THE JANUARY HINDU REVIEW 2016

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Union Government re-appointed Dr Urjit R Patel, as

Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), for
a second three-year term. Patel is the fourth deputy
governor and the other three are HR Khan, R Gandhi
and SS Mundra.
Devender Kumar Sikri was appointed as Chairman of
fair-trade regulator Competition Commission of
India (CCI). He succeeds Ashok Chawla.
Amitabh Kant was appointed as the Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog.
Dr Achyuta Samanta was elected as the General
President of the 105th Indian Science Congress
Association.
Filippo Grandi took over as the new High
Commissioner for the United Nations Refugee
Agency.
Former Defence Secretary Radha Krishna Mathur
was sworn in as the eight Chief Information
Commissioner.
Senior revenue service officer Atulesh Jindal was
appointed chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes.
Noted environmentalist Ravi Chellam took charge as
the Executive Director of Greenpeace India.
Additional Secretary of Home Affairs, Sailesh was
appointed as the Registrar General and Census
Commissioner of India.
Moldovan parliament appointed Pavel Filip as the
Prime Minister.
Economist Paul Kaba Thieba was named as the
Prime Minister of Burkina Faso.
Arunima Sinha, the amputee mountaineer who set a
record by climbing the Mount Everest conquered
Mount Aconcagua in Argentina.
Indias Dinesh Sharma was elected to the 12-member
board of directors of the China-sponsored Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). It is the first
Board of Directors of AIIB in which 57 nations are
founding members including India.
Opposition candidate of Democratic Progressive
Party Tsai Ing-wen won a landslide victory in
Taiwan's presidential election, making her the
island's first female president.
Giorgi Kvirikashvili was elected as the Prime
Minister of Georgia.
Atul Sobti took charge as Chairman and Managing
Director (CMD) of state-owned power equipment
maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited.
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17. Gautam H Bambawale was appointed as the High

Commissioner of India to the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan.
18. Senior IAS officer Pawan Kumar Agarwal was
appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of food
regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of
India (FSSAI).
19. BJP suspended its Darbhanga MP Kirti Azad, who has
been making public statements that there was
corruption in the Delhi and District Cricket
Association (DDCA) when Union Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley was heading it.
20. Actor Sanjay Dutt, serving the remainder of his fiveyear term in Yerwada jail in Pune, is set to walk free
on February 27, nearly 103 days before the end of
his term, on account of good conduct.
21. Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to New
Delhi after conclusion of his official visit to Russia,
Afghanistan and Pakistan.
22. The Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram
Rajan was felicitated with the Central Banker of the
Year Award (Global and Asia Pacific) for 2016.
23. Former Indian Wicket-Keeper Syed Kirmani was
awarded with the 2015 Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime
Achievement Award. On the other hand, Test
captain Virat Kohli bagged the Polly Umrigar Trophy
for Cricketer of the Year in the BCCI awards.

24. British writer Kate Atkinson won the novel-of-theyear prize at Britain's Costa Book Awards 2015 for
the second time in three years.
25. Eminent Gujarati litterateur Raghuveer Chaudhary
was selected for the 51st Jnanpith award for his
contribution to the Indian literature.
26. Person of Indian Origin Rahul Thakkar was named as
one of winners of the Scientific and Technical
Awards given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences, famously called Oscar Awards.

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27. Bollywood actress and former Miss World, Priyanka

Chopra, has won the Favourite Actress in a New TV
series award at the Peoples Choice Awards 2016 in
Los Angeles, for her leading role in American TV
thriller series Quantico.
28. Indian
author
Anuradha
Roy
won
the
prestigious DSC Prize for South Asian Literature for
her novel Sleeping on Jupiter at the Galle Literary
Festival in Sri Lanka.
29. David Beckham was presented with the Danny Kaye
Humanitarian Leadership Award at the sixth biennial
UNICEF Ball in Los Angeles.
30. Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, Rajasthan won the
award of the world's best hotel at the Travellers'
Choice award organised by TripAdvisor.
31. The Nati folk dance of Kullu district of Himachal
Pradesh was listed in the Guinness Book of World
Records as the largest folk dance in the world.
32. Employees Provident Fund Organization won
the National Award on e-Governance 2015-16 for
launching the Universal Account Number (UAN).
33. Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaiks Santa Claus sculpture
found a place in Limca Book of World Records.
Pattnaik claimed that he had created a 45 feet high
sand Santa Claus at Puri beach.
34. The Union Government decided to institute a new
award category under the National Film Awards
titled The Most Film Friendly State/UT.
35. Sikkim was declared as the first organic farming
state of India.
36. Kerala became the first state in the country to
achieve 100 percent primary education.
37. The 20th National Youth Festival was inaugurated by
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin
Gadkari at Rajyostav Sthal in Naya Raipur,
Chhattisgarh to mark the National Youth Day.
38. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti
Mohammad Sayeed passed away at the AIIMS
hospital in New Delhi.
39. Ex-Chief Justice of India Sarosh Homi Kapadia passed
away.
40. Legendary dancer and Padma Bhushan recipient
Mrinalini Sarabhai passed away.
41. Former Maharashtra health minister and Senior
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dr Daulatrao
Aher died.
42. Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and
former Sikkim Governor Ventrapragada Rama Rao
passed away.
43. Mohammed Abdul Rahim Qureshi, Assistant General
Secretary and Spokesman of All India Muslim
Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), died.
44. Bollywood actor Rajesh Vivek Upadhyay died due to
a heart attack in Hyderabad.
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45. Lieutenant General Jacob-Farj-Rafael Jacob (retired),

hero of 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War and former
Governor of Goa and Punjab, died on 13 January
2016 after prolonged illness in New Delhi. He was
92.
46. Noted Hindi writer and journalist Ravindra Kalia
passed away.
47. Maria Teresa de Filippis, the first woman to compete
in a world championship Formula One grand prix,
passed away.
48. Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, winner of an
Oscar for Steven Spielbergs Close Encounters of the
Third Kind, passed away on 1 January 2016 in
California, United States.
49. Veteran Communist Party of India (CPI) leader
Ardhendu Bhushan Bardhan passed away.
50. Grammy-winning singer Natalie Cole passed away.
51. Ian Murdock, best known for founding one of the
world's best known Linux distributions, passed
away.
52. Veteran British character actor Alan Rickman, known
for his memorable portrayal of screen villains, has
died.
53. General Om Prakash Malhotra, former Punjab
Governor and ex-Chief of Army, passed away.
54. Veteran Indian actress Sadhana Shivdasani died on
25 December 2015 in Mumbai, Maharashtra after a
brief illness.
55. INSEAD, one of the world's leading and largest
graduate business schools, on 19 January 2016
launched the Global Talent Competitiveness Index
(GTCI) 2015-16. It was released in Davos,
Switzerland on the sidelines of the 46th annual
summit of the World Economic Forum (WEF). The
report measured the ability of 109 countries, across
the globe, to compete for talent and was prepared
with the theme Talent Attraction and International
Mobility. Among the 109 countries surveyed, the
countries that ranked high in global talent
competitiveness were- Switzerland (1), Singapore
(2), Luxembourg (3), the USA (4) and Denmark (5)
Compared to its 78th rank in the 2014-15 report,
India slipped 11 places to rank 89th in the GTCI
2015-16.
56. Oxfam released a report titled An Economy for the
1%. The report analysed growing trends of
concentration of wealth across the world and
suggested remedies to correct the anomaly.
57. The World Tourism Organization released the World
Tourism Barometer, which reviewed trends in
tourism at the regional and global level for 2015 and
enumerated prospects for 2016.
58. The World Bank released a report titled World
Development Report 2016. In relation to India, the

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authors of the report that included Kaushik Basu,

Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of World
Bank appreciated the Aadhaar scheme as it saved 1
billion US dollars by bringing down corruption.
The 21-member committee was constituted by the
SEBI in March 2015 under the chairmanship of N R
Narayan Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, to suggest
measures for development of the alternative
investment funds (AIFs) and startup eco-system in
the country.
Union Ministry of Finance released the draft report
of Justice R V Easwar (Retd) Committee to simplify
the provisions of Income-tax Act, 1961.
The Union Ministry of Finance released the report of
the Committee on Revisiting and Revitalising Public
Private Partnership (PPP) Model.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting
Countries released the 2015 OPEC World Oil Outlook
(WOO).

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63. Union Government formed a five-member high level

committee to monitor the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High
Speed Corridor (bullet train project). The committee
will be headed by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind
Panagariya.
64. Department of Posts formed a one-man committee to
study issues related to Gramin Dak Sevaks including
wage structure and service conditions. The panel will
be headed by Kamlesh Chandra.
65. Union Government constituted Shyam Benegal
Committee for holistic interpretation of the
provisions of the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
66. Conference of Quadrilateral Coordination Group
(QCG) on Afghan Peace and Reconciliation process
was held in Islamabad on 11 January 2016.
67. The Indian Space Research Organization and Kuwait
Institute of Scientific Research signed a
Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in
the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful
purposes.
68. The Union Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval for
signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
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between Airports Authority of India and Singapore

Cooperation Enterprise in Civil Aviation.
The Civil Aviation Ministry gave clearance for four
greenfield airports. The three airports will be located
in Andhra Pradesh and one international airport at
Dholera, Gujarat.
The Union Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval for
the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between
India and United Kingdom on cooperation in
governance reforms.
Operation Green Hunt, an all-out offensive by Indias
paramilitary forces and the state's forces against the
Naxalites came in news on 8 January 2016.
The term River Information System (RIS) was in
news in the first week of January 2016 as the Union
Ministry of Shipping is set to launch the system for
Inland Waterways in the country.
Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel inaugurated
the 28th edition of International Kite Festival at
Sabarmati River front in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi approved the New Crop Insurance
Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana to boost
the agricultural sector. Farmers will pay a uniform
premium of only 2 percent for all Kharif crops and
1.5% for all Rabi crops. In case of annual commercial
and horticultural crops, farmers will pay a premium
of only 5 percent.
The Union Government and World Bank signed the
Financing Agreement for World Bank (IDA)
assistance of 250 million US dollars for Bihar Kosi
Basin Development Project.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its
approval for setting up over 5000 MW of GridConnected Solar PV Power Projects on build, own
and operate basis. The work will be implemented by
Solar Power Developers (SPDs) with Viability Gap
Funding (VGF) under Batch-lV of Phase-ll of
the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission
(JNNSM).
The Union Cabinet approved amendments in Power
Tariff Policy to ensure 24X7 affordable power for all.
The amendments aim at promoting clean energy,
better regulation of discoms and faster rollout of
investments.
The Union Government decided to rollout a LPG-like
direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme for kerosene.
The scheme will be started from 1 April 2016.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Start-up
India initiative to augment startup ecosystem in the
country. Prime Minister also unveiled Start-up India,
Stand-up India Action Plan. A separate fund will be
created with 10000 crore rupees corpus for
development and growth of innovation driven
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enterprises. It will be 2500 crore rupees a year for

four years. Profits of Start-up units will be made taxfree for 3 years and there will be a moratorium on
labour inspections for the first 3 years of operations.
Capital gains tax to be exempted for venture capital
investments. New scheme will be launched to
provide Intellectual Property Rights protection to
start-ups and new firms. A new mobile app to enable
start-ups to register themselves within a day and a
portal to apply for clearances online will be
operation from 1 April 2016.
The Coast Guards of India and Japan conducted their
15th joint exercise off the coast of Chennai.
DRDO successfully test-fired Nag anti-tank missile at
the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan. The test
was conducted during a night trial to validate the
enhanced 4-km range capability of Imaging-Infrared
seeker, which guides the missile to the target after its
launch.
DRDO successfully test fired the new PenetrationCum Blast (PCB) and Thermobaric (TB) Ammunition
tank at Chandipur, Odisha. This was specially
designed for Arjun Main Battle Tank (MBT).
India and France started their eight-day counterterrorism and counter-insurgency joint exercise
Shakti-2016 in Rajasthan.
Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM), the
missile co-developed by India and Israel, was
successfully test-fired on 30 December 2015 on the
Western Sea Board.
Indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range (BVR)
air-to-air missile, Astra, was successfully test fired.
The test was conducted by the Indian Air Force off
the coast of Odisha near the Integrated Test Range
(ITR), Balasore.
Amament Research and Development Establishment
successfully test-fired Pinaka II multi barrel rocket
launcher System.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a book
titled The Z Factor: My Journey as the Wrong Man at
the Right Time in New Delhi. The book is the
autobiography of the promoter of Essel/ Zee Group
Subhash Chandra.
The book titled Jawaharlal Nehru and The Indian
Polity in Perspective was released by the Vice
President
of
India
Hamid
Ansari
at
Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a book titled
MARU BHARAT SARU BHARAT (My India Noble
India)
written
by
Jain
Acharya
Ratnasundersuriswarji Maharaj.
The book Go Set a Watchman written by Harper Lee
was in news as it topped the 2015 US bestseller list.

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91. President Pranab Mukherjee promulgated the

Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation)
Ordinance, 2016 to make amendments to the Enemy
Property Act, 1968.
92. Several heavily armed terrorists belonging to Jaish-eMohammed, an Islamist militant group, on 2 January
2016 attacked Pathankot Air Force Station, part of
the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force
(IAF).
93. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has decided to
deploy about 300 women commandos for
undertaking anti-Naxal operations in select Leftwing Extremism-affected states.
94. The world's largest blue star sapphire that weighs
1404.49 carats was discovered in a mine in Sri
Lanka.
95. The French soldiers will march down the Rajpath on
Republic Day along with Indian troops in the
presence of President Francois Hollande. Hollande is
the Chief
Guest
for
26
January
2016 celebrations. This is the first time that a foreign
army will participate in the 26th January Parade,
since 1950.
96. The Union Government merged the Ministry of
Overseas Indian Affairs with the Ministry of External
Affairs.
97. The Union Government allowed the conduct of the
traditional bull-taming sports, Jallikattu, in Tamil
Nadu.
98. Union Government launched the Phase-I of the River
Information System of India in New Delhi. The
Phase-I of the RIS was launched on the SagarFarakka stretch of National Waterway-1 on River
Ganges to facilitate safe and accurate navigation.
99. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh approved the 33
percent posts at constable level to be filled up by
women.
100. The Union Government granted Infrastructure Status
to the Shipyard Industry in a bid to ease its financial
stress.
101. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
approved development of the six laning of
Aurangabad- Bihar/Jharkhand Border- BarwaAdda
section on National Highway-2 in Bihar and
Jharkhand.
102. The National Institution for Transforming India
(NITI) Aayog announced that it collaborated with the
IDFC Bank Ltd to conduct an enterprise survey of
manufacturing firms.
103. French President Francois Hollande declared a state
of economic and social emergency to redefine
countrys economic and social model.
104. The World Health Organisation declared West Africa
free from Ebola outbreak.

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105. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services notified

revised petition fees for H-1B and L-1 visas. As per
the revision, the petitioners must submit an
additional fee of 4000 US dollars for certain H-1B
visas and 4500 US dollars for certain L-1A and L-1B
visas.
106. The Somnath Temple Trust is all set to become
Gujarats first temple to deposit its idle gold in the
Gold Monetisation Scheme as its trustees including
Prime Minister Narendra Modi have given their nod
to invest the yellow metal reserves in the scheme.
The trust has around 35 kg of gold and will deposit
the gold which is not in day-to-day use of the temple.
107. The union government is working on issuing a
unique identification number Unorganised Workers
Identification Number (U-WIN card) for the
workforce engaged in unorganised sector to facilitate
them to access social schemes and benefits.
108. Government decided to implement stricter emission
norms of Bharat Stage (BS) VI from April 1, 2020 by
skipping BS-V altogether. At present, BS IV norms are
followed in parts of India and by April 1, 2017.
109. Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared Sikkim as
the first organic state in the country.
110. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India extended
the last date for submission of comments on its
paper on differential data pricing to January 7 from
December 30.
111. The regulation that mobile phone users be paid a
compensation of Rs. 1 for every call dropped, up to a
maximum of three calls a day, will come into effect
from January 1, TRAI Chairman R.S. Sharma said.
112. Urging lawmakers to legalise betting in cricket for all
except cricket players, officials and administrators,
the Supreme Court-appointed Justice R.M. Lodha
Committee report said that government servants and
ministers should be banned from holding posts in
the BCCI.
113. A friendship bus service between India and Nepal via
Champawat in Uttarakhand resumed after a gap of
27 years.
114. Dharavi in Mumbai is to get the worlds first slum
museum, organisers said.
115. Twenty cities will be selected on January 26, 2016
and become the first lot of cities on their way
towards being Smart. The remaining 77 applicantcities will go back to the drawing board to enhance
their potential and plan better to qualify in the next
phase of selection.
116. The Government of Haryana in association with the
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is all set to
unfold The Happening Haryana Global Investors
Summit 2016 slated to be held at Gurgaon on March
7 and 8, 2016.
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117. Indias grid-connected solar power generation

capacity has crossed the 5,000 MW mark, with
Rajasthan on top with 1,264.35 MW capacity
followed by Gujarat.
118. Government is targetting to reach the 50-crore
internet subscribers mark in the next 6-7 months,
besides installing 2,500 wi-fi hotspots at 256 places
by the next fiscal, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar
Prasad said.
119. To reduce the number of vexatious and malicious
complaints the government has decided to
encourage the complainants to mention their
Aadhaar card numbers while filing grievances on
governance-related matters through an online
platform.
120. Passengers travelling in trains will now have the
option of enjoying food prepared by some womens
self help groups as Indian Railway Catering and
Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is planning to tie up
with them to enhance its e-catering portfolio.
121. A committee headed by former finance secretary
Vijay Kelkar that reviewed the public-private
partnership (PPP) model for infrastructure projects
has recommended several measures for easy
financing of these.

122. Uttar Pradesh is implementing the food security law

from 1st January 2016.
123. The Centre tabled the Insolvency and Bankruptcy
Bill, 2015 in the Lok Sabha.
124. The Rajya Sabha cleared the Juvenile Justice
(Amendment) Bill, 2015, lowering the age of a legally
defined juvenile from 18 to 16 in the case of heinous
crimes.
125. Beginning 2017, thermal power plants across India
will have to cut particulate matter emissions by as
much as 40 per cent and reduce their water
consumption by nearly a third, according to rules
notified by the Union Ministry of Environment and
Forests and Climate Change.

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126. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that

from January 1, all police stations in Maharashtra
will start registering First Information Reports
(FIRs) online and the complainant will get a copy of
the complaint on WhatsApp, along with a SMS
confirming the filing.
127. A plot of land for India to build its first naval base in
the Indian Ocean region has been allocated by the
Seychelles government in the Assumption Island.
128. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India sent a
reminder to Reliance Communications (RCom) to
submit details about its proposed Facebook Free
Basics service, as the operator had failed to meet an
earlier commitment to share details with the
regulator by December 9.
129. India needs a new Parliament building as the current
one is in great distress, according to Lok Sabha
Speaker Sumitra Mahajan in a proposal to the
Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD).
130. The Centre announced Rs. 5083 crore as financial
assistance to the drought hit States of Maharashtra
and Madhya Pradesh.
131. The Supreme Court decided to hear in open court the
separate petitions filed by the CBI and the family
members of the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy victims to
review its judgment allowing real estate magnates
Gopal and Sushil Ansal to get off by paying a fine of
Rs. 60 crore for negligence leading to the death of 59
people in the incident.
132. Wipros billionaire Chairman Azim Hashim Premji
(70) has been ranked the most generous Indian for
the third consecutive year by Hurun India
Philanthropy List 2015, which was released.
133. The Supreme Court asked the Centre and public
sector banking authorities to consider providing
reservation to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes employees in promotion to officers ranks at
all levels.
134. Lalu Prasad is set to be re-elected president of the
Rashtriya Janata Dal for the ninth consecutive time,
with no other leaders filing nominations for the post.
135. The government has issued challans to 14
construction sites of the Delhi Metro Rail
Corporation (DMRC) and 42 major construction
projects of various authorities, including private
builders, for violating dust control measures.
136. After a gap of years, dogs of the Indian Army trained
for bomb disposal and counter-insurgency, will
march on the Rajpath as part of the Republic Day
parade on January 26.
137. Investigating agencies are in the process of
producing messages posted by individuals on
Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms
as evidence in court against those arrested for
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supporting or joining the Islamic State (IS) or any

other terrorist outfit.
138. Delhi High Court held that private unaided schools
functioning from the land allotted to them by the
Delhi Development Authority (DDA) cannot increase
their fees without prior sanction of the government.
139. The Department of Posts (DoP) plans to open 1,000
ATMs and bring all 25,000 departmental post offices
under core banking system by March this year.
140. The Reserve Bank has fixed the public issue price at
Rs 2,600 per gram for the sovereign gold bonds.
Applications for the bonds will be accepted for five
days beginning January 18 to 22. Aimed at providing
an alternative to buying physical gold, the gold bond
scheme will offer investors an interest rate of 2.75
per cent and a choice to buy bonds worth 2 grams of
gold, up to a maximum of 500 grams.
141. Countrys retail payment platform NPCI and CSC
eGov have jointly launched Aadhaar enabled
payment system that will facilitate government
entitlements such as NREGA as well as old age
pension.
142. Cabinet approved Rs 8,000- crore funds that will
stand guarantee for loans to new ventures and also
announced Stand up India scheme for credit
facilities to SC, ST and women entrepreneurs at
lower rates. While the Rs 3,000 crore MUDRA Credit
Guarantee Fund (CGF) will act as hedge against
default of Rs 50,000 to Rs 10 lakh loan extended to
small entrepreneurs, the Rs 5,000 crore Stand Up
India CGF will stand guarantee for Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1
crore loans to be provided to least 2.5 lakh SC/ST
and women.
143. State Bank of India will raise up to Rs.12,000 crore
by issuing bonds that are Basel-III complaint.
144. Entities that received in-principle approval for
setting up payments banks and small finance banks
can join any payment system only after getting the
final licence, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said.
145. Government has said that the Reserve Bank of India
would continue to regulate MFIs registered as nonbanking finance companies with the central bank.
MFIs will not be regulated by the Micro Units
Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA) Bank,
as proposed by the finance ministry earlier.
146. India Post, which was among the eleven applicants to
have received approval from RBI for payment banks
in August, will start its service by March 2017.
147. ICICI Bank will partner FINO PayTech to foray into
the payments bank space. RBI regulations also
mandate 51 per cent of the equity of the payments
bank should be with domestic entities, In FINO
PayTech, about 70 per cent stake is with foreign
entities.

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148. State Bank of India unveiled a dedicated advisory

services branch for startups and wealth management
service for high net worth individuals.
149. The Reserve Bank of India released the Report of the
Committee headed by RBI Executive Director Deepak
Mohanty on Medium-term Path on Financial
Inclusion.
150. The Reserve Bank of India extended the deadline for
exchanging pre-2005 currency notes of various
denominations by another six months to 30 June
2016.
151. Andhra Bank on 6 January 2016 launched Immediate
Payment Service (IMPS) across all its branches in
association with the National Payments Corporation
of India.
152. RBI imposed monetary penalty of one crore rupees
on State Bank of Travancore for violation of its
instructions.
153. Indias current account deficit may narrow to 0.5 per
cent of GDP in 2016 from 0.7 per cent in 2015 owing
to lower commodity prices, particularly oil.
154. Exports contracted for 13th month in a row in
December 2015 as outward shipments shrank 14.75
per cent to $22.2 billion amid a global demand
slowdown.
155. Wholesale price inflation hit -0.73% in December
retreating from -1.99% recorded in the previous
month but still remaining in the negative zone for 14
months in a row mainly on a spurt in food prices
and an unfavourable base, showed the official data
released.
156. After scaling a five-year-high growth of 9.9% in
October, industrial output contracted 3.2% in
November, its first drop since October 2014.
157. The government said it has mopped up Rs 2,428
crore from 644 taxpayers who have opted for the
one-time black money compliance window under the
Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and
Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015.
158. Nearly 1,200 companies listed on the BSE together
spent one billion dollars or Rs.6,400 crore towards
corporate social responsibility activities in 2014-15,
with majority of funds utilised for education, skills,
health and sanitation sector.
159. India will be the worlds fastest growing large
economy at 7.3 per cent in 2016.
160. Central Board of Direct Taxes decided that quoting of
PAN will be required for transactions of an amount
exceeding Rs. 2 lakh regardless of the mode of
payment from January 1, 2016.
161. Securities and Exchange Board of India has put in
place a new form for ASBA (Application Supported
by Blocked Amount) facility. ASBA facility has

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become mandatory for all categories of investors

applying for a public issue for making payment.
162. The countrys foreign exchange reserves, which were
$350.4 billion as on September 2015, were able to
support imports for 9.8 months, up from 8.9 months
as on end March, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
said in its Half Yearly Report on Management of
Foreign Exchange Reserves.
163. The NDA Government will present Budget 2016-17
in Parliament on February 29.
164. India and Russia decided to expand cooperation in
various sectors as they signed 16 pacts, including on
joint manufacture of 226 military helicopters and
construction of 12 atomic plants with involvement of
local companies in India.
165. China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
(AIIB) in which India and 56 countries have joined as
founding members was formally opened by
President Xi Jinping. The bank was formally
established in Beijing on December 25, 2015.
166. The IMF kept unchanged its growth forecasts for
India at 7.5% for the next two years.
167. Foreign tourist arrivals last year grew by 4.4 per cent
at 80.16 lakh against 76.79 lakh in 2014.
168. China officially ended its controversial one child
policy. Chinese lawmakers passed a historic decision
allowing all couples to have two children from
January 1.
169. North Korea declared that it had detonated its first
hydrogen bomb.
170. The Union Cabinet approved the signing of a
Memorandum of Understanding with Singapore for
operating and maintaining the terminal building of
airports at Jaipur and Ahmedabad.
171. The World Health Organisation declared an end to
the deadliest Ebola outbreak ever after no new cases
emerged in Liberia.
172. The World Bank and the Indian Railways will work
together to create a Railway Development Fund that
will partly finance the $142 billion investment plans
for the core infrastructure sector announced by the
government headed by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.
173. The U.S. removed a wide range of sanctions against
Iran after the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) confirmed that Tehran had met its
commitments to roll back its nuclear programme,
under an agreement with China, France, Russia, the
U.K., the U.S. and Germany on July 14 last year.
174. Afghanistan will hold its delayed parliamentary
elections on October 15.
175. Chinas economy grew by 6.9 per cent last year, in
line with the official projection of around 7 per
cent.

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176. Sri Lanka began the process to formulate new

constitution.
177. The 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD) was held on
9 January 2016 in New Delhi.
178. Nepal was elected to the UNICEF executive board,
representing the group of Asia-Pacific countries for
the term 2016-2018.
179. The Union Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval for
signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
among BRICS countries on BRICS Network
University.
180. Saudi Arabias Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir
announced that his country has broken off
diplomatic ties with Iran. The announcement was
made amid a row over the Saudi execution of a
prominent Shia Muslim cleric.
181. The Union Cabinet approved Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between India and Jordan for
promoting cooperation in the field of information
technology and electronics.

182. Russia's Rostech State Corporation tied up with

Hindustan
Aeronautics
Limited
(HAL)
to
manufacture at least 200 Kamov 226T light
helicopters.
183.
184. WHO declared the end of Ebola virus transmission in
the Republic of Guinea.
185. The 18th Session of the India-Iran Joint Commission
Meeting was held in New Delhi.
186. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated
Afghanistans newly-built Parliament House in
Kabul.
187. Zimbabwe's Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa
announced that the country has planned to adopt the
Chinese Yuan as legal tender.
188. The Philippines became the first Asian country to
approve the sale of the world's first-ever dengue
vaccine, Dengvaxia.
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189. Actors Amitabh Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra will

replace Aamir Khan as new ambassadors of the
Incredible India campaign to market the country to
tourists abroad.
190. The RBI today said it has received complaints about
notes of Rs 1,000 denomination without the security
thread being in circulation and has asked banks not
to issue them in case these are found.
191. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20 January
2016 released a book titled The Z Factor: My Journey
as the Wrong Man at the Right Time in New Delhi.
The book is the autobiography of the promoter of
Essel/ Zee Group Subhash Chandra.
192. While the on-screen award categories at the Oscars
this year might be an all-white affair, much to our
disappointment, but India is shining bright at the
Scientific and Technical Awards being given by The
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Rahul
Thakkar of Indian origin has joined the elite list of
Academy Award winners after Bhanu Athaiya,
Satyajit Ray, Resul Pookutty, A.R. Rahman, and
Gulzar, for his contribution to cinema through
groundbreaking design
193. The Union Cabinet on 20 January 2016 gave its expost facto approval for the Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between India and United
Kingdom on cooperation in governance reforms. The
MoU, which was signed in November 2015, seeks to
extend bilateral cooperation in public administration
and governance reforms.
194. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
on 20 January 2016 gave its approval for setting up
over 5000 MW of Grid-Connected Solar PV Power
Projects on build, own and operate basis.
195. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and
Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (KISR) on 20
January 2016 signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the
exploration and use of outer space for peaceful
purposes.
196. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
on 20 January 2016 released the first report of the
Alternative Investment Policy Advisory Committee
(AIPAC) for comments from the stakeholders. The
21-member committee was constituted by the SEBI
in March 2015, under the chairmanship of N R
Narayan Murthy, to suggest measures for
development of the alternative investment funds
(AIFs) and startup eco-system in the country.
197. The annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting
has started in Swiss resort of Davos, Switzerland
with participation of political leaders and business
from around the world. In this edition of WEF

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meeting, the agenda includes the outlook of the

global economy and measures to fight terrorism.
198. Eminent danseuse Mrinalini Sarabhai, wife of the late
Dr Vikram Sarabhai, father of Indias space
programme, passed away here on Thursday
following age-related health complications. She was
97.
199. Three Mi-25 gunship helicopters supplied by India
are to officially join the Afghan Air Force today. The
gunships, delivered at the end of December last year,
have been in the assembly process.
200. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has signed
an interim consultancy agreement with Kerala Rapid
Transit Ltd (KRTL) for the Rs. 6,728-crore 'light
metro' in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode.
201. Uttar Pradesh on 20 January 2016 won its maiden
Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy with a 38-run win over twotime champions Baroda in the final played at the
Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
202. The nineteenth edition of National Conference on eGovernance has begun on 21 January 2016 in
Nagpur, Maharashtra. It was inaugurated by the
Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin
Gadkari and the Minister of State for Personnel,
Public Grievances & Pensions Dr. Jitendra Singh.
203. Moldovan parliament on 20 January 2016 appointed
Pavel Filip as the Prime Minister. He would be the
third prime minister of Moldova in less than a year.
204. Noted environmentalist Ravi Chellam on 20 January
2016 took charge as the Executive Director of
Greenpeace India, a Non-Government Organisation
(NGO). Chellam succeeds former Executive Director
Samit Aich, who had resigned in June 2015 following
an internal review of the organisation's handling of
two sexual harassment cases.
205. The Nai Manzil scheme was on 20 January 2016
launched for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir.
The scheme was launched for girls in Srinagar in
three institutions- Skill Development Centre,
University of Kashmir and two Madarsas.
206. Senior revenue service officer Atulesh Jindal on 21
January 2016 was appointed chairman of Central
Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). Jindal will succeed A K
Jain, who completes his term at the end of January
2016.
207. Italian director Ettore Scola passed away on 19
January 2016 following a prolonged illness in Rome.
208. Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, on 21
January 2016 won the award of the world's best
hotel at the Travellers' Choice award organised by
TripAdvisor. The winners of Travellers' Choice
Award, which entered its 14th year, were
determined on the basis of the reviews and opinions

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collected in a single year from TripAdvisor travellers

worldwide.
209. The Employees Provident Fund Organisation has
won the National Award for e-Governance 2015-16
for its Universal Account Number programme.
210. Deposits in accounts opened under the governments
flagship financial inclusion programme Pradhan
Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) have crossed
the Rs. 30,000 crore mark. As many as 20.38 crore
bank accounts were opened under the PMJDY as on
the January 20, as per the latest data available. These
bank accounts had deposits of Rs. 30,638.29 crore
(about $4.5 billion).
211. Google India and Indian Railways telecom arm
RailTel has launched free Rail Wire Public Wi-Fi
service for railway passengers at the Mumbai Central
Station. This service was launched by Union Railway
Minister Suresh Prabhu.
212. Former Deputy Speaker of Gujarat Assembly and
Social Activist Nirmala Gajwani passed away on 21
January 2016 in Rajkot, Gujarat. She was 87. Gajwani
was a reputed social worker and one of the leading
lights of the Sindhi community in the state.
213. The Union Ministry of Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Department of
Telecommunication (DoT) on 22 January 2016
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to
develop and implement National Action Plan for Skill
Development in Telecom Sector.
214. The term BEPS is an acronym of Base Erosion and
Profit Shifting and it was in news in the third week of
January 2016 as India decided to implement these
guidelines.
215. BJP chief Amit Shah became the party President
again today. Top party leaders led by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, a bevy of Union ministers and chief
ministers of BJP-ruled states proposed his name for
the party presidents post during the nomination
process.
216. BJP chief Amit Shah became the party President
again today. Top party leaders led by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, a bevy of Union ministers and chief
ministers of BJP-ruled states proposed his name for
the party presidents post during the nomination
process.
217. Indias digital payment startup company TranServ
has launched countrys first Social Mobile Wallet
named Udio. The digital wallet seeks to address the
gap between real and virtual modes of payment as it
has more social experience.
218. As per recently released United Nations (UN) World
Economic Situation and Prospects 2016 Report,
India will be the fastest growing big economy in the
world in 2016. The report has projected Indias

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growth rate by 7.3 % in the year 2016 and 7.5 % in

2017 slightly up from an earlier estimated 7.2 % rate
in 2015.
219. Mosquito-borne Zika virus has created a panic over
thousands birth defects in the Latin America
countries.
220. Sri Lanka has maintained its high ranking in 2015
human development index (HDI) in the South Asia
Region.
221. 6th National Voters Day (NVD) was observed across
the country on 25 January 2016 by the Election
Commission of India. The theme for the 6th National
Voters Day is Inclusive and Qualitative
Participation.
222. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on 24 January 2016 won
the Presidential election of Portugal. Sousa, a centreright Social Democrats candidate and a former
journalist, won the election by securing 52 percent of
votes.

223. The Andhra Pradesh Government on 22 January

2016 launched Giriputrika Kalyana Pathakam
Scheme to support the tribal women in their quest
for livelihood. The scheme was launched by Andhra
Pradesh Minister for Social Welfare Ravela Kishore
Babu.
224. Eminent Tabla player Pandit Shankar Ghosh passed
away on 22 January 2016 in Kolkata following a
prolonged illness.
225. National award-winning actress Kalpana, who
appeared in 300 films including recent superhit
Charlie, died this morning in Hyderabad due to a
heart attack.
226. Alice Vaidyan has been appointed Chairman and
Managing Director of General Insurance Corporation
of India (GIC Re), the National Reinsurer. She will
hold office till July 31, 2019.
227. Now, LPG users can pay online for their cylinder
refills on the website www.mylpg.in soon after
booking their refill for delivery. This is the latest part
of the online refill booking facilities that the three
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public sector oil marketing companies have

introduced in the past two years.
228. Japan's Izumo Takuto and Hong Kong's Zhu
Chengzhu on 24 January 2016 became champions in
the boys' and girls' categories, respectively, in the
11Even Sports 2015 ITTF World Junior Circuit Finals
at the Abhay Prashal Stadium, Indore, Madhya
Pradesh.
229. India on 24 January 2016 won the first T20 Asia cup
cricket for Blind. In the final clash played at
Jawaharlal Nehru stadium of Kochi, India defeated
Pakistan by 44 runs.
230. Republic Day 2016 was celebrated on 26 January
2016 across the nation. This was the 67th Republic
Day of India. President of France Francois Hollande
was the Chief Guest at 67th Republic Day parade.
231. Manipal Hospitals Bangalore becomes the first
centre in Karnataka for conducting the MRCP
practical assessment of examination skills (PACES)
mock exam in collaboration with UK-based Royal
College of Physicians Federation.
232. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the
President of France Franois Hollande, on 25 January
2016 laid the foundation stone of the International
Solar Alliance (ISA) headquarters in National
Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) in Gwalpahari,
Gurgaon.
233. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the
President of France Franois Hollande, on 25 January
2016 laid the foundation stone of the International
Solar Alliance (ISA) headquarters in National
Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) in Gwalpahari,
Gurgaon. They also inaugurated the interim
Secretariat of the ISA at the same place.
234. Marvin Minsky, the pioneer of artificial intelligence,
died at Bostons Brigham and Womens Hospital due
to cerebral hemorrhage. The mathematician and the
computer scientist died at the age of 88.
235. Veteran Bollywood actress Rekha on 25 January
2016 was honoured with the third Yash Chopra
Memorial Award in Mumbai.
236. A Kerala dentist Sajeev Koshy settled in Melbourne
on 26 January 2016 was honoured with the highest
civilian honour, the Order of Australia. Koshy was
given the award for his service to dentistry in
Victoria, Australia. He was honoured on the Australia
Day Awards 2016, by the Governor General of
Australia.
237. Actor Abe Vigoda, known for his work in The
Godfather and on the television series Barney Miller,
passed away on 26 January 2016 in New Jersey
following natural causes. He was 94. He was best
known for his roles as mobster Tessio in the movie
The Godfather.

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238. President Pranab Mukherjee on 26 January 2016

approved the Union Cabinets recommendation for
the imposition of Presidents rule on Arunachal
Pradesh.
239. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) on 26
January 2016 announced the winners of its Hockey
Stars awards for 2015. The Netherlands' Robert Van
der Horst and Lidewij Welten won the men's and
women's FIH Player of the Year awards, respectively,
for their performances in 2015.
Goalkeeper of the year (Women) - Joyce Sombroek
(The Netherlands)
Goalkeeper of the year (Men) - David Harte
(Ireland)
Rising Star of the Year (Women) - Lily Owsley
(Great Britain)
Rising Star of the Year (Men) - Chrisopher Rhr
(Germany)
240. The West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul on
22 January 2016 announced his retirement from
international cricket almost 22 years after making
his debut.
241. 150th birth anniversary of great freedom fighter Lala
Lajpat Rai, also known as Punjab Kesri is being
celebrated 28th January 2016. To celebrate this
occasion a state level function has been organised in
Punjab and special event will be held at village Dhudi
Ke, the birth place of Lala Lajpat Rai in Moga district.
242. Ministry of Culture on 28 January 2016 released a
commemorative coin of 150 rupees and a circulation
coin of 10 rupees on Lala Lajpat Rai. The
Commemorative Coin of 150 rupees is made of
Quaternary alloy with diameter of 44 mm and weight
of 35 grams.
243. International Day of Commemoration in memory of
the victims of the Holocaust was observed on 27
January 2016 across the world. The day was
proclaimed so by the United Nations General
Assembly. The theme for the Holocaust
remembrance and education activities in the year
2016 including the Holocaust Memorial Ceremony is
The Holocaust and Human Dignity.
244. The Union Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot on 27 January
2016 launched the National level Job portal
www.disabilityjobs.gov.in
for
Persons
with
Disabilities (PwDs).
245. The Union Cabinet has approved proposal of raising
of 17 Indian Reserve Battalions (IRBs) in Jammu &
Kashmir and 4 Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected
states.
246. Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERTIn) has signed cybersecurity agreement with its
counterparts in Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.
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247. Rajasthan Government along with its power

distribution companies (DISCOMS) has signed a MoU
to join UDAY (Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana)
Scheme.
248. India and Armenia has signed a Protocol to amend
the existing Double Taxation Avoidance Convention
(DTAC) to curb instances of tax evasion. The Protocol
amends the Article on Exchange of Information for
tax in the bilateral DTAC signed between India and
Armenia and has been in existence since September
2004.
249. India has overtaken Thailand as the worlds largest
rice exporter in the year 2015 by shipping
(exporting) 10.23 million tonnes of rice. It was
announced by the Bangkok based Thai Rice
Exporters
Association
Chairman
Charoen
Laodhammatas.
250. United States (US) based software services exporter
Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS) has acquired
cloud-based
computing
firm
KBACE
Technologies. This acquisition will help Cognizant to
strength and expands its digital capabilities from its
critical business applications to cloud-based IT
infrastructures.
251. India on 28 January 2016 test fired its indigenouslybuilt surface-to-air Akash missile from complex-3 of
the Integrated Test Range (ITR).at Chandipuri in
Odisha. It was as part of a user trial mission.
252. Aparna Kumar, IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre,
became India's first civil servant to scale Mount
Vinson Massif, the highest peak in the Antarctica. She
hoisted the Tricolour and the flag of the Uttar
Pradesh Police Service on Mount Vinson Massif.
253. Chennupati Jagadish and Jay Chandra, Indian-origin
persons, were on 26 January 2016 honoured with
the Order of Australia, highest civilian honour of
Australia on the occasion of the Australia Day. They
were awarded for their contribution in the fields of
physics, engineering and medicine.
254. Indian lawyer and human rights defender Henri
Tiphagne on 26 January 2016 was selected for the
8th Human Rights Award by Amnesty International
Germany.
255. Australian batsman David Warner on 27 January
2016 defeated captain Steve Smith for the
prestigious Allan Border Medal for 2016.
256. Union Ministry of Urban Development on 28 January
2016 announced the 1st batch of 20 smart cities
from 11 States and Union Territory of Delhi under
the Smart Cities Mission. The 20 cities were selected
through the Smart City Challenge competition that
saw the participation of 1.52 crore citizens from 97
cities and towns.

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257. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a

$80-million loan agreement with the Centre to help
continue improving infrastructure in the two NorthEastern cities of Agartala and Aizawl. The loan is the
third tranche of $200-million financing facility under
the North Eastern Region Capital Cities Development
Investment Program.
258. Kerala will host a three-day Nypunyam
International Skill Summit and Skill Fiesta 2016 next
month with a view to bridging the gap between the
job market requirement and the skill level of
available workforce.
259. Iran and Airbus on 28 January 2016 signed two
agreements covering new aircraft orders and a
comprehensive civil aviation co-operation package.
The agreement includes purchase of 118 new Airbus
aircrafts.
260. Gurdeep Singh on 28 January 2016 was appointed as
the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of NTPC
Ltd. Singh will be the first person to be appointed to
the top job at a Maharatna company through a
search committee route.
261. Nisid Hajari on 28 January 2016 won the 2016
William E. Colby Award for his book, Midnights
Furies: The Deadly Legacy of Indias Partition. Hajari
will be presented with the award and honorarium at
Norwich University, the USA in April 2016.
262. India on 28 January 2016 test fired its indigenouslybuilt surface-to-air Akash missile from complex-3 of
the Integrated Test Range (ITR).at Chandipuri in
Odisha.
263. Justice Sanjay Mishra was on 28 January 2016
appointed as Lokayukta of Uttar Pradesh.
264. Punjabs Navneet Kaur on 28 January 2016 won two
gold medals in the 34th Senior National Rowing
Championship at Hussainsagar Lake, Hyderabad. It
was her maiden gold at the countrys highest level in
the senior category.
265. Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis on
29 January 2016 won the 2016 Australian Open title
of tennis in the womens doubles category.
266. Uttar Pradesh became the fourth state to join the
Centres scheme to revive state electricity
distribution utilities on Saturday. The state
government
signed
a
memorandum
of
understanding with the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh
Power Corporation Ltd, the holding company of the
various electricity distribution utilities in the state.
267. Cabinet of Somalia agreed on Election Model
outlined by the Mogadishu Declaration. The
declaration, which was adopted in December 2015,
calls for the electoral process in Somalia to establish
a new, bicameral Federal Parliament in 2016, based
on inclusivity and representation.
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268. Lt Governor of Puducherry launched the MITRA

mobile application to ensure safety and security of
women in the Union Territory. The app was
launched in the presence of the Chief Minister N
Rangasamy in Puducherry.
269. The Dharwad-headquartered Karnataka Vikas
Grameen Bank (KVGB) has set up a separate cell for
monitoring progress under all the governmentsponsored schemes, according to Ashok Reddy,
Chairman of the bank.
270. Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar launched Goa
e-Suvidha Portal, an online project tracking
mechanism to fast track projects.
271. Prince Mahidol Award 2015 was conferred upon
Professor Morton Mower and Sir Michael Marmot for
outstanding achievements in medicine and public
health worldwide.
272. In a bureaucratic reshuffle, the government has
transferred Central Provident Fund Commissioner
KK Jalan as Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSME).
273. Amid the high-decibel debate around Net neutrality,
call drops and the upcoming mega spectrum auction,
Telecom Secretary Rakesh Garg was moved to the
low-profile Minority Affairs Ministry, as part of a
bureaucratic reshuffle.
274. Leslie Berland appointed as the Chief Marketing
Officer (CMO) of Twitter Inc, an online social
networking site. Before Berlands appointment, the
marketing operations was overseen by the Twitters
CFO Anthony Noto.
275. Former Army Chief General K V Krishna Rao, who
played a key role in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation
War, died at the military hospital following a cardiac
arrest. He was 92.

276. Angelique Kerber became the first German to win a

Grand Slam title since her childhood idol Steffi Graf
in 1999 when she upset world number one Serena
Williams 6-4 3-6 6-4 to clinch the Australian Open on
Saturday.

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Page 12

THE HINDU REVIEW FEBRUARY-2016

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.
6.

7.

8.

In 6th Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy RBI left the key

repo rate unchanged at 6.75%. Reserve Bank kept
its growth projections for Indian economy
unchanged at 7.4 per cent for the current fiscal, a
tad higher than 7.3 per cent forecast by the World
Bank. Normal monsoon and subdued oil prices are
expected to bring down retail inflation to around 5
per cent by the end of next fiscal.
a. Bank Rate 7.75 % (Unchanged)
b. Cash Reserve Ratio 4 % (Unchanged)
c. Statutory Liquidity Ratio 21.5 % (Unchanged)
d. Repo Rate 6.75 % (Unchanged)
e. Reverse Repo Rate 5.75 % (Unchanged)
f. Marginal Standing Rate 7.75 % (Unchanged)
The Finance Minister of West Bengal Amit Mitra
was named the chairman of the Empowered
Committee of State Finance Ministers on Goods
and Services Tax (GST). Mitra will succeed Kerala
Finance Minister K M Mani who had to resign in
November 2015 over corruption charges.
The Governing Council of TERI appointed Ashok
Chawla, former Finance Secretary to the
Government of India and former Chairman of the
Competition Commission, as its new Chairman.
U.K. Sinha will remain Securities and Exchange
Board of India (SEBI) Chairman till March 1, 2017
with the government extending his term by over a
year.
Director General (prisons) Alok Kumar Verma will
replace B.S. Bassi as the Delhi Police Commissioner
on March 1, a top Home Ministry official told.
The Executive Board of the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) on 19 February 2016 selected
Christine Lagarde to serve as IMF Managing
Director for a second five-year term starting on 5
July 2016.
Former Director General of The Energy and
Resources Institute (TERI) Rajendra Kumar
Pachauri was appointed as the Executive ViceChairman of the organisation with the immediate
effect.
Reliance Industries chairman and managing
director (CMD) Mukesh Ambani and Sam Pitroda
were elected to be members of the National
Academy of Engineering (NAE). It is a non-profit
organisation based in the United States of America.

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9.
10.

11.

12.

13.
14.
15.
16.
17.

18.
19.

20.
21.

22.

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Army Lieutenant General John Nicholson was

appointed as the commander of the NATO forces in
Afghanistan.
Former chief secretary of Gujarat DJ Pandian was
appointed vice-president and chief investment
officer of the newly-created Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank (AIIB).
The Union Government appointed Jai Kumar Garg
as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of Corporation Bank for a period of
three years.
Tamil Nadu Cadre IPS officer Archana
Ramasundram was appointed as the Director
General of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) that
guards India's frontiers with Nepal and Bhutan.
Senior IFS officer Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi was
appointed as Indias Ambassador to Mexico.
Kamlesh Kumar Pandey was appointed as the Chief
Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD)
for a period of three years.
Gurdeep Singh was appointed as the Chairman and
Managing Director (CMD) of NTPC Ltd.
Indias new Permanent Representative to the
United Nations Syed Akbaruddin presented his
credentials to U.N Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Fashion designer Manish Arora was awarded with
the Chevalier de la Legion dHonneur (Knight of
the Legion of Honour), France's highest civilian
honour.
Indo-British filmmaker Asif Kapadia won Grammy
Award for Best Music Film for his documentary
Amy.
Nagaland is changing, But..., a film on conservation
efforts by villagers, won the Golden Beaver Best
Film Award in the institutional category at the 6th
National Science Film Festival and Competition in
Mumbai.
Karnatakas Mobile One project won 2016 Best mGovernment Service Award at the 4th World
Government Summit in Dubai, the UAE.
Manipuri documentary film Phum-Shang bagged
the prestigious Golden Conch Award for the best
documentary film at the 14th Mumbai
International Film Festival for Documentary,
Animation and Short Films (MIFF 2016).
Sarangi maestro Pandit Ram Narayan was selected
for the prestigious Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen
Joshi Classical Music Award for 2015-2016.
|

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23. Amitabh Harivansh Bachchan was presented with

the lifetime achievement award in New Delhi. He
received the honour at NDTV Indian of the Year
Awards for his contribution to the film industry.
24. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was selected for
the prestigious K Veeramani Award for Social
Justice 2015.
25. Nisid Hajari won the 2016 William E. Colby Award
for his book, Midnights Furies: The Deadly Legacy
of Indias Partition.
26. Veteran wildlife filmmaker Naresh Bedi was
honoured with the V Shantaram Lifetime
Achievement Award at the 14th edition of the
Mumbai International Festival for Documentary,
Short and Animation Films (MIFF 2016).
27. Chennupati Jagadish and Jay Chandra, Indianorigin persons, were honoured with the Order of
Australia, highest civilian honour of Australia on
the occasion of the Australia Day.
28. Indian lawyer and human rights defender Henri
Tiphagne was selected for the 8th Human Rights
Award by Amnesty International Germany.
29. Australian batsman David Warner defeated captain
Steve Smith for the prestigious Allan Border Medal
for 2016.
30. Veteran Bollywood actress Rekha was honoured
with the third Yash Chopra Memorial Award in
Mumbai.
31. President Pranab Mukherjee, awarded Indias
highest peacetime gallantry award Ashoka
Chakra, posthumously to Lance Naik Mohan Nath
Goswami.
32. A Kerala dentist Sajeev Koshy settled in Melbourne
on 26 January 2016 was honoured with the highest
civilian honour, the Order of Australia.
33. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the
National Bravery Awards to 25 children.
34. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis
presented the National Awards for e-Governance
for the year 2015-16 in Nagpur.
35. Person of Indian Origin Rahul Thakkar was named
as one of winners of the Scientific and Technical
Awards given by the Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences, famously called Oscar Awards.
36. Bollywood lyricist Sameer Anjaan was officially
recognised by Guinness World Records as the Most
prolific Bollywood lyricist ever who has composed
3524 different songs as of 15 December 2015.
37. Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin
Zayed Al Nahyan on 12 February 2016 concluded
his 3-day visit to India. He is also the deputy
supreme commander of UAE armed forces. He
visited India on invitation of Narendra Modi who

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38.
39.

40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.

became the first Prime Minister to visit the UAE

after a gap of 34 years in August 2015.
Vice-President Hamid Ansari concluded his twonation tour to Thailand and Brunei.
French President Francois Hollande visited India
from 24 January to 26 January 2016. He was on a
three-day visit to India as the Chief Guest at India's
67th Republic Day celebrations.
Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird,
passed away on 19 February 2016 in Monroeville,
Alabama, U.S. She was 89.
Veteran Hindustani classical singer Ustad Abdul
Rashid Khan died in Kolkata on 18 February 2016.
He was 107.
The former United Nations Secretary-General
Boutros Boutros-Ghali passed away on 16
February 2016 in Cairo, Egypt. He was 93.
Malayalam's most celebrated contemporary poet
and Jnanpith-winner Ottaplakkal Neelakandan
Velu Kurup passed away.
Leslie Bassett, a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer,
passed away in Oakwood, Georgia.
Acclaimed film director Aurobindo Mukherjee
passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal.
Nepals former Prime Minister Sushil Koirala
passed away in Kathmandu, Nepal due to chronic
respiratory problem.
Noted Urdu Poet and well known Bollywood
lyricist Nida Fazli died due to heart attack.
Cartoonist Sudhir Tailang died.

49. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Balram Jakhar passed

away. Jakhar was elected as the Lok Sabha Speaker
for two consecutive terms from 1980 to 1989. He
served as the Union Agriculture Minister in 1991
in P. V. Narasimha Rao Ministry.

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50. S.S. Tarapore, former Deputy Governor of the

Reserve Bank of India, passed away in Mumbai.
51. Former Army Chief General Kotikalapudi Venkata
Krishna Rao passed away in New Delhi following a
cardiac arrest.
52. Marvin Minsky, the pioneer of artificial
intelligence, died.
53. Eminent Tabla player Pandit Shankar Ghosh
passed away in Kolkata following a prolonged
illness.
54. Legendary dancer and Padma Bhushan recipient
Mrinalini Sarabhai passed away in Ahmedabad.
55. India ranked 37 out of the 38 economies surveyed
in the 2016 Intellectual Property Index (IPI). The
index was released by the Global Intellectual
Property Centre (GIPC) of the United States
Chamber of Commerce (USCC).
56. Securities and Exchange Board of India released
the first report of the Alternative Investment
Policy Advisory Committee for comments from the
stakeholders. The 21-member committee was
constituted by the SEBI in March 2015 under the
chairmanship of N R Narayan Murthy, co-founder
of Infosys, to suggest measures for development of
the alternative investment funds and startup ecosystem in the country.
57. The 3-day long annual World Government Summit
concluded in Dubai, the UAE.
58. The two-day long 19th National e-governance
Conference with the title Transforming India was
concluded in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
59. The Operation Rahaat came in news in second
week of February 2016 after the Royal Navy of
United Kingdom (UK) presented its desire to
officially study Indias humanitarian rescue
operation in Yemen.
60. Surajkund International Crafts Mela began at
Surajkund in Faridabad, Haryana on 1 February
2016.
61. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Make
in India Week in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai.
The week was launched with the theme design,
innovation and sustainability in order to showcase
India's manufacturing sector potential in the
coming decade.
62. National Arogya Fair concluded successfully on 8
February 2016 at Dehradun in Uttarakhand.
63. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj
inaugurated the Rise of Digital India Exhibition in
Colombo. The exhibition was a part of Sangam The Festival of India in Sri Lanka 2015-16.
64. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the
President of France Franois Hollande, laid the
foundation stone of the International Solar
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65.
66.

67.

68.
69.
70.
71.
72.

73.
74.

75.

76.

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Alliance headquarters in National Institute of Solar

Energy in Gwalpahari, Gurgaon.
Union Cabinet approved Trade Facilitation
Agreement (TFA) of the World Trade Organization
(WTO).
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the
European Union (EU) on 10 February 2016 signed
an agreement to improve cooperation in cyber
defense.
India submitted its Instrument of Ratification of
the Convention of Supplementary Compensation
for Nuclear Damage (CSC), 1997 to International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at Vienna,
Austria. The instrument is an important
multilateral treaty relating to liability and
compensation for damage caused by a nuclear
incident.
India and Brunei signed 3 Memorandums of
Understanding (MoUs) to deepen bilateral
cooperation.
India and Afghanistan inked a pact for visa-free
travel by their diplomats.
India and Armenia signed a protocol to amend the
India-Armenia Double Taxation Avoidance
Convention.
India and France inked 16 agreements at the IndiaFrance Business Summit in Chandigarh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the
guidelines for operationalization of the Pradhan
Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana at a farmers convention
in Sherpur village of Madhya Pradesh. The Yojna
will come into force from the 2016 Kharif season
(from June to October in India). It aims at boosting
the agricultural sector of India and envisages a
uniform premium of only 2 percent to be paid by
farmers for Kharif crops, and 1.5 percent for Rabi
crops. The premium for annual commercial and
horticultural crops will be 5 percent.
Prime Minister Modi also presented a trophy of
Krishi Karman Award to Chief Minister Shivraj
Singh Chouhan.
Under the Swachh Survekshan 2016, 73 cities were
surveyed for cleanliness and categorized based on
the marks scored by each of them. Out of the 73
cities, while Mysuru in Karnataka was adjudged as
the cleanest city, Dhanbad in Jharkand was
adjudged as the least clean city.
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat
Prakash Nadda released the National Framework
for Malaria Elimination (NFME) 2016-2030 at New
Delhi.
Union government launched the 24x7 Toll Free
Tourist Infoline in 12 International Languages
including Hindi and English in New Delhi.
|

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77. Union Government launched Sahaj Scheme for

online booking of LPG cylinders.
78. India successfully test fired its indigenously
developed Prithvi-II missile from the Chandipur,
off Odisha coast. As part of a user trial, the missile
with a strike range of 350 km, test was carried out
from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of
the Integrated Test Range (ITR).
79. LAMITYE 2016, the 7th joint military training
exercise between the Indian Army and the
Seychelles Peoples Defence Forces (SPDF) began.
80. The 9th Indo-Nepal Combined Battalion level
Military Training Exercise Surya Kiran commenced
at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
81. International Fleet Review 2016 of the Indian Navy
was concluded along the coast of Visakhapatnam
in Andhra Pradesh.
82. India and China held first joint tactical military
exercise Sino-India 2016. The one-day long
exercise was held in Chusul-Moldo area that is
located along the Line of Actual Control (LoAC) in
the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.
83. India test fired its indigenously-built surface-to-air
Akash missile from complex-3 of the Integrated
Test Range (ITR).at Chandipuri in Odisha.
84. Indian Navy and Myanmar Navy signed Standard
Operating
Procedure
for
India-Myanmar
Coordinated Patrol (IMCOR) at the Tri-Service
Headquarters in Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar
Islands.

85. A fiction book titled A Kingdom For His Love was

launched in February 2016 by Amar Chitra Katha
(ACK).
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86. The book titled Nathuram Godse - The Story of an

Assassin authored by Anup Ashok Sardesai was
released.
87. The second volume of memoirs of President
Pranab Mukherjee titled The Turbulent Years
1980-1996 was released.
88. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a
book titled The Z Factor: My Journey as the Wrong
Man at the Right Time in New Delhi. The book is
the autobiography of the promoter of Essel/ Zee
Group Subhash Chandra.
89. The Minister of State (MoS) for Railways Manoj
Sinha released a book titled Objective Railway
Engineering-Track, Works & Others in New Delhi.
90. The place Sonadia Island was in news because, as
per newspaper reports, Bangladesh cancelled
Chinas proposal to develop a deep sea port on the
island that lies in the Bay of Bengal.
91. Ministry of Culture released a commemorative
coin of 150 rupees and a circulation coin of 10
rupees on Lala Lajpat Rai.
92. The United Nations Postal Administration unveiled
a set of six commemorative stamps to promote
UN Free & Equal, a global United Nations campaign
for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
equality.
93. The Union Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot launched the
National level Job portal www.disabilityjobs.gov.in
for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
94. The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty
Alleviation sanctioned construction of around
eighty two thousand houses for Economically
Weaker Sections (EWS) in urban areas of 163
cities.
95. The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare decided to set up the National Organic
Farming Research Institute in Sikkim.
96. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the
Paradip Oil Refinery in Odisha. It is Indian Oil
Corporation Limiteds 11th refinery.
97. United States President Barack Obama signed off a
new law imposing new sanctions against North
Korea.
98. Zika virus is transmitted through an Aedes
mosquito, which also causes dengue and
chikungunya. The World Bank Group announced
150 million US dollars in funding to combat Zika
virus in Latin America and the Caribbean.
99. North Korea launched the Kwangmyongsong-4
satellite.
100. Subscribers to employees provident fund will get a
return of 8.8% for the current financial year,

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marginally higher than in the past two years, when

the interest rate was 8.75%.
101. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said that in one
year at-least 100 railway stations across the
country will have Google wi-fi.
102. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar hoisted the
largest tricolour in the country atop the tallest pole
at Pahari Mandir in Ranchi. The flag measures 66
feet in height and 99 feet in width.
103. Former State Election Commissioner Prabhakar
Timble launched a new regional party, Goa
Forward.
104. International Monetary Fund increased Indias
voting rights to 2.6 per cent from the current 2.3
per cent, and Chinas, to six per cent from 3.8, as
per the new division.
105. Sonam Kapoor-starrer Neerja based on real
incidents during the hijacking of the Pan Am Flight
73 at the Karachi airport in 1986, has been banned
in Pakistan allegedly for showing the country in a
poor light.
106. Following protests by students and activist
organisations, Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, executive
vice-chairman and former Director-General of The
Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), was asked
to go on leave from all posts at the organisation.
107. Maharashtra government has roped in actor Aamir
Khan to promote its flagship schemes in the sector
of water and scarcity. The actor is likely to be
associated with the governments Jalyukt Shivar
Abhiyan, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis
flagship scheme, to make Maharashtra a droughtfree State by 2019.
108. The National Payments Corporation of India
(NPCI), the umbrella organisation for all retail
payment systems in India, has launched a
hackathon in partnership with software industry
body Indian Software Product Industry Round
Table (iSPIRT). The UPI (Unified Payment
Interface) Hackathon has been launched for
developers to come up with innovative digital
payment products. In April, the NPCI will roll out
UPI, its new payment system, for businesses to
collect money from individuals instantly through
mobile devices. The NPCI has partnered with 29
banks to facilitate payments through UPI. The new
payment interface also adheres to the two-factor
authentication guideline provided by the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI). A customer using UPI will be
able to make payments by providing just a single
identification like his Aadhaar number or a virtual
address.
109. Credit Information Bureau India limited in a bid to
widen its avenues of collecting details of customer
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behaviour, especially on payments, is working on

the concept of securing data related to telecom and
utility services payments, for the purpose of
evaluating first-time borrowers. Cibil is also
planning to roll out a separate vertical for
providing services exclusively to micro finance
institutions (MFIs) by next quarter.
110. Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan has
joined a task force of the World Economic Forum
(WEF) to study the future of global financial
system, whose members include bankers and
policymakers from across the world.
111. Disappointing results from State Bank of India,
amid global weakness, dragged the BSE Sensex to
its lowest close on 11 February in 21 months. The
benchmark index posted its biggest single-day fall
since August 24, 2015, slumping 807.07 points, or
3.40 per cent, to 22,951.83 at the close.
112. Reserve Bank of India signed a pact with the
Central Bank of the UAE to enter into a Currency
Swap Agreement, which is aimed at strengthening
economic ties with the Gulf nation.
113. The Supreme Court directed the RBI to provide a
list of companies, which had defaulted bank loans
of over Rs. 500 crore while expressing serious
concern over the rise in bad loans.
114. Indias economic growth is seen at 7.6% for the
current fiscal, the highest since the current
methodology was adopted to compute national
income and compared with 7.2% a year before,
according to the advance estimate released by the
Central Statistics Office, although gross domestic
product (GDP) expanded at a slower pace of 7.3%
in the October-December period against a revised
7.7% in the previous quarter.
115. Wholesale price inflation fell for 15th straight
month in January and touched -0.9 per cent as food
articles, mainly vegetables and pulses, turned
cheaper.
116. Interest rates on most of the small savings
schemes will be reset with effect from April 1. The
move could result in reduction in the rates
between 50 and 100 basis points on small savings
schemes However, the interest rates on social
security schemes Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana,
Senior Citizen Savings Scheme and Monthly
Income Scheme would be left untouched.
117. Retail inflation rose to a 17-month high of 5.69% in
January on dearer food items, rising for the sixth
month.
118. The government has received subscription for
2,790 kg gold amounting to Rs 726 crore under the
second tranche of sovereign gold bond scheme.

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119. The government said it had netted a hefty 900 kg

of idle household and temple gold under the
monetisation scheme and is hopeful that the
number would rise further in future. Gold
Monetisation Scheme: More than 900 kgs gold
mobilised so far.
120. Housing and Urban Development Corporation
(HUDCO) is issuing tax-free bonds with a face
value of Rs.1,000 each in the nature of tax-free,
secured, redeemable, non-convertible debentures.
121. Ahead of the Union Budget, the Modi government
increased the excise duty on petrol by Re. 1 a litre
and Rs. 1.50 on diesel, the third increase this
month.
122. Government said it has created a Tax Policy
Research Unit (TPRU) and Tax Policy Council to be
chaired by the Union Finance Minister with nine
other members including 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 will also be its
members. The Council will be advisory in nature,
which will help the Government in identifying key
policy decisions for taxation.

123. The government has imposed a minimum import

price (MIP) ranging from $341 to $752 per tonne
on 173 steel products to provide relief to local
steel makers hurt by an increase in cheap imports
of these items.
124. The countrys jewellers have decided to go on a
days strike on February 10, 2016, in protest
against the government decision on furnishing
PAN card details for purchase of the yellow metal
costing Rs. two lakh and above.
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125. Merchandise exports fell for the 14th consecutive

month with shipments in January, 2016
contracting 13.6 per cent year-on-year to $21
billion due to weak overseas demand as well as fall
in major export items such as engineering goods
and petroleum products.
126. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Rs
10,000 crore gas cracker project at Lepetkata in
Upper Assams Dibrugarh district.
127. Budget session of parliament will commence on
February 23. The Rail Budget will be presented on
February 25, the pre-budget economic survey on
February 26 and the General budget on February
29.
128. Submission of Aadhar card, PAN and voter identity
card will speed up the process of issuance of
passport to an applicant. In this new scheme
passport applicant will get a passport within three
days.
129. Union Cabinet allowed the Indian Railways to form
Joint Venture companies with state governments
to mobilize resources for speedy implementation
of rail projects. The Cabinet decided that the Joint
Venture companies would be formed with equity
participation of Ministry of Railways and
concerned state governments. Each Joint Venture
(JV) would have an initial paid-up capital of Rs 100
crores based on the quantum of projects to be
undertaken.
130. The week-long Make in India even has secured
investment commitments worth Rs 15.2 lakh
crore.
131. All wage payments to MGNREGA workers will be
made through Direct Benefit Transfer to bank
accounts of the beneficiaries from April this year.
132. The government unveiled names of the first 20
smart cities that will get Rs 50,802 crore over five
years to turn them into Smart Cities.
133. Three Indians Mukesh Ambani, Azim Premji and
Dilip Shanghvi have made it to a global list of 50
wealthiest people that is topped by Bill Gates.
According to a new list by Wealth-X in
collaboration with Business Insider, Mukesh
Ambani was ranked at the 27th place on the list
with a net worth of $24.8 billion, while Azim
Premji and Dilip Shanghvi were ranked at the 43rd
and 44th place with assets worth $16.5 billion and
$16.4 billion respectively.
134. The Indian Railways entered into two separate
agreements with Kerala and Andhra Pradesh for
the formation of joint venture companies (JVCs)
with state governments.
135. Indian Space Research Organisation launched
IRNSS-1E, the fifth of the seven-satellite Indian

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Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) into

space. ISROs workhorse PSLV C-31 rocket lifted
the 1,425 kg satellite from the second launchpad of
the Satish Dhawan Space Centre and placed it in
the intended orbit.
136. Consumer Affairs and Food Minister Ram Vilas
Paswan said that by April the National Food
Security Act (NFSA) was likely to cover all States
and Union Territories.
137. Backing Net neutrality, telecom watchdog Trai
barred operators from charging different rates for
Internet access based on content, dealing a blow to
Facebooks controversial Free Basics and other
such plans. Companies violating the rules will be
fined Rs 50,000 per day for the duration of
contravention, subject to a maximum of Rs 50 lakh.
However, services providers have been allowed to
reduce tariff for access of providing emergency
services.
138. The Ministry of Railways has identified 15 key
parameters on which the 400 railway stations will
be redeveloped with world-class facilities.
139. A Parliamentary panel will undertake field visits to
sites where industrial corridors are to be
established and prepare a report in a bid expedite
the projects.
140. Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first
set of 100 declassified files pertaining to Netaji
Subhas Chandra Bose at the National Archives of
India in the presence of members of the Bose
family.
141. Public sector oil firms IOC, BPCL, HPCL and EIL will
invest Rs.1.50 lakh crore in setting up Indias
biggest refinery on the west coast.
142. The Human Resource Development Ministry
appointed Ashok K. Roopanwal, a former judge of
the Allahabad High Court, as the one-man
commission of inquiry into the circumstances that
led to the January 17 suicide of Hyderabad
University research scholar Rohit Vemula.
143. A controversial anti-terror Bill, passed by the
Gujarat Assembly but twice rejected by the UPA
government, was returned by President Pranab
Mukherjee, seeking additional information after
which the legislation was withdrawn.
144. The Supreme Court referred a batch of curative
petitions against Section 377 of the Indian Penal
Code, a colonial-era provision criminalising
consensual sexual acts of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and Transgender (LGBT) adults in private, to a
five-judge Constitution Bench for a possible backto-roots, in-depth hearing.
145. Indian Medical Association (IMA) came out in
support of Union Minister Maneka Gandhis
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suggestion to make pre-natal sex determination

compulsory to check female foeticide.
146. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar ruled out any
troop withdrawal from the Siachen glacier after
the last weeks avalanche claimed the lives of 10
soldiers.
147. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaidi
stated that elections in all poll-bound States,
including Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, would be
completed before May 31.
148. The odd-even scheme will return to the city for
another 15 days starting from April 15, Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced. As in the first
phase in January, women, two-wheelers riders and
VVIPs will be exempted from the scheme, Mr.
Kejriwal said.
149. At 7.4 per cent, Kerala has the highest rate of
unemployment among the major States in the
country, says the Economic Review. It puts Keralas
unemployment rate at three times the national
level (2.3 per cent).
150. The Supreme Court agreed with a lower court
decision that the State can use its curfew powers to
block Internet access on personal mobile phones if
there is apprehension that a public agitation can
turn aggressive and disturb public tranquillity.
151. Delhi court remanded Jawaharlal Nehru University
Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar in
three-day police custody. He was arrested on the
charge of sedition, after anti-India slogans were
allegedly raised at the university during a recent
protest meeting in memory of Afzal Guru, hanged
in 2013.
152. Vice-Chancellors of 42 Central universities agreed
to fly the national flag on their buildings to counter
the rising tide of what they perceived as antinationalism sweeping the campuses.
153. The US Federal Reserve kept interest rates
unchanged and said it was closely monitoring
global economic and financial developments,
signaling it had accounted for a stock market
selloff but wasnt ready to abandon a plan to
tighten monetary policy this year.
154. India gifted 40 ambulances and eight buses to
different organisations in Nepal on the occasion of
its 67th Republic Day.
155. India and France exchanged 13 agreements,
cutting across wide variety of sectors. One of the
most sought Memorandum of Understanding was
signed between India and France on purchase of
36 Rafale aircrafts.
156. Social networking giant Facebook pulled the plug
on its controversy-ridden Free Basics programme
in India, days after telecom regulator TRAI barred

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operators from charging discriminatory rates for

Internet access based on content.
157. The Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of
Enterprise and Innovation of the Kingdom of
Sweden on 15 February 2016 inked a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on
technical cooperation in rail sector.
158. The UAE's national oil company Abu Dhabi
National Oil Company (ADNOC) agreed to store
crude oil in India's maiden strategic petroleum
storage.
159. The President of United States Barack Obama
unveiled a Cyber Security National Action Plan.
160. Supporting Syria and the Region Conference 2016
was held in London.
161. The first train connecting Iran and China packed
with Chinese goods arrived in Tehran on 15
February 2016. The arrival revived the ancient Silk
Road trade route and also highlighted the
economic possibilities for Iran since the lifting of
international sanctions. The train, also referred to
as Silk Road train, passed through Kazakhstan and
Turkmenistan to Iran, travelling a distance of
10399 kilometres.
162. Pakistans nuclear warheads which are estimated
to be between 110-130 are aimed at deterring
India from taking military action against it, a latest
Congressional report has said.
163. India and France are carrying out Shakti 2016 in
Rajasthan which reflects our common interests.
164. French President Francois Hollande committed
300 million (around $325 million or Rs. 2,200
crore) over the next five years for the global
development of solar energy.
165. According to Transparency Internationals
International Corruption Perceptions Index 2015,
India is placed at 76th position along with
Thailand, Brazil, Tunisia, Zambia and Burkina Faso
out of 168 countries. The other top spots, from
second to ninth, were occupied by Finland,
Sweden, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway,
Switzerland, Singapore and Canada.
166. India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
signed an $80 million loan agreement for
improving the infrastructure in the two NorthEastern cities of Agartala and Aizawl.
167. After
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modis
announcement in December that all Japanese
citizens would get visas on arrival, the
government has decided to extend it only to the
business community for now.
168. The Obama administration has proposed $860
million in aid for Pakistan.

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169. India was ranked 37 out of 38 countries, with only

Venezuela scoring lower, in the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce-International Intellectual Property
Index.
170. Angered by a U.S. decision to sell eight more F-16
fighter jets to Pakistan, India summoned U.S.
Ambassador Richard Varma to the External Affairs
Ministry to express displeasure with the deal.
171. Top global producers Saudi Arabia and Russia
agreed to freeze oil output in a bid to shore up
prices after a 70 per cent drop due to chronic
oversupply.
172. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently ordered
preparations for launching attacks on South Korea,
the Souths spy agency disclosed.
173. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to
Brussels for the EU-India summit on March 30.
174. U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law a
piece of legislation passed by Congress imposing
new sanctions against North Korea for testing a
nuclear device on January 6 and launching a
satellite on February 7 using ballistic missile
technology.

175. Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan Government

have set up Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) for the
implementation of Smart City Plans.
176. Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA)
has launched Swachh Himachal Padhai bhi, Safai
bhi campaign in Dharamsala. With this unique
campaign, HPCA became the first cricket association
in the country to work towards Swatch Bharat
Abhiyan initiated by the Union Government.
177. The three-day long Vibrant North East event
concluded in Guwahati, Assam. It was inaugurated
on 18 February 2016 by Union Minister Food
Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur.
178. Faustin Archange Touadera has won the 2016
Presidential election of Central African Republic
(CAR) held on 14 February 2016. He defeated

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Georges Anicet Dologuele of Union for Central

African Renewal Party who had obtained just over
or 37.3 percent or 413,000 votes.
179. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
has successfully conducted hotbed test of the
indigenously developed high-thrust cryogenic
engine (CE20) of the GSLV Mark 3 (LVM3) rocket
for the upper stage.
180. Scientists have discovered five new Jupiter-like
planets that are similar in characteristics to our
solar systems biggest planet. The newly discovered
planets were designated as WASP-119 b, WASP-124
b, WASP-126 b, WASP-129 b and WASP-133 b. They
orbit very close to their host stars and hot
compared to Jupiter.
181. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the
ambitious Rurban Mission' for developing 300
villages across the country as urban growth centres
aimed at improving the countrys basic
infrastructure, at Dongargarh in Chhattisgarh. The
Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban (rural-urban)
project will focus on improving infrastructural
facilities such as power lines, shelters, roads,
drinking water connections and drainage, and
creating community assets such as schools, colleges
and health centers.
182. The 42nd Khajuraho Dance Festival began in
the temple town of Khajuraho, Chhattarpur district
in Madhya Pradesh. The world famous dance
festival began with Odissi group dance of Ranjna
Gauher and others.
183. The Union Minister for Science & Technology
and Earth Sciences and Vice President, CSIR Dr.
Harsh Vardhan dedicated Systems for Detection of
Adulteration and analysis of Milk. The Ksheer
Scanner system offers automated scanning of raw
milk samples at milk collection points. He remarked
that it is safe to use and ideal for installation at milk
collection centres of milk societies at village and
tehsil levels. The system can also be useful for onthe-spot milk testing by food inspectors.
184. India and Armenia have signed an agreement
for cooperation in the agriculture sector. An
memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed
by Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singhand
Armenian Agriculture Minister Sergo Karapetyan.
185. Printing and IT solutions firm Ricoh India has
bagged an order worth Rs 344 crore from Kerala
State Electronics Development Corporation to
supply computer hardware to 2,000 government
schools in Odisha. Ricoh India, a subsidiary of Ricoh
Group, Japan, had said it is eyeing 55% growth in
revenues this fiscal.

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186. The Public Investment Board has approved the

Rs 800-crore proposal from India Post for setting
up a payments bank and it will be placed before the
Cabinet within a month for final approval.
187. Italian author Umberto Eco has died aged 84.
Umberto Eco a philosopher who wrote best-selling
novels including "The Name of the Rose".
188. North Korean state media has confirmed the
country has a new military chief, following earlier
reports in Seoul that the former holder of the post
had been executed. Ri Myong-Su, former People's
Security Minister, was referred to as "chief of the
Korean People's Army General Staff" when the
Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on
an army exercise guided by leader Kim Jong-un.
189. Brendon McCullum has blasted the fastest
century in Test history in his 101st and final match
for New Zealand before retiring. Brendon McCullum
has , a 54-ball effort that broke the record jointly
held by Viv Richards and Misbah-ul-Haq.
190. The Jaypee Punjab Warriors has won the fourth
edition of Coal India Hockey India League (HIL) title
2016. The Jaypee Punjab Warriors finally struck
gold to become third-time lucky as they clinched
their Hockey India League (HIL) title at the Birsa
Munda Hockey Stadium in Ranchi.
191. The Ministry of Tourism in co-ordination with
Ministry of Culture has launched the Swachh
Paryatan mobile app in order to facilitate general
public to communicate their complaints about any
unclean area/garbage piles in and around tourist
destinations.
192. The Public sector oil major ONGC has approved
an investment of Rs 5,050 crore in Tripura for
drilling of wells and creation of surface facilities to
produce 5.1 mmscmd gas from the states fields.
193. India continues to remain the worlds largest
arms importer, accounting for 14% of the global
arms imports in the 2011-2015 time frame.
194. 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.
195. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
has successfully tested high-thrust cryogenic engine
CE-20 of the GSLV Mark 3 (LVM3) rocket for the
upper stage at its Propulsion Research Center in
Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu lasted for 640 seconds
and paved the way for the first developmental flight
of the GSLV Mark 3 in December 2016.
196. With the aim to strengthen India-UAE economic
ties, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has

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signed an MoU with Dubai Exports to boost trade

and explore business opportunities.
197. Renowned Odissa singer Bhubaneshwari
Mishra passed away following a cardiac arrest in
New Delhi. She was 67. She was one of the talented
artist from Odisha and was renowned as classical
and playback singer.
198. Indian Railway Officer Vinay Kumar Singh has
been appointed as Managing Director of National
Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC).
199. With the climate changes in the recent years,
the groundwater sources have gone down to a
critical level.
200. The US InterContinental Ballistic Missile
Minuteman 3 was launched from Vandenberg Air
force Base in California.
201. The National award winning Malayalam film
'Ottal' has been named the best children's film at
the 66th Berlin International Film Festival and
honored with the Crystal Bear award in the
'Generation KPlus' section.

202. Amar Singh from Indian-origin Sikh Community

has been appointed the Police Commissioner of the
Capital city of Malaysia.
203. 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. Bihar is the sixth state
to join this UDAY scheme.
204. Ukraines Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Football Club
(FC) has won the 2016 Sait Nagjee International
Club Football Tournament in Kozhikode. The
goalscorers on the evening were Ihor Kohut (40'),
Denys Balanuik (62') and Yuri Vakulko (85').
205. Government will sell its 5 per cent stake in
India's largest power producer NTPC at a floor price
of Rs 122 per share to raise Rs 5,029 crore.
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206. An Indian-origin art lover and playwright Ismail

Mahomed from South Africa has been knighted by
the French government for his lifelong devotion to
the promotion of arts.
207. The fifth edition of IBSAMAR 2016 trilateral
naval exercise between Brazil, India and South
Africa kicked off in Goa. IBSAMAR is abbreviated as
India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime. This is the for
the first time the exercise is held in India as all the
previous editions were held in South Africa since it
began in 2006.
208. Pakistan parliament became the first in the
world to completely run on solar power, a venture
supported by close ally China with a whopping $55
million funding.
209. Austrias capital Vienna is the best place in the
world to live, according to an international survey
on quality of life that has no Indian city in the top
100.
210. Tamil film Kanavu Variyam has won the
prestigious 2016 Remi Award in the United States.
The film has been directed and produced by a
Chennai-based techie Arun Chidambaram and
Karthik Chidambaram.
211. Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (formerly
MCX Stock Exchange) has appointed its interim
Managing Director & CEO Udai Kumar as MD & CEO
after receiving necessary approvals from securities
regulator SEBI.
212. Worlds first fast-acting anti-rabies drug Rabies
Human Monoclonal Antibody (RMAb) will be
launched in India. The drug has been developed by
Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) and USbased MassBiologics of the University of
Massachusetts Medical School.
213. In order to enhance economic cooperation and
strengthen financial stability, RBI has extended the
$2 billion currency swap arrangement to SAARC
nations till mid-November 2017. Under the
arrangement, RBI is to offer swap arrangement up
to an overall amount of $2 billion both in foreign
currency and Indian rupee.
214. India's 2nd largest airline Jet Airways India Ltd
named Rahul Taneja as its chief people officer,
responsible for shaping the operations and
performance of the group.
215. 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).
216. Distinguished scientist KN Vyas has been
appointed as Director of Bhabha Atomic Research
Centre (BARC) for a term of three years.

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217. President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed

Justice Vineet Saran as the new Chief Justice (CJ) of
Orissa High Court as per the provisions of Article
217 of Constitution.
218. The much awaited Asia Cup 2016 will kick off
from Today, where hosts Bangladesh will take on
India in the opener at Shere Bangla National
Stadium, Mirpur. The 2016 Asia Cup is a Twenty20
International (T20I) cricket tournament to be held
from 24 February to 6 March 2016. It will be the
13th edition of the Asia Cup, the fifth to be held in
Bangladesh, and the first to be played using the
T20I format.
219. Bangladesh limited overs captain Mashrafe Bin
Mortaza is set to be named as the United Nations
Development Programmes (UNDP) national
goodwill ambassador for youth.
220. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu presented his
second rail budget this year. He outlined the 3
pillars of strategy - raise new revenues, raise
productivity and efficiency and revamp the
processes. Here are the highlights of the Rail Budget
2016: The Capital plan of Rs 1.21 lakh crore.
Operating ratio kept at 92% FY17 as against 90% in
current year.
221. Cyclone-hit Fiji will receive one million dollars
as immediate assistance from the Indian
Government. Fiji has been struck by Cyclone
Winston which brought with it wind gusts of 325
kilometres per hour and sea and ocean waves up to
12 metres high.
222. Union Govt to introduce coal linkage auction
policy for power corporation which did not have
such coordinations with Coal India Ltd. Anil
Swarup, Coal Secretary said that the current surplus
stock with Coal India Ltd (CIL) was a temporary
phenomenon.
223. State-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) has
declared 904 borrowers who owed it a combined
Rs.10,869.71 crore as of December-end as wilful
defaulters. The bank added 140 companies to the
list of wilful defaulters over the last quarter.
224. India's second largest software exporter Infosys
has extended the tenure of chief executive officer &
Managing Director Vishal Sikka by another two
years till the year 2021.
225. Sikka was earlier appointed as MD & CEO till
2019. Official stating that his initiatives have helped
the company to grow towards leadership position.
Mr. Sikka was the first non-founder who was
appointed as the CEO and Managing Director of the
company.
226. Banking giant SBI has taken another leap in this
space with the launch of SBI e-Smart SME, a
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working capital loan offering for sellers on

ecommerce platforms.
227.
INS Arihant, Indias first nuclear armed
submarine is now ready for full-ledged
operations. The submarine has passed several deep
sea diving drills as well as weapons launch tests
over the past five months.
228. The Government has decided to induct women
in all military combat roles in the future. The
announcement has been made by President Pranab
Mukherjee during the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha
and the Rajya Sabha.
229. Rajendra Singh appointed as first non-navy
officer to head Coast Guard. Rajendra Singh
appointed as first non-navy officer to head Coast
Guard. This is the 1st time that the force will get a
chief from its own internal cadre since it was set up
in 1978 as the country's fourth armed force after
the Army,
230. The Indian government has planned to set up
wi-fi facilities at 25,000 spots in the country by
March 2016. At present, the facilities are available
at three hundred spots across India.
231. The Afghanistans National Womens Cycling
Team has been nominated by a group of Italian MPs
for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for their dedication.
232. Afghanistans National Womens Cycling Team
is among the first Afghan girls to be riding bikes
socially.
233. Mastercard
is
launching new mobile
technologies that will allow customers to
authenticate their online purchases using selfies or
fingerprints. The technology will be rolled out by
big banks in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and some
European countries over the next few months.
234. Facebook has announced the Telecom Infra
Project, which will look at developing new and
alternative technologies to build and deploy
telecom infrastructure, with partners including
Aricent, HCL Technologies, Intel, Nokia and TMobile.
235. GVK Biosciences has bagged the Global CSR
Excellence & Leadership Awards in the category of
Best Environment-Friendly Project. The award has
been given for its 'Go Green, Grow Green' plantation
drive.
236. Australia has replaced India at the top of the
world's test rankings in Cricket with a 2-nil test
series victory over New Zealand in Christchurch.
237. The Economic Survey is presented by the
ministry of Finance in the parliament every year,
before the Union Budget.
238. India has approved a $150 million credit line for
the development of Irans Chabahar port. The port

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in southeast Iran is central to New Delhis efforts to

circumvent arch-rival Pakistan and open up a route
to landlocked Afghanistan where it has developed
close security ties and economic interests.
239. Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of
Science and Technology and a consortium of top UK
research institutions signed an MoU for
establishment of a joint India-UK collaboration
programme in crop Science. The aim of the
agreement is to enhance collaborative research,
promote knowledge exchange, and support capacity
building to develop resilience in food security.
240. Retirement fund body EPFO(Employees
Provident Fund Organisation) has tightened norms
on withdrawal of provident fund as well investment
of such amount in Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana
for its over five crore subscribers. The Indian
Government has appointed three information
commissioners in the Central Information
Commission (CIC). They are Amitava Bhattacharyya,
Indian
Administrative
Service,
(Gujarat
1980).
Retired Chairman, Staff Selection
Commission,Bimal
Julka,
IAS
(Madhya
Pradesh:1979).
241. Expedia, the online travel company has
appointed Jonathon Sinclair Neal as the Chief
Executive Officer of AAE Travel. AAE Travels is the
joint venture between AirAsia and Expedia
Inc.Jonathon will be based out of Singapore. Justice
Dinesh Maheshwari has sworn in as the Chief
justice of the Meghalaya High Court. He was
administered the oath as Chief Justice by state
Governor V. Shanmuganathan.
242. Ashwini Nangia has been appointed as the
Director of the CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory,
Pune. He was born in 1960 and an alumnus of the
IIT Kanpur is at present with the School of
Chemistry at the UoH.After, his Ph.D. (1988), he
worked in NOCIL Agrochemicals R&D Centre, Navi
Mumbai for a year, and then joined the University in
1989.
243. The Diageo-controlled United Spirits USL) has
announced the appointment of MK Sharma as its
new chairman, a day after the embattled liquor
baron Vijay Mallya resigned from the post.
244. OYO Rooms has tied up with the Indian Railway
Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)The tieup aims to offer standardised accommodation and a
convenient booking platform to rail travellers.
245. Reliance Capital said that it will transfer its all
commercial finance division into a separate
company to unfold the value through sale of stake
post the transfer, Reliance Capital would be apply to
the RBI for registering itself as a Core Investment
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Company (CIC) and this move would also facilitated

the application of banking as license and when the
apex bank's policy permits.
246. Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Railway has
announced Ratan Tata to head the Indian Railway
Innovation Committee. In 2016- 2017 he has
announced plans to set up a dedicated cross
functional team called Special Unit for
Transportation Research and Analytics (Sutra). The
main aim is to carry out detailed analysis leading to
optimized investment decisions and operations.
247. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for
establishment of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and
Self Employment and Talent Utilisation (SETU) in
NITI Aayog with appropriate manpower.
248. Taxi aggregator Ola has entered into an
agreement with the Uttar Pradesh government to
create over 50,000 entrepreneurship opportunities
across the state. According to the pact, Ola will work
with the state government towards skill
development of youth in state and provide
entrepreneurship opportunities for 50,000 men and
women across the state over the next five years.
249. SEBI has given approval to State-owned IDBI
Bank market regulator to raise Rs 3,771 crore
through issue of shares to qualified institutional
playersa (QIP) move which would dilute the
government's holding significantly in the lender.
250. Indian largest digital network Times Internet
announced
strategic
partnership
with
Investopedia.com, one of the web's premier
destinations for financial information. In this
partnership Investopedia and Times Internet will
collaborate to create and curate a blend of local and
international content, knowledge events and
seminars to grow the brand amongst the audience
in India.
251. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for
introduction of steps for promotion of payments
through cards and digital means.
252. Japanese Carmaker Nissan has named Indian
cricketer Rohit Sharma as their new global
ambassador. Nissan also named West Indies allrounder Andre Russell and New Zealand women's
team captain Suzie Bates as its ambassadors.
253. India's top female Long-distance runner Lalita
Babar was named as the Sports Person of the Year
in the India Sports Awards 2015 in a ceremony
organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of
Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with the support of
the Sports Ministry.

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254. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is

working to establishment of a Satellite Tracking &
Data Reception Station and Data Processing Facility
for ASEAN Member countries in Vietnam.
255. The Union Government has extended e-Tourist
Visa Scheme to 37 more countries. With this, the
total count of countries under the scheme will
become 150.
256. Former Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister
and ex-DRDO chief Dr Avinash Chander on 25
February
2016
received
the
prestigious
Astronautical Society of India's Aryabhata Award
2013.
257. Gianni Infantino was elected as the President of
FIFA (Fdration Internationale de Football
Association) after winning a second-round vote at
Extraordinary FIFA Congress held in Zurich on 26
February 2016.
258. Actor Ranveer Singh was on 26 February 2016
selected for Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar award.
The award will be bestowed upon Ranveer by Lata
Mangeshkar at a function to be held in Pune.
259. Mumbai on 26 February 2016 won the Ranji
Trophy with an innings and 21 run victory over
Saurashtra. It won the trophy for the first time in
three seasons.
260. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presents
his third Union Budget. To support the small taxpayer and the small investor, the Minister
announced a slew of schemes, and income tax
exemptions. Following are the key highlights: Forex
reserves are at highest level at $350 billion' 2016:
Current account deficit seen at 1.4% of GDP'
- 3 schemes to address weaker sections' GDP
growth has accelerated to 7.6%. CPI inflation has come
down to 5.4%.
261. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was
formally declared elected as the president of the
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for the 7th consecutive term.
262. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee
will be the Chief Guest at the 40th Anniversary
Celebrations of Indian Civil Accounts Service
tomorrow (March 1, 2016).
263. Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat programme will be
launched to link States and Districts in an annual
programme that connects people though exchanges
in areas of language, trade, culture, travel and
tourism.
264. 88th Academy Awards, popularly called Oscar
Awards, were conferred on 29 February 2016. The
award ceremony was held at the Dolby Theatre in
Hollywood, Los Angeles.
265. National Science Day was observed across India
on 28 February 2016. The theme for the National
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Science Day 2016 is Scientific Issues for

Development of the Nation.
266. General Budget 2016-17 has proposed
allocation of initial sums of Rs. 100 Crore each
allocated for celebrating Birth Centenary of Pt Deen
Dayal Upadhyay and 350th Birth Anniversary of
Guru Gobind Singh.
267. President Pranab Mukherjee will declare Kerala
as the first digital state of the country on 27th
February,2016.
268. Dinesh Sharma, Additional Finance Secretary,
Department Of Economic Affairs and Indias
Governor to the International Fund for Agriculture
Development (IFAD) was unanimously elected as
the Chairperson of the Governing Council of IFAD
for a period of two years in its 39th Session held in
Rome, Italy.
269. Famous sound designer Resul Pookutty on 27
February 2016 became the first Asian to win the
award for Best Sound for documentary Indias
Daughter at the Motion Picture Sound Editors
(MPSE) 63rd annual Golden Reel Awards.
270. Former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)
Vinod Rai has been appointed as the first Chairman
of Banks Board Bureau (BBB).
271. Socialist leader and former Maharashtra
Minister Nihal Ahmed Maulavi Mohammed Usman
today passed away in Nashik following age-old
ailments.
272. India's oldest first-class cricketer BK
Garudachar, who represented Mysore (as Karnataka
was called till 1974), United Province and Bombay,
died in Bangalore.
273.
Famous Tamil Comedy actor Kumarimuthu
died in Chennai. He was 77.
274. Switzerland Player Stanislas Wawrinka won the
battle of the 30-year-olds by defeating Marcos
Baghdatis of Cyprus 6-4, 7-6 (13) to win the Dubai
Tennis Championships title.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

THE HINDU REVIEW MARCH-2016

1. Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport has
retained the worlds number 1 position for the second
consecutive year in 25-40 Million Passengers Per
Annum (MPPA) category. The rankings were
announced by the Airports Council International
(ACI).
2. Mahesh Kumar Singla committee constituted to
consider ST status to six communities of Assam. The
committee will consult with the Government of Assam
and suggest the modalities for the required
reservations, of shifting the existing reservation for
these communities from OBC to ST.
3. Former Chief Justice of India H L Dattu took charge as
the Chairperson of National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC). He is the 7th Chairperson of the
NHRC.
4. Indian Defence Ministry has issued an order worth Rs
22,000 crores for purchase of helicopters, CH-47
Chinook and AH-64 Apache, which will be inducted in
the forces soon.
5. The 7th joint military exercise between India and
Seychelles military forces came to a close at Victoria
Mahe Island in Seychella with a final attack scenario
where suspected pirates had escaped at Cap Ternay.
6. The Small Industries Development Bank of India
(SIDBI) will raise the proposed Rs 10,000 Crore
corpus for Stand Up India Fund from Reserve Bank
Of India. The Fund will be disbursed to Dalit and
women entrepreneurs.
7. The Japanese government will stipulate a long-term
goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per
cent by 2050 from current levels.
8. Randeep Hooda, the Bollywood actor was felicitated
by Melbourne based South Asian community
members at a function in Australia.
9. Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci elected as President of
Kosovo by the Members of Parliament amid the
protests. He succeeded Atifete Jahjaga.
10. India and the US could jointly explore Mars and, who
knows, an Indian astronaut could also head to the Red
planet on a joint mission.
11. Zee Media Corporation will acquire up to 80 per cent
stake in India Today groups loss-making e-commerce
and TV shopping entities Today Merchandise and
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Today Retail Network Pvt Ltd for Rs 166 crore in

staggered payments over the next four years.
12. Slovenian high-jumper Rozle Prezelj was elected the
Chairman of the International Association of Athletics
Federations (IAAF) Athletes' Commission in Monaco.
13. Rahul Sachdev won the 1st All India Open Invitational
Snooker Championship 2016 in Aurangabad,
Maharashtra.
14. Car racer Armaan Ebrahim was awarded the
Motorsports Man-of-the-Year Trophy at ceremony
organised by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of
India (FMSCI).
15. Olympian Basant Bahadur Singh Rana clinched the
gold medal in mens 50km race walk event on the
second and final day of the National Championships in
Jaipur. It was the 3rd edition of National Race Walking
Championships.
16. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has
inaugurated the 1st Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi.
17. Mukesh Ambani Reliance Industries chairman again
topped 84 Indian billionaires in Forbes 2016 list of
the world's richest people once again headed by Bill
Gates with a net worth of $75 billion.
18. The MS Swaminathan Research Foundation has
signed a MOU with Bhubaneswar -based Kalinga
Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) to establish a
Research Chair.
19. Aditya Birla Group firm UltraTech has announced the
acquisition of debt-ridden JP Groups cement plants
for Rs 16,500 crore, making it the biggest deal in the
sector.
20. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading IT services
company has been recognized as a Global Top
Employer by the Top Employers Institute.
21. Sanjiv Kapoor has been appointed as the Chief
Strategy and Commercial Officer of Vistara Airlines.
22. Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain took over as the Chief of
Staff of the Visakhapatnam. He succeeds Vice Admiral
Bimal Verma.
23. RBI unlocks Rs.40000 crore additional capital for
banks.At the time when public sector banks are facing
pressure on their profitability due to a sharp rise in
non-performing assets, which is eroding their capital
base.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH
24. Multi Commodity Exchange announced the
appointment of Mrugank Paranjape as MD & CEO of
the exchange. He will succeed Manoj Vaish.
25. NASA(National
Aeronautics
and
Space
Administration) astronaut and Expedition 46
Commander Scott Kelly and his Russian counterpart
Mikhail Kornienko returned on Earth. After a historic
340-day mission aboard the International Space
Station.
26. George Kennedy, who passed away recently, was one
of Americas most recognizable and versatile
character actors. He was 91 year old.
27. Aaron Phangiso, the South African left-arm spinner,
has been suspended from bowling in domestic cricket
with immediate effect after his action was found to be
illegal.
28. The multinational mega Military Exercise Force 18
conducted by Indian Army has started in Pune,
Maharashtra from 2nd March. The theme of the
exercise is `Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) and
`Peacekeeping Operations (PKO).
29. A financing agreement for International Development
Association (IDA) credit of US$ 300 (equivalent) for
the Madhya Pradesh Higher Education Quality
Improvement Project was signed with the World
Bank.
30. NHAI has taken a significant step in ensuring
development of management competencies of its
technical and managerial manpower, with a tie up
with Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad.
31. Parliament has passed the Carriage by Air
(Amendment) Bill, 2015 to empower Union
government to revise the limits of liability for airlines
and compensation as per the Montreal Convention
which India accepted in 2009.
32. India has been ranked at the 90th place in a list of 126
countries in terms of Energy Security complied by
World Economic Forum (WEF). The list is topped by
Switzerland.

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33. A total of 183 self cleaning public eToilets have been

installed in the Chennai City. Chennai is the 1st city in
India to gets smart Toilets. These toilets are free for
Public use.
34. Three British scientists have won a prestigious 2016
Grete Lundbeck European Brain Research Prize (also
known as Brain Prize) for giving vital insight how the
human brain remembers, learns and navigates. These
scientists are Timothy Bliss, Graham Collingridge &
Richard Morris.
35. South Korea's parliament Passed the country's first
anti-terror bill, with opposition lawmakers leaving
the plenary chamber after ending the nine-day
marathon speeches.
36. Peru has declared an emergency three weeks after a
major oil pipeline burst, affecting two rivers in the
countrys northwest.
37. International Finance Corporation (IFC), an part of
the World Bank group launched its first Uridashi
Masala bonds ( Japanese Bonds ) to mobilize Rs.30
crores (or $4.3 million) directly from Japanese
household investors to promote private sector
development in India.
38. The Hinduja Group is a global conglomerate company
acquired the heritage Old War Office in London that
was once inhabited by Winston Churchill.
39. Poet Dr Bhagwati Lal Vyas has been chosen for the
2015 Bihari Puraskar for his anthology of Rajasthani
poems 'Katha Sun Aawe Hai Sabad' Published in 2010.
40. New Zealand Cricketer Martin Crowe passed away
after a prolonged battle with cancer that eventually
proved one attack the gifted cricketer couldn't see off.
41. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Rs
50,000-crore "Setu Bharatam" programme to build
bridges for safe and seamless travel on National
Highways. With this the government aims to make all
national highways free from railway crossings by
2019.
42. Government of Kerala has taken first of its kind
initiative by launching the Air Ambulance in Kerala
launched by the Chief Minister Oommen handy.
43. Veteran Film Actor and Director Shri Manoj Kumar is
to be conferred the 47th Dada Saheb Phalke Award
for the year 2015.
44. Alappuzha Backwaters To Get Indias First Solar
Ferry.
45. The government of India has proposed to constitute a
committee of Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) to monitor
implementation of packages for rehabilitation of the
displaced community. The committee panel will
consist 10 member.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH
46. Veteran playwright and director Ratan Thiyam has
been selected for prestigious Lifetime Achievement
Award for 2016 at the 11th edition of Mahindra
Excellence in Theatre Awards (META).
47. The World's most expensive train station in the world
opens at the World Trade Center site in New York,
United States Of America.
48. Leading e-commerce company Flipkart launched its
own advertisement platform, Brand Story Ads, with
over 50 leading brands on board.
49. Veteran singer Stevie Wonder was honoured with
Global Green Hero award. The award has been given
at the 13th Annual Global Green USA Pre Oscar party.
50. Veteran All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) leader and
senior-most leader of the Left Front in West Bengal,
Ashok Ghosh passed away recently. He was 94.
51. Purno Agitok Sangma, who was the Lok Sabha
Speaker from 1996 to 1998 and one of the cofounders of Nationalist Congress Party passed away
following a heart attack. He was 68.
52. The Mumbai under-23 team clinched the Col CK
Nayudu Trophy by defeating Madhya Pradesh at the
Holkar Stadium in Indore.
53. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed
between Indian Army and Hinduja Grouped Induslnd
Bank on the Defence Salary package.
54. Independent investor Sunil Sabharwal has become
the first Indian American to occupy a key
administration post as Alternate Executive Director at
the IMF.
55. The Advertising Club Madras conferred its 1st
Distinguished Service Award on Srinivasan K Swamy,
Chairman and Managing Director, R K Swamy BBDO
for his outstanding contribution to the advertising
industry.
56. Beverage giants PepsiCo has named as the new
associate sponsor of BCCI , which was earlier pulled
out as title sponsors of the Indian Premier League in
October.
57. The traditional festival of Chapchar Kut of the Mizos
was celebrated across the north-eastern state of
Mizoram and also in the Mizo-inhabited areas in the
neighbouring states.
58. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) CEO and managing
director Natarajan Chandrasekaran and two others
appointed as non-official directors to the board of
Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Other two are: Mr
Mankad & Bharat Narotam Doshi.
59. The Election Commission today announced the
schedule for Assembly polls in four states West
Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and for Union
Territory
Puducherry.
The
Chief
Election
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Commissioner Nasim Zaidi has announced the

election date in New Delhi.
60. Pat Conroy, Prince of Tides And Great Santini Author,
Dies At 70.
61. Telangana Congress Former Minister Ramreddy
Venkat Reddy passed away yesterday. He was 72.
62. P.K.Nair, the founder director of the Nationl Film
Archive of India has passed away. He was 86.
63. Anirban Lahiri Jumps To 9th Spot At World Golf
Championships.
64. Jitu Rai (Nepali) is an Indian shooter of Nepalese
origin, clinch the 50m pistol gold at the ISSF World
Cup Bangkok.
65. The first Raisina-Dialogue 2016, a flagship conference
on Geopolitics and Geo-economics began in New
Delhi.
66. India has filed a complaint against the United States
decision to impose high fees L-1 and H-1B categories
of temporary working visas in the World Trade
Organisation (WTO).
67. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated a National
conference on Women Legislators: Building
Resurgent India in New Delhi.
68. Uttar Pradesh Assembly passed the UP Revenue Code
(Amendment) Bill 2016 replacing an ordinance issued
by the Governor Ram Naik. The Bill allows Dalits of
the state to sell their land to non-Dalits in the state
without approval of the administration even if their
remaining holding is less than 3.5 acres.
69. With mounting bad loans, the second edition of the
Finance Ministrys brain storming session with public
sector banks focused on management of nonperforming assets and consolidation in the sector. The
two-day Gyan Sangam an annual retreat of chiefs of
public sector financial institutions, officials from the
Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India
recently held on March 4 and 5 in Gurgaon.
70. Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Minister for
Petroleum and Natural Gases laid the foundation
stone of Country's 1st its of kind Octomax unit at
Mathura refinery.
71. Finance Minister of India Mr. Arun Jaitley has
indicated that the Government may merge 27 public
sector banks into just six.
72. Myanmar has granted operating licenses to four Asian
banks, bringing to 13 the number of foreign banks
allowed to conduct business in the previously isolated
country. Bank for Investment and Development of
Vietnam, State Bank of India, Taiwan's Sun
Commercial Bank and South Korea's Shinhan Bank,
these are the four bank were granted preliminary

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH
licenses, Myanmar's Foreign Bank Licensing
Committee.
73. Dr Amrita Patel has been conferred with the
Mahindra Samriddi India Agri Lifetime Achievement
Aear-Krishi Shiromani Samman in New Delhi.
74. Jalandhar-based Capital Local Area Bank has become
the first entity to receive the Reserve Bank of Indias
licence to start operations as a small finance bank.
75. Amazon World's largest e-retailer is India's most
trusted online shopping brand followed homegrown
Snapdeal and Flipkart.
76. Real estate developer Tata Housing has partnered
with the country's largest lender, State Bank of India,
on the occasion of the International Women's Day.
77. The first two-day 'Happening Haryana Global
Investors Summit 2016' has kicked off in Gurgaon,
which has seen participation from 12 countries.
78. Uttar Pradesh Assembly passed the UP Revenue Code
(Amendment) Bill 2016 replacing an ordinance issued
by the Governor Ram Naik. The Bill allows Dalits of
the state to sell their land to non-Dalits in the state
without approval of the administration even if their
remaining holding is less than 3.5 acres.
79. Ray Tomlinson, the inventor of email has passed
away. He was 74. He died of an apparent heart attack.
80. Renowned Malayalam actor and folk singer
Kalabhavan Mani passed away in Kochi on Sunday. He
was 45.
81. Nancy Davis Reagan was an American actress and the
wife of the 40th President of the United States,
Ronald Reagan. She died At 94
82. Season 3 of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi, ended on a high
note with power packed action between U Mumba
and Patna Pirates. Patna Pirates beat the dominant U
Mumba to emerge as Champions of Pro Kabaddi
Season 3.
83. India beat Bangladesh by 8 wickets in the final to win
their Asia Cup title. With this victory, India lifted their
sixth Asia Cup title.
84. International Women's Day (IWD) , International
Women's Day was observed across the world on 8
March 2016.
85. Fitch, the global rating agency has maintained India's
growth forecast for India at 7.5 % for this fiscal (
2015-2016 ) and also sees higher growth around 7.7
% & 7.9 % over the next two financial years.
86. Union Minister for Women and Child Development
Maneka Sanjay Gandhi launched Mahila e-Haat portal
in New Delhi to facilitate women entrepreneurs to sell
their products to buyers.

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87. PM has selected another village for adoption in his

Varanasi Constituency of U.P. for development under
the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY).
88. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 8 March 2016
announced to withdraw proposal to tax Employee
Provident Fund (EPF) withdrawals.
89. Bajaj Power Generation Company has signed an
agreement with the Indian Railways for electrification
of the Lalitpur-Udaipura rail section under the public
private partnership (PPP).
90. Banks have so far disbursed over Rs 1.15 lakh crore
under Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY),
Financial Services Secretary Anjuly Chib Duggal.
91. SoftBank is planning to separate its profitable
domestic mobile business from its international
business, which includes a majority stake in US
mobile operator Sprint Corp. Both the subsidiaries
will be 100-percent owned by SoftBank.
92. The US and South Korean troops on 7 March 2016
began their largest ever military exercises off the
coast of the Korean peninsula.
93. President Francois Hollande has awarded the Legion
dHonneur, Frances highest honour, to visiting Saudi
crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef. Nayef was cited
for his efforts in the fight against terrorism and
extremism."
94. Renowned Dogri poetess and writer Padma Sachdev
has been awarded Krutitava Smagra Samman for
2015. The award was given by the Bharatiya Bhasha
Parishad in Kolkata, West Bengal.
95. Maria Sharapova provisionally suspended after failing
drugs test at Australian Open.
96. The countrys largest mobile wallet provider Paytm
has got into a strategic tie-up with Florida-based
global provider dedicated to banking and payments
technologies FIS Global.
97. Mumbai financial capital of India to host BRICS
Friendship Cities Conclave in April involving top
Urban Policy makers and Planners from BRICS
Nations.
98. Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has
successfully test-fired several ballistic missiles from
silos across the country.
99. Government Karnataka has launched Mukhyamantri
Santwana Harish Yojana to provide free medical
treatment to road accident victims for the first 48
hours (2 days) in the nearest government or private
hospital.
100. NTPC has been conferred the Research Investor
Communication Award among the Large Corporates
category .Director Finance of the Company. Shri K.

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Biswal, received the award at a ceremony held at BSE
in Mumbai
101. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited has appointed
Indian Cricketer and Captain MS Dhoni as the Brand
ambassador for its top selling health supplement
Revital H.
102. Reliance Jio To Offer free Wi-Fi at 6 stadiums For T20
World Cup.
103. Telangana and Maharashtra governments will be
signing Memoranda of Understanding to construct
five barrages across Godavari and Pen Ganga rivers.
104. Germany will partner India in turning Bhubaneswar,
Coimbatore and Kochi into smart cities, according to
German ambassador to India Martin Ney. 108feet
tall idol of Lord Rishabhdeva, the first Teerthankar of
Jains, carved out of a single rock, has entered the
Guinness World Records as the worlds tallest Jain
statue.
105. Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., Indias leading integrated
travel and travel related financial services company,
has announced a strategic collaboration with Western
Union Business Solutions, a business segment of The
Western Union Company, and DCB Bank Limited
(formerly Development Credit Bank Ltd.).
106. Digital payments platform FreeCharge has partnered
with Mexico-based chain of movie theatres, Cinepolis,
that aims to provide its customers an easy to use and
secure way of making payments.
107. President Pranab Mukherjee on 8 March 2016
presented Nari Shakti Puraskar for the year 2015 to
15 women, 5 organisations, one state and panchayat.
The awards were conferred on the occasion of
International Women's Day at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
108. The Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
has approved Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana with an
outlay of Rs 8,000 crore for three years, Oil Minister
Dharmendra Pradhan.
109. Garuda Shakti, the 4th edition of joint training
exercise between India and Indonesia will be hosted
by Indonesia.
110. The Union Cabinet approved amending the Mines and
Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act to
regulates mining sector activities in the country.
111. Central government is expected to sign agreements
worth over Rs. 72,000 crore with private players on
port-related projects at the Indian Maritime Summit
to be held in Mumbai.
112. Government of India has announced today that in
2014-2015, 116 Public Sector Enterprises (PSUs)
have spent an amount of rs. 2447.59 Crore on
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities and
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no complaint has been received on misuse of these

funds.
113. Five healthcare ATMs have come up in four states.
Those states are MP, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and
Andhra Pradesh.
114. In Order to propel the Wind Energy Potential in India,
Union government will soon unveil a policy to give
incentives including an interest discount of 0.25 % for
increasing capacity of Wind mills of up to 1MW.
115. The government will divest 5 per cent stake in
Container Corporation of India (Concor) through the
offer for sale (OFS) route.
116. Railways shifting the gears to introduce trains that
run at speeds around 320 kmph, the railways have
formed a new Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to
implement the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed
Bullet Train project named the National High Speed
Rail Corporation Limited.
117. Private lender Yes Bank launched an all-women
operated bank branch 'Yes Grace' on Cunningham
Road here aimed at offering customised banking
solutions to women.
118. Gujarat has topped the list among the 21 cities in a
race to be the best state in India having an investment
potential, according to the report submit by economic
think tank NCAER.
119. IAF To Get The First Batch Of Women Fighter Pilots In
June. Bhawna Kanth, Avani Chaturvedi, and Mohana
Singh are likely to create history as Indias first
women fighter pilots.
120. Sudhakar Rao will be the new Chairman of BSE and
new Public Interest Director announced by BSE. He is
going to replace Mr. S Ramadorai.
121. Actress Sonakshi Sinha has become a Guinness World
Records title-holder as she along with several other
women participated in an initiative to set a record for
most
people
painting
their
fingernails
simultaneously.
122. The legendary music producer George Henry Martin
has passed away in England. He was 90 years old.
123. Rest of India (ROI) pull off an incredible chase to beat
41 times Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai by four
wickets to win the Irani Trophy 2016.
124. The NITI Aayog (GOIs premier think tank) has
launched the Women Transforming India initiative on
8th March the International Women's Day in
partnership with the UN in India and MyGov.
125. India will launch 25 foreign satellites belonging to
seven countries. The list is topped by the USA in
2016-17.

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126. The Rajya Sabha passed a landmark Real Estate Bill

with a promise to secure the interests of homebuyers
and developers in equal measure and remove
corruption and inefficiency from the sector.
127. The Union Government has appointed the former
Supreme Court Judge justice Balbir Singh Chauhan as
the Chairman of 21st Law Commission of India (LCI).
128. Project Mausam is the initiative of Ministry of Culture
which is to be implemented by the Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI) as the nodal agency with
research support of the Indira Gandhi National Centre
for the Arts (IGNCA) and National Museum as
associate bodies.
129. The Upper House of the Parliament passed The
National Waterways Bill, 2015, which was tabled in
Lok Sabha on May 5, 2015 by the Minister of Road
Transport and Highways and Shipping, Mr.
NitinGadkari.
130. To conserve several species of birds Government has
signed Raptor MoU - a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) on conservation of birds of
prey in Africa and Eurasia.
131. Countrys largest private sector lender ICICI Bank
launched a credit-linked subsidy scheme for home
loans under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
132. In the aftermath of National Governing Council
meeting of Aluminium Association of India Tapan
Chad elected as AAI chiefTapan Kumar Chand has
been unanimously elected as the President of the
metal governing body.
133. Veteran Egyptian diplomat Ahmed Abul Gheit (73)
has been selected as Secretary General of the Arab
League.
134. The renowned Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut
has announced as the brand ambassador of Reebok
India. On the occasion the actress has also launched
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the new campaign of the brand titled Be More

Human.
135. Renowned Brazil musician Nana Vasconcelos has
passed away in the northeastern Brazilian city of
Recife. He was suffering from lung cancer. He was 71.
136. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has
entered into a 4 year partnership with Hyundai Motor
India Ltd (HMIL) as an associate sponsor for all
international matches at home. Hyundai is a Korean
car maker.
137. RITES (Public Sector Enterprise under Ministry of
Railways) signed a contract to supply 18 Meter Gauge
1350 HP Diesel Electric Locomotives to Myanmar
Railways.
138. Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu on 11th march
2016 has launched the 'clean my coach' service. The
service allows a passenger to make request for a dirty
coach to be swept and cleaned by sending an SMS on
mobile number 58888 or by using an app or a
designated website.
139. The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and
Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016, was
passed by a voice vote after a brief debate, during
which Finance Minister Arun Jaitley assured the
House that details provided for the card will not be
misused in any manner.
140. The Union Cabinet on 10 March 2016 approved the
proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs to amend the
Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 through the Parliament
retrospectively with effect from 8 October 2013.
141. A 250 km-long protest march against plans to build
Rampal Power Station, Indo-Bangladesh coal-fired
power plant near the Sundarbans, was kick-started on
10 March 2016.
142. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Patna,where
he dedicated to the nation the newly constructed
Digha-Sonepur rail-cum-road bridge and inaugurate a
new rail bridge in Munger.
143. A power generation unit at Kakrapar Atomic Power
Station in Surat was shut down after leakage of heavy
water.
144. The countrys GDP can grow by 7.9 per cent next fiscal
if the monsoon is normal and the government
implements the reform measures announced so far,
domestic rating agency Crisil.
145. HDFC Bank has chosen five start-ups it will work with
to strengthen their web, mobile and payment
offerings.
146. Uber, the ride sharing service provider has opened its
first Asian engineering center in Bengaluru
highlighting the focus on India to solve the localized
challenges of Uber users in the country.

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147. The defence ministry on Friday approved a Rs 13,000
crore weapons and sensors package for the seven
new stealth frigates being constructed by defence
shipyards for the Navy as well as accorded the initial
approval for the Rs 7,200 crore project to
indigenously manufacture 244 air defence guns for
the IAF.
148. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing and
ratification of the Bay of Bengal Initiative on Multi
Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
(BIMSTEC) Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in
Criminal Matters.
149. Tezpur University won the annual Visitors Award for
the Best University.
150. The Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, in association
with the Karnataka Horticulture Department, will
conduct a honey festival in Mangaluru on March 12
and 13.
151. India and International Monetary Fund (IMF) have
decided to set up South Asia Regional Training and
Technical Assistance Centre (SARTTC) in New Delhi.
152. Mahindra & Mahindra Chairman and Managing
Director (MD) Anand Mahindra was conferred with
Chevalier de la Legion dHonneur (Knight of the
Legion of Honour) by French Government.
153. Union Power Ministry has announced name UJALA for
the LED based Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme
(DELP). UJALA is acronym for Unnat Jyoti by
Affordable LEDs for All.
154. Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) N P S Hira has been
appointed as Deputy Chief of Army Staff. He will be
now moving to Army Headquarters in New Delhi.
155. India and United States have launched the Fulbright
Kalam Climate Fellowship enabling Indian research
scholars to work with American institutions in the
field of climate change.
156. The Arab League has declared Lebanese movement
Hezbollah, a Shia political organisation a terrorist
group. The move comes after the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) had adopted the same stance.
157. India successfully test-fired indigenously built
nuclear-capable intermediate range Agni-I ballistic
missile. It was launched from launch pad-4 of the
Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Abdul Kalam Island
(Wheeler Island) on the Odisha coast.
158. The 13th meeting of Broadband Commission for
Sustainable Development was held on 14 March 2016
in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The meeting
was held to promote the power of broadband
networks and services for the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development.
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159. A Palestinian primary school teacher from a refugee

camp, Hanan Al Hroub won one million dollar Global
Teacher Prize. She was awarded for her outstanding
contribution to the profession.
160. Services won the Santosh Trophy National Football
Championships title. In the summit clash at SEC
Railway Stadium in Nagpur, Services defeated host
Maharashtra 2-1.
161. Maritime India Summit 2016 (MIS 2016), the maiden
flagship initiative of the Union Ministry of Shipping,
will be organised from 14 to 16 April 2016 at Bombay
Convention and Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. Republic
of Korea is the partner country for MIS 2016.
162. 4th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves was
inaugurated on 14 March 2016 at Lima in Peru. The
event will be held from 14 March to 17 March 2016 to
address different issues related to the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) and the Post 2015
Development Agenda.
163. British Keyboardist and progressive rock legend Keith
Emerson died on 10 March 2016. He was 71.
164. Country's largest private sector lender ICICI Bank has
tied up with marquee sports car maker Ferrari to
launch co-branded credit card.
165. Kerala Tourisms new campaign on responsible
tourism has bagged the prestigious Golden City Gate
Award at the worlds leading travel trade show , ITB
in the German capital of Berlin.
166. Astronaut Scott Kelly will retire from NASA next
month, after spending nearly a year in space and
setting a record for the most cumulative days in space
of any American.
167. State-run telecommunication company, Bharat
Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has launched free Wifi
services at the Srinagar international airport.
168. Indian boxer and Olympic bronze medalist Vijender
Singh notched up his fourth successive knockout win
in the professional boxing circuit, beating Hungarys
Alexander Horvath in under three rounds in
Liverpool.
169. India Inc. is set to formally adopt the United Nations
(UN) agenda for the worlds sustainable development
and the 17 goals identified for its implementation.
170. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will leave for
Nepal to attend SAARC ministerial meet. Before the
Ministerial meeting, a session of Programming
Committee of SAARC will be held in Pokhara (Nepal).
Standing Committee of the SAARC, which is a Foreign
Secretaries-level Forum, will be held on 16th of this
month.
171. Anil Wadhwa, Ambassador of India to Italy, has been
concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH
India to the Republic of San Marino with residence in
Rome.
172. Myanmar's Parliament elected Htin Kyaw as the first
civilian president to lead the country after 53 years of
military rule.
173. Parytak Mitra Programme was in news on 14 March
2016. It came in news after the information on the
same was provided in the Lok Sabha by the Minister
of State for Culture and Tourism (I/C) Dr. Mahesh
Sharma.
174. Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro on 14 March
2016 declared a two-month extension on emergency
powers meant to help shore up the country's crippled
economy.
175. India's fifth largest private sector Bank, YES Bank on
11 March 2016 signed a strategic Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with India Brazil Chamber of
Commerce (IBCC) to enable significant cooperation in
terms
of
knowledge
partnerships,
project
consultancy, B2B opportunities, skill and technology
initiatives.
176. Mumbai based Non-banking financial company Altico
Capital India has appointed former HSBC India
chairperson Naina Lal Kidwai as an independent nonexecutive director.
177. India Post has selected Deloitte to advise it on setting
up a payments bank and an agreement between the
two will be signed on March 14.
178. 323 villages have been electrified across the country
during last week (from 6th to 13th March 2016)
under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojna
(DDUGJY).
179. Lin Dan from China has won the prestigious 2016 All
England Badminton title in the mens singles
category.In the final match played at Birmingham,
England he defeated Chinese teammate Tian Houwei
by 21-9, 21-10 score.
180. Mother Teresa will be made a saint on September 4,
Pope Francis announced. 19 years after the death of
the Nobel Laureate who spent 45 years serving the
poor and sick on the streets of Kolkata.
181. 7th meeting of the Governing Board of the IndoGerman Science and Technology Centre (IGSTC) was
held on 15 March 2016 in New Delhi. The meeting
was chaired by the Union Science & Technology and
Earth Sciences Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
182. The first of two 600 MW power generation units at
the Singareni Thermal Power Plant (STPP) at
Pegadapalli in Jaipur mandal of Adilabad District, was
synchronised with top officials including Singareni
Collieries Chairman and Managing Director N. Sridhar
participating in it.
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183. The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has

signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with
the Ecotourism Society of India (ESOI) to take its
commitments to Responsible and Sustainable tourism
to the next level.
184. World Consumer Day is celebrated across the World
on 15th March 2016.
185. Anita Brookner, the Booker prize-winning British
author and renowned art historian, has died at the
age of 87.

186. ICICI Bank on 15 March 2016 announced a new

mobile payment solution Touch & Pay. This solution is
based on Near Field Communication (NFC)
technology and will enable the banks customers to
make secure contactless payments at retail stores
using smartphones.
187. Union Government and Jammu & Kashmir
Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) under the Scheme Ujwal DISCOM Assurance
Yojana (UDAY) on 15 March 2016 for operational and
financial turnaround of the States Power Distribution
Department.
188. India ranked 118th out of 156 countries on the United
Nations World Happiness Index (WHI) 2016 &
Denmark takes the top spot as the happiest country in
the world. It has replaced Switzerland.
189. The TIMEs magazine cited Modis unconventional
announcement on Twitter of his visit to Pakistan last
year while naming him among The 30 Most
Influential People on the Internet for the second year
in a row in this years unranked list.
190. The UN honoured the founder of India-based Miavy
Systems Abdulqadir Rashik for the Unite Ideas
LinksSDGs Data Visualization Challenge.
191. The Reserve Bank of India is likely to pay the
government Rs 57,000 crore in dividends in 2016-17,
slightly less than the amount it paid in the current
fiscal but much higher than that in earlier years.

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192. A total of fourteen Indian investors have been
featured in a list of top 100 venture capitalists in the
world.
193. Central government is implementing the Centrally
Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha
Abhiyan (RUSA) for providing financial support
194. to proposals contained in State Higher Education Plan
(SHEP) approved by the State Higher Education
Councils (SHECs) in order to achieve the objectives of
equity, access and quality.
195. Under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana Loans worth
Rs1.09 lakh crore have been sanctioned to small
entrepreneurs, loans worth over Rs.1.09 lakh crore
were given to over 2.96 crore beneficiaries.
196. Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) became the 9th state to sign
the memorandum of understanding (MoU) for power
distribution reforms, the Ujwal Discoms Assurance
Yojana (UDAY).
197. Indias largest telecom operator by subcriber base,
Bharti Airtel, said on Thursday that it has acquired
Videocon Telecom for Rs 4,428 crore.
198. The India Aviation 2016, an international exhibition
and conference on civil aviation kicked off in
Hyderabad, Telangana.
199. Michelle Yeoh, the award winning action heroine has
been appointed as United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador.
200. Famous Shehnai exponent Ustad Ali Ahmad Hussain
Khan has passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal. He
was 77. He was suffering from kidney related
problem and hospitalized from the past few days.
201. Television magician Paul Daniels has died aged 77
after being diagnosed with a brain tumor.
202. The United Nations (UN) has suspended Russian
tennis player Maria Sharapova as Goodwill
Ambassador of the organisation after she was tested
positive on doping allegations.
203. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the
World Sufi Forum in New Delhi, where more than 200
Indian and international delegates, including Sufi
Shuyukh, spiritual leaders, scholars, academicians and
masters of Sufism, are participating.
204. The Government of India has signed a loan agreement
with the World Bank for Neeranchal National
Watershed Project in Madhya Pradesh.
205. Information and Broadcasting Minister ArunJaitley
will inaugurate the 6th National Community Radio
Sammelan in New Delhi.
206. The Indian Railway Ministry has announced that it
has signed an agreement with the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO).
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207. Desmi
Technology
a
leading
international
manufacturer of pumps and pump solutions plans to
set up a plant on the outskirts of Hyderabad shortly.
208. According to the data from credit information bureau
CIBIL, more than 5,600 borrowers, who owe banks
close to Rs 60,000 crore, have been declared wilful
defaulters by lenders as on December 31.
209. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has confirmed to
the BCCI that Russell Adams has been designated as
points man for all further correspondence.
210. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Indias leading IT
services provider, announced a three year
partnership with the Virgin Money London Marathon
to enhance the digital experience delivered to
marathon participants.
211. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the
lead UN agency for delivery of a world where every
pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and
every young persons potential is fulfilled, appointed
actor and activist Ashley Judd as its Goodwill
Ambassador.
212. Surat is the cleanest railway station in the country,
followed by Rajkot and Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh),
according to an Indian Railway Catering and Tourism
Corporation (IRCTC) survey released.
213. Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions Corp (HitachiOmron Terminal Solutions) has established Hitachi
Terminal Solutions India Pvt Ltd (Hitachi Terminal
Solutions India) to be based in Bengaluru as an ATM
manufacturing company.
214. Air Asia India has made an announcement on
Thursday that Mr. Amar Abrol will be the new CEO of
the company with the effect from April 1, 2016.
215. Mobile wallet and digital payments player FreeCharge
has announced the launch of its hat and Pay feature.
The company said this feature enables social
payments between users and merchants.
216. Suresh Senapaty, the ex Wipro CFO has been
appointed as the new Chairman by Honeywell
Automation India Ltd (HAIL) on Thursday.
217. Actor Larry Drake, known for playing Benny on TV
show "L.A. Law", has died. He was 66.
218. The government slashed interest rates on smallsavings schemes, including the Public Provident Fund
and Kisan Vikas Patra.
219. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurate three-day
'Krishi Unnati Mela' providing information on new
farm schemes and technologies that will help farmers
double their incomes within the next few years.
220. Supreme Court allowed now use of pictures of Chief
Ministers, Governors and Cabinet ministers in the
government's media advertisements.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH
221. Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan on 17 March 2016
launched the Online Depot System in New Delhi to
automate all the operations of Food Corporation of
India (FCI) depots.
222. Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has become the first bank
to commence the sale of Indian Gold Coin (IGC) in the
domestic market.
223. India and Bangladesh entered into a new era of
petroleum trade with a special goodwill train loaded
with High Speed Diesel rolling down from India to
Bangladesh.
224. Turkey and the EU have reached a controversial deal
European leaders hope will stop the flow of refugees
to the continent in return for political and financial
concessions for Ankara.
225. India and Australia ink pact to avoid double social
security contribution Under this agreement,
employees of India deputed to Australia and vice
versa will not have to make double social security
contribution.
226. Russia gets its own Rating Firm named ACRA.
227. Pfizer, the pharmaceutical major has announced the
appointed of Mr. S Sridhar as its new Managing
Director (MD) with immediate effect for a period of
five years.
228. The Airport Authority Of India (AAI) has given the
additional charge of Chairman to Mr. Sudhir Raheja.
229. An Indian Professor has become the president of a
scholarly group in the US dedicated to international
studies. Professor TV Paul took over as the 56th
president of International Studies Association (ISA).
230. Tikka Shatrujit Singh, chief representative in Asia for
French multinational LVMH (Moet Hennessy-Louis
Vuitton) and advisor to the chairman of Louis Vuitton,
has spearheaded the development of Louis Vuittons
business in India.
231. The 10th edition of Asian Film Awards (AFA), which
was held at the Venetian Theatre in Macau, China,
honoured diverse talents across Asian cinema.
232. World Forestry Day or International Day of Forests is
celebrated worldwide every year on 21st of March.

233. The government has relaxed FDI norms for the

insurance sector by permitting overseas companies to
buy 49 percent stake in domestic insurers without
prior approval, which is another effort to bring more
foreign players into Indias vast insurance market.
234. Within a month of successful commissioning of a 270
MW thermal generating unit in the state, the state run
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BHEL ( Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited ) has

commissioned another 270 MW unit at Goindwal
Sahib coal-fired power project in Punjab.
235. India-born brothers G P Hinduja and S P Hinduja
topped the 'Asian Rich List 2016' released here last
night and the annual rankings showed that they had
added one billion pounds to their personal fortune in
a year to be worth an estimated 16.5 billion pounds.
236. The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon
has appointed Red, the leader of the Angry Birds
mobile game characters as an envoy to inspire climate
action toward a sustainable and happier future for all.
237. Cairn India Ltd. has remained in the top deciles of
safety performance amongst peer group companies
for the FICCI Safety Systems Excellence Award in
Manufacturing.
238. American multinational technology company Cisco
Systems Inc will invest over $100 million over the
next 18 to 24 months to support the country's
ambitious plan to connect thousands of its villages to
the internet and create jobs.
239. One of Mumbai oldest colleges, the Wilson College has
adopted the Charni Road station here for cleanliness
and upkeep as part of the Swachch Bharat Abhiyan.
240. US President Barack Obama embarked on a historic
trip to Cuba more than a year after Washington reset
its foreign policy towards the island following
decades of Cold War animosity that almost led to a
nuclear war.
241. Britains Prince Harry reached Kathmandu on a fiveday visit to Nepal to mark the 200th anniversary of
the bilateral ties.
242. The US President Barack Obama has named the
General Lori Robinson to head the U.S. combatant
command. The position is one of the most senior in
the US Military and Robinson becomes the first
woman to head this position.
243. FC Barcelonas player Lionel Messi has been named as
Huawei global ambassador.
244. India star wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt secured an
Olympic quota place for India with a gold-medal finish
in the men's 65kg freestyle category on an otherwise
disappointing day for the country's grapplers in the
Asian Olympic Qualification tournament in Astana,
Kazakhastan.
245. An Indian student is the winner of the first Noor
Inayat Khan Prize for 2016, the London-based Noor
Inayat Khan Memorial Trust announced.
246. Bangladesh left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny and pacer
Taskin Ahmed have been suspended from bowling in
international cricket council with immediate effect
after an independent assessment found their bowling

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH
actions to be illegal, dealing a massive blow to the
teams campaign in the ongoing World Twenty20.
247. United Nations World Water Day was observed on
22nd March. This years theme of Word Water Day is
Water and Jobs focuses on how enough quantity and
quality of water can change workers lives and
livelihoods and even transform societies and
economies.
248. Indias current account deficit narrowed to 1.3% of
the gross domestic product (GDP) in the fiscal third
quarter.
249. Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferred Krishi
Karman Award to the government of Himachal
Pradesh for its landmark achievement in showing
highest production of food grains in year 2014-15,
despite adverse weather conditions and rain-fed
farming in the state.
250. The regulatory authority of Insurance sector has
given its nod to the Biggest life insurance company of
India- LIC to invest in the Public Sector Banks.
251. India distributed scholarships to over 800
Bangladeshi students under the 'Muktijodha
Scholarship Scheme'. The scholarships were
distributed at the hands of Minister for Liberation
War Affairs in the presence of Indian High
Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Sringla.
252. Union Health Minister JP Nadda launched Cartridge
Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (CBNAAT)
machines for the quick diagnosis of Tuberculosis
within two hours.
253. The government has formally withdrawn the
recognition of Delhi Stock Exchange (DSE) after it was
derecognised by markets regulator Sebi in November
2014 for "serious irregularities" in its functioning.
254. Cinema exhibition chain PVR cinemas and mobile
payments and commerce platform Paytm have
announced a strategic relationship that will bring
PVRs movie tickets to Paytms e-commerce platform
as a part of its nationwide foray in the online movie
ticket segment.
255. Indian capital market regulator SEBI is considering
doing away with the requirement of a fresh KYC for
opening of new accounts in securities market if the
investor has got a bank account.
256. Government of Chhattisgarh had deposited money
that factually GMR Group was supposed to pay for
disbursing compensation to project affected farmers.
257. Swedish furniture retailing giant IKEA will contribute
12.4 million euro (Rs 92.84 crore) to provide safe
water and sanitation to one million people in India
and Indonesia through Water Org.
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258. Anker Henrik Jorgensen, who was a Danish politician

and served at various times as Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister of Denmark has passed away.
259. Ace Indian shuttler HS Prannoy (World no 13) has
won the prestigious 2016 Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold
badminton tournament in the mens single category.
260. Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh
commissioned international gateway of internet
service in Agartala and supply of 100 MW power to
Bangladesh from Tripura.
261. India will host the eighth annual Summit of BRICS
from October 15-16 in Goa in its capacity as chair of
the influential bloc comprising five countries with 42
per cent of the world population and combined GDP
of over $16 trillion.
262. The Department of Posts will offer core banking
solutions (CBS) to its customers at 25,000 post offices
by April, against 20,494 CBS-enabled branches.
263. The National Food Security Act (NFSA) will be
implemented in 10 more states from April 1 this year,
taking the total number of states implementing NFSA
to 21, Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution
Ram Vilas Paswan.

264. Justice HL Dattu, chairperson, National Human Rights

Commission, India emerged as the unanimous choice
to be appointed as a member of the International
Coordinating Committee of NHRIs (ICC) Bureau in
Geneva.
265. India's "unique" Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in
the Western Ghats is among 20 new sites added by

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH
the UN's top cultural body UNESCO to its World
Network of Biosphere Reserves.
266. In what can prove to be a great aid for the Indian
forces in dealing with hostage situations, India's
premier government R&D body DRDO has developed
a radar that can look through a wall. The Through
Barrier Imaging Radar, named 'Divyachakshu' (divine
eye), has been developed by Defence Research and
Development Organisation's (DRDO) Electronics &
Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) based in
Bangalore and is going through development trials
now.
267. The Union Cabinet has approved the national capital
goods
policy.
The
government
believes
implementation of the capital goods policy is critical
and needed to give a boost to the sector and the Make
in India initiative.
268. Hinduja Groups Ashok Leyland Defence Systems Ltd
(ALDS) has tied up with US-based defence contractor
Lockheed Martin Corp. to develop combat vehicles for
the Indian Army.The base platforms of Lockheed
combat vehicles will be used to develop light
specialist and light armoured multipurpose vehicles
for the Indian Army.
269. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired
by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its
approval for extension of time period of the Special
Industry Initiative for J&K (SII J&K) Udaan scheme
till 2019-20.
270. A committee was constituted by the Central Board of
Direct Taxes to examine the business models for ecommerce, identify the direct tax issues in relation to
e-commerce
transactions
and
provide
suggestions.This committee was headed by Akhilesh
Ranjan.
271. The electoral authority of Tanzanias semiautonomous archipelago of Zanzibar, the ZEC,
announced incumbent President Ali Mohamed Shein
had won his re-election bid, after polls boycotted by
the main opposition party.
272. Former Intel Corp. Chief Executive Andy Grove, the
whose youth under Nazi occupation and escape from
the Iron Curtain inspired an only the paranoid
survive management philosophy that saved the chip
maker from financial ruin in the 1980s, died. He was
79.
273. I&B Minister Arun jaitley gives away 5th National
Photography Awards. Addressing the event Union
Minister Jaitley said our impression of personalities
and historical events are based on visuals and a good
photograph has an indefinite life.
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274. Gurmeet Singh created history by becoming the first

Indian athlete to clinch a gold medal in the Asian
20km Race Walk Championships as he won the men's
event with his season's best effort.
275. World TB Day, falling on March 24th each year. This
time the Theme is "Unite to End TB".
276. The government of India has approved a $1.5 billion
(approximate Rs 9,000 crore) to support Swachh
Bharat Mission (SBM) in rural areas. This offer has
been made by The World Bank.
277. The 4 days National AROGYA fair is going to be
started from 26 March in Goa. The fair will be
organised by AYUSH Ministry and Confederation of
Indian Industry.
278. The Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV), ICGS Arnvesh, of the
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was commissioned in
Visakhapatnam. The vessel was commissioned by the
Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern
Naval Command, Vice-Admiral HCS Bisht.
279. Bajaj Finance is entering the Rs 20,000-crore life care
segment. Under this segment it will finance expenses
for stem cells storage units, cosmetics-based hair
treatment, dental and eye care, IVF & maternity care,
laproscopic cure for a dozen ailments, and elective
medical/paramedical care for many other issues.
280. Retired Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court Justice
Permod Kohli has been appointed as the Chairman of
Central Administrative Tribunal(CAT).
281. The South Indian Bank has announced that its
personnel department has achieved the ISO
9001:2008 certification.
282. After a long wait, Nepal has officially become a
dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation with the signing of a memorandum.
283. India and France have signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) for construction of six nuclear
reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra, two months after
the two countries decided to conclude the technocommercial negotiations for the project by the year
end.
284. Kadhaprasangam maestro and actor VD Rajappan has
passed away at a private hospital in Kottayam. He was
70. He was Kerala's popular 'Kadhaprasangam' (story
telling) artiste and Malayalam film actor mainly
known for his comic roles.
285.
286. Johan Cruyff aka Flying Dutchman, the legendary
Dutch football striker and coach has died of lung
cancer at the age of 68.
287. Veteran Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has
announced today that he would retire from

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH
international cricket at the end of the ongoing World
Twenty20 tournament in India. He is 34 year old.
288. Arvind Kejriwal has been named among the worlds
50 greatest leaders by Fortune magazine with the
Delhi Chief Minister being the sole Indian leader on
the list topped by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
289. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley flied to Australia for a
four-day visit to attract foreign investments in the
infrastructure sector.The objectives of the finance
minister's visit to Australia is to attract foreign
investment in India, especially in the infrastructure
sector among others.
290. Department of heavy industry has granted inprinciple approval to Himachal Road Transport
Corporation (HRTC) and Mumbai Metropolitan
Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to
introduce zero-emission retrofitted electric buses.
291. The information technology services entity of Tech
Mahindra has announced the launch of a development
centre in Toulouse, France, to work on projects for
existing partners and customers in the aerospace
industry.
292. Microsoft, which launched artificial intelligence (AI)powered bot on Twitter for a playful chat with people,
only to silence it within 24 hours as users started
sharing racist and offensive comments with the bot.
293. FMCG ITC Ltd said that it has completed the full
acquisition of Technico Agri Sciences Ltd (TASL). The
company owned by its direct subsidiary, Technico Pty
Limited (TPL), Australia for a cash value of Rs 121
crore.
294. RuPay the domestic card payment service provider
will be venturing into the credit card space this
September after increasing its market share to 38 per
cent in the debit card segment.
295. Private sector Bank Lakshmi Vilas has tied up with
National Bulk Handling Corporation (NBHC) for
collateral management and warehousing services.
296. Hero Cycles, the worlds largest bicycle manufacturer
by volume has acquired 60 % stake in one of Sri
Lanka's leading bicycle manufactures BSH Ventures.
297. Paytm, Indias mobile payment and commerce
platform has appointed ex-head of Alibaba Group
Holdings wholesale business, Bhushan Patil as the
companys new President. He will now focus on
building Paytms cross border commerce.
298. At the inauguration of the 5th National Industrial &
Trade Fair organised by Dalit Indian Chamber
Commerce & Industry (DICCI) , Union Minister for
MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) Kalraj
Mishra has announced that, Under Stand-up India
initiative, each of the 1.25 lakh bank branches would
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be encouraged to fund a SC/ST and woman

entrepreneurs to create 2.5 lakh new entrepreneurs
in the country.
299. The Gadanki Ionospheric Radar Interferometer (GIRI)
has been set up at the National Atmospheric Research
Laboratory (NARL) near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh
by The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
300. The Mizoram government and Japanese International
Cooperative Agency (JICA) signed an agreement on
Capacity Enhancement for Sustainable Agriculture
and Irrigation Development.
301. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), a Maharatna
central public sector enterprise, has successfully
commissioned a 600 Mw coal-based thermal power
plantin Telangana.
302. Andhra government which is known for its
innovations and use of technologies in various sectors
has also become the first Indian state to implement
lift irrigation.
303. Iran signed a confidential oil agreement with France's
Total to develope the South Azadegan oil field shared
by Iran and Iraq, Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar
Zangeneh said.
304. Iran and Pakistan have mutually agreed to boost
bilateral cooperation on regional security and trade.
Decision in this regard was taken by Iranian President
Hassan Rouhani and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif during intensive talks in Islamabad.
305. Garry Shandling, the famous comedian who was best
known for his faux docudrama and the show " it's
Garry Shandling's " has passed away due to an
apparent heart attack. He was 66 year old.
306. Peter Brown, who had starring roles in two television
westerns in the 1950s and 60s and later acted in soap
operas, has died at the age of 80 due to Parkinsons
disease.
307. India and China have led the developing countries in
investments made in renewable energy in 2015. It
was revealed by the Global Trends in Renewable
Energy Investment Report published by the UN
Environment Programme (UNEP).
308. Scientists at Lucknow based CSIR-Central Institute of
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) have found
that mint plant has medicinal values that can cure
cancer.
309. The Union Consumer Affairs Ministry has released a
self-regulation Code of ethical business conduct to be
adopted by the Industry on providing best products
and services. In this regard, Memoranda of
Understanding
(MoU)
was
inked
between
Department of Consumer Affairs and the industry
bodies related to self-regulated code of fair business.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH
310. Presidents Rule has been imposed in Uttarakhand.
The decision has been come up a day before the
crucial trust vote in the state assembly for the Harish
Rawat government.
311. Bollywood won big at the 63rd National Awards with
Amitabh Bachchan and Kangana Ranaut scooping up
Best Actor and Best Actress awards for Piku and Tanu
Weds Manu Returns respectively. SS Rajamoulis
magnum opus Baahubali emerged as the Best Film
and Sanjay Leela Bhansali won in the best director
category for his period drama, Bajirao Mastani.
312. The government launched the vaccine for Rotavirus
vaccine
as part of Universal Immunization
Programme to prevent child mortaility due to
Rotavirus diarrhoea.
313. Madhya Pradesh is going to have its first Indo Tibetan
Border Police weapon training centre at Batiagarh,
Damoh. ITBP's Weapon and Support Weapon
Training Centre will be the first of its kind in the state.
314. Haryana Government has launched a new scheme
Adapting Homes for the Differently-abled, under
which pension of 6 months would be given in advance
to such persons for adapting their homes as per their
requirement.
315. Maharashtra Gets Its First Set Of Women
Commanders To Protect Forest.
316. Federal Bank is all set to open an incubation centers
for startups in Bangalore and Ernakulam. These
branches will offer advice on capital, regulatory
support and even disburse funds in these specialized
lounges.
317. China has launched its first cyber security public
organization aimed at better safeguarding national
cyber security and guiding Internet companies in
perform their duties.

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318. Syrian Army and popular defence forces have

regained control of the ancient city of Palmyra from
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group.
319. The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has
successfully test-fired a Barak missile from its
Victory-class missile corvette RSS Vigour during Fleet
Exercise conducted in the South China Sea.
320. Indian origin law professor Surya Deva has been
appointed as an adviser on human rights and
multinationals and businesses by the UN Human
Rights Council (UNHRC).
321. Nandita Bakshi an Indian-American has been
appointed as the President and Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of Bank of the West.
322. Deepika and PR Sreejesh has won the Dhruv Batra
Player of the Year Award for Women and Men
respectively at the Hockey India (HI) Annual Awards.
The award has been given in the 2nd Hockey India
Annual Awards ceremony for 2015.
323. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to inaugurate
the 'Stand Up India' scheme on 5th April. The scheme
aims to creating jobs and promoting entrepreneurs
among SC, ST and women. The scheme will loans to
these segments at cheaper rates.
324. The 1st direct container vessel between India and
Bangladesh have been send from Krishnapatnam port.
The container vessel was carrying cotton set.
325. Starting with Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkars 125th Birth
Anniversary on 14th April 2016 and culminating in
Panchayati Raj Day on 24th April 2016, in the period
between 14th April to 24th April 2016, the Central
Government, in collaboration with States and
Panchayats, will organize a Gram Uday Se Bharat
Uday Abhiyan (Village Self Governance Campaign).
The campaign aims to generate nation-wide efforts to
increase social harmony across villages, strengthen
Panchayati Raj, promote rural development, and
foster farmers progress.
326. Government is planning to infuse additional capital of
about Rs. 5,050 crore in some public sector banks this
week, according to reports.
327. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has given its approval for holding of
Federation Internationale de Football Association
(FIFA) Under-17 World Cup to be held in India in
2017.
328. Public Sector Power equipment manufacturer Bharat
Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has commissioned
the second 40 MW hydropower generating unit at the
Teesta low dam hydroelectric project (HEP) stage IV
in West Bengal.

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329. United States returned an ancient decapitated statue
of Hindu god Rama stolen from Cambodia during the
South East Asian countrys civil war in the 70s.
330. The US Agency for International Development
(USAID) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have
signed an MoU to facilitate USD 848 million (Rs. 5,681
crore) in funding to develop solar parks across India.
331. After a delay of more than 20 years, Myanmars stock
exchange opened for its first day of business, with the
trading of a single company.
332. Jordan will get a cheap $100 million loan from World
Bank to help create 100,000 jobs for Syrian refugees
and its own citizen.
333. Agra Biker Pallavi Fauzdar, became the first solo
woman to ride across the Mana Pass in Uttarakhand
and made a record in the Limca Book.
334. Nestle India Ltd has informed BSE that the Board of
Directors of the Company, on the recommendation of
the Nomination and Remuneration Committee
appointed Dr. Rakesh Mohan as an Independent NonExecutive Director of the Company with effect from
May 01, 2016 upto June 30, 2020.
335. Jim Harrison, the great writers in contemporary
American fiction has passed away at his home in
Patagonia, Arizona. He was the prolific author and
poet. He was 78 year old.
336. Sergey Karjakin the Russian grandmaster has won the
FIDE World Chess Candidates Tournament held in
Moscow.
337. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Brussels on
the first leg of his three-nation tour to Belgium, the US
and Saudi Arabia.
338. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set
to script history by launching a record number of 22
satellites in a single mission in May 2016.
339. India ranks third among countries with high number
of financial Trojan infections, where cybercriminals
defraud customers of online banking services,
security solutions firm Symantec said.
340. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has launched Make in
India conference in Sydney and asked Australian
businesses to be the part of India's growth story.
341. 112 Would Be The National Emergency Number in
India. Since long, Indians had to memorize a plethora
of emergency numbers, based on the situation. Thus,
if 100 is the emergency number to contact police, then
101 is for fire emergency, 102 is for health emergency
and 108 is for emergency situation related to
disasters.
342. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) signed 11
unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs). With
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the signing of these agreements, India has entered

into 59 bilateral or unilateral APAs.
343. Indias first indigenous composites sonar dome, a
ships underwater eyes and ears, was today flagged
off by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar from here
to be delivered to Mazgaon docks in Mumbai.
344. The government permitted 100% FDI in the
marketplace format of e-commerce retailing with a
view to attract more foreign investors.
345. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in a statement
that it has cancelled registration of 22 non-banking
financial companies (NBFCs) including Amazan
Capital and Mascot Commerce.
346. UNICEF launched a series of animated films to help
frame positive perceptions towards the tens of
millions of children and young people on the move
globally, Called Unfairy Tales.
347. Bangladeshs top court has rejected a 28-year-old
petition to remove Islam as official religion of the
country.
348. Japans major NTT Data has acquired Dell Services,
the IT services arm of PC maker Dell. According to
various media reports the deal is valued at over $3
billion.
349. GVK Power and Infrastructure Ltd has agreed to sell a
33% stake in Bangalore International Airport Ltd
(BIAL) to India-born Canadian billionaire Prem
Watsas Fairfax India Holdings Corp.
350. Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence has inked a pact
with Israel's Rafael Advanced Defence System.This is
to set up a JV in India for specialised areas including
air- to-air missiles that will oversee projects worth
USD 10 billion (over Rs 65,000 crore) in ten years.
351. Renowned playback singer P Susheela Mohan has
been recognized by the Guinness World Records and
Asia Book of Records for singing the most number of
songs in Indian languages.
352. Asia's biggest telescope has been launched by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and Belgian Prime Minister
Charles Michel. This is built by the Aryabhatta
Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES)
with the assistance of Belgian.
353. India will sign an MoU with the United States for
building a state-of-the-art Laser Interferometer
Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) project in the
country.
354. Dr. Najma Heptulla, the Union Minister for Minority
Affairs launched innovative entrepreneurship and
skill development programme of Maulana Azad
National Academy for Skills (MANAS) through
leading national/ international experts in different
skill sets in New Delhi.

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Page 15

IN ASSOCIATION WITH
355. J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family
Welfare launched two major Digital initiatives to
provide easy access to health services to the public:
GIS-enabled HMIS application and the self-printing of
e-CGHS cards, in New Delhi.
356. The Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has announced
that the Public sector lender Dena Bank has raised Rs.
65 crore by issuing over 2 crore shares and Andhra
Bank 4.23 per cent stake to LIC on a preferential
allotment, without disclosing the amount.
357. State-run Vijaya Bank said the government has
approved a capital infusion of Rs 220 crore in lieu of
preferential allotment of shares.
358. European Union, through the European Investment
Bank (EIB), will lend India 450 million
(approximately Rs. 3,300 crore) towards constructing
a 23-km long Lucknow Metro rail line and a
purchasing a fleet of new trains.
359. Marking its formal entry into defence, Adani Groups
unit Aero Defence Systems & Technologies Ltd has
signed a so-called statement of intent with ElbitISTAR of Israel and Indian company Alpha Design
Technologies Pvt Ltd to work together in the field of
unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
360. Star India plans to launch its over-the-top platform
Hotstar in other countries over the next few months.
361. Kachhabali village in Bhim tehsil of Rajsamand
district has become the 1st in the state to vote to close
down its lone liquor shop.
362. Wipro Limited announced the appointment of Patrick
Dupuis to its Board of Directors, effective 1 April
2016.
363. Indian Direct Selling Association (IDSA) has
announced Jitendra Jagota as the new Chairman in its

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new Executive Committee at the General Body

Meeting held in New Delhi.
364. Central African Republics newly elected president
Faustin Archange Touadera took the oath of office,
ushering in the first elected leader since Muslim
rebels overthrew the government more than three
years ago.
365. The Oscar winning US actress Patty Duke has passed
away recently. She was 69 year old. She won Oscar for
playing Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker in 1963.
Her cause of death was sepsis from a ruptured
intestine.

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Page 16

THE HINDU REVIEW: APRIL 2016

National Current Affairs
1. India has become the worlds fourth largest spender
on defence, following a 13.1% increase in its 2016-17
defence budget, according to US research firm IHS Inc.
2. According to a United Nations Industrial Development
Organisation (UNIDO) report, India ranked sixth
among the world's top 10 manufacturing countries.
Previously, India held the ninth position.
3. First time in the history, a total of 84 page data has
been released and put in the public domain, as the
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has published
direct tax related data including income disclosed in
tax returns by various categories of tax player from
2000 to 2015.
4. The Union Minister Nitin Gadkari stated that the
government plans to make it mandatory to set aside 1
% of total cost of any highway project for road safety.
As India witnesses as high as 5 lakh road accidents
per annum in which 1.5 lakh people die and another 3
lakh are crippled.
5. The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, gave its approval for utilisation of 400
hectares of un-cultivable farm land at the Central
State Farm (CSF), Jetsar in Sri Ganganagar District,
Rajasthan for setting up of a solar power plant of
capacity exceeding 200 MW.
6. A special Twitter cell by the Narenda Modi
government manned by a set of dedicated officers of
the Commerce and Industry Ministry was launched.
7. President Pranab Mukherjee will attend the
observation of Khongjom and inaugurate a
monument-cum-tourist Centre at Khongjom in
Manipur tomorrow.
8. According to FDI Intelligence Report India has
replaced China as the top Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI) destination by attracting $63 billion worth FDI
projects in 2015.
9. The Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya has stated
that the minimum wage for contract workers has
been increased to Rs. 10,000 per month.
10. President Pranab Mukherjee leaves New Delhi for a
two Nation tour to Papua New Guinea and New
Zealand. This is the first ever state visit of an Indian
President to these two countries.
11. Gatiman Express, India's fastest train is flagged off
from Delhi to Agra. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu

flagged off the much-awaited Gatiman Express for

Agra from Nizamuddin Railway station.
12. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Chief Minister of Madhya
Pradesh along with Union Environment Minister
Prakash Javadekar and other dignitaries have
inaugurated the world's first wildlife sanctuary for
white tigers in Madhya Pradesh.
13. Over 100 crore people, including 93% of the adult
population, now have an Aadhaar number.
14. According to Credit Suisse Emerging Consumer
Scorecard 2016, India topped the chart, while China
and Saudi Arabia shared the second position.
15. Union government is set to issue universal identity
cards to the physically challenged with the objective
of providing them easy access to various benefits
being extended by the government.
16. India has offered to invest upto $20 billion in Iran
announced by Dharmendra Pradhan Minister of
Petroleum and Natural Gas during his two day visit to
Iran.
17. As the government's rural broadband project is facing
long delays, telecom PSU BSNL is testing an
alternative WiFi-based network to connect about 1
lakh village panchayats in a year with high-speed
Internet.

18. Huawei has announced its third Global Connectivity

Index report during the Global Analyst Summit 2016
in Shenzhen, China. In terms of numbers, United
States, Singapore and Sweden top the rankings, while
India is ranked 44.

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19. India remained the worlds largest recipient of

remittances from abroad in 2015, despite a $1 billion
drop from the previous year, the first such decline
since 2009.
20. The Union Government has renamed Panagarh Air
Force Base of West Bengal as Air Force Station Arjan
Singh, to honour the Marshal of the Air Force Arjan
Singh.
21. India ranks an abysmally low at 133 among 180
countries in the latest annual World Press Freedom
Index which says Prime Minister Narendra Modi
seems "indifferent" to the threats against journalists.
International Current Affairs
1. The US and Saudi Arabia imposed sanctions jointly on
four individuals and two organisations, aiming to
disrupt terrorism fundraising operations in South
Asia and the Middle East.
2. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World
Bank has stated that they are going to join forces with
other international organizations to cooperate on tax
issues and develop new tools and standards to halt
tax base erosion and evasion.
3. Global professional services company Accenture said
it opened a cyber centre here to expand its global
security presence and help organisations tackle
complex security challenges.
4. The International Cricket Council (ICC) and Emirates
Airline on 19 April 2016 renewed their deal for an
additional seven years.
5. The Interim Administrative Cell of International Solar
Alliance (ISA Cell) and the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) declared their
intention to promote solar energy globally. The
declaration was made on the occasion of the side
event on International Solar Alliance at the UN
Headquarters in New York.
6. China and Pakistan have signed an agreement for the
launch of a special satellite to monitor the
development of the multi-billion dollars ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.
7. The worlds first public dengue vaccination
programme was launched in the Philippines as nurses
began injecting the first batch of a million children
with a French drug to combat the sometimes deadly
disease.
8. Saudi Arabias King Salman has announced an
agreement with Egyptian President Abdul-Fattah alSisi to build a bridge over the Red Sea connecting the
two countries.
9. The statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh will be installed
in France's Saint-Tropez town. The town is the birth
place of Army General Jean-Francois Allard.

States in India Current Affairs

1. Haryana Assembly passed two Bills mandating
minimum educational qualification for contesting
urban local bodies polls in the state.
2. Mumbai Financial capital of India is likely to get the
International Arbitration Centre. This will be the
Indias first arbitration centre for dealing the financial
disputes.
3. In a major step towards improvement of
infrastructure for cancer cure, Maharashtra tied up
with the Tata Trusts to link all government colleges
and medical colleges to the national cancer grid for
uniform cancer profiling and quality treatment.
4. PDP President Mehbooba Mufti will be sworn in as
the first woman Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
5. Nagaland capital Kohima has been declared as a
smoke-free city.
6. The Uttarakhand high court on revoke the imposition
of President rule in the state and revived the
Congress government headed by Harish Rawat, who
has been asked to prove his majority on 29 April.
7. Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Ananta
Kumar announced that Andhra Pradesh would be the
plastic hub in a short while from now and that the
Centre would provide a plastic park to the State with
Rs.1000 crore.
8. Tata Trusts has signed a pact with the Odisha
government to achieve elimination of Malaria from
the state by 2030. As per the MoU, Tata Trusts will be
taking mass screenings twice a year in 557 villages in
five selected blocks including Bissamcuttack and
Muniguda blocks of Rayagada district, Lanjigarh,
Thuamulrampur blocks of Kalahandi district and
Kotgarh block of Kandhamal district in southern
Odisha.
9. In an initiative to eradicate poverty from the district,
the Kozhikode district administration is all set to
implement a project named Operation Sulaimani to
ensure food for the needy in its jurisdiction. Following
the implementation of the project, the needy will get
food free of cost.
10. Odisha government has launched 100 Adarsha
Vidyalayas and CBSE-affiliated English medium
schools in 14 districts of the state.
11. The Chief Minister of Bihar Mr. Nitish Kumar has
declared total ban on the sale of all forms of alcohol
with immediate effect.
12. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has
commissioned a seasonwise tiltable canal top solar PV
plant at Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh.
13. Mumbai has got its first air-conditioned suburban
local train which was flagged off from Integral Coach

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Factory in Chennai, has finally arrived in the

metropolis.
14. Delhi government has passed a proposal to build a
memorial for late President APJ Abdul Kalam at Dilli
Haat, south Delhi.
15. Union Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar inaugurated
3 mega textile projects in Nagaland.
16. The Union Textiles Minister Shri Santosh Kumar
Gangwar inaugurated the Apparel and Garment
Making unit in Bodhjungnagar Industrial Growth
Centre, in Agartala.
17. The Union Minister for water Resources, River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti has
inaugurated the Water Film Festival as a part of the
India Water Week celebrations in New Delhi.
18. Rajasthan has become the first state to pass land title
bill.
19. The Uttar Pradesh government has directed all the
district magistrates for plantation of 5 cr. trees at
6,500 sites in 24 hours on a date fixed in month of July
under the Green UP - Clean UP programme.
20. In a major welfare initiative, the Cabinet approved
launch of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement
Scheme (MMSFES) to supplement the National Food
Security Act (NFSA).
21. Haryana Government has decided to rename Gurgaon
as Gurugram and Mewat as Nuh.
22. Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on 13 April 2016
unanimously approved the Prohibition of Social
Boycott Bill, 2016. The bill seeks to crack down on
extra-judicial bodies like caste and community
panchayats.
23. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated
opening of 100 more Aahar centres across the State as
part of Governments cheap meal programme for the
poor.

24. Delhi bans chewable tobacco for a year. The Delhi

government has banned for one year the sale,
purchase and storage of all forms of chewable
tobacco, including "guthka, pan masala, khaini and
zarda", in the Capital.
25. National Capital of India, Delhi has been ranked 44th
among the worlds 50 future-ready economies cities
that are embracing technology for growth.
26. Mandd Sobhan, a Konkani cultural organisation, will
set up a Konkani museum in Mangaluru.
27. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today dedicated the
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Narayana Superspeciality
Hospital to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in Katra
belt of Reasi district.
28. FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO) has planed to set up
two Mahila Huts in Gujarat. These centres will help in
the upliftment of women belonging to all sections of
the society through education and training.
New Appointments
1. Vietnams National Assembly (NA) elected Nguyen
Thi Kim Ngan as the countrys first female house
speaker.
2. Rajiv Gauba took over as Secretary to the Government
of India in the Ministry of Urban Development.
3. Pakistans Sikh religious body elected a caretaker
president after its first chief Sham Singh died. Tara
Singh was elected the caretaker pardhan at a
meeting of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak
Committee.
4. Bhartiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd (BHAVINI) has
appointed the Kallol Roy as its new chairman and
managing director (CMD).
5. Senior IPS officer of Uttarakhand cadre Surender
Kumar Bhagat has been appointed as the Director
General (DG) of Railways Protection Force (RPF).
6. The Tibetan government-in-exile re-elected Lobsang
Sangey as the Prime Minister for a second consecutive
term. 48-year-old Sangey defeated his only rival Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament Pempa Tsering by
9,012 votes.
7. Badminton ace Nandu Natekar in April 2016 became
the first non-Cricketer to be inducted into the Legends
Club founded by the late Cricket Club of India (CCI)
president Raj Singh Dungarpur.
8. The National Assembly of Laos elected the chief of the
ruling Communist Party, Bounnhang Vorachit, as
President in a transition of power necessitated by the
completion of the maximum permissible 10 years in
office by outgoing president Choummaly Sayasone.
9. Zee Media Corporation today said its Group CEO News Cluster Bhaskar Das has quit following his
transfer to another Essel Group entity.

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10. Senior IAS officer A Ajith Kumar appointed as Keralabased Rubber Board's chairman, a post lying vacant
for over a year and a half.
11. Retired Justice P K Mishra would be most probably
the Lokayukta for Goa.Goa government has
recommended his name to Governor Mridula Sinha.
12. Bhupendra Kainthola, an Indian Information Service
(IIS) officer of 1989 batch, has been appointed as the
new Director of Film and Television Institute of India
(FTII).
13. Mouamba Clement, the former Congolese Finance
Minister appointed as the Prime Minister of Congo. He
was appointed to the post by Congo's President Denis
Sassou Nguesso.
14. Tran Dai Quang has sworn in as the ninth President of
Vietnam after he was elected by countrys National
Assembly. He succeeds Truong Tan Sang and shall
have term of five years.
15. Japanese electronics giant Panasonic has appointed
senior executive Manish Sharma to its global
executive council, inducting an Indian onto the
coveted decision-making body of the $80-billion
company for the first time ever.
16. CP Gurnani, Managing Director and Chief Executive
Officer, Tech Mahindra, is the new Chairman of the
National Association of Software and Services
Companies (Nasscom) for 2016-17.
17. S Balaji Arunkumar, An IRTS officer of 1997 batch, has
taken over as deputy chairman of Kolkata Dock
System under Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) with effect
from April 4.
18. Iceland ruling coalition Government has named
Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson (53) as the new Prime
Minister after igmundur Gunnlaugsson had stepped
down.
19. Hashim Thaci , Foreign Minister of Kosovo has been
sworn in as the President of Kosovo by the members
of Parliament of the country in the 3rd round.
20. Debraj Pradhan appointed as the next Ambassador of
India to Norway
21. Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) Academy has
appointed D. Vasu as its new director for a period of
two years.
22. Gojavas, the logistics and supply chain solutions
company has announced the appointment of Mr.
Amitabh Coomar as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
23. Lambda Therapeutic Research, a Global Clinical
Research
Organization
has
announced
the
appointment of Tausif Monif as its new President for
Global Operations.
24. Lamborghini India Pvt. Ltd has appointed Sharad
Agarwal as its country head with immediate effect.
25. The
ministry
for
skill
development
and
entrepreneurship (MSDE) has named Cricket Icon

Sachin Tendulkar as brand ambassador of the 'Skill

India' campaign.
26. Information and Broadcasting Ministry has
constituted a three-member panel, headed by former
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) BB Tandon, to see
that guidelines set for government advertisements by
the Supreme Court are followed.
27. A Noida based handset manufacturer Lava
International has announced the Indian's limited over
captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as it's new brand
ambassador. This step has been taken to strengthen
its brand in India.
28. The Ukrainian Prime Minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk
announced his resignation two months after he
survived a no-confidence vote in parliament.
29. Premier Futsal is the newer and shorter five-a-side
variant of soccer ( football) named the Virat Kohli as
its brand ambassador.
30. Maharashtra cadre IPS officer Meeran C Borwankar
has appointed as the new Director General (DG) of
Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D)
till the date of her superannuation in 2017.
31. Tiny South Pacific island nation Nauru has become
the 189th member of the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) and the World Bank i.e. Bretton-Woods
institutions.
32. The Constitutional Council of Nepal has selected
Justice Sushila Karki (63) for the post of Chief Justice
(CJ) of the Supreme Court of the country.
33. After Nehru Memorial Society, the Modi government
reconstituted the management of Indira Gandhi
National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) bringing in
veteran Hindi journalist Ram Bahadur Rai as its head
in place of Chinmaya Gharekhan, a former diplomat.
34. Barack Obama appoints MasterCard CEO Banga to key
administration post.
35. Punit Soni, the chief product officer of Flipkart has
quit his post at the startup a year after joining the
company, according to three sources familiar with the
development.
36. Indian woman boxer M C Mary Kom added another
honour to her list of accolades as she was named one
of the eight ambassadors for the upcoming World
Championships by the International Boxing
Association (AIBA).
37. Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma will chair the
newly formed Payments Banks Group at industry
body Internet and Mobile Association of India
(IAMAI).
38. Union Government appointed Susmita Pande as the
new chairperson of the National Monument Authority
(NMA). She is professor a professor at Ujjain's Vikram
University. She would succeed Himanshu Prabha Ray

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39. Ukraine's parliament approved presidential ally

Volodymyr Groysman as prime minister in the biggest
political shakeup since a 2014 uprising brought in a
pro-Western leadership.
40. PP Pandey, a senior IPS officer has been appointed as
the in-charge director general of police (DGP) of
Gujarat.
41. Board of Control for Cricket in India - BCCI appointed
Rahul Johri as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
42. Barack Obama has nominated Indian-American Geeta
Pasi as the countrys next envoy to central African
nation Chad.

Banking Current Affairs

1. Consumer loans became cheaper with banks moving
to a new way of setting lending rates following RBIs
diktat to ensure faster and effective transmission of
its policy rate cuts to borrowers. RBI had asked banks
to price fixed rate loans of up to three years based on
marginal cost of funds from April 1.
2. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
and Saarc Development Fund (SDF) has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for mutual
cooperation and collaboration.
3. The Singapore's largest bank, DBS has unveiled the
'mobile only bank in India. The digibank uses
technologies, such as bio metrics and artificial
intelligence, to enable paperless, signature less and
branch less bank. This is the India's 1st mobile only
bank which targeting 5 million retail customers.
4. New Zealands five-dollar note has been named the
banknote of the year for 2015 by the International
Bank Note Society. The $5 note has featured
mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary and on the other
side, a rare yellow-eyed penguin and local flora.

5. Anti-slavery crusader Harriet Tubman will become

the first African-American on the face of US paper
currency. She also became the first woman in more
than a century, when she replaces former President
Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill.
6. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
(Nabard) has sanctioned a loan of Rs 1,000 crore to
Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (HSWC) for
purchase of wheat during the ongoing rabi marketing
season.
7. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) today cuts the Repo rate
under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25
basis points to 6.5% in its first bi-monthly monetary
policy review for the 2016-17 fiscal and kept the Cash
Reserve Rate (CRR) unchanged.
8. India's first cash giving app has launched by a fin-tech
company called Tslc Pte Ltd. The app is named as
CASHe.
9. India has signed a memorandum of understanding
with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) for a
possible $100 million line of credit to simplify exports
to IDBs member countries.
10. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
cleared conversion of Working Capital Term Loan
(WCTL) of Bank of Baroda's (BoB) 29.91 crore rupees
loan to Andrew Yule & Co. Ltd. (AYCL) into equity
shares.
11. Federal Bank, the Indian Banking major in the private
sector, entered into a strategic partnership with
Phillip Capital (India) Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of the
Singapore headquartered Phillip Capital group, for
managing NRI Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS).
12. Bharti Airtel First Entity To Get Payments Bank
Licence From RBI.
13. Federal Bank has tied up with Chillar Payment
Solutions Pvt. Ltd. to promote the start-ups
technology product 'Campus Wallet'.
14. The New Development Bank (NDB), commonly
known as BRICS bank, has sanctioned its first batch of
loans, including $250 million to Indias renewable
energy projects.
15. From now onward all the Banks have to share the
transaction details in a standard format.
16. Financial Software & Systems Pvt. Ltd. (FSS), a
Chennai-based payments technology and transaction
processing company, has inked agreements with six
banks to provide UPI (Unified Payment Interface)
solution across the country on a hosted platform.
17. The RBL Bank (formerly Ratnakar Bank) became the
first private sector bank in India to open dedicated
branch for startups.

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Economy Current Affairs

1. The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has launched a
new index Nifty MidSmallcap 400. It will represent
the mid and small market capitalization segments of
the stock market.
2. The government has issued a new set of income tax
return (ITR) forms that require people with an
income of Rs 50 lakh and above per annum to disclose
their assets.
3. The Union Finance Minister has extended the
safeguard duty on import of some steel products by
two years i.e till March 2018. In this regard, the
Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has
issued a notification mentioning that safeguard duty
will be reduced to 10% in stages till 2008 from
current 20%.
4. The government of India has approved an investment
of Rs.9,005 crore for construction of 73,205 more
houses for Economically Weaker Sections(EWS) in
urban under Prime Ministers Awas Yojana(PMAY) in
the States of Maharashtra, Punjab and Jammu &
Kashmir.
5. The Department of Disinvestment has been renamed
as Department of Investment and Public Asset
Management or 'Dipam'.
6. India has banned import of milk and milk products,
certain mobile phones and a few other items from
China after finding them sub-standard or not
following security codes.
7. The Government of India has started the
disinvestment process of the current fiscal as the GOI
has planned to sell its 11.36% equity shares in the
National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) at
Rs.21.75. This disinvestment is likely to raise about
Rs. 2,700 crores.
8. The Government has released Rs. 25,834 crore to FCI
as Food Subsidy. In addition to this, wage and means
advance of Rs. 10,000 crore will be released shortly.
9. The Ministry of Rural Development has released a
central share of Rs. 12,230 crore to the states for
implementation of its flagship programmes under the
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
10. The Union Human Resource Development Minster
Smriti Irani has launched a portal for registration and
allotment of International Standard Book Number
(ISBN) at a function held in New Delhi.
11. The Centre has recommended 1,304 crore rupees for
drought relief to Uttar Pradesh under National
Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF).
12. International Monetary Fund (IMF) has declared the
India's growth is projected to notch up to 7.5% in
2016-17.

13. According to agency Carat, India's 2016 advertising

growth rate will be the fastest at 12%, which is ahead
of global average of 4.5%.
14. Continuing the deflationary trend for 17th month,
WPI inflation was at (-)0.85 per cent in March but
may inch up gradually in the coming months on
growing pressure on food and vegetable prices.
15. Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Dr. Mahesh
Sharma released a memorial Coin of Rs. 200/- and a
Circulation Coin of Rs. 10/- on Tatya Tope on the
occasion of his Martyr Day in New Delhi.
1.

2.

3.

4.
5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Business Current Affairs

Russia has approved a deal of ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL)
to acquire 15% stake in Vankor oilfield from Rosneft.
The new deal enables OVLs stake in Vankor will raise
to 26% from 15% and will give it about 3.5 million
metric tonnes of oil a year consequently.
2. UltraTech Cement, a part of the Aditya Birla group,
agreed to buy Jaiprakash Associates' 21.2 million
tonnes per annum (mtpa) cement capacity for Rs
15,900 crores.
Indias largest e-commerce company Flipkart has
acquired PhonePe, a Bengaluru-based mobile
payments company, which was co-founded by exFlipkart employees Sameer Nigam and Rahul Chari.
Saudi Oil giant Aramco, the worlds largest oil firm
with crude reserves of about 265 billion barrels, plans
to make major investment in Indias petroleum sector
as it considers India the most preferred destination to
invest at a time when the global economy is in a crisis.
Blackstone Group has announced that it is buying
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.s majority stake in
Indian outsourcing firm Mphasis Ltd.
Mining conglomerate Vedanta said its subsidiary
Talwandi Sabo Power (TSPL) has set the Guinness
World Record for planting 2,08,751 saplings at a
single location in less than an hour.
Smartphone maker BlackBerry, in partnership with
digital payments platform Digitsecure, has launched
its money transfer service, called BBM Money, in
India.
The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi has
given its approval to state owned Bharat Petroleum
Corporation Limited (BPCL) to invest Rs. 3,000 in
Bharat Oman Refineries Limited (BORL).
Patanjali Ayurved, the FMCG venture promoted by
yoga guru Ramdev, will invest over Rs 1,150 crore in
the current fiscal to set up six processing units and
one R&D center as it chases a turnover of Rs 10,000
crore this year.
The state owned fuel retailer BPCL has got the
environment clearance nod for its 694 crore rupees
LPG project in Haldia Dock Complex in West Bengal.

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10. The leading Indian tyre manufactures JK Tyre has

announced that it had completed the acquisition of
tyre, tube and flap maker Cavendish Industries at an
enterprise value of Rs.2,200 crore.
11. Full service airline Vistara has entered into a strategic
partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
12. A part of the Tata group and India's largest IT services
company, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been
recognized as one of the United Kingdom's leading
employers for women in a list published by The
Times.
13. Cadbury India, part of Mondelez International, today
inaugurated its $190 million factory in Sri City SEZ, on
the border of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The
plant is the companys largest plant in Asia Pacific.
14. Taxi operator Uber has partnered with Election
Commission in Tamil Nadu to spread awareness on
voting among the electorate for the May 16 assembly
polls.
15. Videocon d2h has announced that its sub-base of over
15 million can now recharge their d2h service using
Vodafone m-pesa.
16. Hero MotoCorp is setting up a factory in Andhra
Pradesh. It plans to invest Rs 3,000 crore, for annual
capacity of 1.8 million units. Chief Minister
Chandrababu Naidu will be unveiling the foundation
stone next month.
17. Isuzu Motors India today opened its manufacturing
plant in AP and rolled out its India-made D-Max pickup. The facility was inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
18. Future Group has acquired online home furnishings
and dcor business company FabFurnish for an
undisclosed amount.
19. Snapdeal has partnered with 9 non governmental
organisations (NGOs) to launch Snapdeal Sunshine, a
platform where users can make donations to causes
under
education,
health,
sports,
women
empowerment, disaster relief and old age care.
20. Bharti Airtel announced the acquisition of 20 MHz
spectrum in eight circles from Aircel for Rs 3,500
crore.
21. Sanmar
Chemicals,
India's
private
sector
petrochemical firm, will receive Rs.1,996 crore equity
investment from Fairfax India Holdings, reported
Reuters.
22. The search engine giant Google has extended free
internet service through WiFi to 10 railway stations
across the country to provide internet to over 1.5
million people.
23. A US grand jury has slapped two companies of India's
Tata group -Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Tata
America International Corp. with a USD 940 million
fine in a trade secret lawsuit filed against them.

24. Panasonic India and AES India Private Limited has

announced an agreement to construct a 10 MW
energy storage array at Panasonic's Technopark
manufacturing facility in Jhajjar, Haryana.
Mou/Agreements Signed
1. The Government of Japan has committed a loan of JPY
242.2 billion (around Rs.14,251 crore) for various
projects across India, including Jharkhand, Odisha,
Madhya Pradesh and the North East.
2. In a bid further strengthen and promote business ties
with Australia, FICCI announced inking an MoU with
Australia India Business Council (AIBC).
3. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed
by 25 Union Ministries of the Government of India
under the IMPRINT programme of the Union
Government to promote research in premiere
technical institutions on March 31, 2016.
4. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the
department of space signs an MoU with the Airports
Authority of India (AAI) to provide scientific
parameters for construction of airports.
5. India is hopeful of receiving the first loan issued by
the newly formed Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank (AIIB) in the second half of the year.
6. Germanys Development Bank KfW will provide loan
assistance of 3750 crore rupees for the modern and
sustainable metro system for Nagpur city.
7. Germany's Development Bank KfW will provide a loan
assistance of 500 m (Rs. 3,750 crore) for metro
system in Nagpur city.
8. India and Papua New Guinea has signed four MoUs in
myriad sectors at capital Port Moresby. The MoUs
were signed in the presence of the President Pranab
Mukherjee and the Papua New Guinea Prime Minister
Peter O Neil. Reports stated that the MoUs relate to
Agriculture, Health, Information Technology and
Infrastructure.

9. The Railways has signed up an Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) with Indian Space Research

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Organisation (ISRO) to develop an application for

Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System.
10. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing an
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India
and Papua New Guinea on cooperation in the field of
Healthcare and Medical Science.
11. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval
for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
between Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority of India (IRDAI) and the Insurance
Authority of United Arab Emirates.
12. BSE Ltd has signed a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) with Korea Exchange (KRX) of South Korea, for
listing S&P BSE Sensex-based derivatives contracts on
the latter.The agreement is expected to further the
development of derivatives markets in India and
South Korea.
13. India signed the historic Paris climate agreement here
along with more than 170 nations, marking a
significant step that has brought together developing
and developed nations for beginning work on cutting
down greenhouse gas emissions to combat global
warming.
14. Cab aggregator, Uber has entered into a partnership
with Gujarat Tourism and FICCI in Ahmedabad city to
facilitate training for Uber driver-partners.
15. India and France have launched a programme with $1
trillion Potential Solar Programme under the
International Solar Alliance (ISA). It is a solar finance
programme that aims at helping developing countries
to fully harness their solar resources for a clean
energy future.
16. India has formally ratified the WTOs (World Trade
Organisation) Trade Facilitation Agreement, which
aims at easing customs procedures to boost
commerce. In this regard, Indias WTO ambassador
Anjali Prasad handed over the instrument of
acceptance to WTO Director-General Roberto
Azevdo. India is the 76th WTO member to ratify the
TFA.
17. Shareholders of the Turkmenistan- AfghanistanPakistan-India (TAPI) Pipeline Company Limited
signed an agreement to invest $200 million in studies
and engineering for the $10 billion project to
transport natural gas to energy-hungry countries like
India.
18. India and Maldives have signed six agreements in
different sectors to boost bilateral relations between
both maritime neighbouring countries.
19. Tata Steel, the countrys largest steel producer, has
signed an agreement to sell the loss-making 4.5million tonne (mt) long-product Scunthorpe steel

plant in Britain to UK-based investment firm Greybull

Capital.
20. India and the United States announced an in-principle
logistics exchange agreement to enable their
militarizes to use each others assets and bases for
repair and replenishment of supplies.
21. Union Ministry of Water Resources, River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and German
International
Cooperation
(GIZ)
signed
an
Implementation agreement for Ganga Rejuvenation
under the Namami Gange Programme in New Delhi.
22. Cabinet has given its approval for India adopting the
Statute of the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement
Network (SAWEN) and becoming its formal member
in order to strengthen ties with the member countries
in controlling the trans-boundary wildlife crime
through communication, coordination, collaboration,
capacity building and cooperation in the region.
23. India and the US have agreed to enhance
collaboration on tackling offshore tax evasion and
increase cooperation in sharing of cross-border tax
information.
24. National Mission for Clean Ganga under the Ministry
of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation in collaboration with Indian Institute of
Technology, Kanpur (IITK) announced the formal
launch of Centre for Ganga River Basin Management
and Studies (CGRBMS) in New Delhi.
25. India, Afghanistan and Iran have finalized draft of the
Chabahar Trilateral Agreement on Transport and
Transit Corridors.
26. India and Mauritius have signed an MoU on
cooperation in the field of traditional system of
medicine and Homoeopathy.
27. India is likely to buy 145 M777 Howitzers for $750
million to equip its Mountain Strike Corps.
28. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri
Narendra Modi gave its approval for signing of a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India
and Bhutan on technical cooperation in the field of
capacity building, benchmarking and bilateral
exchange in infrastructure engineering.
29. The Union Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister Mr.
Narendra Modi has given its approval for the signing
of the Paris Agreement adopted at the 21st
Conference of Parties held at Paris in December last
year.
30. A Sri Lankan university will sign a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Japan and India on
trilateral collaboration in science and technology.
31. World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank President Jin Liqun
signed the first co-financing framework agreement
between the two institutions.

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Summits
1. The fourth edition of Nuclear Security Summit (NSS)
began in Washington, United States to discuss a
gamut of issues pertaining to nuclear security.
2. NITI Aayog chaired by Vice Chairman Dr Arvind
Panagariya has launched the Urban Management
Programme in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Around
150 participants were present in the event.
3. Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth
Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, inaugurated Indias 1st
Second-Generation (2G) Ethanol plant today at
Kashipur in Uttarakhand.
4. The eighth International Seminar on Wheat and
Wheat Products is scheduled to be held in Panaji, Goa,
on July 17-18, 2016.
5. The heart of Asia conference has begun today in New
Delhi. The conference aims to bring peace and
stability to Afghanistan and speeding up its
reconstruction with a focus on enhancing investment
and connectivity to the country.
6. The first meeting of the recently constituted All India
Handloom Board was held in New Delhi.
7. The Three day Curtain Raiser International Yoga Fest
inaugurated by Shri Shripad Yesso Naik. As per the
Ayush Minister, National level event for celebration of
International Yoga Day this year proposed to be held
at Chandigarh.
8. The second edition of 'Global Exhibition on Services'
was inaugurated in UP's Greater Noida at India Expo
Centre & Mart, Greater Noida by President of India,
Pranab Mukherjee.
9. The first ever two day North East-ASEAN (Association
of Southeast Asian Nations) Business Summit was
inaugurated at the City Convention Centre in Imphal,
Manipur.
10. The three day 3rd Asia Ministerial Conference on the
Tiger Conservation is going to inaugurate by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on 12th April,
2016 which will continue till 14th of April, 2016.
11. India will take part in a special meeting of the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) in Paris tomorrow to firm up
cooperation between countries in the wake of the
'Panama Papers' leak.
12. The G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting is one of the
ministerial meetings that held in advance of the G7
Summit in Hiroshima on 10th & 11th April, 2016.
13. Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi has
inaugurated the two days Maritime India Summit
2016 (MIS 2016) in Goregaon, Mumbai.
14. The G20 countries meeting of its Finance Ministers
and Governors of Central Banks on the sidelines of the

10

annual Spring Meeting of the International Monetary

Fund and the World Bank at Washington.
15. 14th meeting of Foreign Ministers of Russia, India and
China held in Moscow.
16. The Union Minister for Women & Child Development,
Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurated the Regional
Conference of North Eastern States on Child Adoption
in Shillong, Meghalaya.
Obituaries
1. Renowned Iraqi-born British architect Zaha Hadid
passed away due to heart attack. She was 65.
2. Veteran journalist and writer Babu Bharadwaj passed
away due to cardiac arrest in Kozhikode, Kerala. He
was 68.
3. Kerala cartoonist V T Thomas, popularly known as
Toms has passed away on 27 April 2016 following a
brief illness at in Kottayam, Kerela. He was 86.
4. Comedian, singer and writer Victoria Wood has died
after a short but brave battle with cancer aged 62.
5. The American music superstar Prince Rogers Nelson
has passed away. He was 57 year old.
6. Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) founder
Amanullah Khan passed away at a Rawalpindi
hospital. He was 82. Khan, the father-in-law of
Kashmirs regional party Peoples Conference
president Sajad Gani Lone was suffering from a
chronic lung disease.
7. Former Italy head coach Cesare Maldini has passed
away at the age of 84.
8. The Silicon Valley coach and mentor William Bill
Campbell has passed away. He was 75 year old and
was suffering from cancer.
9. The five time Emmy award winning actress Doris
Roberts has passed away. She was 90 year old.
10. The veteran journalist and author Yogendra Bali has
passed away due to a heart attack. He was 85 year old.
11. American country music legend Merle Haggard died
of pneumonia at his home in Northern California.
12. Former Indian woman biker Veenu Paliwal has died
in a road accident in Vidisha district, Madhya Pradesh.
She was 44 year old.
13. The co-founder of Hero Cycles group Satyanand
Munjal passed away in Ludhiana, Punjab. He was 99.
14. The award winning Malian photographer, Malick
Sidibe has passed away recently. He was 80 year old.
Sports Current Affairs
1. Australian pacer Clint McKay has announced his
retirement from international cricket after his firstclass team Victoria Bushrangers won the Sheffield
Shield tournament.
2. Ace Indian boxer Shiva Thapa has won the silver
medal at the Asian/Oceania Qualifying Tournament

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3.

4.
5.
6.

7.

8.

9.

held in Qianan, China in the 56 Kilogram category

final.
Beijing Olympics gold medalist and ace shooter
Abhinav Bindra today accepted the offer of the Indian
Olympic Association to become India's Goodwill
Ambassador for the Rio Olympics.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced appointment
of Sanath Jayasuriya as chief selector of the Sri Lankan
Cricket team.
Garima Chaudhary has won another gold medal at the
2016 Commonwealth Judo Championship finals at
Port Elizabeth in South Africa.
India's Deepika Kumari has equalled the world record
in Women's Recurve event at the qualifying stage of
Archery World Cup being held in Shanghai. Padma
Shri recipient Deepika recorded a score of 686 out of
720 to finish 1st in qualifiers and equal the world
record set by South Korea's Ki Boe Bae at the World
University Games in Gwangju last year.
The new emblem of Tokyo 2020 Olympics and
Paralympic Games featuring an indigo-coloured check
in the design.The logo features a circular Japanese
traditional checkered pattern. Below the design are
the words Tokyo 2020 and under them the five
interlocking Olympic rings, reports Xinhua.
The Cricket Association of Nepal has been suspended
by the International Cricket Council due to a vacuum
of cricket leadership in the country and also in view
of government interference in the board.
Riyad Mahrez has become the first African footballer
to win the Professional Footballers Associations
(PFA) Player of the Year award for the 201516
season. With the award, Mahrez also became the
second non-European, after Uruguayan striker Luis
Suarez, to grab the award.

Shooting Sport Federation World Cup being held at

the Olympic Shooting Centre in Rio de Janeiro.
11. The ICC has suspended Hong Kong allrounder Irfan
Ahmed for two years and six months after he
admitted to breaching the ICC's Anti-Corruption Code.
Ahmed has accepted the suspension and waived his
right to appeal.
12. BCCI is all set to host its first-ever day and night
cricket Test with the pink ball during New Zealand
tour to India.
13. In Tennis, Rafael Nadal has won the Barcelona Open
to equal Guillermo Vilas' decades old record of 49
clay-court titles. In the Final last night, world number
five and top seed Spaniard defeated two-time
defending champion Kei Nishikori of Japan, in straight
sets, 6-4, 7-5.
14. India will host the 2018 Commonwealth Judo
Championships in Jaipur. This was announced by the
Judo Federation of India in a press release in New
Delhi.
15. Union Sports Ministry has decided to provide one
lakh rupees per month as out of pocket allowance to
the sports persons under the Target Olympic Podium
(TOP) scheme in their preparation for the Olympics
and Paralympics Games at Rio de Janeiro.
16. Professional football club Mohun Bagan and India
striker Jeje Lalpekhlua on 25 April 2016 won the
Football Players Association of India (FPAI). The
award function held in Mumbai.
17. Indian rower Dattu Bhokanal has qualified for the Rio
Olympics after winning a silver in the finals of men's
single sculls at the 2016 FISA Asian and Oceania
Olympic Qualification Regatta at Chung-ju in South
Korea.
18. The ICC Cricket World Mens T-20 Cup 2016 has won
by West Indies team by defeating England by 4
wickets.
19. World No.1 tennis player Novak Djokovic from Serbia
has won the 2016 Miami Open Title in the mens
singles category. In the final he defeated Kei Nishikori
(Japan).
20. Kenyas Cyprian Kotut claimed a double in the French
capital within a month when he won this years Paris
Marathon in personal best of 2 hours, 07 minutes and
13 seconds.
21. Mother Dairy, an Indian FMCG company has
partnered with Indian Premium League (IPL) cricket
team Delhi Daredevils as its principal sponsor.
22. Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd (KNPL) has signed up with
the Gujarat Lions franchise as associate sponsor for
the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League which
will begin on April 9, 2016.

10. Ace Indian shooter Jitu Rai finished sixth in the men's
50m pistol event on the fifth day of the International

11

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23. Danny Willett has won the US Masters Golf

Championship for the year 2016 at Augusta National
Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
24. Anthony Joshua has won the International Boxing
Federation heavyweight title for the year 2016.
25. Malaysia's badminton maestro Lee Chong Wei has
defeated China's Chen Long to win Malaysian Open
2016 in men's singles title at at the Malawati Stadium
in Shah Alam, Malaysia.
26. India's men's and women's teams have won both the
categorys championship titles at the third Asian KhoKho championship organised in Indore.
27. American tennis star Serena Williams kept her lead in
the women's rankings, while Polish Agnieszka
Radwanska returned to the second place.
28. England and Nottinghamshire batsman James Taylor
announced his retirement at the age of 26 due to ill
health.
29. Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath has retired from
50-over and Twenty20 internationals in order to
carry on playing test matches.
30. Nico Rosberg claimed a dominant win in an actionpacked Formula One Chinese Grand Prix to extend his
championship lead over Mercedes team mate Lewis
Hamilton, who battled up to seventh with some feisty
driving after starting last.
31. Australia has won the 25th edition of Sultan Azlan
Shah Cup by defeating India in the final held in Ipoh,
Malaysia.
Important Days
1. World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally
recognized day on the 2nd of April every year. This
year the theme is "Autism and the 2030 Agenda:
Inclusion and Neurodiversity".
2. Each year, 22nd April is celebrated as Earth Day. This
is an annual event which is celebrated all over the
world to demonstrate support for environment
protection.
3. World Book Day is an annual event celebrated every
year by the people all over the world on 23rd of April.
4. 25th April is observed every year as World Malaria
Day (WMD) to create awareness among the people
about this vector borne disease.
5. The World Intellectual Property Day 2016 was on 26
April 2016 observed across the world with the theme
Digital Creativity - Culture Re imagined.
6. 5th April is observed as National Maritime Day.
7. 7th April is celebrated each year globally as World
Health Day under the sponsorship of the World
Health Organization (WHO).
8. Himachal Pradesh celebrated 69th Himachal Day on
15th April 2016.

12

9. World Heritage Day was observed all over the world

on 18 April.
Defence Current Affairs
1. Two Indian Naval Ships 'Veer' and 'Nipat' were
decommissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai.
INS Veer and Nipat are the first two of this class to be
decommissioned. Now eight ships of this category will
remain.
2. The Border Security Force (BSF) is planning to install
the tallest national flag near the Attari-Wagah Joint
Check Post, famously known as the Wagah border.
3. The Indian Navy has inaugurated a naval detachment
at Androth Island of the Lakshadweep archipelago. It
will help Indian Navy to have better surveillance and
reach in the Arabian Sea. The naval detachment was
inaugurated by Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, who is the
Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern
Naval Command.
4. The 11th Indo-Mongolia joint training Exercise, titled
Nomadic Elephant - 2016 commenced on 25 April
2016 in Mongolia. The exercise aims at promoting
military associations between India and Mongolia will
culminate on 8 May 2016.
5. Indian Missile Corvette, INS Karmuk along with a
Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft participated in the
22nd Indo-Thai Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) on 25
April 2016 in the Andaman Sea. Indias indigenously
built Missile Corvette is based at the Andaman and
Nicobar Command.
6. Pakistan Navy has successfully test-fired shore-based
anti-ship missile 'Zarb', bolstering its defence
mechanism.
7. Indigenously developed surface-to-air supersonic
Akash missile System was successfully test fired from
complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at
Chandipuri in Odisha.
8. The Indian Army conducted major battle exercise
named as Shatrujeet in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan
near to the border with Pakistan. The sole purpose of
the exercise was to evaluate the capability of the
Indian Army and fine tune its proactive war strategy
to respond swiftly to any threat to nations security.
Science & Tech. Current Affairs
1. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has
launched Indias seventh navigation satellite of the
Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS
1G) into a Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (SubGTO) on-board PSLV-C33. The satellite was launched
from the First Launch Pad (FLP) of the Satish Dhawan
Space Centre, Sriharikota, which is situated 90 kms
from Chennai.

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2. China has launched a sounding rocket designed to

conduct research, take measurements and scientific
experiments in the country's Hainan Province.
Kunpeng-1B was launched from Danzhou City in the
early hours today by the National Space Science
Center (NSSC).
3. China launched a retrievable scientific research
satellite in a bid to aid scientists to study microgravity and space life science.
1.

2.
3.

4.

5.

Awards & Recognition

Bollywood star Ranveer Singh, who brought alive the
role of Maratha warrior Peshwa Bajirao II on the
silver screen through Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Bajirao
Mastani, will be feted with the Maharashtrian Of The
Year
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred Saudi
Arabias highest civilian honour- the king Abdulaziz
Sash.
Former bureaucrat and parliamentarian N. K. Singh
will receive one of Japans highest civilian honours for
promoting economic, educational and cultural ties
between India and Japan.
A women's rights activist from Swat valley of
Pakistan, Tabassum Adnan, has won the Nelson
Mandela Graa Machel Innovation Award 2016 in
Bogota, Colombia. She won the award for the
individual activist category on the concluding day of
the International Civil Society Week held from April
25-28.
Mongolia has conferred its highest civilian award
"North Star" to two noted Indian scholars-Lokesh
Chandra and Mansura Haider for their contribution to
Mongolian studies.
It was presented by the
Mongolian Foreign Minister Lundeg Purevsuren.

6. Mr. K Ashok Kumar, a research scholar from IIT

Kharagpur (KGP) has won the prestigious

13

International Plant Nutrition Scholar Award. The

award is awarded by the US-based International Plant
Nutrition Institute (IPNI) and carries a cash prize of
USD 2,000 and a recognition certificate.
7. Amitav Banerji, an Indian diplomat in the UK has been
conferred with one of the highest awards of Cyprus
for his work in a number of senior roles within the
Commonwealth Secretariat for over two decades.
8. Mahatma Gandhis granddaughter Tara Gandhi
Bhattacharjee was conferred with the Order of Arts
and Letters, one of Frances top honours.
9. Renowned actor Manoj Bajpayee will be going to
receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the movie
Aligarh. The actor will receive the award in the best
actor category of Critics Choice. The award will be
presented on 1st of May, 2016.
10. 5 times world chess champion Viswanathan Anand
will be honoured with the Hridaynath Award, which
felicitates and recognises successful individuals
across the country from various walks of life.
11. Pranab Mukherjee, the President of India conferred
the National Geoscience Awards 2014 at a function to
be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. For
2014, Professor Ashok Kumar Singhvi was conferred
with the highest honour National Geoscience Award
for Excellence for his outstanding contributions in the
field of sedimentary technologies.
12. The Nobel Peace Prize awardee Mother Teresa now
has been conferred with the UK's prestigious
Founders Award this year.
13. An investigative journalist from Azerbaijan, Khadija
Ismayilova has been chosen to receive the 2016
UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
14. Priyadarshini Chatterjee, a Delhi girl was announced
as the winner of FBB Femina Miss India World 2016
at the 53rd edition of the Femina Miss India beauty
pageant held in Mumbai.
15. Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation has announced
that Priyanka Chopra to be conferred with Dadasaheb
Phalke Film Foundation Award 2016 in best actress of
the year category.
16. Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has won the Global
Indian of the Year award.
17. Former Army Chief General(retd) Joginder Jaswant
Singh has been conferred with the highest French
civilian honour 'Officier de l Ordre national de la
Legion d Honneur' (Officer of the Legion of Honour).
18. Author and poet Padma Sachdev was selected for the
prestigious Saraswati Samman for 2015 for her
autobiography titled Chitt-Chete, written in Dogri
language.
19. Indias SSP Chawrasia, who clinched the Hero Indian
Open last month, has been named the Hilton Asian
Tour Golfer of the Month for March.

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20. Forbes in its inaugural edition of Global Game

Changers List launched this year has ranked some of
the biggest names in business. Topped by Mark
Benioff of Salesforce.com and Mark Zuckerberg of
Facebook (ranked 30).
21. The Mumbai Press Club selected T N Ninan, Chairman
and Editorial Director of Business Standard, for this
year's 'RedInk Award for Lifetime Achievement in
Journalism'.
22. Tennis stars, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams
have walked away with their third 'Sportsman and
sportswoman of the Year' Laureus World Sports
Awards respectively.
23. The 2016 Pulitzer Prizes were announced on 18th
April in the US. It is an award for achievements in
newspaper and online journalism, literature, and
musical composition in the United States.
24. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi conferred
awards for excellence in implementation of priority
programmes on the occasion of 10th Civil Services
Day. For the priority programme Pradhan Mantri Jan
Dhan Yojana (PMJSY), Nagaon, Assam was awarded in
North East and Hill States category, Chandigarh in
UTs and North 24 Parganas, West Bengal in Other
States group.
25. A Kathak dancer from Varanasi has broken the world
record of longest dance performance by continuously
dancing for 123 hours and 30 minutes. It was
previously held by Keralas Hemlatha.
Current Schemes/App/Portal Launched By State &
Central Govt.
1. The Union Government has launched the Startup
India portal (http://startupindia.gov.in) and mobile
application. The portal and mobile app provide up-todate information issued by various Government
ministries/ departments.
2. The mobile application 'Vidyut Pravah' has been
launched by Mr. Piyush Goyal, the minister of state
(Independent Charge) for Power, coal, new and
renewable energy, to empower Common People to
Demand 24x7 Power from The States.
3. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has launched the
first phase of the Green Delhi initiative by planting
trees at the Triangular Park near ITO Chowk.
4. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched
an innovative mobile application titled e-voter with
comprehensive details about the forthcoming 2016
Assembly polls in Kerala. The app is envisaged for
voters facilitation for search in electoral roll,
information regarding candidates, location of polling
station, affidavit filed by them, filing of complaint and
so on.

14

5. The Union Government has launched Indias first

online interactive heritage portal named Sahapedia
was in New Delhi. The web portal is a collaborative
knowledge resource on the arts, culture and heritage
of India. Sahapedia is a not-for-profit society headed
by former TCS chairman S. Ramadorai, who currently
helms the National Skill Development Agency.
6. The Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry
has notified new rules to give effect amended
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act, 1989. The new rules seek to tighten
provisions to ensure speedy justice to members of the
SC/ST community. The new rules aims at speeding up
the process of dispensation of justice, liberalise and
expedite access to relief for victims of atrocities,
ensuring special sensitivity in cases of offences
against women.
7. India lays foundation stone for 4000 houses under the
third and final phase of Housing Project in Central and
Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka. High Commissioner of
India, Y.K.Sinha, and Minister of Infrastructure and
Community Development, Palani Digambaram jointly
laid the foundation stone for the third phase of the
Indian Housing Project at Dunsinane Estate in
Nuwara Eliya District.
8. The Union Railway Ministry has decided to create a 1
lakh crore rupees safety fund named as Rashtriya Rail
Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK) to strengthen safety
measures on the rail network to prevent accidents.
9. The Government has approved the policy for public
disclosure of scores and ranking of the candidates
who appear for recruitment examinations conducted
by various public recruitment agencies for the benefit
of employers in the public and private sector seeking
qualified candidates through a portal.

10. Union Tourism Ministry launched NOAPS Web Portal

of National Monuments Authority. The Portal was
developed through the technology and expertise of
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), who are

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in the process of mapping of 3686 ASI protected

monuments and sites.
11. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 April 2016
launched Stand Up India Scheme to promote
entrepreneurship among Scheduled Caste/Scheduled
Tribes and Women entrepreneurs. On this occasion,
the Prime Minister also inaugurated a Kaushal Kendra
(Skilling Center) under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojna
in Noida.
12. The third phase of Union Health Ministrys universal
vaccination programme Mission Indradhanush began
on 7 April, 2016. It will cover 216 Districts across
several States including Bihar, Gujarat, Assam,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
13. Gujarat chief Minister Anandiben Patel officially
launched the state-wide implementation of National
Food Security Act, which has been renamed as Maa
Annapurna Yojna (Scheme) by the state government.
14. Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy launched
Transnational Skill Standards benchmarked to the
United Kingdom across 82 identified job roles, aiming
to to support international mobility of Indian
workforce.
15. The government has replaced the conventional
tendering process for power purchase by state power
distributors with an e-bidding platform named DEEP
(Discovery of Efficient Electricity Price).
16. Days before the second phase of the odd-even antitraffic scheme which begins from April 15, the
government launched PoochhO Carpool app to help
people explore carpooling options during the 15-day
car-rationing exercise.
17. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis
launched Mission Drinking Water. The mission was
launched in the backdrop of recurring droughts and
severe water crisis in Marathwada and Vidarbha
region of the state.
18. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the
Gramodaya se Bharatodaya Abhiyan (village selfgovernance) campaign on the occasion of the 125th
birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar.
19. Online trading platform for farm goods launched.
Prime Minister Narendra sowed the seeds for a
farming revolution, with the launch of e-NAM, an
online portal for trading in agriculture produce, which
promises to liberate farmers from the clutches of
middle-men and realise fair market value for their
yields.
20. Raghubar Das, the Chief Minister of Jharkhand has
launched the "Bhimrao Ambedkar Awas Yojana" for
widows on the 125th birth anniversary of B R
Ambedkar.
21. The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme was launched by
the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and has

15

completed one year of implementation. On

completion of its first year, the BBBP scheme is being
expanded in additional 61 districts across 11
States/UTs with low Child Sex Ratio.
22. The Haryana Government has notified its Affordable
Plotted Housing Policy 2016 for low and medium
potential towns under the Deen Dayal Jan Awas Yojna.
1.

2.
3.
4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Miscellaneous Current Affairs

ICCR to set up first Indian Chair in Arab world at
Cairo. An MoU in this regard was signed between
Indias Ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharyya on
behalf of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)
and and Prof. Abdel Wahab Ezzat, Acting President of
ASU.
State Road Transport Authoritys brand-new mobile
app, M-Wallet, was launched by IT minister KT Rama
Rao and transport minister P.Mahender Reddy.
IIT Madras and IIM Bangalore have topped the list of
top educational institutes unveiled by the Ministry of
Human Resource and Development.
Renowned artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has won the gold
medal at ninth Moscow Sand Sculpture Championship
in Russia. Mr. Pattnaik won the competition for his 15
feet high art work Mahatma Gandhi's sculpture for
non-violence and peace.
Parliamentary Standing Committee has been formed
to tackle misleading advertising as well as to fix
liability on endorsers/celebrities.The committee to be
headed by MP J C Divakar Reddy advocated that the
Department of Consumer Affairs should be
empowered to make laws to regulate growing sectors
of e-commerce, direct selling and multi-level
marketing where consumer complaints are on the
rise.
The Global data services company, Experian,
headquarter in Dublin, Ireland, has launched its
'Hunter Fraud Score' in India, which is a new scoring
mechanism. The mechanism will help to measure the
probability of fraud in a credit application across
banking and insurance industries. It will help the
country to increase their efficiency in fraud detection.
TIME released the list of 100 most influential people
which featured six Indians including RBI Governor
Raghuram Rajan and actress Priyanka Chopra. Tennis
ace Sania Mirza, environmentalist Sunita Narain along
with Flipkart Co-founders Sachin and Binny Bansal
were other Indians on the list. The list also featured
Indian-origin Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
The Union Government has recently constituted 8member inter-ministerial committee to prepare a
blueprint for doubling farmers income by 2022. The
committee will be headed by Ashok Dalwai,

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Additional secretary at the Union Agriculture Ministry

and is expected to submit the report in two months.
9. The Union Government constituted a high-level
committee to suggest ways to strengthen the border
protection along the border with Pakistan. The
committee will be headed by former Home Secretary
Madhukar Gupta and will submit its report in three
months.
10. East Coast Railway (ECoR) has emerged as the largest
freight loading railway zone of Indian Railways in
2015-16.
11. A bronze bust of ancient Indian mathematician and
astronomer Aryabhatta has been unveiled at the
UNESCO Headquarters.
12. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has launched the
book "The Kiss of Life: How a superhero and my son

16

defeated cancer" in New Delhi. The book is written by

Bilal Siddiqi and co authored by Emraan Hashmi.
13. Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu
inaugurated the fitment of CCTV in Train Shan-ePunjab Express through video-conferencing from Rail
Bhawan premises, New Delhi.
14. The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Sikkim has
unveiled the Supercomputer Param Kanchenjunga.
15. The World's largest wooden Charkha (spinning
wheel) is planned to be installed at Terminal 3 of the
Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.
16. Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas,
Dharmendra Pradhan visited Bangladesh for 3 days.
The visit is to take stock of the ambitious agenda set
for the India-Bangladesh Hydrocarbon Sector during
the visit of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi to
Bangladesh in June 2015.

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THE HINDU REVIEW: MAY 2016

National Current Affairs
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the
country's first solar powered e-boats at the Assi Ghat in
the river Ganga, Varanasi.
Parliament has passed Mines and Minerals
(Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016.
The bill will allow transfer of captive mines from one
allotted to another without auction.
The Empowered Steering Committee (ESC) of the
National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) has
approved projects for Development of Ghats. The total
estimated cost of the projects is Rs. 2446 crores.
The Lok Sabha has passed the Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Code Bill 2016, which is seen as a
transformational legislation that will help to improve
Indias ranking in the World Banks Ease of Doing
Business index. It aims to defuse the crisis of the
looming bad loans in the banking sector and also to
cover individuals, companies, and partnership firms.
Railway Minister of India Suresh Prabhu remotely
flagged off two new train services for Jammu and
Kashmir from the Rail Bhawan in New Delhi. These
trains will play on the Banihal-Baramulla-Budgam route.
The Union government has approved Infosys to set up
an IT/ITeS special economic zone (SEZ) in Bengaluru in
an area spread over 4 hectares.
The single emergency number 112 will be operational
throughout India from January 1, 2017 to help people
reach immediate services of police, ambulance and fire
department.
India is ranked at the ninth position in crony-capitalism
with crony sector wealth accounting for 3.4 per cent of
the gross domestic product (GDP).
Railways has launched the Bharat Darshan Tourist train
for pilgrims to visit Shirdi, Tirupati, Jagannath Puri,
Gangasagar, Baidyanath Dham and Jyotirlingams among
others.
The Government of India has started the process for
issuance by Unique Business Identification Number
(UBIN) drive. It will help enable budding entrepreneurs
to set up their business without any delays as it produce
results well within targeted time.
The Minister for micro, small and medium enterprises
(MSME) Kalraj Mishra has inaugurated a spinning and
weaving centre and marketing plaza for khadi goods in
Srinagar.
Parliament has passed the Anti-Hijacking Bill, 2016 to
widen ambit of law dealing with this anti-hijacking
crime. The Bill was first passed in the Rajya Sabha and
later in the Lok Sabha in May 2016.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has launched a

web-based
application
on
Integrated
Waste
Management System (IWMS). The systems web address
is www.iwms.nic.in. The system is for the better
management of waste.
The Union Railways Ministry has decided to constitute
two Directorates namely Mobility Directorate (MD) and
Non-Fare Revenue Directorate (NFRD).
President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena will arrive in
capital. He is on a two day visit to the nation. The visit is
expected to contribute to further strengthening the close
and cooperative relations between India and Sri Lanka.
India and Bangladesh conducted a five-day dialogue in
Dhaka over a host of security issues, including drug
trafficking and cattle smuggling across the border
between the two neighbors.
Indias renewable energy sector has been ranked third in
the Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index
(RECAI) with China at second and the US on top.
The Centre has decided to defer the National Eligibilitycum-Entrance Test (NEET) for medical college
admission by a year through an ordinance or executive
order.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, who is currently on visit to India
has announced the opening of its Hyderabad technology
centre that will focus on the development of maps for its
mobile products like iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple
Watches.

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President Pranab Mukherjee has inaugurated an

Intelligent Operations Centre (IOC) in Rashtrapati
Bhavan. He also launched a mobile application Monitor
for transformation of Presidents Estate into a smart
township.
India, Thailand and Myanmar will soon be connected by
a 1,400-kilometre highway, to boost the trade and
cultural exchanges among the three countries.
President Pranab Mukherjee has signed the ordinance to
keep state boards out of the common entrance test
(NEET) for MBBS and dental courses for this year.
India has banned its nationals from travelling to Libya,
irrespective of the purpose of the visit, in view of the
prevailing security situation in that country.
Thirteen cities have been selected in the first phase of
the governments smart cities mission, which includes
Lucknow, Warangal, Bhagalpur, Raipur, New Town
Kolkata , Chandigarh, Faridabad, Raipur, Ranchi,
Warangal, Agartala, Imphal, Port Blair and Panaji.
The Government of India signs US$100 mn loan
agreement with World bank (IBRD) for the Karnataka
Urban Water Supply Modernization project.
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities will now be known as 'Divyangjan'
Sashaktikaran Vibhag in Hindi and dropped the word
'viklangjan' from its previous nomenclature.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has brought
out a new set of regulatory norms for deemed
universities in order to reduce subjectivity and
government interference and focus more on quality.
According to the UGC Regulations, 2016, an institution
will be eligible to become a deemed university if it has
undergraduate and 5 post-graduate programmes with
research in existence for 3 years.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has approved the first ever policy for the
country's capital goods sector envisaging creation of
over 21 million new jobs by 2025.
The Union Cabinet has given its approval to amend The
Institutes of Technology (IIT) Act, 1961 for
incorporation of 6 new IITs.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off, the first
ever direct train between Assam to Jammu & Kashmir.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will embark on a
six-day official visit to Tokyo, Japan from May 29 to June
4.
Public sector company NBCC (India) is set to kickstart
projects aimed at cleaning the Ganga in Bihar, which has
also got the financial approval for few project from the
centre.
International Current Affairs
To mark the 155th birth anniversary of Rabindranath
Tagore, India will organize a cultural festival in Egypt. It
will build the connections between the people of the two
countries who share strong cultural bonds.

Zimbabwe is all set to introduce its own version of US

dollars in order to ease a cash shortage in the country.
United Nations (UN) has announced the establishment of
the UN Zika Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF)
to finance critical unfunded priorities in the response to
the Zika outbreak. The Fund aims to provide a rapid,
flexible and accountable platform to support a
coordinated response from the UN system and partners.
Sadiq Khan, a member of the Labour Party and human
rights lawyer of Pakistani descent has been sworn in as
London's new mayor by comfortably outrunning of his
nearest rival.
Bangladesh government has hanged the fundamentalist
Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami for war
crimes committed during the country's 1971 Liberation
War.
Anti-crime candidate and mayor of Davao City, Rodrigo
Duterte has won the 2016 presidential election of the
Philippines by a landslide victory.
Iran has stopped free shipping of oil to Indian refiners
from April 2016 and the freight will be arranged by the
buyers in future.
The Kenyan government has decided to close the
World's biggest refugee camp in Dadaab.
Central Asian state leaders have inaugurated the Central
Asia South Asia (CASA-1000) transmission line near
Dushanbe in Tajikistan to link the four nations and to
promote regional stability, security and prosperity.
The Italian parliament passed legislation legalizing
same-sex civil unions, with 372 voting in favour, 51
against and 99 abstaining. With this, it has become the
last country in Western Europe to do so.
The World Bank's Board has approved USD 625 million
loan to support the central governments programme to
generate electricity from rooftop solar power plants.
British Royals Prince William, Princess Kate and Prince
Harry has launched the Heads Together campaign at
Queen Elizabeth Park in East London.
World Bank subsidiary arm International Finance
Corporation (IFC) is planning to invest US$68 million
(about INR 460 crore) in Apollo Health & Lifestyle ltd
(AHLL).
The World Bank Group has launched Pandemic
Emergency Financing Facility and launched a $500
million fund to fight Pandemics in poor countries and
creating the world's first insurance market for pandemic
risk.
Britain has granted political refugee status to ousted
former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed.
US President Barack Obama has announced an end to its
embargo on sales of lethal weapons to Vietnam.
China has signed agreements with Sudan to build 600megawatt atomic reactor. It was the first of its kind in
the African country.
According to a scientist at the Chinese Academy of
Sciences, China will launch the world's first quantum
communication satellite in July.

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States in India Current Affairs

The Jammu and Kashmir government has signed an MoU
with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi for
setting up an IIT in Jammu.
Gujarat Government has granted minority status to the
Jain community after issuing a resolution for same.
Multinational company Google has announced the
launch of its free high-speed public WiFi service at
Ujjain, Jaipur, Patna, Guwahati and Allahabad railway
stations. The service is now available in 15 stations
across India.
In Haryana, Parkash Singh committee, headed by former
DGP of Uttar Pradesh retired IPS Officer Parkash Singh
has submitted its report on Jat Quota agitation to
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal.
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda laid
the foundation stone for three new medical colleges at
Rajouri, Anantnag and Baramulla disticts in Jammu and
Kashmir.
The Centre has approved the Odisha Government's
proposal to set up Kalinganagar National Investment and
Manufacturing Zone in Jajpur district.
In Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal
inaugurated the Worlds largest Single Rooftop Solar
Power Plant with capacity of 11.5 MegaWatt (MW) at
Dera Baba Jaimal Singh at Beas, in Amritsar district.
The 2016 Kerala Assembly Election has won by the CPI
(M) led Left Democratic Front (LDF). So as result,
Pinarayi Vijayan is set to become the next Chief Minister
of Kerala.
In Assam Assembly Election 2016, Bhartiya Janata Party
(BJP) and its alliance partners have won an absolute
majority. So as result, Union Sports Minister Sarbananda
Sonowal is all set to become the next Chief Minister of
Assam.
Ruling All India Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) under
the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has
emerged victorious in the 2016 West Bengal Assembly
Election.
Ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
(AIADMK) Party under the leadership of Chief Minister J.
Jayalalitha has emerged victorious in the 2016 Tamil
Nadu Assembly Election.
Nitish Kumar led Bihar Government has announced the
ban on sale, distribution, storage, manufacture,
consumption and publicity of tobacco products like
gutka and pan masala.
Himachal Pradesh fisheries department has started an
artificial propagation programme for rehabilitation and
conservation of Golden Mahseer fish.
Gujarat government has launched Smart Village
program, it was launched by Chief Minister Anandiben
Patel on her two year completion in office in
Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
Odisha Governor Dr SC Jamir has promulgated Odisha
Official Language (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016. This

will facilitate use of Odia language in transaction of

official businesses of the Government.
State run Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has
successfully commissioned the first 800 MW super
critical thermal unit in Karnataka. This is the highest
rating unit in the state.
The Centre has approved establishment of a National
Investment and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) in Odisha.
New Appointments
1982 batch IAS officer of Himachal Pradesh Cadre Ajay
Mittal took charge as the Information and Broadcasting
Secretary. He succeeded Sunil Arora.
Indian American Sikh woman from California, Harmeet
Kaur Dhillon has been elected as the newest national
committee woman of the Republican National
Committee.
Future Groups Chief Executive Kishore Biyani has been
appointed managing director of Bharti Retail as part of
the reconstitution of the board following their merger
pact announced last year.
Rohit Sharma became the Brand Ambassador of world
famous Swiss luxury watch maker Hublot.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has agreed to become
India's Olympic goodwill ambassador, along-with actor
Salman Khan and Shooter Abhinav Bindra.
Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari has appointed its
Chairman Sergio Marchionne as the new CEO with
"immediate effect". He replaced 69-year-old Amedeo
Felisa.
Sameer Chadha appointed as the partner and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of KPMG's offshore arm in India.
Vice-Admiral Sunil Lanba will be the next chief of the
Indian Navy. He will take over from current Navy Chief
Admiral R K Dhowan.
Indian Information Service (IIS) officer Bhupendra
Kainthola has been appointed as the Director of Film and
Television Institute of India (FTII) for a term of 3 years.
He replaces Prashant Pathrabe.
Mexican diplomat Patricia Espinosa selected as the next
executive secretary of UNFCCC.
Sudhir Yadav, the 1985 batch IPS officer of the Delhi
police, was appointed as the new Director-General (DG)
of Tihar.
Senior IPS officer Kumar Rajesh Chandra has appointed
as chief of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the
aviation security wing of the government, over 3 years
after the post fell vacant.
Enda Kenny has been re-elected as Ireland's Taoiseach,
leading his Fine Gael party into a minority government.
Somnath Ghosh has been appointed as the next
Ambassador of India to the Republic of Tajikistan.
The Cupertino technology giant, Apple, has elevated
Sanjay Kaul as the country manager for Apple India.
Mrugank Paranjape took charge as managing director
(MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Multi

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Commodity Exchange (MCX), countrys largest

commodity exchange.
Congress leader Harish Rawat is all set to be reinstated
as the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, over six weeks
after he was ousted by the Centre, with the Supreme
Court, putting its stamp of approval on the floor test in
the Assembly.
Renowned Music composer AR Rahman has accepted the
Indian Olympic Association's offer to become the
Goodwill Ambassador for Rio Olympics.
Former BCCI President Shashank Manohar, who
resigned recently, was now elected unopposed as the
ICC's first independent Chairman for two years.
Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff was suspended for at
least six months after the country's Senate voted 55-22
to impeach and put her on trial.
US President Barack Obama has appointed an IndianAmerican engineer, Manjit Singh, as the member of
President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and
Neighborhood Partnerships.
The Capital market apex, Securities and Exchange Board
of India (Sebi) has approved the appointment of Ashok
Chawla as National Stock Exchange (NSE) new
Chairman.
Justice Naveen Sinha has sworn in as the 31st Chief
Justice of Rajasthan.
Former IPL spot-fixing probe head, Justice Mukul
Mudgal has been appointed as the Deputy Chairman of
FIFA's governance committee.
The Belgium based company Barco has announced the
appointment of Rajiv Bhalla as managing director for
India.
Uttar Pradesh government, appointed Manzil Saini as the
new Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of state
capital Lucknow.
The countrys biggest airline by market share, IndiGo has
appointed Rohit Philip as its new Chief Financial Officer
(CFO).
Shell India has announced Nitin Prasad as its new India
head from 1st October.
Rakesh Kumar Mishra, a noted expert in the study of
function of genes, has been appointed as the new
Director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology
(CCMB) by the Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR).
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has
appointed Patricia Espinosa Cantellano of Mexico as
Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Indian journalist and Councillor Philip Abraham was
elected unanimously as the Deputy Mayor of Loughton
town in the United Kingdom.
Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)
has sworn in as the new president of Taiwan and also
has become the first female President of the country.
Transport Minister of Turkey Binali Yildirim is all set to
become as the countrys Prime Minster.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has appointed

former Irish President Mary Robinson and Kenyan
diplomat Macharia Kamau as special envoys for El Nino
and climate.
Cairn India informed the stock exchanges that Mayank
Ashar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer,
will step down from his post for personal reasons,
effective June 5.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)
chief J Jayalalithaa has sworn in as chief minister of
Tamil Nadu.

Anurag Thakur has been elected as the new BCCI

president by the Special General Meeting (SGM) chaired
by Senior BCCI vice-president C K Khanna in Mumbai.
With this he became the second youngest BCCI
President.
BJP leader and former IPS officer Kiran Bedi was
appointed as Lt Governor of Puducherry.
Former Finance Secretary Ratan P Watal was appointed
as Principal Adviser (Social Sector) in NITI Aayog for 3years.
In Assam, BJP leader Sarbananda Sonowal has taken
oath as the Chief Minister.
FIFA acting Secretary General Markus Kattner was
dismissed from his position with immediate effect.
Renowned scientist S K Sharma was appointed the
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Nuclear
Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL).
Lt General S K Saini has taken over as the new
commandant of prestigious Indian Military Academy
(IMA) .
Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Pinarayi
Vijayan has taken oath as the Chief Minister of Kerala
with 19 ministers at the central stadium in capital
Thiruvananthapuram.

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Snapdeal-controlled
digital
payments
platform
FreeCharge has named Kunal Shah as chairman, and
Govind Rajan as Chief Executive Officer.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee (61)
has taken oath as the Chief Minister of West Bengal for
the second consecutive five-year term.
Guinea Bissau President Jose Mario Vaz named Baciro
Dja as the new Prime Minister of the west African
country.
Ashok Leyland's Board of Directors have approved the
re-appointment of Vinod K Dasari as Managing
Director(MD) of the company for 5 years from April 1,
2016 to March 31, 2021.
Vice Admiral Girish Luthra has succeeded Sunil Lanba as
the Flag Officer Commander-in-Chief of the Western
Naval Command in a ceremonial parade in Mumbai.
Former Union Minister of State, V Narayanaswamy was
unanimously elected as Congress Legislature Party
leader, to become the Chief Minister of Puducherry.
Bollywood Actor R Madhavan has become the goodwill
ambassador of LEPRA India organization that fight
against diseases like leprosy and tuberculosis.
Former Kolkata Police Commissioner Surajit Kar
Purkayastha has appointed as the new Director General
of Police in West Bengal following the retirement of G M
P Reddy.
Ashok Lavasa has been designated as the Finance
Secretary by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet
(ACC) headed by PM Narendra Modi.
Banking Current Affairs
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
(NABARD) has entered into collaboration with German
government for a special programme on 'Soil Protection
and Rehabilitation for Food Security'.
Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright has reportedly
confirmed that he created digital payment system
bitcoins and provided technical proof for his claims.
Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd has became the fourth bank to
open its IFSC Banking Unit (IBU) at International
Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Gujarat International
Finance Tec-City (GIFT) City. IFSC is the India's first and
only financial centre.
IREDA, the state run Indian Renewable Energy
Development Agency can be converted into a Green
Bank to enable its access funding from overseas banks.
The Minister of state for Finance Jayant Sinha has stated
that there were 7,686 willful defaulters owing Rs 66,190
crore to state-owned banks as of December 2015.
Corporation Bank has been awarded excellence award
on empowering MSMEs by the Federation of Industry,
Trade and Services (FITS).
The European Central Bank (ECB) has announced that it
will permanently stop producing the 500 euro banknote
by the end of 2018.
State Bank of India has launched a mobile payment
solution that will enable customers to make digital

payments at offline stores by scanning a QR (quick

response) code on their smartphones at merchant
outlets.
India's fifth largest Private sector lender Yes Bank has
received a Custodian of Securities licence from the
markets regulator SEBI to allows the entity to offer
custodial services to financial market participants,
including FIIs and foreign portfolio investors (FPIs).
Indias largest private sector lender ICICI Bank has inked
a MoU with the BRICS Grouping-promoted New
Development Bank (NDB) for a partnership in bond
issuances, co-financing, treasury management and
human resources.
The Country's largest urban co-oerative bank, Saraswat
bank has announced the donation of Rs. 1 crore for
drought relief in Maharastra.
Kerala based South Indian Bank has announced a tie-up
with National Australian Bank (NAB) for online inward
remittances from Australia at a competitive rate.
As per the Reserve Bank of India it will shortly issue
rupees 1,000 denomination bank notes in the Mahatma
Gandhi Series of 2005 with the insert letter of 'R' in both
the number panels.
The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP)
under Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry has
allowed 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in
asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) under the
automatic route.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released the 'draft
guidelines for 'on tap' Licensing of Universal Banks in
the Private Sector'.
The Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) has cancelled the
certificate of registration of the four Non-Banking
Financial Companies (NBFCs) and seven other
Maharashtra-based non-banking financial companies
(NBFCs) have surrendered their registration certificates.
Karnataka Bank has launched cash back campaign for
its VISA debit cardholders.
ICICI Bank, a private sector lender has launched the
countrys first contactless business credit card in
association with Jet Airways for small and mid-sized
enterprises (SMEs) and their employees.
Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio Infocomm has
launched its digital wallet service, called as JioMoney
Wallet, for Indian consumers.
Kotak Mahindra Bank Chief Uday Kotak, with a net
worth of $7.1 billion is the only Indian in Forbes' 'Money
Masters: The Most Powerful People in The Financial
World' list of 40.
The Reserve Bank of India has stated that entities from
Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iran
and Hong Kong and Macau will require its prior approval
to establish branch office or project office or liaison
office in India.
RBI has authorised 29 agency banks to accept payments
of Income Tax dues as recently Reserve Bank of India

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has asked income tax assesses to pay their tax dues well
in advance to avoid last minute rush.
Singapore based DBS Bank has decided to set up its
biggest technology hub out off its headquarter.
UK-based Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) said it will shut
down its corporate, institutional and retail banking
operations in India, following the announcement of the
plan last year.
The countrys largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI)
has decided to merge its five associate public sector
banks (PSBs) and the Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) with
itself.
Public sector lender Punjab National Bank has reported
the largest net loss of rs. 5,367.14 crore for 4th quarter
ended 31st of March against the backdrop of a surge in
bad loans. This is the biggest quarterly loss in Indian
bank history.
India Post's payments bank will start functioning from
March 2017 and serve as a wider platform to implement
financial inclusion programmes.
The mortgage lender HDFC ltd has been ranked among
the world's top ten biggest and most powerful
companies in the consumer financial services sector on a
Forbes list. The list is topped by global major American
Express while HDFC ranked 7th.
As per the Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha,
India will have 8-10 very competitive public sector
banks once the "dust settles" and the consolidation
phase ends.

RBL Bank is going to launch an Entrepreneur-inResidence (EIR) programme for fintech start-ups in the
next 9-12 months.
Saudi Arabia based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has
announced to open its first branch in India at
Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Economy Current Affairs

Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has
launched a special drive 'One Employee-One EPF' to
encourage EPF members to consolidate their multiple
accounts.
NSE, the national stock exchange is all set to launch a
new trade receivable and credit exchange platform for
micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led
by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has decided to
replace the five year plans with 15 year vision
documents.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its
approval for development of 8 and 6 lane of DelhiMeerut Expressway - Package-II on NH-24 in Uttar
Pradesh. The cost is estimated to be around Rs 1984
crore including cost of land acquisition, resettlement and
rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities.
The postal department of India, India Post is going high
tech by geo tagging the post office on Bhuvan and has
begun monitoring timely clearance of the letter boxes
through a mobile app.
Wholesale prices rose for the first time in 18 months,
posting an annual gain of 0.34 per cent, driven up by
higher costs for food and manufactured items, as per the
government data.
Global rating agency, Moody's has forecast a growth rate
of about 7.5 percent for the Indian economy in 2016 and
2017.
The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has
approved Rs.60.73 crore worth of foreign direct
investment (FDI) proposals of Wockhardt, Aurobindo
Pharma and Advanced Enzyme Technologies.
The money market regulator SEBI has tightened its
norms for Participatory note (P note) users to follow
Indian anti-money laundering law and report any
suspicious transactions immediately.
The government has notified that it has raised the
threshold limit of PF withdrawal for deduction of tax
(TDS) from existing Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000.
According to the US based global rating agency, Fitch,
India's economic growth rate will leisurely accelerate to
8% by fiscal year ending March 2019. It also expects
India's GDP to grow 7.5% in fiscal year ending March
2016 and improve to 7.7% in the current fiscal year and
further to 7.9% in the fiscal year ending March 2018.
The Government has enforced the decision of retirement
fund body EPFO to almost double the maximum sum
assured under its insurance scheme from 3.6 lakh to Rs
6 lakh for its 4 crore subscribers.
The Union Cabinet has waived off loans worth more than
Rs 9,079 crore owed by Hindustan Fertilizer
Corporation Ltd (HFCL) as part of a financial
restructuring package for the PSU.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA has
given its approval for Railway projects worth Rs 11,000
crore.

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The Centre has approved an investment of over 5500

crore rupees for basic urban infrastructure in six states
under Atal Mission.
Paytm, India's largest mobile payments has partnered
with the Wipro ltd, an IT services major, to implement
technology infrastructure for its upcoming Payment
bank business.
Airtel, the enterprise arm of Bharti Airtel and
networking player GBI has announced the partnership to
increase its direct reach in West Asian countries.
IT services company Wipro has inaugurated Saudi
Arabia's first all women business and technology park
(WBP) at the Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman
University in Riyadh.
Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence has received 15 new
industrial licences to manufacture a range of defence
equipment.
An American multinational technology company, Google
has acquired a business technology start-up 'Synergyse'
founded by an Indian-origin entrepreneur as part of its
plans to scale training offerings for Google Apps to its
customers and customers' users.
JSW Energy Ltd, led by Mr. Sajjan Jindal has agreed to
buy a 1,000 MW power plant of Jindal Steel and Power
Ltds (JSPL), which is located in Chhattisgarh.
Uber, the online cab service provider has announced its
global partnership with the third party payment
platform, Alipay.
Reliance power is all set to setup a power plant in
Bangladesh as it got the approval for the first phase of
Reliance Powers project. As per the approval, the
company will set a 3,000 MW gas based power plant.
E-commerce marketplace Snapdeal has acquired
Gurgaon-based predictive marketing technology startup
Targeting Mantra for an undisclosed amount.
Google has entered into a partnership with
telecommunications major Idea Cellular to offer direct
carrier billing in India. Idea users would now be able to
make purchases on Google Play Store directly through
their postpaid and prepaid accounts.
England automative brand Jaguar Land Rover ltd and a
subsidiary of Indian automaker Tata Motors, has tied up
with UK-based Bullitt Group to develop mobile devices
and a range of accessories under its brand.
Asias leading cloud telephony company, Knowlarity
Communications has announced the acquisition of Delhibased Smartwards, a customer engagement platform
that simplifies loyalty for local businesses and their
customers.
E commerce company, Amazon has launched its online
video service, called Amazon Video Direct.
Cross-category classifieds business Quikr has acquired
Salosa, an on-demand in-home beauty services provider,
for an undisclosed amount.

Business Current Affairs

Pfizer Inc will buy Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc in a $5.2billion (3.61 billion).
State-owned BHEL has commissioned a 250 MW thermal
unit in Maharashtra.
A subsidiary of Tata Power, Tata Power Renewable
Energy (TPREL) has announced that it has won two
solar-grid connected photovoltaic projects of 50 mw
capacity each in Pavagada Solar Park in the Tumkur
district of Karnataka.
The Japanese financial company Nomura has announced
fully departure of its mutual fund joint venture with
insurance giant Life Insurance Corporation of India
(LIC).
Tata Power has announced that it has completed the
acquisition of 30 MW wind farm in Maharashtra.
Future Consumer Enterprise Ltd (FCEL) has informed
the stock exchanges that International Finance
Corporation (IFC) will invest $20 million in the company
through equity-linked instruments.
UK based banking giant, HSBC Holding Plc stated that it
plans to close 24 branches in India.
ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), the overseas arm of stateowned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has signed a
pact with the trading arm of Azerbaijan's state energy
company SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan
Republic) to foray into oil trading.
Reliance Industries, a conglomerate holding company
headquartered in Mumbai has sold its stake in African
fuel retailer Gulf Africa Petroleum Corporation (GAPCO)
to Total S. A. of France.
Online marketplace Snapdeal has established a data
sciences centre in San Carlos, California, which will help
it to get top global talent and build high-value solutions.
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL), a retail arm
of Aditya Birla Group has acquired the rights for
California, US, based fashion retailer Forever 21 to
acquire its India business from its current franchisee,
Diana Retail Private Ltd.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has approved the takeover of Hindustan
Steel Works Construction Limited (HSCL) by National
Buildings Construction Corporation Ltd (NBCC) for
financial restructuring of HSCL.
Google has won a major US court battle with software
firm Oracle after a jury ruled it did not unfairly
appropriate parts of the Java programming language.
IT services and solutions giant, Tech Mahindra is all set
to acquire UK based Target Group to strengthen its BFSI
portfolio.

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Mou/Agreements Signed
India and New Zealand has signed a bilateral air services
agreement that would facilitate the operation of direct
flights between two countries.
The Union Ministry of Railways and Forest Department
of Haryana & Punjab have inked Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) for plantation of trees alongside
Railway Track on Railway Land Boundary.
The Union Cabinet has apprised of the Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between India and Qatar for
promoting bilateral cooperation in the field of
Information Communication Technology (ICT).
Australian state of Victoria, Swinburne University has
announced two agreements with India in the area of
medical technology to address major health challenges
in India.
Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines has agreed to
conduct coordinated sea patrols and establish a hotline
to combat piracy and kidnappings in waters bordering
the three nations.
India and Japan has decided to exchange sports persons,
coaches, experts and administrators to improve the
standard of the game between both nations.
Facebook and the trade body of Indian IT firms 'National
Association of Software and Services Companies
(NASSCOM)' has signed an agreement to build a product
design initiative to engage the country's young
entrepreneurs into becoming problem solvers and
solution builders.
The e-commerce giant Flipkart has partnered with a
Bangaluru based social technology company 'MapUnity'
to launch its map services.
Infosys Foundation, philanthropic arm of the IT major,
has signed a pact with Indian Institute of Science
Education and Research (IISER), Pune, to support
students from economically weaker section to pursue
high quality education.
India and Mauritius has signed the protocol for
amendment of two-decade-old Double Taxation
Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between the two
countries.
India is planning to develop regional connectivity
projects worth $5 billion in South Asia. The projects
include road corridors connecting India with
Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan through West Bengal and
India-Myanmar through Manipur.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been
signed between The Development Commissioner
(Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India
and NDTV Ethnic Retail Ltd. for popularizing India
Handloom textiles as a fashionable product for youth.
Odisha based aluminium company, National Aluminium
Company (Nalco) has signed an memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with Bhabha Atomic Research
Centre (BARC), Mumbai for Research and Development
(R&D) in fields of mutual interest.

The Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing of a

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SEBI
and Financial Services Regulatory Authority, Abu Dhabi
for Mutual Co-operation and Technical Assistance.
India has signed a historic Project Collaboration
Agreement (PCA) with World Health Organization
(WHO) for cooperation on promoting the quality, safety
and effectiveness of service provision in traditional and
complementary medicine.
The Prime Minister along with Sri Lankan President
Maithripala Sirisena have released Simhastha
Declaration at Ninora village in Ujjain.
India and Bangladesh has concluded a nuclear
agreement with each other to engage the bilateral
neighborhood relationship.
State-owned power generating firm NTPC has signed a
joint venture agreement with state-run Coal India to
revive plants run by the Fertilizer Corporation of India
(FCIL).
Mobile app for transportation Ola has signed an MoU
with National Safai Karamcharis Finance and
Development Corporation (NSKFDC).
India and Slovenia have signed a Protocol to amend the
existing bilateral double taxation avoidance agreement,
broadening the pact to include exchange of information
to curb tax evasion in Ljubljana.
India and Iran has signed 12 Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) and agreements in various areas
including building and operating the Chabahar port by
India.
India and Oman have signed 4 Memorandum of
Understanding (MoUs) in Muscat during the visit of
Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to Oman.
The National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has
signed an MoU with Iranian Mines and Mining Industries
Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) to
explore the possibility of setting up a smelter on joint
venture in Iran.
The Union Cabinet has granted ex-post facto approval to
the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the
Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and the
Ministry of Tourism, Government of Maldives for
strengthening cooperation in the field of tourism.
The Union Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval to
the MoU between Indian and Japan for promoting
sustainable, stable and low-carbon thermal power
development in India.
The Union Cabinet has approved Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) signed between Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) and the United Arab
Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) for cooperation in the
exploration and user of outer space for peaceful
purposes.
India and Australia have signed an Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to enhance research and
development capabilities in biotechnology by launching
a joint funding call.

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The PEC University of Technology of Chandigarh and

Union Ministry of Railways have signed an MoU for
setting up of Kalpana Chawla Chair on Geospatial
Technology for Indian Railways at the University.
India and US are all set to sign two key agreements in the
month of July during the Homeland Security Dialogue,
which is going to be held in Washington.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has
signed an agreement with the Government of India to
provide a loan of Rs. 1,548 crore to improve the quality
of urban healthcare services in Tamil Nadu.
The Indian Multinational automobile giant, Mahindra &
Mahindra (M&M) has stated that it has incorporated its
agricultural equipment rental services arm Trringo.com
as a wholly-owned subsidiary.

Summits
The ADMM-Plus (ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting
Plus) Exercise on Maritime Security and Counter
Terrorism (Ex MS & CT) has started in Brunei.
The 49th Annual General Meeting of ADB is being held at
Frankfurt, Germany.
The eight nations composing the South Asia Initiative to
End Violence against Children, SAIEVAC, are assembling
in New Delhi for their 4th Ministerial Meeting.
Rwanda hosted the 26th World Economic Forum on
Africa (WEF) in its capital Kigali. The theme of this 26th
World Economic Forum on Africa is - Connecting Africa's
Resources through Digital Transformation.
The First World Conference on Tourism for
Development will be held in Beijing, China from 18th to
21st of May, 2016.
The 27th edition of the India-Indonesia CORPAT
(Coordinated Patrol) has concluded in Belawan,
Indonesia.

10

Finance ministers and central banks governor from the

Group of Seven developed nations kicked off the first day
of their meeting in Sendai, Japan.
The first-ever World Humanitarian Summit was held in
Istanbul since World War II. The summit was
inaugurated by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
and hosted by Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
The Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan inaugurated
the three day conference of the Northeast Region
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (NERCPA).
The World leaders begin two days of G7 talks in Japan
with the deteriorating global economy, terrorism and
refugees crisis, China's controversial maritime claims,
and a possible Brexit headlining on top the agenda.
Obituaries
Nihal Bitla, who was suffering from the rare genetic
condition progeria, died in a hospital in Telangana at the
age of 15 years.
Veteran freedom fighter and former Sircilla MLA
Chennamaneni Rajeshwara Rao has passed away at a
private hospital in Hyderabad following prolonged
illness. He was 93 year old.
US actor William Schallert has passed away.
West Indies cricket writer, commentator and journalist,
Tony Cozier has passed away. He was 75 year old.
Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat Praveen Rashtrapal has
passed away after suffering a heart attack. He is 76 year
old.
The head of Sant Nirankari Mission and an Indian
spiritual guru Hardev Singh has passed away in a road
accident in Canada. He was 62 year old.
Deepak Shodhan, Indias oldest Test cricketer and the
2nd Indian to score a memorable test century in his
debut innings, has passed away due to a heart attack at
his residence in Ahmedabad.
French astrophysicist Andre Brahic, one of the
discoverers of Neptune's rings, died in Paris at the age of
73.
Veteran CBS newsman Morley Safer, who retired from
CBS News just a week ago has passed away after a 61year career in journalism.
Popular Gujarati folk singer Diwaliben Bhil has passed
away in Junagadh. She was 80 year old.
Emmy award-winning English-born actor Alan Young,
died at age 96.
Noted Kannada writer D. Javare Gowda has passed away
following a cardiac arrest in Mysuru. He was 101 year
old.
Former Lok Sabha MP from Odisha and senior BJP leader
Rudra Madhab Ray has passed away.
The oldest living Olympic champion Sandor Tarics has
passed away at home in San Francisco. He was 102 year
old.
Veteran film and television actor Suresh Chatwal has
passed away in Mumbai.

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CPI(M) veteran and former MLA and MP K Anirudhan

has passed away at his residence at Vazhuthacaud. He
was 92 year old.
SM Seenivel, a newly elected MLA of the All India Anna
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in the new
Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed away in a private
hospital in Bibikulam in Madurai.
Mr. Burt Kwouk, who was best known for playing
Inspector Clouseau's manservant Cato in the Pink
Panther films. He was 85 year old.
Veteran communist leader KC Mathew has passed away
in Kochi. He was 92 year old.
R G Jadhav, a noted Marathi critic and litterateur has
passed away. He was 83 year old.
Sports Current Affairs
The Formula One championship leader Nico Rosberg has
won the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi. It's his fourthstraight win of this season.
Star Indian pugilist Vijender Singh recorded his 5th
consecutive victory in Professional Boxing. He defeated
Frenchman Matiouze Royer at London's Copper Box
Arena via knock-out.
England's world number one Mark Selby won World
Championship title of Snooker. In the final match played
in Sheffield, Selby from Leicester defeated Chinas Ding
Junhui 18-14.
Seven Indian shuttlers have booked their berth for the
upcoming Rio Olympics, scheduled in August.
Indian batsman Rohit Sharma has inaugurated India's
first sports expo in Pune.
In Pakistan, former South African cricketer and coach for
PSL's Karachi Kings, Mickey Arthur, has been appointed
as cricket team's head coach.
Pakistan beat India at the Asian Kabaddi championships
in Islamabad, retaining the title.
Number one player, Novac Djokovic has defeated Andy
Murray 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to conquer the Mutua Madrid Open
title in Madrid, Spain.
Indian boxers won four medals at the 7th Asian Youth
Championships held in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan. India
finished at third in the overall standings with three
silver and a bronze medal in the tournament.
In Tennis, Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis continue to
lead the latest Women's Doubles rankings released.
American Serena Williams continued to top the Singles
rankings. In Men's Singles rankings, Novak Djokovic is
still at the top.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry was named
the NBAs Most Valuable Player for the second straight
year.
Former India captain Anil Kumble has been re-appointed
ICC Cricket Committee chairman for a second term of
three years while his one- time team-mate Rahul Dravid
was named member of the top panel.
FIFA has appointed a UN diplomat, Fatma Samoura as its
first ever female secretary-general, a surprise and

11

historic move announced at a congress to overhaul the

scandal-hit organisation.
Indian women's squash team have won the Silver medal
in the Asian Team squash Championships.
Andy Murray defeated Novak Djokovic on clay for the
first time to win the Italian Open Men's Singles Tennis
title.
American professional tennis player, Serena Williams
defeated compatriot Madison Keys 7-6(7-5), 6-3 to win
her fourth Rome Masters title and the first title in last
nine months.
Rio Olympics qualified sprinter, Sudha Singh set a new
national record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase
category by clocking 9 minutes and 26.55 seconds in the
IAAF Diamond League race in Shanghai.
Barcelona were crowned La Liga champions for the
second straight time and the 24th time overall, after they
defeated Granada 3-0 in the last game of the season.
Top-ranked women's doubles pair of Sania Mirza and
Martina Hingis rebounded from their last two final
losses to clinch the Internazionali BNL dItalia title in
Rome.
The Red Bull, Max Verstappen has become the youngest
formula 1 winner. He is 18 year old.
A three-member Indian women's archery team
comprising Deepika Kumari, Bombayla Devi and
Laxmirani Majhi was named for the Rio Olympics after a
series of selection trials in the last three months.
Joe Root, a England cricketer has bagged a hat-trick of
awards, as he was named Test Player of the Year,
Limited Overs Player of the Year and Fans' Player of the
Year at the England's annual awards ceremony.
Olympic chief Thomas Bach has announced that up to 31
athletes from six sporting event could be banned from
competing at the Rio Games.
Sevilla were crowned for the third straight year as the
UEFA Europa League champions after they defeated
Liverpool 3-1 in the final at the St. Jakob-Park in Basel.
Indian women's team settled for a bronze medal after
suffering a 0-3 defeat at the hands of defending
champions China in the semifinals of the Uber Cup
badminton championship, at Kunshan in China.
Belgian Mourad Laachraoui has won gold in the
European Taekwondo Championships.
Roger Federer has withdrawn from this years French
Open after failing to recover from a back injury.
Star Indian Batsman Virat Kohli added another feather
to his cap as he was named 'Ceat T20 Player of the Year'
awards 2016 in Mumbai. Recently, after the conclusion
of IPL 2016, he was also named as the Player-of-theTournament after scoring 973 runs in 16 matches.
England captain Alastair Cook has become the youngest
ever batsman to cross 10,000 runs in Test cricket and
also become the 12th man to join the elite 10,000-run
club in Test cricket.
Chinese women badminton team showing its
supremacyhas won the Uber Cup title. In the final played

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at the Kunshan Sports Centre Gymnasium in Beijing, the

host country defeated South Korea 3-1.
The Mohun Bagan has clinched the Federation Cup title
for the 14th time.
For the first time ever, Denmark has won the Thomas
Cup badminton tournament.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin retained his second
spot in the latest ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers.
India's ace cueist Pankaj Advani has created history in
Abu Dhabi by clinching the Asian 6-Red Snooker title.
The Sports Ministry has stated that the winners from the
upcoming Rio Games will be considered for this year's
Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards.
Indian boxer Sonia Lather has settled for a silver medal
at the AIBA Women's World Championships in 57 kg
category.
Indian para athlete Amit Kumar Saroha from Haryana
won the gold medal in men's club throw (F-51) at the
recently concluded 2016 French Open Athletics
Championship in Paris.
Coach of IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab Sanjay Bangar
has been appointed India's head coach for the team's
tour to Zimbabwe.
Sunrisers Hyderabad has defeated Royal Challengers
Bangalore (RCB) by 8 runs to clinch the IPL title for the
first time at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore.
Lewis Hamilton wins Monaco F1 Grand Prix.
Real Madrid defeated Atletico Madrid 5-3 in the penalty
shoot-out to win their eleventh Champions League title.
Important Days
The World Press Freedom Day (3rd May) was observed
across the world with the theme Access to Information
and Fundamental Freedoms - This Is Your Right!
Every year, National Technology Day is observed across
India on May 11 to mark Indian technological
advancement. This year the theme is Technology
enablers of Startup India.
The World Hypertension Day (WHD) is being observed
on 17th of May.
Defence Current Affairs
Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) has launched Indian Coast
Guard Ship (ICGS) Shaurya at Panaji.
Indian Army had conducted major military training
exercise 2016 Chakravyuh-II in Suratgarh, Rajasthan.
Indian Navy has decommissioned its fleet of iconic Sea
Harriers.
Indian Navy has launched the state-of-the-art Harbour
Defence Systems, viz., Integrated Underwater Harbour
Defence and Surveillance System (IUHDSS) and Mine
Warfare Data Centre (MWDC) which would enhance the
Navys surveillance capability and response to security
threats at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam.
Indian Air Force has launched its Electronic Maintenance
Management System (e-MMS) Project, an automated
military maintenance system.

12

The multilateral Red Flag Aerial combat exercises

between US, NATO and allied forces and India Air Force
(IAF) concluded in Alaska, US.
India successfully test fired its indigenously developed
supersonic interceptor missile off the Odisha coast.
India successfully test fired its indigenously developed
Prithvi-II missile from the Chandipur, off Odisha coast.
The Indian Navy has commissioned indigenously built
highly maneuverable Fast Attack Craft INS Tarmugli at
the commissioning ceremony held in Visakhapatnam,
Andhra Pradesh.
The Indian Coast Guard ship Arush, the 17th in the
series of twenty Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs), designed and
built by M/s Cochin Shipyard Limited, has commissioned
at Kochi.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully test-fired an
advanced version of BrahMos land-attack supersonic
cruise missile system.
Second submarine assembly workshop of the Mazagon
Dock Limited (MDL) was inaugurated by Defence
Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Science & Tech. Current Affairs
The world's smallest engine has been created at
Cambridge University by UK based researchers. The
engine is fueled by lasers and gold and a few billionths of
a metre in size, which uses lights to power the engine.
An international team of scientists have discovered a trio
of Earth-like exo-planets using the TRAPPIST telescope
at ESOs La Silla Observatory. These planets were found
orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star just 40 light-years from
Earth and are likely comparable in size and temperature
to Earth and Venus. Scientists have named the ultra-cool
dwarf star 2MASS J23062928-0502285 (also known as
TRAPPIST-1).
US based private space transport service company,
SpaceX has successfully launched Japanese JCSAT-14
communication satellite into the space.
NASA successfully launched a super pressure balloon
from New Zealand's South Island Wanaka Airport to
conduct near-space scientific investigations.
China has successfully launched a remote sensing
satellite Yaogan-30 into sun-synchronous orbit (SSO)
using the Long March-2D rocket.
US-based law firm BakerHostetler in May 2016 hired the
worlds first robot lawyer ROSS to assist the company
and its various teams in legal research.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has
successfully launched its maiden indigenous winged
Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) from Sriharikota
spaceport in Andhra Pradesh.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has
decided to test an Air-breathing Propulsion System after
successful test of Reusable launch Vehicle- Technology
Demonstration (RLV-TD).

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Awards & Recognition

BCCI has nominated Indian Test captain Virat Kohli for
the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and his
teammate Ajinkya Rahane for Arjuna Award. These
nominations by BCCI have come after a gap of four years.
Leicester City striker forward Jamie Vardy was named
2015-16 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers
Association (FWA).
Late director Yash Chopra, who captured the verdant
Swiss valley in his films, has been honoured with a
special statue by the Switzerland government.
Harita-Priya Agriculture Project of Andhra Pradesh has
won the prestigious World Summit on the Information
Society (WSIS) 2016 prize in the e-Agriculture category.
Indian author and Social Science professor from India
Prashar Kulkarni has won the Commonwealth Short
Story Prize for 2016, in the Asia region for his "politically
grounded, funny" fiction Cow and Company about four
men in search of a cow.
Renowned musician Angelique Kidjo along with three
inspirational African youth activist movements have
been declared the joint winners of the prestigious
Amnesty International top 2016 human rights award.
The SMS-based Vehicle Monitoring System of Nagaland
police has conferred with the National Award for Smart
Policing instituted by Federation of Indian Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
An Indian scientist from Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur city
Dr Manvendra K Singh has been awarded a grant of SGD
3 million (about Rs 14.7 crore) by National Research
Foundation to research in congenital and adult
cardiovascular diseases.
The Madhya Pradesh Tourism (MPT) won the Lonely
Planet Groups Best Indian Destination for Wildlife
Award.

13

Anjali Chandrashekar, a 22-year-old Indian artist is

among the three winners of a UN poster competition on
creating awareness about nuclear disarmament.
Rwandan national captain Eric Dusingizimana, has set a
new Guinness world record by batting out a straight 51
hours, the longest individual net session, beating the
record set last year by India's Virag Mane, who had
batted a straight 50 hours.
Former ISRO Chairman and space scientist Prof Udupi
Ramachandra Rao became the first Indian to be given
Hall of Fame Award by the International Astronautical
Federation (IAF).
Actress Celina Jaitly has been honored by the Harvey
Milk Foundation for her contribution to Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) equality as a United
Nations Equality Champion.
Han Kang, a South Korean author has won he 2016 Man
Booker International Prize for her novel 'The
Vegetarian'.
Renowned author of Harry Potter series, Mr. JK Rowling
has been honoured with the highest French civilian
honour -'French Legion Of Honour'.
Syamantak Payra, a 15-year old Indian-American
student has won the prestigious Intel Foundation Young
Scientist Award.
Rupa Iyer, an Indian-American bio-technologist, has
received the University of Houston's highest teaching
award for her sustained and significant contributions to
education in the US.
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Chairman and
Managing Director Mukesh Ambani has been conferred
the prestigious Othmer Gold Medal for his
entrepreneurial leadership.
Renowned Indian music composer A. R. Rahman has
been awarded with the Japan's Fukuoka prize 2016 for
his outstanding contribution towards towards creating,
preserving and showcasing South Asian traditional
fusion music.
India-Pakistan school Students Exchange Program has
won innovation award.
Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has been
conferred with the Yug Kavi Siddhicharan Award by
Nepal Veteran British director Ken Loach film I, Daniel
Blake has won the his second Palme dOr at the 69th
Cannes Film Festival, France.
Rajasthan's Bundi is stepping into the virtual world with
an 'e-municipal council' to provide files at a click, and
detailed digital mapping of the city with a database of its
demographical and geographical information.
Telangana government has signed an MoU with USbased healthcare tech firm Eclat Health Solutions, which,
according to the agreement, will invest USD 15 million in
the state to provide 1,000 jobs.
Lakshadweep becomes the first Union Territory to sign
24x7 Power for All document.
The Bihar government MDM scheme, UNICEF and the
Bihar based Rajendra Agriculture University entered

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into an agreement to curb malnourishment among

women and children in the state.
The Telangana government has entered the Limca Book
of Records for conducting the most intensive household
survey by a state.
US biochemical engineer, Frances Arnold has won the
Millennium Technology Prize for her work 'directed
evolution' in Finland.
A 12 year old, Indian American student Rishi Nair has
won the prestigious National Geographic Bee
competition 2016.
Founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, Mr. Sunil
Bharti Mittal has received this years Harvard Business
School Alumni Achievement Award.
A 31 year old Indian woman author, Aditi Krishnakumar
has won the 'Scholastic Asian Book Award' for her
32,000-word manuscript rooted in "love of Indian
history".
Har Parkash Rishi is an Indian man who holds the
Guinness World Record for having the maximum
number of flags (366) tattooed on his body.
An Indian-American scientist Arnab De has received the
prestigious Springer Theses Award in recognition for his
outstanding research in which he developed transgenic
mice to study a critical tumour-suppressor called A20.
Current Schemes/App/Portal Launched By State &
Central Govt.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) at Ballia, Uttar
Pradesh. It will benefit the poor, especially the women.
The scheme aims to provide cooking gas connections to
five crore below-poverty-line beneficiaries over the next
three years.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu
has inaugurated an insurance scheme 'Chandranna Bima
Yojana' for the working class people. Under the scheme,
5 Crore workers would be covered under the scheme, 5
Lakh would be paid if the Insurer worker met with an
accidental fatal and 5 Lakh for Permanent disability and
Rs. 3 Lakh for Partial disability.
A Bureaucrat, who turned as politician N.K. Singh has
honoured with Japans second highest national
decoration for his contribution in strengthening IndoJapan ties in the field of trade and investment over the
last few decades.
An Indian-American woman elementary teacher Revathi
Balakrishnan, from Texas has been honored by US
President Barack Obama at the White House for her
excellent work in the field of education.
All four Southern languages - Tamil, Telugu, Kannada,
Malayalam and Odia are now the classical languages of
India.
State-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has
announced the commissioning of a 600 MW coal-based
thermal power plant in Madhya Pradesh.

14

The central has announced its amnesty scheme, 'Dhan

wapsi Income Declaration Scheme for declaring
domestic black money would start from June 1st.
Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and
Shipping Nitin Gadkari has launched three initiatives for
best practices in road transport sector. These three
innovative IT initiatives are: INFRACON, ePACE and upScaled INAM PRO.
The Odisha government has decided to launch Green
Passage scheme for orphan students to ensure that they
get free of cost higher education in the state.
Labour Minister (Independent) Bandaru Dattatreya
stated that the Centre is revising the rehabilitation of
bonded labour scheme, bringing it into the Central
sector, and plans to raise financial assistance from Rs.
20,000 to Rs. 1 lakh .
The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P
Nadda has launched the Centre for Environmental
Health in New Delhi.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has
introduced PEHAL programme in Shimla district.
Medicines with the Red Line: A public awareness
campaign launched by the Union Government to curb
irrational use of antibiotics.
Railway will launch Rail Humsafar Saptaah,a week-long
celebration to highlight Railway achievements during
the last two years.
The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development
(HRD) has decided to launch ASMITA, a student tracking
system programme. ASMITA is acronym for All School
Monitoring Individual Tracing Analysis and shall be
launched under Shala Asmita Yojana (SAY).
The Ministry of Human Resource Development has
announced the launch of a multilingual knowledge
portal www.bharatavani.in. It aims to not only ensure
universalisation of education but also creation of a
knowledge society in the digital age.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin
Gadkari has launched 20 Nirbhaya buses of Rajasthan
State Transport Corporation with multiple safety
measures to better protect women passengers.
Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel has launched
Ujala scheme in Vadodara to distribute LED bulbs to the
people .
Chief Minister of Gujrat, Anandiben Patel has launched
two state-wide campaigns against malnutrition at Ahwa
town in Dangs district.
Miscellaneous Current Affairs (Books and other Current
Affairs)
The Lok Sabha passed the Compensatory Afforestation
Fund Bill, 2015 for the establishment of funds under the
public accounts of Centre and each State towards
compensatory afforestation. The bill seeks to establish
the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund under
the Public Account of India and a State Compensatory

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Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of each

state.
According to IMF, Financial inequality is highest in India
and China among Asia Pacific countries despite the two
being among the fastest growing economies.
Veteran actor Shashi Kapoors autobiography titled
Shashi Kapoor the Householder, the Star was released
recently. It is authored by film journalist Aseem Chhabra.
As a part of 475th Birth Anniversary celebrations of
Maharana Pratap Union Minister for Culture and
Tourism Dr. Mahesh Sharma has released a
Commemorative coin of Rs. 100 and a Circulation coin of
Rs. 10 in New Delhi.
The Union Government has constituted a three member
committee to prepare a policy framework for taxi and
other transport operators. The committee will be
headed by Sanjay Mitra.
The world's largest cargo aircraft - Antonov An-225
Mriya has made its first landing in India at the Rajiv
Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad for refuelling.
In a bid to provide solar energy, the Indian Railways is
all set to conduct trial of its first solar panel-powered
train in Rajasthan's Jodhpur city.
Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL), a state run
engineering firm has won Rs. 1,600 crore order from a
joint venture company of National Thermal Power
Corporation Limited (NTPC) and Steel Authority of India
Limited (SAIL) to set up a coal based thermal power
project in Odisha.
Beti, a non-fiction short film on girl child education,
made by young student filmmakers of Chandigarh, has
been invited for a special screening at the 42nd Seattle
International Film Festival (SIFF), Washington DC.

15

The Centre has constituted a five Member Committee to

comprehensively review and give recommendations on
the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management,
FRBM, roadmap for the future. The Committee will be
headed by former Revenue and Expenditure Secretary
N.K. Singh.
A 42 year old woman born in Nepal, Lhakpa Sherpa has
climbed Mount Everest for the seventh time. With this
she broke her own record for the most ascents to the
world's highest mountain by a woman.
Railway passengers can now cancel their wait-listed and
RAC (reservation against cancellation) train tickets by
just dialing 139.
According to the Union Railway Minister, Suresh Prabhu,
the first bullet train will run in India in 2023, and its
work is on track.
New committee to swipe towards cashless society to be
chaired by Neeraj Kumar Gupta.
Spiritual leader and Isha Foundation founder, Sadhguru
Jaggi Vasudev will lead a yoga session at the UN on the
occasion of the second International Yoga Day next
month.
The Tata Group forayed into e-commerce with the
launch of 'Tata CliQ', an online and app-based platform
to let users buy apparel and electronics.
External Affair Minister Sushma Swaraj has launched the
official website of PM Narendra Modi's Office in six
regional languages including Gujarati, Marathi,
Malyalam, Tamil, Telgu and Bengali.
Indian Railways has conducted the first ever trial run for
high-speed Talgo trains of Spain on the Bareilly-toMoradabad stretch in Uttar Pradesh with speeds
averaging 80-115 kmph.

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