employment,social sector with
healthcare, Educational skills and job creation, Infrastructure and investment & financial sector
reforms.
Tax Proposals No changes have been made to existing income tax slabs
Tax relief
Taxpayers with income below Rs. 5 Lakh per year Relief of 3000 p.a. under section
87A.
Taxpayers living in rented houses HRA deduction up from Rs. 24, 000 to 60,000 p.a.
under section 80 GG.
Corporate tax
Corporate IT rate for companies not exceeding Rs. 5 crore turnover has been
decreased to 25% plus surcharge.
New manufacturing companies incorporated on or after 3.2016 to be taxed at 25% plus

cess plus surcharge.
Start up
100% deduction of profits for 3 out of 5 years for startups setup during April, 2016 to
March, 2019 except MAT.
Affordable Housing
100% deduction for profits to an undertaking in housing project for flats upto 30 sq.
metres in four metro cities and 60 sq. metres in other cities approved during June
2016 to March 2019 and completed in three years. MAT will apply.
First time home buyers get additional Rs 50,000 deduction for housing loans up to35
lakh, provided cost of house is not above Rs. 50 lakh.
Service Tax Exemption
For houses built less than 60 square metres.
Services provided under Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana and by
Assessing Bodies empanelled by Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.
On general insurance services provided under Niramaya Health Insurance

Scheme launched by National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral
Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disability.
Exemption from service tax for Annuity services provided by NPS and Services provided
by EPFO to employees.
39 | P a g e

National Pension Scheme
40% of withdrawal at the time of retirement under NPS to be tax exempt.
Tax on rich
Surcharge on income tax for those with incomes exceeding 1 crore per annum
increased from 12% to 15%.
Tax on Car
1 % infra cess on small cars, 2.5 % on diesel and 4% high capacity tax for SUVs.
1% service charge on purchase of luxury cars over 10 lakh and in cash purchase of
goods and services over Rs. 2 lakh.
MSME Category
Increase the turnover limit under Presumptive taxation scheme under section
44ADof the Income Tax Act to 2 crores to bring big relief to a large number of assessee
in the MSME category.
Others
Rs 1,000 crore allocated for new EPF (Employees Provident Fund) scheme.
Krishi Kalyan Cess @ 0.5% on all taxable services, w.e.f. 1 June 2016.
Clean Energy Cess levied on coal, lignite and peat renamed to Clean Environment
Cess and rate increased from 200 per tonne to 400 per tonne.
Excise on readymade garments with retail price of 1000 or more rose to 2% without
input tax credit or 12.5% with input tax credit.
Excise duty of 1% without input tax credit or 12.5% with input tax credit on articles of
jewellery.
10% rate of tax on income from worldwide exploitation of patents developed and
registered in India by a resident.
Non-banking financial companies shall be eligible for deduction to the extent of 5%

of its income in respect of provision for bad and doubtful.
Infrastructure and agriculture cess to be levied.
Commitment to implement General Anti Avoidance Rules (GAAR) from 4.2017.
Excise duty on tobacco increased by 10-15% except beedi.
Basic custom and excise duty on refrigerated containers reduced to 5% and 6%.
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Rs 35,984 crore

Govt will reorganize agricultural policy to double farmer income in five years. Here is the allocation:
Category
Agri credit
Crop Insurance Scheme (PM Fasal Bima Yojana)
Interest subvention for agriculture loans and creation of
Accelerated Irrigation Programme Benefit (AIPB)
Long Term Irrigation Fund will be created in NABARD
Sustainable management of ground water resources
Allocation
Rs 9 lakh crore
Rs 5,500 crore
Rs 15,000 crore
Rs 17,000 crore
Rs 20,000 crore
Rs 6,000 crore
40 | P a g e

Enhancing of Dairy Farming Rs 850 crore
4 new schemes Pashudhan Sanjivani, Nakul Swasthya Patra, E-Pashudhan
Haat andNational Genomic Centre for indigenous breeds have been introduced to enhance
dairy farming in India at Rs 850 crore.
Other Proposals under Irrigation
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana to be implemented in mission 28.5 lakh

hectares will be brought under irrigation.
Promote organic farming through Parmparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana and Organic Value
Chain Development in North East Region.
5 lakh farm ponds and dug wells in rain fed areas and 10 lakh compost pits for
production of organic manure will be taken up under MGNREGA
Soil Health Card scheme will cover all 14 crore farm holdings by March.
2,000 model retail outlets of Fertilizer companies will be provided with soil and seed
testing facilities during the next three years
Unified Agricultural Marketing e-Platform to provide a common e-market platform

for wholesale markets.
Rural Economy Rs 87,765 crore

Below Poverty Line (BPL) Families Rs 2000 crore allocated for 5 years
Government is launching a new initiative to provide cooking gas to BPL families with state support.
LPG connections to be provided under the name of women members of family.
Other Proposals:
87 lakh crore will be given as Grant in Aid to Gram Panchayats and

Municipalitiesas per the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission.
Every block under drought and rural distress will be taken up as an intensive Block
under the Deen Dayal Antyodaya Mission.
A sum of Rs 38,500 crore allocated for MGNREGS.
300 Rurban Clusters will be developed under the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban
Mission
100% village electrification by 1st May, 2018.
District Level Committees under Chairmanship of senior most Lok Sabha MP from
the district for monitoring and implementation of designated Central
Sector andCentrally Sponsored Schemes.
A new Digital Literacy Mission Scheme for rural India to cover around 6 crore
additional household within the next 3 years.
National Land Record Modernization Programme has been revamped.
New scheme Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan proposed with allocation of 655 crore.
Hub to support SC/ST entrepreneurs.
41 | P a g e

Investments and Infrastructure Rs. 2, 21,246 crore
Total allocation for road construction including PMGSY Rs 97,000 crore
27,000 crore to be spent on roadways.
65 eligible habitats to be connected via 2.23 lakh kms of road.
55,000 crore for roads and highways.
Other Proposals:
100% FDI in marketing of food products produced and marketed in India.
Shops to be given option to remain open all seven days in a week across markets.
New Greenfield ports to be developed on east and west coasts
Revival of underserved airports Centre to Partner with States to revive small airports for
regional connectivity
of Disinvestment to be renamed as Dept. of Investment and Public Asset

Management.
Govt will amend Motor Vehicle Act in passenger vehicle segment to allow innovation.
Banking Rs 25,000 crore towards recapitalization of PSBs
Banking Board Bureau will be operationalised.
Target of disbursement under MUDRA increased to 1, 80,000 crore.
Process of transfer of government stake in IDBI Bank below 50% started (currently
its 80%).
General Insurance companies will be listed in the stock exchange.
Govt to increase ATMs, micro-ATMs in post offices in next 3 years.
Amendments in the SARFAESI Act 2002 to enable the sponsor of an ARC to hold up
to100% stake.
A Financial Data Management Centre to be set up.
Nuclear Power Sector Rs 3000 crore
Govt drawing comprehensive plan to be implemented in next 15-20 years for exploiting
nuclear energy.
Govt to provide incentive for deep-water gas exploration.
Education and Skill Development
Higher Education Financing Agency to be set-up with initial capital base of Rs 1000
Crores.
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to increasing focus on quality of education.
Scheme to get 500 cr for promoting entrepreneurship among SC/ST.
Digital repository for all school leaving certificates and diplomas.
1,700 crore for 1500 multi-skill development centres.
62 new navodaya vidyalayas to provide quality education
10 public and 10 private educational institutions to be made world-class.
Digital literacy scheme to be launched to cover 6 crore additional rural households.
42 | P a g e
Objective to skill 1 crore youth in the next 3 years under the PM Kaushal Vikas Yojna.
100 Model Career Centres to operational by the end of 2016-17 under National
Career Service.
National Skill Development Mission has imparted training to 76 lakh youth.
Health
A new health protection scheme for health covers upto 1 lakh per family. Senior
citizens will get additional healthcare cover of Rs 30,000 under the new scheme.
National Dialysis Service Prog with funds through PPP mode to provide dialysis at all
district hospitals.
PM Jan Aushadhi Yojana to be strengthened and 300 generic drug store to be

opened.
Governance and Ease of Doing Business

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Programme
It will be launched to link States and Districts in an annual programme that connects people
through exchanges in areas of language, trade, culture, travel and tourism.
Other Proposals:
A Task Force has been constituted for rationalisation of human resources in various
Ministries.
Bill for Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services by using
the Aadhaar framework to be introduced.
Automation facilities will be provided in 3 lakh fair price shops by March 2017.
Amendments in Companies Act to improve enabling environment for start-ups.
Price Stabilisation Fund with a corpus of 900 crore to help maintain stable prices of
Pulses.
Prabhus Era: Rail Budget 2016-17

On 25th February 2016, Railway Budget for the fiscal year 2016-17 has been presented by Union
Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu.
The key budget document dubbed Annual Financial Statement aka Budget
Statement, showing estimated receipts and expenditure, has to be laid before Parliament in
respect of every financial year which runs from 1st April to 31st March w.r.t Article 112 of
the Constitution.
Before heading towards the complete highlights of the rail budget lets take a brief view
on the history of rail budget:In 1920-21, a 10 member Acworth Committee headed by British
railway economist William Acworth made a Acworth Report which led to separation of railway
finances of India from the general government finances in 1924.
The first live telecast of railway budget took place on 24 March 1994.
43 | P a g e
Lalu Prasad Yadav presented the railway budget 6 times in a row, as he remained the
Railways Minister from 2004 to May 2009.
In 2000, Mamata Banerjee became the first women Railway Minister of India.
In 2002, she also became the first female Minister of Railways to present theRailway
budget.
In 2014 railway budget, Railway Minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda announced the first
bullet train and 9 High-Speed Rail of India.
Here are the complete Highlights of Railway Budget
Slogan for all Sabka saath sabka vikas
3Rs of Budget Restructure, Reorganize and Rejuvenate
Capital expenditure Rs 1, 21,000 crore
Expected Operating Ratio 92%
Expected Revenues Rs 1,84,820 cr next year
Budgetary support from Govt Rs 40,000 crore
Saving from last years estimates Rs 8,720 crore
Innovation grants to start-ups Rs 50 crore
Head of innovative council of Indian Railways Ratan Tata
Insurance company agreed to fund Rs 1.5 lakh LIC
Expenditure on Modernization of railway infrastructure in 5 years Rs 8.5 lakh crore
Elimination of unmanned level crossing By 2020
Proposed freight corridors Delhi-Chennai, Kharagpur-Mumbai, Kharagpur-Vijayawada
Location of Indias first rail auto hub Chennai
New name for coolies Sahayaks (will be trained in soft skills)
North East India states to be connected through broad gauge Mizoram & Manipur
Cabinet approval for joint ventures with state govts 6 MoUs signed with state govts
Sub-quota for women in each of the reserved categories in catering 33%
Increase in seat quota for senior citizens 50%
Number of bio toilets & additional toilets in 475 stations 17,000
Publishing of magazine in all regional languages Rail Bandhu
Initiation of WiFi services 100 stations this year
Commissioning of new tracks 2800 km
Electrification 1,600 km in this year and 2,000 km proposed for the next year.
For Unreserved Passenger:
Antyodaya Express A long-distance, fully unreserved, superfast train service to be

operated on dense routes.
Two to four Deen Dayalu coaches will be introduced in some long distance trains for
unreserved travel to enhance our carrying capacity for the masses.
For the reserved passenger Humsafar, Tejas and UDAY:
Humsafar Fully air-conditioned third AC service with an optional service for meals.
44 | P a g e
Tejas Will showcase the future of train travel in India by operating at speeds of 130
kmph and above, it will offer onboard services such as entertainment, local
cuisine,Wi-Fi, etc.
UDAY Utkrisht DoubleDecker Air-conditioned Yatri (UDAY) Express on the busiest

routes, expected to increase carrying capacity by almost 40%.
SMART Coaches:
New SMART (Specially Modified Aesthetic Refreshing Travel) coaches would cater to
emerging needs of customers and also ensure lower unit cost of operations due to higher
carrying capacity.
Ticketing facilities:
Plan to introduce bar-coded tickets on pilot basis to tackle menace of ticketless travel.
Ticket vending machines Initiating sale of platform tickets through ticket vending machines
which would be made compatible with cash and credit/debit cards
Intend sale of tickets through hand-held terminals for short-distance travellers.
Introduced 1,780 automatic ticket vending machines.
E-ticketing facility Railways will open the e-ticketing facility to foreign debit/credit cards for
foreign tourists and NRIs.
Enhanced capacity of e-ticketing system from 2000 tickets/min to 7,200/min.
E-booking ticket facility on the concessional passes available to journalists.
Facility of cancellation of tickets through 139 telephone line.
Improving customer interface:
FM Radio stations for providing train borne entertainment by installing PA systems in

trains.
GPS based digital displays inside coaches to provide real time information regarding
upcoming halts.
Wireless enabled Rakshak devices to intimate gangmen about approaching train.
Drones to be used for remote monitoring of ongoing projects.
2,500 water vending machines at railway stations have been provided.
Swachh Rail:
Clean my Coach Service A passenger can request cleaning of his/her coach/toilets on

demand through SMS.
Installation of additional 30,000 bio-toilets in the next financial year.
IRCTC services & food availability:
IRCTC will extending e-catering services from existing 45 large stations to all 408 A-1
and A class stations.
Local cuisine of choice will be made available to passengers.
Railwats will look at pilot availability of childrens menu items on trains.
45 | P a g e
Baby foods, hot milk and hot water would be made available on stations andchanging
boards for babies would be provided in train toilets.
Rail Mitra Sewa & Accessible India:
Expanding of Sarathi Seva in Konkan Railway to help the old and disabled passengers
requiring assistance at stations.
To provide at least one Divyang friendly toilet at each platform in A1 class stations.
To ensure availability of wheelchairs in sufficient numbers at A1 class stations.
Battery operated cars and paid porters services for specially able people.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Israel,Turkey sign gas deal worth $1.3 billion
Israel and Turkish energy firms signed an agreement to sell $1.3 billion worth of gas to
Edeltech announced by Israels Leviathan natural gas field offshore partners.
Highlights of the deal :
The deal involves selling the first gas from the Leviathan reservoir to the Israeli
market.The agreement ensues two memorandums of understandings signed by the
partners with neighboring Jordan and Egypt last year.
Edeltechand Zorlu Enerji, a Turkish energy conglomerate, will employ the gas to
operate two new energy plants being established in southern Israel.
Bengaluru tops in Asia Pacific on commercial realty growth

According to property consultant JLL report named City Momentum Index 2016: The Rise of
the Innovation-Oriented City, Bengaluru is ranked first in the Asia Pacific region in terms of
citys socio-economic growth and momentum in the commercial real estate space.
London, Silicon Valley Dublin, Bengaluru and Hyderabad is at 17th position in the
global ranking.
Top cities in Global:

London, Silicon Valley Dublin, Bengaluru and Hyderabad is at 17th position in the global
ranking.
Among the top 20, Asia Pacific accounts for the largest share with 11 cities among the
worlds most dynamic urban economies. These include Established World
CityTokyo, and Challengers or cities competing for global reach and influence, such
asSydney, Seoul and Shanghai. The top 20 also includes New World Cities such as
Auckland.
Top 10 cities in Asia Pacific:

Sydney, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Tokyo, Nanjing, Hyderabad, Melbourne and Seoul.
46 | P a g e

Highlights :
Covering 120 major established and emerging business hubs across the globe, the index
measures a citys short-term socio-economic and commercial real estate
momentum.
Bengaluru is the Silicon Valley of India with its mix of research institutes and higher
education establishments contributing to the creation of a strong information technology
cluster (IT)
WHO declares Zika virus outbreak as International Emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Zika virus outbreak as an International
Emergency.
Zika virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and it is supposed that it link to birth

defectstherefore the WHO has announced it as an international public health emergency.
The announcement was made after WHOs emergency meeting of independent experts
headed by WHO Director-General Margaret Chan.
Effects of virus are detected in Latin, America, Brazil, Costa Rica and Jamaica.
Bangladesh Cabinet approved draft of Citizenship Law, 2016 expanding scope for dual
citizenship
Bangladesh government has given its clearance for a new law that will expand the scope for dual
citizenship for Bangladeshis.The new law includes a provision for five years of imprisonment
should one give false information to acquire citizenship.
Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cleared the draft for the
Bangladesh Citizenship Act 2016.
The new law includes the following
Provision for five years of imprisonment should one give false information to acquire
citizenship.The law only allowed dual citizenship for Bangladeshis in the US and the UK
The new law says Bangladeshis cannot go for dual citizenship with SAARC countries and
Myanmar.
The draft says that any Bangladeshi who pledges allegiance to a foreign state directly or
indirectly will lose their citizenship, said the secretary.
The new law is being formulated by merging The Citizenship Act 1959 and The
Bangladesh Citizenship Temporary Provisions Order 1972
Foreign nationals, married to Bangladeshis, will have to reside in Bangladesh for at least five years
to qualify for citizenship.
47 | P a g e

Nielsens consumer confidence index topped by India
As per the performance management company Nielsens global confidence index, India sat
down again as topper with 131 points in respect to job prospects, personal finances and
immediate spending intentions in the fourth quarter of 2015.
In this recently released consumer confidence index, India is followed by

Philippines (117), Indonesia (115), Thailand (114) and Vietnam (112).
Figure of India is 54% lower than the third quarter of 2015 and higher by 6% points in the
first quarter.
Vietnam gets worlds longest cable car system

Vietnam initiated the worlds longest three-rope cable car system with a total length
of6,292.5 metres in the Northern Province of Lao Cai.
It will connect Muong Hoa Valley and Fansipan Mountain in Lao Cai.
It has a capacity of 2,000 passengers per hour with each cabin accommodating 35 people.
New World Records:
The system has been recognized by the Guinness World Records as the worlds longest
three-rope cable car route and also the worlds biggest height gap between its
departure and arrival stations of 1,410 metres.
Infosys to build the Worlds tallest Clock Tower

Tech giant Infosys is all set to build the worlds tallest free-standing clock tower at its 345acre global education centre in Mysuru.
The proposed 135 meter-tall tower will stand approximately 19 floors and will also
house a boardroom on the 7th level.
It will dwarf Londons famous Big Ben (96 meters), which is the currently the tallest
clock tower in the world, by at least a third of its height.
The tower is designed by one of Indias most famous architects Hafeez Contractor, who also
designed Infosys Mysuru campus with structural engineering consultancy provided by New Yorkbased firm LERA and built by Bengaluru-based KEF Infra.
TCS emerged as the worlds most powerful IT Services brand
The worlds leading brand valuation firm Brand Finance has rated Indias tech giant Tata
Consultancy Services (TCS) as the worlds most powerful IT services brand its Brand
Strength Index. The valuation firm has presented TCS with AA+ rating with a total score of
78.3.
TCS also emerged as the fastest growing brand within its industry with a growth rate of
286% (2010-2016).
Among other sectors, Disney was rated as the most powerful Media brand and Apple as
the most valuable brand for 2016.
48 | P a g e

India pips US to become worlds second largest smartphone market
India had beaten the US to become the worlds second largest smartphone market in the
world. Now India had crossed 220 million in active unique smartphone users in 2015.
Key Highlights
The smartphone delivery in India also grew a strong 15% annually.
It is growing 23% on year to cross 100 million units milestone.
Samsung is the top brand of smartphone makers and Micromax stood second in
2015
Apple was the third largest brand.
In year 2015 the market had gone down by 9.1% on-year with 235.6 million units
sold.
The total sales of the smartphones had grown at 18%.
The share of Samsung in market is 19.8% and 25.7% in mobile phone market and
smartphone market respectively
While the Micromax stood at the second position with 14.3% share in the smartphone,
followed by Lenovo-Motorola combine with 11.4% share. Intex stood at fourth and fifth
positions with 9.6% share and 6.8% share, respectively.
In year 2014 the overall shipment had gone done nearly 3% to reach 243 million
Germany to host Laureus World Sports Awards in 2016

The 17th edition of Laureus World Sports Awards 2016 will be hosted by Berlin, Germanyon
April 18.
The Awards will consist of 7 categories which will recognize the achievements of the
outstanding athletes from 2015, crowning the Sportsman, Sportswoman, Action, Disability
athlete and Team of the Year.
EU approved 3.3 bn euros to Turkey to cope with Syrian refugee crisis

The European Union has consented 3.3 billion Euros of succor for Turkey to cope with the issue
of Syrian migrants.
Under the deal, the EUs executive is contributing one billion euros to the fund, while
the 28 member states will contribute the rest.
The funding is aimed at curbing flow of asylum seekers into the Europe by tightening its
borders with Turkey.
WHO accords PQP certification to Indian vaccine maker GreenSignal Bio Pharma
World Health Organization WHO had accorded PQP (Pre-qualification of Medicines
Programme) certification to the GreenSignal Bio Pharma Pvt. Ltd.
BCG (Bacillus CalmetteGurin) is a vaccine-making firm.
GreenSignal becomes the second Indian company to get PQP certification from WHO
49 | P a g e
This certification helps GreenSignal to participate in the global immunization programme

that is facilitated through international procurement agencies such as UNICEF and others.
GreenSignal is supplying BCG vaccine to the Government of India and Indonesia.

Hamid Ansari visit to Thailand and Brunei An Overview
Vice-President Hamid Ansari was on 5 days two-nation tour to Thailand and Brunei for
enhancing bilateral relations by holding talks with the head of governments, political leaders and
Indian diaspora.
Visit to Brunei
On the invitation of Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, he visited Brunei for three days. There
he discussed issues related to bilateral, regional and multilateral significance and also hold
discussions on cooperation in ASEAN and East Asia Summit (EAS).
3 agreements have been signed between the two nations:
Defence Cooperation To enhance and expand the scope of already existing Defence
Cooperation in the form of naval ship visits, training of senior military
officers andexchange of experience.
Health Cooperation To establish cooperation by means of

pooling technical,scientific, financial and human
resources and pharmaceutical regulatory practices.
Youth Affairs & Sports Cooperation To facilitate exchange of expertise in

coaching, sports Management and Administration, sports talent
identificationand exchange of information in the field of youth Affairs.
He also met the Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Muizzaddin Waddaulah.
Visit to Thailand
On the invitation of Thailand PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, he visited Thailand for 2 days. There he
had a one-to-one meeting with Thai Prime Minister. This was the first visit by an Indian VicePresident to Thailand after a gap of 50 years.
He delivered a speech at the prestigious Chulalongkorn University on the topic India,

Thailand and ASEAN: Contours of a Rejuvenated Relationship.
He visited Wat Phra Kew (Emerald Buddha) and Reclining Buddha temple in
Bangkok.
As a part of security cooperation he confirmed Indias participation in the Cobra Gold

2016 amphibious military exercise that will be held in Thailand.
Thailand is an important partner for the 3,200 km IMT (India-Myanmar-Thailand) Highway

that will connect Northeast India with Southeast Asian industrial zones.
50 | P a g e

Bhel launches Kosti thermal power plant in Sudan
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (Bhel) launched a 500 Mw Kosti thermal power
plant inSundan, this plant will be the largest plant in that country also its the first crude-oil
fired thermal power plant in Africa.
The plant was inaugurated by Omer Hassan Ahmed El-Basheer President of Sudan.
The Kosti project consist of 4 units of 125 Mw capacit .
Indian to be on UN panel on womens economic

India is now in the UN panel on womens economic empowerment. Padma Shri awardee
Renana Jhabvala, social worker from Ahmedabad had invited to serve as a panelist.
The aim of the panel is to finish the economic gender gaps that persist around the
world.
The panel had been established to offer advice on improving economic upshot for women
and promoting womens leadership and to counsel the implementation of 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development.
The panel is sponsored by the United Kingdom, the World Bank Group and UN
Women.
UN releases stamps on LGBT issue for first time

The United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) had released a set of six dedicatory
stamps on Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) issue. This is the first time the global
bodys post office had released the stamps with an LGBT theme.
Objective :To promote awareness and global education about the equality of LGBT.
Key Highlights
The stamps are released to promoteequality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
(LGBT).
The plan is headed by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The stamps were disclosed at the U.N. General Assembly and are available to purchase
online.
The stamps support the UN human rights offices Free & Equal campaign.
Last month India had started first radio taxi service for the Lesbian Gay Bisexual
Transgender (LGBT). This was the Indias initiative to empower LGBT society in the
country.
Such sort of launches will reduce the crimes against the homosexuality and to promote
fair treatment with the LGBT community in the world.
Zimbabwes Prez declared nations rural parts as state of disaster

President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe has declared rural parts of the country as state of
disaster after being hit by draught.
51 | P a g e
This declaration of disaster will allow international donors to raise money quickly to provide
food aid to the nation.
Zimbabwe is importing maize from neighbouring Zambia.
An estimated 2.4 million people are now in need of food aid, more than a quarter of the
population.
France became first country in the world to forbid food waste by supermarkets
France had become the first country in the world to ban food waste by supermarkets.
The French governing body had passed the law that supermarkets will no longer hold
good quality food before its expiry date.
The objective of the law is to reduce the wastage of the food and to provide meal to
the poor people.
Pak approves Hindu Marriage Bill

Pakistan Hindu minority community will soon have a marriage law as a parliamentary panel has
unanimously approved the Hindu Marriage Bill after decades of delay and in action.The National
Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice passed the final draft of Hindu Marriage Bill
2015.
Committee Chairman Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir Virk adopted the bill unanimously
after making two amendments to fix the minimum age of the marrying male and female
at 18 and making the law applicable to the whole country.
Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have passed the requisite resolutions, but
theSindh and Punjab assemblies have not yet done so.
US President unveils Cyber Security National action plan

US President Barack Obama unveiled a new cyber Security National Action Plan aims to
increase security awareness.
For cyber security efforts in the budget president requested $19 billion which is 35%
more than the current budget that is $3 billion.
The declaration counter the outbreak of data violation and cyber attacks on the
government and private companies network and channel with the aim to facilitate better
threat sharing.
One Humanity: Shared Responsibility report publicized by UN Sec. Gen.

To make a pitch for preventing the destruction of humanitarian laws and to protect civilians in
conflict, United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon has released a report dubbed One
Humanity: Shared Responsibility.
52 | P a g e

The report has called for a global campaign on the sidelines of World Humanitarian
Summit that will hold in Istanbul, Turkey. The theme of the summit will be One
Humanity: Shared Responsibility.
Preventing and ending conflicts
Preventing conflicts in the world and finding political solutions to resolve them.
As per the report conflicts occupy 80% of all humanitarian needs.
Upholding the laws to safeguard humanity
Every day, millions of civilians are deliberately or indiscriminately getting killed in

warsand other conflicts. In this regard, world leaders must commit to the rules to protect
humanity.
90% of people get killed or injured by the use of explosive weapons.
Leaving no one behind
Empowering all women, men, girls and boys to be agents of positive transformation.
Reducing displacement, supporting refugees and migrants.
Ending gaps in education and fighting to eliminate sexual violence.
Changing peoples lives
Respecting and strengthening local leadership and capacity.
Anticipating
Transcending the humanitarian developments.
Investing in humanity
Sharing responsibilities for humanity.
International IP Index showed Indias sombre side: Ranked 2nd last

In accordance with the US Chamber of Commerces 4th report on International IP
Index,India has showed its gloomy side as it was ranked at second last position.
The index was released by Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) which measured
the IP environment of 38 economies where India sat at 37th rank with a score of 05 as
compared to 7.23 in the previous edition.
Reason behind the low rank of India:
Patent protection in India kicked out from international best

practices.
Top 5 countries
Country
Scores
Unites States
28.6
United Kingdom
27.5
Germany
27.4
France
27.2
Sweden
27.1
Poor application and enforcement of civil remedies and criminal penalties.
Regulatory data and patent term restoration is not available.
Not a contracting party to international IP treaties.
There is lack of specific IP rights for the life sciences sector.
53 | P a g e

3rd India- Australia energy security dialogue to be held in Australia
3rd India Australia Energy Security Dialogue had been held from 8th to 11th February 2016
at Australia. The coal mining sector will help India in improving the safety, production and
productivity of coal mines.
Aims: To enhance the extent of this training by cover more number of people from the industry.
Key Highlights
Aims: To enhance the extent of this training by cover more number of people from the industry.
During the Energy Security Dialogue several roundtables had organized.
This discussion will develop business to business collaboration in different sectors.
The coal mining sector will provide help to India in improving the safety, production
and productivity of coal mines
It is proposed to set up a virtual reality training centre at ISM, Dhanbad.
These roundtables includes

1. Efficient Coal Mining, Clean Coal Technologies, Coal Gasification- Mine Safety, Mine
Closure etc.
2. Business opportunities for LNG production and trade.
3. Management training and Skills Development in Coal Sector
4. Renewable Energy and Challenges for Grid Integration.
5. Efficient Coal Based Power Generation and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
6. Smart Grids, Smart Meters and Energy Efficiency.
7. Investors Roundtables (Business Community, Investors, Industry Analysts
Worlds Largest Concentrated Solar Plant Opened in Morocco
The worlds largest concentrated solar power plant will be opened in Morocco.
The plant will generate adequate energy for more than one million Moroccan households.
The plant aims to reduce dependence on fossil fuels with the use of renewable
energy.
It will reduce the energy dependence by about 2 and half million tons of oil and also
lowering carbon emissions by 760,000 tons per year.
Chinas Kaidi to build $1.1 billion biodiesel plant in Finland

Chinese energy company Sunshine Kaidi New Energy Group planned to invest about 1 billion
euros ($1.1 billion) in a new biodiesel plant in northern Finland.
The plant would use wood as its main raw material and it is scheduled to start operations
in the city of Kemi by the end of 2019.
Titanic II will set sail in 2018

Titanic II replica of the ship hitting an iceberg in 1912, killing 1,503 people, is being built for a
whole new journey across the Atlantic.
54 | P a g e
The Titanic II project is the motivated idea of Australian billionaire Clive Palmer.
It is build to meet the modern safety standards.
It will have a welded and not riveted hull and four yards wider.
It will have first, second and third-class tickets for sale.
Pakistan launched $500 million projects for Afghanistan

Pakistan had launched projects worth $500 million in Afghanistan covering different sectors
including education, health and infrastructure.
As per the project Pakistan has offered 3,000 scholarships to the Afghan students in
different universities.
The project is a joint relation between the two nations.
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi visit to India An Overview

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed
ForcesSheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was in India on a three-day visit to focus on new
areas of cooperation like security, counter-terrorism, nuclear, space sector and energy sector.
This is the third visit to India by Sheikh Mohamed and the first as crown prince.
The UAE is the third largest trading partner of India after the US and China.
It is also the sixth largest source of Indias crude oil imports.
Bilateral Meeting UAEs ADNOC to store crude in India

After a bilateral meeting between MoS for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra
Pradhan and H. E. Suhail Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister for Energy of UAE, UAEs national
oil company, ADNOC, has agreed to store crude oil in Indias first of its kind strategic storage and
give two-third of the oil to it for free.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) will store crude oil in Indias 1.5 million
tonnes Mangalore strategic petroleum reserve using it as a wholesale storage capacity
and sell to the Indian refiners whenever needed,
Both nations have signed 9 agreements which are listed as below:
Cyber Crime MoU on technical cooperation in cyber Space and combating cybercrime between Ministry of Interior of UAE and the Ministry of Home Affairs, India.
Participation of UAE institutional investors MoU on establishing a framework for

facilitating the participation of UAE institutional investors in infrastructure
investment in India
Renewable Energy Cooperation It provides for bilateral cooperation through

extensive projects, investments, cooperation in R & D in renewable and clean energy.
Cooperation in the Exploration MoU between UAE Space Agency and ISRO on
cooperation in the area of space exploration and the peaceful use of outer space
55 | P a g e
Insurance regulations MoU between the UAEs Insurance Authority andInsurance

Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) aims at promoting
cooperation in insurance regulations.
Executive Programme for Cultural Cooperation (EPCC) The Cultural Exchange

Programme 2016 2018 follows from the existing bilateral cultural agreement (1975)
and provides for a range of cultural exchange activities under the new EPCC.
Letter of intent Between MSDE and National Qualification Authority

(NQA), UAEon skill development and mutual recognition of qualifications
Exchange information on trade MoU between Dubai economic council and EXIM
bank to exchange information on trade and business opportunities
Currency Swap Arrangement MoU on Indian Rupee (INR)/UAE Dirham (AED)

Bilateral Currency Swap Arrangement between Reserve Bank of India and Central
Bank of UAE.
UNISDR: India, 3rd most disaster affected nation in 2015

In accordance with the report by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
(UNISDR), India has been ranked as the third lead in the list of most disaster hit countries of
2015. Last year, India was suffered with 19 disasters.
2015 was the hottest year on record.
In 2015, India wretched more than 2,800 deaths and over Rs 22,000 crore economic
damage.
India has followed China and US which have been hit by 26 and 22 disasters respectively.
On global front, economic losses have been estimated at $66.5 billion and over 22,700 people
dead more than half of which were affected by 32 major droughts. The 32 droughts are more
than double the 10 year annual average.
According to the UNISDR, 2015 contributed to a major loss of life from heatwaves, a
combined total of 7,346 deaths, including France (3,275), India (2,248) and
Pakistan(1,229).
India summons US Ambassador over Washington nod for sale of eight F-16 fighters to
Pak
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar summoned US Ambassador Richard Verma to expressed
disappointment over US administrations decision to sell eight F-16 fighter
jets to Pakistanbecause that such arms transfers will help combat terrorism.
About the deal :
Eight F-16 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp, radar and other equipment in a deal
valued at $699 million.
56 | P a g e

Canada, US, Mexico to cooperate on climate change
Canada, the US and Mexico had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate
on climate change in Winnipeg, Canada.
These three countries will work together and share information in key areas like lowcarbon electricity, clean energy technologies, energy efficiency, carbon capture, use and
storage, climate change adaptation, and reducing emissions from the oil and gas sector.
Key Highlights about the deal
They all work together to ensure that the energy sector of North American is developing
effectively, efficiently and responsibly.
Under the agreement they launched a web platform featuring new energy maps.
The Energy products of 167 billion Canadian dollars ($120 billion) from these three
countries were trade in 2015 across the world.
On November 30, 2015, Canada, the US and Mexico announced their participation in
Mission Innovation, along with 17 other countries. Participating governments have
committed to doubling their investments in clean energy research and development over five
years.
Australian Prime Minister announces Cabinet reshuffle

Malcolm Turnbull the Australian Prime Minister had been announced a cabinet
reshuffleafter the departure of five ministers in five months.
The reshuffle is due to the retirement of two senior ministers and three others left in the
wake of separate political scandals.
These five ministers are

1. Stuart Robert the Veterans affairs minister
2. Mal Brough Special minister of state
3. Peter Slipper former parliamentary speaker
4. Jamie Briggs minister of Cities
5. Barnaby Joyce Agriculture Minister
Colorado state honors life of Gandhi
US state of Colorado had honored the life of Mahatma Gandhi.
Colorado State honored Gandhi for dedicating his whole life for the sake of country.
Gandhi was one of the biggest freedom fighter of his era.
He supported nonviolence and peaceful methods for freedom.
Some of the freedom moments led by Gandhi are Civil disobedience moment, Dandi
Salt March, Quit India moment, Champaran and Kheda Satyagraha, Khilafat
movement, Non-cooperation movement.
57 | P a g e

First Silk Road train arrives in Tehran from China
The first Silk Road train arrives in Tehran to connect China and Iran arrived in Tehran.The
train is carrying 32 containers of commercial products from eastern Zhejiang province.The track
is completed in 14 days.
It is a journey of 9,500-kilometre (5,900-mile) from Kazakstan and Turkmenistan.
Key Highlights
It is a journey of 9,500-kilometre (5,900-mile) from Kazakstan and Turkmenistan.
The train revitalization the ancient Silk Road and gives impulsion to Chinas ambitious
One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative.
Sindh becomes first Pakistan province to adopt Hindu Marriage Bill

Sindh become the first Pakistani Assembly to adopt the Hindu Marriage Bill by allowing the
minority community to register their marriages.
The bill now proves as a concrete way for registration of marriage and divorce for
the Hindu community in Pakistan.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nisar Khuhro had passed the bill to entire Sindh
province, which has a significant population of Hindus.
The Marriage bill fixes the minimum age of marriage at 18.
4 oil producing Nations consented to freeze oil output

In a bid to tackle plummet that has battered nations, markets and companies, worlds largest
producers of oil, Saudi Arabia and Russia consented to freeze oil output at near-record levels but
producer Iran and Iraq stood out of this agreement.
This agreement is first of its kind in coordinated cooperation between OPEC (13 member
cartel that controls more than a third of the worlds oil) and non-OPEC producers in 15 years
as oil producers seek to boost persistently low oil prices which have sunk by about 70%.
Contrary, Iran and Iraq is planning to increase output by at least 500,000 barrels a day.
Members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries which

includes Qatar, Kuwait and Venezuela also joined hands with Saudi Arabia and nonmember
Russia in the production freeze.
WHO Issues $56 Million Plan To Combat Zika Virus

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that $56 million is needed to combat the Zika virus
through June, including fast-tracking vaccines and diagnostics.
The funds, including $25 million for the WHO itself, would also be used to control the
mosquito-borne virus that has now spread to 39 countries and has been linked to birth
defects in Brazil, as well as research studies.
58 | P a g e

US-Asean summit session held in California
U.S -Southeast Asian summit session was held at the historic Sunnylands Center in Rancho
Mirage, California.
The three objectives of the summit are
To provides an opportunity to build out its economic approach for the United States and
ASEAN.
To resolve the maritime disputes peacefully according to international law
To signal the importance of ASEAN to its successor.
ASEAN stands for Association of Southeast Asian Nations

New Trust Fund Launched For Peacebuilding Activities By UN And Colombian Govt
The UN and the Colombian government jointly launched the new trust for peace building
activities especially in the conflict areas of FARC-EP (Revolutionary Armed Forces of ColombiaPeoples Army).
Launched in Bogota, Columbian capital
Initial fund- 8million US dollars
Keypoints Of New Trust Fund
Launched in Bogota, Columbian capital
Fund to be managed by steering committee consisting of UN,Colombian Govt and other

donors
Norway, Sweden and UN peacebuilding funds were the first contributors
Initial fund- 8million US dollars
Project involves demining, signage and education in mine-affected areas, improvements in

social and economic infrastructure, local employment generation opportunities; food
security, strengthening of the police
South Korea to build IT park in Islamabad

South Korea had decided to build an IT park in Islamabad that will cost $50-million. This tie
will help both the nation to build a strong relationship.
The park will cover an area of about one million sq.ft
It will help to develop both the software and hardware section.
Indo-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol (IMCOR) and Signing of Standard Operating Procedure

(SOP)
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Indo-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol (IMCOR) had
been signed between Indian Navy and Myanmar Navy.
It had been signed at the closing Ceremony of 4th IMCOR
It will assist horizontal ways of coordinated patrols between two friendly Nations.
It will help both the nation in Naval Patrol.
59 | P a g e
Indian Cleantech Sector receives 300 crores sanction from Ontario Govt
During a recent mission, the Ontario(Canada) delegates inked various agreements with India in
diversified fields prominently the cleantech sector. It is told by a Ontario official that around 13
agreements have been signed.
Features of the agreement
Objective:
To enhance renewable and other clean technologies
Investment: CAD 59.4 million (300 crores)
Agreement with: Tech Mahindra, HPSEBL, Smart Grid India forum
Pakistan parliament became the first to run entirely on solar power

On Tuesday (February 23), Pakistan parliament became the first of its kind to run entirely on
solar power. It was inaugurated by Pakistan Prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
The project was funded by china which costs about $55 million
It was initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit in 2014
It is another symbol of Pakistan-China friendship Sharif remarked.
India Extends $1 Million Assistance to Cyclone-Hit Fiji

India to extend $1 million in immediate assistance to the Island Nation Fiji after Devasting
cyclone Winston hits.
Winston cyclone severely affecting the island with it wind gusts of 325 Kmph and 12 m
height waves that severely causes lives as well as financial damage to the country.
India pledged to support in the rehabilitation and rebuilding of the Fiji.
EU grants special status to UK

David Cameron led United Kingdom has been granted Special Status in the 28 Nation
union.The UK Leader pledged to campaign heart and soul to stay in EU.
This move comes after two days negotiation that made Britain an explicit exemption from
the foundational goal that Ever Closer Union. And this decision has been taken
unanimously.
Cameron Will make official announcement in this regard, however he said the poll is
expected to cast on June 23 this year.
The summit held in Brussels with his EU counterparts to discuss varies issues pertaining
with migrant movement.
Nepal PM KP Oli visit to India An Overview

Nepals Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli was on his maiden 6 days visit to India
aimed to strengthen ties by clearing the misunderstanding between both nations. Oli and NaMo
discussed a range of bilateral issues.
During the visit both nations has signed 7 agreements
60 | P a g e

During the visit both nations has signed 7 agreements which are briefed as below:
Utilization of US$ 250 million Grant component of GOIs Assistance package for Postearthquake reconstruction assistance
US$ 100 million would be utilised for construction of 50,000 houses in 14 severely earthquake
affected while US$ 50 million each would be utilised in health, education and cultural
heritage sectors.
Strengthening of road infrastructure in the Terai area of Nepal
MoU will enable speedy implementation of remaining work on 17 Roads in Package 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
of the Terai Road Phase-I project, totalling 518 kms.
MoU between Nepal Academy of Music and Drama and Sangeet Natak Academy
To enhance relations in the field of performing arts through exchanges of experts, exponents,
dancers, scholars and intellectuals.
Letters of Exchange on Transit Routes:
(i) Transit between Nepal and Bangladesh through Kakarbitta Banglabandh corridor: This would
result in simplification of modalities for traffic of goods between Nepal and Bangladesh while
transiting through India.
(ii) Operationalization of Vishakhapatnam Port
Letters of Exchange on Rail Transport:
(i) Rail transport to/from Vishakhapatnam
(ii) Rail transit facility through Singhabad (West Bengal) for Nepals Trade with and through
Bangladesh.
Inauguration of Muzaffarpur Dhalkebar transmission line [Initial supply of 80 MW, to be
augmented to 200 MW by October 2016 and 600 MW by December 2017]
The Nepal portion of the 400 KV Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar transmission line is being implemented by
GoN, worth US$ 13.5 million.
Establishment of Eminent Persons Group
The EPG comprises 8 members with each country nominating four members
parliamentarian,lawyer, economist and civil society activist. The EPG has now been constituted. It
would review bilateral relations and recommend measures to further enhance ties.
Billionaires in India are higher than Russia and UK
In accordance with the Hurun Report 2016, India introduces 27 new billionaires, thereby sat
at3rd position in the list of billionaires, raising the number to 111. The Hurun Global Rich List 2016
ranked 2,188 billionaires from 68 countries.
India ranked behind China which stood as chart lead with 568 billionaires and United
States which positioned at 2nd with 535 billionaires.
Other Highlights of report:
The manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and technology sectors produced 22, 20 and 15

billionaires, respectively.
61 | P a g e
Mumbai remained the headquarters of most Indian billionaires.
The richest Indians list topped by Mukesh Ambani with a wealth of $26 billion, followed
by Sun Pharmas Dilip Shanghvi ($18 billion) and Pallonji Mistry ($13 billion) at
number three.
Founders of e-commerce giant Flipkart, Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal also made
their name in the list.
The total wealth increased by 9% to $7.3 trillion which is more than the gross domestic product
of Germany and the UK combined and close to half of the US.
Vienna leads the list of Worlds Best City to

Live In
In accordance with the 18th Mercer Quality of Life
study, Vienna is the worlds best city to live in.
The study examined 230 global cities on the
Rank
139
144
145
150
152
160
161
premises of social and economic conditions,

health, education, housing and the environment,
and is used by big companies to assess
Baghdad was named as the worst city in the

world.
Britain-the FinTech capital of the world
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
List of Indian
City
Hyderabad
Pune
Bangalore
Chennai
Mumbai
Kolkata
New Delhi
cities made
State
Telangana
Maharashtra
Karnataka
Tamil Nadu
Maharashtra
West Bengal
New Delhi
List of top 10 best places

City
Country
Vienna
Austria
Zurich
Switzerland
Auckland
New Zealand
Munich
Germany
Vancouver
Canada
Dusseldorf
Germany
Frankfurt
Germany
Geneva
Switzerland
Copenhagen
Denmark
Sydney
Australia
An Independent report published by Ernst & Young today ranked Britain as the first among
FinTech cities of the world. Britain is first among seven leading FinTech hubs from Silicon Valley
to Hong Kong.
Major FinTech cities: Australia, California, Newyork, Hong Kong, Germany and
Singapore
Analysis based on Key factors
Talent: The UK currently has a very good pool of talent but California leads for the depth
of talent overall.
Capital: The availability of capital in the UK is good for early-stage investment and
California is dominant in FinTech investment overall.
Policy: The UK has the strongest FinTech policy environment, with the most
supportive regulatory regime whereas policy initiatives in Singapore and Australia are
increasingly progressive.
Demand: FinTech Demand is robust in the UK with London being the financial capital
supporting it
62 | P a g e

Iran votes in first elections since nuclear deal
Iranians will cast vote on February 26, 2016 to choose a new parliament and for the top
clericalbody Assembly of Experts that appoints Irans Supreme Leader.
This is first election since Iran signed Nuclear Deal with World Powers will test the people
mandate of the country.
To Choose 290 MPS out of 6000 Candidates, Almost 55 million people are eligible to
cast votes to elect MPs.
In the second Election the will also select the Assembly of Experts of 88 Clerics out of A
total of 161 Candidates that monitors the work of the Leader of the Iran.
Member of Parliaments are elected for four year term while Clerical body have eight year
term and will have sound influence in the Parliament.
India losses solar case against US at WTO

World Trade Organization said Indian Governments Power purchase Agreements with solar firms
were inconsistent with international Norms.
WTO headquartered Geneva, Switzerland in this issue alleged India that Domestic
Content Requirement (DCR) in the countrys solar mission were biased in nature
against the American Solar Developers.
The Jury found that DCR measures were less favorable Treatment to the American
Companies and were not justified under GATT (General Agreement of Trade and
Tariff) rules.
However India can challenge this ruling before the appellate body of WTO.
Bolivias President loses referendum for fourth term

Bolivian president Evo Morales lost his fourth term referendum to continue in office. He has been
defeated for the first time since he came into reign in 2006.
With 41% votes polled 51.33% votes polled against him and 48.67% in favour of him
He is Bolivias first indigenous president who tried to alleviate poverty by distributing

Natural gas equally among people
But his move towards Socialism Party was accused of scandals resulting in his fall
Marathon filibuster at South Korea

In a move to oppose the anti-terrorism bill being passed in the South Korean Parliament the
opposition party spoke continuously for more than 115 hours making it the longest filibuster.
Flash points
President Park Geun-hyes office called for a parliamentary session to pass the stalled
security bill ahead of the high tension with North Korea after their fourth nuclear test and
test of long range missile
This bill enables the Intelligence authorities to monitor even private conversations
The opposition party members feared of the privacy being hindered by this move
63 | P a g e
To oppose this they started the filibuster onTuesday morning which continued
till Sundaymaking it the longest in the world
It accounted for 115 hours of conversation in total
It surpassed the 58 hours filibuster previously by 103 members of Canadas

Democratic party in 2011
23 members from the opposition party South Korea spoke on an average of 5 hours
each
Opposition lawmaker Jung Chung Rae spoke for 11 hours and 39 minutes on
Saturday making it the longest by any individual
India approaches UN to impose sanctions on Masood Azhar

Indian permanent representative to UN, Syed Akbaruddin approached New Zealand
AmbassadorGerard Jacoubus van Bohemen, the Chair of the 1267 al-Qaeda Sanctions
Committee to include Masood Azhar in the list.
India demanded that the mastermind of various terrorist attacks in India including the
Mumbai attack and recent Pathankot invasion, Masood Azhar to be included in
sanctions of the UN al-Qaeda committee
India imposed sanctions on Jaish e-Mohammed in 2001, however the chief of JeM was
not added in the UN sanctions list due to opposition of one of the five permanent
members China to behest Pakistan
BANKING & FINANCE

LIC to launches its e-services
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) launches its e-services. The service will enable
policy holders to have easy access to their policies, policy status, and claim information.
E-services include
Policy image, status of policy, claim status and renewal information
The E-service help to access policy related information as well as payment anytime
and anywhere.
RBI gives nod to B Swaminathans appointment as Non-Executive Chairman of Karur

Vysya Bank
RBI gives nod for the appointment of Independent Director B Swaminathan as the NonChairman of the Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) for three years.
KVB is a private sector Bank its headquartered is in Karur, Tamil Nadu.
KVB is one of the largest old generation private banks in India.
64 | P a g e

SBI launches new home loan scheme for working executives
State Bank of India (SBI) has launched a new home loan scheme for young working
executives.
The Scheme enables the working professionals to get higher amount.
SBI Flexi Pay Home Loan helps the executives to purchase better and large living spaces
for themselves and their families.
RBI rates unchanged in 6th bi-monthly monetary policy review

In the 6th bi-monthly monetary policy review, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept
the repo andreverse repo rate unchanged at 6.75% and 5.75% respectively.
Cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks unchanged at 4.0% of net demand and time
liability (NDTL).
In the bi-monthly monetary policy review, RBI also emphasized the need for ease of doing
business, in line with the Governments Start-up India initiative and plans to contribute to an
ecosystem that is conducive for growth of start-ups.
HDFC Bank to sell loans to non-customers through ATMs
HDFC Bank is selling Loans to non customers through ATMs.
HDFC bank is using its ATM network to clutch new customers by extending its branch services
through ATMs.
Nearly 15% of new personal loans are approved and distributed by the banks without human
involvement these are done using online computer system.
The payment through ATMs is a new challenge for the bank.
HDFC is providing every kind of loans excluding home loans only.
Government To Infuse About Rs. 5000 Cr In PSU Banks This Quarter

Government will infuse about Rs 5,000 crore capitals in the Public Sector Banks (PSB) in the
current fiscal to strengthen balance sheet.
Key Highlights
The Funds will be infused after the approval of third Supplementary Demand for Grants in
the upcoming Budget session from Parliament.
PSU banks will now get Rs 25,000 crore in this fiscal year and similar will be given in the
next fiscal year.
The govt will provide about Rs 5,000 crore for fund infusion in the fourth quarter.
RBI had pushing banks to clean up balance sheets and make adequate provision for bad
loans.
It is estimated that state-run banks will require Rs 1.8 lakh crore of bonus capital in
the next four financial years, out of which Rs 1.1 lakh crore will be lift up from the
market by the lenders.
65 | P a g e
Public Sector Banks (PSB) like Bank of India, IDBI, Indian Overseas Bank, Bank of
Maharashtra, UCO Bank and United Bank of India are requiring giving special focus to
arrest the growth in bad loans.
The Government had announced a refurbish plan Indradhanush to infuse Rs70,000

crore in state-owned banks over four years
FDI two folds to 114% in December 2015

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Indian economy twice the usual size to $4.5 billion in
December 2015. There was 114% growth recorded for December 2015 as compared to December
2014, when India has received $2.16 billion.
Major sectors attracted foreign inflows computer software and hardware, trading,
services, automobile and telecommunications.
India receives maximum FDI from Singapore, Mauritius, Netherlands and Japan.
The government has relaxed FDI norms in 15 sectors, including Defence, single brand retail,
construction development, civil aviation and LLPs, to boost FDI in the country.
BSE, IFC jointly develop corporate governance scorecard
BSE and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) have jointly developed a corporate
governance scorecard. The scorecard help the companies assess their corporate governance
performances against national or international-benchmarked practices.
It will help companies in identify areas of further improvement and track progress over
time.
It can be used to make board processes more efficient, improve strategy, aid decisionmaking, and manage risks.
It will help Companies for better recognizing the way in which governance affects their
operations.
The scorecard can be used by stakeholders, including regulators, promoters, and

investors.
Mahindra AMC gets SEBI nod to enter MF business

Mahindra Asset Management Company has received a stamp of approval from SEBI to initiate
its mutual fund business. This newly formed MF business will focus on investors in semi-urban
and rural markets.
With the entry of Mahindra MF, the number of fund houses operating in India will rise
to 43.
Mahindra AMC also designated Ashutosh Bishnoi as its CEO and MD.
Mahindra AMC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services (MMFS).
66 | P a g e

RBI survey forecasted FY17 GVA at 7.8%
As per the recent RBI survey, the real Gross Value Added at basic price (GVA) is expected to
increase to 7.8% in the next fiscal (2016-17) from 7.4% expected in 2015-16.
GVA is an internationally accepted measure to gauge economic activity in a country.

Gross value added is the measure of the value of goods and services produced in an
area, industry or sector of an economy.
CAMS launches Aadhaar-based eKYC for setting up MF account instantly

CAMS had launched Aadhar based eKYC (know your customer) for setting up an instant (MF)
mutual fund account. The system had been launched to make mutual fund account opening and
transactions a paperless and presence less process.
Investors can voluntarily submit Aadhaar and mobile numbers for validation with Aadhaar
or UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India)
The authentication is done using OTP (one-time password) through CAMS at

camsonline.com
Bandhan Bank initiated Visa Debit Card & NRI Services

Started with an offering of only RuPay card, now Kolkata headquartered Bandhan Bank has
instigated an international debit card in association with Visa. It has also kicked off NRI
banking services.
The debit card service will be available worldwide but bank would offer NRI services only at
select branches.
About Newly Launched Debit Card
This new debit card will be accepted globally at more than 30 million Visa merchants. The card will
have two variants Visa Classic and Visa Platinum.
Daily cash withdrawal limit of Visa Classic Debit card holders will be Rs. 40,000 while
Visa Platinum Debit Card holders will have Rs. 1, 00,000 daily cash withdrawal.
The point of sale (PoS) transaction limits for Visa Classic Debit card holders will be at Rs
1, 00,000 and for Visa Platinum Debit Card holders will Rs 4, 00,000.
Corp Bank inks pact for insurance cover

Corporation Bank had signed a pact with Universal Sompo General Insurance Co Ltd for
insurance cover
The bank will provide free personal accident death cover of Rs 10 lakh to its Corp
Signature and Rs 5 lakh to its Corp Super account holders of Saving Bank Account
holders.
67 | P a g e

PG Apte Report: Introduction of Interest Rate Options in India
In a bid to safeguard interest risk rates and to help lenders in managing their asset liability
mismatch, Reserve Bank of India released the Report of the Working Group on Introduction of
Interest Rate Options in India.
The working was headed by PG Apte which reconnoitered the financial entities regarding their
embedded options on balance sheets.
Interest rate options (IROs) give buyers the right but not the obligation, to pay or
receive a predetermined interest rate over an agreed period.
The key recommendations of the Group are:
Simple call and put options to be permitted.
Complex structures may be introduced subsequently.
Interest rate options permitted on the currency and derivatives segment of stock
exchanges as well as in the OTC (over the counter)
Banks, primary dealers and other regulated entities having sound financials and prudent
risk management will act as market makers.
Fixed Income Money Market and Derivatives Association of India

(FIMMDA) andFinancial Benchmark India Private Limited (FBIL) will come out with
the list of eligible domestic money or debt market rates as benchmarks like G-Sec, T-Bills,
MIBOR, OIS, MIFOR, IRF etc.
Minimum lot size for IROs on exchanges will be Rs. 2 lakh. In the case of OTC, the minimum lot
size will be kept at Rs. 5 crore.
India to grow at 5-year high of 7.6 per cent in 2015-16
Indian economy will be growing at a 5-year high of 7.6 per cent in fiscal year 2015-16 as per
the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Gross domestic product (GDP) will increase by 7.6 per cent in 2015-16 which was 2 per
cent a year earlier.
The manufacturing sector is expected to grow 9.5 per cent in 2015-16 from 5.5 per cent
a year ago.
The growth has been projected at 1 per cent in case of agriculture sector.
Electronics Development Fund (EDF) to be launched in Financial Capital

Department of Electronics & IT (Deity) in a company with Canbank Venture Capital Fundis
all set to initiate the Electronics Development Fund (EDF) in Mumbai.
Domestic companies in the field of electronics manufacturing will get benefitted by the EDF
as it will act as their financial back and encourage sectorial innovation.
In July, 2015 Electronics Development Fund Policy was launched by PM Modi during the
inauguration of Digital India. Thereafter, in September, 2015 CANBANK Venture Capital Fund
Pvt. Ltd. (CVCFL) was designated by GOI to house Electronics Development Fund (EDF).
68 | P a g e

RBI changes g-sec tenures under OMO to rein in yield
With an aim to maintain liquidity and also keep rising yields in the market under check, the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) is changing the profile of the government securities (Gsecs), it is buying
from bond investors under its open market operations (OMOs).
A bond issued by a government authority, with a promise of repayment upon

maturity that is backed by government
An open market operation refers to a monetary policy tool in which central banks buy
and sell bonds to regulate the money supply in the economy.
BoB exhibited Highest Ever Loss by a PSB

Vadodara headquarter Bank of Baroda publicized its net loss of Rs 3,342 crore for the December
quarter in comparison with Rs 332 crore profit last year. It is considered as the highest-ever
quarterly loss by an Indian bank.
The reason behind this huge loss is the provisions against bad loans which have jumped
to Rs 6,164 crore against Rs 1,262 last year and increase in NPA percentage to 9.68%
from 3.85%.
RBI has already instructed all lenders to treat troubled accounts as non-performing even if an
actual default is yet to happen and make adequate provisions.
BOB is followed by IDBI (-2,183.68 cr), Bank of India (-1,505.58) and UCO Bank(1,497.01).
MSI Report: IT, Highest Paying Sector in India

In accordance with the Monster Salary Index (MSI) report, Information Technology sector in
India is the highest paying sector with a median gross hourly salary of Rs 346.42. On the other
hand, Indian manufacturing sector stood at last as it pays the least at Rs 254.04.
IT sector has been followed by Banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector with a
median salary of 300.23.

Although, IT and BFSI are leading the charts but surprisingly 50% of their employees are least
satisfied with their salaries.
Key Highlights of Report:
Manufacturing sector pays 9% lesser than the median salary for the entire Indian
economy taken together (Rs 279.7/hr.) while foreign owned manufacturing
companies pay double of what Indian manufacturing firms pay their workers.
BFSI sector higher remuneration reflects the high level education of workers with 16-17
years of schooling.
BFSI space, small companies pay an hourly salary of 197/hour while large firms pay an
hourly average salary of Rs. 324/hour.
Bonuses are more common in the IT sector than BFSI and manufacturing.
69 | P a g e

RBI announces liquidity measures for March 2016
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had announced the liquidity measures for March 2016for a
combination of appropriate instruments and for adequate additional liquidity infusion.
It will taper the cash conditions due to advance tax payments by corporate.
Banks will provide now flexibility to the banking system in its liquidity management by
March-end 2016.
India GDP likely to clock 7.8% growth in 2016: Nomura

Nomura had reported that the Indias GDP growth will likely to clock at 7.8% growth in year
2016.
Nomura is a Japanese financial holding company.
The factor that helps in the growth sector includes low commodity prices, improving
unrestricted demand and expenditure boost from the Seventh Pay Commission.
GDP in India is reported by the World Bank Group
The Annual GDP Growth Rate is reported by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation (MOSPI).
Employee Provident Fund interest
After receiving the stamp of approval from Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya Employees
Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has marginally mounted the PF interest
rate to 8.8%from 7.75% for 2015-16 financial year.
The announcement in this regard has been made during the 211th meeting of Central Board
of Trustees in Chennai, which was chaired by Bandaru Dattatreya.
This will benefit over 40 million subscribers in 8.60 lakh establishments.
As per rule, interest rates are fixed by EPFOs apex decision making body Central Board of
Trustees (CBT) because it provides rate of return from its own income without any assistance from
the government.
SBI opens Japan Desk in New Delhi
State Bank of India (SBI) launched Japan Desk, a first-of-its-kind initiative to facilitate
Japanese corporates looking to invest with banking and advisory services.
Aim: To be the window for inbound Japanese investments in India and vice-versa.
This will serve as an one-point comprehensive and reliable information support source for
India-bound investments of Japanese companies.
PNB declares United Breweries Holdings wilful defaulter

Punjab National Bank (PNB) had declared United Breweries Holdings, Kingfisher
Airlinesand Vijay Mallya as willful defaulter.
70 | P a g e
State Bank of India had also declared Mallya, Kingfisher Airlines and its holding company
United Breweries Holdings as wilful defaulters in November 2015.
For recovery bank conglomerate led by SBI had decided to auction Kingfisher House in
Mumbai on March 17 to recover a part of Rs 6,963 crore
Punjab National Bank had an exposure of Rs 800 crore to the redundant carrier.
Supreme Court seeks list of companies who have defaulted over Rs. 500 crore
The Supreme Court had directed the RBI that it seeks the list of companies, which
havedefaulted bank loans of over Rs. 500 crore.
Expressing the serious concern over the rise in bad loans the court asked the RBI to
provide the list within six weeks.
A bad loan is a loan where repayments are not being made as per the agreement
between the borrower and the lender.
Govt cuts interest rate on small post office schemes by 0.25%

Interest on short-term post office saving deposits was cut by 0.25 percent while the rate on
employees provident fund was increased marginally to 8.8 percent.
The finance ministry has cut interest rate on post office savings of 1, 2 and 3 year
terms,Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) as well as 5-year Recurring Deposits, but left long-term
instruments such as monthly investment scheme (MIS), PPF senior citizen and girl child
plans untouched.
Key facts:
The finance ministry said the 0.25 per cent higher interest rate that post office savings of 1,
2 and 3 year term deposits, KVP as well as 5-year Recurring Deposits earned over similar
tenure Government securities will be withdrawn from 1 April.
The short deposits currently fetch 8.4 percent interest, KVP doubles the investment in 8
years and four months (100 months).
The ministry also announced that henceforth the rates on small savings schemes would be
revised every quarter.But they are unchanged.
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana-0.75%, Senior Citizen Savings Scheme-1% and the MIS0.5% higher interest rate than G-secs.
Currently, PPF deposits get 8.7 percent interest rate while girl child scheme Sukanya
Samriddhi Yojana commands 9.2 percent. MIS gets 8.4 percent interest rate.
Axis Bank partners with Suvidhaa to offer loans to urban poor

Axis Bank had made partnership with Suvidhaa to offer loan to urban poor.
Aims to provide loan to the urban people who have no formal credit score to boast
and no bank guarantees to offer.
These urban poor include Rickshaw pullers, taxi drivers, tailors, barbers etc.
71 | P a g e

OECD: Indian economy sharply to grow at 7.4% next fiscal
In accordance with the Paris headquartered Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD), India will go on with durable growth at 7.4% in the next financial year in
comparison with earlier 7.3% forecasted in November 2015.
India will continue to grow robustly by 4% in 2016 and 7.3% in 2017.
On global front, economy is anticipated to expand 3% and accelerate to 3.3% in 2017

showing a sharp trim from November 2015 when it estimated at 3.3%.
Growth projection about other countries:
Chinas growth is projected at 6.5% in 2016 and 6.2% in 2017.
Brazils economy is expected to shrink by 4% this year as it is experiencing a deep

recession.
Trade and investment are weak while sluggish demand is leading to low inflation, inadequate
wage and employment growth.
Alliance Between Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd And Idea Cellular For Payment Banks
RBIs move to deepen financial inclusion by opening payment banks have gathered an over
whelming response with top private companies eager to obtain license. Now this has gained
importance with the alliance formed between Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd and Idea Cellular to obtain
payment bank license.
Major contenders: RIL, UAE exchange, dewan housing finance, Airtel, Videocon, Aditya Birla,
Reliance
Share: Aditya Birla- 51% & Idea- 49%
Other ventures: SBI and Reliance Industries Limited
All Villages to get Banking Access Zones

Our government is all set to proffer banking services in every village with the succor of
technology and the network of Common Services Centres (CSCs).
(IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad)
The announcement has been made during the conference of women village level
entrepreneurs (VLEs) under CSCs in New Delhi by IT minister.
Through CSCs, VLEs earned commissions of Rs. 438 crore on e-services viz. pancards,
passport and rail ticketing.
World Bank to help Rajasthan in energy reforms

World Bank has pledged to lend to Rajasthan government on energy reforms this decision has been
taken in the aftermath of meeting between World Banks country Director in India Mr. Onno
Ruhl and Rajasthan Chief minister Vasundhara Raje.
The director praised the states effort on energy development and conveyed that
Cooperation work between West Bengal government and Rajasthan government on
energy reforms.
72 | P a g e
The bank has prepared detailed report focusing energy reforms from conventional and
non-conventional sources.
PIB clears India Posts Rs 800 crore proposal for payments bank
The Public Investment Board Clears Rs. 800 Crore proposal from India Post to set up Payment
Banks, It will be kept before the Cabinet for the final approval within a month.
The PIB which runs under Finance Ministry stimulates the investment proposals by state
run companies.
India Post also in line to finalize the consultant for setting up India Posts payment bank
and shortlisted six consultants but only three of them submitted the bids.
RBI has granted Payment Bank License to the department which has been serving
financial services through 1.55 lakhs branches and India Post Payment Bank will start
its full-fledged operation from this march.
Srei ram to invest 2000 crores for Indian Vision Fund

Srei ram will invest 2000 crores for India Vision Fund which will buy the stressed assets, loans
& properties of corporate, NBFCS and companies which can be revived through proper plans.
The fund will invest in debt cum mezzanine instruments thereby providing investors an
opportunity to gain on their investments
RBI stretched out SAARC Swap Arrangement

In order to enhance economic cooperation and strengthen financial stability, RBI has extended
thecurrency swap arrangement to SAARC nations till mid November 2017.
Under the arrangement, Swap Arrangement of US $ 2 billion both in foreign currency and
Indian rupee to all SAARC member countries.
About RBIs SAARC Swap Arrangement

On November 15, 2012, the then Governor of RBI, Dr. D. Subbarao announced the SAARC Swap
Arrangement during the 24th SAARCFINANCE Governors Meeting in Pokhara, Nepal.
SAARC member countries include

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives,Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The swap has been offered in US dollar, Euro or Indian Rupee against the domestic
currency or domestic currency denominated government securities of the requesting
country.
HUDCO to Sanction 90 Crores for APCRDA

In a written reply to Smt. Kothapalli Geetha, the Minister of State for Housing & Urban Poverty
Alleviation Mr. Babul Supriyo informed in LokSabha that HUDCO (Housing and Urban
Development Corporation) have sanctioned 90Crores to APCRDA.
73 | P a g e
The loan was sanctioned To Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development

Authority(APCRDA) last month
The minister also told that 64,942 houses were built for urban poor in Andhra Pradesh
under JNNURM and Rajiv Awas Yojana.
A total of 80,999 houses were sanctioned under Prime minister Awas Yojana in
Junelast year
These houses are asked to be completed before 3.17 by the ministry
SBI launches new branch for e-commerce loans

Countrys largest lender launches SBI ESmart SME to offer E-Commerce startups, this is the first
of its kind.
The Bank has decided to cater exclusively to offer loans to E commerce startups and will
have dedicated branch, also joined hands with E commerce major Snapdeal.
Features:
Quick Sanction with KYC documents.
Collateral free loan up to Rs. 10 Lakhs under MUDRA
Processing fee of 0.399%
Women Entrepreneurs will have concession of 25%.
Macro Economic Survey 2015-16

On 26th February 2016, Finance minister Arun Jaitley tabled the Macro-Economic Survey
2015-16 in Parliament. The economic survey was prepared by the Chief Economic Advisor Arvind
Subramanian.
In accordance with survey, Indian economy is growing at a pace of 7-7.5% and it is expected
to accelerate at 8% in the next couple of years.
Indias macro-economy is sturdy and it is likely to be the fastest growing major

economy in the world in 2016 as it shows an expansion from 7.2% in 2014-15 to 7.6% in
current fiscal.
Before heading towards the other highlights lets us take a brief view on economic
survey:
To showcase the ministrys view on the annual economic development of the country, every year
before the Union Budget, the economic survey is presented by Finance Ministry of India.
Economic Survey summarizes the performance on major development programs and

highlights the policy initiatives of the government and the prospects of the economy in
the short to medium term.
This document is presented to both houses of Parliament during the Budget Session.
Following are the highlights of the report:

Fiscal Deficit
2015 -16 fiscal deficits seen at 3.9% of GDP seems achievable
74 | P a g e
2016 17 expected to be challenging from fiscal point of view.
Credibility and optimality argue for adhering to 3.5% of GDP fiscal deficit target.
Inflation
CPI inflation seen around 4.5 to 5% in 2016 17.
Confidence in price stability has improved and it is expected that RBI to meet 5% inflation
target by March 2017.
Prospect of lower oil prices over medium term likely to dampen inflationary expectations.
Current account deficit
2016 17 current account deficit seen around 1-1.5% of GDP.
Currency
Rupees fair value can be achieved through monetary relaxation.
India needs to prepare itself for a major currency readjustment in Asia.
Gradual depreciation in rupee can be allowed if capital inflows are weak.
Taxes
Proposes widening tax net from 5.5% of earning individuals to more than 20%.
Tax revenue expected to be higher than budgeted levels in FY15 16.
Favours review and phasing out of tax exemptions.
Banking & Corporate Sector
Estimated capital requirement for banks likely around Rs 1.8 trillion by 2018 19.
Corporate, bank balance sheets remain stretched, affecting prospects for reviving private
investments.
Underlying stressed assets in corporate sector must be sold or rehabilitated.
Govt could sell off certain non-financial companies to infuse capital in state-run
banks.
Govt proposes to make available 700 bn rupees via budgetary allocations during
current, succeeding years in banks.
India Ranks First in Milk Production

In accordance with the economic survey 2015-16, India ranks first in milk production, accounting
for 18.5% of world production. It achieved an annual output of 146.3 million tons during 201415 as compared to 137.69 million tonnes during 2013-14 recording a growth of 6.26%.
Abu Dhabi Bank included in the Second Schedule of RBI Act
The Reserve bank has included the National Bank of Abu Dhabi PJSC (NBAD) in second
schedule of RBI Act, 1934. It was released by RBI in a notification.
Points to note
NBAD is the leading bank in middle east
It has its global presence in around 17 countries
It is spread over overseas territories and five continents
75 | P a g e
The countries in which NBAD has its branches are China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, India,
Oman, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, France, Switzerland,
the UK, USA and Brazil
Birla Sunlife mutual fund launches 100% paperless eKYC

Birla Sunlife Mutual funds officially launched 100 % paperless Aadar based EKYC facility this
is the first of its kind from the company.
Paperless Aadar Based EKYC:
That allows the First time investors can now complete their eKYC formality by their Aadar
number using One Time Password method of recording investors data from Aadar Data that
procured by Unique Identification Authority of India.
This makes seamless to the first time investors considerably reduces time of process.
Retail interest in Mutual funds and Contribution from beyond top 15 cities on forward that
requires next generation customer service.
EPFO tightens norms for withdrawal of Provident Fund

EPFO has tightened norms for withdrawal of Provident Fund as well as investment in Varishtha
Pension Bima Yojana.
When the norms comes into force Provident Fund Subscribers will not be able to claim
their withdrawal of their fund once they attain the age of 54, they would have to wait up
to 57 Years.
Earlier subscribers were allowed to withdraw their fund of 90% in their PF accounts at
the age of 54 and their claims were given one year before the Retirement.
Transfer of PF to Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana:
The retirement Body also made change that PF account holders have to wait till they attain
the age of 57 years for apply for PF Withdrawal for transferring that to the Varishtha
Pension Bima Yojana of Life Insurance Corporation that has over five crore subscribers.
The PF body also made changes in appointment of up to Joint Secretary level officersthat
allows promotion and appointment of officials because earlier EPFO had to get nod from
Labour Ministry any appointment with pay scale higher than Rs.14, 300 to Rs. 18, 300
pay band.
Promotion of cashless transactions

Union cabinet chaired under PM Narendra Modi gave its approval to promote cashless
transactions. The government has many short term and medium term measures to be taken to
support this.
It will be helpful in promoting cashless transactions which will be vital in avoiding Taxevasion and a move to transform into digital cashless world from cash transactions
76 | P a g e
To supplement this, Government has withdrawn the charges levied for using debit cards
and other means of money transfer through cards and introduction of acceptance
infrastructure in Government organizations
The introduction of Payment and settlement systems Act,2007 has resulted in

penetration of modern card and digital payment systems in the country
Gold worth Rs. 3000 crores deposited under GMS

Union Government has acquired a staggering 1, 131 Kg of gold that 3014 crore under the Gold
Monetisation Scheme.71 depositors were joined in the Scheme which aims to curb the black
money and to bring out the gold of over 20, 000 tonnes neither traded nor monetized.
The depositors will earn small interest of 2.5 % per annum. Initially the scheme was
overcast however it started gaining depositors later on.
Collection and Purity Testing Centres were authorised to certify the physical Gold under
the Scheme. A total of 46 such centres are involved in testing of Gold.
The two trances scheme that were implemented with this scheme Sovereign Gold Bond
Scheme so far 3,786 kg of the metal amounting to 992 crore have 3,80,617
investors.
IDBI bank to raise 3771 crores through QIP

SEBI has given its nod to IDBI bank to raise capital of 3771 crores by issuing shares
through Qualified Institutional Players.
Flash points
IDBI(Industrial Development Bank of India ) sought SEBIs approval to raise capital by

issuing equity shares
SEBI approved to raise capital around 3771 croresthrough QIP model
This move will dilute the government shares significantly
Currently government holds around 16% shares in IDBI bank
3771 crores account for 6% share in IDBI bank
SEBI also told that the section 82 (c), ICDR regulations does not apply to IDBI
This corresponds to the regulation 113 of SEBI
SBI to raise capital of 15000 crores

State Bank of India got approval from its shareholders to raise capital of 15000 crores by public
issue or overseas assurance of shares.
SBI will raise capital of 15000 crores by public share or overseas issuance in next 14
months before March 2017
This fund will be raised by including public issue, rights issue or private placement
such as QIP or global depository receipt or any other mode
This fund will be used to meet the risk norms ahead of Basel III in March 2019
77 | P a g e
Currently the 52 week high end share is 80 and low end share is 148.30
The market value of share is 49 per share
BRICS Bank to provide its first loan to India on Solar project

The NDB which is likely to begin its operations in 2 months has decided to fund for green
projects initially, with India and China in the priority list. India is likely to receive loan for
its solar project in April from the NDB.
NDB has planned to provide loans for infrastructure projects which includes green
projects initially
The bank has proposed to lend $1.5-2 billion dollars by the end of this year
India and China are the first two member nations likely to get loan for green Solar
projects by April from NDB
The bank has planned to issue loan in local currency though the default currency of the
bank is US Dollar
BUSINESS
India exported six metro train coaches to Australia
Creating a history in countrys manufacturing sector, a consignment of six metro coaches
measuring 75 feet long and weighing 46 tonnes each made in Baroda was shipped
toAustralia from Mumbai Port .
To turn the country into a global manufacturing destination, a total of 450 metro
coaches are to be made in India to be exported to Australia over a period of two-and-a-
half year.
Govt bans zero duty import of capital goods for power plants
The government banned duty- free import of capital goods for power generation and
transmission projects under the EPCG Scheme.
Aim: To encouraging manufacturing of power equipment and giving a push to domestic capital
goods sector.
Amending the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20 authorisation under EPCG Scheme shall
not be issued for import of any Capital Goods for generation/transmission of power
The government has fixed a target of 88,537 MW power generation capacity addition for
the 12th Plan period ending 2016-17.
Vietnam lifts ban on import of groundnut from India

Vietnam had lifted the ban on import of groundnut from Indian after nine months.
78 | P a g e
The ban on import of Indian groundnuts from April 6, 2015 was due to thwarting
quarantine pests Caryedon serratus and Trogodrma granarium
The ban was lifted after the visit of a delegation from Vietnam to India in December 2015.
After seeing the fumigation facilities, export procedures and export certification system
for export of groundnuts from India the delegation decided to lift the ban.
Japan to set up plant for US-2 amphibious aircraft in India

Japans ShinMaywa Industries will set up a plant for the manufacturer of US-2 amphibious
aircraft in India. The Make in India project has offered to set up a plant in India to furnish the
international demands.
This plant in India will provide aircraft to the global market on demand.
As per government to government deal Indian Navy is trying to purchase 6 such

aircrafts between 2017 and 2022.
US-2 amphibious aircraft is very useful in civilian and military applications and can land
on choppy waters.
ZTE Soft inks pact with AP

Chinese technology company ZTE has inked a pact with the Andhra Pradesh government to
work on smart city projects in the state.
Under the letter of intent inked by ZTE, it proposes to work with AP on not only smart
cities, E-Pragathi project, Incubation Centre, smart technology projects among
others which the State has initiated.
As per the recent announcement, Visakhapatnam and Kakinada have been chosen to be part of
the smart city projects in the first phase.
SBI, Thomas Cook team up for inflation-proof holidays
State Bank of India (SBI) had tied up with Thomas Cook for inflation proof holiday.
Inflation proof holiday is offer to the online customers which helps them to save on
frequent deposits.
It is optional for the customers either to travel or exchange their savings on the maturity
of the frequent deposit by promoting holidays.
Customers will pay for a future holiday at todays prices while earning interest on the
linked e-recurring deposit through inflation-proof holiday.
SBIs recurring deposit interest rate is 7.25%.
SEBI forms task force to review risk management norms for commexes
Capital markets regulator SEBI has instigated a task force to review the risk management
norms for national-level commodity bourses following the suspension of futures trading forcastor
seed on NCDEX.
79 | P a g e
The task force has been asked to submit the report within 3 weeks.
The recent development in castor seed contracts and reports of high volatility in other
commodities such as turmeric and coriander have forced SEBI to set up a task force to see
if risk management norms can be further tightened.
IPAB approves GI tag for Indian Basmati rice

The Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) had approved the Geographical
Indications Registry (GI) tag for . The report is given by the geographical isolation conducted
by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
Basmati rice-producing states in north Indian to get GI tag are Punjab, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Jammu &
Kashmir.
Key Highlights
Basmati rice-producing states in north Indian to get GI tag are Punjab, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Jammu &
Kashmir.
India export basmati rice to the following countries Saudi Arabia, Iran, United Arab Emirates,
Iraq and Kuwait.
India exported 37 lakh million tons of Basmati Rice to the world worth 27,597.87
crore annually.
India is the worlds leading exporter of the rice in India.
Government imposes minimum import price on 173 steel items

The government imposed minimum import price (MIP) on 173 steel products ranging
from $341 to $752 per ton.
This is the governments action to give relief to domestic steel producers against cheap
in-bound shipments.
The discussion will directly affect the price of raw materials and will suitably give cheap
imported materials.
The prices will remain low only for six months.
These rules were not implemented on advance authorization scheme and high-grade
pipes used in the petroleum and natural gas industry.
Chettinad Cotton Saree gets Indian Handloom tag

The Chettinad cotton saree had won the India Handloom tag for its unique designs and
identity.
The Chettinad cotton saree is registered under the India Handloom Brand Scheme by
Union Ministry of Handlooms and Textiles, Mumbai
80 | P a g e
The Handloom tag was conferred in the India Handloom Brand Scheme after checking
its various quality parameters stipulated by the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
The Chettinad sarees are very in style in North Indian states of India.
IRCTC partners with Chaayos to provide tea and snacks in trains

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) tie up with a leading tea cafe
chainChaayos to provide tea and snacks in trains.
Initially, the collaboration is for all trains at New Delhi station, and will soon be
extended to other stations across Delhi and Mumbai.
Passengers will have to order their tea two hours ahead of the trains arrival time, which
can be made on www.Ecatering.Irctc.Co.In or calling a toll-free number (1800-1034139).
IRCTC has also launched a mobile app through which orders can be placed.
India tops milk output in 2014-15, but lags behind in productivity: NDRI data
India had topped the record of milk production which is of 146.31 million tonnes in 2014-15
and it was 137.7 million tonnes in the previous year as per the National Dairy Research
Institute (NDRI) data but it lags behind in the productivity.
Key Highlights
India tops the list of the major milk-producing countries in the world followed by
the USA, China, Pakistan and Brazil.
But the milk productivity (production per animal) in the country is very less as compared
to those in developed dairy nations.
Currently the share of India for milk production is nearly 16% of total world
production.
Globally the production increase by an average of 2.2%.
The report about the productivity of milk was generated by NDRI.
YES Banks tie up with Smartbox to help reduce delivery returns

Private sector bank YES Bank has tied up with Smartbox Ecommerce Solutions for solving
challenges related to last mile delivery for e-commerce players.
How it will help to reduce delivery returns
This tie up will help power the payment solutions for Smartbox network of Automated
Parcel Delivery Terminals.
With this association COD will be handled as CSOD (card swipe on delivery) on the
terminals thereby reducing the burden of handling cash on the entire ecosystem.
The Cash on Delivery model continues to account for over 50% of the e-commerce
market which is slated to reach a size of $100 billion by 2020
81 | P a g e

Indo-UK Healthcare to invest Rs 1,000 cr in Haryana
The Haryana government signed an agreement with Indo-UK Healthcare Private Limited
with proposed investment of Rs 1,000 crore. Haryana is one of the six states which have signed
MoUs with Indo-UK Healthcare Private Limited.
An agreement was signed by Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Devender

Singh, on behalf of the Haryana government, and Managing Director and Group Chief
Executive Officer, Indo-UK Healthcare Private Limited, Ajay Gupta.
Objective : To establish medical institutions in Haryana

Highlights:
The Haryana government would facilitate Indo-UK Healthcare Private Limited to obtain
necessary permissions, registrations, approvals and clearances for the project from the
departments concerned in order to ensure the establishment of the project in a timebound manner.
IIT Madras partners with Nokia for enhanced broadband connectivity

IIT Madras had partnered with Nokia to enhance broadband connectivity in rural India
byenabling the government vision Digital India.
Nokia will provide technological expertise and funning for research at IIT-Madras
Center of Excellence for Wireless Technology (CEWiT).
The Aim of the technology solution is to control unlicensed spectrum and to enhance
broadband connectivity in rural India.
HeyBiz tied up with Su-Kam Power

HeyBiz has announced its association with Su-Kam Power Systems Limited to digitise its
dealers and distributors network that will help in connecting with local customers.
Highlights:
The collaboration will enable HeyBiz users chat and discuss with Su-Kam
Experts orlocal dealers and get insight on product details, prices and dealers location
throughout the country.
Users can also schedule a service on real time chat with ease and convenience.
Indias gold demand up by 2.5% in 2015: WGC

Indias demand for gold recovered to increase by 2.5% in 2015 as reported by The World Gold
Council (WGC).
Investment in gold is turn down by 6% year-on-year in volume terms, jewellery demand

expanded 5.3%.
Gold demand was valued at Rs 2, 02,910 crore.
Total gold recycled in India in Q4 2015 was 20 tonnes.
82 | P a g e

Coca Cola stops manufacturing in 3 Indian Plants
Coca-Cola India had stopped manufacturing in three Indian Plants.
These three plants are located in Jaipur, Vishakhapatnam and Meghalaya
It operates around 54 plants in India out of which 25 are company owned, 24 are
franchisee plants and five are copackers.
Coca-Cola India is a soft drink company.
It was the fastest growing brewage company.
Coca Cola is the US biggest beverage company.
Vedanta Groups Anil Agarwal to set up Indias first LCD panel plant
Vedanta Groups owner Anil Agarwal had set up the countrys first LCD panel manufacturing
plant in Maharashtra.The project aims to boost domestic manufacturing of electronics and reduce
import bill in the country
He will manufacture the plant with an investment of $10 billion (Rs 68,000 crore).
It was inked under the Make in India week
Government to introduce Business Identification Number for companies

To improve ease of doing business, the government is all set to introduce Business Identification
Number (BIN) for companies.
The BIN would act as an identification number for different regulatory purposesand
do away with the need for procuring separate registration numbers.
Normally, a company is required to obtain 18 different registration numbers.
As per the proposal, the permanent account number (PAN) may become the BIN for
companies.
Mahindra & Mahindra board approves plan to transfer agri-business to its subsidiary
The board of directors of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M) had approved a plan to transfer the agribusiness of the company to its subsidiary.
Mahindra Shubhlabh Services Ltd (MSSL) is its 100% Subsidiary.
This plan will enable the focus of organization on the agri business.
The agri-business covers crop care, seeds, seed potato, pulses, edible oil, grapes, dairy
products and micro irrigation.
Apple to set up first technology centre in India

Apple will be going to set up its first technology development centre in Hyderabad India.
Hyderabad is considered as the hub of technology.
The center will be set up with an amount of $25 million (Rs 150 crore) in 250000
square feet.
83 | P a g e
The Apple center will provide new job opportunities to the youth and help in Indian
Economy.
Sale of Apples product in India had crossed nearly $ 1billion.
Kstart announces partnership with Google

Kstart had announced to have technology partnership with Google for its seed-stage portfolio
companies.
Access to Googles mentorship, global network and products is provided to Kstart portfolio
companies after the partnership.
Kstart portfolio companies will also join the Google Launchpad program.
India begin a great start-up location will help both the Kstart and Google to explore their
business.
By providing world class infrastructure, access to funds, legal and marketing help, Kstart
will help in hosting the protected companies.
Tata Teleservices subsidiary mRUPEE tied-up with IRCTC

Telecom major Tata Teleservices announced that its subsidiary mRUPEE has tied up with ecommerce behemoth Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to provide an
additional payments gateway.
According to the telcom major, it has entered into a payments gateway tie-up with IRCTC
through its subsidiary mRUPEE.
Its association will allow users one-tap payments options for all railway ticket bookings
via mRUPEE wallet.
Big Bazaar Direct ties up with Oxigen Services

Big Bazaar Direct had tied up with Oxigen Services a payment service provider.
The aim of the tie is to offer products easily to the end customers at affordable price
and at their nearer store.
This tie will enable Oxigens 2 lakh retailers to sell the wide assortment of Big Bazaar
Tata Motors-Bharat Forge Tie Up For $ 11 Billion FICV Bid

As a part of the Make in India initiative in defence sector, the defence ministry proposed to replace
the 2,610 Russian designed Sarath BMP-II combat vehicles which were used since 1980.
The FICV (Fighting Infantry Combat Vehicle) project is a 2 part contract. Three
players will get the prototype one being the state owned OFB and other 2 private
companies. There are 10 private companies participating in the bid. The defence
ministry will contribute 80% of the project cost at the end.
84 | P a g e

Japans Terra Motors launches new e-rickshaws
Japans Terra Motors had launched an electric rickshaw for the Indian market.It aims to
sell 30,000 units by the end of the year 2016 by enhancing its network in India.
It costs Rs 1, 30, 00 Lakh.
5 million dollar had been invested by the company to expand manufacturing capacity in
Gurgaon
Terra Motors is the topmost e scooter company of Japan.
It was launched with the name Y4Alfa e- rickshaw.
GSFC to Setup a Nylon-6 Plant in Baroda

Gujarat State Fertilizers Commission has proposed to set up a manufacturing unit of Nylon -6
Plant near Baroda at an estimated cost of Rs.140 Crores.
Flash points
GFSC is going to enhance the nylon 6 chips production to 15000 MTPA
It has recently strengthened its nylon yarn at a cost of 50 crores with the production of
2600 MTPA
The company which took up a Melamine project for Rs.1000 crores is to begin the project
in 2018-19
US launches anti-dumping probe on tyres from India, Sri Lanka and China
The US Department of Commerce has decided to initiate Antidumping and Countervailing duties
investigations on imports from Pneumatic off -Road Vehicle tyres which imported from India,
China and Sri Lanka.
The duties will be imposed to off Road duty tyres that runs on gravel surface such
as agricultural fields, Construction duties and other factories.
The US International Trade Commission will determine the impact of these imported tyres
which significantly makes injury to the domestic tyre industries.
4 Bengali sweets to come into possession of GI tag

In order to protect the traditional sweets from imitations and for exporting them in future,
the West Bengal government is all set to get Geographical Identification (GI) tag for itsfour
traditional sweets.
It has been announced during the Mishti Mela (sweet fair) in Malda district of West
Bengal.
The sweets include Moa of Jainagar, Sarpuria of Krishnagar

and SitabhogandMihidana of Burdwan.
About selected traditional sweets:
Jainagar in South 24 Parganas district is famous for Jainagar-er moa which is made of
puffed rice and date palm jaggery.
Krishnagar of Nadia district is famous for Sarpuria which is made of milk cream.
Sitabhog and Mihidana are rice based sweets of Burdwan.
85 | P a g e

Exports with Dubai to get easier with the New MoU
With a move to strengthen the India-UAE economic ties, the Confederation of Indian Industry
has signed a Memorandum of Understanding which will boost trade between the 2 nations.
Key points
The MoU signed between CII and Dubai exports will simplify the export process
between the countries
It will also help in removing impediments such as taxation, custom regulations, Visas etc
India-The Major importer of Arms in the world

A Report released by the SIPIR (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) clearly places
India in the topmost position of Arms import in the world between 2011-2015. Indias imports
account for 14% of the worlds total imports.
Flashpoints
India is followed by China in the row making it as the second largest importer
with 7% and then Australia (3.6%), Pakistan (3.3%), Vietnam (2.9%) and South
Korea (2.6%)
Indias imports have been increased by 90%in the year 2011-15 compared to 2006-10
Indias imports is thrice as that of China and Pakistan
Major suppliers include US(12%),Israel(7%) and predominantly Russia which

supplies70% of Indias weapon needs
India had spent $120 billion for Arm imports in the last 15 years
Ricoh India to supply Hardware in Odisha Schools

Ricoh India, a subsidiary of Ricoh group, Japan has got an order worth Rs.344 Crores fromKerala
State Electronics Development Corporation to supply hardware for Government schools in
Odisha.
The project involves supply,installation of hardware, connected accessories, software and

its maintenance
2000 government aided high schools of Odisha are to be benefited out of this under
theICT@ school scheme
Google is shutting down Google Compare

Search Giant Google is winding down operations of unfamiliar tool called Compareand will
terminate the services by March 23 from U.S and UK services.
Google compare is a website launched in March 2015 that allows handlers to compare
offers for Car insurance, credit Cards and mortgages currently available in the UK
and the US.
However Google s parent company Alphabet has been running its compare platform for
three years in The UK and started in the US last march.
86 | P a g e
FINO PayTech-Reliance tie-up to provide credit for Rural poor in MP

FINO Paytech has tied up with Reliance Commercial Finance to provide credit to rural areas of
Maharastra and Madhya Pradesh.
Loan is given through Joint Liability Group model
It will provide credit for women for a tenure of 24 months for revenue generating
activities
A pilot project has been initiated in Vidharba of Maharashtra, Bhopal,Hardha,

Khandwa,Vidhisha, Khargone in MP.
Johnson & Johnson fined $72 million for baby powder

Johnson & Johnson to pay fine of $ 72 million in the case of ovarian cancer that cost a woman life
who used a companys talcum powder.
Louis jury ordered the pharmacy company to pay $72 million to Jacqueline Salter Fox
family, $ 10 million for actual damages and $ 62 million for punitive damages.
About 1, 000 cases have been filed in Missouri court, also Jacqueline Fox used the
talcum powder over 35 years and died at age of 62.
UP Government signs pact with OLA

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilessh yadav Signed Pact with Taxi Giant OLA to create over 50,
000 entrepreneurs opportunities across the state.
OLA will work with state government in the states Skill Developing among Youth and
providing Entrenurship Opportunities for 50, 000 men and women of the state.
The pact will be in force for the next five years, OLA will rollout various initiatives such
as OLA Auto, OLA Share, and OLA Shuttle throughout the state.
Times Internet Partners with Investopedia

Times Internet enters into a strategic partnership with Investopedia.com to create a blend of
local and international information, knowledge to grow the brand amongst the audience in India.
com global website known for its financial information
Times internet-One of the largest digital network of India
With this partnership, Investopedia will turn into the worlds largest financial education
website in India
Through this partnership, Times Internet will use the content of Investopedia and they in
turn will utilize the 150 million unique users of Times internet in India
Vedanta Ltd wins Indias first-ever auction of a gold mine

Vedanta Limited wins Indias first-ever auction of a gold mine to curb the overseas purchase
of the metal that cost $36 billion last year in Chhattisgarh.
87 | P a g e
The Company won the Auction of Baghmara Gold mine with its highest bid of 12.55
% ofIndian Bureau of Mining priced Rs. 74712 per troy ounce ( troy ounce = 31.1
Gram) against three bidders.
The Mine has the reserve over 2700 kg is expected to earn more than Rupees 81.40
crores to Chhattisgarh.
Vedanta resources is a multinational company headquartered in London.
Flipkart, Amazon, and Snapdeal penalised for selling medicines

Maharashtra Government penalises Indias major E Commerce Companies Flipkart, Amazon
and Snapdeal which were selling medicines online without valid requisite license to sell the same.
In accordance with provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, the sale
of drugs in the country is regulated by Food and Drug Administration of the state.
Drugs specified in Schedule H, H1 or Schedule X are not to be sold in the absence of

registered medical practitioner.
CCEA hikes MSP of raw jute from Rs 2,700 to 3,200 per quintal
Government has decided to raise the Minimum Support Price of Raw Jute by 18.5
% to Rs.3200from Rs. 2700 for 2016-17,this decision come after Commission for Agricultural
Costs and Prices (CACP) advised to revise the price of agricultural products.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra
Modi has decided to raise the MSP to increase the raw Jute Production that has been
declining recent years.
Jute Cultivation in India:
Almost 85% of Jute Cultivation is done in the Ganges delta, also it provides Livelihood
to 40 Lakh formers in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Bihar which employ 3.75 lakh
workers.
India, Bangladesh and China respectively the three largest Jute producers in the World.
India top source of illicit medicine in Swiss shore

A recent report released by the Swiss customs officials told that 42% of the illicit medicines
supplied to Swiss are from India.
India accounts for 42% of the illicit medicines supplied to Switzerland while the rest
ofAsia accounts for 24%
Western Europe (such as UK, Germany, Portugal) was the source for 18 per cent of
such products, Eastern Europe for 8 per cent, Central and South America for 4 per
cent, while other regions accounted for 4 per cent
88 | P a g e
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Sports stars Sania, Virat and Saina leading among 56 Indians in Forbes list
Tenniss World no.1 Sania Mirza, batting linchpin Virat Kohli and badminton lead Saina
Nehwal listed their names in the Forbes 30 under 30 Asia.
The Forbes list of promising young leaders and game changers under the age of 30 in
Asia includes 300 young and driven entrepreneurs and game-changers who are contributing to
their industries in a significant way.
Countries included India, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan,Pakistan, Vietnam
and Australia.
There are 56 Indians feature in the list. Here are some Indian names in list:
Sports Apart from Sania, Virat and Saina, 27 year old Arunima Sinha who is the first
female and first Indian amputee to climb Mt. Everest in 2013 made her name in the list.
Entertainment Chaitanya Tamhane (28) who is the writer and director of the critically
acclaimed movie Court and actress Shraddha Kapoor (26) also made their mark in list.
Retail and e-commerce category Raghav Verma (29), who co-founded Indian tea
chain Chaayos with IIT-Mumbai alumnus Nitin Saluja and Mehul Agrawal (29),
cofounder of automotive e-commerce site Cars24 and online furniture
storeFabFurnish.
Social entrepreneurship Kanika Tekriwal (27), co-founded and heads JetSetGo, an

India-based private jet concierge service that links passengers to planes through an online
marketplace.
Consumer tech category Ritesh Agarwal (22) founder and CEO of disruptive
hospitality business and app OYO Rooms.
Avinash Chander honored with ASI-ISROs Aryabhata Award

Avinash Chander Former Director General of the DRDO honored with Aryabhata Award of
Astronautical Society of India. He was a Formal Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister.
The Award was presented to Avinash Chander by R.Chidmabaram Principal Scientific

Adviser to Government of India and The Chairman of ISRO A S Kiran Kumar ASI ISRO
function held at Space Application Center Ahmadabad.
EEPC Star Performer Award bestowed upon NALCO

EEPC (Engineering Export Promotion Council, Eastern Region)s Gold Trophy for outstanding
export performance during 2013-14 has been conferred upon National Aluminium Company
Limited (NALCO).
It is headquartered in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Yes Bank wins inaugural Green Bond Award in UK
89 | P a g e

Indias fifth largest private sector Bank Yes Bank received prestigious Green Bond Pioneer
Award Ceremony held in London.
This Award was granted in recognition for its pioneering efforts in the Climate Bond
Initiative , Yes Bank being first Indian Bank to issue Green Infrastructure Bonds in India
worth 1000 crore with Green shoe option that witnessed strong demand among
investors.
Green Infrastructure Bonds:
Yes Bank is the only lender to have a Green Field Bank License awarded by the Reserve
Bank of India in the last two decades.
Alphabet Inc overtakes Apple as worlds most valuable company

Alphabet Inc. becomes the worlds most valuable company after overtaking the Apple.
Alphabets market capitalization becomes $531 billion after its share has been rose by 1.7%. Five
of the most valuable companies in the world are Alphabet, Apple, Microsoft Corp., Facebook
Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.
Titli wins Best First Foreign Film Award in French Syndicate of Cinema Critics
Famous Indian filmmaker Kanu Behl has won the Best First Foreign Film Award conferred by
the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics 2016 (FSCC) for his directorial film Titli.
Key Highlights
The film is co-produced by Dibakar Banerjee Productions Pvt Ltd and Aditya
Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj Films.
The film features actors Ranvir Shorey, Amit Sial, Shashank Arora, Lalit Behl and
Shivani Raghuvanshi in the lead roles.
The awards were announced in Paris.
Titli has also won awards at various international film festivals at places like Bordeaux,
Hawaii, New York, Turkey and Spain.
Amitabh Bachchan gets lifetime achievement award

Legendary Amitabh Bachchan (73) was presented with the lifetime achievement award at NDTV
Indian of the Year Awards.
KU wins first chancellors award
States oldest University, Kerala University has been conferred with first-ever chancellors
award with a prize money of Rs 5 crore.
The prize include includes a citation and a gold plated rolling trophy.
The prize money is meant for capital expenditure for any major project of theuniversity.
The award was instituted to nurture the spirit of healthy competition among the universities,
resulting in better quality in higher education, so as to make the universities vibrant centres of
learning. The universities were judged on the following parameters on a total scale of 500 marks:
90 | P a g e
Golden Conch Award presented to Manipuri documentary Phum-Shang

Golden Conch Award for the best documentary has been conferred upon Manipuri documentary
film Phum Shang at 14th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF).
Other Awards
Category
Dadasaheb Phalke Award for
Best Debut Film of a director
Movie
Far From Home
Director
Nitesh Anjan (Based in
Denmark)
Animation category
Best short fiction film
Best student film
Chhaya
Agli Baar
Going Home
Debanjan Nandy
Devashish Makhija
Niranjankumar Kujur
Gold Conch Award for the best feature length documentary film shared by Swiss film My
Name Is Salt and an Indian film Placebo.
Mark Zuckerberg emerged as worlds fourth richest person

As per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a daily ranking of the worlds 400 richest
people,Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg outpassed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to become
the worlds fourth-richest person.
Zuckerberg is the only billionaire among the worlds five-richest people whose worth
has increased this year.
Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates still leads the global rich scale with an estimated personal worth of
$78.7 billion, followed by Spains Amancio Ortega ($69.3 billion) and US investment guruWarren
Buffett ($59.6 billion).
Sarangi maestro Pandit Ram Narayan selected for Bhimsen Joshi Award
Sarangi maestro Pandit Ram Narayan had selected for the prestigious Bharat Ratna Pandit
Bhimsen Joshi Classical Music Award 2015-2016.
The announcement for the award was made by Maharashtras Cultural Affairs
Minister Vinod Tawde.
It is an annual Classical Music Award, instituted by the Maharashtra Government.
The award includes Rs 5 lakh in cash, a citation and a memento.
Pandit Ram Narayan was also awarded the Padma Vibhushan, in 2005 in Hindustani
classical music.
Keralas She-Taxi bags CMs innovation award

Keralas all-women taxi cab service She-Taxi had bagged the prestigious Chief Ministers
Award for Innovation in Public Policy 2014.
She-Taxi idea was chosen for the honor taking into account it as a unique model and its
prospects to reproduce in other places.
91 | P a g e
The initiative had deal with the safety and security concerns of women travelers.
The award had been received by Gender Park CEO Dr P T M Sunish and the She-Taxi
representatives from K Muraleedharan, MLA, at a function.
RBI gets award for innovation in XBRL reporting

The Reserve Bank of India had been awarded with the extensible Business Reporting
Language (XBRL) International Award for Excellence and its efforts to improve regulatory
reporting
XBRL(extensible Business Reporting Language) is a freely available and global

standard for exchanging business information.
XBRL allows the expression ofsemantic meaning commonly required in business reporting.
The language is XML-based and uses the XML syntax and related XML.
UNESCO Medals for contributions in Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies

UNESCO Medals has been conferred upon the 8 eminent scientists to recognize their
contribution in the development of nanoscience and nanotechnologies, at an event held inParis.
Russia has made a big win to the development of nanoscience and nanotechnologies as 4
scientists from Russian federation grabbed this award.
Here is the list of Winners

Winner
Country
Contribution
Professor Isamu
Japan
Contribution in the creation of blue light-emitting
Akasaki
diodes, which resulted in the discovery of white

light sources for illumination
Professor Lei Jiang
China
Research on the design and fabrication of bioinspired surfaces with specific wettability
Professor Philippe Pernod
France
Worked on active nanostructured magnetic and

multiferroic films, Micro-Magneto-ElectroMechanical Systems and their applications, and
multistable nanostructures.
Professor Nicholas Kotov
USA
Worked on biometric self-organization of Nano

colloids, ultra-strong nanocomposites, tissue
engineering with nanomaterials, and nanoscale
drugs
Academician Gennady
Russia
Krasnikov
For his efforts to broaden the use of

nanotechnologies in manufacturing industries and
his work in the field of semiconductor physics and
semiconductor devices
Professor Igor Ashurbeyli
Russia
For his work in the field of the development of new
92 | P a g e

generation microelectronic devices, information
systems and technologies
Doctor Mikhail Dubina
Russia
Worked on research and development of new

medical technologies based on the use of
nanostructures in the earlier on-line diagnostics as
well as the creation of new nano biotechnological
devices that could influence the bioprocesses in
the human body
Doctor Natalya Mikhaylova
Russia
For her work on the application of

nanotechnologies in aesthetic medicine, in the
fields of cosmetology, polysaccharide
development, cancer therapy, reconstructive and
plastic surgery
IFPI bestowed Adele as the Best-Selling Artist of 2015

International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has conferred English singer and
songwriter Adele with its global artist of the year prize to recognize her phenomenal success.
Her Third album 25 becomes the fastest selling album in British history as it sold more
than 800,000 copies in its first week.
Her song Hello becomes the first single to be downloaded more than one million times in the
US.
Prime Minister Shram Awards for the Year 2014 Announced

The Government of India announced the Prime Ministers Shram Awards for the year 2014
The awards will be present to the employee in the Departmental Undertakings &
Public Sector Undertakings of the Central and State Governments and Private
Sector Units in recognition of their distinguished performances, innovative abilities,
outstanding contribution in the field of productivity and exhibition of exceptional courage
and presence of mind.
Indian Sets New World Record for Most Push-Ups in Minute

Indian Martial Arts trainer KJ Joseph set a new world record for the most pushups in a minute.
The earlier record was made by USAs Ron Cooper who performed 79 pushups in a
minute now KJ Joseph grasp the record by finishing 82 pushups in a min.
KJ Joseph is from Kerala and he also holds another record for breaking iron-bars with
bare hands.
93 | P a g e

Karnataka Mobile One m-governance model wins gold at World Government Summit in
UAE
Karnataka mobile One m-governance model wins gold at world Government Summit in
Dubai UAE .It is the fourth World Government Summit.
Aim: To increase the rural access for the App by bringing on board horticulture and agriculture
services, including a link to e-market platforms for farmers.
About Karnataka Mobile One m-governance model :
This is one of the biggest e-governance applications in the world, to win gold.
It will bring over 4,000 services including government and private integrated platform.
These apps can be accessed on smartphones a web portal or through SMS and IVRS.
This app has been commended as Indias first M-governance model and there are
plans at the Centre to swish it to the national level.
EY Entrepreneur Award conferred upon Lupin CEO & MD

Pharmaceutical company Lupins CEO and MD bestowed with EY Entrepreneur of the Year
2015 award in recognition of their efforts in the companys glorious growth and for creating value
for stakeholders.
Vinita Gupta, chief executive officer and Nilesh Gupta, managing director of Lupin
have received the award and will represent India at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year
Award in Monte Carlo from June 7.
Here is the list of other Awards

Award Category
Lifetime Achievement
Start Up
Business Transformation
Retail and Consumer Products
Life Sciences and Health Care
Manufacturing
Services
Financial Services
Entrepreneurial CEO
Winner
FC Kohli
Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Siddhartha Lal
R S Agarwal
Samir Mehta
Ramachandra N Galla
Krishnakumar Natarajan
Chandra Shekhar Ghosh
Romesh Sobti
Company
Former Vice-Chairman of TCS
Paytm (CEO)
Eicher Motors (CEO and MD)
Emami (Executive Chairman)
Torrent Pharmaceuticals
Amara Raja Batteries (Chairman)
Mindtree (CEO and MD)
Bandhan (CMD)
IndusInd Bank (CEO and MD)
Hilton Asian Tour Golfer of the Year award conferred upon Lahiri
In an online poll, Indias Anirban Lahiri has been voted as the Hilton Asian Tour Golfer of
Year. In 2015, the world no. 40 became the first Indian to feature at The Presidents Cup and won
the Asian Tour Order of Merit title.
During 2015 Presidents Cup, he represented Team International against Team USA and also
won the Asian Tour Order of Merit title.
Lionel Messi wins the La Liga player of the month award

Lionel Messi has been named La Liga player of the month for January. For the first time he has
won the award. Messi scored six times that month, nine times in March 2014 (including
94 | P a g e

consecutive hat-tricks), five in October 2014, nine the following month, seven in February 2015 and
four times last December.
The Barcelona forward was honoured at the 23rd time of asking after scoring six
goalsin as many league games in January.
The award has been given out since the beginning of the 2013-14 Primera Divisin season
but the five-times Ballon dOr winner had not won it until now.
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the award twice since it began in September 2013, as have the
Atltico pair Diego Godn and Antoine Griezmann and the Real Sociedad striker Carlos Vela.
Vidya Balan receives Pride of Kerala award
The 38-year-old Bollywood actress Vidya Balan has been awarded with the Pride of Kerala
award by the World Malayalee Council and Kairali TV.
The National award-winning actress has starred in films like Parineeta, Paa, No One
Killed Jessica, The Dirty Picture and Kahaani.
2016 BAFTA Awards

The 69th British Academy Film Awards were held on 14 February 2016 at the Royal Opera
House in London to honour the best British and international contributions to film in 2015.
The Revenant made 5 wins while Mad Max: Fury Road had clinched 4 awards.
BAFTA Awards were established in 1947.
Here is the list of winners

Category
Academy Fellowship
Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema
EE Rising Star Award
Best Film
Best Documentary
Best Animated Film
Best Short Film
Best Film Not in the English Language
Best Director
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Cinematography
Outstanding British Film
Best Original Music
Best Sound
Best Costume Design
Best Makeup and Hair
Best Editing
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director
or Producer
Winner
Sidney Poitier
Angels The Costumiers
John Boyega
The Revenant
Amy
Inside Out
Operator
Wild Tales Argentina
Alejandro G. Inarritu (The Revenant)
Leonardo DiCaprio
Brie Larson
Mark Rylance
Kate Winslet
Emmanuel Lubezki (The Revenant)
Brooklyn
The Hateful Eight
The Revenant Lon Bender, Chris
Mad Max: Fury Road Jenny Beavan
Mad Max: Fury Road Damian Martin and
Mad Max: Fury Road Margaret Sixel
Naji Abu Nowar (Writer/Director) and Rupert
Lloyd (Producer) Theeb
Golden Beaver Award bestowed upon Nagaland is changing. But

Nagaland is changing. But a documentary movie has clinched the Golden Beaver
Awardat 6th National Science Film Festival in Mumbai.
95 | P a g e
The award was presented to director Gurmeet Sapal by noted filmmaker MS Sathyu.
It was awarded the Best Film in the films made by institutions category along with cash
prize of Rs. 1 lakh.
The film was also conferred with technical excellence award for best sound design with
cash prize of Rs 20,000.

President Pranab Mukherjee conferred Infosys Prize 2015
President Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Infosys Prizes in New Delhi for the year 2015.The
prize was felicitated to six winners for their outstanding contribution in the research fields.
These six winners are Umesh Waghmare, Jonardon Ganeri, Amit Sharma, Mahan
Maharaj, G. Ravindra Kumar and Srinath Raghavan.
58th Grammy awards 2016

The 2016 Grammy Awards ceremony was held at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California to
recognize the best recordings, compositions and artists of the year.
Kendrick Lamar has won 11 awards followed by Taylor Swift (7) and Max Martin(6).
The Grammy Awards were instigated in 1959.
These are presented by National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS).
Here is the list of key awardees
Record of the Year

Album of the Year
Song of the Year
Best New Artist
Best
Best
Best
Best
Solo Performance
Duo/Group Performance
Traditional Vocal Album
Vocal Album
Best Dance Recording

Best Dance/Electronic Album
Best
Best
Best
Best
Rock Performance
Metal Performance
Rock Song
Rock Album
Best
Best
Best
Best
Best
R&B Performance
Traditional R&B Performance
R&B Song
R&B Album
Urban Contemporary
Best Rap Performance
General
Uptown Funk (Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars)
1989 (Taylor Swift)
Thinking Out Loud (Ed Sheeran & Amy Wadge)
Meghan Trainor
POP
Thinking Out Loud (Ed Sheeran)
Uptown Funk (Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars)
The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern
1989
Dance/Electronic
Where Are U Now (Skrillex and Diplo with Justin Bieber)
krillex and Diplo Present Jack U (Skrillex and Diplo)
Rock
Dont Wanna Fight (Alabama Shakes)
Cirice
Dont Wanna Fight
Drones
R&B
Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey) The Weeknd
Little Ghetto Boy (Lalah Hathaway)
Really Love
Black Messiah
Beauty Behind the Madness
Rap
Alright (Kendrick Lamar)
96 | P a g e

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Best Rap Song
Best Rap Album
Best
Best
Best
Best
Best
Best
Best
World Music Album

Childrens Album
Comedy Album
Musical Theater Album
Music Video
Music Film
Contemporary Instrumental
These Walls (Kendrick Lamar featuring Bilal, Anna Wise &

Alright
To Pimp a Butterfly
Others
Sings
Home
Live at Madison Square Garden
Hamilton
Bad Blood
Amy
Sylva
15 cities leading the Swachh Sarvekshan-2016 Honoured for Good Work

After the recently announced Swachh Sarvekshan-2016, Union Minister of Urban Development
Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu conferred the trophies and mementos to 15 cities from across the
country in recognition of their work in improving sanitation in urban areas.
Here is the list of winners
Rank
1
2
City
Mysore
Chandigarh
State/UT
Karnataka
Chandigarh
Tiruchirapalli
Tamil Nadu
New Delhi
New Delhi Municipal

Corporation
Visakhapatnam
6
7
Surat
Rajkot
Andhra
Pradesh
Gujarat
Gujarat
Gangtok
Sikkim
9
10
11
Pimpri-Chinchwad
Greater Mumbai
Allahabad
Maharashtra
Mumbai
Uttar Pradesh
12
13
14
15
Nagpur
Visakhapatnam
Bhubaneswar
Imphal
Maharashtra
Andhra
Odisha
Manipur
Category
Overall best performing city
Best performer in North Zone and Best in
Citizen feedback category
Best performer in behavior change
communication
Best performer among Smart Cities and Best
in Service Level Status
Best Performer in South Zone and Best in
Independent Observation
Best Performer in West Zone
Best performer in door-to-door collection and
transportation of Solid waste and sweeping
Best performer in North-East and Best
performer among capitals
Best performer among satellite cities
Best Performer among mega cities
Top mover in North Zone (improved the rank
by maximum number)
Top
Top
Top
Top
mover
mover
mover
mover
in
in
in
in
West Zone
South Zone
East Zone
North-East
Indian-origin couple in New Zealand awarded longestmarried pair at 99

An Indian origin couple both aged 99 who have taken part in Indias freedom struggle, have
been awarded New Zealands longest married couple by a group
Auckland couple Jeram Ravji and Ganga Ravji, who will turn 100 in May and June
respectively, will be celebrating their 81st wedding anniversary in two months.
Renowned Indologist awarded prestigious Israel Prize
97 | P a g e

Professor David Shulman the renowned Indologist had been awarded the prestigious Israel
Prize for his infiltrate studies in fields like religion and philosophy.
He is an Indologist and considered as one of the worlds leading authorities on

the languages of India.
Key Highlights
Israel Prize is considered the countrys highest honour presented annually on

Independence Day.
Those who have displayed excellence in their fields, or have contributed strongly to
Israeli culture or the State are the owner of the prize.
He had made an important role to research management and teaching in Israeli

universities.
Indian-Origin Student Honoured In US for His Charity Work

Ishaan Patel an Indian-origin 13 year old boy has been honoured in the US for his charity
work.
He made efforts to improve access to education for under privileged students in

America and around the world.
He is the founder and CEO of Planting Pencils.
He was recently honoured by the Milan Cultural Organisation in the Legislative Office
Hartford, Connecticut.
He is the student of Kingswood-Oxford School in West Hartford.
Sameer Anjaan enters Guinness Book of World Records

Lyricist Sameer Anjaan (Shitala Pandey) had been entered in the Guinness Book of World
Records for writing the most inexhaustible number of songs in Bollywood.
He become the first ever lyricist to enter the Guinness Book of World Records.
He was awarded for writing most number of Bollywood movies songs.
He had written 3,524 songs for 650 films in the last 30 years.
Command Hospital (Eastern Command), Kolkata gets Raksha Mantris Trophy for Best
Service Hospital.
The Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar presented the Raksha Mantris Trophy and
citation for the Best and Second Best Service Hospital in the Armed Forces Medical
Services (AFMS).
The trophy for the Best Service Hospital went to Command Hospital (Eastern
Command), Kolkata, which was received by its Commandant Major General TS
Ahluwalia.
The trophy for the Second Best Hospital was presented to INHS Asvini, Mumbai, which
was received by its Commandant Surgeon Rear Admiral AA Pawar.
98 | P a g e

Karnataka Bank bags award
Karnataka Bank Ltd has bagged IBA Banking Technology Award in the category of Best Risk
and Fraud Management Initiative Runner Up among the small banks.
The bank said the award was announced as part of Indian Banks Association (IBA)
Technology Conference, Expo and Awards 2016.
Fashion designer Manish Arora conferred Knight of the Legion of Honour, Frances
highest honour
Fashion designer Manish Arora had been conferred with the Chevalier de la Legion dHonneur
(Knight of the Legion of Honor) Frances highest civilian honor.
The award is given for gratitude of his inspired creations and significant contribution
to the fashion world
Knight of the Legion of Honor award is presented to both citizens of France as well as
foreigners.
6 Indian-American researchers to be honoured with PECASE

US President Barack Obama will confer 6 Indian-Americans with the highest US government
prize for young independent researchers i.e. Presidential Early Career Awards.
Vikram Shyam He is among the six NASA scientists to receive this award who led
thetechnical innovation in fundamental aeronautics at NASAs Glenn Research Center in
Cleveland .
Milind Kulkarni An associate professor with the School of Electrical and Computer
Engineering at Purdue University
Kiran Musunuru Assistant Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard
University and Associate Physician at Brigham and Womens Hospitalhas developed
a genome editing approach for permanently reducing cholesterol levels in mice.
Shwetak Patel Washington Research Foundation Entrepreneurship Endowed Professor

in Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical Engineering.
Rahul Mangharam From University of Pennsylvania was selected for inventing a new
formal methodology to test and verify the correct operation of medical device software,
saving lives and reducing care costs.
Sachin Patel An Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Molecular Physiology and

Biophysics Vanderbilt University Medical Centre offered a glimmer of hope to alcoholics
who find it hard to remain sober.
World Press Photo of 2015 presented to Australias Richardson

10,000 euros World Press Photo of the Year 2015 award has been conferred upon Australian
photographer Warren Richardson during the 59th annual World Press Photo Contest.
99 | P a g e
Richardsons picture shows refugees passing a baby through a barbed wire fence on the
border of Horgos (Serbia) and Roszke (Hungary).
The image was titled as Hope for a New Life.
His picture also won first prize in the Spot News category.
Richardson is a freelance photographer who is currently based in Budapest, Hungary.
Tendulkars autobiography enters Limca Book of Records

Sachin Tendulkars autobiography had been entered in Limca Book of Records.
His autobiography Playing It My Way had entered the Records in the category of
best-selling books across both fiction and non-fiction categories.
1,50,289 copies of his books were sold on order subscriptions.
The book was published by Hachetteand was launched on 5 November 2014 Mumbai
India.
Sachin Tendulkar is also known as the God of Indian Cricket.
Indian Nominated For Global Teacher Award

It is happy to know that Robin Chaurasia the founder of NGO kranti has made it to the top 10
finalist for Global teacher award for her efforts to provide education to children of sex workers.
Points to Know
She was born in Los Angeles, worked with US Air force and later resigned and
startedNGO kranti in 2011 in Mumbai which provides education for children of sex
workers
The $1 million award is aimed at recognizing the works of teachers who have made
outstanding contributions to the society.
The award was initiated by UK based Varkey Foundation in 2015.
Best Childrens Film award has been conferred upon Malayalam film Ottaal
Malayalam film Ottaal (The Trap) directed by Jayaraj Rajasekharan Nair has been bestowed
with Crystal Bear award in the Generation KPlus section during Berlin International Film
Festival.
A Crystal Bear is for the Best Film in the childrens section of the Generation
Competition.
The movie is an adaptation of short story Vanaka by Russian writer Anton Chekhov.
The film was one of four Malayalam films selected to be a part of the Indian Panoramaat the
International Film Festival of India in Goa in November 2015
Film was also conferred with National Film Awards, Kerala State Film Awards and
Mumbai Film Festival.
100 | P a g e

India Sports Awards 2015: SPY conferred upon Lalita Babar
The title of Sportsperson of the Year has been conferred upon long-distance runner Lalita
Babar for the India Sports Awards 2015.
The Indian Sports Award were presented in New Delhi on the last day of the Turf 2015-16,
organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FICCI) with the support of the sports ministry.
Category
Best company promoting sports (public sector)
Best company promoting sports (private sector)
Best professional services company
Best NGO promoting sports
Best sports start-up
Best national sports federation
Sportsperson of the year
Breakthrough sportsperson of the year
Coach or support staff of the year
Lifetime achievement award
Best state
Winner
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd.
YES Bank Pvt Ltd.
Technology Frontiers (India) Pvt Ltd.
STAIRS
HotFut Sports Infrastructure Pvt Ltd
Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India
Lalita Babar (Athletics)
Dipa Karmakar (Gymnastics)
Kuldeep Handoo (Wushu)
Balbir Singh
Gujarat
Tamilian movie Kanavu Variyam to get Remi Award at WorldFest

Kanavu Variyam, a Tamil movie directed by a Chennai based techie Arun Chidambaram has
been selected for the prestigious Remi Award in the US.
The award will be presented to Arun Chidambaram during the 49th WorldFest Houston
International Film Festival, which will be held from April 8-17, 2016.
The film deals with the power cuts and shortage of electricity in the Indian villages.
The movie is produced by A. Chidambaram and Karthik Chidambaram in the banner of

DCKAP Cinemas.
India Gates 550kg rice bag enters Guinness World Records

The rice Bag of India Gates Classic Basmati Rice weighing 550 kg has recorded as Heaviest Bag
of Rice.This world record feet entered in Guinness Book of World Records in the 4 day food and
hospitality trade show named Gulfood 2016.
The new record by Noida based KRBL Ltd world Largest Rice Millers and Basmati Rice
Exporters.
Guinness Record:
The bag is filled by single dedicated team at KRBL DMCC Al Quoz Warehouseand taken
on truck Gulfood 2016 festival.
Guinness Book of WorldRecordAssessors were verified the bag and the entire process
before granting the Honorary Certificate to the Management of KRBL Limited on the
Food show.
101 | P a g e

Indian-origin art lover Ismail Mahomed conferred knighthood by French government
Renowned art lover Ismail Mahomed of Indian Origin from South Africa has been conferred
with Knighthood by French government.
He was granted with The Chevalier de Iordre des Arts et Lettres (Knight of the Order
of Arts and Litrature ) by french Ambassdaor Elisabet Barbier at Johansberg in Soth
Africa.
GVK Bio Bags Global CSR Award

GVK Biosciences has been conferred with the Global CSR Excellence & leadership Award by
world CSR Congress on World CSR Day. The award was given under the category of Best
Environmental Friendly Projects for its Go green Grow Green planting activity.
CSR award is given for the Best Corporate Social Responsibility Project under
various categories every year by World CSR Congress
GVK Biosciences started a mega plantation program Go green Grow Green in June
2015 to plant 1400 samplings of Peltophorum ferrugunium, Pongamia pinnata and
Azadirachta indica in and around their campus
Goverdhan Mehta honoured with Bundesverdienstkreuz

Federal Republic of Germanys prestigious Cross of the Order of Merit has been bestowed
upon the Padma Shri awardee Goverdhan Mehta, a well-known researcher in Chemical
Sciences & former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad.
Bundesverdienstkreuz (the Cross of the Order of Merit) has been presented to Mr.
Goverdhan by Achim Fabig, the German Consul General in Chennai.
The officiates will serve for a term of five years from the date on which they attain the age of 65
Years , whichever is earlier as in the provisions of Right to Information Act 2005.
There was vacancy of three information commissioners against its total strength of 10,
the new appointees will fill the vacancy in CIC.
The selection panel led by the Prime Minister appointed the commissioners.
Afghan cyclist team nominated for Nobel Peace prize

Afghanistans National Cyclist team has been nominated for Nobel Peace prize by members of
Italian Parliament according to Total cycle team. They have been nominated for using bicycle as a
vehicle for social justice, enduring violence and social stigma.
Points to know
This cyclist team ended up first in Asian championship held at Delhi in 2013
Afghan had a cycle team in 1986 and then due to Taliban rule it was prohibited in the
nation and reborn in 2011 under the efforts of Abdul Sediq
The team is led by Zahra Hussaini
Around 118 members of Italian parliament voted for this team
102 | P a g e
Dinanath Mangeshkar Prize 2016 bestowed upon Ranveer & Sanjay

Dinanath Mangeshkar prize will be conferred upon filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and
actor Ranveer Singh. The award will be presented during an event on April 24 that is scheduled to
be held in Pune.
In order to commemorate Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkars death anniversary, ever year

Mangeshkars honour the finest artistes in India.
The award carries monetary award of 101001 rupees, a memento and a citation.
Greater Noida school is Indias greenest

Greater Noida based Father Agnel School is awarded Indias greenest School in the
Nation. Anil Agarwal founded Centre for Science and Environment have granted the award to the
school as part of the Green School Programme promoted by the CSE.
1. Father Agnel School Greater Noida
2. Queens Valley School Delhi.
3. Government senior Secondary School Shimla
The Top Emerges:
Out of 500 Schools that applied for the award 10 were shortlisted after a detailed assessment that
includes various parameters Waste Management, Rainwater harvesting, Proportion of Green
area in school, Healthy Food and Sanitation in the Campus.
1. Father Agnel School Greater Noida
2. Queens Valley School Delhi.
3. Government senior Secondary School Shimla
PM Modi sat again as the Most Powerful Indian
Indian Express listed PM Narendra Modi as the lead of 100 most powerful Indians 2016 (IE
100).
Modis PMO is the most powerful since Indira Gandhis. He has a say on everything.
Here is the list of others following PM Narendra Modi
Rank
2
Name
Amit Shah (50)
Designation
BJP President
Mohan Bhagwat
(64)
RSS chief
Arun Jaitley (62)
Finance and
I&B Minister
Sonia Gandhi (68)
Congress
President
Why
He scripted the BJPs stunning performance in Uttar
Pradesh in the Lok Sabha elections, winning 71 of 80
seats in the state and paving the way for Modi to
come to Delhi.
He oversaw the organizations relentless
campaigning for Narendra Modi as PM and thus
helped the BJP win an absolute majority in the Lok
Sabha.
He is the only minister Modi ignore, as none of his
colleagues matches the clout he has in industry,
diplomatic and judicial circles. The PM relies on his
expertise in trying to turn around the economy.
Her partys stock has fallen sharply but Sonia
remains the tallest Congress leader. Her adversaries
103 | P a g e
Pranab Mukherjee
(79)
President of
India
Arvind Kejriwal (46)
Chief Minister
(Delhi)
Rajnath Singh (63)
Union Home
Minister
Sushma Swaraj
(63)
10
H L Dattu (64)
External
Affairs
Minister
H L Dattu
(64)
still respect her, and visiting heads of states seek to

meet her.
He is the voice the BJP cant ignore. He made his
displeasure known on the string of ordinances
promulgated by the Centre.
In just over two years of launching AAP, Kejriwal has
scripted two poll victories his party won 28 out of
70 seats in the Delhi Assembly in 2013 and a historic
67 seats in 2015.
After the BJPs emphatic win, he was put in charge of
the crucial Home Ministry. He has been chosen to
talk to farmers opposed to BJPs land ordinance.
Swaraj is watched for every public statement she
makes. Though she bagged a key portfolio, so far
foreign policy has been all about Modi.
The face of the judiciary, he will have a say in the
appointment of Lokpal, the CBI director and will also
head the proposed National Judicial Appointments
Commission.
TripAdvisor: 3 Indian beaches named among Asias top 10

In the recently released survey by travel website TripAdvisor, three Indian beaches have been
listed in the top 10 Asias Travellers Choice Award Winning Beaches.
Goan beaches Agonda and Palolem & Radhanagar on the Havelock Island in the Andaman
have made their mark in the top 10 beaches in Asia favoured by travellers.
On the other hand, Grace Bay beach in Caribbean has topped as the worlds number one
travellers choice beach, followed by Baia do Sancho beach in Braziland Playa Paraiso beach
in Cuba.
About Indian beaches ranked in the list:
Agonda beach (Goa) It has been ranked

th
at 4
position for being
wide, quiet,picturesque and a great spot

for sunbathing and relaxing with relatively
few tourists around.
Palolem beach (Goa) It has been

ranked 8th position for its beach hut
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Beach Name
Ngapali beach
Nacpan Beach
Kata Noi
Agonda beach
Yapak beach
Nai Harn beach
Sunrise beach
Palolem beach
Otres beach
Radhanagar
Country
Myanmar
Philippines
Thailand
India
Philippines
Thailand
Thailand
India
Cambodia
India
accommodations, lined with towering coconut palms and is largely unspoiled.
Radhanagar Beach (Andaman) Located on the Havelock Island in the Andamans has
been placed at 10th position for its stretch of white sand with picture perfect waters
lined with palm trees.
Academy Awards aka Oscar Awards 2016

The 88th Academy Awards ceremony was held at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. It was
presented by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in 24 categories.
Mad Max: Fury Road made a big win by bagging 6 awards.
104 | P a g e
The Oscar ceremony was produced by David Hill and Reginald Hudlin and directed
by Glenn Weiss.
Here is the list of Academy Awards Winners
Category
Best Picture
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Direction
Best Original Song
Best Original Score
Best Foreign Language Film
Best Live Action Short Film
Best Documentary Feature
Best Documentary Short
Best Supporting Actor
Best Animated Feature
Best Animated Short
Best Visual Effects
Best Sound Mixing
Best Sound Editing
Best Film Editing
Best Cinematography
Makeup and Hairstyling
Best Production Design
Best Costume Design
Best Actress In A Supporting
Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner
Spotlight
Leonardo DiCaprio
Brie Larson
Alejandro G Inarritu for The Revenant
Writings on the Wall from Spectrex
Ennio Morricine for The Hateful Eight
Son of Saul (Hungary)
Benjamin Cleary and Serena Armitage for Stutterer
Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees for Amy
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy for A Girl In the River: The Price of
Mark Rylance
Pete Doctor and Jonas Rivera for Inside Out
Gabriel Osorio Pato Escala for Bear Story
Andrew Whiteburst, Paul Norris, Mark Ardington andAra
Chris Jenkins, Greg Rudloff and Ben Osmo for Mad Max:
Mark Mangini and David White for Mad Max: Fury Road
Margaret Sixel for Mad Max: Fury Road
Emmanuel Lubezki for The Revenant
Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega and Damian Martinfor Mad
Colin Gibson and Lisa Thompson for Mad Max: Fury Road
Jenny Beavan for Mad Max Fury Road
Alicia Vikander
The Big Short for Charles Randolph and Adam McKay
Oscar winner Resul Pookutty- the First Asian to get Global Reel Award
The 44 year old Oscar winner Resul pookutty made India proud by adding one more laurel of
winning the Global Reel Award for his sound design work in the film Indias Daughter.
Flash points
Resul pookutty is an Indian film sound designer, mixer and editor
He is a graduate of Film and Television Institute of Pune
He became famous when he won the Oscar award along with Richard Pyrke and Ian
tapp for his sound design work in Slumdog Millionaire in 2009
He became the first Asian to win the Global reel award in the category Best sound for
the movie Indias Daughter
Global reel award is given by Motion Picture Sound Editors of US
He also gained special attention having nominated for two movies for best sound category
in Global Reel award
105 | P a g e
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Atulesh Jindal to be New CBDT Chief
Atulesh Jindal the 1978 batch IRS officer is appointed as the Chief of Central Board of Direct
Taxes (CBDT).He replaces A K Jain.
Atulesh is currently working as the Senior Revenue Service officer in Income Tax
department.
Kalikho Pul sworn in As 9th CM of Arunachal Pradesh

The political imbalance in the state of Arunachal Pradesh followed by the presidents rule has come
to an end with Kalikho pul taking oath as 9th Chief Minister.
The 46 year old congress rebel was previously the Health minister under the Nabam
tuki government
Presidents rule was imposed in the state in January
Kajol named part-time member of Prasar Bharati board

Actress Kajol and Head of an online media company Shashi Shekharwere appointed as part
time members of Prasar Bharati Board. The independent body should have six part time members
headed by the Chairman.
This comes after interim chief of Doordarshan C Lalrosanga who submitted his papers
mentioning personal reasons.
Datta Padsalgikar is Mumbai New Police Commissioner

Senior IPS officer Datta Padsalgikar IPS (1982) named as the new Police Commissioner of
Mumbai. Padsalgikar succeeds Ahmed Javed IPS (1980), who has been appointed as
Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
J K Garg takes over as MD of Corporation Bank
J K Garg has taken over as Managing Director and CEO of Corporation Bank following the
retirement of S R Bansal.
Prior to this appointment, Garg was Executive Director in UCO Bank, Corporation
Bank .
Archana Ramasundram becomes 1st woman DG of Sashastra Seema Bal

Archana Ramasundram is appointed as the Director General (DG) of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
and now she became the first woman DG of Sashastra Seema Bal. The decision was issued
by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
Other Appointments
106 | P a g e

Name
K Durga Prasad
K K Sharma
M K Singla
Department
Director Generals of CRPF
Director Generals of BSF
Special Secretary, Internal Security Home Ministry
Metro Cash and Carry appoints former Walmart executive Arvind Mediratta as India MD
Arvind Mediratta appointed as the Managing Director of German wholesale major Metro
Cash & Carry India. He takes over from Rajeev Bakshi, who had joined as Managing Director in
June 2010.
Indian appointed to key World Bank position
An Indian Saroj Kumar Jha has been appointed to a key position in the World Bank with
President Jim Young Kim. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Jha has been tasked to provide strategic leadership to address the challenge of fragility,
conflict and violence, working across the Bank Group and in close collaboration with
partners.
Virender Sehwag appointed Kings XI Punjabs mentor

Former India opener Virender Sehwag was appointed mentor of the Kings XI Punjabteam for
the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).
Sehwag will work closely with head coach Sanjay Bangar and would be responsible for
guiding and motivating the squad.
S N Prasad assumes charge as CIL director

S N Prasad has been designated as the Director (Marketing), Coal India Ltd. He will succeed B K
Saxena.
Prior to this elevation Prasad was General Manager (Sales & Marketing) in South Eastern
Coalfields Ltd, the Bilaspur-based subsidiary of CIL.
Major General Jai Shanker Menon appointed as UNDOF head

Major General Jai Shanker Menon of India is appointed as the Head United Nations
Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Major General Menon served as the Additional Director General (ADG) Equipment
Management in the Indian Army.
Menon served as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of an Infantry Division of the

Indian Army from 2012 to 2013.
Aruna Sethi accredited as head of ICoAS

Government has designated Aruna Sethi as the head of Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICoAS),
becoming the first lady ICoAS officer to achieve this mark.
107 | P a g e
Prior to join ICoAS, she was working as Principal Adviser (Cost).
She has held important portfolios at various ministries including Consumer Affairs, Corporate
Affairs, Finance, Commerce and Industry and Defence.
Google search chief Singhal to quit, to be replaced by AI head

Amit Singhal, the longtime head of Googles internet search business will be bowed out from
services by the end of this month.
He will be replaced by John Giannandrea, who is currently working in artificial intelligence

(AI) at Alphabet.
Satender Kumar designated as the next HC to Saint Lucia

Satender Kumar has been concurrently accredited as the next High Commissioner of India to
Saint Lucia with residence in Paramaribo.
Since August, 2015, presently he is serving as Ambassador of India to the Republic of

Suriname.
DJ Pandian appointed AIIB Vice-President

D J Pandian has been appointed as the vice-president and chief investment officer of the
newly-created Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). He is the Former chief
secretary of Gujarat.
AIIB the Beijing-based USD 100 billion multi-lateral lender was set up to boost lending for
infrastructure projects.
AIIB will also invest in sectors such as energy, transportation, urban construction and
logistics as well as education and healthcare.
China, India and Russia with 34 per cent, 8.52 per cent, 6.66 per cent stake, respectively
are the three largest shareholders of AIIB.
Anoop Bhaskar joins IDFC Mutual Fund
IDFC Mutual Fund has designated the Anoop Bhaskar as its head of equities. Prior to this
appointment, he was the head of equities at UTI MF and is considered one of the finest fund
managers.
He will succeed Kenneth Andrade.
John Nicholson appointed NATO Commander in Afghanistan

Army Lieutenant General John Nicholson has been designated as the commander of the NATO
forces in Afghanistan. He will succeed US General John Campbell.
Prior to this appointment, Nicholas was US Army commander of NATO land forces.
John Nicholson appointment was confirmed by the Senate Armed Services Committee during a
Congressional hearing on Afghanistan.
108 | P a g e
World Bank Expert Mr. Iyer to Lead Swachh Bharat Mission

GOI has accredited World Banks water and sanitation specialist, Parameshwaran Iyer (56), as
the new Secretary of the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department.
He is appointed for a period of 2 years and will be responsible to steer the Swachh Bharat
Mission.
Singapore Airlines appointed David Lim as GM India

Singapore Airlines has designated David Lim as the General Manager India w.e.f. April 3,
2016. He will succeed David Lau.
He will be responsible for overseeing all India operations of Singapore Airlines.
Graduate from National University of Singapore, Lim began his career at Singapore Airlines
in 1988. He worked in various capacities within passenger and cargo service operations.
Ashok Kumar Bhargava re-elected as chairman of Indian Tea Association
Tea Associations national committee has re-elected Ashok Kumar Bhargava, Azam
Monemand Vivek Goenka as chairman, vice-chairman and additional vicechairman respectively of the association.
As chairman of Indian Tea Association Ashok Kumar Bhargava will concurrently hold the
chairmanship of Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations (CCPA), the apex
body of Tea Plantation Association in India.
Yogeshwar Sangwan appointed as the next Ambassador of lndia to the Republic of

Armenia
Yogeshwar Sangwan had been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of
Armenia.
He is currently serving as Deputy Chief of Mission in Tehran in Ministry of Overseas

and Indian Affairs in the Ministry of External Affairs
He was Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer of 1994-batch.
Yogeshwar will succeed Dr. T. Suresh Babu in Republic of Armenia
Indian-origin Singaporean, Vishal Mehta appointed as President of International Grown

Diamond Association
Indian-origin Singaporean Vishal Mehta had been appointed as the President of the
International Grown Diamond Association (IGDA).
He is the CEO of a lab diamond making Singapore- based company.
The aim of IGDA is to promote education regarding the qualities and application of the
grown diamond.
The first grown diamond (that is first man made diamond) was created in 1950.
109 | P a g e
Brij Bhushan Singh appointed as President of South Asian Wrestling Federation

Brijbhushan Sharan Singh has been appointed as the president of the South Asian Wrestling
Federation.Currently he was working as the chief of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
Other Appointments :
Tabiur Rehman from Bangladesh was also unanimously elected secretary general.
Chawdhury Mohd. Ajgar of Pakistan, U.H. Neville Pdmashri from Sri Lanka and
Rajmohammed Ansari of Nepal were elected vice presidents.
US NAE has selected Four Indian-Americans

U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) has primed the 4 Indian-Americans to be a part
of its new list of 80 members for their valuable contributions to the society.
Here is the list of selected Indian-Americans:
Anil K. Jain -An IIT-Kanpur alumnus was elected for his contributions to the field of
engineering and practice of biometrics.
Dr. Arati Prabhakar - Dr. Prabhakar was elected for her contributions to advance
semiconductor and information technologies.
Ganesh Thakur - Mr. Thakur was elected for his contributions in the implementation
of integrated reservoir management techniques.
Dr. K.R. Sridhar -He was elected for his contributions to transport phenomena and thermal
packagingof electrochemical systems and generation of clean, reliable and affordable
power.
Indian-origin lawyer Davinder Singh named vice-chairman of ICC commission
A top Indian-origin lawyer in Singapore Davinder Singh named as vice-chairman of
International Chamber of Commerce Commission(ICC).
Davinder Singh, 58, has been named vice-chairman of International Chamber of

Commerce (ICC) Commission on Corporate Responsibility and Anti-corruption.
Harinder Sidhu appointed as new Australian High Commissioner to India

Indian-origin Harinder Sidhu appointed as the countrys next Australian High Commissioner to
India.
Sindhu, a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has
been also serving as First Assistant Secretary of the Multilateral Policy Division.
Mukesh Bansal, Ankit Nagori quit Flipkart

Mukesh Bansal the head of commerce and advertising business at Flipkart, co founder Binny
Bansals and Chief Business Officer Ankit Nagori had resigned from Flipkart
110 | P a g e
Flipkart is an online market place that acquired fashion etailer Myntra in 2014, will
continue to be an advisor to the company.
Bansal had founded Myntra in 2007.
Binny Bansal will now supervise the commerce and advertising platforms.
Bansal had sold Myntra to Flipkart.
Tamar Hahn took charge of Director of United Nations Information Centre

Tamar Hahn of Israel appointed as the Director of United Nations Information Centre in
Buenos Aires by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Currently Hahn was the Regional Adviser for Resource Mobilization and Partnerships at
the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Regional Office for
Latin America and the Caribbean in Panama City, Panama, since 2013.
Justice Dhirendra Hiralal Waghela appointed as Chief Justice of Bombay High Court
Justice Dhirendra Hiralal Waghela appointed as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court.
Currently the Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court, Justice Waghela has been asked to
assume charge by February 16 after the retirement of Justice Mohit S Shah in
September.
Ramesh Abhishek named new DIPP secy

Former Forwards Markets Commission (FMC) chairman Ramesh Abhishek has been appointed
secretary in the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP), making him responsible
for implementation of Make in India and Start up India.
He succeeds the high-profile Amitabh Kant, who will head to Niti Aayog, as its Chief
Executive Officer (CEO).
Nagendra Kumar Saxena concurrently accredited as the next High Commissioner of India
to Solomon lslands
GOI has designated Nagendra Kumar Saxena as the next High Commissioner of lndia to
Solomon lslands with residence in Port Moresby.
Presently, he is serving as the High Commissioner of lndia to the independent State of

Papua New Guinea
Facebook India head Kirthiga Reddy steps down

Facebook India Managing Director Kirthiga Reddy had stepped down from her current role and
will relocate the headquarters to US.
Facebook is one of the biggest and active social networking site in the world.
Facebook had promoted Free Basics programme over the country
It will violate the principle of net neutrality.
It will explore new opportunities to the people.
111 | P a g e
Vilas Tonapi appointed as Director of IIMR

Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) has designated Vilas A. Tonapi as its director.
At present, Tonapi is serving as the Principal Scientist at Seed Science and Technology of the
IIMR.
TERI asks RK Pachauri to go on indefinite leave, Ashok Chawla appointed new chairman.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) board had sent its Executive Vice Chairman Dr RK
Pachauri on indefinite leave and had been appointed former finance secretary Ashok Chawla as its
new chairman.
The TERI council also inducted Ajay Mathur as the new Director General, he will operate
with full executive powers
The leave to Dr RK Pachauri is given due to the multiple sexual harassment charges on
him.
Air Vice Marshal Rajiv Dayal Mathur elevated to Air Marshal rank
Assistant Chief of Air Staff in charge of the air warfare strategy cell Air Vice Marshal Rajiv
Dayal Mathur has been promoted to the rank of Air Marshal.
About Air Vice Marshal Rajiv Dayal Mathur :
Commissioned into the fighter stream ofIndian Air Force in June, 1982, the officer has
over 5,000 hours of flying experience in a variety of operational and training roles.
Devaraja Reddy elected as the new ICAI President

Devaraja Reddy as appointed as the president of Institute of Chartered Accountants of
India (ICAI) who has been a chartered accountant for 28 years.He has as Vice President of ICAI
for the Council Year 2015-16.
Chad appoints Albert Pahimi Padacke as its new prime minister
Chads president has appointed a new prime minister, Albert Pahimi Padacke.He will
replaceKalzeube Pahimi Deubet . He had served as Prime Minister for more than two years.
Sri Srinivasan First Indian-American Judge Of US Supreme Court

Sri Srinivasan become the first Indian-American to be on the bench of the US Supreme Court
after conservative icon Justice Antonin Scalias sudden death.He was nominated President Barack
Obama .
112 | P a g e

NITI Aayog CEO to be member of Telecom Panel
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval to nomination
of Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog, as part-time member of the Telecom Commission in place of
Secretary, Planning Commission.
NITI Aayog CEO as the part-time member is aimed at lending value to deliberations of the
Telecom Commission, it added.
Flipkart appoints Nitin Seth as the Chief People Officer

Nitin Seth appointed as Indias biggest online marketplace Flipkart Chief People Officer.
Prior to Flipkart, Seth was the managing director and country head for Fidelity
International in India.
Alok Kumar Verma to be the next Delhi Police chief

Senior IPS officer Alok Kumar Verma will be the next Commissioner of Delhi Police. He will
succeeding incumbent B S Bassi, who will hang his boots on February 29.
MRF CMD Mammen elected ATMA Chairman
MRF Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) K.M. Mammen had been elected as theAutomotive
Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) Chairman.
He is also the President of the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce.
Presently he is working as an executive board member of FICCI and a member of the

Board of the Madras Christian College.
Vinay Kumar Singh accredited as the MD of NCRTC

New Delhi headquartered National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has
designated railway officer Vinay Kumar Singh as its Managing Director.
The selection has been made through an interview, taken by search and selection
committee.
The committee was comprised of Urban Development Secretary, Railway Board

Member (Staff), an official from the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT)and an
expert from World Bank.
Presently, VK Singh is serving RVNL, a railway PSU and is involved in the study of high speed rail
corridors.
Jayant Misra Appointed As DG of DRI
Senior IRS officer Jayant Misra was appointed as Director General of Directorate of Revenue
Intelligence (DRI).
Jayant Misra has been transferred from Director General of Systems and data
management to the current post that lies vacant about eight months
113 | P a g e
This comes after Special Investigation team asked the DRI to verify if USD 505 billion was
transacted out of the country between 2004 -2013 as part of Trade based money
laundering.
Sujan R. Chinoy concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to Republic of

the Marshall Islands
Senior envoy Sujan R Chinoy has been appointed as Indias Ambassador to republic of the
Marshall Islands , presently he is serving ambassador to Japan .He is concurrently accredited to
the post concurrently
He had served earlier in Indian Missions in Hong Kong and Beijing. Also worked at
the permanent mission of India to the United Nations in New York.
Sujan R. Chinoy, from Gujarat Cadre of 1981 batch of the Indian Foreign Service.
Ketan Shukla the new HC Of Bostwana

The 1986 IFS batch officer Dr.Ketan Shukla is appointed as the new High Commissioner to the
Republic of Bostwana .He was previously the Joint secretary of Ministry of External Affairs.
He succeeds Ms.Hemalata , C. Bhagirath as the High commissioner of the African state.
Faustin-Archange Touadera elected President of Central African Republic
Former Prime Minister of Central African Republic and Mathematics Professor Fausti-Archange
Touadera of National Convergence party who campaigned against corruption has won a
presidential election with 63.7 % of votes cast in the February 14.
Central African Republic is one of the unstable countries in the region underwent worst
crisis in its history in 2013 when Muslim fighters collapsed President Francois.
Indian-origin Sikh appointed Kuala Lumpur Police Commissioner

Amar Singh from Indian-origin Sikh Community has been appointed the Police Commissioner
of the Capital city of Malaysia.
A third generation police from his family .He was Deputy Commissioner before being
appointed to the post and will replace Tajuudin Mohammed.
He is highest ranked police officer from the Malaysian Sikh community.
Amar Graduated from University of Malaya also did his LLB from University of
Buckingham- UK.
Ri Myong Su Appointed As New Military Chief Of North Korea

Ri Myong Su has been appointed to head the Korean Peoples Army general staff after his
predecessor Ri Yong gil exclusion from the post, rumors circulated that he has been executed.
114 | P a g e
State run Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) have made no announcement prior to
his appointment, however he has been spotted Military maneuvers that led by the
Supreme Leader Kim Jong un
Udai Kumar appointed as the fulltime MD & CEO of MSEI

The Metropolitan Securities Exchange of India Limited appointed Udai Kumar as its MD & CEO on a
permanent basis after the approval came from SEBI.
He was the MD & CEO of MSEI on a interim basis since 12,October 2015
Saurabh sarkar who was the former MD & CEO quit in October following a fall in the
market share in the currency derivatives segment
Justice Vineet Saran appointed as Chief Justice of Orissa High Court

Justice Vineet Saran has been appointed as Chief Justice of Orissa High Court by the President
of India Pranab Mukherjee .The new Chief justice will take oath on February 26.
Vineet was officiating as a senior judge of Karnataka High Court prior to his new
appointment, the post was lying vacant since 15 February after the serving Judge D H
Waghela took charge of Chief Justice of Bombay.
Pradeep K Mohanty is currently working as acting chief justice of Orissa High court.
Ex-CJI HL Dattu accredited as Chairman of NHRC

Former Chief Justice of India, Justice Handyala Lakshminarayanaswamy Dattu has been
designated as the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for a
period of 5 years. He will succeed K G Balakrishnan.
Justice Dattu (65) had retired as Chief Justice of India on December 2, 2015.
His appointment was confirmed by a committee headed by PM Narendra Modi.
Mortaza set to be the UNDP Goodwill Ambassador

The United Nations Development Programme on Thursday announced Mashrafe Bin Mortaza as
its National goodwill ambassador for Youth in Bangladesh.
Mortaza is presently the ODI and T20 skipper of Bangladesh
UNDP was formed in 1965
K.N.Vyas The New Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

Shri.K.N.Vyas, Eminent Scientist and Associate Director, Reactor Projects Group of BARC on
February 23rd took over as the Director of BARC from Dr.Shekar Basu.
N.Vyas joined the 22nd batch of BARC training school and has 36 years of experience in
design and analysis of nuclear reactor fuel
115 | P a g e

Infosys names Michael Pesch as CEO of consulting business arm
India second Largest Software Company has appointed as the new head of its consulting
businessInfosys Consulting Holding (formally Infosys Lodestone) with the effect from April 1 2016.
Prior to his appointment Pesch served as a CEO of Germany based arvato Systems,
he will be responsible for Infosys Consulting in Europe Latin America and Asia Pacific
Region and will report to Sanjay Purohit Global Head of Consulting Business of the
company.
He will also work for DACH Countries (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) as a Regional
Head.
Honda removes India CEO Katsushi Inoue after one year

Japanese Car major Honda India removes CEO Katsushi Inoue from office one year his
induction into the company.
This move come after the Company had cited non satisfactory performance of the recent
products from the companys new models like Mobilio and Brio.
With this Katsushi Inoue who moves to the European region as COO, Yoichiro Ueno will
replace the former CEO April 1 of this year.
Govt appoints 3 information commissioners in CIC

The NDA led Centre appointed three retired civil servants as Information Commissioner of
Central Information Commission they are,
1. Amitava Bhattacharyya (IAS) -Gujarat -1980.
2. Bimal Julka
(IAS) -Madhya Pradesh -1979.
3. Divya Prakash Sinha (IPS) -Manipur -1979.

The officiates will serve for a term of five years from the date on which they attain the age of 65
Years , whichever is earlier as in the provisions of Right to Information Act 2005.
Nissan welcomes cricket stars as new global ambassadors
Japanese Car maker Nissan announced a new line up of cricket talent in partnership with the
International cricket Council as Global Ambassadors.
Indian Opener Rohit Sharma, West Indian All Rounder Andre Russell and New Zeland
skipper Suzie Bates will help the Nissan to bring excitement among cricket fans, starting
with ICC World T20 in India. South African Bowling maestro Dale steyn and bowler
Rabada also work as ambassadors in their home country.
Rahul Taneja-the New Chief People Officer of Jet Airways

The 47 Year old, Rahul Taneja is appointed as the new Chief People Officer of Jet Airways India
Ltd on Tuesday(February 23).He will be placed at the companys Headquarters atMumbai.
116 | P a g e
He worked earlier with Essar Group as HR
Justice Dinesh Maheshwari sworn-in as Chief Justice of Meghalaya H

Justice Dinesh Maheshwari will be the new Chief Justice of the Meghalaya
High Court who succeeded Uma Nath Singh who retired on January 14.
Sahnmuganathan States governor administrated the oath ceremony of the Chief Justice
in Raj Bhavan.
Rajendra Singh The First Non-Navy Director General of Coast guard

The government has appointed Rajendra Singh as the Director General of Coast guard.He is
the first person to be appointed not from a Navy background.
Points to note
The DG of coast guard was so far given to three star naval officers and this is the first
time a person from Coast guard is directly appoint
Singh joined the coast guard in 1980
He is currently the Additional Director general of Coast guard
He will succeed Vice Admiral HCS.Bisht who is promoted as the Flag officer-Commanding
in chief of Eastern Naval Command
Vijay Mallya steps down as United Spirits chairman

Well Known Businessman Vijay mallya resigned from Chairman of United Spirits Limited after, the
Companys majority Stake holder Diageo agreed to pay Rs. 515 crore settlement over a perid of
five years.
Mahindra Kumar Sharma an Independent Director of the Firm to replace him.
Mallya also resigned from his position as a director of Royal Challengers Sports, this
comes with immediate effect.
United spirits has 39% of the Indian Sprits market, and India is Second largest market for
Diageo.
Subhro Kamal Mukherjee sworn in as Chief Justice of Karnataka High court

Subhro Kamal Mukherjee took oath as the Chief Justice of Karnataka High court on Tuesday
evening in the presence of Governor Vajubhai Vala at Raj bhavan in a simple ceremony.
Subhro Kamal Mukherjee born in 1955 joined the legal profession in 1982 practising as a
lawyer
He was appointed the judge of Karnataka High court in April,2015
He was appointed as the acting Chief Justice of Karnataka High court in June 1,2015
Gianni Infantino elected FIFA President

European Football Administrator Gianni Infantino has been elected as FIFA president, He will
Succeed Scandal tainted Former president Swiss Sepp Blatter who had led the Body since 1998
suspended from the post for Six years.
He was the Lawyer from Valais region of Switzerland and Hold Italian Nationality.
117 | P a g e
He is the General secretary of UEFA since 2009
Dinesh Sharma designated as the Chairperson of Governing Council of IFAD, Rome

Additional Secretary of Department of Economic Affairs, Dinesh Sharma has been accredited as
the Chairperson of the Governing Council of International Fund for Agriculture
Development (IFAD), Rome. He is elected for a period of two years.
The decision in this regard has been taken during the 39th session of the governing council
held in Rome, Italy.
Prior to the designation of chairman he was serving as the Indias Governor to

the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD).
VinodRai appointed first Chairman of Banks Board Bureau

Banks Board Bureau all set to have its first Chairman VinodRai, the Prime Minister Narendra
Modi approved the appointment.Former Controller of Audit General and Padma award winner will
head the Body as its Chairman the other appointees namely
1. N Sinor (Former ICICI Banks Former Joint Director)
2. Anil Khandelwal (Former Chief of Bank of Baroda)
3. RupaKudwa (Chief of CRISIL).
Bank Board Bureau:
The Bank Board Bureau will start functioning from April 1 2016.
It will replace the appointment system that led by RBI Governor.
The Board to have eminent professionals on its team shall consist of only one
Ashwini Nangia becomes Director of CSIR-National Chemical Lab, Pune

Ashwini Nangia has been appointed as Director of CSIR- National Chemical lab, Pune.
He has made contribution to the new field of cocrystals and its applications to the
pharmaceutical industries.
Presently he is serving School of Chemistry at the University of Hyderabad, having

joined in the university in 1989.
Ajay Kumar Sharma accredited as the ambassador of Republic of Mauritania

Ajay kumar Sharma currently the Indian ambassador to the Republic of Mali has been
concurrently accredited to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania .
Ajay Kumar Sharma was appointed as the ambassador of Mali in January,2016
Tsewang Namgyal accredited as the ambassador of republic of Haiti

Tsewang Namgyal presently the Ambassador of Cuba is concurrently accredited as the
Ambassador to the Republic of Haiti
Namgyal is an IFS officer of 1992 batch
118 | P a g e
He was appointed as the Ambassador of Cuba in November of 2015
Prior to his current assignment, he was Deputy High Commissioner, High Commission
of India, Ottawa, Canada.
Naveen Patnaik elected as BJD president for the 7th consecutive term
Odisha CM, Naveen patnaik has been elected as the president of Biju Janata Dhal for
theseventh consecutive time.
The announcement was made by BJD returning officer Pratap Keshari Dev at partys
headquarters in Bhubaneshwar
Rozle Prezelj elected Chairman of IAAF Athletes Commission

Rozle Prezelj was elected as the new chairman of the International Association of Athletics
Federations Athletes Commission.
Prezelj who represented Slovenia in the High jump has set a national record of 2.32 m
in 2012.He retired from the sport in 2014.
Three time Olympian and a European will replace Nambian Frank Fredericks with
immediate effect.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Craftsvilla acquires Sendd for $4.5 Million
CraftsVilla an online marketplace for Indian products has acquired the on-demand shipping service
provider Sendd for $4.5 million.Craftsvilla mentions that it will use the acquisition to strengthen
its logistics capabilities.
Cabinet approves JV with states for rail projects
To ensure greater participation of states, Union Cabinet has given its stamp of approval by allowing
the Railways to form Joint Venture companies with state governments to mobilize resources for
speedy implementation of rail projects.
Initial Paid capital of initial of each Joint Venture (JV) Rs 100 crore
Railways initial paid-up capital Rs 50 crore
The JV can also form project-specific SPVs (special purpose vehicle) with equity holding by other
shareholders like Banks, ports, public sector undertakings, mining companies etc.
Microsoft acquires SwiftKey
Microsoft had acquired software keyboard and SDK application maker SwiftKey. SwiftKey
is a free keyword application and it powers more than 300 million Android and iOS devices.
Microsoft plan to join together SwiftKey technology with their Word Flow technology for
Windows.
119 | P a g e
Swiftkey was founded by SwiftKey Jon Reynolds and Ben Medlock.
The acquisition is of 250 million USD.
Reliance Entertainment, Neeraj Pandey joins hands for film production

Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Entertainment made a joint venture with film-maker producer
duo Neeraj Pandey and Shital Bhatias Friday Filworks for production of movies.
Akshay Kumar starrer Rustom will be the first movie under the banner, Plan C Studios.
Plan C Studios will be an equal partnership joint venture between the two.
Reliance Entertainment has produced, distributed and released more than 170 films in multiple
Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Bengali.
Internationally, it has partnered with iconic film producer and director Steven Spielberg.
Japser Technologies acquired by Cisco for $1.4 bn

California headquartered Cisco Systems Inc has publicized to acquire Jasper Technologies that
connect devices to internet for $1.4 billion in cash and equity awards.
This acquisition enables Cisco to access IoT solution that is interoperable across devices
and works with IoT service providers, application developers and environment of partners.
Birla Corp Acquires cement arm of Reliance Infra

Anil Ambani-led Reliance Infrastructure inked a concord to sell its cement business
wingReliance Cement to Birla Corporation for Rs. 4,800 crore.
The decision in this regard has been taken as the part of the Reliance Infrastructures efforts
to reduce its debt.
Reliance Cement currently has 3 plants in India with total installed capacity 5.6 million tonnes
per annum (MTPA).
Chhattisgarh govt to form joint venture company with Railways
Chhattisgarh government will be forming a joint venture company with the Ministry of
Railways. The project is formed for the development and extension of railway tracks in the
state.
The state Commerce and Industries Department and the Railway Ministry signed
the MoU for the project.
The state government will have 51 per cent share and the Railways remaining 49
per cent share in the project
Wipro buys US-based HealthPlan Services for $460 million

Wipro signed an agreement to acquire the US-based HealthPlan Services from Water Street
Healthcare Partners for $460 million. This is Wipros fourth acquisition in the last six months
120 | P a g e
By partnering with HealthPlan Services, Wipro gains the competitive, first-mover

advantage in the high growth public and private exchange space for individual,
group and ancillary markets.
MoU signed between Ministry of Railways and Governments of Telangana

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) had been signed between Ministry of Railways and State
Government of Telangana
Key Highlights
The MoU aims at Formation of Joint Venture Companies for Development of Railway
Infrastructure in the State of Telangana.
Setting up of Joint Ventures with states for focused project development, resource
mobilization, land acquisition, project implementation and monitoring of critical rail
projects.
MoU signed to set up joint venture for Railway project in Cgarh

Railways joined hands with the Chhattisgarh government for laying of 762 km-long rail line in
the state as part of the rail infrastructure development plan.
The MoU envisages formation of a joint venture company with the state for execution of
rail projects. The JV companies will have 51 per cent stake of the state government
and49 per cent of Railways.
Kedaara-partners JV to buy Au housing finance for Rs 950 Crore

Kedaara the local private equity firm partners with American fund Partners Group JV to buy
the Au housing finance for Rs 950 crore.
It aims to strengthen the capital base of the small finance bank.
It was the first to report the interest of the two PE funds in Au Housing Finance.
The small finance bank capital around Rs 2,000 crore.
Amazon acquires Italy-based software firm NICE

Amazon Web Services had acquired Italy based software firm NICE for technical computing.
The NICE is a cloud computing firm.
The total financial term had not disclosed yet.
Italy-based NICE has customers from aerospace to industrial, energy and utilities.
It is expected that the deal will going to close in the first quarter of 2016
YouTube acquires BandPage for $8 million

Google owned YouTube had acquired BandPage for $8 million. BandPage is delivering photos
and band info for more than 500,000 artists.
121 | P a g e
BandPage was founded in 2009 with a startup of $27.6 million.
BandPageis a music based application that allows artists to create customized fanpages
within Facebook.
Time acquires Myspace, creates 2004s most fearsome media giant

Time Inc. had acquired the social networking ghost town Myspace, by taking ownership of
Myspace as part of a larger acquisition of parent company Viant.
Viant is an advertising and data analytic firm with access to over 1.2 billion registered
users,
It had acquired Myspace from News Corp in 2011.
Acquisition money is not disclosed yet.
Android app MyShake turns phones into an earthquake detector

Smartphones app MyShake turns the Android phones into an earthquake detector.
The app uses the motion sensors on phone to determine the earthquake.
This app will help the user to get accurate warning and it also records the type of
earthquake.
It will also suggest the user what to do during that situation.
HCL Technologies acquires Volvo Groups external IT business

HCL Technologies had acquired the Volvo Groups external IT business.
The total value of deal is not disclosed yet but it is estimated to be in the range of$1.75
billion (Rs 11,900 crore).
HCL is a leading global IT services provider and the Volvo Group is one of the worlds
leading manufacturers of commercial vehicles.
40 new customers from the Nordics and France are added to HCL portfolio.
After the acquisition approximately 2,500 highly skilled people will transfer to
HCLacross 11 countries from Volvo Group.
Cipla acquires two U.S. generic drug companies

Mumbai based Multinational Pharmacy company Cipla has acquired two US Drug companies
namely InvaGen and Exelan pharmaceuticals for $550 million this deal announced last
September .
The combined revenue of these companies in 2015 was $230 million and this deal
increase the market revenue to 20 % over next few years of present 8%.
This move comes in pipeline to increase the presence of Cipla in largest

Pharmaceuticals market and also to introduce new products in oncology and diabetes
Government to Sell Its 5 % Stake in NTPC
122 | P a g e

Government has decided to divest 5% of its share that raised Rs. 5030 crore in NTPCthrough
the Offer for Sale route as per the disinvestment plan of 2015-16.
This will be the second biggest disinvestment after Indian Oil Corporation and sixth
disinvestment in the fiscal that spread over two days.
Government had offered 41.22 crore shares at a floor price of Rs. 122 per share that
raised whooping 5, 030 crore and government remains major stakeholder of 69.96% in
NTPC.
Jaypee Sells Cement Biz to UltraTech for Rs 16,500 crore

Debt- laden Jayaprakash Associates Cementgroup signed a binding agreement to sell its Cement
Business to Indias Largest Cement maker Ultra Tech Cement.
The cement factories in six states for an enterprise value of Rs. 16, 500 crore , once the
deal is completed Ultra Techs cement capacity will increase up to 90.7 mtpa from the
current 68.3 mtpa( Million Tons Per Annum).
SCHEMES
Govt praises MGNREGA as scheme completes 10 years
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has completed
its ten years of achievement. The total government part to the herald of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA
is about three-quarters of US$15 billion.
It was launched in June 2006 by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with aims to
guarantee the right to work as per the Article 41 of the Indian Constitution.
About MGNREGA
MGNREGA is an Indian labor law and social security measure.
It was launched in June 2006 by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with aims to
guarantee the right to work as per the Article 41 of the Indian Constitution.
Job-card holders are provided with a 150 days of work under MGNREGA
Maharashtra announces Babasaheb Ambedkar Special Group Incentives Scheme

Maharashtra State Cabinet had announced the Babasaheb Ambedkar Special group
Incentive Scheme for the economically backward Dalit entrepreneurs.
The scheme aimed to providing special facilities to Dalit entrepreneurs besides the
present group Incentive Scheme 2013.
The scheme provides 20 per cent plots are reserved for the Dalits in small and medium
scale industries with Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).
Under this scheme only one member of the family will be eligible for loan and start up
Unit till get an additional 10 pc incentive.
123 | P a g e

PMKVY completes 10 lakh enrolments under Skill India
The front runner programme of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship,Pradhan
Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) has completed 10 lakh enrolments.
As per the recent announcement, there are 10, 28,671 enrolments under 382 active job
roles out of which 70% have already completed their trainings.
The scheme has been implemented by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in all
over Indian covering 596 districts and 531 constituencies. To educate and encourage the
youth to avail the scheme, 410 Kaushal Vikas Shivirs were conducted across the country.
States with maximum enrolment under scheme Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,Madhya
Pradesh, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh
Chhattisgarh govt launches Udyam Aakansha scheme to promote SMEs
Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh has launched Udyam Aakansha Scheme for promoting micro,
small and medium enterprises in the state.
Objective: To promoting the ease of doing business.
About Udyam Aakansha scheme:
The Udyam Aakansha scheme would facilitate free online registration and selfcertification to the investors interested in investment on micro, small and medium
enterprises and service businesses.
The investors can enroll themselves online through website of the Industries department
which will be based on self-certification process.
For the online registration, investors need not submit any documents nor have to pay any
fee.
Vasundhara Raje launches school on wheels for nomadic, tribal children
Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje launched the mobile library-cum-school on

wheels.It was set up by an NGO, Tabar Society.
Aim: To spread awareness about education among the nomadic and tribal children.
About SOW :
The van will move around in Jaipur district, including villages of Luniawas and Goner area.
It will raise awareness among the nomadic children, especially from Gardiya Lohar
and Ghumantu community (nomads), by exhibiting short audio/videos inspiring stories
using a projector, Paliwal.
Jayalalithaa announces Amma Kudineer Thittam

Jayalalithaa the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu had announced Amma Kudineer Thittam a
new scheme for supplying drinking water.
Under the Scheme the govt will supply the water to those who cannot afford to buy
purified drinking water from private players.
124 | P a g e
Under the first phase of the scheme water supplying points will be established.
The family of poor people is provided with 20 liters of pure water every day.
Smart cards will be issued to beneficiaries
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports released funds under TOP Scheme
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has released funds under its ambitious Target Olympic Podium
Scheme (TOPS).
Ministry has initiated the TOPS under the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF). It
aimed to identify athletes who are potential medal winners in Olympics and to provide
them support for preparation for Olympics.
West Bengal government launched Utkarsh Bangla Scheme for school-dropouts

West Bengal government had launched the Utkarsh Bangla Scheme for school dropouts at
the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata.The aim of the scheme is to give vocational training to
school dropouts.
The scheme was launched by the Chief Minister of Kolkata and awards were given to
the national and state level winners for excellence in skill development.
The scheme every youth will get training ranging from 400 to 1200 hours.
Free vocational training will be provided to the school-dropouts for tailoring, driving,
repairing television and other electronic equipment and beauty courses etc.
Odisha Government to introduce self-certifying scheme for industries to set up units

Odisha government had introduced a self-certifying scheme for non-hazardous industries to
set up units.
It aims to simplicity the process of doing business in Odisha at the initial level.
This is a self-certifying scheme for non-hazardous industries.
The decision for the scheme was taken by Chief Secretary AP Padhi at a high level
summit.
Tamil Nadu announces free bus travel for senior citizens

Tamil Nadu government had announced free bus travel for senior citizens in Chennai
metropolitan areas.
To gain the benefits of the scheme person has to fill an application form and submit it to
transport authorities for the tokens.
Free bus passes will be provided to the senior citizens
Ten tokens are given to the person for a month.
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojanas guidelines released at Kisan Mela
125 | P a g e

To underline the Govts initiative for the development of the agriculture sector and welfare of
farmers, PM Narendra Modi addressed farmers at a Kisan Kalyan Mela at Sehore in Madhya
Pradesh.
During the occasion, PM also released guidelines for operationalisation of the Pradhan Mantri
Fasal Bima Yojana, a scheme for crop insurance.
Key features of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana

The scheme will come into effect from the upcoming Kharif season.
Under this scheme, farmers will have to pay a uniform premium 2% for Kharif
crops and1.5% for Rabi crops.
The premium for annual commercial and horticultural crops will be 5%.
There is no upper limit on the Governments subsidy for this scheme. The provision of
capping the premium rate, which existed in earlier schemes, and resulted in low claims
being paid to farmers, has been done away with.
Farmers will get claims against the full sum insured, without any reduction.
The Prime Minister also distributed soil health cards and crop insurance settlement claims to
select beneficiaries.
PM Initiates Rurban Mission
PM Narendra Modi launched the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission which is an
initiative to transform the rural areas to get an urban look.
Started in Dongargarh near chattisgarh
To attract 5100 crore investment
Scheme divided into 300 clusters in next 3 years
Flash points
An initiative to create smart villages and to improve the quality of life in villages
Started in Dongargarh near chattisgarh
To attract 5100 crore investment
Scheme divided into 300 clusters in next 3 years and 100 clusters to be implemented
in this year
Gram panchayat a cluster has 25000 to 50000 population and Tribal and Hilly areas a
cluster has 5000-10000 population
4 clusters in Rajnandgaon, Dhamatri, Kawardha and Bastar districts of Chattisgarh.

It replaces PURA scheme of UPA government
Electronic manufacturing cluster started in Naya Raipur with 2000 crores

investment.30% Of the project fund provided as Critical Gap Funding
SLOGAN RURAL SOUL, URBAN AMENITIES
126 | P a g e

Bihar-The Sixth State To Enter Into Uday Scheme
UDAY(Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana) is a tripartite memorandum between Bihar
government, state Discoms and the Power ministry for the revival of debt ridden state distribution
utilities to save 9000 crores.
Points to note
Bihar is the sixth state to join this UDAY scheme
It is the second Non-UPA state after Uttar Pradesh to join this scheme
It will help the debt ridden distribution system of the state to save 9000 crores in the next
3 years
The total debt is of 3110 crores out of which the state government will bear 2332 crores
Cabinet nod to Atal Innovation Mission

Atal Innovation Mission and Self Employment Talent Utilization are being set up National
Institution for Transforming India and will have Headquarter in New Delhi.
AIM of the Mission: An innovation Promotion Platform that involves Academics, Entrepreneurs,
and Researchers possessing national and international Experiences to foster a Culture of
Innovation, R&D in India.
Decision has been taken by Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narandra
Modiand the Mission would be guided by Mission High Level .
AIM and SETU under NITI to come up with Rs 500 Crore and Rs. 1, 000 crore
respectively as stated in Budget Speech 2015- 2016 by finance minister.
NITI Aayog established an Export Committee on Innovation and Entrepreneurship to work

out detailed forms of AIM and SETU by the chairmanship of Tarun Khanna Professor at
Harvard University.
37 more countries to get e-tourist VISA

The government will extend the e-tourist VISA to 37 more countries .At present Indian
Government offers two VISAs to tourists namely traditional tourist VISA and e-VISA
An e-VISA or electronic VISA is something which does not have a stamp or label
Currently 113 countries are given e-VISA
This scheme was introduced by the government on November 27,2014
Points to note
An e-VISA or electronic VISA is something which does not have a stamp or label
Currently 113 countries are given e-VISA
This scheme was introduced by the government on November 27,2014
With the addition of 37 more nations the beneficiaries will be 150 countries on a total
The 37 more countries included in the e-TV scheme are Albania, Austria, Bosnia &
Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, Comoros, Cote dlvoire, Croatia,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Iceland,
127 | P a g e

Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Moldova, Namibia, Romania, San Marino, Senegal,
Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Trinidad &
Tobago, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Around 5 lakh VISAs have been given since the launch of the scheme from 2014 .3500
international e-VISAs are given daily.The scheme is available at 16 Indian airport.
Karnataka announces housing scheme for Transgenders
Karnataka government has announced housing scheme for transgenders who have been facing
rejection in the society
Bengaluru development minister K J George announced the scheme which has

around600 houses built in the extension of the city for transgenders
This has been built in 50 acres land
The Bengaluru Urban Administration has been asked to come up with a blueprint
Newly named DAY-NULM extended to all Urban Local Bodies

National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) which is now renamed as Deen Dayal Antyodaya
Yojana-NULM and in Hindi as Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana- Rashtriya Shahri Aajeevika
Mission has been enlarged to the 4,041 statutory urban local bodies by government.
Tamil Nadu is having the highest number of towns (681) to be covered under DAY-NULM.
Currently, only 40 cities are implementing this pro-poor scheme.
Components of DAY-NULM:
Employment through Skill Training and Placement An expenditure of Rs. 15, 000
per person is allowed on training of urban poor which is Rs. 18, 000 in North-East and
J&K.
Social Mobilisation and Institution Development It will be done through formation

of Self-Help Groups for training members and hand holding, an initial support of 10,
000 is given for each group. Assistance of Rs. 50, 000 is provided to Registered Area
Level Federations.
Subsidy to urban poor An interest subsidy of 5% 7% for setting up individual

micro-enterprises with a loan of up to 2 lakh and for group enterprises with a loan limit
of up to Rs. 10 lakhs.
Shelters for urban homeless Cost of construction of shelters for urban homeless
is fully funded under the Scheme with each such shelter accommodating at least 50
homeless.
Other means Urban poor will be helped through setting up infrastructure for street
vendors and innovative and special projects for rag pickers, differently abled etc.
Atal Pension Yojana eligible for same tax benefits as National Pension System
Atal Pension Yojana which replaced the National Pension System now will be eligible for the
tax benefits as it was provided for National Pension System.
128 | P a g e
The Tax benefits comes with additional deduction of Rs. 50,000 introduced in the last
year budget.
Since the launch in June 2015 the Scheme It has gained 20 Lakh beneficiaries which is
open to Indians aged between 18 and 40 and minimum tenure of 20 years.
The key feature of the scheme is the government will contribute 50% for a period of five
years to the subscribers who joins before 31 March 2016.Tax payers will not come in the
ambit of the scheme.
PMKVY Funds for Punjab

UPA governments Flagship Scheme Pradhan MandhiriKushalVikasYojana in complementary to
the Prime Minister Make in India Campaign to envisage the skilled labour to the Nation.
It was launched on 15th July 2015, that provides training to the Youths and in the
completion of the training they will certified and monetary award through Direct Benefit
transfer (DBT).
The Scheme implemented through Public Private Partnership (PPP) model by National
Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and all the 29 States and 6 Union
Territories will come under the ambit of the scheme.
Punjab being one the Beneficiary cities that enrolled 45, 544 candidates of which 31,
221 of them trained and 1, 205 Candidates have got employment.
Under the scheme 7, 174 candidates of Punjab has awarded whooping monetary award
of 6, 54, 62,500 through DBT.
MoUs
NIIF signed MoU with Rusnano OJSC to set-up Russia-India High Technology Private
Equity Fund
National Investment and Infrastructure fund (NIIF) the Indias maiden sovereign
wealthsigned MoU with Russias Rusnano OJSC to set up high technology private Equity
fund in India.
The aim of NIIF is to take advantage of economic impact generally through infrastructure
development in commercially doable infrastructure projects and other nationally important
projects in India.
Government holds 49% share in the fund and the rest would be held privately.
Labour Ministry signed agreements with employment & career activities orgs
In a bid to exploit the potential of National Career Service (NCS) project, Union Labour Ministry
has inked 8 agreements with leading organizations engaged in employment and career related
activities.
129 | P a g e
The MoUs has been signed with Uber, Quikr, Monster, Tech Mahindra, Babajobs,India
Staffing Federation, Buzzmatic Ventures and GoldFish to expand and enhance the scope
of the project.
This partnership will also provide transparent and credible platform for both employers and job
seekers from possible fraudulent practices.
MoU signed between India and Sweden on Technical Cooperation in Rail Sector
Memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been signed between the ministry of railways onand
the government of Sweden on technical cooperation in Rail Sector for getting best
international technology along with investment.
The aim of the deal with the collaboration of two countries is to promote efficiency and
sustainability and to accomplish physical results with regard to bilateral trade,
investment, research and technology transfer.
It is an agreement for five years after that it will be extended with paper work.
India-UK explore pact on information exchange on criminals

India had signed an agreement with the United Kingdom (UK) on exchanging information
about criminals.
The draft was signed by the UK Minister of State for Immigration and Indian
Minister of State for Home Affairs for the Information Exchange on Criminality and
Criminals.
Under the signed draft the government will be able to disclose the information with the
other country about the criminals.
India and Singapore sign MoU

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi gave its ex-post facto
approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Singapore
Cooperation Enterprise (SCE).The MoU was signed on 24th November, 2015.
The MoU will allow the two countries to share experiences in the field of Urban
Development Governance and Capacity Building.
Signing of BRICS Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the fields of Science,

Technology and Innovation
The Union Cabinet had been apprised about signing of BRICS Memorandum of
Understanding(MoU) on cooperation in the fields of Science, Technology and innovation (STI).
The MoU will help in the promotion of cooperation in the field of science, technology and
innovation among BRIGS countries.
The aim of the MoU is to establish a planned framework of

cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation STI.
130 | P a g e
Signing of MoU between IIPE and Andhra University

Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE) and Andhra University had signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to start the IIPE sessions during the academic year201617.
The MoU is signed for the 3 years.
The MoU had been assisted by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.
After the MoU IIPE will get the authorization to guide the nation in education, research
and training related to all areas of Petroleum and Energy.
India and Armenia Sign MoU on Agriculture Cooperation

India and Armenia ratified MoU on Agricultural Cooperation which emphasizes not only trade and
investment prospects also sharing Knowledge that both countries gained erstwhile.
The meeting held in Indian Capital attended by Union Agricultural Minister Mr. Radha
Mohan Singh and his counterpart Mr. Sergokarapetyan of Armenia.
The MoU has envisaged several priority sectors such as plant-breeding, Buffalo-breeding
and so on. It provides for Establishment of Joint Working Group and Preparation of Work
plans, The MoU valid for five years and will be extended further.
India-UK agreement for collaboration of Crop Sciences

The Department of bio-technology of Ministry of Science & Technology and UKs top research
institute signed a MoU for collaboration for research on Crop Sciences.
The agreement was signed by Professor K. VijayRaghavan, Secretary, Department of

Biotechnology, Cambridge University Vice Chancellor Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz
Aim-Collaborative Research, exchange of Knowledge, support capacity building for

resilience in Food security
Focus areas- Drought resistance, Disease resistance, yield enhancement and crop
re-breeding
Establishment of Indo-UK plant science centre in India
Cabinet approves $150 million for Chabahar port in Iran

The cabinet approved $150 million for development of Chabahar port in Republic of Iran which
will facilitate trade route to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan.
The MoU was signed between India and Tehran last May to develop Chabahar port on
South-eastern coast
It will facilitate a trade route to nearby nations especially Afghanistan
It will help India compete with China which has invested heavily in Gwadar port in
Pakistan
131 | P a g e

Rajasthan inks pact worth Rs 11500 crore
Rajasthan Govt has inked 51 memorandums of understanding worth Rs 11,531.21 crore with
various companies. These pacts are expected to generate direct employment to over 26,000
people in the sectors of industry, agriculture, urban development & housing (UDH), mining and
tourism.
The MoUs were signed in the presence of Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje.
During Resurgent Rajasthan Partnership Summit, the state has signed 295
MoUsamounting to Rs 3.21 lakh crores cutting across sectors.
Prasar Bharati signs historical MoU with EBC

Indias largest Public Broadcasting Agency Prasar Bharati has signed a MoU with Empressa de
communicacao to the broadcast related endeavors Exchange of News Programmes and coproduction.
The MoU signed between Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Director Jawhar Sircar and EBC
Vice President Mr. Mario and the event held in Brazil.
MoU includes sharing of Documentaries, Science programs Serials and Portuguese

programs from Goa
Prasar Bharati Earlier signed similar MoUs with Russia and China as it is emphasizing the
presence of BRICS Nations in Information Exchange. This is a historical as Prasar bharati
ratifying MoU with South American nation.
BML Munjal University signs a MoU with Axis Bank

BML Munjal University had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Axis Bank.
The pact was signed to promote cooperation and advance academic and business
exchanges.
It aims to aware the students about Banking Sector of the country and to educate
them about the product and services offered by the Bank.
Axis Bank will also help in placement process of the university by giving chance to work
under the banking sector.
NRDC inks MOU with Indian Institute of Chemical Biology to Promote Entrepreneurship
The National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) had signed Memorandum of
Understand (MOU) with Indian Institute of Chemical Biology to promote entrepreneurship.
Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata is engaged in Research on

diseases and certain biological problems of global interest is under the observation of
CSIR Indian Institute of Chemical
It will establish Translational Research Unit of Excellence (TRUE) including an Incubation

Centre of 10,000 sq. ft
The MOU was signed will help in research getting translated into viable products.
132 | P a g e
Jharkhand and Adani Group inked MoU to set up thermal power plant
Jharkhand government and Adani Group had inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to
set up a 1600 MW capacity thermal power plant for investment of 15000 crore rupees in the
state.
It will be set up in Godda and Sahibganj districts of Jharkhand.
The Jharkhand total investment is expected to be Rs 62,000 crore.
CBDT ink two bilateral APAs with United Kingdom

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) had signed two bilateral Advance Pricing
Agreements (APAs) with United Kingdom.
The Agreements were signed with two Indian group entities of a UK based Multi-National
Company (MNC) under the Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP) process enclosed in
the India-UK DTAA.
Now CBDT has signed 41 APAs out of which 38 are unilateral and 3 are bilateral.
These transactions face extended and profound transfer pricing disputes.
India, US sign agreement to improve systems at DGCA

India and US had signed an agreement to improve the system at Directorate General of Civil
Aviation (DGCA). The agreement is signed by Indias DGCA and United States Technical
Development Agency (USTDA) for India Aviation Safety Technical Assistance Phase II in New
Delhi.
Key Highlights
US will provide the fund to India to improve its overall aviation safety mechanism,
which includes the areas of operation, airworthiness and licensing.
USTDA will fund $808, 32, to improve systems at the DGCA.
The Wicks Group (TWG) will provide the help of $75,000 at contractor firm.
The phase 1 of the agreement, TWG had helped DGCA to organize the reconsideration by FAA in
December 2014,
NRDC inks MoA with Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkatta on
Technology Transfer
National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) had inked Memorandum of Agreement (MoA)
with Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) in Kolkata for technology Transfer at
IACS.
NRDC will provide its services in IP Evaluation and Valuation in terms of their
commercial potential to IACS as per the agreement.
133 | P a g e
National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) is an Enterprise of Department of

Scientific & Industrial Research under the guidance of Union Ministry of Science &
Technology.
Cabinet approves WTOs trade facilitation pact
The Union Cabinet approved the proposal for notification of commitments under
the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The agreement, which is part of the WTOs Bali ministerial package of 2013, contains
provisions for expediting the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods
in transit. It also sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other
appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues.
The Cabinet also approved the ratification and acceptance of the Instrument of
Acceptance of Protocol of TFA to the WTO Secretariat and constitution of the National
Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF).
The committee would be set up under the joint chair of the revenue and commerce
secretaries to facilitate both domestic coordination and implementation of the provisions
of the agreement.
The agreement will come into force after it is formally accepted by two-thirds of the WTO
membership. Till now, 69 countries of the 162 members of the WTO have ratified this pact.
Avoidance of Double taxation income by agreement between India and Maldives
PM- Narendra Modi and his cabinet approved the agreement which will avoid double taxationfor
International airline enterprises in Maldives and India.
Main features
Tax can be paid on the profits earned out of operation of aircrafts only in
the country where theenterprise belongs to
It provides for relief from double taxation for airline enterprises of both the countries way
of exemption of income derived by the enterprise of India from the operation of
aircraft in international traffic, from Maldivian tax and vice-versa.
It provides tax certainty
Mutual agreement procedure to solve issues
India-US set up space cooperation mechanism

India and United States of America has set up bilateral mechanism for sharing information for
tracking movements of satellites, avoiding collisions and identifying potential threads to space
and ground assets.
Indian and American Delegations were met here to explore an arrangement for Space
Situational Awareness (SSA).
America has so far inked 12 SSA agreements with other countries and
intergovernmental organizations and 51 commercial agencies.
134 | P a g e
In addition India is setting Sate of the Art Data reception Centre Tracking and Telemetry
Station in Vietnam, which will be linked with existing similar type of Centre in Indonesia.
12 nations sign historic Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement

The worlds biggest multinational trade deal was signed by 12 member nations of the TransPacific Partnership (TTP) in Auckland, New Zealand. The Agreement aims to create a single
market system as to encourage trade and investment similar to that of the European Union.
Key Highlights
The TPP deal will cover 40 percent of the world economy.
The TPP undertake a two-year agreement period in which at least six countries must
approve the final text for the deal to be implemented.
Its objective is to lower taxes on goods and services while regulating commercial laws for
two-fifths of the world economy.
India, Afghanistan ink pact for visa-free travel by envoys

India and Afghanistan inked a pact for visa-free travel for diplomatic passport holders of
the two countries. They also discussed security situation in the bilateral and regional context.
The pact was signed after the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
theChief Executive Officer of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and the officer Abdullah discussed the security
situation, Afghan peace process, internal political situation in the strife-ravaged country
as also the regional security situation.
India signs an Agreement to Become an Associate Member State of EMBO

To strengthen the scientific interaction and collaborative research between India and Europe,
India has inked a cooperation agreement to acquire the status of the Associate Member State
European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO).
EMBO is an organization of more than 1700 leading researchers that promotes

excellence in the life sciences.
The major goals of the organization are to support talented researchers at all stages of
their careers, stimulate the exchange of scientific information.
NATO, EU sign agreement on cyber defence cooperation

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU) had signed an
agreement on cyber defence to improve cooperation.
The agreement will establish a framework for emergency response teams from NATO
and the EU.
It aims to exchange information and share best practices.
135 | P a g e
It will also facilitate information-sharing to improve cyber incident prevention, detection

and response at both the EU and NATO.
US and Russia enter into a New deal to stop Bloodshed in Syria

Syria which has been continuously under coverage because of its internal warfare and outraged
terrorist activities is again in flashlight following an agreement by US and Russia to ceasefire in
Syria. This New deal came as a joint statement from US and Russia. However this ceasefire
excludes Islamic state, al-Nusra Front and the other deemed terrorist groups.
Present scenario
The Syrian army is now backed by Moscow, Iran and fighters from Lebanons
Hezbollah. Ranged against them are rebels supported by the United States, Turkey
and Saudi Arabia
Manipal University signs MoU for academic cooperation with University of Chicago
Manipal University had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for academic cooperation
with University of Chicago USA in Manipal.
University of Chicago is the top ten global Universities in the 2016 Times Higher
Education World University rankings.
It is a leading medical school in the USA.
It includes mutual exchange of undergraduate and graduate medical students for clinical
observer-ships.
It will provide faculty to exchange for educational purposes
COMMITTEES
Companies Law Committee submitted report recommending changes in the Companies
Act, 2013
Companies Law Committee had submitted its report to the Government for examining and
making recommendations on changing of the Companies Act, 2013.
Changes are as follow:
Administrative compensation to be approved by shareholders
Re-opening of accounts is limited to 8 years.
Limit on sweat equity is raised to 50% of paid up capital from 25% for start-ups.
Frauds less than Rs. 10 Lakh are considered as compoundable offences.
Committee formed in Nashik to Rejuvenate Godavari

A Few environment activists under the leadership of Deepak Naik chairperson of Maharashtra
state Economic development council have formed a committee in Nashik to revive Godavari.
136 | P a g e
The committee includes Rekha Somalia, Deepak Naik , environment activists and
experts
Naik who has rejuvenated nearly 78 rivers strongly believes that there is a lot of potential
to revive Godavari
Activists also plan to encourage eco tourism, bird tourism and agro tourism compared to
boat club and seaplane
Committee formed for Evolution of New Education Policy

A committee has been framed under T.S.R Subramanian to evolve the New Education
Policy.The committee has to consider the various suggestions received from online portal, various
educational pioneers and experts and frame a Draft of the New Education Policy.
The Committee consists of Shri T.S.R. Subramanian, Former Cabinet Secretary as the
Chairman
It includes Shailaja Chandra, former Chief Secretary, NCT of Delhi, Shri Sevaram Sharma,
former Home Secretary, NCT of Delhi, Shri Sudhir Mankad, former Chief Secretary,
Gujarat & J.S. Rajput, former Director, NCERT as members.
The 3 consultations include online, grassroots and national level thematic deliberations
The online consultation process was undertaken on MyGov.in portal from 26th January,
2015 to 31st October, 2015
29,109 suggestions have been received on the 33 identified themes.
DIPPs Shankar Committee recommendations on Replacing Multiple Prior Permissions

Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP)s expert committee to examine the
possibility of replacing multiple prior permissions with pre-existing regulatory mechanism has
submitted its recommendations aimed at promoting ease of doing business in the country.
In order to make India as one of the most attractive investment destinations, the 11 member
committee headed by Ajay Shankar recommended to create an investor friendly preexisting regulatory framework replacing multiple prior permissions with adequate
safeguards.
Other Recommendations:
Introduction of credible third-party certification in most areas of regulation.
Adoption of global best practices for emission norms.
For start-ups Earmarking of mixed land use redevelopment or Greenfield development and
exempting them from the requirement of seeking building plan approvals.
Special dispensation of complying with labour laws on their own without being subject to
inspection for a period of three years or till their workforce exceeds 100, whichever is
earlier.
Inspection of a start-up should be done only with the permission of an officer at a

sufficiently higher level.
137 | P a g e

Amit Mitra appointed as chairman of GST committee
Economist and West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra has been appointed as the chairman of
empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on Goods and Service tax.
He will succeed the Kerala State Finance Minister KM Mani who supposed to resign over
corruption charges against him in November 2015.
The Head of the Empowered Committee of State Finance Minsters has always been from opposition
ruled state.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

France to partner ISRO in Mars Mission
French space agency Centre National dtudes spatiales (CNES) signed a letter of intent with
the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to be the partner in the next Mars mission.
The next mission is expected to be launch in 2018.
The reliable PSLV will be used in the second mission in 2018.
India and France also signed agreements for earth observation satelliteto monitor
environment, weather, water resources and coastal zones.
Japanese firm to open worlds first robot-run farm

Worlds first fully automated farm with robots handling almost every step of the process from
watering seedlings to harvesting crops will be open in Japan announced by Kyoto-based Spread
The indoor grow house will start operating by the middle of 2017 and produce 30,000
heads of lettuce a day.
It hopes to boost that figure to half a million lettuce heads daily within five years.
The farm, measuring about 4,400 square metres (47,300 square feet), will have floor-toceiling shelves where the produce is grown.
India, NASA to study Ladakh region under Spaceward Bound programme

India and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) joined hands to
explore the environment of Ladakh under NASAs Spaceward Bound programme.
Under the partnership, a team of scientists from NASA, the Mars society Australia and
the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow will undertake an expedition to
Ladakh in August 2016.
CSIR launches Indias first ayurvedic anti-diabetic drug named BGR-34

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) launched Indias first
ayurvedicanti-diabetic drug named BGR-34 for type two Diabetes mellitus.
About BGR-34
138 | P a g e
BGR-34 is developed jointly by National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) and

Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) Luck now-based
research units of
The drug will help maintain normal blood glucose levels, reduce chances of
complications due to persistent high blood glucose.
Reliance Defence to set up Dhirubhai Ambani Centre for Innovation & Research in
Aerospace in Bengaluru
Reliance Defense had announced to set up Dhirubhai Ambani centre for research,
development and innovation in aerospace technology.
The proposed centre will produce more than 1,500 highly-skilled jobs.
It will also support governments plan for indigenous design, development and manufacturing
of defense equipments.
This research centre is first-ever private center of its class in India.
This is Make in India initiative by the government in the defense sector.
Arun Jaitley launches Finance Ministrys official YouTube channel

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launched the official YouTube channel for the Ministry of finance.
The channel will be launched before the start of the Budget session.
The channel will distribute information on a real-time basis.
The channel will display videos featuring schemes launched by the PM Jan Dhan
Yojana Launch, Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Insurance schemes, among several others.
The channel also have videos of the reforms introduced in the Union Budget 2015 and
speeches of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley .
CRMNEXT launches Indias first cloud bsaed digital CRM platform

CRMNEXT had launched Indias first cloud based digital CRM platform to provides commutable
cloud CRM solutions.
This technology will play a larger role in connecting with the customer on a day-to-day
basis.
The CRM system will now provide a seamless transaction from anywhere at any time and
anyhow.
In the financial services space like HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank and institutions
like Max Life Insurance and Bajaj Auto Finance CRMNEXT already have its
customers.
First artificial graphene created

The first artificial graphene-like structure had been created by the University of Arkansas. The
team of researchers was headed by an Indian-origin researcher.
139 | P a g e
Graphene was discovered in 2004 is a one-atom-thick sheet of graphite.
Graphene transistors are expected to be considerably faster and more heat-tolerant.
The element created will be placed in the carbon group.
The discover atom will be able to create graphene-like structures for many other
elements.
Glenmark introduces EMI scheme for cancer treatment drug

In order to help the cancer patients, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has initiated an EMI
schemewhich will help them in their continuation of the treatment and meet the high cost of
medication.
Two drugs are covered under the scheme viz. Abirapro prescribed for prostate cancer
and Evermil or different cancers.
Currently, Abirapro 250 mg in 120-pack size is priced at Rs. 39,990 and 10 tablet packs of 10
mg Evermil tablets is priced at Rs. 29,965.
NbeG 47: Machine Harvestable Chickpea variety released
The first machine harvestable chickpea variety, NBeG 47 has been released in Andhra
Pradesh suitable for the states variable climate.
The 2.25 tons of NbeG 47 took just 75 minutes for harvesting by the standard machinery as
compared to erstwhile process of harvesting chickpea that takes three days.
NbeG 47 was developed by Dr Veera Jayalakshmi, Principal Scientist (Chickpea Breeding)

with a support from International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid-Tropics
(ICRISAT).
Paper waste turned into non-toxic green Aerogel for first time
Paper waste is turned into the non toxic green Aerogel for the first time by the experts of the
Singapore. Aerogel is non-toxic, ultra light, flexible, extremely strong and water repellent material
in the world
Aerogels can be used as oil spill cleaning, heat insulation as well as a packaging
It can be used as coating materials for drug delivery and also as smart materials for
various biomedical applications.
Dr. Mahesh Sharma Launches 247 toll free Tourist Infoline in 12 International
Languages
Dr. Mahesh Sharma launched the 247 Toll Free Tourist Infoline in 12 International
Languages including Hindi and English. He is the Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism & Culture
and Minister of State for Civil Aviation.
This project will be implemented by the Ministry of Tourism.
140 | P a g e
The languages that will handle the contact centres include ten International languages
that are Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Portuguese,
Russian and Spanish.
HCL launches IoT centre with Microsoft

HCL had launched an Internet of Things (IoT) Incubation Center with Microsoft which will be
stationed at Redmond Washington, USA.
The centre will mainly focus on two key growth areas: Industrial & Manufacturing and
Life Sciences & Healthcare by the use in industrial automation, remote patient
monitoring and fleet management.
The alliance will result in new and actionable Industrial IoT solutions which are
scalable, cost-effective and focused on user experience.
North Korea launched Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite

The North Korea had successfully launched the Kwangmyongsong-4 a communications
satellite into space.
North Korea is banned under UN permit from using any ballistic missile technology.
Kwangmyongsong-4 is an earth observation satellite.
The satellite was launched to celebrate the 74th birthday of late leaderKim Jong-il.
It has measuring and communications equipment for earth observation.
ISRO to partner with Delhi Police to track crime

The Crime Mapping, Analytics and Predictive System (CMAPS) is being operationalised
by Delhi Police in partnership with ISRO for effective use of space technology- based tools for
ensuring internal security using a predictive policing mechanism.
The first version of CMAPS has been designed for stand alone systems. This would be
graduated to a web application during the second phase of the scheme.
Scientists detect gravitational waves for first time

An international physicists association had detected gravitational waves for the first time in
the world. The association includes physicists from many Indian institutions.
Key Highlights
This was a massive achievement as we know that the gravitational waves are very
hard to detect.About 3 billion years ago the signals about the waves were generated by
two colliding black holes.
These waves will help the scientist to study the universe in every possible way with clear
results.
After detecting the waves Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced through his tweet
141 | P a g e

that India is going to build a gravitational wave detector that will form part of the Ligo
network.
The project to build a gravitational wave detector will cost nearly Rs 1,000-crore as
estimated.
These waves enabled the scientists to decode the nature of the gravitational waves
accurately.
This is the first time when physicists have seen two merging binary black holes.
This is the first confirmation about the binary black holes exist.
The proof of gravitational waves was confirmed by the two stars that are hitting each other
at half the speed of light and each of them was thirty times the size of the sun.
YouTube launches its first original movies and series

YouTube had launched its first original movies and series for YouTube Red subscriber.
It aims to contend with the other networking sites like Amazon and Netflix.
The first videos are now live now.
They have been developed in combination with some of the companys best stars like Lilly
Singh, Rooster Teeth, Pew Die Pie and Awesomeness TV.
ISRO to launch Cryogenic mk-III based GSLV vehicle in Dec

Indian Space Research Organasion (ISRO) had launched the Cryogenic mark-III based
GSLV satellite launch vehicle in December.
This is the 10th High Energy Materials Conference and Exhibition in Hyderabad.
The high-thrust cryogenic engine (CE20) was successfully test fired at the ISRO
Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri.
It will help at the time of emergency when undertake tests to bring back humans safe to
earth.
US to launch 132-foot unmanned ocean drone

US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is going to launch a smooth 132foot unmanned ocean drone from Portland on 17 April.
This is a 140-tonne Anti-Submarine and it is entirely independent- fully operational

without an involved crew.
It is named Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV).
It will help US to track down secret submarines in the
RailYatri.in launches medical emergency app

RailYatri.in had launched a medical emergency app. It will enable train travelers to check for
vital information regarding medical facilities in the surrounding area of their location.
It aims to overcome the medical emergencies arise during the journey.
142 | P a g e
The app will check the location of the user and provides list of healthcare facilities at the
upcoming stations.
The app will provide direction from station, contact numbers of hospitals and ambulance
services to the passengers.
DIAL launches mobile application DIAL Cargo

Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has launched a mobile application for cargo operations
that will help reduce paper work and track movement of shipments on real time basis.
DIAL in conjunction with the air cargo industry has launched a business friendly and
comprehensive mobile application that can also integrate the messages received from
Customs Electronic Data Interchange System and the Directorate General Systems and
Data Management, Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC)
Indian origin scientist discovers fast Tin Monoxide conductor to replace silicon
Indian-origin scientist Ashutosh Tiwari with his team had discovered a fast Tin
Monoxideconductor to replace silicon.
It is made up of the tin and oxygen elements (tin monoxide SnO).
The electrical charges in the newly discovered element moves faster than the
conventional 3D materials.
This 2D material is made up of just one or two atoms therefore the electrons has to move
in one layer so its much faster than 3d elements.
It consumes less power and will help in speedier computers and Smartphones.
Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley inaugurates Non-Tax Receipt Portal

Arun Jaitley the Union Finance Minister inaugurated the Non-Tax Receipt Portal (NTRP).
It had been developed by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) office.
It will provide a one-stop platform for making online payment of Non-Tax Receipts to
the Government of India.
It provides platform to citizens, corporate and other users.
The annual collection is over Rs 2 lakh crores.
The interest receipts, spectrum charges, royalty, license fee, sale of forms, RTI
application fee are the major stuff of Non-Tax Receipts.
Environment Minister launches envis portal

Minister of Information and Broadcasting Javadekar launched a website and mobile application for
integrating its Environment Information System(ENVIS) centres.
About ENVIS:
Environment Information System (ENVIS) is a ministry initiative for integrating countrywide efforts in environment -related information collection, collation, storage, and
143 | P a g e

dissemination.
The ENVIS portal will run parallel with Digital India Objective and aid the efforts for
improving digital literacy in the environment sector.
The ENVIS network presently consists of 69 centres, of which 29 are hosted by

environment departments of various state governments while 40 are operated by
environment-related government and non-governmental organisations.
Javadekar also inaugurated a two-day workshop on National Interaction-cum-kivaluation of all

ENVIS systems.
Cabinet grants in-principle approval to the LIGO-India mega science proposal
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its in principle
approval to the LIGO-India mega science proposal for research on gravitational waves. The
proposal, known as LIGO-India project (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory in
India) is piloted by Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Science and
Technology (DST).
The LIGO-India project will establish a state-of-the-art gravitational wave observatory in

India in collaboration with the LIGO Laboratory in the U.S. run by Caltech and MIT.
LIGO-India will also bring considerable opportunities in cutting edge technology for the
Indian industry which will be engaged in the construction of eight kilometre long beam
tube at ultra-high vacuum on a levelled terrain.
Amazon launches Tatkal initiative

Amazon announced the launch an initiative that enables small and medium businesses (SMBs) to
go online and sell products Amazon Tatkal.
Tatkal will traverse the country engaging with thousands of entrepreneurs, artisans,
manufacturers and sellers and help them sell online on the spot.
Union Government launches Website for maiden Maritime India Summit

Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari launched a website dedicated to the union governments
Maritime India Summit 2016 to be held in April at the ongoing Make in India
Week event
The website will facilitate investors and participants access detailed information about the
summit including registrations
Worlds cheapest Smartphone Freedom251

Ringing Bells Pvt Ltd a Noida based company had launched Freedom 251 possibly the
worldscheapest Smartphone.
The Smartphone costs Rs. 251.
It is launched to empower Indian economy.
144 | P a g e

Japan Launches Satellite to Study Black Holes
Japan had successfully launched ASTRO-H space observation satellite to study the black holes.
The satellite had been developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
(JAXA)in collaboration with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and
others.
It was launched by the H-IIA rocket from the Tahegashima Space Center.
Five New Hot Jupiters Discovered

Scientists have discovered five new exoplanets coining them hot Jupiters. Researchers from
keele university in UK used WASP-South (Wide Angle Search for Planets-South) to observe
southern sky and study the five stars.
The newly discovered planets have been named as WASP 119b, WASP 114b,WASP
126 b, WASP 129 b and WASP 133 b.
Features Of The Planets
Mass ranges between 0.3 to 1.2 mass of Jupiter
Radii ranges between 1 to 1.5 of Jupiter
Orbital periods from 2.17 to 5.75 days
Unique Features
119b- 2 mass of Jupiter, orbital period-2.5 days, older than the sun
124b-6 mass of Jupiter, orbital period- 3.4 days
126 b- lowest mass, brightest of five ,lowest surface gravity
129b- same in size of Jupiter, longest orbital period, highest surface gravity
133 b- 2 mass of Jupiter,1.2 radius of Jupiter, shortest orbital period
Googles Project Loon crashes in Sri Lanka in a tea plantation

Googles Project Loon had crashed down in Sri Lanka in a tea plantation.
The balloon is the part of the Googles high-speed internet service.
It was crashed during its first test flight.
Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka was coordinating
the tests with Google in the project.
The launch is part of a planned joint project between the
US internet giant and Colombo is the member of the joint project which aims to
deliver high-speed internet access powered by helium-filled balloons.
NASA finds super-Earth with an atmosphere

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had found a super-Earth with
an atmosphere for the first time.
The team includes astrophysicists form the European Space Agency (ESA) and the
University College London.
145 | P a g e
It was spotted with the Hubble telescopes Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3).
It is a big rocky planet whose surface is 8 times bigger than the Earths surface.
The observation clearly show that the surface consist of Helium and Hydrogen
Cryo CE 20 engine successfully hot tested by ISRO

Indian space agency Indian Space Research Organisation has successfully hot tested Cryo CE 20
Engine for flight duration of 640 seconds at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) at Mahendragiri,
Tamil Nadu.
It is being tested to power the upper stage of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle Mk III.
About CE-20
The CE-20 is a cryogenic rocket engine being developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems
Centre, a subsidiary of ISRO. It is the first Indian cryogenic engine to feature a gas-generator
cycle.It has been manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
Ksheer Scanner To Benefit People
The union minister for science and technology Harsh Vardhan dedicated the Ksheer Scanner
system for people which are used to detect Adulteration in Milk. It was developed by CSIRCEERI.
India is the leading producer of milk with 18% contribution of world production
India consumes about 146 million tonnes of milk
Ksheer scanner can detect the adulteration in less than 45 seconds
It uses electrochemical technology.System tested at Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and

Rajasthan
Swachh Paryatan Mobile App instigated

Ministry of Tourism initiated the Swachh Parayatan Mobile App. This project is being
implemented through Delhi eGovernance Society (DeGS) and National Informatics
Centre(NIC).
It has announced by Mahesh Sharma, Union Minister of State for Culture & Tourism
(Independent Charge) & Minister of State for Civil Aviation during an event.
This Mobile App is available on Google Search Engine as Swachh Paryatan.
This mobile app will be monitored by the Project Monitoring Unit of Swachh Bharat Missionin
Ministry of Tourism.
This app will enable general public to communicate their complaints about any
unclean area piles in and around tourist destinations.
25 Adarsh Smarak Monuments protected by Archaeological Survey of India

(ASI)have been identified for inclusion in the app.
146 | P a g e

Haryana to become the first state in India to have Aquifer mapping
With the climate changes in the recent years, the groundwater sources have gone down to a critical
level. To find out the exact location of the Aquifer rocks a new mapping technique is to be
introduced in Haryana by May making it as the first state to have such mapping.
Aquifer rock is an underground layer of water bearing rock which has groundwater
stored in it.
Mapping technique
The Aquifer mapping will help in estimating the quantity and quality of groundwater
present inside the rock
Mapping determines the exact location, its size, amount of water that can be stored
and its recharge point
Mapping is carried out by Central Ground Water Board on the scale of 1:50000
Objective
The main objective of groundwater mapping is to ensure sustainability and to replenish the
Declining Groundwater.
US Air force tested Minuteman missile from California
On February 21, the US InterContinental Ballistic Missile Minuteman 3 was launched from
Vandenberg Air force Base in California.
The missile blasted off at 34 PM towards west base of Los Angeles
It carried a re-entry vehicle that can target 4200 Miles away to the Marshall Islands of
Pacific Ocean
It involves personnel from Vandenbergs 576th Flight Test Squadron and the 625th
Strategic Operations Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, and the 91st
Missile Wing, Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota
30th Space wing Commander of US Air force- Christopher Mos
Rabishield to become the first fast acting anti-rabies drug in the world
Rabishield the first monoclonal antibody drug that is a fast acting anti-rabies vaccine is launched
in India. It is developed by Pune-based Serum Institute of India and US-based Mass
Biologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Vaccines used currently for rabies takes 14 days for producing antibodies The virus can
reach the brain within 14 days if the dog bite is severe or closer to the head
CGPDTM revised guidelines for Computer Related Inventions

The Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDT) has issued an order excluding
software patents in its revised guidelines for Computer Related Inventions (CRIs).
Flash points
The new order clearly mentions that, mere computer programmes those not in
147 | P a g e

conjunction with a novel hardware will not be granted patent in India
The new guidelines Follow CGPDTs stay on the revised guidelines issued in August
2015which have allowed the patenting of software
Earlier, CGPDTM had agreed with a Parliamentary Panel which had observed
thatcomputer programmes as such are not intended to be granted patent as per
Patents Act, 1970
The sub-section 3(k) of Act mentions that mathematical methods or business

methodsor computer programme or algorithms are not patentable.
ISRO to launch Aditya-L1 in 2016

After the successful completion of Mars mission, ISRO has planned to launch the first solar
mission Aditya-L1 in this year.
This will be Indias first solar mission and known as Aditya-L1
This mission will place the satellite in orbit15 lakh kilometers from Earth
Primary objective will be to study Solar corona in different wavebands
This mission was started in 2012 but postponed due to MARS mission
The IIA has designed the space-based solar coronagraph, basically a telescopic
attachment which will black out the glare of the Sun in order to study
This will be launched by the ISROs workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) into
an 800 km polar orbit.
Restaurant cash-back app, Zaggle, launched

Phani N raj has launched Cash-back app Zaggle which benefits the customers through Cash back
on every bill they pay at food outlets, the $ 2million has been invested by the company on this
initiative.
Presently there are 1400 Zaggle outlets in Hyderabad and Pune that includes
Restaurants, Bars and clubs.
The Company Pledged to invest $8 million additionally, the Companys LIVE Zaggle
available in IOS and Android platforms crossed 70, 000 downloads since its launch six
week ago.
Scientists create energy efficient bio supercomputer

Scientists at McGill University created an energy efficient model Biological Super
computerthat can process the information using very little energy.
The model Bio- Supercomputer much smaller than in size and uses very little energy
andliving cells protein to its function compared to the current supercomputer.
The bio- Supercomputer looks like a road map of busy city, and to have a chip size
of 1.5 cm square in which channels have been etched.
148 | P a g e
The next Generation computers of its kind will use energy from Adenosine
Triphosphate (ATP) that provides energy to the Living organisms.
Sixth Doppler radar to be commissioned in Eastern coast

New Doppler radar to be commissioned in the cyclone prone eastern coast in Gopalpur district of
Odisha by the Indian Meteorological Department next month. It will be the Sixth Doppler
Radar commissioned in Eastern coast of India.
Doppler radar
Doppler radar is an observational tool for monitoring and predicting severe weather
events such as thunder storms, hailstorms, cyclones and tornados within a radius of
300 km
It not only gives information about precipitation but also about wind velocity
Doppler radar is situated at ports of Chennai, Kolkatta, Machilipatnam,

Vishakapatnam and Para dip in eastern coast
Kochi, Bhuj, Mumbai, Karaikal and Goa are the ports in western coast where Doppler
Radar is located
DEFENCE
India joined in Cobra Gold 2016 Multilateral Exercise
On sidelines of Vice-President Hamid Ansari visit to Thailand, India has participated in the
35thedition of Cobra Gold multilateral exercise as an observer plus country, being hosted by
Thailand.
Indian has been accorded as the observer plus country because of its increasing regional
operability.
Theme of exercise Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief
Participants 35 Nations
Along with counterparts from China and Pakistan, a 12-member team of the Indian Army has
participated in the Cobra Gold multilateral exercise, which is considered Asias largest
multinational drill.
Indo-China held maiden JET on border
In order to ensure greater interaction between troops stationed along the Line of Actual
Control(LAC), India and China held their first joint tactical exercise (JET) codenamed SinoIndia Cooperation 2016in the Chushul-Moldo, Jammu and Kashmir.
This was the part of ongoing initiatives taken by India and China to
ensure peace andtranquillity along the border.
149 | P a g e
The Indian Army team of 30 personnel was led by Col. Ritesh Chandra Singh while
the Chinese delegation was led by Col. Qu Yi.
The exercise focused to jointly tackle aspects of Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief.
Indo-Nepal Battalion Level Combined Exercise Surya Kiran kicked off

The 9th Indo-Nepal Combined Battalion level Military Training Exercise Surya Kiran has
been started off today at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. The 14 days military training exercise is
under the aegis of Panchshul Brigade of Central Command.
Nepalese Army would be training together and sharing their experiences of counterterrorism operations and jungle warfare in hilly terrain.
The Surya Kiran series of exercises is a bi-annual event which is conducted alternatively in
Nepal and India.
The training also focus on humanitarian aid and disaster relief including medical and
aviation support.
Exercise IBSAMAR between India, SA, Brazil begins

IBSAMAR is a joint naval exercise between India, Brazil and South Africa, this will be the fifth
edition of the Harbor Phase of the Exercise to commence from Goa Coast. This is done in two
phases namely Harbor phase and Sea Phase.
AIM: To increase the interoperability among three navies as well as common understanding
maritime security between the navies.
This is the first time the Exercise is held in India all the previous editions of the joint
Exercise hosted in South Africa initiated in 2006.
The scope of IBSAMAR-V includes range professional interactions during harbor phase
and diverse range operational activities during Sea Phase.
India, Seychelles joint military exercise began

Indian Army and Seychelles Peoples Defence Forces (SPDF) had joint the 7th joint military
exercise in Victoria.
The aim of the joint work is to enhance military cooperation and interoperability between
these two countries.
EX LAMITYE 2016 is conducted from 15 February to 28 February 2016 at Seychelles

Defence Academy (SDA) Victoria Seychelles.
Exercise Lamitye is the joint exercise of these two countries which means friendship in
Creole.
Navy showcases bio-diesel run patrol craft at IFR 2016

The Indian Navy conducted an International Fleet Review (IFR) at Visakhapatnam.
IFR 2016 Mascot Dolphin
150 | P a g e
IFR 2016 Theme Song United through Oceans
During the IFR 2016, Indian Navy showcased its bio diesel powered fast attack craft. It was
developed by the lab from the Jatropha Curacas plant.
Indias first Aviation Park to come up in Gujarat
The state government had decided to set up the countrys first Aviation Park in Gujarat. The
park will have an airstrip, training school, helipad and space for setting up small
manufacturing units.
The park aims to raise the awareness among students about the potential of the
aviation sector.
The park set up in Gujarat will also attract national and international industrial houses to
set up their manufacturing facilities in this park
Coast Guard to Induct 38 Aircraft and Helicopter By 2020

Indian Coast Guard had planned to induct 38 more aircraft and helicopters into navy
by2020 with the aim to boost its supervision, search and rescue capabilities
Currently there are 62 airplanes and helicopters in Indian Coast Guard (CG).
CG is planning to sign a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for acquiring
16 Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs) and 14 twin-engine heavy helicopters.
INS Viraat to be developed as tourism centre

INS Viraat an Airrcraft carrier will be developed as a tourism centre in the Navy, Andhra
Pradesh.
This proposal was given by the defense Ministry of India
It aims to take awake the tourism-related activities on the warship.
The enhanced importance of the port city also enhance the tourism in the state
INS Viraatis a Centaur-class aircraft carrier in service with the Indian Navy.
Nidar Indias Lightest Revolver weighing 250gm

Ishapore Rifle factory in west Bengal had designed Indias lightest revolver Nidar
weighing 250gm.
The revolver was launched by the short arm manufacturer.
Nidar is .22 calibre with weighing 250gm.
It is capable of firing eight rounds loaded in a revolving chamber.
It can fire up to seven meters and as 40.3mm barrel length with accuracy.
Indigenously developed Prithvi-II missile successfully test-fired

Indias indigenously developed Prithvi-II missile had been successfully test-fired from
the Chandipur, Odisha.
151 | P a g e

Key Highlights
Prithvi II is capable of carrying 500 kg to 1,000 kg of warheads.
It has a strike range of 350 km.
It is a surface to surface medium range ballistic missile.
Scientists from Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) had monitored
its activities.
The Strategic Force Command (SFC) had checked its performance and launched
activities.
The missile test was carried out from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the
Integrated Test Range (ITR).
It is thruster by liquid impulsion twin engines.
Under Indias prestigious IGMDP (Integrated Guided Missile Development Program) Prithvi
II is the first missile to be developed by DRDO
DRDO to conduct captive flight trails of Anti-Radiation Missile

Captive flight trials of an advanced state-of-the-art Anti-Radiation Missile (ARM) are planned
for April-May this year and the maiden flight test by year-end by the missile technologists of the
Defence Research and Development Organisation.
About Anti-Radiation Missile :
The air-to-surface tactical missile being developed by Defence Research and Development
Laboratory (DRDL) will target the enemys air defence capabilities by attacking radars and
communication facilities.
The range of the missile is 100 to 125 km and it will be mounted on combat aircraft
Sukhoi (Su-30) and Tejas-Light Combat Aircraft.
The missile picks up the radiation or signals of radars and communication facilities and
homes on to the targets to destroy them.
Only a few countries, including the U.S. and Germany have ARMs at present.
DRDO to conduct captive flight trails of Anti-Radiation Missile

Captive flight trials of an advanced state-of-the-art Anti-Radiation Missile (ARM) are planned
for April-May this year and the maiden flight test by year-end by the missile technologists of the
Defence Research and Development Organisation.
About Anti-Radiation Missile :
The air-to-surface tactical missile being developed by Defence Research and Development
Laboratory (DRDL) .The range of the missile is 100 to 125 km and it will be mounted on
combat aircraft Sukhoi (Su-30) and Tejas-Light Combat Aircraft.
Only a few countries, including the U.S. and Germany have ARMs at present.
152 | P a g e
ENVIRONMENT
Birds of 11 rare species found in Jharkhand
Birds of 11 rare species have been found in Jharkhand during a survey of the water bodies.
These species are deliberately to be extinct in the past.
The survey was carried out by the Jharkhand forest department.
The birds count around reservoirs and other water bodies which includes 25 dams, in the
state is nearly about 71,134 as recorded by the Asian Bird Survey 2015.
Key Highlights
The survey was carried out by the Jharkhand forest department.
The birds count around reservoirs and other water bodies which includes 25 dams, in the
state is nearly about 71,134 as recorded by the Asian Bird Survey 2015.
The bird survey was carried out at the dams of Lotwa, Tilayia, Udhwa, Hatia, Getalsud,
Patratu, Kanke, Khandoli, Topchanchi, Maithon, Panchet and Massanjore, apart from
Tenughat, Konar, Budha, Gonda, Chandil, Dimna, Sitaram, Kansjore, Tapkara, Malay and
dams located inside the Palamu Tiger Reserve.
Bar Headed Geese migratory birds from Mongolia were also identified by the survey team
The other species of migratory birds included White Necked Stork, Oriental White
Ibis and Northern Shovele.
Forest officers have to take care of the arrangement in the dams to preserve and protect the
avian fauna, particularly migratory birds.
Proper security arrangements for the birds around the dam should be done by the officers.
As per the Survey the Migratory birds are mostly visit the Massanjore Dam in Dumka which
is recorded as 9,564, followed by Chandil at 7,896 and Udhav at 7,823 birds.
IARI releases seven new varieties of crops

Indias public research institutions, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) had released
seven new varieties of field crops. These include wheat, rice, chickpea, pigeon pea and
mustard.
Key Highlights about Launch
These crop varieties include the newly developed pigeon pea (arhar dal) and
mustard with high yielding properties.
These also include Pusa Betakesari (cauliflower), Pusa Sarda (Sarda melon), Pusa
Madhurima (musk melon) and Pusa Bahar (Marigold).
These pulses will help to reduce import bills of India on pulses and edible oils.
Current the annual import bills on pulses and edible oils are Rs 10,000 crore andRs
56,000 crore respectively in India
The developed Mustard-30 will increase the productivity along with the health benefits.
153 | P a g e
This Mustard pulse contains only 2% of erucic acid while the normal Mustard contains
40% of erucic acid.
The release of these croup was announced in the 54th convocation of the Indian
Agricultural Research Institute by the President Pranab Mukherjee
UN exhorted maiden Gas Emissions Standards for Planes

The first global greenhouse gas emissions standard for aircraft has been recommended
by United Nations panel. It will applicable to most airliners and cargo planes including designs
already in production.
The draft rule has been released by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
According to the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), the plan could
diminish the fuel consumption in new aircraft by an average of 4% compared to the current
level.
The full implementation of plan will be made by 2028, which is expected to reduce
carbon emissions by more than 650 million tons between 2020 and 2040. It is
equivalent to removing 140 million cars from the road for a year.
CPCBs National AQI: Delhi is not the Pollution Capital

National pollution watchdog Central Pollution Control Boards (CPCB) has released its latest
report National Air Quality Indices (AQI) on the comparison of pollution levels among 24
Indian cities in the month of January 2016. The comparison has been shown with a colour code and
a numerical value.
In accordance with the report, interestingly, Delhi is not the pollution capital of India but
still it has been ranked with very poor score of 362.
Evaluation of AQI
AQI is evaluated on the premise of the concentrations of 7 pollutants which include particulate
Matter (PM2.5 fine, respirable particles), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen
dioxide (NO2),carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), ammonia (NH3) and lead (Pb).
Key Highlights of Report
As per report, Varanasi and Muzaffarpur are leading the list with severe AQI values
of 409.
Cities of UP and Bihar has been followed by Faridabad with worse AQI of
399, Patna(388), Agra (372) and Delhi with very poor score of 362.
There are only 3 cities in the list with moderate air quality which include Silicon
Valley of India (Bengaluru), Haldia and Panchkula.
Storm Imogen lashed parts of Britain

Parts of southern Britain have been lashed by heavy rain and winds of up to 96 mph afterstorm
Imogen swept .
154 | P a g e
MET department issued a yellow warning with an amber warning be prepared for
Wales, south-west England, London and south-east England and says coastal areas could
see giant waves and localised flooding.
Effect of Storm Imogen :
The sea state could reach phenomenal the highest level on the World Meteorological
Scale at times around the western coasts, with waves of more than 14m possible.
More than 5,000 homes are without power in south-West England, south and mid-Wales
and the Midlands.
New species of Hydroid Polyps emitting green fluorescence discovered in Red Sea
A new species of Hydroid Polyps emitting green fluorescence in the Red Sea had been discovered
by international team of biologists. The hydroid polyps are also called hydrozoas.
The international team included researchers from the Lomonosov Moscow State University
and the Russian Academy of Sciences
The Hydroid Polyps were found emitting light in the night in association with the
gastropod Nassarius margaritifer.
Google launches public flood alerts in India

Google will launch a public flood alerts feature in India.The feature will be available through
Google Public Alerts.
It will provide a platform through which company uses for disseminating emergency
messages.
It will display details such as a map, expected timeline and precaution and safety
measures related to the area.
It can help to find flood alerts with river level information for more than 170 areas.
Neem extract may help treat Pancreatic Cancer: Study
According to a new survey conducted by the scientist a compound found in Neem leaves may
help to treat pancreatic cancer without harming healthy cells
Nimbolide can stop pancreatic cancers growth and metastasis without harming
normal healthy cells
It is able to reduce the relocation and offensive potential of pancreatic cancer cells
by 70 percent.
Nimbolide study was carried out by scientists from the Texas Tech University Health
Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso).
31 species of birds spotted at Otteri Lake

The Department of forest and Animal Keepers at Arignar Anna Zoological Park has carried out
long day census of birds and came to the conclusion that 31 species of birds in Vandalurs Otteri
155 | P a g e

Lake.
This census will focus on the no of new species of birds had arrived and increase in their
number in comparison to previous year.
The Lake sprawling area of 16 acres and protected by 635m long wall, It has storage
capacity of 8.5 crore liters.
The lake is filled with water and around 31 species of 7256 birds were found during
the survey, and species includes spotbill duck , Spoonbill, dabchick, night heron, Indian
Cormorant, Little egret .
India overtakes China in Pollution level

Greenpeace analysis data taken by NASA satellites alarmed that the average particulate matters
of population have increased in India overtaking China for the first time in 21st century.
As per a WHO report out of the 20 most polluted cities 13 lies in India especially North
India
India has only 39 NAQI stations as compared to 1500 such stations in China
Only by implementing strict rules and more stations to measure particulate matters in air
pollution can be brought down
Bharat VI mission is likely to be implemented by April,2020
Rare Falcated Duck sighted in Goa

Birders in Goa sighted rare Falcated Duck in Goa which will add the verity in Goas Bird list.
Earlier the Bird was sighted twice in South India, They were a regular winter migrant to
northern states of India.
Falcated Ducks breeds in Eastern Asia, Russia and north china in summers and usual
migrants to India and rarely spotted in Southern part of the country.
High sediment mercury levels reported in Arctic region

A recent study conducted by researchers from Kottayam Kerala school of Environmental
sciences revealed that the level of sediment mercury is high in Arctic region.
The study was conducted in Kongsfjorden-one of the fjord situated at Ny-Alesund
It was conducted by a group of researchers from Kottayam Kerala school affiliated to

Mahatma Gandhi University
Main reasons
Mercury contamination in polar environment has increased since Industrial revolution
The trans bound nature of mercury has helped in deposition in polar environment where it
undergoes chemical and biological transformation
Sea sponge probably the first animal to have evolved in Earth

A group of scientists from Massachusetts Institute of technology have discovered that sea
156 | P a g e

sponges were the first animal to have appeared on earth based on a fossil record that
predates Cambrian explosion.
Flash points
Scientists found trace of rare molecules from a fossil dated before Cambrian explosion
which occurred 540 million years ago
The rare molecule 24-Isopropylcholesterolwas found to be present in sea sponges

probably making it to be the first evolved organism
The theory was proved by a research which analysed which gene was responsible for
producing 24-IPC and which organisms contained it
After analysis of genes of 30 organisms, a special gene known as sterol methyl

transferase (SMT),can cause an organism to produce 24-IPC if present in correct
number of copies was found
Thus sea sponges are proved to be found 640 million years ago
Government comes out with draft norms for Euro VI emission standard
After having decided to move up directly to Euro VI emission norms for petrol and diesel from April
1, 2020, the government has come out with draft rules on emission standards for various
categories of vehicles. Government will sought suggestions or objections, if any, within a month.
These rules may be called the Central Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules, 2016 as
the draft of certain rules aims at amending the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
About Bharat stage (BS) norms

BS norms are emission standards decided by the government to regulate the amount of air
pollutants from vehicles. They were adopted in line with European regulation standard Euro
norms in 2000.
Currently there are 4 standards of Bharat stage (BS) norms have been issued by
government with prescribed limit on the release of pollutants.
SPORTS
2016 Syed Modi Badminton Title Overview
The 2016 Syed Modi International Grand Prix Gold is the second grand prixs badminton
tournament of the 2016.It was held in Lucknow, India on at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor
Stadium from 26 31 January 2016.
Key Highlights of 2016 Tournament
Mens singles category
Indian Kidambi Srikanth won the 2016 Syed Modi International Grand prix Gold
Championship Title in mens singles category of Badminton.After defeating Huang
157 | P a g e

Yuxiang the chines player with 21-13, 21-14 and 21-14 score he won the title for 2016.
Womens singles category
Sayaka Sato from Japan won the Womens single Title 2016 Syed Modi International
Grand prix Gold Championship Title in womens singles category by defeating Sung Ji
Hyun from South Korea by 12-21, 21-18, 21-18 scores.
Mens doubles category
Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong from Malaysia won Mens Doubles Title in mens
doubles category they defeated Indian pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Akshay
Dewalkar by score of 14-21, 24-22, 21-8.
Womens doubles category
Jung Kyung-eun and Shin Seung-chan from South Korea won Womens Doubles
Title by defeating Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek from Netherlands in womens doubles
category by 21-15 and 21-13 score.
Mixed Doubles Title
Mixed Doubles Title was won by Indonesian pair Praveen Jordan and Deby
Susanto they defeated Thai pair Puavaranukroh Dechapol and Sapisree Tairattanchai by
23-25, 21-09, 21-16 score.
Fukuoka to host 2021 World Aquatics Championships

Japanese city of Fukuoka will host the 2021 World Aquatics Championships. The
announcement was made by The International Swimming Federation (FINA).
The event will be hosted by Qatari the capital city of Doha.
The FINA World Championships are the World Championships for aquatics sports like
Swimming, Diving, High Diving, Open Water Swimming, Synchronized Swimming and
Water Polo.
Pietro Fittipaldi wins 2015 MRF Challenge Formula 2000

Pietro Fittipaldi Brazil racing driver has won the 2015 MRF Challenge Formula 2000 by
winning two of the four races.
The racing was held in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu at Madras Motor Racing Track.
He wins the game with 244 points by attaining top position among the other
participants.
The 17-year old Pietro Fittipaldi is the grandson of former Formula One World
championEmerson Fittipaldi.
Kohli replaces Finch as No 1 batsman in T20 Internationals

Virat Kohli was rewarded for his stupendous performance in Indias clean sweep against Australia
in the T20 internationals as he replaced Aaron Finch with 892 points as the top-ranked
batsman in the ICC list.
158 | P a g e

Others position :
Indias Suresh Raina moved up three places to 13th after his impressive series, while
opener Rohit Sharma also moved up four places to be placed 16th in the list.
David Warner, who scored 17 in the opening match before heading to New Zealand for
the one-day international series against the Black Caps, dropped six spots to 18th.
West Indies spinner Sunil Narine, who is currently banned by the ICC due to an illegal
bowling action, retained top spot in the bowling.
Aditya Mehta won the National Snooker Championship 2016

The National Snooker Championship Aditya Mehta won 2016 Championship by defeating
Manan Chandra by 6-3 in the mens final round of the National Snooker Championship 2016. The
championship was held in Indore in Madhya Pradesh.
Vidya Pillai won the womens final round at National snooker championship 2016
by defeating Amee Kamani by 4-2.
Keerath Bhandaal won the womens billiards final round at National billiards Final by
defeating Aranxta Sanchez by 3-1.
Rajkot franchise IPL team name as Gujarat Lions

Rajkot franchise has been named as the Gujarat Lions after an online survey. The Gujarat
Lions will be led by Suresh Raina.
Ravindra Jadeja, James Faulkner, Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Bravo were
selected by Rajkot for its first IPL plan which will be held in November.
Gujarat Lions in company with Rising Pune Supergiants will play the next two editions of the
Indian
Kerala wins 61st National School Athletics championship

Kerala won the 61st National School Athletics championship. The championship was Started
on 29 January 2016 and finished on February 2.
The national School Athletics championship was held at Olympian Rahman Stadium in
Kozhikode, Kerala.
Kerala becomes the champions in the event of the 19th consecutive Championship.
Kerala host of the championship and got 306 points winning 39 gold, 29 silver and 17
bronze medals.
Second position was gain by Tamil Nadu followed by Maharashtra .
Srikanth remains World No. 9 in latest BWF ranking

As per the latest BWF rankings, Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold mens title winner K Srikanth sat
again on World No. 9 while P V Sindhu dropped a place to be No. 12.
In womens singles ranking list Saina Nehwal remained consistent at World No. 2.
159 | P a g e
In mens double pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Akshay Dewalkar improved two
places to be at World No. 34, while Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy ranked at
World No. 20.
P Kashyap slipped to World No. 15 while H S Prannoy ranked at 27th spot.
The duo of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa ranked at 13th.
ICC removes India from Permanent member status

The ICC has removed India, England and Australia as the permanent members of its decisionmaking executive committee.
In decision in this regard has been taken due to the widespread criticism received by ICC
suggesting that these countries would take over cricket at the expense of other member
nations.
ICC chairman would not be allowed to hold a position in a member country board.
Mumbai International Open Chess tournament Title clinched by Swapnil S Dhopade
Rs. 7.5 lakh IIFL Wealth Mumbai International Open Chess tournament title has been
clinched by Grandmaster Swapnil S Dhopade of Maharashtra which was held in Mumbai.
Swapnil S Dhopade was followed by International Master Stany G A of Karnataka with

7.5 points and Himal Gusain of Chandigarh sat at 3rd place with 7 points.
Dhopade bagged the prize money of Rs 1.5 lakh while Stany pocketed Rs 1.2 lakh and Gusain got
the cash reward of Rs 1 lakh.
Watson top buy, Yuvraj too gets million-dollar deal
Shane Watson Australias player is at the top for a whopping Rs 9.50 crore, Yuvraj Singhis
too gets Rs 7 crore deal in low-key IPL players auction
Pawan Ne I Indian all-rounder was bought for Rs 8.5 crore by Delhi Daredevils.
Ashish Nehra Indian pacer expert was bought for Rs 5.5 crore to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Ishant Sharma for Rs 3.8 crore by Rising Pune Super Giants
Kevin Pietersen for Rs 3.5 crore to Rising Pune Super Giants (RPSG)
Dwayne Smith for Rs 2.3 crore by Gujarat Lions
West Indian batsman Carlos Brathwaite was whopping Rs 4.2 crore by Delhi Daredevils
Indian pacer Mohit Sharma, for Rs 6.5 crore was taken by Kings XI Punjab.
Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh bid Rs 4.8 crore for the enterprising player.
Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik, for Rs 2.3 crore with Gujarat Lions.
Yasir Shah suspended for three months for breach of anti-doping code
Yasir Shah Pakistan leg-spinner had been bannedfor three months for breaching the
International Cricket Councils (ICCs) anti-doping code.
160 | P a g e
He had temporarily suspended in late December because he had taken banned

substance Cloraltidone, which was found in his body for a blood test during
Pakistans 2nd One-Day International (ODI) against England.
He breaks Article 2.1 of the ICCs anti-doping code that deals with the presence of
Prohibited Substance in a Players body.
New Zealand cricketer Brendon Barrie McCullum retired from One-Day Internationals
New Zealand captain Brendon Barrie McCullum had been retired from all forms ofinternational
cricket in February.
He had scored 6,273 test runs with 11 hundreds, including the only triple century by
a New Zealand batsman, and 31 half-centuries at an average of 38.48. His highest test
score is 302 against India.
De Kock of South Africa became fastest cricketer to make 10 ODI centuries

Quinton De Kock the wicketkeeper and batsman of South Africa became the fastest to make10
One Day International (ODI) centuries.
Key Highlights
He took mere 55 innings to reach as many centuries.
During the third ODI match against England at Centurion he achieved this.
He defeated England by seven wickets chasing 318 runs during this record performance.
In the match, South Africa riding on knock of 135 runs of Kock defeated England by seven
wickets chasing 318 runs.
He broke the record of Indian cricketer Virat Kohli who had took 80 innings to reach as
many centuries.
De Kock is the seventh South African batsman to hit 10 centuries or more in ODIs.
AB de Villiers leads the list with 23 centuries in 193 matches, followed by

Amla, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Gary Kirsten and Graeme Smith
Lords To Host Womens World Cup Final In 2017

The hallowed Lords will host the final of the Womens Cricket World Cup in 2017 inLondon.
The matches will starts from June 26 to July 23.
Australia is the current holders of Womens Cricket World Cup
McCullum plays record 100th consecutive Test

Brendon McCullum skipper of New Zealand cricket team had played recode 100th
consecutive Test before him the record was named to the South African player de Villiers.
Before the McCullum last match the record was holed by the South Africas AB de
Villiers who had played 98 successive tests from debut.
While Allan Border played 153 successive tests for Australia but not all from his debut.
161 | P a g e

The four players AB de Villiers, John Reid, Stephen Fleming and Daniel Vettori are the two
other New Zealand players who have played 100 or more Tests but not from their debuts
BCCI bans Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf for 5 years
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had banned Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf was for
five years.
The committee found him guilty of corrupt practices.
He was the part of the ICCs elite panel and officiated in Test matches.
Sania-Hingis win St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy

Sania Mirza the Indian tennis star and Martina Hingis from Swiss won the St. Petersburg
Ladies Trophy in St. Petersburg, Russia.
he top-seeded Indo-Swiss pair conquered the Russian-Czech team by 6-3 6-1 Vera
Dushevina and Barbora Krejcikova in the womens doubles final.
The victory in the final was ensuing 40 match win.
West Indies wins ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2016

West Indies had won the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2016 in Mirpur against India.
The Man of the Match were Keacy Carty hits 52 not out off 125 ball and Keemo Paul hits
40 not out off 68 balls.
The West Indies most successful batsman of the tournament is Shamar Springer with
282 runs.
Player of the tournament was Mehidy Hasan Miraz from Bangladesh.
India-Sri Lanka T20 Final: India wins the series 2-1

India has won the three match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka after racing to a 9 wicket
win in the third and last T20 played at Visakapatnam cricket ground.
Ravi Ashwin was declared man of the match after his 4 wickets in 4 overs which pretty
much killed the game inside first 10 overs of Sri Lanka inning. Sri Lanka lost 5 wickets for
just 21 runs and bundled out for 82 runs in total.
12th South Asian Games An Overview

The 12th South Asian Games 2016 title has been clinched by India, which were held
atGuwahati and Shillong, India from 5 February to 16 February 2016.
Participated nations Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan

and Sri Lanka
Mascot Tikhor (Baby Rhino): Tikhor carries the message of Peace, Progress, and Prosperity
in the South Asian region
Motto Play for Peace, Progress and Prosperity
162 | P a g e

Anthem A famous Assamese song, Ei Prithibi Ek Krirangan (The world is a playground)
by Bhupen Hazarika.
A total of 2,672 athletes were participated in 226 events that were held in 22 sports. The
event offered 758 medals (226 Gold, 226 Silver and 306 Bronze medals).
Final Medal Tally

Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Country
India
Sri Lanka
Pakistan
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Nepal
Maldives
Bhutan
Gold
185
25
12
7
4
3
0
0
Silver
90
60
37
9
15
23
2
1
Bronze
30
98
55
19
54
32
1
15
Total
305
183
104
35
73
58
3
16
Thiem Wins Buenos Aires Title Over Almagro

Dominic Thiem an Austrian tennis player wins the Buenos Aires Title over the Nicolas
Almagro a Spanish professional tennis player by 7-6 3-6 7-6 in the Argentina Open.
He claimed his fourth career title after this.
He is the youngest player in the top 20 and ranked 19th in the world.
He won the title after winning our three-setters in Buenos Aires.
ShortDena Banks Sridhar selected as umpire (Table Tennis) for Rio Olympic Games
Sridhar of Short Dena Bankshad been selected as Umpire (Table Tennis) for the comingRio
Olympic Games 2016.
The Rio Olympic Games will started from August 5 and end on August 21, 2016.
He will be going to represent as an Indian Table Tennis umpire.
Formerly he had represented India in the Asian Games at Incheon South Korea and in
Commonwealth Games Glasgow, Scotland.
Indian Railways Wins National Chess Team Championship for the First Time
Indian Railways has won The National Chess team Championship for the first time at the 36th
Championship was held at Bhubaneswar from 8th to 14th February, 2016.
Indian Railway team beat its counterparts, viz. Odisha, Gujrat, Air-India, Petroleum
Sports Promotion Board, Airport Authority of India, Tamil Nadu, Delhi. Lastly, Indian
Railway ousted Life Insurance Corporation.
Indian Railway team consisted of Karthikayan/ICF, Deepan Chakkravarthy/ICF,Shri

Rathnakaran/SR,Shri Arghyadip Das/ER and Shri Swapni Dhopade/CR.
Numero Uno becomes official clothing supplier for WC T20

Indias leading denim brand Numero Uno will be the official clothing supplier of ICC World
Twenty20.
163 | P a g e
The company will also be official clothing supplier manufacturer and retailer of ICCbranded apparel and merchandise till December 2020.
The ICC World Twenty20 will be held from March 8 from April 3.
Haryanto becomes Indonesias first Formula1 Driver

Rio Haryanto becomes Indonesias first Formula 1 driver after signing a deal with Manor
Racing going to be held in Melbourne, Australia.
He replaces the Briton Will Stevens.
He was accepted as a driver of Manor Racing Formula1 Team for the 2016 F1 season.
He started he career at the Asian-based series during 2008 these are theAsian
Formula Renault Challenge, Formula Asia 2.0, and Formula BMW Pacific
Mumbai Girl Creates A New Record In Chess

Suhaania lohi created history when she was ranked 6 among her co-players in chess.
Key points
She is from Mumbai. Her points is 1156
The other 5 includes 2 Iranian, 1 Danish and 2 Russians.
She won a Silver medal in the National Chess Championship in Nagpur
She enters into the top league in girls category under 7
Brendon Mccullum Sets A New Record With His 54 Ball Ton

Brendon McCullum the New Zealand skipper sets a new record with his 54 ball ton in his farewell
innings against Australia on February 20 in ChristChurch.. He broke the record of fastest ton in
test cricket by Vivian Richards and Misbah which was scored in 56 balls. It also gains special
importance with this being Mccullums last test match.
McCullums first 100 had 16 fours, four sixes three twos and just six singles
He crossed his second fifty in just 20 balls
Athletic Indoor Championships

This weekend gains importance with the Indoor Asian Athletic championships starting inDoha
in Qatar. It takes place between February 19-21.this 7th Asian Athletic Championship will have
around 450 men and women representing 37 nations.
Main stadium- Aspire Doom

Total events- 26
Two Asian and five world records were made on the first day Flashlight
Punjab Warriors defeated Kalinga Lancers to win 2016 Hockey

The Japee Punjab Warriors having lost in the last two consecutive titles of the tournament
ending jinx this time Warriors crowned maiden title defeating Kalinga Lancers 6-1 in the title
164 | P a g e

clash in the fourth edition of the tournament.
The high Octane Game held at Astro Turf Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
Rupinder Pal Singh of Delhi Waveriders adjudged as player of the tournament.
34 matches been played to conclude the winner out of which 4 teams have advanced to
Semi Final Berth.
Delhi Waveriders finished third in the Tournament followed by RanchiRays.
India Bags 9 medals at the Asian Wrestling Championship

The day ended well for India with the Indian Wrestlers bagging 9 medals at the Asian Wrestling
Championship held at Bangkok, Thailand.
India ended at seventh place overall in the Medal table in the Asian Wrestling
Championship
The Indian free men and women category ended up at fourth place while the Greco
roman in sixth position
Flashpoints
India ended at seventh place overall in the Medal table in the Asian Wrestling
Championship
The Indian free men and women category ended up at fourth place while the Greco roman in
sixth position
Mens freestyle: Sandeep Tomar got Gold in 57 kg and Om prakash Vinod kumar got silver
medal in 70 kg
Womens freestyle: Priyanka Pogat ended up with silver in 55kg
Bronze medalists include Vinesh and Anita
In Greco Roman Hardeep Singh lost to Iranian in 98 kg and clinched a silver medal
Gaurav Sharma defeated Korean to clinch a bronze medal
In 80 kg category, Harpreet singh got a bronze medal and Naveen defeated his Chinese
rival in 130 kg category to clinch bronze
Schiavone wins Rio title

Former world No. 4 Francesca Schiavone from Italy won her 7th WTA career title in Rio de
Janeiro beating Shelby Rogers of America in three sets by 2-6 6-2 6-2.
The Italian Supreme star who turns 36 gained her first title since 2013 defeating 23 year
old American to save her 7th WTA title.
Schiavone now ranked 132 climb back in the top 100 of the rankings becoming the
second oldest top 100 after Venus Williams of America.
FC Dnipro Reserves clinched the 2016 Nagjee International Club Football Tournament
The 36th edition of the Sait Nagjee Football Tournament was held at Kozhikode, Kerala. FC
165 | P a g e

Dnipro Reserves of Ukraine had grabbed the tournaments trophy by defeating Atletico
Paranaense Reserves of Brazil.
The 15 days event of 2016 was the first edition of this tournament after 1995.
The event was organised by the Kozhikode District Football Association (KDFA)with the
support of Siddeek Ahmed, President KDFA.
The Sait Nagjee Trophy was in partnership with UK based charitable organizationFootball
for Peace (FfP).
Australia Reclaims No.1 in ICC Test rankings

India on 24th February lost its No.1 position to Australia in ICC test rankings. Australia after
defeating the Kiwis in Christchurch test match won the series
2-0 against New
Zealand and also climbed the ladder in test rankings reaching the top.
Points to note
Australia ended up at No.1 in ICC test rankings for this year with 112 points
India are in 2nd position with just 2 points behind Aussies with 110 points
Australia will receive a cash award of $ 1 million and India to get 5 lakh $ cash award
Steve Smith will receive the cash on behalf of the team
South Africa and Pakistan are in 3rd and 4th ranks respectively
This is the eighth time Australia have ended up first in ICC test rankings since it was
started in 2003
They currently occupy position 1 in ICC ODI rankings
Walkers create record, seven better Olympic qualification time

Gurmeet Singh from Uttarkhand created record that he clocked 1:21:24:57 to clinch Gold
Medal against the Rio Olympics Qaulifying Standard of one hour and 24 Minutes in Jaipur
Rajasthan.
The Staggering number of seven members were created record in 20 Km Race Walkers,
While Ganapathi K from Tamilnadu and Sandeep Kumar from Haryana were finished
second and third places respectively.
Mumbai wins Ranji trophy for 41st time

Mumbai won the Ranji trophy title beating Saurashtra by an innings and 21 runs winning the
title for 41st time.
Mumbai took Saurashtra in their finals which they won by an innings and 21 runs
Siddhesh lad took the team to victory with his partner Balwinder Singh Sandhu scoring
a partnership of 104 runs off 99 balls
2016 Qatar Total Open

The 14th edition of $2,818,000 Qatar Total Open 2016 was a professional womens tennis
166 | P a g e

tournament played on hard courts. It was held atInternational Tennis and Squash complex in
Doha, Qatar between 21 and 27 February 2016.
Singles Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia has clinched the title by defeating Carla Suarez
Navarro of Spain.
Doubles Taipei Chan Hao-ching / Taipei Chan Yung-jan of China defeated Sara of
Italy/ Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain.
Highlight of event: Satina winning streak halted:

World no.1 legendary pair of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis has been defeated in the
quarterfinals of the Qatar Open by Russian pair Elena Vesnina and Daria Kasatkina by 2-6, 6-4,
10-5.
Wawrinka won Dubai ATP Tennis Title 2016
Swiss tennis great Stan Wawrinka ranked no 4 defeated Marcos Baghdatis of Cypriotto claim
Dubai ATP title of 2016, this is Second title after having won in Chennai this January 2016.
Womens Singles: Sara Errani from Italy won 2016 Dubai ATP Tennis Title, she defeated Barbora
Strycova of Czech Republic.
Mens Doubles: Simone Bolelli and Andreas seppi from Italy defeated Feliciano Lopez and
Marc Lopez pair from Spain to Clinch the Title.
Womens Doubles: Chuang Chia Jung from Chinese Taipei and Darija Jurak from
Croatia defeated French pair of Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic.
OBITUARY
Oscar nominated actor Frank Finlay dies at 89
The British actor Frank Finlay who was nominated as Oscar winner in 1966 has died. The
89 year old Frank work as Iago in Othello.
He was also the member of Laurence Oliviers National Theatre Company.
He also works in filmsThe Three Musketeers (1973), Murder by Decree (1979), A

Christmas Carol (1984) and The Pianist (2002).
Frank was also honored with a CBE (Commander Order of the British Empire) in 1984.
Worlds best chef Benoit Violier dies aged 44

The worlds best Chef Benoit Violier was found dead at his home. He was the owner of the
Restaurant de lHotel de Ville in Crissier, near the city of Lausanne.
He was born in La Rochelle, a coastal city inwestern France
His restaurant received three Michelin stars and tops in Frances La Liste ranking of the
worlds 1,000 best eateries.
Across the 48 countries Benoits restaurant was given the best of 1000 venues.
167 | P a g e

Singer-songwriter Dan Hicks passes away
Dan Hicks Americas singer-songwriter had passed away after a two-year long battle with
throat and liver cancer.
He was Born on December 9, 1949 in a military family
He is popularly known for his traditional mix of folk, jazz and country music.
He died in Mill Valley, California.
He was known as the front man of the acoustic band Dan Hicks and Hot Licks.
Malayalam actor Kollam G K Pillai passes away

A theatre-turned-cinema-actor Kollam G K Pillai is known for his character and comedy roles in
dramas, movies and TV serials died due to age-related illness.
Pillai had been active in theatre since 1960s and enacted a handful of memorable roles in
noted dramas of that time including Neetipeedham, Kunjali
Maraykkar andEzharaponnana.
Pillai stepped into tinsel world by donning a role in 1965 movie Masappady Mathupillai. He
had acted in over 70 films including Chula, My Dear Kuttichathan, Mucheettu
Kalikkarente Makal and so on.
Pillai also appeared in some television serials also in the later years of his acting career.
Former RBI Deputy Governor S. S. Tarapore passed away

Known for his strong views on inflation and capital account convertibility, S.S. Tarapore,
aneconomist and former Central Bank Deputy Governor passed away in Mumbai at the age of
80.
About S. S. Tarapore:
BA (economics) from Sheffield University and MSc (economics) from London University, S.S.
Tarapore joined the Reserve Bank of India in 1961 as Research Officer.
Nickname Inflation Hawk
From 1992-1996, he served RBI as its deputy Governor when C. Rangarajan was the
governor.
He retired from RBI in 1996 as Deputy Governor.
After retiring, he chaired two committees on full capital account convertibility and one
on how to streamline the RBI.
He was staunch critic of the Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission

(FSLRC).
Former Lok Sabha speaker Balram Jakhar passes away

Former Lok Sabha speaker and Congress veteran Balram Jakhar due to brain stroke at the age of
92.
Balram Jakhar served as the speaker of Lok Sabha from 1980 to 1989.
168 | P a g e
From June 30, 2004 to May 30, 2009, he served as the governor of Madhya Pradesh.
He also served as the union agriculture minister during former prime minister P.V
Narasimha Rao-led Congress government.
Veteran Urdu writer Intizar Husain passes away

Famous Urdu fiction writer, novelist, columnist and poet Intizar Husain passed away in
Lahore, Pakistan.
He was born on 7 December 1923 at Dibai in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh
He was the first Pakistani and the first Urdu writer ever to be nominated for the Man Booker
International Prize for fiction in 2013.
He presents the Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters by French Government in 2014.
As a journalist he worked in various newspapers and in 1988 he was retired from Daily
Mashriq.
Noted cartoonist Sudhir Tailang passes away

Padma Shri awardee, eminent cartoonist Sudhir Tailang passed away due to brain tumour. He
was 55.
He was suffering from GBM-4 stage brain tumour and had undergone two
surgeriesand chemotherapy during the course of his treatment over two years.
About Sudhir Tailang: In 1982, he started his career with the Illustrated Weekly of India in
Mumbai after that he joined Navbharat Times in New Delhi. Late PM Indira Gandhi was the first
prey of Tailangs pen.
He had also worked with Hindustan Times, the Times of India and the Indian
Express. His last assignment was with the Asian Age.
In 2004 he was conferred with Padma Shri.
NASA Astronaut Edgar Mitchell died

Edgar Mitchell had died in West Palm Beach Florida. He is one of 12 men and sixth man to walk
on the Moon. He joined NASA in 1966.
He was born on September 17, 1930 in Hereford Texas, US.
He had spent more than nine hours collecting rocks, taking measurements and hitting a
pair of golf balls on the Moons surface.
He had created the Institute of Noetic Sciences to research paranormal phenomena

and consciousness.
He was a part of the support crew for the Apollo 9 and Apollo 10 missions.
Noted Urdu poet Nida Fazli passes away

The leading Urdu poets Nida Fazli had passed away due to heart attack in Mumbai. He was
the famous lyricists and song composer of bollywood.
169 | P a g e
He was an Indian Hindi and Urdu poet, lyricist and dialogue writer.
Former Prime Minister of Nepal Sushil Koirala passes away

Sushil Koirala the former Prime Minister of Nepal had passes away because of Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
He was the member of Nepali Congress General Assembly.
He was elected as the Prime Minister of Nepal on February 10, 2014 from Banke and
Chitwan constituencies in the second Constituent Assembly election of 2013.
He had been a member of the Central Working Committee of the party since 1979.
He was also appointed as General Secretary of party in 1996 and Vice President in
1998.
UP Panchayati Raj Minister Kailash Yadav passes away

UP Panchayati Raj minister Kailash Yadav passed away in a private hospital of Gurgaon .He was
MLA from Ghazipur.
About Kailash Yadav :
Born in 1951 in a village in East UPs Ghazipur district.
Yadav started his political career from a rural background, holding the post of a gram
pradhan, before becoming a member of the UP Legislative Assembly on three occasions.
He was a Minister of State for Revenue and Industrial Development under the Mulayam
Singh regime 2003-07 and was considered close to the supremo.
Veteran director Aurobindo Mukherjee passes away

Veteran film director Aurobindo Mukherjee passed away. He was 97.
About Aurobindo Mukherjee :
Mukherjee was the maker of cult Bengali classics like Agniswar, Mouchak
andNishipadma all starring matinee idol Uttam Kumar in the early 70s.
Mukherjee had also discovered a young Jaya Bhaduri and marry superstarAmitabh
Bachchan in Dhanyee Meye in 1971.
Pulitzer winning composer Leslie Bassett passes away

Leslie Bassett, a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer known for his lush sonorities and ecumenical
instrumentation, died in Georgia. He was 93.
About Leslie Bassett :
He studied composition with Homer Keller at the University of Michigan.
He was a member of the Gamma Pi chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia at California

State University-Fresno, 1942.
Bassett received the Pulitzer in 1966 for Variations for Orchestra, which had been
given its United States premiere by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy
the year before.
170 | P a g e

Siachen braveheart Lance Naik Hanamanthappa passed away
Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad died at the Army Research and Referral (RR) Hospital in
Delhi .Three days after he was rescued after being buried in ice and snow for six days in Siachen
Glacier.
Koppad was the lone survivor among 10 soldiers buried by an avalanche on Siachen on
February 3.
Soviet football legend Anatoli Ilyin passed away

Soviet football legend Anatoly Ilyin died at the age of 84 here on Thursday.
About Anatoli Ilyin :
Striker Ilyin was capped 31 times by the then Soviet Russia between 1952-59 and
scored 16 goals. He played for the Spartak Moscow club for the majority of his
professional career (1949-1962).
He won the Soviet Top League with his club five times (1952, 1953, 1956, 1958 and
1962)
He was the leagues top scorer twice, in 1954 (11 goals) and 1958 (20 goals).
He also participated in the 1958 World Cup.
Indian Ambassador to Tajikistan Biraja Prasad passes away

Indias Ambassador to Tajikistan Biraja Prasad passed away.
Biraja Prasad, a 1998 batch Indian Foreign Service officer of Odisha, was
the youngest IFS officer to be appointed as Indias Ambassador to any country.
He had also worked as Deputy Chief of Mission in Embassy of India at Madrid. In the ministry,
Prasad handled works related to Indias bilateral relations with Russian
Federation, France, Germany and Spain.
Padma Vibhushan awardee O N V Kurup passes away
Padma Vibhushan awardee, eminent Malayalam poet, lyricist, professor and
environmentalist O N V Kurup
passed away due to cardiac arrest. He was 84.
He was one of the leading lyricists in Malayalam film, drama and album industry and also the
much respected teacher of Malayalam literature.
About O. N. V. Kurup:
He served as a lecturer at Maharajas College Ernakulam, University College.
He joined Government Womens College Trivandrum as the Head of Malayalam

Department.
He was the part of many dramas by Kerala Peoples Arts Club (KPAC).
Kalam Marunnu (1956) was his first film.
171 | P a g e
He has penned about 900 songs in about 232 films and numerous songs for plays and
albums.
Noted music director Rajamani passes away at 60

Popular southern composer Rajamani has passed away. He was 60
About Rajamani :
Born into a family of Carnatic musicians, Rajamanis first tryst with music happened
when he accompanied his father B.A. Chidambaranath on a devotional album Gangayar
Pirakkunnu. He was just 13 years old.
His first independent venture was 1983 Tamil film Gramathu Kiligal, followed by
Kalloori Kanavugal in the same year. In 1985, Rajamani made his Malayalam debut
with Nullinovikkaathe.
He composed music for nearly 70 films and rendered background score for over 700
films. His last film as a composer was 2012 Malayalam romantic-drama Hide n Seek.
Former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali died

Boutros Boutros-Ghali, a veteran Egyptian diplomat, who helped negotiate his
countryslandmark peace deal with Israel but then clashed with the United States when he served
a single term as UN secretary-general, has died. He was 93.
About Boutros Boutros-Ghali :
Egyptian diplomat served one term as secretary general from 1992-96 and was first
African to hold position
Boutros-Ghali, the scion of a prominent Egyptian Christian political family.
He stepped into the post in 1992 at a time of dramatic world changes, with the collapse of
the Soviet Union, the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a unipolar era dominated
by the United States.
Renowned Malayalam writer passes away

Noted Malayalam novelist and short story writer Akbar Kakkattil passed away.He was 62 .
About Akbar Kakkattil :
He has 54 books to his credit which includes, four novels, 27 short stories, six
collections of essays, seven novelettes, a play, among others.
He was the Vice-President of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi and Member of Malayalam
Advisory Panel of National Book Trust and Malayalam Advisory Board of Kerala
Government.
He had worked as a member of the governing body of South Zone Cultural Centre of the
Union government and Kerala State Institute of Childrens literature.
He was also a member of Malayalam Advisory Board of Kendra Sahitya Akademi and
Convener of Publication Committee, Kerala Sahitya Akademi.
172 | P a g e
2004 his Vadakkuninnoru Kudumba Vrithantham was awarded as the best novel.
Former West Indies cricketer Andy Ganteaume died

The former West Indies cricketer Andy Ganteaume had died in Santa Margarita
He was a Trinidadian cricketer who had once played Test match for the West Indies.
The autobiography of Andy Ganteaume is My Story: The Other Side of the Coin.
He was also a regular member of Trinidads football team.
He was the oldest living Test cricketer from West Indies.
He had scored his first-class century in 1946.
Veteran singer Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan passes away

Veteran singer Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan had passed away in Kolkata due to old age problems.
He was the oldest Hindustani classical vocalist.
He was awarded with the Padma Bhushan in 2013.
He had written nearly 2,000 poems.
He was also awarded with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Kashi Swar Ganga
Award.
Government of NCT Delhi had awarded him with life time achievement award in 2013.
Polish Film Director Passes Away at 75

Andrzej Zulawski, Polish director who spent most of his professional life in France died on Feb.
17 after a long struggle with cancer. He was 75.
Points to Know
His films include Fidelity, Cosmos, Love, The third party
Cosmos bagged best director award last year
Harper Lee To Kill a Mockingbird author, dead at 89

Harper Lee American novelist whose first novel To Kill a Mockingbird passed away at 89. She
had survived by her nephew when she passed away
The Novel To Kill a Mockingbird about a racial injustice sold more than 40 million
copiesand became one of the most beloved and most taught works of fiction ever written
by the American
Later in 1960 she had won Pulitzer Prize for the Fiction .the Film version of the novel
released in 1962 which gained massive popularity.
Famous Singer Bhubaneshwari Mishra Passes Away

The famous Odissa singer Bhubaneshwari Mishra passed away at the age of 67 following a
sudden cardiac arrest in NewDelhi.Odissa CM Naveen Patnaik expressed his deep condolence and
called her a very talented artist.
173 | P a g e

Italian Novelist Umberto Eco Passed Away At 84
Umberto Eco, the philosopher cum novelist who is renowned for his work The Name Of The Rose
demised at the age of 84.he was struggling with cancer and died on Feb 19 night.
The Italian novelists famous novel The Name Of The Rose (1980) was made into a film
in 1986
His novel Numero Zero was released last year
He has been known as a Master of Italian culture
Indias oldest First class Cricketer passed away

B K Garudachar the oldest living cricketer of India died at the age of 99. He
represented Mysore, United province and Bombay first class cricket matches.
A Right hand batsman and leg break spin bowler scored 1126 runs in first class matches
between 1935 and 1946
He had an average of 63 from 27 matches in first class cricket
As a bowler he finished his career with 100 wickets which includes three 10 wickets haul
and seven 5/4
His maiden century came against Holkar team in Ranji trophy Semi final in 1946
He has scored seven fifties
He scored 164 in Ranji trophy semi final which gained him special importance
Former minister of Maharashtra-Nihal Ahmed Maulavi Mohammed Usman Died

Socialist leader Nihal Ahmed Maulavi Mohammed Usman died at the age of 90 in Nashik.
Popularly known as Nihalbhai, he has been selected to the legislative assembly for 3
decades contesting for ten times and winning all the ten elections between 1960-1955
He was the former Technical and Education minister of Maharashtra
He was the first Mayor of Malegaon Municipal Corporation
He was the founder of Janata Dal party
He contested in 1999 for Loksabha election but he was defeated
Malayalam director Rajesh Pillai passed away

The famous Malayalam director Rajesh Pillai died at the age of 41 in hospital following treatment
for Liver Cirrhosis
He has been affected by pneumonia when he was in post production of the film Vettah
The movie starring Manju warrier and Kunjacko babben hit theatres two days ago
He is also known for his trend setting movies like Traffic and Mili
Famous Tamil Comedy Actor Kumarimuthu Passed Away

Legendary Actor comedian Kumarimuthu died at private hospital in Chennai.He was 77.He is
174 | P a g e

known for his comic laugh.
He was passed away due to some age related ailments, His debut film was Nandu in 1981, he
acted in nearly 50 films spanning over three decades.

He was also part of the Political Party Drivida MunnetraKazhagam.
BOOKS & AUTHORS

Former Prez APJ Abdul Kalams book Transendence launched
Former President APJ Abdul Kalams book Transendence was launched in Johannesburg, South
Africa with religious leaders, politicians, diplomats and businessmen from all communities sharing
the lessons from the book based on his spiritual experiences with Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
The book, in which Kalam details his experiences with Pramukh Swami Maharaj,
leader of the global Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS),
was lauded by speakers who said they had benefited from the advice and wisdom of both the
leaders.
Book titled A Kingdom for his Love launched by Amar Chitra Katha
Amar Chitra Katha has launched its first romance title A Kingdom For His Love the fiction coauthored by Vani Mahesh and Shinie Antony is a retelling of a Sanskrit play
Swapnavasavadattam, by one of the earliest and most celebrated playwrights Bhasa.
About the book:
The story explores the timeless romance of King Udayana and princess Vasavadatta
from rival kingdoms set in an ancient era.
I&B Minister releases India 2016 & Bharat 2016

Information & Broadcast Minister (I&B) had released the India 2016 and Bharat 2016
Reference Annual books.The Bharat 2016 and India 2016 Reference Annual books give a
complete publication of countrys progress in different fields.
The books include sections on general knowledge, current affairs, sports and
important events which help the students for competitive exams.
My Biography Is Honest And Transparent

Anything but Kamosh: The biography of Shatrughan Sinha was released on 20th February
.On this release day the actor cum politician Shatrughan Sinha told that his biography was more
honest and transparent as it has the criticisms left unedited
It is a 7 year research work consisting of 37 interviews, 200 taped conversations from
family members
175 | P a g e
IMPORTANT DAYS
Feb 2 2016
Remember Day: World Wetland Day
Purpose : To marks the date of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar
Convention, on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
Theme: Wetlands for our Future Sustainable Livelihoods
Feb 4 2016
Remember Day: World Cancer Day
Purpose : To raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection and treatment.
Organization: WHO
Theme: We can I can
Feb 6 2016
Remember Day: International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation.
Purpose: To raise awareness about the female genital mutilation (FGM) and to promote its
eradication
Organization: UNICEF
Theme: Achieving the new Global Goals through the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation by
2030
Feb 7 2016
Remember Day: 68th Nowshera Day
Purpose : To honour the sacrifice of jawans who sacrifice their lives while fighting against Pakistani
enemy at the border line town of Nowshera in 1947.
Organization: Indian Army
Feb 11 2016
Remember Day: International Day Women and Girls in Science
Purpose : To highlight female achievement, equal access and participation in the science field.
Transforming the World: Parity in Science
Organization: UN
Theme: Transforming the World: Parity in Science
Feb 13 2016
Remember Day: World Radio Day
Purpose : To remember the contribution of radio in our life.
Organization: UNESCO
176 | P a g e

Theme: Radio in Times of Emergency and Disaster
Feb 20 2016
Remember Day: World Day of Social Justice
Purpose : To promote efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion and unemployment
Organization: UN
Theme: A Just transition environmentally sustainable economies and societies.
Feb 21 2016
Remember Day: International Mother Language day
Purpose : To promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism
Organization: UN, UNESCO
Theme: Quality education, language(s) of instruction and learning outcomes
Feb 22 2016
Remember Day: World thinking day
Purpose : A day when they think about their "sisters" (and "brothers") in all the countries of the world, the
meaning of Guiding, and its global impact.
Organization: WAGGGS(World Association For Girl Guides and Girl Scouts).
Theme: Connect Activity Pack
Feb 24 2016
Remember Day: Central Excise Day
Purpose : To encourage the employees of excise department to carry out the central excise duty all over the
India in better way in order to prevent the corruption
Organization: GOI
Feb 28 2016
Remember Day: National Science day
Purpose : To commemorate the discovery of Raman Effect by Sir C.V.Raman in 1928
Organization: GOI
Theme: Scientific issues for Development of the Nation
177 | P a g e
AffairsCloud Important Page Links

Current Affairs Sections
Current Affairs
Current Affairs 2016
Current Affairs Today
Current Affairs PDF
Current Affairs Quiz
Current Affairs Mock Test
Study Materials PDF
Subject-Wise Question Sections
Reasoning Questions
Quantitative Aptitude Questions
English Questions
Computer Questions
Banking Awareness Questions
Study Guide Sections
General Aptitude
Reasoning
Letter Writing
Math Tricks
Computer Awareness
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR EXAMS!!!

Suggestions are welcomed; Contact us any time at
Affairscloud@gmail.com & AffairsCloud1@gmail.com
178 | P a g e

Current Affairs February Study PDF Capsule 2016 by AffairsCloud

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Current Affairs February Study PDF Capsule 2016 by AffairsCloud

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Current Affairs February 2016

Current Affairs PDF: February 2016

Current Affairs for Competitive Exam

AffairsCloud Exam PDF

Current Affairs PDF: February 2016

The park would be established in 60 acres of land.

Current Affairs PDF: February 2016

About the project :

Indias fastest-growing state: Meghalaya

The report was released by IndiaSpend.

Govt. sets up Tax Policy Council headed by Finance Minister

The Council is an advisory body

The Tax Policy Research Unit consists of economists, statisticians, operational

Current Affairs PDF: February 2016

NPS subscribers elevated to 1.15 crore

Manchester of India gave India its first underwater restaurant

It has a 1,200 square ft dining hall for 32 seaters.

Union Government issues guidelines in wake of Zika Virus outbreak

Pregnant women should cancel their travel to the affected areas.

Travellers to the affected countries/areas should strictly follow individual protective

Mumbai has illustrious potential for Modern Retail

Current Affairs PDF: February 2016

Counter terrorism conference 2016

Capacity building to prevent attacks through intelligence collection and collation

Development of technological capabilities

Raising of Special Forces and enactment of special laws

Modi attended Global Ayurveda Fest in Kozhikode

India ratifies CSC for Nuclear Damage

Current Affairs PDF: February 2016

India Investment Summit 2016

Maharashtra rolls out Deradicalisation Programme in wake of IS threat

Govt approves Rs 17,000-crore highways projects for 9 states

Current Affairs PDF: February 2016

These projects will attract investors in the highway building sector.

Union Government to set up National Organic Farming Research Institute in Sikkim

Prime Minister dedicated Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited to Nation

This is the first ever petro-chemical project in the entire North-East.

9th Joint Commission meeting

Both Nations signed MoUs on education and health sectors

Rise of Digital India

9th Joint Commission meeting

Both Nations signed MoUs on education and health sectors

Renovating 27 schools in the Tamil-dominated Northern Province.

Current Affairs PDF: February 2016

Right of Minority Tamils

The exhibition showcased the upgradation of computing sector and digital

India offers succored to Sri Lanka in IT sector

An inter-Ministerial HRIDAY National Empowered Committee approved development of

About Amaravati Heritage Park

Project Sunrise launched for prevention of AIDS in NE states

Current Affairs PDF: February 2016

Maiden Kerala Literature Festival held at Kozhikode

PM dedicates NISER to the nation

India has over 15 lakh registered companies

Akhilesh Yadav launches new UP Revenue Code

Current Affairs PDF: February 2016

The institute saves Rs 10,000 every month on the electricity bill.

The institute has been self-sufficient in energy since September 2014.

Personalised take away bedrolls service in Indian Railways

at East Tambaram Railway Colony Ground in Tambaram, Chennai.

Type 1 Bedroll kit packed in a non-woven fabric bag consisting of 2 cotton

Type 2 Blanket kit packed in a non-woven bag consisting of 1 blanket at a cost of

India plans to eliminate malaria in 11 years, ahead of global target

Malaria elimination is defined as a situation where a given area district or state