March 2015 Current Affairs
INTERNATIONAL
ChinaApprovesNewNuclearReactorsInIndustryRevival
China is reviving growth of its nuclear power industry with approval of its first new project since Japan’s 2011 Fukushima disaster. The Cabinet’s planning agency on 11 March approved construction of two additional reactors at a power plant in the northeastern province of Liaoning.China is the world’s biggest energy consumer and nuclear power plays a key role in government plans to curb surging demand for imported oil and gas.
North Korea and Russia Declared 2015 as Friendship Year
North Korea and Russia will mark 2015 as a year of friendship and step up bilateral exchanges in political, economic and cultural sectors.”The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation decided to make 2015, in which falls the 70th anniversaries of Korea’s liberation and the victory in the great Patriotic War in Russia, as a year of friendship between the two countries.
Japan and France Signed Defence Agreement
Japan and France on 13 March signed a agrrment on military equipment and technology transfers , in a move to drive cooperation and joint development of defence gear, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe strengthens security ties with major powers.
Muhammadu Buhari Elected As Nigerian President
Former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari was elected as the president of Nigeria on 31 March, making him the first opposition candidate to win a presidential vote in the country’s history. This Presidential Election was held on 28 March 2015 all across Nigeria, which is the most populous country in Africa and is also the largest economy of the continent. Gen. Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated President Jonathan’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) by over 2 million votes.
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INDIA & WORLD
India and Spain Signed Agreement OnDefence Ties
India and Spain on 5 March signed an agreement on ‘Mutual Protection of Classified Information’ to provide the framework for an enhanced cooperation in the defence sector. The agreement was signed after the meeting between Spanish Defence Minister Pedro Moremes and his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar in New Delhi.
Saudi Arabia Becomes Top Arms Importer
According to the IHS company study report released on 8 March, Saudi Arabia overtook India to become the world’s biggest weapons importer in 2014, a year when global defence trade rose for the sixth straight year to a record $64.4 billion. The top five importers in 2014 were Saudi Arabia, India, China, UAE and Taiwan.
India and Seychelles Signed Four Agreements
India on 11 March signed four agreements with the Indian Ocean island nation to boost security and maritime partnership. They were signed in the fields of renewable energy, hydro graphic survey, electronics navigation and infrastructure development at the island of Seychelles.These agreements and MoU’s were signed by Secretary (West) NavtejSarna from Indian side in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Seychelles James Alix Michel.
India and Sri Lanka Signed Four Agreements
India and Sri Lanka on 13 March signed four agreements to cement cooperation between the two neighbours, including a customs pact to balance trade, a credit line of more than $300 million, a currency swap agreement and visa on arrival for Sri Lankan nationals in India. The agreements were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Srilankan President Maithripala Sirisena in Colombo.
New UK scholarship Announced For Indian Finance Professionals
United Kingdom (UK) Chancellor George Osborne has on 13 March launched the first-of-kind scholarships for Indian finance professionals who want to study in Britain. The Chevening Financial Services Leadership programme was launched by Osborne in London.
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NATIONAL
Govt To Launch Atal Pension Yojna (APY) On 1 June
Atal Pension Yojna (APY), announced in the 2015-16 Budget , will be launched on 1st of June 2015 and will focus on all citizens in the unorganized sector entitling them to a pension of up to Rs 5,000 per month after 60 years of age. The existing subscribers of Swavalamban Scheme would be automatically migrated to the APY pension scheme, unless they opt out. The minimum age of joining APY is 18 years and maximum age is 40 years.
Parliament Passes Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2015
Parliament on 4 March passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2015. The bill was passed by Lok Sabha on 2 March and was cleared by the upper house also called Rajya Sabha on 4 March 2015. The bill seeks an amendment in the Citizenship Act, 1955 and to merge the Person of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) schemes.
Lok Sabha Passed Land Acquisition (amendment) Bill, 2015
Lok Sabha on 10 March 2015 passed the Land Acquisition (amendment) Bill, 2015. The bill was passed by voice vote along with incorporated 9 new amendments moved by Union government. The bill amends the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013.
Parliament Passed Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015
Parliament has passed Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015.It was first passed in Lok Sabha on 4 March 2015 and later in Rajya Sabha on 12 March 2015. In both the houses the bill was passed by voice vote. The amendment bill replaces ordinance promulgated in this regard and aims to bring improvements and revisions in the existing laws relating to insurance business in India. The amendment bill hikes Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) cap in the insurance sector to 49 percent from present 26 percent.
Parliament Passed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015
Parliament has passed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015. The bill was first passed in Rajya Sabha and later in Lok Sabha on 20 March 2015.The Bill was passed in Rajya Sabha after the Union government had accepted the recommendations of the Select Committee. The amendments in the bill were made in the bill passed by Lok Sabha on 4 March 2015.It seeks to amend the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957 and replace the ordinance promulgated in January 2015.
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STATES
‘ AapkiBetiHumariBeti ‘ Scheme Launched In Haryana
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on 8 March launched a scheme for girl child – ‘AapkiBetiHumariBeti’ – with an aim to combat the problem of declining child sex ratio in the state. The scheme will cover first-born girl child of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families and all second girl child born on or after 22nd January 2015 of all families in the state.
Maharashtra Government Launched Bhagyashree Scheme
Maharashtra Government has launched ‘Bhagyashree Scheme’ for girl child from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, on 8 March.’ Bhagyashree Scheme’ has replaced the state government’s previous ‘Sukanya Scheme’. Bollywood actress Bhagyashree is the brand ambassador of the scheme. The Bhagyashree scheme aims at providing one lakh rupee on maturity after the girl completes 18 years of age.
Assam Govt Launched “MomaiTamuliBarbaruahKrishakBondhu” Scheme
Assam government has on 15 March launched the “MomaiTamuliBarbaruahKrishakBondhu Scheme” to increase agricultural production. Under the programme ‘MomaiTamuliBarbaruahKrishakBondhu Scheme’, facilities and assistance will be provided for double cropping in all the crop areas which have so far been utilised for single cropping only.
Gujarat Legislative Assembly Passes Anti-Terror Bill
The Gujarat Legislative Assembly on 31 March 2015 passed Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organized Crime (GUJCOC) Bill, 2015. It is third time this controversial Bill being passed by state assembly. Earlier, passed bill was rejected two times by the then Presidents in 2004 and 2008 for reconsideration.
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CONFERENCES
International Conference On Counter Terrorism
India’s first conference on Counter-Terrorism was held from 19 – 21 March 2015 in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The conference was named as International Counter-Terrorism Conference 2015 and it was organised by India Foundation in association with the Sardar Patel University of Police Security and Criminal Justice-Jodhpur. The central theme of the Conference is Integrated Approach to Counter-Terrorism. The Conference was inaugurated by Union Home Minister RajnathSingh.The focus of the deliberations was on exploring the contours of 21st century terrorism and sharing the Counter-Terrorism expertise. Some of the sub-themes on which the conference focused include 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack, Talibanisation of Af-Pak region, New Caliphate in West Asia, Maritime Terrorism and Piracy, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Terrorism and Cyber and Space terrorism.
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AWARDS & HONOURS
Namibian President HifikepunyePohamba Won Mo Ibrahim Prize
HifikepunyePohamba, outgoing Namibian President, on 2 March won the Mo Ibrahim prize for achievement in African leadership for year 2014.Pohamba served as Namibian President two terms. For first time he was elected in 2004 and again in 2009. The award is named after Mo Ibrahim, a British-Sudanese mobile communications entrepreneur and philanthropist, who had made billions of fortune from investing in Africa.
VeerappaMoily Selected For SaraswatiSamman 2014
Former Union minister and senior Congress leader M VeerappaMoily was on 9 March selected for the prestigious SaraswatiSamman for 2014 for his famous Kannada poem ‘Ramayana Mahanveshanam’. Divided into five volumes, Ramayana Mahanveshanam was first published in 2007 in Kannada. Later the poem was translated into English, Hindi, Telugu and Tamil.
Activist Rajendra Singh Won Stockholm Water Prize – 2015
Rajendra Singh, an eminent environment activist, has been conferred the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize 2015 for his innovative water restoration efforts and extraordinary courage to empower communities in Indian villages. He is popularly known as Water Man of India.
Shashi Kapoor Selected For ‘DadasahebPhalke Award 2014′
Veteran actor and film producer Shashi Kapoor has been named for the prestigious Dada SahebPhalke Award 2014. He is the 46th winner of the honour, conferred by the government for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema. The 2014 DadasahebPhalke award to Shashi Kapoor made him the third member of Kapoor family to receive the award after Prithviraj Kapoor and Raj Kapoor.
62nd National Film Awards 2014
The 62nd National Film Awards for year 2014 was announced on 24 March 2015. Court directed by Chaitanya Tamhane was selected as the Best feature film. Mary Kom (Hindi) directed by Omung Kumar was selected as the Best Popular film providing wholesome entertainment. The 62nd National Film Awards in the various categories are as follows:-
* Best Actor – Vijay for NanuAvanallaAvalu (Kannada).
* Best Actress – KanganaRanaut for Queen (Hindi).
* Best Direction -SrijitMukherji, Director of Chotushkone (Bengali).
* Best Hindi Film – Queen
* Best Children’s Film - KaakkaaMuttai (Tamil) and Elizabeth Ekadashi (Marathi).
* Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director – Aditya VikramSengupta for Asha JaoarMajhe (Bengali).
* NargisDutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration – ChotoderChobi (Bengali) directed by Kaushik Ganguly.
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SPORTS & GAMES
Karnataka Won Ranji Trophy 2015
Karnataka on 12 March won their eighth Ranji Trophy title of cricket. In the title clash played at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, Karnataka defeated Tamil Nadu by an innings and 217 runs. Karnataka defeated Tamil Nadu by an innings and 217 runs in the final day of match played at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.The man of the match was Karnataka’s Karun Nair who had scored 338 runs.
India Open Super Series Badminton 2015 Winners
Women’s Singles :- India’s ace shuttlerSainaNehwal on 29 March won India Open Super Series Badminton Women’s Singles 2015 Title. She defeated Thailand’s RatchanokIntanon in the final match played at Siri Fort Indoor Complex in New Delhi.
Men’s Single’s :- India’s SrikanthKidambi has won India Open Super Series Badminton Men’s Singles 2015 Title. In the final match he defeated Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen.
Australia Won ICC Cricket World Cup For 5th time
Australia on 29 March 2015 won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 for the record fifth time. In the final match Australia defeated co-hosts of the tournament, New Zealand by 7 wickets played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Australia. Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc was named the Player of the Tournament who finished with a figure of 22 wickets in the tournament. He was tied with New Zealand left-arm seamer Trent Boult for taking highest wickets in the tournament. Australian all-rounder James Faulkner was adjudged man of the match, while the man of the series award went to Mitchell Starc. He finished the tournament with 22 wickets.
SainaNehwal Becomes First Indian Woman To Attain World No.1 Ranking
Ace shuttlerSainaNehwal on 28 March created history by becoming first Indian woman to be ranked number one in the world in Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings in Women’s Singles category. She achieved this rare feat after Spain’s Carolina Marin’s lost her semi-final match to Thailand’s RatchanokIntanon in the Indian Open Super Series. Saina has overtaken China’s Li Xuerui to become the highest ranked player in the world. SainaNehwal is the second Indian badminton player to achieve this feat, after legendary shuttler Prakash Padukone. He had achieved the top rank in 1980 in Men’s Single Category.
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ECONOMY
RBI reduced Repo Rate By 25 Basis Points To 7.5 percent
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 4 March reduced the repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.5 percent with immediate effect. This is the second time since January 2015 that RBI reduced the repo rate by 25 basis points. With this, the reverse repo rate under the LAF stands adjusted to 6.5 percent, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank rate to 8.5 percent.
India’s Billionaires To Rise 104% By 2024
According to the latest Knight Frank Wealth Report, as of 2014,Wealth creation in India is likely to accelerate significantly with the number of ultra-wealthy individuals expected to double to 3,371 by 2024. India is home to 1,652 ultra high net worth individuals (UHNWIs), which is likely to swell to 3,371 by the year 2024, registering a jump of 104 per cent. The number of UHNWIs in India has increased from 622 in 2004 to 1,652 in 2014, registering a rise of 166 per cent over the past decade (2004-2014). At 0.1 UHNWI per lakh population, India ranks a distant 84 among 97 countries globally in terms of equitable distribution of wealth.
Indian Railways Signed MoU with LIC For Rs 1.5 lakh crore Investments
Indian Railways on 11 March signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) to raise Rs 1.5 lakh crore for financing the development of its various commercially viable infrastructure projects. Under this MoU, LIC will make available a Financial Assistance of 150000 crore rupees to the Indian Railways for implementing Railway projects over the next five years. The Financial Assistance will be available from the Financial Year 2015-16.
India Becomes 3rd Biggest Steel Producer Over Takes US
India has become the third-largest steel producer in the world by overtaking United States (US) in first two months of year 2015. It was revealed in the Data compiled by World Steel Association (WSA) on 22 March.India’s production in first two months i.e. January- February of 2015 was 14.56 million tonnes (MT). This production growth was the highest during this two month period at 7.6% as compared to the global average of just 0.6% at 127.6 MT.China tops in steel production and accounts for nearly half of the global steel production. During this period China has produced 65 MT steel.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
SpaceX Rocket Lifts Off with World’s First All Electric Satellites
World’s first electric satellites were successfully lifted off by a Space Exploration (SpaceX) Technologies rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, United States on 1 March. The rocket was carrying two all-electric commercial satellites built by Boeing. The satellites are owned by the French satellite provider Eutelsat and Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS).
NASA’s Dawn Spacecraft Completed Its Orbit Around Dwarf Planet Ceres
NASA’s Dawn space probe has on 6 March completed its orbit around dwarf planet Ceres which is the largest object in the Solar System between Mars and Jupiter. With the completion of orbit, Dawn probe has become first spacecraft to visit dwarf planet. Dawn has taken 7.5 years to reach the orbit of Ceres.
‘ Solar Impulse – 2′ Begins Its Journey Around the World
‘ Solar Impulse – 2′, a solar-powered airplane, started its historic 35,000-km round-the-world journey from Abu Dhabi on 9 March 2015. Solar Impulse-2 took off from Abu Dhabi on its 5-month long journey in which it will skip from continent to continent, crossing both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans in the process. Andre Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard are the two pilots of this mission.
Pakistan Successfully Tests Indigenous Drone Burraq and Barq
Pakistan on 13 March successfully tested its first indigenously built all-weather armed drone named Burraq and a laser guided missile named Barq.By successfully testing of Burraq, Pakistan became the 9th country in the World to develop an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) domestically.
ISRO successfully Launched Fourth Navigation Satellite ‘ IRNSS 1D ‘
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on 28 March 2015 successfully launched fourth navigation satellite Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) 1D. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C27 injected IRNSS 1D into the designated orbit from the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. This was the 28th consecutive successful flight of PSLV. IRNSS is a navigation system that will cover India, and also extend 1,500 kms from its boundaries. It will provide accurate position information to users in India. Basically it will provide two kinds of services, Standard Positioning Services, which is available to all users, and an encrypted service that is provided only to authorized users.
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PERSONS IN NEWS
A) APPOINTMENTS
JagmohanDalmiya Elected as BCCI president
agmohanDalmiya was unanimously elected as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at Annual General meeting held in Chennai on 2 March.Dalmiya had served BCCI as its President between 2001 and 2004. He also served as the President of International Cricket Council (ICC) between 1997 and 2000.
VenkatramanRamakrishnan Named as President of Britain’s Royal Society
Nobel laureate Sir VenkatramanRamakrishnan on 18 March was named as the President of Britain’s prestigious Royal Society, a communion of the many of the world’s most distinguished scientists. Ramakrishnan, who will take up the post on the 1 December 2015, will succeed geneticist Sir Paul Nurse, also a Nobel Laureate.
B)RESIGNS
Union Minister DadaraoDanve Resigns
Union Minister Minister of State (MoS) for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution RaosahebDadaraoDanve on 5 March resigned from the office. RaosahebDanve resigned from the Union Council of Ministers following the BharatiyaJanta Party (BJPs) one-man, one-post principle after he was appointed President of Maharashtra in January 2015. He took over as Maharashtra BJP president after DevendraFadnavis became the Chief Minister state who had led the party to power in October 2014 Assembly elections.
C)DEATHS
Senior Journalist Vinod Mehta Died
Senior journalist and former editor of Outlook, Vinod Mehta died on 8 March in New Delhi. He was 73. Mehta, who had founded the Outlook Magazine and served as its Editor-in-Chief, last held the post of editorial Chairman of the publication. Vinod Mehta was born on May 31, 1942 in Rawalpindi, West-Punjab region of undivided India (now in Pakistan). He wrote the best-selling autobiography ‘Lucknow Boy’ in 2011. He has authored a biography of MeenaKumari (movie actress and poet) and Sanjay Gandhi- The Sanjay Story (2012).
D)VISITORS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Visited Sri Lanka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sri Lanka on 13 – 14 March 2015. The visit follows President Maithripala Sirisena’s first overseas visit to India in February 2015. During his two day visit Narendra Modi met Srilankan President Maithripala Sirisena in Colombo.In the visit, India and Sri Lanka signed four agreements. Narendra Modi also announced e-visa on arrival services for Sri Lankans, a $ 318 million Line of Credit to upgrade Sri Lanka’s railways, and a promise to build Trincomalee as a petroleum hub, while seeking movement on the 500 MW Sampur power project, that has been delayed for years due to environmental concerns.
E)MISCELLANEOUS
PM Narendra Modi Among 30 Most Influential People On Internet
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been named among the 30 most influential people on the internet by Time magazine in a list which also features US President Barack Obama. The list, which analysed social-media followings, site traffic and overall ability to drive news, also includes British author of the Harry Potter series J K Rowling and singers Taylor Swift and Beyonce. The list was released on 6 March 2015.
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PLACES IN NEWS
World’s Largest and Tallest Indian Flag Unfurled In Faridabad
World’s largest and tallest Indian national flag was unfurled on 3 March 2015 at Town Park in Faridabad, Haryana.It was unfurled by BhartiyaJanta Party President Amit Shah.The flag has dimension of 96 feet by 64 feet and weighs 48 kilograms. Flag was hoisted at the height of 250 feet (75 meters). Thus, making it the world’s largest and the highest hoisted Indian flag in the world.
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ABBREVIATIONS
NABARD —- National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development
BCCI — Board of Control for Cricket in India
EPFO — Employees’ Provident Fund Organization
UNICEF — United Nations Children’s Fund
NSE — National Stock Exchange
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BOOKS IN NEWS
The Modi Effect Authored by Lance Price
Book titled “The Modi Effect: Inside Narendra Modi’s Campaign to Transform India” written by Lance Price, former media advisor to the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair.The book was published in the month of March 2015 in India by Hachette. The book is based on the author’s interviews with the prime minister, his Cabinet colleagues like PiyushGoyal, Prakash Javadekar and SmritiIrani and his team of advisers and analysts.
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COMMITTEES
Ajay Shankar Committee Constituted To Review The Existing PPP Cell In Railway Board
The Ministry of Railways appointed Ajay Shankar committee on 25 March to review the performance of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) cell functioning under the Railway Board.Ajay Shankar is a former Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
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IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
WorldTuberculosisDaywasObservedOn24March
World Tuberculosis Day 2015 was globally observed on 24 March 2015. The theme for the year 2015 is continuation of the 2014 theme Reach the 3 Million. The main sub-theme and message for the year 2015 is Reach, Treat, Cure Everyone. The World Tuberculosis Day is annually celebrated on 24 March to commemorate the day on which Dr. Robert Koch discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus in 1882. The day aims to build public awareness about the global epidemic of tuberculosis (TB) and efforts to eliminate the disease.
WorldWateDay2015
World Water Day 2015 was globally observed on 22 March 2015 with the theme Water and Sustainable Development. The theme for the WWD 2015 talks about how water links to all areas we need to consider creating the future we want. World Water Day is celebrated every year to make a difference for the members of the global population who suffer from water related issues. It’s a day to prepare for how we manage water in the future.

National
Govt To Launch Atal Pension Yojna (APY) On 1 June
Atal Pension Yojna (APY), announced in the 2015-16 Budget , will be launched on 1st of June 2015 and will focus on all citizens in the unorganised sector entitling them to a pension of up to Rs 5,000 per month after 60 years of age. The existing subscribers of Swavalamban Scheme would be automatically migrated to the APY pension scheme, unless they opt out. The minimum age of joining APY is 18 years and maximum age is 40 years.
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Parliament Passes Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2015
Parliament on 4 March passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2015. The bill was passed by Lok Sabha on 2 March and was cleared by the upper house also called Rajya Sabha on 4 March 2015. The bill seeks an amendment in the Citizenship Act, 1955 and to merge the Person of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) schemes.
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Lok Sabha Passed Land Acquisition (amendment) Bill, 2015
Lok Sabha on 10 March 2015 passed the Land Acquisition (amendment) Bill, 2015. The bill was passed by voice vote along with incorporated 9 new amendments moved by Union government. The bill amends the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013.
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Parliament Passed Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015
Parliament has passed Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015. It was first passed in Lok Sabha on 4 March 2015 and later in Rajya Sabha on 12 March 2015. In both the houses the bill was passed by voice vote. The amendment bill replaces ordinance promulgated in this regard and aims to bring improvements and revisions in the existing laws relating to insurance business in India.The amendment bill hikes Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) cap in the insurance sector to 49 percent from present 26 percent.
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Parliament Passed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015
Parliament has passed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015. The bill was first passed in Rajya Sabha and later in Lok Sabha on 20 March 2015.The Bill was passed in Rajya Sabha after the Union government had accepted the recommendations of the Select Committee. The amendments in the bill were made in the bill passed by Lok Sabha on 4 March 2015.It seeks to amend the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957 and replace the ordinance promulgated in January 2015.


April 2015 Current Affairs



INTERNATIONAL
Iran and P5+1 Reached Historic Nuclear Deal
Iran, the P5+1 and the European Union (EU) on 2 April conceded on a framework agreement called as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) intended to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The agreement was reached at Lausanne’s Beau-Rivage Palace hotel in Switzerland. The informal framework agreement will be used as the basis for evolving the final draft of JCPOA by 30 June 2015. These 6 world powers are collectively known as P5+1, or five permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, plus Germany.
Pakistan and Russia Agreed To Hold First Ever Joint Military Exercise
Pakistan and Russia have agreed to hold first-ever joint military exercises as part of their enhanced defence cooperation. In this regard, an agreement was reached between both nations during a meeting between Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Asif in Moscow on 16 April 2015.
China and Pakistan Signed An Agreement On CPEC
China and Pakistan on 21 April signed an agreement on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) plan worth 46 billion US dollars. The agreement was signed by China’s President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. As part of the agreement, China will provide up to 37 billion US dollar in investment for energy projects to generate 16400 MW of power. Concessional loans will cover nearly 10 billion US dollar of infrastructure projects.
Omar al-Bashir Re-elected As Sudan President
Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir has won Presidential re-election by securing 94 per cent of the vote on 27 April. With this win, Omar al-Bashir extends his 25-year rule. Omar faces war crimes charges and is wanted by the International Criminal Court. He is in power since 1989. In this election Omar’s National Congress Party (NCP) also won 323 of 426 parliamentary seats.
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INDIA & WORLD
India Ranked 101 In Social Progress Index
India was placed at 101st place in the Social Progress Index (SPI) ratings that were released globally on 9 April 2015. The SPI, which gives data for 133 countries, is also an alternative to GDP. After Norway at the top of the rankings, came Sweden, Switzerland and Iceland.
India Elected To Four United Nations Agencies
India was elected to four important United Nations (UN) agencies on 8 April. These agencies are United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Program (WFP), Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) and the Governing Council of UN-Habitat. India was elected to these bodies at the Coordination and Management Meeting (CMM) of UNECOSOC (the United Nations Economic and Social Council) held at the UN headquarters in New York, USA.
Canada To Supply Uranium To India For 5 Years
Canada on 15 April agreed to supply 3,000 metric tonnes of uranium to energy-hungry India from this year under a $254 million five-year deal to power Indian atomic reactors, four decades after bilateral cooperation in this sector was frozen over India’s nuclear programme. The agreement for uranium supply, which came two years after protracted negotiations following the 2013 civil nuclear deal between India and Canada, was signed after comprehensive talks Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper. Canada is the third country to supply uranium to India after Russia and Kazakhstan.
India Ranks 5th On Global E-Waste Monitor 2014 List
According to the ‘Global E-Waste Monitor 2014’compiled by United Nation(UN)’s think tank United Nations University (UNU), India is the fifth biggest producer of e-waste in the world, discarding 1.7 million tonnes (Mt) of electronic and electrical equipment in 2014.India came in fifth, behind the US, China, Japan and Germany.
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NATIONAL
PM Narendra Modi Launched India’s First National Air Quality Index
The National Air Quality Index (NAQI) was launched for the first time in India by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 6 April 2015 primarily for assessing the quality of air in major urban centres across the country on a real-time basis. This National Air Quality Index will provide information on the quality of air in 10 major cities in the country on a real-time basis.The ten cities where the quality of air can be monitored are Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Faridabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad.
Union Government Notified NJAC 2014
The Union Government on 13 April 2015 notified the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, 2014 and the Constitution (Ninety-ninth Amendment) Act, 2014. The NJAC Act and 99th Amendment Act were notified in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Act. With this new law the collegium system to appoint members to the higher judiciary has come to an end. Now President will appoint judges in the Supreme Court (SC) and 24 High Courts (HCs) in consultation with the NJAC.
MHA renames Visa On Arrival Scheme To E-Tourist Visa
Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on 14 April decided to rename Tourist Visa on Arrival-Electronic Travel Authorization (TVoA-ETA) scheme as e-Tourist Visa (eTV) scheme.
Rajya Sabha Passed Transgenders Rights Bill
The Rajya Sabha on 24 April passed a bill that seeks equal rights for the transgenders.“The Rights of Transgender Persons Bill 2014” was introduced by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva. It was the first private member’s bill to be passed by the Upper House in 45 years. The last time the Lok Sabha passed a private member’s bill was in 1970. In the Rajya Sabha a private member’s bill was passed in 1969.
Railways Launches Mobile App for Paperless Ticketing of Unreserved Category
The Railway Ministry has launched ‘utsonmobile’, a mobile application for paperless unreserved tickets. The application service was launched by Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on 22 April in New Delhi. This application will allow its passenger to buy a ticket on the move and to board the train with the ticket secured on his mobile phone in digital format, without any need for printing the ticket. Initially, it has been launched as a pilot project and cover 15 stations in Southern Railway. Later on it will be extended to entire country in phases.
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STATES
Gujarat Launched Industrial Tourism To Showcase Development
Gujarat government has on 12 April launched industrial tourism package to promote its development by showcasing its major industrial installations which have earned global acclaim for state. It is a first of its kind initiative India, offered by Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd (TCGL) in collaboration with Ahmedabad based Akshar Travels Pvt Ltd. The tour package is called as Industrial Tour of Gujarat will cover some of the major industrial attractions of the state.
Indian Army Conducts Akraman–II Defense Exercise In Rajasthan
Indian Army on 26 April conducted a major exercise ‘Akraman-II’ in Rajasthan. The exercise was conducted by the Chetak Corps, a part of South Western Command based in Bhatinda, Punjab. The exercise aimed to test a new generation of weaponry and platforms which are employed in the desert region to provide ‘real time battle and situational awareness’ to its commanders.
Kerala Govt Launched Subodham Project To End Liquor Abuse
State Government of Kerala on 19 April 2015 launched Subodham project, to help people in the state to overcome addiction to liquor.The project was launched by Chief Minister OommenChandy and Art of Living Foundation founder Sri SriRavishankar in Kochi.
BHEL commissioned 600 MW thermal Unit In Chhattisgarh
State-owned power equipment-maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on 13 April commissioned a 600 MW thermal unit at Dhabra in JanjgirChampa District of Chhattisgarh for the DainikBhaskar Power Limited.This is the second unit of 2 × 600 MW power project, commissioned by BHEL. The first 600 MW Unit was commissioned in 2014.
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CONFERENCES
5th SAARC Health Ministers Meeting Held In New Delhi
The 5th meeting of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Health Ministers was held on 8 April 2015 in New Delhi. The meet ended with the adoption of Delhi Declaration on Public Health Challenges.The declaration focuses on issues common to member nations of South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
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AWARDS & HONOURS
Subadhra Devi Named For 2015 International Achievement Award
DrSubadhra Devi Rai, an Indian-origin Singaporean nurse, on 2 April 2015 was named for the 2015 International Achievement Award by the Florence Nightingale International Foundation (FNIF) of the International Council of Nurses.
Adonis Won 2015 KumaranAsan World Prize For Poetry
Paris- based Syrian-Lebanese Arab poet Adonis has been chosen for 2015 KumaranAsan World Prize for poetry, instituted by the KumaranAsan Memorial Association to honour poets of international stature and introduce them to Indian readers. Adonis was born as Ali Ahmad Said Esber in Western Syria in 1930. Since 1985, he had settled in Paris, France.
SusantaLahiri Awarded Hevesy Medal Award 2015
Professor SusantaLahiri was awarded prestigious the Hevesy Medal Award 2015. The award was presented to him for his outstanding contributions in heavy ion induced radioisotope production, converter targets, tracer packet technique and green chemistry.
Satya Nadella Honoured with the White House ‘Champion of Change’Award
Microsoft’s Indian-origin CEO Satya Nadella was honoured with the White House Champions of Change on 16 April. He is one of the 12 local Champions of Change who were honoured for their exemplary leadership. Champions of Change honour is given to those who support working families and help make change in their companies or communities.
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SPORTS & GAMES
MariyaMuzychuk Won Women’s World Chess Championship
World Women Chess Championship 2015 was won by MariyaMuzychuk of Ukraine. She defeated Russian NatalijaPogonina by 2.5 to 1.5 points in the four-game final.Indian Grandmaster DronavalliHarika on 6 April 2015 won Bronze medal along with Swedish Grandmaster Pia Cramling in the World Women’s chess championships held at Sochi, Russia.
Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara Named Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 2014
Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara has been honoured with the Cricketer of the Year in the 2015 edition of the prestigious Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack on 8 April. He has become only the second cricketer after India’s VirenderSehwag to be bestowed with the award twice.
New Zealand Won Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament 2015
New Zealand won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup men’s Hockey Tournament title on 12 April.In the final clash played at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh, Malaysia, New Zealand defeated World Champions Australia 3-1.India won Bronze Medal (third position) by beating south Korea by 4-1 in the penalty shoot-out.
Djokovic Won Laureus World Sportsman Of The Year 2015 Award
The Laureus World Sports Awards for the year 2015 were given in seven categories on 15 April at Shanghai in China. Ace tennis star Novak Djokovic of Serbia and sprinter GenzebeDibaba of Ethiopia were named as the Laureus World Sportsman and Sportswoman of the 2015 respectively.
Novak Djokovic Won Monte Carlo Masters Title
Novak Djokovic of Serbia won the Monte-Carlo Masters title of Tennis on 20 April. He defeated Berdych of Czech Republic in the men’s singles final. It was his second Monte-Carlo Masters title of Tennis. With this win, Djokovic also became the first player to sweep the opening three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events of a season. The previous two titles were won at Indian Wells and Miami.
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ECONOMY
Union Government Unveiled new FTP
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry on 2 April unveiled Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2015-2020. The new trade policy will incorporate government ambitious initiatives such as Make in India, Digital India mission, Skill India programme, ease of business in order to boost jobs and take India’s exports to 900 billion dollars by 2020. In the new policy FTP2015-20, two new schemes Merchandise Exports From India Scheme (MEIS) and Services Exports From India Scheme (SEIS) were introduced.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Launched MUDRA Bank
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 8 April launched the Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Ltd. (MUDRA) Bank in New Delhi.The bank will provide credit of up to 10 lakh rupees to small entrepreneurs and act as a regulator for Micro-Finance Institutions (MFIs). The Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana will be the main support system for the bank and will be the part of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). MUDRA Bank has been started with an initial corpus of Rs. 20,000 crore. Apart from this, Rs. 3,000 crore has been earmarked as credit guarantee corpus.
India Ranks 125th In the World For Fixed Broadband Penetration
According to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) latest report, India ranks 125th in the world for fixed broadband penetration with only 1.2 per 100 inhabitants and the global average is 9.4 per 100 inhabitants.This rating puts India behind Sri Lanka and Bhutan. In the wireless or mobile broadband segment, India is ranked at 113th with a penetration of 3.2 per 100 inhabitants.
India Fourth Largest Supplier of Generic Medicines To US
India has emerged as the fourth largest supplier of generic medicines to the United States. It was announced by Minister of State (MoS) for Chemicals and Fertilizers HansrajAhir gave this information in the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question. India’s generic medicines exports have touched over US 4 billion dollars in 2013-14 in spite of stringent regulatory measures imposed by US. Union Government also announced that Indian pharmaceutical companies are already exporting generic medicines to Africa, West Asia and European countries.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Nuclear-Capable Dhanush Missile Successfully Test Fired
India on 9 April successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic missile with a strike range of 350 km from a naval ship off the Odisha coast. The surface-to-surface Dhanush, a naval variant of India’s indigenously-developed Prithvi missile, was test fired from a ship in the Bay of Bengal off Odisha coast by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the defence force. Dhanush missile is capable of carrying conventional as well as nuclear payload of 500 to 1000 kilogram and can hit both land and sea-based targets within 350 km range.
Nuclear Capable Agni-III Ballistic Missile Test Fired Successfully
The Surface-to-Surface Agni III ballistic missile was successfully test-fired on 16 April from the WheelarIsalnd off the Odisha coast in the Bay of Bengal.Although the missile has a strike range of more than 3000 km, in the present test-fire, it was tested for a lesser range. The Agni-III missile is powered by a two-stage solid propellant system.
World’s First Self-Powered Camera Developed
Columbia University scientists have created the world’s first self-powered camera. The camera can indefinitely produce an image in each second of any well-lit indoor area. K. Nayar, a computer scientist of Indian origin, headed the research. He designed a pixel that apart from measuring incident light also converts it into electric power.
Navy’s Stealth Destroyer ‘INS Visakhapatnam ‘ Launched
Indian Navy’s new stealth destroyer named INS Visakhapatnam was launched on 20 April at the Mazgaon Docks Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.It was designed indigenously. It is a Kolkata class warship.It is also the first of P15-B stealth destroyers.The ship weighs 3000 tonnes and is 163 metreslong.It is designed to achieve speed of more than 30 knots at displacement of around 7300 tonnes.INSVishakapatnam will also be fitted with supersonic surface to surface missile system.
NASA develops First 3-D Printed Copper Rocket Engine Part
NASA engineers have developed the first full-scale three dimensional (3-D) printed copper rocket engine part. The part developed was a combustion chamber liner that operates at extreme temperatures and pressures using additive manufacturing technique.
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PERSONS IN NEWS
A) APPOINTMENTS
Nasim Zaidi Takes Over as new CEC
Nasim Zaidi took over as the 20th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India on 19 April.He is India’s 20th CEC and succeeded Hari Shankar Brahma, who had retired on April 18, 2015.
Loretta Lynch Sworn In As U.S. Attorney General
Loretta Lynch on 27 April 2015 was sworn-in as the United States’ 83rd Attorney General, the first African-American woman to serve as the nation’s top law enforcement official. She succeeded former attorney general Eric Holder, who left the position on 24 April 2015 after serving as Attorney General for six years.
B)RESIGNS
ICC president Mustafa Kamal Resigned
International Cricket Council (ICC) President A.H.M. Mustafa Kamal resigned from his post on 1 April.Mustafa Kamal is a Bangladeshi politician and cricket official. Apart from being the President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), he was also functioning as the President of ICC since 2014. He resigned from this post as he was apparently hurt at not being given the opportunity to hand out the World Cup trophy to champions Australia.
C)DEATHS
Nobel Laureate German Novelist Gunter Grass Died
German Nobel laureate novelist Guenter Grass was died on 13 April in Luebeck, Germany. He was 87. He was a novelist, poet, playwright, illustrator, graphic artist, sculptor and recipient of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Literature. His writings mainly focused on the Nazi era, the horrors of the war and the destruction and guilt that remained after defeat of Germany.
D)VISITORS
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Visited France
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited France from 9-11 April 2015. During the visit, Narendra Modi met with French President Francois Hollande and had talks with business leaders of select French companies in defence and infrastructure sectors. India and France signed 17 agreements in various fields.These included deals on Rafale fighter jets, Jaitapur nuclear reactor, renewable sources of energy, railways, smart city and several others. Among other agreements signed between India and France , an important agreement was struck on both the countries proceeding forward on the stalled nuclear project in Jaitapur in Maharashtra.Narendra Modi visited the CNES (National Centre for Space Studies) and the Airbus A 380 Assembly Line Facility in Toulouse, France. He gifted a painting titled Tree of Life, reflecting traditional societal respect for nature in India to the French President Francois Hollande.
E)MISCELLANEOUS
Minor Planet Named as ‘4538 Vishyanand’
Michael Rudenko, a committee member of the Minor Planet Center on 1 April officially named a minor planet as 4538 Vishyanand, to honour India’s first chess grandmaster, VishwanathanAnand.The main-belt minor planet was discovered between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter by Kenzo Suzuki in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on 10 October 1988. Since its discovery, the planet remained unnamed.
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PLACES IN NEWS
Thane Named As National Earth Hour Capital 2015 By WWF
Thane in Mumbai, Maharashtra was named as the National Earth Hour Capital 2015 on 9 April 2015. Thane city won the bid among the three finalists Thane, Pune and Rajkot in the Earth Hour City Challenge (EHCC) 2015 conducted by World Wide Fund. Seoul city, the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea, on 9 April 2015 was awarded the title of Global Earth hour Capital 2015 after it won the Earth Hour City Challenge (EHCC) of World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
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ABBREVIATIONS
IFCI ————— Industrial Finance Corporation of India
IFSC ————— International Financial Services Centre
UN ECOSOC ——- United Nations’ Economic and Social Council
IRENA ————- International Renewable Energy Agency
SDRF ————– State Disaster Response Fund
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BOOKS IN NEWS
” Historical Documents Testify The ‘ Sovereignty of Senkaku” Authored By Tadayoshi Murata
The book entitled “Historical Documents Testify the ‘ Sovereignty of Senkaku’authored by Tadayoshi Murata, an honorary professor at Japan’s Yokohama National University. The book describes how the Japanese government illegally occupied the Chinese Diaoyu Islands step by step in the 1890s. Japan has recently intensified its propaganda to claim several uninhabited islands disputed with its neighbor in the East China Sea, but a Japanese historian refuted the claim and questioned Tokyo’s reliability since it has manipulated evidence to mislead the rest of the world on the territorial issue.
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COMMITTEES
Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry Constituted Ajay Shankar committee To Simplify Clearances
The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry on 8 April formed an expert committee under the chairmanship of Ajay Shankar to suggest simplified compliance for establishing new industries. He is a former Secretary to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). The Expert Committee has been constituted for examining the possibility of replacing multiple prior permissions with pre-existing regulatory mechanism and to prepare draft legislation for this purpose.
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IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
World Malaria Day Observed Across The World
World Malaria Day (WMD) was observed on 25 April 2015 across the world. The day was observed to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control.The day is observed to recognise the global efforts to control malaria. It is an occasion to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria control and elimination.World Malaria Day was instituted by World Health Organization (WHO) Member States during the 2007 World Health Assembly.On the occasion of the 2015 World Malaria Day (WMD), WHO called on the global health community to urgently address significant gaps in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malaria.
World Book and Copyright Day was Celebrated On 23 April 2015
United Nations (UN) observed World Book and Copyright Day across the world on 23 April 2015. The day is an opportunity to recognise the power of books to change our lives for the better and to support books and those who produce them. For the year 2015, UNESCO designated Incheon, South Korea as the World Book Capital 2015 in recognition of its programme to promote reading among people and underprivileged sections of the population. World Book Day was celebrated for the first time on 23 April 1995. The day is also known as International Day of the Book or World Book Days and is organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing and copyright. In 1995, UNESCO decided that the World Book and Copyright Day would be celebrated on 23 April, as the date is also the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, as well as that of the birth or death of several other prominent authors.
INTERNATIONAL
Iran and P5+1 Reached Historic Nuclear Deal
Iran, the P5+1 and the European Union (EU) on 2 April conceded on a framework agreement called as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) intended to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The agreement was reached at Lausanne’s Beau-Rivage Palace hotel in Switzerland. The informal framework agreement will be used as the basis for evolving the final draft of JCPOA by 30 June 2015. These 6 world powers are collectively known as P5+1, or five permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, plus Germany.
Pakistan and Russia Agreed To Hold First Ever Joint Military Exercise
Pakistan and Russia have agreed to hold first-ever joint military exercises as part of their enhanced defence cooperation. In this regard, an agreement was reached between both nations during a meeting between Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Asif in Moscow on 16 April 2015.
China and Pakistan Signed An Agreement On CPEC
China and Pakistan on 21 April signed an agreement on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) plan worth 46 billion US dollars. The agreement was signed by China’s President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. As part of the agreement, China will provide up to 37 billion US dollar in investment for energy projects to generate 16400 MW of power. Concessional loans will cover nearly 10 billion US dollar of infrastructure projects.
Omar al-Bashir Re-elected As Sudan President
Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir has won Presidential re-election by securing 94 per cent of the vote on 27 April. With this win, Omar al-Bashir extends his 25-year rule. Omar faces war crimes charges and is wanted by the International Criminal Court. He is in power since 1989. In this election Omar’s National Congress Party (NCP) also won 323 of 426 parliamentary seats.
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INDIA & WORLD
India Ranked 101 In Social Progress Index
India was placed at 101st place in the Social Progress Index (SPI) ratings that were released globally on 9 April 2015. The SPI, which gives data for 133 countries, is also an alternative to GDP. After Norway at the top of the rankings, came Sweden, Switzerland and Iceland.
India Elected To Four United Nations Agencies
India was elected to four important United Nations (UN) agencies on 8 April. These agencies are United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Program (WFP), Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) and the Governing Council of UN-Habitat. India was elected to these bodies at the Coordination and Management Meeting (CMM) of UNECOSOC (the United Nations Economic and Social Council) held at the UN headquarters in New York, USA.
Canada To Supply Uranium To India For 5 Years
Canada on 15 April agreed to supply 3,000 metric tonnes of uranium to energy-hungry India from this year under a $254 million five-year deal to power Indian atomic reactors, four decades after bilateral cooperation in this sector was frozen over India’s nuclear programme. The agreement for uranium supply, which came two years after protracted negotiations following the 2013 civil nuclear deal between India and Canada, was signed after comprehensive talks Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper. Canada is the third country to supply uranium to India after Russia and Kazakhstan.
India Ranks 5th On Global E-Waste Monitor 2014 List
According to the ‘Global E-Waste Monitor 2014’compiled by United Nation(UN)’s think tank United Nations University (UNU), India is the fifth biggest producer of e-waste in the world, discarding 1.7 million tonnes (Mt) of electronic and electrical equipment in 2014.India came in fifth, behind the US, China, Japan and Germany.
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NATIONAL
PM Narendra Modi Launched India’s First National Air Quality Index
The National Air Quality Index (NAQI) was launched for the first time in India by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 6 April 2015 primarily for assessing the quality of air in major urban centres across the country on a real-time basis. This National Air Quality Index will provide information on the quality of air in 10 major cities in the country on a real-time basis.The ten cities where the quality of air can be monitored are Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Faridabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad.
Union Government Notified NJAC 2014
The Union Government on 13 April 2015 notified the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, 2014 and the Constitution (Ninety-ninth Amendment) Act, 2014. The NJAC Act and 99th Amendment Act were notified in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Act. With this new law the collegium system to appoint members to the higher judiciary has come to an end. Now President will appoint judges in the Supreme Court (SC) and 24 High Courts (HCs) in consultation with the NJAC.
MHA renames Visa On Arrival Scheme To E-Tourist Visa
Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on 14 April decided to rename Tourist Visa on Arrival-Electronic Travel Authorization (TVoA-ETA) scheme as e-Tourist Visa (eTV) scheme.
Rajya Sabha Passed Transgenders Rights Bill
The Rajya Sabha on 24 April passed a bill that seeks equal rights for the transgenders.“The Rights of Transgender Persons Bill 2014” was introduced by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva. It was the first private member’s bill to be passed by the Upper House in 45 years. The last time the Lok Sabha passed a private member’s bill was in 1970. In the Rajya Sabha a private member’s bill was passed in 1969.
Railways Launches Mobile App for Paperless Ticketing of Unreserved Category
The Railway Ministry has launched ‘utsonmobile’, a mobile application for paperless unreserved tickets. The application service was launched by Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on 22 April in New Delhi. This application will allow its passenger to buy a ticket on the move and to board the train with the ticket secured on his mobile phone in digital format, without any need for printing the ticket. Initially, it has been launched as a pilot project and cover 15 stations in Southern Railway. Later on it will be extended to entire country in phases.
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STATES
Gujarat Launched Industrial Tourism To Showcase Development
Gujarat government has on 12 April launched industrial tourism package to promote its development by showcasing its major industrial installations which have earned global acclaim for state. It is a first of its kind initiative India, offered by Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd (TCGL) in collaboration with Ahmedabad based Akshar Travels Pvt Ltd. The tour package is called as Industrial Tour of Gujarat will cover some of the major industrial attractions of the state.
Indian Army Conducts Akraman–II Defense Exercise In Rajasthan
Indian Army on 26 April conducted a major exercise ‘Akraman-II’ in Rajasthan. The exercise was conducted by the Chetak Corps, a part of South Western Command based in Bhatinda, Punjab. The exercise aimed to test a new generation of weaponry and platforms which are employed in the desert region to provide ‘real time battle and situational awareness’ to its commanders.
Kerala Govt Launched Subodham Project To End Liquor Abuse
State Government of Kerala on 19 April 2015 launched Subodham project, to help people in the state to overcome addiction to liquor.The project was launched by Chief Minister OommenChandy and Art of Living Foundation founder Sri SriRavishankar in Kochi.
BHEL commissioned 600 MW thermal Unit In Chhattisgarh
State-owned power equipment-maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on 13 April commissioned a 600 MW thermal unit at Dhabra in JanjgirChampa District of Chhattisgarh for the DainikBhaskar Power Limited.This is the second unit of 2 × 600 MW power project, commissioned by BHEL. The first 600 MW Unit was commissioned in 2014.
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CONFERENCES
5th SAARC Health Ministers Meeting Held In New Delhi
The 5th meeting of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Health Ministers was held on 8 April 2015 in New Delhi. The meet ended with the adoption of Delhi Declaration on Public Health Challenges.The declaration focuses on issues common to member nations of South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
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AWARDS & HONOURS
Subadhra Devi Named For 2015 International Achievement Award
DrSubadhra Devi Rai, an Indian-origin Singaporean nurse, on 2 April 2015 was named for the 2015 International Achievement Award by the Florence Nightingale International Foundation (FNIF) of the International Council of Nurses.
Adonis Won 2015 KumaranAsan World Prize For Poetry
Paris- based Syrian-Lebanese Arab poet Adonis has been chosen for 2015 KumaranAsan World Prize for poetry, instituted by the KumaranAsan Memorial Association to honour poets of international stature and introduce them to Indian readers. Adonis was born as Ali Ahmad Said Esber in Western Syria in 1930. Since 1985, he had settled in Paris, France.
SusantaLahiri Awarded Hevesy Medal Award 2015
Professor SusantaLahiri was awarded prestigious the Hevesy Medal Award 2015. The award was presented to him for his outstanding contributions in heavy ion induced radioisotope production, converter targets, tracer packet technique and green chemistry.
Satya Nadella Honoured with the White House ‘Champion of Change’Award
Microsoft’s Indian-origin CEO Satya Nadella was honoured with the White House Champions of Change on 16 April. He is one of the 12 local Champions of Change who were honoured for their exemplary leadership. Champions of Change honour is given to those who support working families and help make change in their companies or communities.
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SPORTS & GAMES
MariyaMuzychuk Won Women’s World Chess Championship
World Women Chess Championship 2015 was won by MariyaMuzychuk of Ukraine. She defeated Russian NatalijaPogonina by 2.5 to 1.5 points in the four-game final.Indian Grandmaster DronavalliHarika on 6 April 2015 won Bronze medal along with Swedish Grandmaster Pia Cramling in the World Women’s chess championships held at Sochi, Russia.
Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara Named Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 2014
Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara has been honoured with the Cricketer of the Year in the 2015 edition of the prestigious Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack on 8 April. He has become only the second cricketer after India’s VirenderSehwag to be bestowed with the award twice.
New Zealand Won Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament 2015
New Zealand won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup men’s Hockey Tournament title on 12 April.In the final clash played at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh, Malaysia, New Zealand defeated World Champions Australia 3-1.India won Bronze Medal (third position) by beating south Korea by 4-1 in the penalty shoot-out.
Djokovic Won Laureus World Sportsman Of The Year 2015 Award
The Laureus World Sports Awards for the year 2015 were given in seven categories on 15 April at Shanghai in China. Ace tennis star Novak Djokovic of Serbia and sprinter GenzebeDibaba of Ethiopia were named as the Laureus World Sportsman and Sportswoman of the 2015 respectively.
Novak Djokovic Won Monte Carlo Masters Title
Novak Djokovic of Serbia won the Monte-Carlo Masters title of Tennis on 20 April. He defeated Berdych of Czech Republic in the men’s singles final. It was his second Monte-Carlo Masters title of Tennis. With this win, Djokovic also became the first player to sweep the opening three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events of a season. The previous two titles were won at Indian Wells and Miami.
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ECONOMY
Union Government Unveiled new FTP
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry on 2 April unveiled Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2015-2020. The new trade policy will incorporate government ambitious initiatives such as Make in India, Digital India mission, Skill India programme, ease of business in order to boost jobs and take India’s exports to 900 billion dollars by 2020. In the new policy FTP2015-20, two new schemes Merchandise Exports From India Scheme (MEIS) and Services Exports From India Scheme (SEIS) were introduced.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Launched MUDRA Bank
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 8 April launched the Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Ltd. (MUDRA) Bank in New Delhi.The bank will provide credit of up to 10 lakh rupees to small entrepreneurs and act as a regulator for Micro-Finance Institutions (MFIs). The Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana will be the main support system for the bank and will be the part of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). MUDRA Bank has been started with an initial corpus of Rs. 20,000 crore. Apart from this, Rs. 3,000 crore has been earmarked as credit guarantee corpus.
India Ranks 125th In the World For Fixed Broadband Penetration
According to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) latest report, India ranks 125th in the world for fixed broadband penetration with only 1.2 per 100 inhabitants and the global average is 9.4 per 100 inhabitants.This rating puts India behind Sri Lanka and Bhutan. In the wireless or mobile broadband segment, India is ranked at 113th with a penetration of 3.2 per 100 inhabitants.
India Fourth Largest Supplier of Generic Medicines To US
India has emerged as the fourth largest supplier of generic medicines to the United States. It was announced by Minister of State (MoS) for Chemicals and Fertilizers HansrajAhir gave this information in the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question. India’s generic medicines exports have touched over US 4 billion dollars in 2013-14 in spite of stringent regulatory measures imposed by US. Union Government also announced that Indian pharmaceutical companies are already exporting generic medicines to Africa, West Asia and European countries.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Nuclear-Capable Dhanush Missile Successfully Test Fired
India on 9 April successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic missile with a strike range of 350 km from a naval ship off the Odisha coast. The surface-to-surface Dhanush, a naval variant of India’s indigenously-developed Prithvi missile, was test fired from a ship in the Bay of Bengal off Odisha coast by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the defence force. Dhanush missile is capable of carrying conventional as well as nuclear payload of 500 to 1000 kilogram and can hit both land and sea-based targets within 350 km range.
Nuclear Capable Agni-III Ballistic Missile Test Fired Successfully
The Surface-to-Surface Agni III ballistic missile was successfully test-fired on 16 April from the WheelarIsalnd off the Odisha coast in the Bay of Bengal.Although the missile has a strike range of more than 3000 km, in the present test-fire, it was tested for a lesser range. The Agni-III missile is powered by a two-stage solid propellant system.
World’s First Self-Powered Camera Developed
Columbia University scientists have created the world’s first self-powered camera. The camera can indefinitely produce an image in each second of any well-lit indoor area. K. Nayar, a computer scientist of Indian origin, headed the research. He designed a pixel that apart from measuring incident light also converts it into electric power.
Navy’s Stealth Destroyer ‘INS Visakhapatnam ‘ Launched
Indian Navy’s new stealth destroyer named INS Visakhapatnam was launched on 20 April at the Mazgaon Docks Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.It was designed indigenously. It is a Kolkata class warship.It is also the first of P15-B stealth destroyers.The ship weighs 3000 tonnes and is 163 metreslong.It is designed to achieve speed of more than 30 knots at displacement of around 7300 tonnes.INSVishakapatnam will also be fitted with supersonic surface to surface missile system.
NASA develops First 3-D Printed Copper Rocket Engine Part
NASA engineers have developed the first full-scale three dimensional (3-D) printed copper rocket engine part. The part developed was a combustion chamber liner that operates at extreme temperatures and pressures using additive manufacturing technique.
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PERSONS IN NEWS
A) APPOINTMENTS
Nasim Zaidi Takes Over as new CEC
Nasim Zaidi took over as the 20th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India on 19 April.He is India’s 20th CEC and succeeded Hari Shankar Brahma, who had retired on April 18, 2015.
Loretta Lynch Sworn In As U.S. Attorney General
Loretta Lynch on 27 April 2015 was sworn-in as the United States’ 83rd Attorney General, the first African-American woman to serve as the nation’s top law enforcement official. She succeeded former attorney general Eric Holder, who left the position on 24 April 2015 after serving as Attorney General for six years.
B)RESIGNS
ICC president Mustafa Kamal Resigned
International Cricket Council (ICC) President A.H.M. Mustafa Kamal resigned from his post on 1 April.Mustafa Kamal is a Bangladeshi politician and cricket official. Apart from being the President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), he was also functioning as the President of ICC since 2014. He resigned from this post as he was apparently hurt at not being given the opportunity to hand out the World Cup trophy to champions Australia.
C)DEATHS
Nobel Laureate German Novelist Gunter Grass Died
German Nobel laureate novelist Guenter Grass was died on 13 April in Luebeck, Germany. He was 87. He was a novelist, poet, playwright, illustrator, graphic artist, sculptor and recipient of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Literature. His writings mainly focused on the Nazi era, the horrors of the war and the destruction and guilt that remained after defeat of Germany.
D)VISITORS
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Visited France
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited France from 9-11 April 2015. During the visit, Narendra Modi met with French President Francois Hollande and had talks with business leaders of select French companies in defence and infrastructure sectors. India and France signed 17 agreements in various fields.These included deals on Rafale fighter jets, Jaitapur nuclear reactor, renewable sources of energy, railways, smart city and several others. Among other agreements signed between India and France , an important agreement was struck on both the countries proceeding forward on the stalled nuclear project in Jaitapur in Maharashtra.Narendra Modi visited the CNES (National Centre for Space Studies) and the Airbus A 380 Assembly Line Facility in Toulouse, France. He gifted a painting titled Tree of Life, reflecting traditional societal respect for nature in India to the French President Francois Hollande.
E)MISCELLANEOUS
Minor Planet Named as ‘4538 Vishyanand’
Michael Rudenko, a committee member of the Minor Planet Center on 1 April officially named a minor planet as 4538 Vishyanand, to honour India’s first chess grandmaster, VishwanathanAnand.The main-belt minor planet was discovered between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter by Kenzo Suzuki in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on 10 October 1988. Since its discovery, the planet remained unnamed.
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PLACES IN NEWS
Thane Named As National Earth Hour Capital 2015 By WWF
Thane in Mumbai, Maharashtra was named as the National Earth Hour Capital 2015 on 9 April 2015. Thane city won the bid among the three finalists Thane, Pune and Rajkot in the Earth Hour City Challenge (EHCC) 2015 conducted by World Wide Fund. Seoul city, the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea, on 9 April 2015 was awarded the title of Global Earth hour Capital 2015 after it won the Earth Hour City Challenge (EHCC) of World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
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ABBREVIATIONS
IFCI ————— Industrial Finance Corporation of India
IFSC ————— International Financial Services Centre
UN ECOSOC ——- United Nations’ Economic and Social Council
IRENA ————- International Renewable Energy Agency
SDRF ————– State Disaster Response Fund
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BOOKS IN NEWS
” Historical Documents Testify The ‘ Sovereignty of Senkaku” Authored By Tadayoshi Murata
The book entitled “Historical Documents Testify the ‘ Sovereignty of Senkaku’authored by Tadayoshi Murata, an honorary professor at Japan’s Yokohama National University. The book describes how the Japanese government illegally occupied the Chinese Diaoyu Islands step by step in the 1890s. Japan has recently intensified its propaganda to claim several uninhabited islands disputed with its neighbor in the East China Sea, but a Japanese historian refuted the claim and questioned Tokyo’s reliability since it has manipulated evidence to mislead the rest of the world on the territorial issue.
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COMMITTEES
Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry Constituted Ajay Shankar committee To Simplify Clearances
The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry on 8 April formed an expert committee under the chairmanship of Ajay Shankar to suggest simplified compliance for establishing new industries. He is a former Secretary to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). The Expert Committee has been constituted for examining the possibility of replacing multiple prior permissions with pre-existing regulatory mechanism and to prepare draft legislation for this purpose.
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IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
World Malaria Day Observed Across The World
World Malaria Day (WMD) was observed on 25 April 2015 across the world. The day was observed to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control.The day is observed to recognise the global efforts to control malaria. It is an occasion to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria control and elimination.World Malaria Day was instituted by World Health Organization (WHO) Member States during the 2007 World Health Assembly.On the occasion of the 2015 World Malaria Day (WMD), WHO called on the global health community to urgently address significant gaps in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malaria.
World Book and Copyright Day was Celebrated On 23 April 2015
United Nations (UN) observed World Book and Copyright Day across the world on 23 April 2015. The day is an opportunity to recognise the power of books to change our lives for the better and to support books and those who produce them. For the year 2015, UNESCO designated Incheon, South Korea as the World Book Capital 2015 in recognition of its programme to promote reading among people and underprivileged sections of the population. World Book Day was celebrated for the first time on 23 April 1995. The day is also known as International Day of the Book or World Book Days and is organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing and copyright. In 1995, UNESCO decided that the World Book and Copyright Day would be celebrated on 23 April, as the date is also the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, as well as that of the birth or death of several other prominent authors.
.May 2015 Current Affairs
INTERNATIONAL
South Korea and Vietnam Signed Free Trade Agreement
Vietnam and South Korea on 5 signed a bilateral free trade agreement in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, concluding the countries’ two-year talks. The deal, which was initiated a month back, will enable the trade between the two nations to reach $70 billion a year by 2020.
David Cameron Re-elected as Britain’s Prime Minister
David Cameron’s Conservative Party on 8 May won the United Kingdom General election 2015 by securing 331 seats in a Parliament of 650.With this win, David Cameron will become Prime Minister for second term.The elections were held on 7 May 2015. Conservative Party received 36.9% vote share of the total national vote. Labour Party has won 232 seats with 30.4% vote share, emerging as largest opposition party.
Canadian House of Commons Approved Anti-Terror Act 2015
The Canadian House of Commons on 6 May approved the Bill C-51, Anti-Terror Act, 2015 that empowers the country’s spy agency. It was adopted in a 183 to 96 vote. The act would give the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) the ability to operate overseas and make preventative arrests. It also makes it easier for police to arrest and detain individuals without charge.
WHO Declares Liberia Free of Ebola
World Health Organization (WHO), a U.N. health agency on 9 May declared Liberia Ebola-free. Liberia was one of the three West African countries at the center of the largest epidemic of Ebola till date since the disease was first reported in 1976. The two other countries are Sierra Leone and Guinea. WHO has hailed Liberia’s Ebola eradication efforts as an enormous development in the long crisis and monumental achievement as the virus has killed more than 4,716 people in the country alone.
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INDIA & WORLD
India Ranked 140th In 2015 Mothers’ Index
World’s Mothers 2015 report titled “The Urban Disadvantage” has been prepared by “Save the Children” organisation and was launched in India by Union Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla in New Delhi on 6 May 2015. According to the report, India was placed at 140th position out of 179 countries. Top 5 countries as per 2015 Mother’s Index – Norway (1st), Finland (2nd), Iceland (3rd), Denmark (4th) and Swedan (5th).
India and China Signed 24 Agreements
India and China on 15 May signed 24 agreements to augment bilateral co-operation between the two countries.The agreements were signed in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing, China. These agreements include – protocol for establishment of consulates in Chengdu and Chennai, agreement on the establishment of sister states Sichuan and Karnataka, action plan between railways of the two countries, MoU on education exchange programme, MoU between India’s between NITI Aayog and Development Research Centre of China, etc.
India and Mongolia Signed 13 Agreements
India and Mongolia on 17 May signed 13 agreements, including an air services agreement and in cyber security, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Mongolian counterpart Chimed Saikhanbileg in Ulan Bator,the capital of Mongolia.
India Ranked 100th On Human Capital Index
India was on 14 May ranked at a low 100th position on a global Human Capital Index, which measures the countries in terms of the economies leveraging their human capital, where Finland has topped the 124-nation list.On the list, compiled by World Economic Forum (WEF), other emerging economies such as Russia, China, Brazil and South Africa are ranked ahead of India.
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NATIONAL
Lok Sabha Passed Goods and Services Tax Bill 2014
Lok Sabha on 6 May passed the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, 2014 which is also known as Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill. The Bill seeks to amend the Constitution in order to introduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Consequently, the bill also seeks to carry out new indirect tax regime in the country that will subsume various central and state levies like sales tax, excise and service tax except taxes on the supply of alcoholic liquor for human consumption and petroleum products.Transition from the traditional taxation to GST will boost India’s growth by up to 2.5 percentage points.
PM Narendra Modi Launches Three Social Security Schemes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 May launched three mega social security schemes in Kolkata, West Bengal. The schemes were launched simultaneously at 115 places in the country with Central and State Chief Ministers and senior ministers attending the functions.
1) Pradhan MantriJeevanJyotiYojana (PMJJBY)
2) Pradhan Mantri Suraksha BimaYojana (PMSBY)
3) Atal Pension Yojana (APY)
1) Atal Pension Yojana (APY) :- Under APY scheme, the pension subscribers will receive a fixed minimum monthly pension ranging from 1,000 rupees to 5,000 rupees at the age of 60 years. The fixed minimum monthly pension will be depending on the contributions subscribers. The minimum age of joining – 18 years and maximum age is 40 years. Focus of APY – To target unorganised sector workers.
2) Pradhan MantriJeevanJyotiYojana (PMJJBY):- Under the PMJJBY, the insurance subscriber will get an annual life insurance in case of death. Eligibility – Available any person in the age group of 18 to 50 years having a bank account. Risk Coverage – 2 Lakh rupees in case of death due to any reason. Payment Mode of premium – 330 rupees per annum will be directly auto-debited by the bank from the subscribers account.
3) Pradhan Mantri Suraksha BimaYojana (PMSBY):- Under the PMSBY, the insurance subscriber will get annual life insurance in case of accidental death, partial disability or full disability. Eligibility – Available to any person in the age group 18 to 70 years. Risk Coverage – For accidental death and full disability– 2 Lakh rupees For partial disability – 1 Lakh rupees. Payment Mode of premium – 12 rupees per annum will be directly auto-debited by the bank from the subscribers account in case of long-term option.
Parliament Passed Black Money Bill
The Rajya Sabha on 13 May passed the Black Money Bill. It was earlier passed by the Lok Sabha on 11 May 2015. According to the new Bill those who conceal income and assets, and indulge in tax evasion in relation to foreign assets can face rigorous imprisonment of up to 10 years. They will also be liable to face a penalty of 300 per cent of taxes on the concealed income and assets.
PM Narendra Modi Launched Doordarshan’s Farmer-Centric Kisan TV Channel
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 26 May launched India’s first television channel DD Kisan dedicated to farmers in New Delhi. This 24-hour channel is initially in Hindi and is dedicated to agriculture and allied sectors of India. It seeks to disseminate real-time inputs to farmers on new farming techniques, water conservation and organic farming among other information.
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STATES
BHEL commissioned 195 MW Thermal Unit of KBUNL In Bihar
State-owned electrical equipment maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on 4 May commissioned a 195 MW thermal unit of Kanti Bijlee Utpadan Nigam Limited (KBUNL) in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. This was the first 195 MW unit to be commissioned by BHEL at the 2×195 MW Muzaffarpur Thermal Power Station (TPS) Plant of KBUNL.
PM Narendra Modi Inaugurated IISCO Steel Plant at Burnpur
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 10 May inaugurated the upgraded IISCO Steel Plant (ISP) in Burnpur, West Bengal. The ISP houses the largest blast furnace of India. The ISP was modernised by the Union Government at a cost of 16000 crore rupees.
UP Govt Launched Samajwadi Water ATM scheme
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on 12 May launched Samajwadi water ATM scheme at bus stations. It seeks to provide potable water to bus passengers at reasonable price.In this regard, state government will install water ATMs at most of the bus stations which will provide potable water at the rate of 1 rupee per litre and cold water at 2 rupees per litre.
Punjab Becomes First State To Issue Soil Health Cards To Farmers
Punjab Agriculture Department on 13 May launched a pan-state programme to monitor the soil health of every farm in the state by issuing them personalised Soil Health Cards (SHCs). With this, Punjab became the first state in India to issue Soil Health Cards to farmers.Prime Minister had formally launched the nationwide ‘Soil Health Card’ Scheme from Suratgarh, Rajasthan in Februrary 2015.
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CONFERENCES
6th National Conference on Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Energy6th National Conference on Nuclear Energy was held in New Delhi on 15 May 2015. The Conference was organised by ASSOCHAM with the theme Nuclear Energy: a Clean Energy option. The conference discussed the issue related to the status of Nuclear Energy in India. India is on course to double its nuclear power generation capacity to more than 10,000 mega watts (MW) over the next five years i.e. 2020.Nuclear power plants account for 3.5% of India’s current electricity generation, and its share in India’s future electricity generation will be less than 10% even if the installed capacity is tripled.
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AWARDS & HONOURS
CNR Rao Conferred with Japan’s Highest Civilian Award
Eminent scientist C N R Rao was on 2 May conferred with Japan’s highest civilian award for his outstanding contributions to science and Indo-Japanese science coperation. The Emperor of Japan conferred the country’s highest award, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, on the Bharat Ratnaawardee.Rao is also the only Indian to be elected as a foreign member of the Japan Academy in Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research.
MazenDarwishHonoured with World Press Freedom Prize 2015
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on 3 May presented the 2015 UNESCO-Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to Syrian journalist and rights activist MazenDarwish. The award was presented in Latvia on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day in recognition of the work he has carried out in Syria for more than ten year as a human rights defender and a journalist.
Pranab Mukherjee Presents Florence Nightingale Awards To 35 Nurses
President Pranab Mukherjee on 12 May conferred the National Florence Nightingale Awards to 35 nursing personnel from across the country on the occasion of International Nurses Day.The Florence Nightingale Award was established by the Union Health Ministry to honour the selfless services rendered by Nurses with devotion, sincerity, dedication and compassion.
Laszlo Krasznahorkai Won Man Booker International Prize 2015
Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai has been announced as the winner of the sixth Man Booker International Prize 2015. He was announced the winner at an award ceremony at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London on 20 May 2015. The prize, worth £60,000, is awarded every two years for an achievement in fiction on the world stage. The Man International Booker Prize is awarded to a living author of any nationality who has published fiction either in English or in English translation.
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SPORTS & GAMES
Floyd Mayweather Won World Welterweight Title of Boxing
American boxer Floyd Mayweather on 3 May defeated Manny Pacquiao from Philippines to win the unified World Welterweight title.This bout (welterweight category) was held at MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas (US).With this win, Mayweather added Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) title to his World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Council (WBC) crowns. Mayweather earned a mind-boggling Rs. 1142 crore, Pacquiao also pocketed Rs. 761 crore despite losing.
Nico Rosberg Won Spanish F1 Grand Prix
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany won Spanish Grand Prix Formula 1 World Championship title by winning the final race held on 10 May at Barcelona in Spain.
Rome Masters Tennis Tournament Winners
Women’s Singles :- Maria Sharapova of Russia on 17 May won the Rome Masters tennis tournament women’s singles title.She defeated Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain. It was the 35th WTA Tour title of Sharapova’s career.
Men’s Singles :- Novak Djokovic of Serbia won his fourth Rome Masters Tennis title. Djokovic defeated Roger Federer of Switzerland.
Mumbai Indians Won IPL 8
Mumbai Indians (MI) on 24 May won the eight edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015 by defeating Chennai Super Kings (CSK).In the final match played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata they defeated CSK by 41 runs. This was the second title triumph for Mumbai Indians after their maiden win back in 2013.
* Man of the Match – Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians)
* Player of the Tournament – Andre Russell
* Orange Cap (Most Runs) – David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
* Purple Cap (Most Wickets) - Dwayne Bravo (Chennai Super Kings)
* Emerging Player – ShreyasIyer (Delhi Daredevils)
* Most Valuable Player – Andre Russell (Kolkata Knight Riders)
* Fair play Award – Chennai Super Kings
Prize Money :-
* Champions – Mumbai Indians (Rs 15 crore prize money)
* Runner-up – Chennai Super Kings (Rs 10 crore)
Captains of the two teams :-
* Mumbai Indians – Rohit Sharma
* Chennai Super Kings – MS Dhoni
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ECONOMY
56 Indian Companies Among Forbes’ Global 2000 List
US magazine Forbes on 6 May released Global 2000 Companies list. According to the list, India is home to 56 of the world’s 2000 largest and most powerful public companies.The list is topped by US (579 companies), followed by China (232 companies) and Japan (218 companies). Reliance Industries, the topmost India company is ranked 142 on the list, down from last year’s 135th spot.
SBI launches RuPay Platinum Debit Card
India’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) on 7 May launched State Bank RuPay Platinum debit card in association with National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI). Initially, the card will be issued free to customers maintaining a quarterly balance of 50000 rupees. The RuPay card is accepted at all payment channels like ATMs, PoS and eCommerce.
Forbes World’s 10 Biggest Consumer Financial Services Firms
Mortgage lender HDFC has emerged as the only Indian company among the world’s 10 biggest consumer financial services firms, after giants like American Express, Visa and Mastercard. HDFC is ranked 7th on the list, compiled by business magazine Forbes, where American Express is placed on the top followed by Capital One Financial, Visa, Discover Financial Services and Orix in the top-five.
Four Indians Among Forbes world’s 100 Most Powerful Women
SBI Chief Arundhati Bhattacharya, ICICI bank head ChandaKochhar, Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and HT Media Chair ShobhanaBhartia were listed in the 12th Forbes’100 Most Powerful Women List, which was released on 26 May . Arundhati Bhattacharya ranked 30th on the list, followed by Kochhar on the 35th spot, Mazumdar-Shaw (85) and newcomer on the list Bhartia is on the 93rd spot.The world’s most powerful woman in the list is German Chancellor Angela Merkel who fetched the first spot.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
NASA ended Operations of MESSENGER Mission To Mercury
NASA on 1 May ended the operations of MESSENGER Mission. MESSENGER stands for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging and it was launched on 3 August 2004 to study Mercury’s atmosphere. The journey of the spacecraft came to an end with Expected Impact (EI) on Mercury’s surface. It plunged to the Mercury’s surface at around 14000 kmph, creating a crater up to 52 feet wide.NASA’s Messenger probe was launched on 3 August 2004 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Messenger was actually an acronym for Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geo-chemistry and Ranging.
‘ Akash Weapon System ‘ Missile Inducted In Indian Army
Indian Army on 5 May inducted the first regiment of the indigenously-developed Surface-to-Air missile Akash Weapon System (AWS).
About Akash Weapon System (AWS) :-
* Akash Missile is able to target a multitude of aerial threats of upto a range of 25 km.
* Akash has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and is being built by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).
* It has a large operational range from a low altitude of 30 metres to a maximum of up to 20 km.
* At 96 per cent indigenisation, it represents a major capability development for a crucial weapon system.
* The first test flight of Akash missile was conducted in 1990, with development flights conducted up to March 1997.
Indian Army Test Fires BrahMos Cruise Missile Successfully
Land-to-land configuration of BrahMos missile was on 8 May successfully test-fired from the Car Nicobar Islands.BrahMos Block–III version i.e. land-to-land configuration of missile was launched from a Mobile Autonomous Launcher (MAL) for its full-range of 290-km test. The missile flight test met all flight parameters, including high-level manoeuvres.It also hit the designated land- based target with the desired accuracy.
INS ‘Sardar Patel’ Commissioned In Porbandar
India’s latest naval establishment – INS ‘Sardar Patel’ – was commissioned in Porbandar, Gujarat, by state Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on 9 May. It became the second in the state for the Indian Navy after INS Dwarka near Okha. It has been established as a Forward Operating Base (FOB) of the Indian Navy. Cmde BR Prakash, VSM who is the Naval Officer-in-Charge (Gujarat, Diu & Daman) became the first Commanding Officer of INS Sardar Patel.
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PERSONS IN NEWS
A) APPOINTMENTS
KV Kamath Appointed as First President of NDB of BRICS nations
Eminent banker KundapurVaman Kamath was on 11 May 2015 appointed as the first President of the New Development Bank (NDB) of BRICS nations. He will have of five year term after the bank becomes operational within one year. He was conferred with Padma Bhushan Award in 2008. The Leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) had meeting in 2014 and reached an agreement to establish the New Development Bank, with its headquarters in Shanghai. As per the agreement, India got the right to nominate the first president.
Four New Governors Appointed
President of India PranabMukherjii on 12 May 2015 appointed four Governors and transferred two others.
Following are newly appointed Governors :-
1) Jharkhand – DraupadiMurmu
2) Tripura – Tathagata Roy
3) Arunachal Pradesh – J P Rakkhowa
4) Meghalaya – V Shanmuganathan
Transferred Governors :-
* Syed Ahmed, Governor of Jharkhand was shifted to Manipur. He was appointed in September 2011. His tenure will end in September 2016.
* Lt General (retd.) Nirbhay Sharma, who was serving as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh since May, 2011, was transferred and appointed as Governor of Mizoram for the remainder of his term, which ends in 2018. He is the eighth Governor of the state since 2014.
B)RESIGNS
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Panneerselvam Resigned
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam resigned on 22 May 2015. He was appointed as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 29 September 2014 as replacement of former AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa, who resigned after being convicted in the 18 year old disproportionate assets case of over 66 crore rupees. She was awarded a four year prison term by Bangalore Special Court after it found her guilty of amassing unaccounted wealth.
C)DEATHS
Oscar Winning Author Michael Blake Died
Michael Blake, the Oscar-winning writer of Dances With Wolves novel passed away on 3 May in Tucson, Arizona. He was 69. The novel had sold over 3.5 million copies, and was translated into 15 languages, and was later converted into film, which Kevin Costner directed and starred in. The film bagged 7 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Screenplay for Blake, who also won the WGA Award and Golden Globes for the novel.
D)VISITORS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Visited China
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China from 14 – 16 May 2015. During his three day visit, he met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Xian. In the visit, India and China signed 24 agreements to augment bilateral co-operation between the two countries. 24 agreements worth over 10 billion dollars were signed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Chinese premier Li Keqiang at Beijing. In the visit, Narendra Modi announced electronic or e-visas for Chinese tourists. As many as 26 business agreements worth over USD 22 billion were signed on 16 May between Indian firms — including Adani group, Bharti Airtel and Welspun — and thier Chinese counterparts. Both the countries will also establish Additional Consulate General. Both the countries have also agreed to establish China-India think tank forum and three sister cities.
E)MISCELLANEOUS
Pablo Picasso’s ‘Women of Algiers’ Sells For World Record $179m at Auction
A painting by surreal Spanish artist Pablo Picasso has set a new world record for the most expensive artwork to be sold at auction after reaching $179m (£115m) in New York on 12 May.The previous world record was £92m, set for a triptych by British artist Francis Bacon – again at Christie’s in 2013.Picasso’s painting depicts nude and semi-nude women and is part of a 15-work series the artist created between 1954-55.
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PLACES IN NEWS
Tunisians Unfurled World’s Largest Flag
World’s largest flag was unfurled at an event in Ong Jmel in the southern desert area of Tunisia. Tunisian national flag of the size of 19 football pitches was unfurled in a bid to set a Guinness World Record and promote patriotism in the face of Islamist extremism. The flag of 104,544 square metre was made using 80 kilometres of fabric and weighed arounf 12.6 tonnes.
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ABBREVIATIONS
PMSBY – Pradhan Mantri Suraksha BimaYojana
PMJJBY – Pradhan MantriJeevanJyotiYojana
APY – Atal Pension Yojana
Wi-Fi – Wireless Fidelity
DARPA – Defense Advance Research Project Agency
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BOOKS IN NEWS
Vice President Released The Book “China – Confucius In The Shadows”
A Book titled China – Confucius in the Shadows was released by the Vice President M. Hamid Ansari on 1 May 2015. Confucius was considered as the most efficient author in Chinese history. Book has been written by Poonam Surie. Poonam Surie is an Adjunct Fellow at the Institute of Chinese Studies, New Delhi.
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COMMITTEES
Vijay Kelkar Committee To Revisit PPP infra Model
Union government on 26 May constituted a 10-member committee to review and revitalise Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode of infrastructure development. The committee will be chaired by under former finance secretary Vijay Kelkar and submit its report within a period of 3 months from the date of its Constitution. The Kelkar committee will review the PPP policy and suggest a better risk-sharing mechanism between private developers and the government after analysing such projects in different.
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IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
World Press Freedom Day was Observed On 3 May 2015
The World Press Freedom day was observed globally on 3 May 2015.This year, the theme of World Press Freedom day is Let Journalism Thrive! Towards better reporting, gender equality and media safety in the digital age. The day marks the celebrations of the fundamental principles of press freedom to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991. Since then, 3 May is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day.
World Asthma Day was Observed On 5 May 2015
World Asthma Day was observed across the world on 5 May 2015. The day is observed across the world to spread awareness and care around the world including India. The theme for 2015 is You Can Control Your Asthma and sub-theme is It’s Time to Control Asthma.World Asthma Day takes place on the first Tuesday of May. The inaugural World Asthma Day was held in 1998. Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory long-term disease of the lungs which causes breathing problems by narrowing the airways. Symptoms of asthma include breathlessness, coughing, wheezing, and feeling of tightness in the chest and shortness of breath.
National
Lok Sabha Passed Goods and Services Tax Bill 2014
Lok Sabha on 6 May passed the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, 2014 which is also known as Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill. The Bill seeks to amend the Constitution in order to introduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Consequently, the bill also seeks to carry out new indirect tax regime in the country that will subsume various central and state levies like sales tax, excise and service tax except taxes on the supply of alcoholic liquor for human consumption and petroleum products.Transition from the traditional taxation to GST will boost India’s growth by up to 2.5 percentage points.
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PM Narendra Modi Launches Three Social Security Schemes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 May launched three mega social security schemes in Kolkata, West Bengal. The schemes were launched simultaneously at 115 places in the country with Central and State Chief Ministers and senior ministers attending the functions.
1) Pradhan MantriJeevanJyotiYojana (PMJJBY)
2) Pradhan Mantri Suraksha BimaYojana (PMSBY)
3) Atal Pension Yojana (APY)
1) Atal Pension Yojana (APY) :- Under APY scheme, the pension subscribers will receive a fixed minimum monthly pension ranging from 1,000 rupees to 5,000 rupees at the age of 60 years. The fixed minimum monthly pension will be depending on the contributions subscribers. The minimum age of joining – 18 years and maximum age is 40 years. Focus of APY – To target unorganised sector workers.
2) Pradhan MantriJeevanJyotiYojana (PMJJBY):- Under the PMJJBY, the insurance subscriber will get an annual life insurance in case of death. Eligibility – Available any person in the age group of 18 to 50 years having a bank account. Risk Coverage – 2 Lakh rupees in case of death due to any reason. Payment Mode of premium – 330 rupees per annum will be directly auto-debited by the bank from the subscribers account.
3) Pradhan Mantri Suraksha BimaYojana (PMSBY):- Under the PMSBY, the insurance subscriber will get annual life insurance in case of accidental death, partial disability or full disability. Eligibility – Available to any person in the age group 18 to 70 years. Risk Coverage – For accidental death and full disability– 2 Lakh rupees For partial disability – 1 Lakh rupees. Payment Mode of premium – 12 rupees per annum will be directly auto-debited by the bank from the subscribers account in case of long-term option.
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Parliament Passed Black Money Bill
The Rajya Sabha on 13 May passed the Black Money Bill. It was earlier passed by the Lok Sabha on 11 May 2015. According to the new Bill those who conceal income and assets, and indulge in tax evasion in relation to foreign assets can face rigorous imprisonment of up to 10 years. They will also be liable to face a penalty of 300 per cent of taxes on the concealed income and assets.
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PM Narendra Modi Launched Doordarshan’s Farmer-Centric Kisan TV Channel
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 26 May launched India’s first television channel DD Kisan dedicated to farmers in New Delhi. This 24-hour channel is initially in Hindi and is dedicated to agriculture and allied sectors of India. It seeks to disseminate real-time inputs to farmers on new farming techniques, water conservation and organic farming among other information.
June 2015 International Current Affairs

INTERNATIONAL
US President Barack Obama Signed USA Freedom Act 2015 into Law
US President Barack Obama on 2 June signed the USA FREEDOM Act 2015 in law. The USA FREEDOM stands for Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015. With this, the National Security Agency (NSA) lost its authority to collect the phone records of millions of Americans.
AmeenahGurib-Fakim Is First Woman President of Mauritius
AmeenahGurib-FakimProminent scientist AmeenahGurib-Fakim was on 5 June sworn in as President of Mauritius. AmeenahGurib-Fakim is an internationally-renowned scientist and biologist. She replaced Kailash Purryag who stepped down as country’s President on 29 May 2015.
African Leaders Signed 26 Nation Free Trade Agreement
African countries have signed a historic The Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) that facilitates creation of Africa’s largest free-trade zone. This free-trade zone will cover 26 countries in an area from southernmost tip of African continent i.e. Cape Town (South Africa) to Cairo (Egypt) in the north. The agreement was signed on 10 June in Egypt.
Hwang Kyo-ahn Is The New Prime Minister of South Korea
South Korea’s Justice Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn was on 18 June appointed as the country’s new Prime Minister.The National Assembly approved the appointment of Hwang Kyo-ahn by a vote of 156-120.
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INDIA & WORLD
India and Sweden Signed Six Agreements
India and Sweden on 1 June signed six agreements, including in the field of polar research and for boosting trade. Both sides also signed a MoU for cooperation in the field of micro, small and medium enterprises. The agreements were signed in the presence of President Pranab Mukherjee and Swedan Prime Minister Stefan Lofven at Rosenbad in Stockholm, Sweden.
India – US signed Defence Framework Agreement
India and the US on 3 June signed a new strategically important 10-year defence framework agreement envisaging joint development and manufacture of defence equipment and technology including jet engines, aircraft carrier design and construction. The framework was signed by the Manohar Parrikar, India’s Defence Minister and Ashton Carter, US Secretary of Defence.
India – Bangladesh Ratify Historic Land Boundary Agreement
India and Bangladesh on 6 June signed ratification pact to operationalise the historic Land Boundary Agreement (LBA).It was signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina.According to the agreement 111 enclaves with a total area of 17,160.63 acres from India will be transferred to Bangladesh, while 51 enclaves of area 7,110.02 acres will be transferred to India.
India – Netherlands Signed Agreements
India and the Netherlands on 5 June signed a number of agreements, including to collaborate in building dredgers in India as part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative and manufacture vaccines against measles and rubella in India.The agreements were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Netherland Mark Rutte in New Delhi after the two leaders held discussions on various issues related to the region and the world.
India – Thailand Signed Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty
India and Thailand on 29 June signed the Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty (DTAT) and exchanged instruments of ratification on the extradition treaty signed in 2013. The tax treaty provides for the framework of avoiding double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes so as to promote bilateral economic cooperation.
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NATIONAL
Union Government Announced Rs 1500 crore INIP
Union Government on 13 June launched an Indian Nuclear Insurance Pool (INIP) of 1,500 crore rupees as per the mandatory provision under the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLND), 2010. This pool will be the 27th such market pool globally. This insurance pool was launched to address the concerns of the clauses in the CLND Act, which give the operator the Right to Recourse and allow it to sue the suppliers in case of any accident. General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) is the fund operator of this Rs. 1,500 crore Indian insurance pool and it includes 11 other non-life insurers as associates of the pool.
Union Cabinet Approved Housing For All By 2022 Mission
The Union Cabinet on 17 June gave its approval for Housing for All by 2022 Mission aimed at providing housing facilities to all eligible people in urban areas by 2022. It will be implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme and the States and Union Territories (UTs) are given greater autonomy in execution of the mission. Union Cabinet also approved increasing India’s solar power capacity target under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) to 1 Lakh Mega Watt (MW) by 2022.
Union Cabinet Approved Bureau of Indian Standards Bill 2015
The Union Cabinet on 17 June gave its approval to introduce Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015 in the Parliament. It will repeal the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act, 1986.The bill is intended to improve the quality of goods, services and systems in the country.
Union Cabinet Approved Six new IIMs In India
The Union Cabinet on 24 June 2015 approved setting up of six new Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) in the country. These new IIMs will be located at Amritsar (Punjab), Bodh Gaya (Bihar), Nagpur (Maharashtra), Sambalpur (Odisha), Sirmaur (Himachal Pradesh) and Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh). The Union Cabinet also gave its approval to the proposal of the Ministry of Culture for setting up of a National Memorial at LalaKaTola, Sitab, Diara, District Chhapra (Saran) in Bihar – the birth place of LokNayak Jai Prakash Narayan.
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STATES
Maharashtra Govt Approved new Renewable Energy Policy
Maharashtra government has approved a new Renewable Energy Policy which aims at achieving 14,400 MW of installed capacity over a period of five years i.e. till 2020. The approval decision of new policy worth 4,156.43 crore rupees was taken by state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra in Mumbai. The policy aims at achieving installed capacity of renewable energy of 21,100 MW by 2020 from current installed capacity of 6,700 MW.
World Bank Approves $ 250 million Loan For Jammu & Kashmir
Multi-lateral lender World Bank on 3 June approved 250 million US dollars loan for Jhelum and Tawi Flood Recovery Project in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). The project will be funded by loan credit from International Development Association (IDA), a World Bank’s concessionary with a maturity of 25 years, including a 5 year grace period.
Haryana’s Jind, Karnal& UP’s Muzaffarnagar Included In NCR
Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on 9 June announced that Jind and Karnal districts of Haryana and Muzaffarnagar of Uttar Pradesh have been included in the National Capital Region (NCR). With this the total number of districts included in NCR has risen to 22.
Kerala Govt Declares June 22 as ‘Snake Bird Day’
Kerala Government has declared June 22 as ‘Snake Bird Day’ in a bid to protect the endangered species which is also known as Indian darter.
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CONFERENCES
41st G7 Summit Held In Germany
G7 Summit 2015 was held at SchlossElmau in Bavaria, Germany from 7- 8 June 2015. This was the 41st G7 summit and the theme for the summit was “Think Ahead. Act Together”. The Summit focused on the global economy as well as on key issues regarding foreign, security, environment and development policy. After the talks, the leaders of the G7 committed to raising a 100 billion US dollars fund through public and private sources to combat the rising global temperatures and agreed to implement international mechanisms to bolster global healthcare security by creating a financial instrument at the World Bank to react better to pandemics. The Summit was attended by all the seven members’ viz., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States and the European Commission (EC). EC is a permanently welcome participant in all meetings and decision-making since 1981.
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AWARDS & HONOURS
Bangladesh Conferred Award of Liberation War Honour On Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was conferred Award of of Bangladesh Liberation War Honour for his active role in the country independence struggle and consolidating India friendship with the Bangladesh.Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi received this award on behalf of Former PM from Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid at a ceremony at Bangabhaban, the President house on 7 June 2015.
Historian Ramachandra Guha Selected For Japan’s Fukuoka Prize
Eminent Historian-writer Ramachandra Guha has been selected for Japan’s Fukuoka Prize 2015 in n the Academic category. Fukuoka Prize honours those who have made outstanding contributions to academia, arts and culture across Asia.
Sanjay Subrahmanyam Selected For SangithaKalanidhi Award 2015
Renowned Carnatic singer Sanjay Subrahmanyan was on 21 June selected for SangitaKalanidhi award for his outstanding achievements in Carnatic music.TheSangitaKalanidhi is the highest honour given to Carnatic musicians in India.
Ravi Shankar Conferred With Colombia’s Highest Civilian Award
Indian spiritual leader, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was on 25 June conferred with the Columbia’s highest civilian award Orden de la Democracia Simon Bolivar en el grado de cruz Caballero (Order of the Democracy Simon Bolivar) by Columbia. The award has been given in recognition to the spiritual leader’s contribution in spreading the message of peace in society, inter-mediation in war, reducing stress and combating violence through yoga and breathing exercises.
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SPORTS & GAMES
French Open Tennis Tournament – 2015 Winners
Women’s Singles :- Serena Williams of United States won French Open women’s single title on 6 June. In the final match she defeated Lucie Safarova of Czechoslovaki. This was her third French Open title (earlier she had won in 2002, 2013) and overall 20th Grand Slam title.
Men’s Singles :-StanislasWawrinka of Switzerland won his first French Open title of Tennis on 7 June. In the final clash played at Roland Garros in Paris, Wawrinka defeated Novak Djokovic of Serbia.It was his first his first French Open title second grand slam title after Australian Open 2014.
Wesley Hall Inducted into ICC cricket ‘Hall of Fame’
Former West Indies fast bowler Sir Wesley Winfield Hall was on 12 June inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. He is 80th cricketer to be inducted in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame and 18th from West Indies. Hall is the fourth cricketer this year to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame after Betty Wilson, Anil Kumble and Martin Crowe, who were inducted earlier this year during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
Serbia Won 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup
Serbia won the FIFA U-20 World Cup by defeating Brazil on 20 June at the final match held at the North Harbour Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand.
China Won 2015 Snooker’s World Cup
China won the 2015 Nongfu Spring Snooker’s World Cup on 21 June by defeating Scotland 4-1 in the final match held at Wuxi near Shanghai in China.India stood at the third position in the competition, the best finish so far for India.
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ECONOMY
RBI lowers Repo Rate To 7.25 per cent
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its second bi-monthly policy announced on 2 June has reduced the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points from 7.5 per cent to 7.25 per cent with immediate effect. However, the cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks was kept unchanged at 4 percent of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL). The reverse repo rate under the LAF stands adjusted to 6.25 per cent, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the bank rate to 8.25 per cent.
India Joined MCAA on AEOI
India joined the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement (MCAA) on Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information (AEOI) on 3 June in Paris, France, alongwith Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Indonesia and New Zealand.Earlier, Fifty-one countries had joined MCAA on 29 October 2014, in Berlin. Switzerland became the fifty-second country on 19 November 2014. On 3 June 2015, 6 countries – India, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Indonesia and New Zealand joined MCAA by signing the agreement in Paris.
India Tops The World Bank Growth Chart
World Bank Group’s latest Global Economic Prospects (GEP) report released on 10 June puts India at the top of the growth chart of major economies. With an expected growth of 7.5 percent this year, India is, for the first time, leading the World Bank’s growth chart of major economies. According to the report China is likely to grow at 7.1 percent. The Bank expects developing countries to witness a rise in growth to 5.2 percent in 2016 and 5.4 percent in 2017.
India Placed at 61st Position In Terms Of Foreigners’ Money In Swiss Banks
India was placed at 61st position in terms of foreigners’ money in Swiss banks. This was revealed by latest data released by Swiss National Bank (SNB), the central bank of Switzerland on 21 June 2015. As per the data, India now accounts for a meagre 0.123 per cent of the total global wealth worth 1.6 trillion US dollars in Switzerland’s banking system. Indians’ money in Swiss banks declined by over 10 percent to about 1.8 billion Swiss francs (1.98 billion US dollars or 12615 crore rupees) in 2014.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Indian Researchers Successfully Complete Whole Genome Sequencing of Tulsi
Scientists at Central Institute of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow succeeded in whole genome sequencing of Holy basil or Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum). CIMAP is a frontier plant research laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).This is the first report of complete genome sequence of Tulsi, which is both used as an essential medicinal plant and revered as Vishnupriya and worshipped for over 3000 years in India.
India’s First Indigenous Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant Undocked
India’s first indigenously-built largest aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was on 10 June successfully undocked at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Cochin district of Kerala. The ship will undergo a series of fitment and trial processes along with series of static and dynamic trials before inducting it into the Indian Navy in end-2018. With successful completion of construction of INS Vikrant India joins elite group of four nations in the world viz United States, Russia, United Kingdom and France that are capable of designing and constructing aircraft carriers.
World’s Thinnest Light Bulb Created From Graphene
Researchers have created the world’s thinnest light bulb using graphene as filament. It was created by team of scientist led by Young Duck Kim comprising members from Columbia University School of Engineering, Seoul National University and Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science.
China Produces World’s First Electric Plane
The world’s first electric passenger aircraft named BX1E was manufactured in China. The aircraft was designed by Shenyang Aerospace University and Liaoning General Aviation Academy located in the northeastern Liaoning Province of China.
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PERSONS IN NEWS
A) APPOINTMENTS
Petteri Taalas Appointed Secretary-General of WMO
Petteri Taalas, Director-General of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, was on 4 June appointed as the next Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for a four-year mandate starting 1 January 2016. He succeeds Michel Jarraud (France).
K.V.Chowdary is new Central Vigilance Commissioner
K V Chowdary, former chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), was on 10 June sworn in as the new Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) by President Pranab Mukherjee. Vijai Sharma, the senior most information commissioner, was also sworn in as the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) by the president.
B)RESIGNS
FIFA President Sepp Blatter Resigned
President of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Sepp Blatter has resigned on 2 June amid a corruption scandal which under investigation in United States. Earlier on 30 May 2015, he was re-elected as the FIFA President for a fifth term by defeating his rival candidate Prince Ali bins Al Hussein of Jordan.
C)DEATHS
Nobel Chemistry Winner Irwin Rose Died
Irwin Rose, a biochemist who shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering a way that cells destroy unwanted proteins the basis for developing new therapies for diseases such as cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis has died on 2 June in Massachusetts.. He was 88. Rose was born on July 16, 1926 in New York, United States. He had shared this noble prize with Aaron Ciechanover and Avram Hershko.
Chandigarh’s Iconic Rock Garden Creator Nek Chand Died
Nek Chand Saini, creator of Chandigarh’s iconic Rock Garden passed away on 12 June in Chandigarh. He was 90. His creation Rock Garden of Chandigarh was opened for public on 24 January 1976. The garden is maintained by the Nek Chand Foundation, formed in 1996. Nek Chand was awarded the Padma Shri in 1984. Born on 15 December 1924 in Shakargarh region, now in Pakistan, Chand immigrated to India with his family and settled in Chandigarh in 1950.
D)VISITORS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Visited Bangladesh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bangladesh on 6 – 7 June 2015. During the visit,the two sides held talks and signed 22 agreements. These includes the Land Boundary Agreement, cooperation in maritime safety and agreement to curb human trafficking and fake Indian currency. Narendra Modi along with her Bangladeshi Counterpart Sheikh Hasina and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee flagged off the Dhaka-Shillong-Guwahati and Kolkata-Dhaka-Tripura bus services. Modi received the Award of Liberation of War Honour on behalf of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who emphasized on strong ties with the neighboring country.
E)MISCELLANEOUS
Bhutan Sets New Guinness Record For Tree Planting
A team of 100 volunteers in Bhutan has set a new world record by planting 49,672 trees in one hour. They smashed the previous record by almost 10,000 trees. It had been set by an Indian team three years ago.Bhutan’s planters gathered in the capital, Thimphu, for their feat, which was confirmed by Guinness World Records on 5 June 2015.
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PLACES IN NEWS
3800 Year Old Statuettes Discovered In Peru
Researchers discovered a trio of mud statuettes inside a reed basket in a building, an important archaeological site, in the ancient city of Vichama in northern Peru. They believe that it was created about 3800 years ago by the ancient Caral civilization.
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ABBREVIATIONS
CDRI – Central Drug Research Institute
ESMA - Essential Services Maintenance Act
HDFC - Housing Development Finance Corporation
IFFI - International Film Festival of India
IISCO – Indian Iron and Steel Company
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BOOKS IN NEWS
President Pranab Mukherjee Released ‘ Yogikaspars ‘
President Pranab Mukherjee on 8 June released Yogikasparsh, a yoga manual in braille written by Nivedita Joshi, at a function in RashtrapatiBhavan in New Delhi. Nivedita Joshi, daughter of senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, suffered from a critical ailment some 19 years ago and got fully cured with the help of Yoga.
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COMMITTEES
Recommendations of BibekDebroy Committee On Restructuring Of Indian Railways
The BibekDebroy committee on the restructuring of Indian Railways (IR) has submitted its final report to the Union Ministry of Railways on 12 June.Union government had constituted the high-level committee in September 2014 to restructure the Railways and suggest ways for resource mobilisation. It was seven-member panel headed by eminent economist and NITI Aayog member BibekDebroy.
Recommendations of BibekDebroy committee:-
* Establishment of an independent regulator Railway Regulatory Authority of India (RRAI) with a separate budget and to be independent of the Ministry.
* No privatisation of Indian Railway but allowed participation of private sector in the railway projects.
* Separation of activities like running of hospitals, schools, real estate development, catering, manufacturing of locomotives, coaches and wagons from the core business of running trains.
* State governments should be asked to entirely fund the Government Railway Police (GRP).
* The recommended changes should be implemented only by Union Railways ministry in the first five years including the resolution of the social cost issue.
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IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
First International Day of Yoga Observed Globally
The first International Day of Yoga was on 21 June 2015 observed globally. The day was celebrated across 192 nations including Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.The idea to celebrate 21 June, which is the Summer Solstice, as the International Day of Yoga was mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 September 2014 during his address to the UN General Assembly.Following which, the United Nations General Assembly on 11 December 2014 adopted the resolution to commemorate 21 June as the International Day of Yoga every year.This resolution was adopted under the Global Health and Foreign Policy by the General Assembly in order to provide a holistic approach to the people worldwide for their health and well-being. More than 177 countries including USA, Canada, China and Egypt supported this move including 175 nations co-sponsoring the resolution.
World Environment Day was Observed on 5 June
World Environment Day was observed globally on 5 June 2015 with theme Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care. The host country for the WED 2015 is Italy and the celebrations will be organized by Expo Milano 2015 that will run from 1 May to 31 October 2015 and will see the participation of 140 plus countries.The day is observed to raise global awareness to take positive environmental action to protect nature and the planet Earth. It is run by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).The day was established by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on the day when Stockholm’s United Nations Conference on the Human Environment 1972 began. The first World Environment Day was hosted in 1973 and since then it is being held every year with a different theme in different cities.

National
Union Government Announced Rs 1500 crore INIP
Union Government on 13 June launched an Indian Nuclear Insurance Pool (INIP) of 1,500 crore rupees as per the mandatory provision under the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLND), 2010. This pool will be the 27th such market pool globally. This insurance pool was launched to address the concerns of the clauses in the CLND Act, which give the operator the Right to Recourse and allow it to sue the suppliers in case of any accident. General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) is the fund operator of this Rs. 1,500 crore Indian insurance pool and it includes 11 other non-life insurers as associates of the pool.
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Union Cabinet Approved Housing For All By 2022 Mission
The Union Cabinet on 17 June gave its approval for Housing for All by 2022 Mission aimed at providing housing facilities to all eligible people in urban areas by 2022. It will be implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme and the States and Union Territories (UTs) are given greater autonomy in execution of the mission. Union Cabinet also approved increasing India’s solar power capacity target under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) to 1 Lakh Mega Watt (MW) by 2022.
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Union Cabinet Approved Bureau of Indian Standards Bill 2015
The Union Cabinet on 17 June gave its approval to introduce Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015 in the Parliament. It will repeal the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act, 1986.The bill is intended to improve the quality of goods, services and systems in the country.
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Union Cabinet Approved Six new IIMs In India
The Union Cabinet on 24 June 2015 approved setting up of six new Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) in the country. These new IIMs will be located at Amritsar (Punjab), Bodh Gaya (Bihar), Nagpur (Maharashtra), Sambalpur (Odisha), Sirmaur (Himachal Pradesh) and Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh). The Union Cabinet also gave its approval to the proposal of the Ministry of Culture for setting up of a National Memorial at LalaKaTola, Sitab, Diara, District Chhapra (Saran) in Bihar – the birth place of LokNayak Jai Prakash Narayan.