1.

Canara Bank ties up with Life Insurance Corporation

i. Canara Bank has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Life Insurance Corporation of India for offering
the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojanainsurance cover to all its eligible customers.
ii. The bank has also partnered with the United India Insurance Company for offering the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha
Bima Yojana insurance cover.

iii. According to the MoU, LIC will offer a life cover of 2 lakh in case of death of the insured person at a nominal
premium of 330 per annum.
iv. All savings bank account holders in age group of 18 to 50 years can avail themselves of product.
2. BARC India TV viewership rating
i. Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India, launched two years ago to measure and assess TV
viewership in India, has announced its first data for week 16 of 2015.
ii. As per BARC data, Star Plus was the leading Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) in the Hindi-speaking
markets (HSM), Zee emerged as a strong player in the regional channels such as Marathi and Telugu, Aaj Tak was
the leader in Hindi news (HSM) and Times Now led in the English News category (All India).

iii. BARC India will monitor 12,000 sample households using a stratified random sampling technique. This will go up
to 20,000 reporting homes.
iv. BARC India was set up as a collaboration between advertisers and the TV broadcasters to replace TAM
(Television Audience Measurement) media research data.
3. Extremely simplified income tax return form
i. An extremely simplified income tax return form will soon replace the controversial 14-page ITR that sought
information like all bank accounts and foreign trip details.
ii. The Finance Ministry is considering easy taxation form which an assessee can do things himself and does not
have to run to various advisers.
iii. As it stands, the new ITR forms, including the ITR-1 and ITR-2, require an assessee to furnish the number of bank
accounts held by the individual.
4. Reform implementation to determine rating upgrade
i. Indias sovereign rating will depend on implementation of policies by its leaders to improve the business
environment for the private sector and for infrastructure growth according to rating agency Moodys.

ii. Moodys, which has given the lowest investment grade rating to India, named regulatory complexity and weak
social and physical infrastructure as challenges before the country.
iii. Lower global commodity prices support Indias growth and balance of payments, but its banking system would
pose sovereign risks over the medium term if asset quality and capitalisation levels do not improve.
5.

India

extends

e-tourist

visa

scheme

to

31

more

countries

i. India will provide e-tourist visa to 31 more countries, including France and
Canada,
enabling
the
citizens
of
these
nations
easy
entry
to
the
country.
ii. The e-tourist visa had been launched in November last year for 45 countries from nine designated Indian airports.
iii. With the latest addition, the total number of countries under this scheme will go up to 76. By the end of current
financial
year
Government
intends
to
extend
the
scheme
to
150
countries.
6. Dr. Pramod Patil and Dr. Ananda Kumar won 2015 Whitley Awards for wildlife conservation
i. Two Indians have been awarded with the prestigious Whitley Awards for their contribution to wildlife conservation.
ii. Dr Ananda Kumar, a conservationist from India, was awarded the prize, in honour of his work using innovative
communication
systems
to
enable
human-elephant
coexistence
in
southern
India.
iii. Another winner of the Whitley Award, dubbed 'Green Oscar' is Dr Pramod Patil. He has been awarded for his work
to protect the iconic great Indian bustard in the Thar Desert.

iv. HRH The Princess Royal presented the awards and each of them receiving a Whitley prize worth 35,000 at a
ceremony
in
London.
7.
Seychelles
becomes
161st
member
of
World
Trade
Organisation
i. Seychelles, an archipelago of 90000 inhabitants became the 161st member of the World Trade Organization
(WTO).
It
is
one
of
the
smallest
nations
among
the
WTO
members.
ii. This approval by WTO ended Seychelles 20-year long wait to become a member of WTO since it had applied for
WTO
membership
in
May
1995.
iii. Seychelles also became the 33rd government to accede to the rules-based multilateral trading system through
Article
XII
negotiations
since
the
WTO
was
established
in
1995.
iv. It should be noted that the Protocol of Accession was signed by former Seychelles Minister of Trade, Finance and
Investment Pierre Laporte and WTO Director General (DG) Roberto Azevedo.
1. John Kerry's visit to Sri Lanka

i. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Sri Lanka to offer support for newly elected President Maithripala
Sirisena after years of tensions with the former government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa over human rights.

ii. It is the first time in a decade that a U.S. secretary of state has visited Sri Lanka.
iii. Kerry will discuss U.S. interest in expanding trade and investment with Sri Lanka.
iv. Sri Lanka exports roughly $2.5 billion in goods, mostly textiles, to the United States a year.
2. Tata Power, L&T to supply mobile artillery system to the Army

i. The army is set to get an artillery boost with a proposal being moved to raise
six new regiments of the indigenous Pinaka Multi-Launcher Rocket System (MLRS), a formidable system designed to
annihilate enemy targets with a blanket of precisely guided rockets.
ii. Tata Power and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) will get a major share of the Rs 1,950-crore contract that is to be approved
by the defence ministry as they are the primary manufacturers of the mobile artillery system, along with state-run
Bharat Earth Movers (BEML).
iii. From the existing capacity of 1,000 rockets a year, the government has sanctioned an increase to 5,000 rockets
annually.
3. CRPF to adopt village in earthquake-hit Nepal
i. para-military force CRPF has decided to adopt a village in the Himalayan country.
ii. The CRPF has decided to adopt Karikat village near Birganj in Nepal to provide people immediate relief and help in
its reconstruction.

iii. The para-military force has set up a medical camp for earthquake victims and was also distributing daily need
items like rice, tea, biscuit, candle etc.
4. Buenos Aires is worlds bookstore capital
i. The city has more bookstores per capita than any other major city in the world, according to a recent study by the
World Cities Cultural Forum, an organization that works to promote culture.
ii. With a population of 2.8 million people within the city limits, there are 25 bookstores for every 100,000 people,
putting Buenos Aires far above other world cities like London, Paris, Madrid, Moscow and New York. The closest is
Hong Kong, which has 22 bookstores per 100,000 people.
5.
Goldman
Sachs
invests
in
Foodpanda
i. Mobile food delivery app Foodpanda on Friday announced raising of fresh funds to the tune of $100 million (about
Rs. 635 crore) in a financing round led by Goldman Sachs.

ii. Its investors include Rocket Internet (52 per cent stake), Phenomen Ventures, Investment AB Kinnevik and iMENA
Holdings. Active in over 580 cities globally, Foodpanda has partnered with over 60,000 restaurants.
iii. In India, the company has partnerships with more than 3,000 restaurants, including brands such as Pizza Hut,
Subway,
Nirulas,
Faasos,
Baskin
Robbins
and
Ammis
Biryani.
6. Nitin Gadkari Dedicates to the Nation Two Major Highway Projects in the North East
i. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari today dedicated to the nation two major Highway
projects
in
the
North
East
at
a
function
near
Shillong.
ii. The projects considerably ease the travel from Guwahati towards Shillong and other parts of the North East. These
include
Shillong
Bypass
and
four
laning
of
Jorabat-Barapani
Section
of
NH-40.
iii. The Shillong Bypass connects NH 40 and NH 44 (New NH 6) and will decongest the traffic in the city of Shillong
from trucks and heavy vehicles coming from or moving towards North Eastern parts of Assam and other statesMizoram
and
Tripura.
iv. The 48.76 Km Bypass begins from NH 40 at Umiam in Ri-Bhoi District and ends on NH 44 (new NH 6) at
Mawryngkneng in East Khasi Hills District. The bypass was constructed by NHAI on BOT (Annuity) mode.
CNR Rao conferred with Japan's highest civilian award

i. Eminent scientist and Bharat Ratna awardee Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao was conferred with Japans
highest civilian award the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star.
ii. He was bestowed with this award for his outstanding contributions to science and Indo-Japanese science
cooperation.
iii. Rao is a National Research Professor, Linus Pauling Research Professor. He is also the Honorary President of
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advance Scientific Research, Bengaluru and a former Chair of the Japan-India Science
Council.
A Book titled China Confucius in the Shadows written by Poonam Surie released

i. 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.
ii. Book has been written by Poonam Surie. Poonam Surie is an Adjunct Fellow at the Institute of Chinese Studies,
New Delhi.
iii. The book highlights that in the evolving socio political milieu of China; interpreting Confucian philosophy as being
non-confrontationist, benevolent and with values such as filial piety and harmony could help the current political
regime deal with such problems as corruption and rising inequalities.

Four Indians to be conferred with 2015 Spring Imperial Decorations of Japan

i. Four Indians will be conferred with the Spring Imperial Decorations of Japan which were announced on 29 April
2015.
ii. These Indians are among the 85 foreign recipients who will receive the award at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on 8
May 2015. The awards will be conferred by Emperor of Japan Akihito.
The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star

Thottuvelil Krishna Pillai Aiyappankutty Nair (75): He is a former Advisor and Principal Secretary to the
Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh.

Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao (80): He is the Honorary President of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for
Advance Scientific Research, Bangalore and a former Chair of the Japan-India Science Council.

The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays

Nikunj Parekh (74): He is the President of Indo-Japanese Association, Mumbai and Director of Bonsai
Study Group of Indo-Japanese Association, Mumbai.

The Orders of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Rays

Topgay Bhutia (64): Former local employee of the Embassy of Japan in India was awarded for his
contribution to the activities of the Japanese overseas establishment.

Surender Singh took over as Director General of CISF

i. Senior IPS officer Surender Singh took over as Director General (DG) of central paramilitary force Central Industrial
Security Force (CISF).
ii. Surender Singh is a 1980-batch police officer of West Bengal cadre. Earlier, he served as a Special Director in the
Intelligence Bureau (IB) before getting the new assignment.
iii. His tenure will end in August 2016. He succeeded Arvind Ranjan.
iv. CISF is the largest industrial security force in the world. It is directly under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and
its headquarters are at New Delhi.
Rajasthan government allocates 12 crore rupees for Project Great Indian Bustard

i. Rajasthan Forest department has allotted more than twelve crore rupees for a bird conservation programme,
Project Great Indian Bustard (GIB).
ii. For this project Japan Bank is going to provide financial support of three crore rupees.
iii. Under the GIB Project, closures will be made at many places in Khudi rasla, Pokhran and Shahgarh of Jaislmer
district for safe habitat of bird. In order to regularly monitor the bird information chips will installed.
iv. The Great Indian Bustard locally called as Godawan is also the state bird of Rajasthan.
Status of the Great Indian Bustard

The Great Indian Bustard presently is confined to only eight pockets in 6 Indian states- Rajasthan, Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

The largest population is found in Jaisalmer, Barmer, and Bikaner districts of Rajasthan

Great Indian Bustard is the State Bird of Rajasthan and locally is called as Godawan.

It is listed as critically endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Red data list.

IGI adjudged World's Best Airport

i. Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has been adjudged the worlds best airport for the year 2014.
ii. In this regard, Airports Council International (ACI) presented the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) award to IGIA under
the category of handling 25 to 40 million passengers per annum.
iii. IGIA had scored 4.90 on a scale of 5 points measured by 300 members of the ACI ASQ benchmarking
programme. It should be noted that, IGIA has bettered its ranking from second position for three consecutive years
2011, 2012 and 2013 to emerge on top in 2014.
iv. Airport Service Quality (ASQ) is the key to understanding how to increase passenger satisfaction and improve
business performance. While the ACI is a trade association of the worlds airports and was founded in 1991.
Tennis player Rafael Nadal received Golden Medal for Merit in Work of Spain
i. Ace tennis player Rafael Nadal on 1 May 2015 received the Golden Medal for Merit in Work. Golden Medal is one
of the top civilian honours of Spain which aims to highlight an exemplary performance in any job or profession.
ii. Nadal received the honour from the Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy Brey at the PMs official residence
Moncloa Palace in Madrid.
iii. Rafael Nadal is 14-time Grand Slam singles champion out of which he has won the French Open for a record nine
times. He is often called The King of Clay and is currently ranked World Number Besides, he has won the 2008
Olympic gold medal in singles, a record 27 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 and 15 ATP World Tour 500 tournaments.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeats Manny Pacquiao to win World Welterweight Title of Boxing
i. American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. has won the unified World Welterweight title of World Boxing Council, World
Boxing Organisation and World Boxing Association.
ii. To win this title he defeated Manny Pacquiao from Philippines on a unanimous decision with Judges Scores of 118110, 116-112 and 116-112 in 12 rounds of intense boxing.
iii. The legendary bout termed as Fight of the Century was played at iconic MGM Grand, Las Vegas. This fight was
also the highest watched and most revenue generating with almost 400 million dollars of all time.
Direct tax collection falls short by 14% in 2014-15
i. The direct tax collection by the government during 2014-15 fell short of the target by about 14 per cent with Rs.
6,96,200 crore revenue coming to its kitty.
ii. The Income Tax Department which collects a variety of taxes like Income Tax and Corporate Tax collected
approximately Rs. 6,96,200 crore in the fiscal ending March 31, 2015.

iii. The achieved collections are about Rs. 9,000 crore less or 14 per cent short of the projected target of Rs.
7,05,000 crore.
iv. The collections are, however, 19 per cent more than the last fiscal. In 201314, the mopup was Rs. 5,83,000
crore.
Gold imports jump 19.5% at $34.32 billion in FY15
i. Gold imports surged 19.5 per cent to reach USD 34.32 billion in 2014-15 due to declining prices and easing of
restrictions by the Reserve Bank.
ii. Imports of the metal were USD 28.7 billion the previous fiscal, 2013-14.

iii. Increase in gold imports impacts the countrys trade deficit, which has
reached USD 137 billion in 2014-15, and the current account deficit (CAD).
iv. The imports almost doubled in March to USD 4.98 billion which pushed the trade deficit to a four-month high of
USD 11.79 billion for the month, according to the Commerce Ministry data.
v. India is the largest importer of gold, which mainly caters to the demand of the jewellery industry.
Future Group's Retail Business to Merge With Bharti Retail
i. Future RetailBSE 12.06 % Ltd said on Monday it had agreed to merge its retail operations with rival Bharti Retail
Ltd to create one of India's biggest retail chain with more than 570 stores across the country.
ii. Under the deal structure, approved by the boards of the two companies, the retail business of Future Retail will be
merged with Bharti Retail. The combined entity will own the retail operations of both the companies.

iii. In the second step, infrastructure, investments and assets of both the companies will be combined to create a new
entity to be called Future Enterprises Ltd.
World Press Freedom Day observed globally
i. World Press Freedom Day is annually observed on May 3 to inform the international community that freedom of the
press and freedom of expression are fundamental human rights.

ii. 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.
iii. 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.
Tennis player Rafael Nadal received Golden Medal for Merit in Work of Spain
i. Ace tennis player Rafael Nadal received the Golden Medal for Merit in Work. Golden Medal is one of the top civilian
honours of Spain which aims to highlight an exemplary performance in any job or profession.

ii. Nadal received the honour from the Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy
Brey at the PMs official residence Moncloa Palace in Madrid.
iii. Rafael Nadal is 14-time Grand Slam singles champion out of which he has won the French Open for a record nine
times. He is often called The King of Clay and is currently ranked World Number 5.
Indian Railway girls clinch 5th National Hockey Championship title
i. Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) have won the 5th National women hockey championship title.
ii. In the final match played at the Master Chandgi Ram sports stadium at Saifai, Uttar Pradesh the the RSPB girls
team defeated Hockey Jharkhand by 12-2 goals.
iii. For the RSPB, Saundarya Yendala scored three goals in the final match while Sunita Lakra and Lilima Minz
scored two goals each. Anuradha Devi, Manmeet Kaur, Anupa Barla, Poonam Barla, and Deepgrace Ekka scored
one goal each for the winning team.

1. The Union Cabinet approved the 119th Constitutional Amendment Bill on Land Boundary Agreement (LBA)
between India and Bangladesh.
i. Under the land boundary agreement, India and Bangladesh will exchange several enclaves which are under each
other's adverse possession. The bill also includes the territories in Assam in addition to territories of West Bengal,
Tripura and Meghalaya.

ii. The bill will need ratification by the Parliament and would also require ratification of at least 50 percent of the state
legislatures before it comes into effect.
iii. Earlier in 2013, the bill in regard to this was placed in the Rajya Sabha and subsequently was referred to a select
committee, which was headed by Shashi Tharoor of Congress. Later, the committee unanimously recommended
implementation of the deal.
2. Surface-to-air short range Akash missile system inducted into Indian Army
i. Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), in partnership with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), is supplying
critical electronic systems for Akash Weapon System (AWS) inducted into the Indian Army.

ii. 'Akash' is a surface-to-air missile indigenously developed by the Defence Research Development Laboratory
(DRDL), under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
iii. The first off production models (FOPM) of these systems were successfully realised and delivered by ECIL in close
association with DRDL.
3. Microsofts Edu-Cloud to make learning fun
i. Microsoft India unveiled Edu-Cloud, a cloud computing-based offering, designed to offer digital learning and
teaching in schools and higher educational institutions through virtual learning platforms in India.
ii. Microsoft India Chairman Bhaskar Pramanik said Edu-Cloud is expected to benefit 10 lakh teachers and 60 lakh
students in over 1,500 institutes over the next 18 months.
iii. The company has also announced a tie-up with the Chaitanya group of educational institutions, which will adopt
Edu-Cloud.
iv. In the last 10 years, Microsofts education, skill development, entrepreneurship and digital literacy programmes
have touched over 5 crore people in 20 different states of India.
4. MoneyGram Ready to Handle Electronic-Mode Remittances in India
i. NASDAQ-listed MoneyGram is ready to handle remittances through electronic modes in India as soon as the
government allows such transactions through a series of electronic modes such as online, ATM and phone banking.
ii. It would happen when the government allows transactions to be managed through a series of electronic modes
such as online, Automated Teller Machines (ATM) and phone banking.

iii. In 2013, India received $70 billion in remittances topping the list in Asia,
followed by China at $59 billion and the Philippines at $27 billion, according to the World Bank data.
iv. The top countries sending money into India are those in North America, the Middle East, the UK and Europe,
according to the two MoneyGram executives.
5. Offering whole internet for free not sustainable: Mark Zuckerberg
i. Facebook is opening up Internet.org, which provides connectivity to people in developing nations, to outside
applications following a controversy over its limited set of online services.
ii. Internet.org would operate as a free platform so anyone can build free basic services, but that the full internet
would not be included.
iii. NDTV, Newshunt and Cleartrip had also announced that they were withdrawing from Internet.org on the same day.
6. India to tie up with Iran for Chabahar
i. India and Iran agreed in 2003 to develop a port at Chabahar on the Gulf of Oman, near Iran's border with Pakistan,
but the venture has made little progress because of Western sanctions on Iran.
ii. Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari will travel on a day-long tour to Iran to sign a memorandum of understanding for
development of Chabahar port.

iii. Iran has also proposed a free-trade agreement with India, a trade ministry source said. Rupee-denominated trade
with Iran, started in 2012 because of complications arising from sanctions, has almost doubled Indian exports to
Tehran in the past two years to $4 billion.
1. LS approves GST Bill
i. The long-pending GST bill was approved by Lok Sabha after a walkout by Congress even as government vowed to
compensate states for any revenue loss and assured that the new uniform indirect tax rate will be much less than 27
per cent recommended by an expert panel.
ii. The Constitution Amendment Bill to implement the Goods and Services Tax (GST), originally mooted by the UPA,
was passed by 352 votes against 37 after the government rejected the opposition demand of referring it to Standing
Committee.

iii. By subsuming most indirect taxes levied by the central and state governments like excise, service tax, VAT and
sales tax, the pan-India goods and services tax (GST) regime has proposed to facilitate a common market in the
country.
iv. Taxes on alcohol make up a major chunks of state revenues -- for instance, in Kerala it contributes 22 percent of
revenue, while in Tamil Nadu it yields about Rs.21,000 crore per year.
2. Government declared 11 pacts that signed between India, Germany at Hannover fair
i. Indian companies including HMT and Essel Group have signed 11 MoUs with German firms that will help boost
foreign fund inflows as well as domestic manufacturing.
ii. The pacts were signed last month at the Hannover trade fair. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German
Chancellor Angela Merkel had inaugurated the fair in Germany last month.

iii. These Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) are expected to increase FDI flows to India, bring in new
technology, help growth of manufacturing sector and create employment opportunities in the country thereby boosting
its economy.
iv. Instrumentation Ltd signed a pact with German-based KE Kauer Engineering for production of control valves.
Vikram Solar inked MoU with Fraunhofer Institute for solar energy systems.
v. Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) inked separate pacts with FT Machine Tools and Enit GmbH for collaboration in
engineering sector.
3. Narendra Modi set to revive Vajpayee government's FIIA project
i. The Foreign Investment Implementation Agency, a brainchild of the former Vajpayee government, is set to get a
new lease of life under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
ii. The agency's role will be reinvented and expanded to handhold foreign investors and keep tab on sectors that have
end-use operational conditions.
iii. The Ministry of Finance and the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion have had discussions on FIIA
playing a more effective role as the government looks to boost capital flows into the country.
iv. The Reserve Bank of India, the administrative ministries in charge of sectors, the department of economic affairs,
which houses the Foreign Investment Promotion Board, and DIPP have all expressed difficulty in monitoring sectoral
conditions.
4. Real estate bill sent to select committee of Rajya Sabha
i. A united Opposition forced Government to send the controversial Real Estate Bill that seeks to regulate realty
business, to a 21-member select committee of Rajya Sabha, which has been asked to submit its report by the first
week of the Monsoon Session.
ii. The government brought a motion to refer the bill to Select Committee, chaired by BJP member Anil Madhav
Dave.
iii. The government had brought the bill earlier in this session after taking the view of all stakeholders. However, amid
lot of criticim the bill was delayed even after the recommendations of the Standing Committee.
5.
Salman
Khan
Finally
Loses
Celebrity
Cover
i. Actor Salman Khan, sentenced to five years for killing a homeless man in a hit-and-run in 2002, will not go to jail for
now. He has been allowed to go home till Friday, when the Bombay High Court will hear his appeal for bail.
ii. A Mumbai court this morning rejected Mr Khan's claims that it was his driver who was at the wheel of his Toyota
Land Cruiser when it ran into a group of homeless men sleeping outside a Mumbai bakery. One man, Nurullah
Mehboob Sharif, died, four were injured.

iii. Mr Khan broke down in court after hearing he was sentenced to five years in jail. The court said all seven charges
against him -including culpable homicide- had been proven. The maximum sentence he could have got was 10 years.
iv. Mr Khan, 49, then applied for bail to the Bombay High Court, which has said he will not be arrested till Friday.
v. He is under trial in Rajasthan for shooting an endangered black buck gazelle in 1998. He spent a week in jail in
2006 in Jodhpur before being granted bail. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 7 years.
6.
World
Asthma
Day
2015
observed
i. World Asthma Day 2015 was observed globally on 5 May 2015. Theme of the year is You Can Control Your Asthma
and
sub-theme
is
Its
Time
to
Control
Asthma.
ii. World Asthma Day takes place on the first Tuesday of May. The inaugural World Asthma Day was held in 1998.

iii. The day is annually organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to improve asthma awareness and care
around
the
world.
iv. An awareness drive and a continuing medical education (CME) were held at the Coimbatore Medical College
Hospital
(CMCH)
to
mark
the
World
Asthma
Day.
7.
Bhel
commissions
GVK's
hydro-power
project
in
Uttrakhand
i. State-owned power equipment maker Bhel has commissioned GVK Group's 82.5 MW greenfield hydro electric
project
in
Uttarakhand.
ii. Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd said in a regulatory filing that it has "successfully commissioned the first unit of 82.5
MW at the upcoming Shrinagar Hydro Electric Project (HEP) in Uttarakhand".

iii. The greenfield hydro electric project consisting of four units of 82.5 MW each is being set up by Alaknanda Hydro
Power
Corporation
Ltd
(
GVK
Group).
iv. The project is designed to utilise the waters of River Alaknanda by way of a diversion dam.
v. Bhel said power generation from Shrinagar HEP is likely to result in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

1. Lok Sabha passes Juvenile Justice Bill

i. The central government on Thursday moved the Juvenile Justice Bill in the Lok Sabha which will allow children in
the 16-18 age group to be tried as adults if they commit heinous crimes.
ii. According to data from National Crime Records Bureau, crimes by juveniles in the age group of 16-18 years have
increased, especially in certain categories of heinous crimes.
iii. The bill states that in case a heinous crime has been committed by a person in the age group of 16-18 years it will
be examined by a Juvenile Justice Board to assess if the crime was committed as a 'child' or as an 'adult'.
iv. The legislation, which would replace the existing Juvenile Justice Act, 2000, was proposed in view of increasing
number of serious offences being committed by persons in the age group of 16-18 years.
2. Election 2015: Party leaders cast votes in general election
i. A total of 650 Westminster MPs will be elected, with about 50 million people registered to vote.
ii. There are more than 9,000 council seats being contested across 279 English local authorities.
iii. Britain's ruling Conservatives and the opposition Labour Party were tied with support at 33 per cent.

iv. There are a total of 59 Indian-origin candidates in the fray from the Tories (17), Labour (14), Liberal Democrats
(14), Green Party (4), United Kingdom Independence Party- UKIP (3), Independents (2) and one each from the
smaller parties like All Peoples Party, Christian Movement for Great Britain, National Liberal Party, Socialist Labour
Party and Young Peoples Party.
3. Indian Cabinet Approves Amendments to Whistleblowers Act
i. The union cabinet on Wednesday approved amendments to the Whistlebowers Protection Act, 2011 aimed at
strengthening safeguards against disclosures.
ii. The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in December, 2011 and by Rajya Sabha in February last year. The bill has
received the assent of the president in May last year.
iii. The amendments would address concerns relating to national security and the amendment bill will be moved
during the budget session of parliament.
4.
Rajya
Sabha
unanimously
passes
Bangladesh
land
deal
i. In a historic step, the Rajya Sabha passed the bill to operationalise the Land Boundary Agreement with
Bangladesh,
and
the
entailing
exchange
of
enclaves
between
the
two
countries.
ii. The Constitution (One Hundred and Nineteenth Amendment) Bill, 2013, was unanimously passed by the upper
house,
with
180
votes
in
favour
and
none
against
it.
iii. Moving the bill for passage, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj clarified that no movement of population was
necessitated
by
the
exchange
of
enclaves.
iv. In 2011, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bangladeshi Premier Sheikh Hasina had signed the land swap
deal
known
as
the
Land
Boundary
Agreement
(LBA).
5. India home to 56 of the worlds 2000 powerful companies
i. India is home to 56 of the worlds 2000 largest and most powerful public companies, according to the Forbess
annual list which is topped by the US with its share of 579 companies.
ii. Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries leads the pack of 56 Indian companies in the 2015 Forbes Global 2000
list.

iii. Forbes said that for the first time, Chinas four biggest banks own the top four spots and the South Asian giant is
home to 232 of the worlds largest companies, adding more spots than any other country in the world and surpassing
Japan for the first time.
iv. The other Indian companies on the list are Oil and Natural Gas ranked 183, Tata Motors (263), ICICI Bank (283),
Indian Oil (349), HDFC Bank (376), NTPC (431), Tata Consultancy Services (485), Bharti Airtel (506), Axis Bank
(558), Infosys (672), Bharat Petroleum (757), Wipro (811), Tata Steel (903) and Adani Enterprises (944).
6.
Cabinet
gives
nod
to
revise
DTAA
with
South
Korea
i. The Union Cabinet gave its nod for revising the existing double taxation avoidance agreement (DTAA) with South
Korea.

ii. The new agreement will among other things provide for effective exchange of
information for tax administration purposes. It will also have limitation of benefit clause so that the benefits of the
DTAA
are
availed
of
by
genuine
residents
of
both
the
countries.
iii. This Cabinet nod assumes significance as it came days before the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visit to
South Korea. The existing double taxation avoidance convention between the two countries was signed in 1985 for
the avoidance of double taxation and for the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income for the
citizens
of
both
the
countries.
.
7.
Geeta
Phogat
wins
bronze
in
Asian
championship
i. Geeta Phogat won a bronze medal in the Women's Freestyle 58kg category in the Senior Asian Wrestling
championship in Doha.

ii. She defeated Vietnam's Thi Loan Nyguen by Fall verdict in the bronze medal play-off.
iii. En-route to the bronze medal play off, Geeta lost in pool bout only to Kaori Icho of Japan, the Olympic gold
medallist.

1. Conservatives win majority in UK elections

i. David Cameron has returned to Downing Street with the Tories having defied polls and won the general election.

ii. The Conservatives are expected to get a 37% share of the national vote, Labour 31%, UKIP 13%, the Lib Dems
8%, the SNP 5%, the Green Party 4% and Plaid Cymru 1%.

iii. Labour has been hammered in Scotland by the SNP, with Nicola Sturgeon's party seizing 56 of the nation's 59
seats. Jim Murphy, leader of the Scottish Labour Party, and shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander both lost
their seats to the SNP.
2. RBI puts in place new mechanism for banks to check loan fraud
i. The RBI put in place a new framework to check loan fraud including by way of early warning signals at banks and
red flagging of accounts, while swindlers will have no access to further banking finance.

ii. The central bank will set up a Central Fraud Registry that can be accessed
by all banks to identify borrowers having committed frauds with any bank in the past.
iii. The CBI and the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) will also share their databases with banks.
iv. The concept of a Red Flagged Account (RFA) is being introduced in the current framework as an important step in
fraud risk control.
3. Govt gets SC notice on PSB chief criteria
i. The Centre's new appointment norms for public sector bank chiefs capping the age at 55 years and mandatory
three-year board level experience has come under judicial scrutiny with the Supreme Court.
ii. A bench of Justices A R Dave and R K Agrawal issued notice to the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India seeking
their response on a PIL filed by a retired banker who alleged that the policy was intended to pave the way for private
bankers to lead the country top banks - Punjab National Bank, Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank and IDBI
Bank.
iii. The upper age limit for the post was 58 years but the government decided to amend the rules, arguing that it was
part of a plan to professionalize bank boards.
iv. The rules fixed the age limit for MDs & CEOs at 45-55 years with 15 years of banking experience out of which
three years should have been at the board level.
4. Jitan Ram Manjhi announces new party as Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM)
i. Expelled JD(U) leader and former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi today announced launching of a new party
"Hindustani Awam Morcha" (HAM) which he said would contest alone all the 243 seats in coming Bihar polls.
ii. He named former Bihar minister Shakuni Chaudhary as Bihar President of the HAM.

iii. Names of 108 leaders were announced in the Bihar unit of the party. It comprises former Union minister Devendra
Prasad Yadav, ex-MP Brahamdeo Anand Paswan and former state ministers and Legislators like Ganesh Yadav,
Ram Kumar Yadav, Om Prakash Paswan, K D Yadav and Ramchandra Prasad Singh.
5. Pakistan helicopter crash kills foreign envoys
i. An army helicopter has crashed in a mountainous part of northern Pakistan killing seven people, including the
Philippine and Norwegian ambassadors.
ii. The diplomats flying in the ill-fated MI-17 were headed for a little advertised but extremely exciting inauguration
ceremony of a ski chairlift, built in the breathtaking resort of Naltar, in northern Pakistan.

iii. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was scheduled to attend the inauguration, but his aircraft turned back from
Gilgit after reports of the crash.
6.
AK
Jyoti,
appointed
as
Election
Commissioner
i. Achal Kumar Jyoti, a former Gujarat Chief Secretary, was appointed as the Election Commissioner.
ii. 62-year-old
Jyoti's
tenure
will
commence
from
the
day
he
assumes
his
charge.
iii. He retired from active service in January, 2013 before serving in various capacities in Gujarat. He was also posted
at
the
Kandla
Port
Trust
between
1999
and
2004.
7. Prime Minister releases commemorative coin on Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday released a commemorative coin to mark the birth centenary of Swami
Chinmayananda.
ii. Swami Chinmayananda was a renowned Hindu spiritual leader and teacher who had inspired the formation of a
global nonprofit organisation called Chinmaya Mission to spread the knowledge of Advaita Vedanta.
iii. Swami Chinmayananda born as Balakrishna Menon on 8 May 1916 pioneered works in the field of education and
social
reform.
He
died
on
3
August
1993.
iv. He saw the need to inculcate India's great culture and spiritual traditions, through the English medium, among an
elite class of people, who had moved away from this heritage.
8.
Jitu
Rai
wins
'Sportsperson
of
the
Year'
Award
at
TOISA
i. Ace marksman Jitu Rai was declared the Sportsperson of the Year' at the Times of India Sports Awards in a
glittering
ceremony
that
was
graced
by
the
legendary
Carl
Lewis.
ii. 'Flying Sikh' Milkha Singh received the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' from the 'Olympian of the century' and Times
Group MD Vineet Jain in a ceremony that was attended by the who and who of India's sporting fraternity.
iii. Besides Lewis and Milkha, prominent figures from the sporting world included former Indian cricket captain Sourav
Ganguly, Olympic bronze medallists boxer MC Mary Kom, shuttler Saina Nehwal and CWG gold medallist squash
player Dipika Pallikal.

1. INS Sardar Patel commissioned

i. A strategically important new Naval base INS Sardar Patel was commissioned in Porbandar.
ii. The base was commissioned by Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.

iii. Ms. Patel unveiled the plaque and read the commissioning warrant of the new base which is second in the state
for the Indian Navy after INS Dwarka near Okha.
iv. Gujarat has a coastline of 1600 km interspersed with 43 ports. Of these, Kandla being a major port, 11 are
intermediate and 31 are minor ports.
2. Russia celebrates victory day
i. Victory Day is Russia's most important secular holiday, both commemorating the Soviet Union's huge suffering in
the war and highlighting Russia's portrayal of itself as a force for peace and security.
ii. Chinese President Xi Jinping was the most prominent world leader to attend the Victory Day parade.

iii. Russia showed off new machines of war, including a highly sophisticated tank, in the annual Victory Day military
parade through Red Square that marks the surrender of Nazi Germany and the Red Army's key role in the defeat.
3. Modi to inaugurate first Gandhian studies centre in China
i. The first centre for Gandhian studies in China will be inaugurated at Shanghais Fudan University by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
ii. The Centre for Gandhian Studies will be established at the Fudan University in China and the staff for it will be
provided by Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR).
iii. Mr. Modi, during his visit from May 14-16, will also announce the setting up of a Yoga College in China.
iv. India will provide Yoga specialists and help China to bring about a standardisation of Yoga techniques.
4. MoUs worth Rs 24,000 cr signed during PM Narendra Modi's visit to Chattisgarh
i. In a big push for infrastructure development in Chhattisgarh, MoUs worth Rs 24,000 crore were signed at
Dantewada.
ii. Here is a list of the MoUs that were signed:

MoU between Government of Chhattisgarh, NMDC, IRCON and SAIL for 140 km rail line between Rowghat
and Jagdalpur. Estimated project cost: Rs 2,000 crore.

MoU between Ministry of Steel, Government of Chhattisgarh, SAIL and NMDC for 3 million ton Ultra Mega
Steel Plant with an investment of approximately Rs 18,000 crore.

MoU between Government of Chhattisgarh and NMDC for Slurry Pipeline and 2MTPA Pellet Plant at
Nagarnar in Bastar District with an investment of Rs 4,000 crore.

MoU between Government of Chhattisgarh and SAIL for setting up 1MTPA Pellet Plant at Dalli-Rajhara,
Balod District with an investment of Rs 826 crore.

5. PM Modi to unveil 3 social security schemes in Kolkata

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch three social security schemes pertaining to insurance and pension in
Kolkata.
ii. While two insurance schemes - Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan
Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) will provide insurance cover in the unfortunate event of death by any cause or
disability due to an accident, the pension scheme - Atal Pension Yojana (APY) will address the old age income
security needs.
iii. The convenient delivery mechanism of the schemes is expected to address the problem of very low penetration of
life or accident insurance and old age income security products in the country.
iv. The PMSBY will offer a renewable one year accidental death cum disability cover of Rs two lakh to all the savings
bank account holders in the age group of 18 to 70 years for a premium of Rs 12 per annum.
6. India Posts's e-commerce centre set to start operations
i. To cash in on growing online shopping trend, India Post Delhi circle will start its e-commerce centre from 11th May
2015.

ii. Considering the rapid growth of e-commerce business in the country in the
recent past, the Department of Posts, through Delhi Postal Circle has taken up a project to establish the e-commerce
centre at Safdarjang, New Delhi.
iii. The centre is to be dedicated to the nation by Ravi Shankar Prasad, hon'ble minister of communications and
information technology.
iv. The centre is capable of handling 30,000 parcels or articles per day and parcels collected from the e-commerce
customers, processed and dispatched within 24 hours to respective destination through quickest available flight or
train, as the case may be.

7. Now Whatsapp the money to your friends

i. Axis Bank, the country's third largest private sector bank now facilitates instant transfer of money on various social
media channels like Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, Email list and phone contact list.
ii. The bank's Ping Pay service competes with other banks digital products like ICICI Bank's Pockets and HDFC
Bank's Chillar.
iii. The transfer of funds is instant while in other platforms there is a waiting period of 30 minutes to one day
iv. The person to person funds transfer through Ping Pay would happen via NPCI's Immediate Payment Service
(IMPS) and currently the transaction limit is at Rs 50,000 per day.
8. Sakshi, Lalita win bronze in Asian Wrestling Championship
i. Sakshi Malik and Lalita bagged bronze medal in Women's Freestyle 60kg and 55kg categories, respectively, even
as Babita Kumari lost out on a third-place finish in 53kg division of the Senior Asian Wrestling Championship in
Doha.
ii. Lalita was defeated by North Korea's Han Kum-ok 3-9 in the semifinal but she managed to settle for a bronze
medal in the end in her category.
iii. In a total of five rounds in the 60kg category, Sakshi won two of her bouts to claim the third position.

Shashi Kapoor has been conferred with prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2014
i. The award was bestowed upon him by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley at a special
function
held
in
Prithvi
Theatre
in
Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
ii. He is the 46th film personality to receive this honour and third member of his illustrious family after father Prithviraj
Kapoor (1972- Posthumously) and elder brother Raj Kapoor (1987).

About Shashi Kapoor

Born as Balbir Raj Prithviraj Kapoor on March 18, 1938 in Kolkata, West Bengal. Started acting in films as a
child in late 1940s. Since then he has appeared in 160 movies altogether, 12 being in English and the rest in
Hindi.

His Bollywood debut as a lead actor was in the film Dharmputra (1961). His best known performances as
child artist were in Aag (1948), Awaara (1951) and Sangram (1950). He is also best-known for his
performances in Hindi films like Jab Jab Phool Khile, Deewar and Kabhi Kabhie. American and British
films: The Householder (1963), Shakespeare Wallah (1965), Bombay Talkie (1970), Heat and Dust (1982),
The Deceivers (1988), Side Streets (1998) etc.

Apart from acting in movies, he also had worked as a film director, assistant director and film producer.

WHO declares Liberia Ebola-free

i. WHO has hailed Liberias 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.
ii. Now, Liberias neighbous Guinea and Sierra Leone are only two countries fighting to stop Ebola outbreak since it
began in December 2013.
Criteria for declaring a nation Ebola-free

WHO can declare a country Ebola free, if no new cases are reported over two incubation periods of virus i.e.
21 days.

In case of Liberia, no new cases of Ebola were reported in past 42 days i.e. twice the number of days the
virus requires to incubate. The last confirmed death in Liberia was reported on 27 March 2015.

Haryana Government has decided to include Deaflympics in its Sports Policy

i. Haryana Government has decided to include Deaflympics in its Sports Policy in order to boost the morale of
differently-abled sportspersons in the state. Decision in this regard was taken during a state cabinet meet chaired by
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
ii. With this inclusion, Deaflympian medalists now will be able to get cash rewards, jobs and other benefits from the
state government.
About Deaflympics

Deaflympics is an International Olympic Committee (IOC) sanctioned event, at which deaf athletes compete
at an elite level.

The first event of was held in Paris in 1924. It is the first international sporting event for athletes with a
disability.

Previously, it was known as World Games for the Deaf and International Games for the Deaf.

Organised by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf, (French- Committee International des
Sports des Sourds) since first event.

Deaflympics are held every 4 years and often considered as the longest multi-sports event, excluding the
Olympic.

To qualify for the Deaflympics, athletes must have a hearing loss of at least 55 decibel (dB). In order to
maintain equality and same level in participation among athletes, hearing aids, cochlear implants are not
allowed during the games.

Navneet Rajan Wasan appointed as DG of Police Research & Development Bureau

i. The post of Director General (DG) of Bureau of Police Research and Development had been lying vacant since
March 2015 following the retirement of Rajan Gupta.
ii. Presently, Wasan is working as Special Director General in the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He is a 1980batch IPS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre.
Other Appointment- Indian Postal Service (IPoS) officer Sheuli Burman was appointed as the Chief Vigilance Officer
(CVO) in the Indian Telephone Industries (ITI), Bangalore.
Book titled Unbelievable Delhi to Islamabad written by Prof Bhim Singh released
i. Book titled Unbelievable Delhi to Islamabad authored by senior Advocate Prof. Bhim Singh was released on 8
May 2015 by Vice President M Hamid Ansari in New Delhi.
ii. The book, a travelogue is an effort initiated by the lawyers of India and Pakistan to work jointly to ensure that
Pakistani prisoners languishing in Indian jails are treated in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution of India.
Similarly, the same treatment should be mended for the Indian prisoners on Pakistan and they should be given fair
trials.

1. KV Kamath appointed BRICS bank president

i. Eminent banker K.V. Kamath was on Monday appointed as head of the USD 50
billion New Development Bank being set up by the five emerging economies of BRICS grouping.
ii. Mr. Kamath will have a five-year term of the bank, which is likely to be operationalised within one year.
iii. About NDB - The New Development Bank (NDB), formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, is a
multilateral development bank operated by the BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) as an
alternative to the existing US-dominated World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The bank is set up to foster
greater financial and development cooperation among the five emerging markets.

2. President Mukherjee inaugurates `Namaste Russia` festival in Moscow

i. President Pranab Mukherjee, currently on his four-day official visit to Russia, has inaugurated a festival of Indian
Culture 'Namaste Russia' in Moscow.
ii. As part of the festival, the Russian Ministry of Culture will support the initiatives of the Indian Council for Cultural
Relations (ICCR) in sending Indian teachers of music and dance to regional centres in Russia from May 2015 to
October 2015.

iii. Special emphasis will be on encouraging the participation of youth of both the countries in cultural exchanges.
iv. The logo for the festival was designed by a young Russian from the Russian town of Krasnoyarsk, who succeeded
in an open competition participated by both Indians and Russians.
3.
Jayaram
Jayalalitha
cleared
of
corruption
charges
i. An appeals court in southern India has acquitted powerful regional politician Jayaram Jayalalitha of corruption
charges,
clearing
the
way
for
her
to
return
to
public
office.
ii. The High Court of Karnataka delivered its verdict on the appeal by former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalitha
challenging a special court order convicting her in the disproportionate assets case.

iii. Supporters from Jayalalitha's party cheered, set off fire crackers and danced in the streets of the Tamil Nadu state
capital of Chennai, her hometown, after the Karnataka High Court in Bangalore delivered its verdict.
4. China becomes world's top crude buyer

i. China overtook the United States as the world's top importer of crude oil for
the first time in April, and its purchases are expected to remain strong despite a slowing economy, with far-reaching
consequences for global oil and commodities markets.
ii. China is already the world's biggest energy consumer, with oil by far the largest traded energy market.
iii. The Saudi-led decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in November 2014 not
to cut production despite the slide in oil prices has been largely motivated by an effort to defend market share against
outside competitors like Russia or US shale producers.
5. Rosberg wins Spanish GP

i. Nico Rosberg has finally got the better of Mercedes teammate Lewis
Hamilton this season, winning the Spanish Grand Prix.
ii. A crowd of 86,700 watched the race, with a total of 189,000 spectators attending the Catalunya circuit.
iii. McLarens misery continued as two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso retired just short of halfway with faulty
brakes on the track.
6. May 11: National Technology Day
i. Every year, `National Technology Day is observed across India on May 11.
ii. This day glorifies the importance of science in day-to-day life and motivates students to adopt science as a career
option.
iii. National Technology Day is being commemorated to celebrate the anniversary of first of the five tests of Operation
Shakti (Pokhran-II) nuclear test which was held on 11 May 1998 in Pokhran, Rajasthan.
iv. Apart from Pokhran nuclear test, on this day first indigenous aircraft Hansa-3 was test flown at Bangalore and
India also conducted successful test firing of the Trishul missile on the same day.
7.
Andy
Murray
beats
Rafael
Nadal
to
win
Madrid
Masters
final
i. Andy Murray claimed his first victory over Rafael Nadal on clay to win the Madrid Masters.
ii. The Briton had never beaten Nadal in six previous meetings on the surface but won 6-3 6-2 to stun the home
crowd.

iii. Defending champion Nadal was aiming for a record fifth win in Madrid but Murray outclassed his Spanish
opponent to lift his first Masters title on clay.

1. GST bill referred to select committee

i. The government and opposition parties agreed to refer the constitutional amendment bill on goods and service tax
(GST) to a 21-member select committee of the Rajya Sabha.
ii. The committee will submit its report on the last day of the first week of Parliaments monsoon session.

iii. The committee will be headed by Bhupendra Yadav, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and a party general
secretary.
Members of major political parties including BJP, Shiromani Akali Dal, Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi
Party and Janata Dal (United) will be represented in the committee.
iv. After passing the bill in the Lok Sabha, the government has faced problems in the upper house. The government,
which has 62 members in the 244-member house, needs 162 members to support the bill for its clearance.
2. Nepal earthquake, magnitude 7.3, strikes near Everest

i. A major earthquake has struck eastern Nepal, near Mount Everest, two weeks
after more than 8,000 died in a devastating quake.
ii. The US Geological Survey said it had a magnitude of 7.3. An earthquake on 25 April, centred in western Nepal,
had a magnitude of 7.8.
iii. The tremor was also felt in northern India and Bangladesh, and was centred east of the Nepalese capital
Kathmandu,
in
a
rural
area
close
to
the
Chinese
border.
3.
LS
passes
Black
Money
Bill
with
Opposition
support
i. A stringent law imposing 120 per cent tax, jail term of up to 10 years and penalty on undisclosed foreign assets and
income to deal with the black money menace was passed in Lok Sabha Monday by voice vote and with support from
the
Opposition.
ii. The Congress argued that the Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill, 2015, is a finance
bill.

iii. However, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan agreed to Finance Minister Arun Jaitleys argument that it is a money bill, in
which
case
approval
of
the
Upper
House
is
not
mandatory.
iv. Under the proposed law, there would be a short compliance window within which persons with undisclosed income
abroad can come clean by paying 30 per cent tax and 30 per cent penalty. Once the window closes, anyone found
having undeclared overseas wealth would be required to pay 30 per cent tax, 90 per cent penalty and face criminal
prosecution.
4.

Justice

Cyriac

Joseph

appointed

NHRC

acting

chief

i. President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Justice Cyriac Joseph as acting

Chairman
of
National
Human
Rights
Commission
(NHRC).
ii. His appointment comes after then Chairman of NHRC Justice K.G. Balakrishnan completed his tenure.
iii. Presently, Justice Cyriac Joseph is member of NHRC. He hails from Kaiphuza village of Kottayam district in Kerala
and
was
a
Judge
of
the
Supreme
Court
from
2008
to
2012.
iv. Justice Balakrishnan, the former Chief Justice of India, completed his tenure as the sixth and the longest serving
NHRC Chairperson. During his tenure, he was instrumental in charting out several new initiatives towards promotion
and
protection
of
human
rights
in
the
country.
5.
MIDC
inks
MoU
with
SIDBI
to
raise
Rs
200-crore
fund
for
MSMEs
i. Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has inked memorandum of understanding (MoU) with
state-run Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to provide easy finance to micro, small and medium
enterprises
(MSMEs)
for
their
growth.
ii. The MoU was signed Ananta P Sarma, MD and CEO of SIDBI and MIDC CEO Bhushan Gagrani in the presence of
Maharashtra
Chief
Minister
Devendra
Fadanvis
in
Nashik,
Maharashtra.
iii. As per the MoU, both signatory parties have jointly created funds to the tune of 200 crore rupees to provide
immediate
finance
to
the
MSMEs.
iv. Of the total amount, the MIDC has contributed 75 crore rupees, while SIDBI has provided the remaining 125 crore
rupees.
6.
India-born
Nikesh
Arora
named
Japan's
SoftBank
Corp
president
i. Indian-born Nikesh Arora was on 11 May 2015 appointed as the President of Japans multinational
telecommunications
and
internet
company
SoftBank
Corp.

ii. As per the announcement made at the companys earning conference, he will
also
be
the
Representative
Director
of
SoftBank
Corp.
iii. Before the present elevation, he had been the Vice Chairman of the company and the Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of SB Group US, Inc. (former SoftBank Internet and Media, Inc.) since September 2014.
iv.
He
succeeds
Masayoshi
Son,
Chairman
and
CEO
of
the
Softbank
Corp.

v. Earlier, Arora worked in Google for 10 years and left the company as the Senior Vice President and Chief Business
Officer before joining SoftBank Corp. in 2014.
7. Canara Bank launches mega CASA campaign
i. Canara Bank has launched a mega CASA (current account, savings account) campaign in Bengaluru with the
CanBank men and women with their logo colour caps flooding the nook and corners of the city to sell their products.

ii. Executive directors P S Rawat and Harideesh Kumar spearheaded the campaign.
iii. The entire city was divided into 16 clusters covering 173 branches. Each cluster was led by the rank of a General
Manager from head office.
8.
Hyderabad
to
host
global
pharma
summit
i. Hyderabad will play host to a four-day global pharma expo and summit from July 23.
ii. With Innovation and Advances as its theme, the event will deliberate on a range of issues, from pharmaceutical
technology to education, indigenous drugs and drug regulatory affairs, besides serving as a platform for joint ventures
and
project
collaboration.
iii. Renowned pharmaceutical experts will be addressing the Indo-Global Pharma Expo and Summit 2015, being
organised by Indus Foundation, in association with FTAPCCI and OMICS group, according to S.B.
iv. Anumolu, president of the Foundation. More than 4,000 delegates are expected to attend the event, which will
serve
as
a
one
stop
stage
for
showcasing
latest
technological
developments.
9.

Indian-origin

Priti

Patel

gets

British

cabinet

rank

i. Indian-origin Tory MP Priti Patel has been appointed minister of state for
employment
in
British
Prime
Minister
David
Cameron's
new
cabinet.
ii. Patel, who called her new posting at the department for work and pensions "a real privilege", won the recent
elections
by
securing
58%
of
the
votes
from
Witham.
iii. She was the exchequer secretary to the treasury from July 2014 to May 2015. The 43-year-old was first elected
the MP for Witham in May 2010.

1.
President
Pranab
Mukherjee
appoints
new
Governors
in
six
states
i. President Pranab Mukherjee on 12 May 2015 appointed Governors in six states. Their appointments will take effect
from
the
dates
they
assume
charge.
Following are newly appointed Governors

Jharkhand: Former Odisha Minister Droupadi Murmu was appointed as Governor of Jharkhand. She will
replace Dr Syed Ahmed.

Manipur: Dr Syed Ahmed has been transfered to Manipur for remaining period of his term.

Arunachal Pradesh: J P Rajkhowa was appointed as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh. He will replace Lt.
General (Retd.) Nirbhay Sharma.

Mizoram: Lt. General (Retd.) Nirbhay Sharma has been transferred and appointed as Governor of Mizoram
for the remainder of his term.

Tripura: Tathagata Roy will be the Governor of Tripura.

2. Centre okays Rs. 20,000-crore budget for Namami Gange scheme

i. The Cabinet approved the flagship Namami Gange programme, which integrates the efforts to clean and protect
the River Ganga in a comprehensive manner.
ii. The programme has a budget outlay of Rs. 20,000 crore for the next 5 years.
iii. The amount was a significant four-fold increase over the expenditure allocated to the task of cleaning the Ganga
over the past 30 years.

iv. The programme would be implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state
counterpart organisations, that is, the State Programme Management Groups (SPMGs).
v. Namami Gange will focus on pollution abatement interventions, namely interception and diversion and treatment of
waste water flowing through open drains via bio-remediation/ appropriate in-situ treatment/use of innovative
technologies/sewage treatment plants (STPs)/effluent treatment plant (ETPs).
3. Houses nominate members for Joint Committee on land bill
i. Rajya Sabha on Wednesday named 10 members, including Digvijaya Singh of Congress and Trinamools Derek
OBrien, to the Joint Committee that will look into the controversial Land Acquisition Bill.
ii. The 30-member Joint Committee of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha would submit its report on the first day of
Monsoon Session on the bill which has already been passed by the Lower House.
iii. The government, which had promulgated ordinance twice on the bill since December last after it faced similar
resistance earlier, had agreed to refer it to the committee after NDA allies Shiv Sena and Akali Dal joined the
Opposition in Lok Sabha to oppose the measure.
4. Retail inflation eases to 4-month low

i. Retail inflation in April softened further and fell to a four-month low of 4.87 per
cent as prices of food items, vegetables and fruits turned cheaper.
ii. The retail inflation, measured on the basis of Consumer Price Index (CPI), was revised upwards to 5.25 per cent
from 5.17 per cent in March 2015.

iii. Food inflation, based on Consumer Food Price Index, fell to 5.11 per cent during the month from 6.14 per cent in
March.
iv. Fall in food inflation was mainly driven by fruits, vegetables, milk and related products.
5. HSBC cuts India ratings to underweight

i. In the first major downgrade for Indian markets in the past one year, global
brokerage HSBC changed its stance on the country to underweight, saying corporate earnings may remain muted,
monsoon could be weak and odds are against further rate cuts.
ii. HSBC further said that India has become the second most expensive and one of the most over-owned markets in
Asia.
iii. The downgrade comes at a time when Indian markets are already under acute pressure, primarily because of
foreign investors turning heavy sellers on concerns related to the controversial MAT levy and delay in the ambitious
indirect tax (GST) and land reforms.
6. Reliance Jio to raise $750 million from Korean company
i. Reliance Industries has signed up for a $750 million loan, backed by Korea Trade Insurance Corp, to primarily
finance the procurements for its infrastructure rollout from Samsung Electronics and Ace Technologies Corp.
ii. It has a door-to-door tenor of 12 years, including a two-year availability period and a 10-year repayment period
thereafter.

iii. Reliance Jio Infocomm is setting up a pan-India telecom network for 4th generation Net services, communication
services and other digital services in areas like education, healthcare, security, financial services, government-citizen
interfaces and entertainment.
7. BRICS Cup from next year, first one to be held in India
i. Coinciding with the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit next year in India, an under-17
football tournament will be played between the nations.
ii. As a lead-up to the 2017 under-17 FIFA World Cup, India will use the competition to test its infrastructure and onfield preparation.
iii. FC Barcelona or Qatars under-17 side have been mooted as possible participants due to their links with the
United Nations body.
iv. The tournaments launch was accompanied by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the
Associated Chambers of Commerce (ASSOCHAM) and the Brazilian representatives.

Punjab becomes first state to issue Soil Health Cards to farmers

i. Punjab has become the first state in India to issue Soil Health Cards (SHCs), a Union Government initiative to all
farmers in the state.
ii. In this regard, every district of state has been assigned mobile soil testing lab. These labs will take soil sample from
every farm and issue a digitalised soil health details.

iii. Presently, state government has 66 such laboratories and has capability to test 3.5 lakh soil samples annually.
State government also has made mandatory for these labs to check soil health on quarterly basis.
iv. It will help farmers in maintaining the balanced health structure of the soil and educate them to use right quantity of
fertilisers in order to prevent soil from becoming arid.
v. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had formally launched the nationwide Soil Health Card Scheme in Februrary 2015
in Suratgarh, Rajasthan.
Disinvestment: Cabinet nod for IOC, NTPC stake sale may fetch Rs 13,600 crore
i. The government will sell its 10 per cent stake in blue-chip Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and 5 per cent in power
producer NTPC to mop up about Rs 13,600 crore in this fiscals first disinvestment approval.
ii. The approvals are part of Rs 41,000 crore disinvestment target for the current financial year.

iii. Buoyed by diesel price deregulation, the government is looking at selling stake in Indians largest fuel retailer IOC
for the second time in 13 months. Sale of 24.27 crore shares, or 10 per cent stake, in IOC would mop up close to Rs
8,000 crore at current market price.
iv. Decision in this regard was taken by Union Cabinet Meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New
Delhi.
v. Currently, Union government holds 74.96 per cent in NTPC and 68.57 per cent in IOC.
Lok Sabha passes Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill
i. The Lok Sabha passed the negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, which aims at making filing of cases more
convenient for payees if cheques bounce.
ii. The government faced questions from its own members and allies over whether the Bill's provisions could be used
by corporates to harass common people.

iii. The Bill was passed by a voice vote, with Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha insisting that it would boost
the "integrity of financial system" and not lead to the harassment of the common man.
iv. The Bill was necessitated due to a Supreme Court order that cases against those having defaulted on their cheque
payments could only be filed in courts under whose jurisdiction the bank account of the accused fell.
RBI plans IT wing as financial crimes rise in cyber space
i. The Reserve Bank is planning to set up an information technology wing to face the rising challenges coming from
the cyber world.
ii. It can be noted that online frauds in the financial sector have been on the rise and hundreds of gullible people have
been defrauded by crooks, using their stolen credit and debit card information.
iii. The cyber thieves have even been using RBI logos to send out mails to cheat customers.
India way behind on WHO health targets
i. India has met only four of ten health targets under the Millenium Development Goals (MDG).
ii. The report finds that globally, life expectancy at birth has increased by six years for both men and women since
1990.

iii. Since 1990, child deaths have almost halved falling from an estimated 90 deaths per 1000 live births to 46
deaths per 1000 live births in 2013. Yet the world will not achieve the MDG target of reducing the death rate by twothirds.
iv. In India, life expectancy grew by eight years between 1990 and 2013. While India has sharply reduced its infant
mortality between 2000 and 2013, it still contributes for the most infant deaths globally. Non-communicable diseases
are the top killers, followed by communicable diseases and injuries.
WPI inflation dips to record (-)2.65 per
i. Deflationary pressure continued for the sixth month in a row with inflation dropping to a new low of (-)2.65 per cent
in April, mainly on account of decline in prices of fuel and manufactured items even as food prices increased.

ii. Inflation, as measured on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), has been in the negative zone since November, 2014.
iii. The deflationary trend has bolstered the case for a rate cut by the Reserve Bank, as retail inflation has also eased
and industrial production is down.

1. Modi's Visit to China

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India will grant e-visas to Chinese tourists.
ii. Agreements between India and China
1. Protocol for establishment of consulates in Chengdu and Chennai
2. Cooperation in vocational education and skill development and setting up of Mahatma Gandhi institute on skill
development in India

3. Consultative mechanism on cooperation in trade negotiations

4. Cooperation between Foreign Ministry and and Central Committee of Communist Party of China (CCCPC)
5. Action plan between national railway administration of China and Indian Railways
6. Memorandum of Understanding on education exchange programme
7. Cooperation in the fields of mining and minerals
8. Space cooperation outline
9. Safety regulations on importing Indian rapeseed meal
10. Broadcasting agreement between CCTV and Doordarshan
11. Agreement for cooperation in the field of tourism
12. Memorandum of Understanding on establishing India-China think tanks forum
13. Memorandum of Understanding between NITI Aayog and Development Research Centre
iii. Two MoUs between Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Yunnan Minzu University and another with
Fudan University were signed on the establishment of a yoga college and centre for Gandhian and Indian studies,
respectively.
2. Rajyavardhan Rathore inaugurates India Pavilion at 68th Cannes Film Festival
i. Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore inaugurated the India Pavilion at
the 68th Cannes International Film Festival.
ii. The government is channelising that objective through campaigns like 'Make in India and Skill India, and realises
that the film industry is an important part of these campaigns given its tremendous potential towards job creation.

iii. The session also saw unveiling of the 46th IFFI, 2015 regulations and India Film Guide by Rathore.
iv. The India Film Guide is a comprehensive booklet with information on policy initiatives by the government
pertaining to film sector, the listing of Indian companies at Cannes Film Market.
3. Google in talks with Arunachal govt for Chromebook laptops in schools
i. Global tech giant Google is in discussions with the Arunachal Pradesh government to run a pilot for deploying
Chromebook laptops for school students.
ii. The pilot is proposed to be run in schools in two cities Itanagar and Ziro.
iii. Chromebook is a laptop running Googles Chrome Operating System. The devices are designed to be used
primarily while connected to the internet with most applications and data residing in the cloud.
4. SBI Launches NFC-Enabled Contactless Debit and Credit Cards
i. State Bank of India joined its private sector rivals to launch contactless cards using latest near field technology
(NFC).
ii. Called the SBIinTouch cards, these contactless debit and credit cards are more secure and hassle-free to use at
merchant outlets or ATMs and use the NFC technology, which enables users to make payments by waving or tapping
the card near the contactless reader instead of swiping or dipping it.
iii. Private lenders ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank have already launched such NFC cards.

iv. Launching the cards, SBI chairperson Arundhati Bhattachrya said the bank has already issued 1.08 lakh new
cards to its customers in the eight largest metros and the remaining customers will get the cards in the following
months.
5. RBI allows transactions upto Rs 2000 without second factor authentication
i. In a move that will promote 'tap and pay' electronic payments, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said that bank can
allow customers to transact with contactless card upto Rs 2000 without customers punching a separate PIN for
authentication.
ii. The 'tap and pay' refers to the use of near-field communication ( NFC) technology, enabling users to make
payments by waving or tapping the card near the contactless reader instead of swiping it.
iii. Prior to this relaxation, after tapping the card at a point of sale machines, the customer had to punch their PIN
number as an additional factor authentication to avoid any chances of fraud.
iv. Tap and pay refers to the use of near field communication technology in payment cards where instead of the
traditional swiping of the card and punching in payment details, all the customer needs to do is wave a card in front of
an acceptance device for the bill to be settled.
6. MHRD Gave Nod For Setting Up IIIT in Nagpur, Maharashtra
i. Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) gave an in-principle approval for setting up an IIIT (Indian
Institute of Information Technology) in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
ii. It will be the first IIIT to be set up in the state.
iii. The IIIT will join a batch of national institutes which are set to come up in the city, namely the All India Institute of
Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM).
iv. The setting up of these higher educational institutions in Nagpur is aimed at improving educational infrastructure in
the backward Vidarbha region.
7. Tejaswini Sagar wins gold at Under-15 World School Chess Championship
i. Talented Indian youngster Tejaswini Sagar won her maiden world title bagging the gold in the under-15 category of
World
School
Chess
Championship
that
concluded
in
pattaya.

ii. Needing a last round win and one favourable result, the Aurangabad-girl
defeated
Kavinya
Miyuni
Rajapaksa
of
Sri
Lanka
in
the
ninth
and
final
round.
iii. Tejaswini was aided by the result on the top board as overnight leader Irina Barbayeva of Russia lost to Alisa
Kozybayeva
of
Kazakhstan
in
the
final
clash.
iv. For the record, Tejaswini scored seven points out of a possible nine, winning six, drawing two and losing one
game.

1. Egypt's ousted President Morsy sentenced to death

i. An Egyptian court has sentenced ousted President Mohammed Morsy to death.

ii. Judge Shaaban el-Shami referred his death sentence on Morsy and more than 20 others to the nations top Muslim
theologian, or mufti, for his non-binding opinion.

iii. The ousted leader already is serving a 20-year sentence following his conviction
on April 21 on charges linked to the killing of protesters outside a Cairo presidential
palace in December 2012.
2. Airtel clinches $2.5 billion Chinese financing deals

i. Bharti Airtel has received financing commitments of up to USD 2.5 billion from
China Development Bank and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, with an average maturity of about nine
years.
ii. This is the single-largest bilateral commitment by China Development Bank to any telecom operator globally and
the largest bilateral commitment to a private Indian company.
iii. Bharti Airtel announced a strategic collaboration with China Mobile, under which the two companies will work
towards growth of the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) ecosystem and evolving mobile technology standards.

3. Arun
Shrivastava
assumes
charge
as
Syndicate
Bank
MD
and
CEO
i. Arun
Shrivastava
assumed
charge
as
Managing
Director
&
CEO
of
Syndicate
Bank.
ii. He was Executive Director of Bank of India, looking after Finance, Strategy & Planning, Large Corporate & Mid
Corporate Business, Corporate Debt Restructuring, Project Finance & Syndication, Credit Monitoring & Asset
Recovery,
Publicity
&
Public
Relations
portfolios
of
the
bank.
iii. Earlier, Shrivastava was overseeing the foreign subsidiaries BoI Indonesia and Botswana and joint venture
India
Zambia
Bank.
iv. He is a Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers and AIBM. He started his career as direct recruit officer in
Bank
of
Baroda
in
1979.
4. Modi inaugurates ICICI Bank's first branch in China

i. Top private sector lender ICICI Bank opened its first branch in China, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
ii. The new branch would begin with 17 banking professionals handling different functions including corporate
banking, operations, finance and treasury.
iii. Some public sector banks including SBI, UCO Bank, Canara Bank and Allahabad Bank have also expanded their
presence in China in the recent years to tap growing trade flows between the two countries.
5.
PM
Modi
extends
e-visa
for
Chinese
nationals
i. Brushing aside objections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced granting of e-visa (electronic visa also called
visa on arrival) facility to the Chinese nationals in Beijing even as he urged China to "reconsider its approach" to
issues that have long strained ties and complicated business between the two Asian giants.

ii. Pledging to improve historically weak economic links between their countries, India and China also signed 24 deals
worth over $10 billion, including MOUs in the area of skill development, railways, establishing sister relations between
cities
of
the
two
countries
among
others.
iii. Modi's announcement on e-visas took everyone by surprise as only a couple of hours before had India's foreign
secretary S Jaishankar said categorically, "We are expanding it (e-visa) bit by bit. With regard to China, no decision
has
been
taken
yet
on
extending
e-visa."
6. Shakuntala Gamlin takes charge as Delhi chief secretary despite CM Arvind Kejriwal's directive

i. Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Shakuntala Gamlin on

Saturday took charge as acting Chief Secretary of Delhi Government despite being asked by the Chief Minister not to
do
so.
ii. A senior Delhi government official said that in his letter to Gamlin, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that
her
appointment
is
against
the
set
rule.
iii. Lt Governor Najeeb Jung gave the additional charge of Chief Secretary to Gamlin, a 1984-batch IAS officer, hours
after she wrote a scathing letter to Jung claiming that she was pressurised by a senior bureaucrat in Chief Minister's
office not to be in race for the post due to her alleged proximity to BSES discoms.
7.
Gagan
Narang
wins
World
Cup
bronze,
earns
India
quota
for
Rio
Olympics
i. Gagan Narang won the bronze medal in the 50m Rifle Prone Event of the ISSF World Cup at Fort Benning in USA,
earning
himself
a
quota
place
for
the
2016
Rio
Olympics.
ii. Narang, who won the bronze in 10m Rifle at the London Olympics, shot 185.8 overall to secure third place behind
gold medalist Michael McPhail (208.8 points) of USA and Ole Kristian Bryhn (206.3) of Norway.
iii. The
other
quota
place
from
the
event
went
to
McPhail.
iv. Earlier in the competition, Narang and India's only individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, had failed to
qualify
for
the
10m
Rifle
final.
v. Narang is third Indian shooter to make the Rio cut after Jitu Rai and Apurvi Chandela.

PM's social security schemes: Canara Bank rolls out awareness campaigns across Delhi
i. Building on the success of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, the state-owned Canara Bank on Sunday rolled out
awareness campaigns across Delhi on the Prime Minister's three latest social security schemes.
ii. Roadshows were held in 16 clusters across Delhi to promote the three new social security scheme

Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)

Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)

Atal Pension Yojana (APY).

iii. For the Delhi region, Canara Bank has enrolled the maximum number of persons (1,12,929 lives) under the
PMSBY among all banks till date. Even in the case of PMJJBY, Canara Bank is leading the league table with 74,512
lives enrolled up to May 13 this year, data available with the Delhi State level Bankers' Committee showed.

CII welcomes biz outcomes of Modis China visit

i. According to CII, Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to China has redefined the economic partnership between
the two largest and fastest-growing developing economies in the world.
ii. Welcoming the business outcomes of the visit, it said: Prime Minister Modis visit to China has redefined the
economic partnership of the two largest and fastest-growing developing economies in the world.
iii. In the presence of the Prime Minister at the India-China Business Forum in Shanghai, Indian and Chinese
companies exchanged 24 agreements for cooperation totalling $22 billion, including investments and financing
across sectors, the statement said.
iv. Chinese initiatives in the sectors of railways, skill development, public health and medical education will further
build on economic cooperation between the two countries, it added.

Govt contains fiscal deficit at 4% of GDP; beats its own target

i. The Government has managed to restrict the fiscal deficit to 4 per cent during 2014-15, which is even below the
revised estimate announced in the budget. Fiscal deficit is difference between the income and expenditure of the
Government.
ii. The fiscal deficit at the end of 2014-15, stands at Rs. 5,01,880 crore which is 98 per cent of the projected figure in
RE (Revised Estimate) 2014-15. Fiscal deficit as a percentage of GDP is 4 per cent as against the RE of 4.1 per cent
(4.4 per cent for the previous year i.e. 2013-14).
Revenue Deficit

The revenue deficit also came down to 2.8 per cent as against the revised estimate of 2.9 per cent. This deficit refers
to mismatch in the projected earning ad expenditure. Since the Government managed to collect more taxes than it
was expecting, it impacted positively not just the revenue but also fiscal deficit too.
Income
Tax authorities managed to collect over Rs. 12.45 lakh crore during the 2014-15, which is 9 per cent more than 201314. This collection is 9.8 per cent of GDP. Such earnings which also comprise of disinvestment stands at Rs. 43,439
crore with an increase of 4 per cent.
Expenditure
In terms of plan expenditure, the RE was Rs. 4.68 lakh crore, but actual was Rs. 4.36 lakh crore. Similarly, non plan
expenditure came down to Rs. 11.91 lakh crore from the RE of of Rs. 12.13 lakh crore.
India grants $1 bn credit to Mongolia; deepens defence ties
i. India today announced a US$ one billion credit line to Mongolia for infrastructure development as they upgraded
their ties to Strategic Partnership and agreed to deepen defense cooperation besides exploring potential for tie ups
in areas like the civil nuclear sector.
ii. The two Prime Ministers signed a joint statement committing to further consolidate bilateral ties and upgrade the
comprehensive partnership to strategic partnership and agreed to renew their Treaty of Friendly Relations and
Cooperation.
iii. The two sides inked 13 other pacts that includes one on enhancing cooperation in border guarding, policing and
surveillance, air services, cyber security and new and renewable energy.

Airtel clinches $2.5 billion Chinese financing deals

i. The funds will help the company further diversify its global financing pool and invest in growth of data networks.
ii. Bharti Airtel has received financing commitments of up to USD 2.5 billion from China Development Bank and
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, with an average maturity of about nine years.
iii. The company signed the term sheets for the financing options in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
who is currently on an official visit to China.
Infosys to open first overseas campus in China
i. As India pressed China to open its markets for Indian IT firms, technology major Infosys on Sunday announced
establishing its first overseas centre outside India in China with an investment of about USD 120 million to tap in the
burgeoning Chinese market.
ii. An MOU in this regard was signed between Infosys and the local Chinese provincial government at the India-China
Business Forum, which was addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Shanghai on Sunday.
iii. The development centre, to be established in Chinas Guizhou province, with a staff capacity of about 4,500 will
help to focus on Chinese and global markets.

Rome Masters 2015: Winners

Women's Singles - Maria Sharapova

Men's Singles - N. Djokovic

Women's Doubles - Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic

Men's Doubles - P. Cuevas and D. Marrero

Narendra Modi reaches South Korea, economic and trade cooperation high on agenda
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in South Korea on the last leg of his three-nation visit during which he will
hold talks with the South Korean leadership aiming to give a fillip to economic and trade cooperation.

ii. A slew of agreements are expected to be signed during the visit including one on Double Taxation Avoidance
Convention, cooperation in shipping and logistics, audiovisual co-production, transport, highways and electric power
development in new energy industries.
iii. The Prime Minister, who flew in from Mongolia after his three-day visit to China, will hold talks on the entire gamut
of bilateral, regional and global issues with President Park Geun-hye and explore ways to upgrade cooperation in
diversified areas.
6th National Conference on Nuclear Energy held in New Delhi
i. Sixth edition of National Conference on Nuclear Energy held in New Delhi. The theme of this edition was Nuclear
Energy: a Clean Energy option.
ii. It was organized by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), one of the apex
trade associations of India.

iii. The conference discussed the issue related to the status of Nuclear Energy in India.
iv. Apart from it various issues were also discussed including on nuclear energy to the decarbonisation of power
sector, Climate change & the future of nuclear energy, nuclear energy expansion & Make in India.
Centre allocates Rs 5,000 crore for development of AYUSH
i. The government has allocated Rs 5,000 crore for the growth of Department of AYUSH and launched an
independent National AYUSH Mission aimed at capacity building for the sector.
ii. For creating awareness about Ayurveda, the Ministry is considering to observe Ayurveda Day.

iii. Independent National AYUSH Mission is launched aiming capacity building for the sector. The mission will ensure
creation of a centre of excellence for Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy independently.
HDFC Bank launches medical benefits prepaid card

i. HDFC Bank has launched 'HDFC Bank Apollo Medical Benefits Card'.
ii. The bank has partnered with Apollo Hospitals for this prepaid product, which allows corporates to easily disburse
medical allowance to their employees, saving time and cost.
iii. With the card, the administrative process of disbursing money is being made quick and simple. Corporates can
load the specified allowance onto the card each month, which can be used by employees for medical expenditure at
pan-India VISA/ MasterCard outlets.
iv. The card offers employees access to a wide range of additional benefits in the form of offers and discounts, and
facilities such as free ambulance services.
India to assume Presidency of the 68th World Health Assembly
i. Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda, will preside over the 68th Session of the World Health
Assembly (WHA) at Geneva as India assumes the Presidency of the WHA, the high decision making body of the
World Health Organisation (WHO), after a gap of 19 years.
ii. The Union Minister is leading a high level Indian delegation to the WHA, to be held in Geneva From May 18-27,
2015.
iii. According to a PIB release, the 68th World Health Assembly is expected to deliberate on key issues of global
interest including anti-microbial resistance, air pollution and health, global health emergency, preparedness and
surveillance, global strategy and plan of action on public health, innovation and intellectual property, and research
and development in neglected tropical diseases.
iv. The Union Minister will also participate in a number of bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the
WHA including the Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting, 8th NAM Health Ministers Meeting and BRICS Health
Ministers meeting.
World's oldest comatose patient Aruna Shanbaug dead
i. Aruna Shanbaug, the former nurse at KEM Hospital here who was brutally sexually assaulted by a ward boy at the
facility 42 years ago and had been lying in a vegetative state ever since, passed away today.
ii. The 66-year-old was battling a serious bout of pneumonia and was on ventilator support, King Edward Memorial
(KEM) hospital sources said.

iii. She was in the medical ICU of the hospital located in Parel area of Mumbai.
iv. On November 27, 1973, while working as a junior nurse at KEM Hospital, she was sexually assaulted by a ward
boy. She was in a vegetative state since the assault. On 24 January 2011, after she had been in this state for 38
years, the Supreme Court responded to the plea for euthanasia filed by Aruna's friend, journalist Pinki Virani, by
setting up a medical panel to examine her.
Brad Haddin: Australia wicketkeeper quits one-day game
i. Brad Haddin, the Australia wicketkeeper, has formally announced his retirement from ODI cricket, a day before
leaving for Test tours of the West Indies and England.
ii. Amid the Australia team's celebrations after the World Cup final victory over New Zealand in Melbourne in March,
Haddin had revealed that he was not going to play any more one-day games.
iii. Haddin played 126 ODIs and scored 3122 runs at an average of 31.53 with two centuries and 16 fifties. He also
had 170 catches and 11 stumpings, the third-most dismissals for Australia after Adam Gilchrist and Ian Healy.

Google help for NGOs working on child safety

i. Google India has announced support for three non-governmental agencies from India working on child safety.
ii. The three organisations are ChildLine India Foundation, Bachpan Bachao Andolan, and the Chennai-based Tulir Centre for the Healing and Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse.

iii. ChildLine provides a toll-free helpline service (1098) for children in distress, first launched in 1996, Bachpan
Bachao Andolan sets itself a mission to protect and rescue children from slavery, trafficking and forced labour.
iv. Google will help these organisations pilot smart new applications of technology with $ 5,00,000 in grants through
Google.org to ensure that children in India remain safe.
IDBI Bank to roll out e-huts

i. IDBI Bank has decided to roll out e-huts to connect with the rural populace.
ii. The bank has currently introduced e-lobbies which are next to the branches. The e-hut concept will be completely
unmanned units.
iii. e-huts is a concept that is widely accepted in the West, but in India, it's yet to pick up.
Draupadi Murmu sworn in as first woman Governor of Jharkhand
i. Draupadi Murmu was sworn in as the first woman Governor of Jharkhand. Murmu succeeds Syed Ahmed, who will
take over as Manipur Governor.
ii. A two-time BJP MLA from Odisha, she was a minister in the Naveen Patnaik cabinet when the Biju Janata Dal
ruled the state with the support of Bharatiya Janata Party.

iii. She headed the BJP's Mayurbhanj district unit in Odisha and had represented Rairangpur in the Odisha assembly.
Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice Virendra Singh administered the oath of office to Murmu.
iv. Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das, his cabinet colleagues, former Chief Ministers Shibu Soren and Arjun
Munda, Union Minister of State for Rural Development Sudarshan Bhagat and a host of other dignitaries were
present during the oath-taking ceremony.
India Meteorological Department signed MoU with POSOCO Ltd

i. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) under the Union Ministry of Earth
Sciences on 18 May 2015 signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Power System Operation Corporation
Ltd (POSOCO) for optimum use of weather information/forecast in the power sector.
ii. All weather information provided by ESSO-IMD will be used by the Power System Operators across the India for
better management of Indian Power System.
iii. IMD will make available current weather information for the identified stations; and forecasts at different time
scales of temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction and rainfall of the identified stations/sectors.
Indian-American Harkeert Singh Saini won Prestigious Police Award in Texas

i. Harkeert Singh Saini, an Indian-American policeman in third week of May

2015 won the prestigious Top Civilian Supervisor of the Year.
ii. Saini who hails from Hoshiarpur district of Punjab received his award from Houston Mayor Anise Parker and Police
Chief Charles A McClelland.
iii. 44-year-old Saini shifted to Houston in 1998 and joined its police department in March 2000.
Reliance Jio inks pact with Huawei for sourcing 4G devices
i. Reliance Jio Infocomm, the telecom arm of Reliance Industries (RIL) has signed a pact with Chinese firm Huawei
for sourcing various 4G devices.
ii. RJio plans to launch 4G service this year in around 5,000 towns and cities, accounting for over 90 per cent of
urban India and over 215,000 villages.

iii. Reliance Jio and Huawei have signed an agreement for 4G devices which includes smartphones, tablets and mifi
dongles. It has signed agreement with couple of other Chinese device maker as well.
iv. On May 7, RJio raised a $750 million (nearly Rs 4,500 crore) loan to procure goods and services from South
Korean firms Samsung Electronics and Ace Technologies.
INS Kavaratti launched
i. Indian Navy's latest anti-submarine warfare class stealth corvette, the INS Kavaratti was launched in line with a
series of recent developments in India's defence preparedness.
ii. Kavaratti is the last of the four anti-submarine warfare class stealth corvettes being built for India under Project 28.
iii. The corvette, with a displacement of 3,300 tonnes, has a length of 109.1 metres and measures 13.7-m at beam.
iv. It was designed by the Directorate of Naval Design and built by Garden Reach Ship Builders and Engineers.
v. INS Kamorta, the first ship under this project, was commissioned by the Navy last year. Kadmatt and Kiltan are
scheduled for delivery between 2015-2017.
1. Hungarian author Laszlo Krasznahorkai wins Man Booker Prize
i. Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai won Britain's Man Booker International Prize for career achievement.

ii. Best known in Germany and Hungary, Krasznahorkai is the author of Satantango (1985), which was later made
into a film, The Melancholy of Resistance (1998) and Seiobo There Below (2008).

iii. The Man Booker International Prize, worth 60,000, is awarded for an achievement in fiction on the world stage. It
is presented once every two years to a living author for a body of work published either originally in English or
available in translation in the English language.
2. Centre to launch agri-training programme in 593 Sansad Adarsh Grams
i. Centre is planning to launch soon an agri-training programme in 593 villages under the Sansad Adarsh Gram
Yojana, one of the flagship schemes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

ii. The nodal Agriculture Ministry is working out the training programme
guidelines for implementation in each village adopted by Members of Parliament under the Sansad Adarsh Gram
Yojana (SAGY).
iii. The agri-training programme, to be conducted for two days in each village, will be implemented by the National
Centre of Organic Farming and Central Fertiliser Quality Control and Training Institute along with the support of the
state governments.
iv. SAGY, which was launched in October 2014, is a rural development programme that primarily focuses upon the
development in villages.
3. Government to award road projects worth Rs 3 lakh crore
i. In a big push for infrastructure development, the government plans to award Rs 3 lakh crore of road projects this
year as it looks to more than double highway construction to 30 km per day.
ii. Besides the plans to upgrade and expand National Highways, govt. is planning a 1,000-km Chaar Dhaam Yatra
project to connect the four holy towns of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath with highways at a cost of Rs
11,000 crore.
iii. Ministry is planning to build 5,000-km of road network all along the borders and coastal areas under a new scheme
to be called 'Bharat Mala' at a cost of Rs 50,000 crore.
4. 25 companies to sell shares for the first time
i. The government has drawn up a list of 25 state-owned companies that could sell shares to the public for the first
time, possibly raising more than a third of India's record divestment target for the fiscal year.
ii. They include profit-making arms of Coal India and ONGC that could help the government get around Rs 25,000
crore in total.
iii. The unlisted firms may include ONGC Videsh, Southern Coalfields, Bharat Broadband, KIOCL and Mazagon
Dock.
iv. Recently the cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) approved a 10 per cent stake sale in the country's
biggest refiner and fuel retailer Indian Oil Corp. and 5 per cent in power producer NTPC.

5. India's economic growth to surpass China's in 2015-16: UN report

i. India's economic growth is projected to surpass that of China's, with the GDP expected to zoom by 7.7 per cent in
2016, according to a UN report which said India will help accelerate economic growth in South Asia.
ii. China is projected to grow by 7 per cent in 2015 and 6.8 per cent next year.
iii. The report termed South Asia's economic outlook as "largely favourable" since most economies are expected to
experience a strengthening of growth in 2015-16 on the back of stronger domestic consumption and investment.

SBI partners with PayPal

i. The country's largest bank announced a partnership with digital payments firm, PayPal so that the Customers of
State Bank of India (SBI) can now use their debit cards on PayPal for buying products from overseas websites.

ii. The partnership will also allow SBI's Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) customers to use PayPal's
secure payment solutions.
iii. SBI has also announced a partnership with e-commerce firm, Amazon.com, in India.
India continues to lead in global confidence index
i. India continued to lead the global confidence index in anticipation of improvement in the economy through reforms
and stimulus announced by the central government.
ii. Indias consumer confidence score rose to 130 followed by Indonesia (123) and Philippines (115).
iii. Eighty per cent urban Indian respondents indicated that the state of personal finances was good or excellent in the
first quarter of 2015.
iv. The Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions, established in 2005, measures
consumer confidence, major concerns, and spending intentions among more than 30,000 respondents with Internet
access in 60 countries.
Meghalaya, Tripura governors sworn-in
i. Senior BJP leader V Shanmuganathan was today sworn-in as the Governor of Meghalaya at the Raj Bhavan.
ii. Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court Uma Nath Singh administered the oath of office to Shanmuganathan at
a solemn ceremony attended by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and most of his cabinet colleagues.

iii. Tathagata Roy on 20 May 2015 was sworn in as the 16th Governor of Tripura in Agartala.

Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court Mr. Jc. Deepak Gupta administered the oath of office to him as per the
provisions of Article 159 of Constitution of India.
iv. He replaced Padmanabh Balkrishna Acharya, Governor of Nagaland, who had held the additional charge of
Tripura.
SEBI sets new norms for mutual funds managing offshore assets
i. Markets regulator SEBI on Wednesday simplified norms for domestic mutual funds to manage offshore pooled
assets, dropping its "20-25 rule" which requires a minimum of 20 investors and a cap of 25 percent on investment by
an individual, for funds from low-risk foreign investors.
ii. In a notification saying the new regulations would be called the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Mutual
Funds) Regulations, 2015, SEBI said the restrictions would not apply "if the funds managed are of Category I foreign
portfolio investors (FPIs) and/or Category II foreign portfolio investors which are appropriately regulated broad based
funds".

iii. SEBI has classified FPIs into three categories, with the first two being low-risk foreign institutions that include
sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, banks, mutual funds, insurers, multilateral institutions and well-regulated
foreign entities, including portfolio managers.
Infosys
is
first
Indian
company
to
join
RE100
global
renewable
energy
campaign
i. The Climate Group announced that Infosys, one of India's largest Information Technology corporations has become
the first Indian company to join RE100, a global platform for major companies committed to 100% renewable power.
ii. As part of its commitment to RE100, Infosys aims to become carbon neutral by 2018.
iii. The company is already working to reduce its per capita electricity consumption by 50 per cent from its 2007-2008
levels
and
source
all
its
electricity
from
renewable
resources
by
2018.

TN CM O Panneerselvam resigns, makes way for Jayalalithaa to take over

i. Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam handed over his resignation to Governor K Rosiah, making way for
AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa to take over the administrative reins.
ii. Popularly referred to as 'caretaker CM', this was Panneerselvam's second stint as Tamil Nadu chief minister, both
for brief periods.

iii. In a meeting, all 151 MLAs of the party unanimously re-elected Jayalalithaa as the legislature party leader, paving
the way for her to become the state chief minister for the fifth time. She is expected to be sworn in to the chief
ministers post on 23 May.
Government relaxes FDI norms for NRIs, PIOs, OCI

i. Aiming to attract overseas funds, government decided that non-repatriable

investments by NRIs, OCIs and PIOs will be treated as domestic investments and will not be subject to foreign direct
investment caps.
ii. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had approved amendments, including changes in
definition of NRIs, to be incorporated in the FDI policy.
iii. Investments by NRIs under under Schedule 4 of FEMA regulations will be deemed to be domestic investment at
par with the investment made by residents, an official statement said.
iv. The Cabinet's decision is expected to result in increased investments across sectors and greater inflow of foreign
exchange remittance leading to economic growth of the country.
v. The government had earlier raised the FDI limit in sectors such as defence, insurance, real estate, railways and
medical devices.
Obama Names Yale Professor to Key Administration Post
i. Akhil Amar, an Indian American professor at Yale University, was nominated by President Barack Obama to the
National Council on the Humanities, a key administration post.

ii. Akhil Reed Amar is the Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at
Yale, a position he has held since 2008, where he teaches constitutional law.
iii. He has been a professor at both Yale Law School and Yale College since 1985 and has held various
professorships, including Southmayd Professor from 1993 to 2008, professor from 1990 to 1993, associate professor
from 1988 to 1990, and assistant professor from 1985 to 1988.
Finance Ministry sanctions Rs 5,223-crore fuel subsidy for IOC, BPCL
i. Indian Oil Corp (IOC) will get Rs 2,932 crore subsidy and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) Rs 2,291 crore for
selling fuel below cost in Q4 of 2014-15, but Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) will not get any support.
ii. The Finance Ministry has sanctioned Rs 5,223 crore fuel subsidy for the January-March quarter to cover almost all
of the revenue loss that the two retailers suffered on selling domestic cooking gas (LPG) and kerosene at government
rates.

iii. With this, the total subsidy provided by the government in 2014-15 goes up to Rs 27,308 crore. For the first three
quarters, the government had provided Rs 22,085 crore.
iv. The fuel retailers had lost a total of Rs 72,314 crore on selling diesel (up to October 17), LPG and kerosene at
government rates, which were way below cost in 2014-15.

IAF's Mirage-2000 lands on Yamuna eway in successful runway trial

i. In an attempt to practise using highways for emergency landings, an IAF Mirage 2000 jet successfully test landed
on the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh.
ii. According to IAF, the aircraft made a practise approach on the highway, coming down to a height of 100 metres
before landing off the next approach.

iii. The operations were conducted with active support from the government of Uttar Pradesh, Yamuna Expressway
Authority, toll authorities of JP Infratech and Civil Police.
iv. The IAF has plans to activate more such stretches on highways in the future.
Gujarat government signs pact with ZTEsoft for smartcity projects
i. Gujarat government and Chinese software firm ZTEsoft have entered into an agreement for smartcity projects in
the state.

ii. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in Shenzhen during

visit Gujarat Chief Minister Anandi Ben Patel with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China.
iii. The agreement was signed by Gujarat's Industries Commissioner Mamta Verma and ZTEsoft CFO Xu Shan in
presence of Gujarat CM along with other state officials.
iv. Chinese telecom gear maker ZTE's software arm, ZTEsoft, and Gujarat government will jointly work to find the
target city and area and after technical closure, both team will work together to set up a trial project in the state.
IRCTC Partners With MyDala To Offer Deals To Ticket Buyers
i. Ticketing arm of Indian Railway IRCTC doesnt seem to leave any opportunity to capitalise its reach and traction.
After partnering with Amazon and Paytm, the government-owned ticketing portal has partnered with mydala to
provide deals and offers to customers.
ii. The partnership will give travelers access to the best deals and offers while booking their tickets.
iii. This partnership is an IRCTCs move to deliver significant improvement in customer experience. This is the third
partnership in a row this year by IRCTC.

Jayalalithaa sworn in as Tamil Nadu CM for fifth time

i. AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa sworn in for the fifth time as Tamil Nadu chief minister, nearly eight months after she
was forced to quit over corruption charges.
ii. Governor K Rosaiah gave oath to Jayalalitha at the Madras University Centenary Auditorium. Actor Rajinikanth,
ICC Chairman N. Srinivasan and Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan attended the ceremony.

iii. Along with Jaya, 28 others were sworn in as Ministers. Jayalalithaa will hold the portfolios of home, police, public,
all India services, general administration and district revenue officers.
iv. As for portfolio allocations, Jayalalithaa's trusted lieutenant O Panneerselvam has been given Finance and Public
works, which he held previously too. Natham R Viswanathan will continue to hold electricity, prohibition and excise
portfolio.
BSE drops Tata Power from Sensex; Lupin to come in

i. Private sector electricity producer Tata Power will move out of the stock
market benchmark index Sensex and will be replaced by drugmaker Lupin .
ii. Besides, Adani Power would be dropped from the S&P BSE 100 index, while various changes have been made to
a host of other BSE indices as well.
iii. The S&P BSE-100, an index of the top 100 listed companies in the country, would see Aurobindo Pharma and
Tata Motors (DVR) coming in, while the S&P BSE-200 would get five new entries -- Ajanta Pharma , Suzlon Energy ,
Dewan Housing , NCC India and Tata Motors (DVR).
iv. Those moving out of BSE-100 include Sanofi India , Hindustan Copper , Amtek Auto , Jaiprakash Power Ventures .
SAIL, ArcelorMittal ink MoU to set up steel plant in India
i. World's largest steel maker ArcelorMittal and SAIL inked a pact to jointly set up a steel plant in India for the fast
growing automotive sector.
ii. The MoU, the first step towards establishing the JV, was signed in London by ArcelorMittal Chairman & Chief
Executive Lakshmi Niwas Mittal and SAIL Chairman CS Verma.

iii. The proposed JV will construct a state-of-the-art cold rolling mill and other downstream finishing facilities in India
that will offer technologically advanced steel products to India's rapidly growing automotive sector, said a joint
statement by the two companies.
Bank of India ties up with MasterCard to launch three cards
i. State-run lender Bank of India tied up with MasterCard to launch three new cards and also two new banking
solutions for its card holders.
ii. The bank launched Business Debit MasterCard, Platinum Credit MasterCard and International Travel MasterCard
to improve customers payment experiences.

iii. It will also offer two banking solutions- In Control for spend management and MasterCard rewards program for its
customers.
UN observed International Day for Biological Diversity
i. The United Nations (UN) observed the International Day for Biological Diversity (IBD) on 22 May 2015. The theme
for the year 2015 is Biodiversity for Sustainable Development.
ii. This year theme highlights the relevance of biodiversity in achieving the goal of sustainable development.
iii. It also highlights the importance of efforts made to establish a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as
part of the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda (2015-2030).

iv. The selection of the theme also underlines the adoption of the Gangwon Declaration at the 12th meeting of the
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in South Korea in 2014.
Parvinder Singh Batth, becomes first Sikh mayor in United Kingdoms Wokingham Borough Council
i. Parvinder Singh Batth, an Indian-origin Conservative party councillor was chosen as the mayor of United Kingdoms
Wokingham Borough Council.
ii. With this, he became the first Sikh to hold the Mayors position in UK. He succeeds Councillor UllaKarin Clark for
this post and will serve till 2016.
iii. Parvinder Singh Batth previously had served as Deputy Mayor of borough of Wokingham in Berkshire in south
east England.
iv. He was born in Indian state of Punjab in the farmers family. Later he had migrated to United Kingdom.

India-Singapore bilateral naval exercise SIMBEX-15 commences in Singapore

i. Bilateral naval exercise SIMBEX-15 between India and Singapore commenced on 23 May 2015 in Singapore and
concluding on May 26, 2015.
ii. This edition of naval exercise will give traditional emphasis on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and more complex
maritime exercises. It will involve various facets of naval operations such as air and surface practice firing, air
defence, maritime security and search & rescue operations.
iii. For this edition of exercise, Indian navy is represented by

INS Satpura- an indigenously built guided missile stealth frigate with integral helicopter.

INS Kamorta- an indigenous anti-submarine warfare (ASW) corvette.

P 8I Aircraft- It is a long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti- Submarine (LRMRASW) aircraft.

Indian film Masaan wins critics prize at 68th Cannes film festival
i. Indian film Masaan has won the prestigious critics prize in the Un Certain Regard category at the 68th Cannes Film
Festival after it was premiered on May 20, 2015.
ii. The film is directoral debut of Neeraj Ghaywan and a joint production of Manish Mundra, Macassar Productions,
Arte France Cinema, Sikhya Entertainment & Phantom Films.
iii. It stars Vicky Kaushal, Shweta Tripathi along with Richa Chadda and Sanjay Mishra. The film is a narrative set
based in Varanasi and its characters connected with the Ganga.
iv. The critics prize in the Un Certain Regard category runs parallel to the competition for the main prize, Palme dOr
in the film festival.

Tanishq Abraham 11-year old Indian-American creates record by graduating from California College
i. Tanishq Abraham, 11-year-old Indian-American child prodigy created a record by graduating from California College
with three associate degrees in science, maths and foreign language studies.
ii. He is native of Sacramento, California and youngest to graduate from the American River College (ARC), in
Sacramento, California.
iii. In 2014, he also had created a record by becoming one of the youngest ever in the US to graduate high school.

Indians posthumously chosen for UN's prestigious Dag Hammarskjold Medal

i. Two Indian peacekeepers have been chosen posthumously for United Nations Dag Hammarskjold Medal. They are
Lance Naik Nand Ram and Raju Joseph.
ii. Both of them are among the 126 police, military and civilian personnel who have been posthumously awarded a
prestigious UN medal.
iii. They have been chosen for this award for their courage and sacrifice while serving in UN peacekeeping
operations in 2014 and lost their lives as a result of hostile acts, accidents and disease.
iii. Lance Naik Nand Ram had served with the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (MONUSCO). While, Raju Joseph had served in a civilian capacity with the UN Mission in South Sudan
(UNMISS).

1. China sets up "largest" gold fund for nations along Silk Road
i. China, the world's biggest gold producer, has set up a gold sector fund involving countries along the ancient Silk
Road which is expected to raise $16.1 billion.
ii. The fund, led by Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE), is expected to raise an estimated 100 billion yuan ($16.1 billion)
in three phases.

iii. About 60 countries have invested in the fund, which will in turn facilitate gold purchase for the central banks of
member states to increase their holdings of the precious metal.
iv. The fund will invest in gold mining in countries along the Silk Road, which will increase exploration in countries
such as Afghanistan and Kazakhstan.
2. Government Clears 21 FDI Proposals Worth Rs 281 Crore
i. The government has cleared 21 foreign direct investment (FDI) deals worth Rs 281 crore but deferred Kotak
Mahindra Bank's proposal to hike foreign investment limit in the bank to 55 per cent.
ii. FDI proposals under approval route are cleared by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).
iii. Proposals involving investment of more than Rs 3,000 crore are given final clearance by the Cabinet Committee
on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
3. Facebooks Internet.org attracts 8 lakh users in India
i. Social media giant Facebook has garnered 8 lakh users in India for its Internet.org initiative that has been in the
thick of the net neutrality controversy.
ii. Facebook had partnered telecom major Reliance Communications to offer free access to over 30 websites without
data charges to users in India.
iii. Internet.org service is available for Reliance customers in seven telecom circles of Mumbai, Maharashtra, Gujarat,
Andhra Pradesh, Chennai, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
iv. The goal of Internet.org is to allow more people to experience the benefits of being online.
4.

Nobel

Awardee

mathematician

John

Forbes

Nash

Jr.

died

i. John Forbes Nash Jr., the Princeton University mathematician, died along
with his wife in a car crash. He was 86. His taxi crashed on the New Jersey Turnpike in Monroe Township when the
driver
lost
control.
ii.
Oscar-winning
film,
A
Beautiful
Mind
was
inspired
by
his
life.
iii. Nash born on 13 June 1928 was an American mathematician who became famous for his game theory, differential
geometry, and partial differential equations, which provided an insight into the factors that, govern chance and events
inside complex systems in daily life.
5.
Mumbai
Indians
saunter
to
second
title
win
i. Mumbai Indians put up an all-round show to outshine Chennai Super Kings by 41 runs in the final to win the Indian
Premier
League
2015.
ii. Mumbai Indians completed one of the most remarkable turnarounds in the eight-year history of the Indian Premier
League by transforming a terrible start to the tournament - they were at the bottom of the table for the first two weeks
- into a title win.

iii. CSK had won the toss in final summit had chosen bowl first. MI by batting first had set the target of 202 to their
opponent team. However the CSK failed to reach the target score. This is the second IPL title triumph for MI after
their maiden win in the season six in 2013.

Man of the Match: Rohit Sharma.

Captains of the two teams Mumbai Indains: Rohit Sharma.

Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Looking at the Other highlights of IPL 2015:

Player of the Tournament: Andre Russell (KKR).

Orange Cap awarded to: David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad).

Purple Cap awarded to: Dwayne Bravo (CSK).

Emerging Player of the Season: Shreyas Iyer (Delhi Daredevils).

Most Valuable Player: Andre Russell (KKR).

6. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany won Monaco Grand Prix of Formula One
i. Mercedes racing driver Nico Rosberg of Germany won the Monaco Grand Prix Formula 1 World Championship title
by
winning
the
final
race
held
in
Monaco.
ii. While Sebastian Vettel of Germany representing the Ferrari team stood at the second position, Rosbergs team

mate
Lewis
Hamiltion
of
UK
was
at
the
third
positon.
iii. It is the tenth overall championship title for Rosberg and the second title in the 2015 season having won the
Spanish
Formula
1
World
Championship
on
10
May
2015.
iv. With the present victory, he has become the fourth driver to win three Monaco Grand Prix titles in a row. The others
were Graham Hill, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.

PM Modi launches 'Kisan TV' for farmers

i. Marking the first anniversary of NDA government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Kisan TV at a function
held in Vigyan Bhawan.
ii. In his address, PM stressed on the need for improving farmers condition in the country. He said if country wants to
progress, the elevation of villages and farmers is the stepping stone.

iii. After coming to power, the NDA government had announced that it will launch a 24hour TV channel for farmers.
iv. In his Union Budget 2014 speech, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who now also holds the charge of the I&B
ministry, had announced that a 24hour TV channel will be dedicated to the agriculture sector, for which he had
marked an outlay of Rs. 100 crore.
On day one Tamil Nadu CM Jaya okays Rs 1,800-crore for welfare schemes
i. A day after being sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the fifth time, J Jayalalithaa on Sunday announced
development and welfare schemes worth over Rs 1,800 crore.
ii. Jayalalithaa launched several schemes, including those for improvement of roads, drinking water facilities and for
helping needy families headed by women.

iii. The major thrust will be for urban and rural roads. She allocated Rs. 1,000 crore for urban roads, including those
under Chennai corporation limits as it was necessary to repair roads dug up repeatedly by various agencies like
Metrowater and those damaged in rains.
iv. For the rural roads, the government will spend Rs. 800 crore covering 3,500 km of road network of which 50 per
cent will be spent on laying new bitumen roads and the rest for repairing the damaged roads.
v. As industrialisation of cities increased housing demand in town panchayats, the Chief Minister had sanctioned
green houses for 20,000 families in the initial phase. Each family will be granted Rs. 2.10 lakh; and poor in town
panchayats living in mud or thatched houses were eligible for the scheme to be implemented by the Tamil Nadu Slum
Clearance Board.
ICICI Launches Voice Password Facility for Phone Banking

i. ICICI Bank launched voice recognition service which authenticates customers

based on their speech patterns and allows them to execute banking transactions through the bank's call centre in a
quick, secure and convenient manner.
ii. The-first-of-its kind service by a bank in the country, it is available to over 33 million customers of its savings
account and credit card.
iii. With the voice recognition technology in place, customers are no longer required to enter their card numbers, PIN
and answer security questions to authenticate themselves.
iv. Their voice will now act as the password for banking transactions through the call centre.
v. The voice recognition technology works on voice prints, which are unique to an individual. It comprises more than
100 characteristics including voice modulation, speed, accent, pronunciation which are impossible to imitate, thereby
enhancing security.
Corporation Bank Cuts Lending Rate

i. State-run Corporation Bank cut base rate or minimum lending rate by 0.25
percentage point to 10 per cent, a move which will lead to lower EMIs for its customers.
ii. The bank has revised the base rate for lending from 10.25 per cent to 10 per cent with effect from June 1.
iii. With the reduction, all loans linked to base rates will now become cheaper by at least 0.25 per cent.
iv. During the month, many banks including Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, and IDBI BankBSE -1.84 %
reduced base rate by 0.25 per cent to 10 per cent.
v. State Bank of India, the country's largest lender, had reduced its base rate by 0.15 per cent to 9.85 per cent
effective April 10.
MUDRA banks partners with 19 regional coordinators to reach small entrepreneurs
i. Micro Units Development Refinance Agency (MUDRA) Bank has partnered with 19 state and regional level
coordinators to reach those small entrepreneurs who are often cut off from the banking system because of a limited
branch presence.
ii. This initiative is expected to help finance Last Mile Financiers of small and micro businesses. These businesses
would in turn generate almost 10 times jobs compared to what was being generated by the big companies currently.

iii. MUDRA Banks effort is likely to transform small enterprises into a Rs. 11 lakh crore industry, which would give a
significant push to countrys economy.
iv. The Central government had set up MUDRA Bank to boost the growth of small scale businesses as small
entrepreneurs face difficulty to access banking system for various reasons. This venture by MUDRA will help finance
small and micro businesses at the grassroots level.
Manoj Mishra appointed as CMD of National Fertilizers Ltd (NFL)

i. Government has appointed Manoj Mishra as Chairman and Managing

Director of state-run National Fertilizers Ltd (NFL).
ii. Mishra, currently posted as Director Finance at State Trading Corporation (STC), is likely to assume the charge of
CMD of the fertiliser firm this week.
iii. In September last year, government headhunters Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) had recommended
Mishra's name for the top post at NFL. NFL's CMD post fell vacant after the retirement of Neeru Abrol in February
2014.
Mandeep Kaur wins two gold medals at World Junior Championship
i. Punjab pugilist Mandeep Kaur Sandhu has won two gold medals (52 kg category) on Saturday at the Women's
World Junior Boxing Championship in Taipei, thus scripting a classic rags to rich storyline.
ii. Indian boxers had a terrific outing in the tournament as they won 7 medals in all, including three golds, a silver and
two bronze.
iii. Fifteen year old Mandeep, who hais from Chakkar village, defeated Ireland's Niamh Earley in the final match by a
3-0 margin to win gold. Mandeep was dominant in her category throughout the tournament and registered some
thrilling wins.

ANZ Bank to open 2 India branches by early 2016

i. ANZ Bank will open two more branches in India by early next year.
ii. The two branches would be opened at Gurgaon and Bangalore, ANZ Executive Director (International banking)
Subhash DeGamia said. The bank opened its first branch in India at Mumbai four years ago.
iii. In June 2014, Australia New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) said it received in-principle approval from the Reserve
Bank of India to open new branches in Gurgaon and in outer Bengalore.

iv. Its Mumbai branch offers Indian Rupee and foreign currency services, working capital and term financing,
transaction banking, global markets, deposits and advisory services.
v. In addition, ANZ's Bangalore-based operations and technology shared services hub employs more than 6,000 staff
supporting ANZ's businesses around the world.
Four Indians among Forbes worlds 100 most powerful women
i. Four Indians have been named in Forbes magazines 12th annual list of Worlds 100 most powerful women.
ii. They are

Arundhati Bhattacharya: First woman (and youngest) Chairperson of State Bank of India (SBI) was placed
at 30th position.

Chanda Kochhar: Managing Director (MD) and CEO of Indias largest private sector lender ICICI Bank was
placed at 35th position.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw: Founder, Chairman and MD of Biocon Limited was placed at 85th position.

Shobhana Bhartia: Chairperson and Editorial Director of the Hindustan Times Group was placed at 93rd
position. It should be noted she has appeared on the list for the first time.

iii. Top 10 powerful women: German Chancellor Angela Merkel (1st), Hillary Clinton (2nd), Melinda Gates (3rd), US
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen (3th), GM CEO Mary Barra (5th), IMF Chief Christine Lagarde (6th), Brazilian
President Dilma Rousseff (7th), Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg (8th), YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki (9th) and US
First Lady Michelle Obama (10th).
India gets its first transgender college principal

i. In a first in India, Manabi Bandopadhyay has been appointed the first

transgender principal at a college in West Bengal.
ii. Manabi will assume the role of Krishnagar Womens College principal in West Bengal on June 9. She is currently
an associate professor in Bengali at Vivekananda Satobarshiki Mahavidyalaya.
iii. "This decision was taken by the College Service Commission. I don't interfere in their decisions. They are aware of
our open mind. I am happy with this decision," state education minister Partha Chatterjee said.
NASSCOM launches Cyber Security Task Force
i. National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) and Data Security Council of India have
launched NASSCOM Cyber Security Task Force.

ii. Rajendra Pawar, Chairman, NIIT will chair this task force. The task force over
a 12 week period will identify the key priorities and build the detailed action plan for the sector.
iii. It aims to improve the cyber security industry market share of the country from 1% of the IT-BPM industry to 10%
by 2025 and plans to have a trained base of 1 million certified cyber security professionals. It also expects to build
over 100 security product companies in India.
iv. B.V.R. Mohan Reddy, chairman of Nasscom said that the task force will study the Indian cyber security ecosystem
to identify issues and challenges and develop an action plan to address the priority issues."
v. It has proposed four working groups which focus on industry development, policy enablement, technology
development and skill development respectively.
Nirbhay Sharma sworn-in as governor of Mizoram
i. Lt general (Retd) Nirbhay Sharma was sworn-in as the governor of Mizoram at the Durbar Hall of Raj Bhavan.
Justice T Vaiphei, judge of the Gauhati high court, administered the oath of office to general Sharma.
ii. State chief minister Lal Thanhawla, his cabinet colleagues, legislators from both the ruling Congress and the
opposition Mizo National Front (MNF), senior officials of the state government and the Army attended the
gubernatorial swearing-in ceremony.

iii. General Sharma, the former governor of Arunachal Pradesh, was transferred and appointed as Mizoram governor
on May 12 by President Pranab Mukherjee, replacing West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi who took
additional charge of Mizoram.
iv. He is the eighth governor of Mizoram after the then state governor Vakkom Purushothaman resigned on July 12
last year in protest against being transferred to Nagaland.
FM Arun Jaitley announces setting up of NIIF

i. Finance minister Arun Jaitley had announced the setting up of the National
Investment and Infrastructure Fund(NIIF) in the Union Budget. The north block has now issued a draft Cabinet note
on its formation.
ii. The note is likely to be taken up by the Cabinet within a month's time.
iii. The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund is likely to have an initial corpus of less than Rs 20,000 crore.
Infact, we pick up from our sources that the initial capital could be approximately between Rs 5,000 crore and Rs
10,000 crore.
iv. The finance ministry is likely to seek the Parliament's nod for supplementary funds once the Cabinet has given its
nod. The government is also inviting foreign investors for their participation in the fund.
Sangakkara named CEAT International Cricketer of the Year, Rahane is Indian Cricketer of the Year
i. Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara on 25 May 2015 was named as the International Cricketer of the Year
2015 while the middle order batsman Ajinkya Rahane was named as the CEAT Indian Cricketer of the Year 2015.
ii. Former Indian captain Kapil Dev was conferred with the International Lifetime Achievement Award at the 19th
edition of the awards.
iii. Rohit Sharma was given a special award for his record-breaking 264 made against Sri Lanka in an ODI at Kolkata.
List of award winners:

International Lifetime Achievement Award - Kapil Dev

International Cricketer of the Year Kumar Sangakkara

Indian Cricketer of the Year Ajinkya Rahane

International Batsman of the Year Hashim Amla

International Bowler of the Year Rangana Herath

T20 Player of the Year Dwayne Bravo

Popular Choice Award Kieron Pollard

Special Performance of the Year Award Rohit Sharma

Domestic Cricketer of the Year R Vinay Kumar

Young Player of the Year Deepak Hooda

PM Modi, Shiekh Hasina to inaugurate Kamalasagar border 'haat'

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh premier Sheikh Hasina will jointly inaugurate a border 'haat'
(market) at Kamalasagar in Tripura's Sipahijala district, which borders Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh.
ii. The 'haat' would be jointly inaugurated through video conferencing from Dhaka during Modi's two-day visit to
Bangladesh beginning from June 6.

iii. The construction of a market shed and other infrastructure facilities at a cost of Rs. 2.5 crores is almost complete.
iv. Sepahijala Additional District Magistrate Dilip Kumar Chakma and his Brahmanbaria counterpart Nazma Begum
informed that Indian traders from India and Bangladesh can transact selected commodities respectively at the haat.
They met five times since Kamalasagar border point was selected.
Mega Food Park Inaugurated at Nalbari, Assam
i. Ministry of Food Processing Industries had sanctioned a Mega Food Park to M/s North East Mega Food Park Pvt.
Ltd. at Nalbari, Assam.
ii. The Central Processing Centre of the Park at Tihu in Nalbari District of Assam has been completed and was
inaugurated by Honble Chief Minister, Assam, Shri Tarun Gogoi and Union Minister for Food Processing Industries
Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

iii. Minister of State for Home Mr. Kiren Rijiju was also present to grace the occasion.
iv. To give a major boost to the food processing sector by adding value and reducing food wastage and loss at each
stage of the supply chain with particular focus on perishables, Ministry of Food Processing Industries is implementing
a Mega Food Park Scheme in the country since 2008.
v. Financial assistance upto Rs. 50.00 Crore is provided for setting up Mega Food Parks for creation of modern
infrastructure facilities for food processing along the value chain from farm to consumer.
TaxiForSure Ties up With Paytm , Launches Faster App

i. Taxi aggregator TaxiForSure announced a tie-up with mobile commerce

platform Paytm to enable Paytm users to pay for the cab service through their prepaid wallet. According to the
company, the new app will enable booking of cabs in a single touch.
ii. With the new partnership, the balance amount in company's existing wallet will be converted to TFS credit.
iii. Commenting on the move, Arvind Singhal, CEO of TaxiForSure, said that currently 80 per cent of our booking
comes from mobile applications and 35 per cent of the total payment is done through our wallet. With the partnership
with Paytm, over 70 million Paytm use can pay TaxiForSure fare through mobile.
Tripura government decides to withdraw AFSPA from state
i. Tripura government has decided to withdraw the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958 from the
remaining areas of the state.
ii. Decision in this regard was taken during the state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar in
Agartala after Police in its latest half-yearly review had found no need to extend the act any further.

iii. Now state government will move to the Union Home Ministry for formal withdrawal of the central Act from state
which was in effect for the last 18 years to curb insurgency.
iv. Union Government had enforced AFSPA in Tripura after the relentless violence and bloodshed in tribal areas of
state in February 1997 . Since then, it was reviewed and extended in every six months as per the provisions of the
Act.
v. The last six-month extension was given in November 2014 and its term ends by the end of May 2015.
Now, a satellite tracking system to tackle forest fires in Himachal

i. A satellite tracking system has been set up to check forest fires during
summers in Himachal Pradesh.
ii. Under the satellite tracking system, continuous vigil was being kept on the forests to ensure that the fire fighting
staff reached the spot immediately on receiving information.
iii. The Forest Minister said that awareness campaign was being launched throughout the state for protection of
forest wealth from fire for which 693 participatory committees had been constituted.
Abhinav Bindra qualifies for Rio Games 2016 through Olympic quota
i. Beijing Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra qualified for the Rio Olympics 2016 through one of the Olympic quotas.
ii. Bindra shot 627.5 to qualify in the 10m air rifle event at the 1972 Olympic Shooting Range in Hochbrucke.
iii. Bindra is the fourth Indian shooter to qualify for Rio Games after he clinched one of the three quotas available to
qualify for the games.

iv. Notably, Bindra has had a slow start to the season, recording below-par finishes in the first two World Cups after
he failed to qualify for the final in Changwon as well as Fort Benning.

India tops in World Hunger List with 194 Million People: UN Report
i. India is home to the highest number of hungry people in the world, at 194 million, surpassing China, according to
United Nations annual hunger report.
ii. At the global level, the corresponding figure dropped to 795 million in 2014-15, from 1 billion in 1990-92, with East
Asia led by China accounting for most of the reductions, UN body Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said in its
report titled 'The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015'.

iii. India too saw a reduction between 1990 and 2015, it added. In 1990-92, those who were starved of food in India
numbered 210.1 million, which came down to 194.6 million in 2014-15.
iv. The overall analysis suggested that inclusive economic growth, agricultural investments and social protection,
along with political stability, can eradicate hunger.
PK Sinha appointed cabinet secretary by Narendra Modi
i. Power Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha was appointed as the next Cabinet Secretary of the government. He will
succeed Ajit Seth who has been holding the position for the last four years.
ii. Sinha, a 1977-batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been asked to take over as Officer on Special Duty
(OSD) in Cabinet Secretariat, an official release said. He will formally take over the new charge on June 13, it said.

iii. The Prime Minister has approved the appointment of Sinha as the next Cabinet Secretary with effect from June
13. Sinha has been serving as Power Secretary since July 2013.
iv. He has earlier served as the Shipping Secretary and has also held several other important positions in the Union
Government and in his cadre state--Uttar Pradesh.
Renowned scientist Selvin Christopher appointed as DG of DRDO

i. Eminent scientist Dr. Selvin Christopher has been appointed as the Director
General (DG) of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) along with the rank of a secretary.
ii. As a DG of DRDO, he will also severe as Secretary at Department of Defence Research and Development
(DDR&D) for a period of 2 years from the date of taking over the charge.
iii. Prior to this appointment, S Christopher was Director of DRDOs Centre for Air-Borne Systems (CABS),
Bengaluru.
iv. Presently, he is also Programme Director of Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system. He was first
pioneer first Indian scientist who had directed the manufacturing of Indias first indigenous AEW&C system.
Researchers Create First Single-Molecule Diode
i. Led by Indian American scientist Latha Venkataraman, a team of researchers at Columbia Engineering have
created an electronic diode the size of a single molecule that performs 50 times better than all prior diode designs.
ii. Their findings which could have real-world applications in regards to nanotechnology were published on May
25 in the paper, Single-Molecule Diodes with High On-Off Ratios through Environmental Control, via the Nature
Nanotechnology journal.

iii. The idea of creating a single-molecule diode was suggested by Arieh Aviram and Mark Ratner who theorised in
1974 that a molecule could act as a rectifier, a one-way conductor of electric current.
iv. She and her team are now working on understanding the fundamental physics behind their discovery and trying to
increase the rectification ratios they observed, using new molecular systems.
90 Percent Of Global Chemical Weapons Stockpile 'Destroyed'
i. Nobel peace prize winning organisation OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) has
achieved major milestone of destroying 90 per cent of the global chemical weapons stockpile.
ii. OPCW has mentioned that around 65,000 metric tonnes of declared chemical weapons, mostly from US and
Russian arsenals of cold war era have been destroyed in a safe manner.

iii. It also includes total of 1,300 metric tonnes of chemical weapons removed from Syria in 2014. The remaining
stockpile is underway in phase of destruction and is scheduled to be completed before the end of 2020 and 2023.
The weapons stockpiles included caches containing chemicals needed to make deadly nerve agents like Sarin.
iv. OPCW is an intergovernmental organisation, headquatered in Hague, Netherlands. The organisation promotes,
administers and verifies the adherence to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production,
Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction (CWC).
23-year-old US-educated Yaduveer crowned Maharaja of Mysuru
i. In a traditional ceremony, US-educated Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wodeyar, the adopted son of Pramoda
Devi Wodeyar, is crowned as the titular head of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family.
ii. The coronation took place at Kalyana Mantap in Amba Vilas Palace in Mysuru at an auspicious hour this morning
amid Vedic chants and slogans hailing the Mysuru royalty and the 23-year-old King as he ascended the silver
throne Bhadrasana.

iii. Yaduveer, the 27th King of Wodeyar dynasty, will have to wait until Dasara to ascend the golden throne, when he
will preside over the khasa (private) durbar, which is reminiscent of the bygone era.
iv. Pramoda Devi Wodeyar, widow of Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, the last descendant of the Wodeyar
dynasty, formally adopted Yaduveer Gopal Raj Urs in February, after which he was rechristened as Yaduveer
Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wodeyar.
Bharti Airtel surges 6% after Vodafone stake sale
i. UK telecom major Vodafone has sold its 4.2% stake in Bharti Airtel Ltd to Bharti Enterprises (Holding) Pvt Ltd for
$200 million.
ii. In 2005, Vodafone had picked 10% stake in Bharti Airtel. Following its entry into the Indian market with its buyout of
Huntchinson stake in Hutch Essar, Vodafone brought its stake in Bharati Airtel down to 5%.
iii. Vodafone's decision to offload its stake in largest telecom operator in India, in terms of subscribers base, follows
the new unified licence (UL) regime in Department of Telecommunication.
iv. Vodafone's Indian unit, the country's No. 2 carrier, is Bharti Airtel's closest competitor in the market

7.8-magnitude earthquake strikes off Japan

i. A powerful undersea earthquake south of Japan has shaken buildings in Tokyo.
ii. The US Geological Survey said the 7.8-magnitude earthquake was centred 874km (543 miles) from the Japanese
capital, at a depth of almost 700m.
iii. It struck at 18:30 local time (11:30 GMT). Buildings in the capital swayed for almost a minute as the quake built in
intensity.

iv. Tokyo Electric Power Company said there were no abnormalities at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant
following the quake. The runways at Tokyo's Narita airport were operating normally but the high-speed bullet train
service between Tokyo and Osaka was halted due to a power outage.
Finance Minister inaugurated New Bank Note Paper Line unit in Hoshangabad, MP
i. As part of Make in India, Finance Minister Arun Jaitely inaugurates Indigenous New Bank Note printing lines at
Security Paper Mill in Hoshangabad.

ii. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated the New Bank Note Paper Line of
6,000 metric tonnes capacity at Security Paper Mill, Hoshangabad in Madhya Pradesh.
iii. The Bank Note Paper Line in Mysore with 12,000 Metric Tonnes capacity is expected to be commissioned by the
year end.
iv. The government is expected to save foreign exchange worth 1,500 crore rupees by commissioning two new bank
paper lines in Hoshangabad and Mysore for indigenously printing Indian currency.
v. The production of the Bank Note paper from these two units will reduce the import considerably. This will also
reduce possibility of diversion of the paper supplied by the foreign suppliers to the other destinations for the purpose
of generating the fake currency.
India Outpaces China as GDP Rises by 7.5% in Q4
i. The Indian economy expanded 7.3% in the year ended March, in line with the initial forecast and marginally higher
than 6.9% recorded in the previous year, pointing to a soft recovery and strengthening the case for a rate cut on June
2 when Reserve Bank reviews monetary policy.
ii. The data released by India's statistics office on Friday showed gross domestic product (GDP) rose 7.5% in
January-March 2015 compared with 6.7% after a downward revision from 7.5% in the October quarter, signalling
a slight pickup.

iii. This comes as the US said that its GDP contracted 0.7% owing to shipping delays, dollar dominance and a harsh
cold season.
iv. The January-March growth is ahead of 7% recorded by China, in line with independent forecasts that India is set
to take on the man tle of fastest-growing large economy in the current fiscal. China's economy expanded 7.4% in the
2014 calendar year.
RBI issues draft norms for mass transport pre-paid cards
i. RBI has issued draft guidelines on mobility cards that will allow you to travel without cash in metros, buses and
taxis carrying prepaid cards with value up to Rs. 2,000.
ii. In a bid to boost prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) for commuting, RBI has introduced a new category of prepaid
payment instruments that will be issued by the mass transit operators (such as metro or road transport).

iii. The PPI- MTS (mass transit systems) will necessarily contain the Automated Fare Collection application related to
the transit service and can be used at other merchants whose activities are allied to or are carried on within the
premises of the transit system only, RBI said in the draft circular, which will be open to comments and feedback.
iv. With a minimum validity of six months from the issue date, the PPI- MTS will be reloadable with a balance limit of
Rs. 2,000. No cash-out or refund will be permitted from these PPI, the central bank said.
Niti Aayog gets two new advisers; 10 new JS appointed
i. Alok Kumar and Jitendra Kumar have been appointed as advisers in Niti Aayog for five years as part of a minor
bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the government.

ii. Alok is a 1993 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre while Jitendra (1987
batch) is Indian Forest Service officer of Uttarakhand cadre.
iii. Anna Roy has been appointed as Joint Secretary (JS) in the Department of Financial Services, an order issued by
Department of Personnel and Training said. Roy, a 1992 batch officer of Indian Economic Service, will have tenure till
October 31, 2017. She is working as a Director in the same department.
Service Tax Rate @ 14% applicable from 1st June

i. Finance Minister while presenting the Budget 2015 has increased the
Service Tax Rate from 12.36% to flat 14%.
ii. However, the date from which the new Service tax rate is applicable was not announced in the Budget. On 19th
May, the Finance Ministry announced that the new Service Tax Rate @ 14% would be applicable from 1st June.
iii. The rate of Service Tax for services provided before 1st June is 12.36% and for services provided after 1st June is
14%.
Sepp Blatter Withstands Scandal and Criticism to Secure a Fifth Term
i. Sepp Blatter began his fifth term as Fifa president in defiant mood, suggesting that he had survived a USsponsored campaign to oust him, but admitted that world footballs governing body would have to work hard to repair
relations with its sponsors.
ii. Mr Blatter said he would have to repair relations with footballs biggest sponsors, including Visa and Coca-Cola,
admitting that the storm of the past week had tarnished Fifa.
iii. Fifa earned $1.6bn from sponsorship over the four-year cycle leading to the 2014 Brazil World Cup, 29 per cent of
its total revenue.
iv. He noted that the US had lost out to Qatar in the bidding to host the 2022 World Cup and said the US was the
number one sponsor of Jordan, home of Prince Ali.

1. President's visit to Sweden

i. President Pranab Mukherjee arrived in Sweden on the first leg of his five-day state visit to Sweden and Belarus, the
first ever by any Indian head of State, during which a number of key agreements on sustainable development,
scientific research are likely to be signed.

ii. During his three-day State visit in Sweden, the President will meet Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, the Speaker of
the Swedish Parliament, and the Leader of Opposition, Anna Kinberg Batra besides number of meetings with the
King and the Queen.
iii. The visit will focus on innovation, sustainable development, urban development and scientific research with both
countries exploring ways to enhance mutual exchange in the areas of trade and science.
2. Service tax increased to 14%
i. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget had proposed to raise service tax from 12.36 percent (including
education cess) to 14 percent.

ii. Some of the key services that will attract higher tax and hence become costlier are: railways, airlines, banking,
insurance, advertising, architecture, construction, credit cards, event management and tour operators.
iii. Jaitley had proposed to raise the service tax rate to 14 percent to facilitate a smooth transition to the Goods and
Services Tax (GST) regime, which the government wants to roll out from April 2016.
3. New chairman of Engineers India Ltd
i. Sanjay Gupta today took over as chairman and managing director of Engineers India Ltd, the state-owned
engineering and consultancy, procurement and construction ( EPC) company in hydrocarbons and petrochemicals.
ii. Gupta replaced A K Purwaha who superannuated yesterday.
iii. Gupta has about 34 years of experience in the company ranging from planning to implementation of mega
grassroot projects in the refineries and petrochemical sector.
4. K.Sivan-new VSSC chief
i. K. Sivan, Distinguished Scientist, ISRO, assumed office as the 12th Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
(VSSC).

ii. He takes over from M.S. Dathan who has retired from service.
iii. Dr. Sivan joined ISRO in 1982 in the PSLV project and has contributed towards mission planning, design,
integration, and analysis.
iv. He also spearheaded the Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) project. In April 2011, Dr.
Sivan joined the GSLV project as director.
v. His leadership led to the successful flight of GSLV with an indigenous cryogenic stage.
5. Shooter Gurpreet Singh qualifies for Rio 2016
i. Former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Gurpreet Singh became India's fifth shooter to qualify for the 2016
Rio Olympic Games finishing fourth in the 10m Air Pistol category at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol event being held
in Munich.
ii. The 28-year-old shot a total of 154.8 points to finish fourth in the Final.
iii. Joao Costa of Portugal who shot a total of 201.4 in the event won the gold medal.
iv. The other Indians to have earned India the earlier four quota places are Jitu Rai, Olympic bronze medallist Gagan
Narang, Apurvi Chandela and India's only individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra.
6. Bhanot elected Asian Athletics Association vice-President

i. Scam-tainted former IOA Secretary General Lalit Bhanot was elected vicePresident of the Asian Athletics Association (AAA) in polls held in Wuhan, China.
ii. Recommended by the Athletics Federation of India, Mr. Bhanot fought through a 14-strong challenge in the
elections to be picked as one of the five vice-Presidents during the AAA council on the eve of the Asian
Championships in Wuhan.
iii. Tainted in the corruption scandal that engulfed the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Mr. Bhanot served as secretary
of AFI for more than a decade and was the Secretary General of the IOA when it served a 14-month suspension by
the IOC.
7. Cricket greats Sachin, Ganguly, Laxman inducted into BCCI's high-powered advisory panel
i. Former greats Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman on Monday joined the BCCI in a newlyconstituted advisory panel to guide the board in all matters related to the game.

ii. It has been learnt that Thakur and president Jagmohan Dalmiya will consult with the panel on all major cricketing
decisions.
iii. Board wants batsmen to specifically speak to Tendulkar before any tough international assignment.
iv. Ganguly might well be consulted for preparing a blueprint for success of the team overseas with Laxman working
on the bench-strength and the new talent coming in through the system.

1. RBI lowers repo rate to 7.25 per cent

i. The Reserve Bank of India in its second bi-monthly policy announced on 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.
ii. It has decided to keep the cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks unchanged at 4.0 per cent of net demand
and time liabilities (NDTL).

iii. It has decided to continue to provide liquidity under overnight repos at 0.25 per cent of bankwise NDTL at the LAF
repo rate and liquidity under 14-day term repos as well as longer-term repos of up to 0.75 per cent of NDTL of the
banking system through auctions and continue with overnight/term variable rate repos and reverse repos to smooth
liquidity.
iv. 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.

2. Bangladesh Liberation War award for Vajpayee

i. Bangladesh is set to honour former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for
his outstanding support for the countrys independence from Pakistan in 1971 when he was a Lok Sabha member.
ii. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also approved a proposal to honour the families of the members of Indian armed
forces for sacrificing their lives for the cause of Bangladeshs independence.
iii. Bangladesh will hand over Vajpayees Friends of Bangladesh Liberation War Award to Prime Minister Narendra
Modi during his upcoming visit to the country from June 6.

3. RBI lowers GDP growth forecast to 7.6% for FY16

i. The Reserve Bank of India has marked down the projection for output growth for 2015-16 from 7.8 per cent in April
to 7.6 per cent.
ii. The RBI stated that strong food policy and management would be important to help keep inflation and inflationary
expectations contained over the near term.
iii. Assuming reasonable food management, inflation is expected to be pulled down by base effects till August but to
start rising thereafter to about 6.0 per cent by January 2016.

4. BIS App launched

i. Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan launched a BIS App to register complaints against
sub-standard quality of ISI marked products and Hallmark jewellery.
ii. Operation of godowns under Food Corporation of India (FCI) has been made online to increase transparency in the
functioning of the corporation.

iii. Mr Paswan said government has decided to continue food grain allocation for other welfare schemes for the poor.
Saying that food grains older than a year and a half are not kept in the godowns.

5. Ericsson partners Sterlite for smart city initiatives in India

i. Under the agreement, Ericsson will collaborate with Sterlite to design a roadmap and deploy solutions.
ii. The alliance will design, deploy, integrate and manage solutions in areas like communications, public safety, smart
grid solutions and intelligent transport.
iii. Sterlite is working closely with the Government to drive smart sustainable city initiatives and supports Digital India
programme.
iv. Solutions covered in the agreement include communications (Wi-Fi networks and fibre deployment), public safety
(video situational awareness solutions and emergency response), intelligent transport (traffic management and fleet
management) and smart grid solutions (smart grid communications and smart metering).

6. Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa sworn-in as Arunachal Pradesh Governor

i. Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa was sworn-in as the 19th Governor of Arunachal Pradesh.
ii. President Pranab Mukherjee had appointed him as Governor on May 12, 2015 after then Governor Lt General
(Retired) Nirbhay Sharma was transferred to Mizoram.

iii. Mr. Rajkhowa is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from 1968 batch. He is the former Chief
Secretary of Assam and had retired from service in 2004.
iv. Mr. Rajkhowa has authored a book, Central Vigilance Mechanism with special reference to P.S.Es, and also had
contributed by writing number of articles to leading newspapers.

7. Ravi Shastri to continue as Indian team director

i. Former captain Ravi Shastri was on Tuesday retained as director of the Indian
cricket team for the tour of Bangladesh starting June 10.
ii. Shastri, who served as team director during the tour of Australia and the subsequent World Cup earlier this year, is
a stop-gap arrangement for the short trip.
iii. Mr. B. Arun, assistant coach (Bowling) and Mr. R. Sridhar, assistant coach (Fielding), will assist Mr. Shastri during
the tour.

1. USA Freedom Act Passes

i. The Senate passed the USA Freedom Act today by 67-32, marking the first time in over thirty years that both
houses of Congress have approved a bill placing real restrictions and oversight on the National Security Agencys
surveillance powers.

ii. The Bill ends a system exposed by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden. The spy
agency collected and searched records of phone calls looking for terrorism leads but was not allowed to listen to their
content.
iii. The new law would require companies such as Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc, to collect and store
telephone records the same way that they do now for billing purposes.

2. Snowden awarded freedom of expression prize in Norway

i. Former security contractor Edward Snowden won a Norwegian prize for freedom of expression.

ii. The Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression said the
31-year old fugitive had won the Bjornson Prize named after a Norwegian Nobel literature laureate "for his work
protecting privacy and for shining a critical light on US surveillance of its citizens and others."
iii. The academy requested assurances from the Norwegian government that Snowden would not be extradited to the
US if he travelled to Norway to receive the 100,000 kroner ($12,700, 11,500 euros) prize money.
iv. Snowden was awarded Sweden's Right Livelihood Award in 2014 but chose to accept it by video link rather than
leaving his exile in Russia.

3. Sepp Blatter resigned

i. Outgoing Fifa president Sepp Blatter is now part of the corruption probe by US prosecutors.
ii. Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro nominated Diego Maradona for the job.
iii. Jordanian Prince Ali bin al Hussein will stand in new elections for the presidency of world football's governing body.
iv. FIFPro welcomes the decision of FIFA president Sepp Blatter to resign as this creates an overdue and unique
opportunity to fundamentally reform the governance of football.

4. 2004 Nobel Chemistry winner Irwin Rose dies

i. 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. He was 88.
ii. Rose had a formidable intellect and unwavering curiosity about fundamental biological and chemical processes
that are the foundation for life.
iii. Rose, along with Israelis Aaron Ciechanover and Avram Hershko, won the Nobel for discovering how plant and
animal cells marked old and damaged proteins with a kiss of death molecule the polypeptide ubiquitin.
iv. Rose was born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 16, 1926, and spent much of his career as a researcher at the Fox
Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.

5. Jaipur Metro starts operations

i. Jaipur Metro, touted as one of the fastest built metro systems in the country, was thrown open to public today.
ii. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje flagged off the inaugural train on 9.6 km long route from Mansarovar to
Chandpole.

iii. Jaipur Metro commenced its regular commercial operations from all its 9 stations-- Mansarovar, New Aatish
Market, Vivek Vihar, Shyam Nagar, Ram Nagar, Civil Lines, Railway Station, Sindhi Camp and Chandpole.
iv. To encourage people to travel in the metro, upto 15 per cent discount has been offered on smart cards, which can
be recharged using Jaipur Metro website or Ticket Vending Machines installed at all stations.

6. Govt notifies FDI policy relaxations for NRIs

i. Non-repatriable investments by NRIs, OCIs and PIOs will be treated as domestic investments and will not be
subject to foreign direct investment caps.

ii. It has been decided to amend the definition of NRIs as contained in the FDI policy and also to provide that for the
purposes of FDI policy, investment by NRIs under Schedule 4 of FEMA regulations will be deemed to be domestic
investment at par with the investment made by residents.
iii. The government has also notified increase in FIPBs power to recommend foreign investment proposals of up to
Rs 3,000 crore from the earlier Rs 2,000 crore.

7. US Defence Secretary Ashton B. Carter arrives in India

i. After delivering the keynote address at the crucial Shangri La dialogue in Singapore, US Secretary of Defence
Ashton Carter arrived in India.
ii. he will hold meetings with PM Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. During his visit.

iii. The two countries will be signing the Defence Framework Agreement (DFA) that will define the US-India defence
cooperation over the next decade.
iv. During Carters ongoing visit, the two sides will assess the progress made in these pathfinder projects next
generation Raven Minis UAVs, roll-on roll-off kits for C-130s, mobile electric hybrid power source and Uniform
Integrated Protection Ensemble Increment.
1. India, Belarus agree on road map for stronger ties
i. India and Belarus decided to work together on defence and security issues as President Pranab Mukherjee met his
Belarusian counterpart and agreed on a 17-point road map aimed at strengthening mutual trust and confidence.

ii. The President discussed a host of issues, including increasing trade ties, besides boosting co-operation in mining,
education and heavy machinery with Mr. Lukashenko.
iii. Under the agreement, the two countries will enhance coordination in science and technology, energy sector,
metals and mining, potash fertilizers, give boost to raw material in textile sector, extend cooperation by Belarus in
modernisation of public electric transport system in India, agriculture and agro procession.

2. India Signs Legal Agreement with the World Bank for IBRD Loan of US$ 400 Million
i. The Loan and Project Agreements for World Bank (IBRD) assistance of US$ 400 million for Tamil Nadu Sustainable
Urban Development Project were signed between the Government of India/ Government of Tamil Nadu and World
Bank.

ii. The Loan Agreement was signed by Shri Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary,
Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance on behalf of Government of lndia and Mr. Onno Ruhl, Country
Director, World Bank (lndia) on behalf of the World Bank.
iii. The objective of the project is to improve urban services in participating Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in a financially
sustainable manner and to pilot improved urban management practices in selected cities.
iv. The total project size is US$ 600 million, out of which World Bank support is US$ 400 million.

3. India, US ink new defence framework accord

i. India and the US signed a new strategically important 10-year defence framework pact envisaging joint
development and manufacture of defence equipment and technology including jet engines, aircraft carrier design and
construction.

ii. Both sides also finalised two project agreements for hi-tech mobile power source and next generation protective
suits for chemical and biological warfare.
iii. The framework also recognises the transformative nature of the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI).

4. Ex-IB chief is Prime Ministers special envoy on counter-terror

i. The government has appointed the former Intelligence Bureau Chief Asif Ibrahim to a key post in the Prime
Ministers office.

ii. Mr. Ibrahim, who retired in December 2014, will be the PMs Special Envoy on Countering Terrorism and
Extremism, with a charter to liaise with governments in West Asia, Af-Pak and South East Asia.
iii. As Director IB, Mr. Ibrahim started work on the governments new counter radicalisation strategy in 2014, which
was triggered by the Islamic State takeover of parts of Iraq and Syria.

5. SBI associate merger proposal irks employee's unions

i. Even as the State Bank of India management starts deliberating mergers of its associate banks with the parent, the
employees' union is planning a series of bank strikes protesting against such a move.
ii. More than 50,000 employees did not work on Thursday at about 6,000 bank branches of five SBI group banks as
All Associate Banks of SBI, the employees' union, called a strike.

iii. So far SBI has merged State Bank of Surastra and State bank of Indore in past few years. Plans are on the anvil to
follow the same process with State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank
of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Patiala.

6. Jayalalithaa announces aid for Cauvery delta farmers

i. Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday announced a financial aid of Rs 41 crore for farmers in the
Cauvery delta region to improve the kuruvai cultivation (short-term cultivation).

ii. The 'kuruvai package' announced by the government includes financial

assistance to farmers and free supply of micro nutrients.
iii. Farm machines will be leased out to farmers free of cost. Besides, three phase power would be provided for 12
hours per day for irrigation.
iv. The ground water level had gone up considerably due to good rain. As such, to encourage kuruvai cultivation, a
package of assistance to the tune of Rs 40.97 crore will be extended to the farmers.

7. India jumps six places in FIFA rankings

i. India has jumped six places to 141st position in the latest rankings released by world footballs governing body
FIFA.
ii. India was previously placed 147th in the rankings list. Iran (41) is the top-ranked Asian team in the list, followed by
Japan (52) and South Korea (58).
iii. World Champions Germany continued to head the rankings. Belgium jumped to second place, a place above
World Cup runners-up Argentina.
iv. Five-time world champions Brazil are fifth, a spot below Colombia. Brazil is followed by the Netherlands, Portugal
(seventh), Uruguay (eighth), and France (ninth).

8. De Villiers crowned South African cricketer of the year

i. AB de Villiers won as many as five awards, including the South African Cricketer of the Year for a second
consecutive time at a gala function, hosted by Cricket South Africa (CSA) in Johannesburg.
ii. The 27-year-old batsman was named the ODI Cricketer of the Year, Cricketers Cricketer of the Year, SA Fans
Cricketer of the Year and also got the So Good Award for scoring the fastest century in the history of ODI cricket
against the West Indies in December 2014.
iii. Morne van Wyk won the T20 Cricketer of the Year, Dale Steyn received the Delivery of the Year and Rilee
Rossouw was named the SA Newcomer of the Year.
1. Infy appoints Seshasayee as Chairman
i. Infosys Limited announced that the Companys Board have approved the appointment of R. Seshasayee as NonExecutive Chairman of the Board with immediate effect.
ii. K.V. Kamath will be stepping down from his position as Chairman of the Board and as an Independent Director of
the Company, consequent to his nomination as President of the BRICS New Development Bank.

iii. Mr. Seshasayee has been an Independent Director on the Companys Board since January 2011 and is the
chairperson of the Audit Committee. Mr. Seshasayees other board positions include Non-Executive Vice Chairman of
Ashok Leyland Ltd. and Chairman of IndusInd Bank Ltd.

2. Essel, Rajasthan government ink Rs 4k crore pact for solar parks

i. Essel Group formed a 50:50 joint venture (JV) with the Rajasthan government to set up solar parks in the state.

ii. The solar parks will be set up in Bikaner and Jaisalmer regions with an investment of Rs 4,000 crore.
iii. Solar Park Project in Rajasthan will be India's turnkey project in the renewable energy space which will aid the
clean energy initiatives of the Government of Rajasthan.

3. Mahindra business city to be carbon-positive

i. A 'green' integrated business city pioneered by the Mahindra Group has

drawn a road map of becoming climate positive in 10 years, a distinction which places India on the world map.
ii. Mahindra World City Jaipur (MWCJ), spread across 3,000 acres on the Delhi-Mumbai corridor, has become the
first project in Asia and sixth in the world to commit to a carbon-positive road map as part of the C40 Cities
Climate Leadership Group.
iii. projected to reduce 8 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in about 10 years to become climate-neutral.

4. Prince Harry knighted

i. Prince Harry was today knighted by his grandmother the Queen as a sign of her personal esteem.
ii. The fifth in line to the throne was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in a private ceremony at
Buckingham Palace.

iii. The Order was founded in April 1896 by Queen Victoria as a way of rewarding personal service to her, on her own
initiative rather than by ministerial recommendation and remains entirely within the Sovereign's personal gift.

5. Snapdeal-Tata Housing sells house worth Rs. 1.1 cr

i. E-commerce firm Snapdeal and Tata Housing, which have partnered to sell homes online, have announced their
largest transaction worth Rs. 1.1 crore hours after commencing the sale of premium and luxury apartments.
ii. Snapdeal is also exploring alliances for providing options such as site visit facilities and documentation services.
iii. Snapdeal real estate category has grown 400 per cent in the last six months and currently comprise a portfolio of
residential projects from developers across India including Tata Value Homes, Tata Housing, DLF, Sobha Developers,
Godrej Properties, Mantri Developers, and Purvankara.

1. India, Bangladesh make history with land swap

i. India and Bangladesh on Saturday sealed a historic agreement that will settle a 41-year-old land boundary dispute
through exchange of territories, removing a major irritant in bilateral ties.
ii. The two sides exchanged documents regarding the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) that was passed
unanimously by the Parliament last month in the presence of Mr. Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh
Hasina.

iii. The exchange of documents paves way for the operationalisation of the 1974 India-Bangladesh LBA that provides
for exchange of 161 enclaves between the two countries. A total 111 border enclaves will be transferred to
Bangladesh in exchange for 51 that will become part of India.
iv. Under the agreement, India will have an advantage of 500 acres and 10,000 acres will go to Bangladesh.

2. Naidu performs bhoomi pooja for AP capital

i. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his wife Bhuvaneswari performed bhoomi pooja at around 8.49 a.m. for
the new capital Amaravati at Mandadam village in Guntur district.

ii. Chief Minister's son and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) workers welfare committee convener Nara Lokesh; Union
Ministers Nirmala Sitaraman and Sujana Chowdary were among those present for the ceremony.
iii. The ancient city of Amaravathi is being developed separately from the new capital zone as a heritage town with
funds from the Centre.

3. RPower to invest $3 bn in Bangladesh power plant

i. Anil Ambani-led Reliance Power on Saturday signed an agreement to invest $ 3 billion in setting up a mega power
plant and a floating LNG import terminal in Bangladesh which faces acute power shortages.
ii. Reliance Power will set up a 2 million tonnes a year floating LNG import terminal as well as 3,000 megawatt power
plant, according to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Sameer Gupta, Executive vice-president of
Reliance Power.
iii. The company will invest in an integrated facility comprising of 3,000 MW of LNG based combined cycle power
plant and LNG Terminal with a Floating Storage and Re-gasification Unit (FSRU).

4. Govt picks new DRDO chief, scientific advisor to defence minister

i. The government Thursday appointed S Christopher, 59, as Secretary,

Department of Defence Research and Development-cum-Director Ge-neral, Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO).
ii. G S Reddy, 51, has been appointed as scientific advisor to the Defence Minister.
iii. DRDO has been functioning without a full-time head since January 31, when Avinash Chander resigned.

5. South Korea Tests New Ballistic Missile

i. South Korea successfully test fired a ballistic missile capable of hitting targets anywhere in North Korea.
ii. The test demonstrated improved ballistic missile capability that can strike all parts of North Korea swiftly, and with
precision, in the event of armed aggression or provocation.
iii. The Hyunmoo-2B is an upgraded version of the Hyunmoo-2A, both of which were developed by the state-run
Agency for Defense Development (ADD).

6. Dravid for India Under-19 coach

i. BCCI has announced Rahul Dravid as the coach of India A team and Indian U 19 cricket team.
ii. Working with the under-19 and 'A' teams might be the perfect solution as Dravid can make a tangible contribution
without placing too much demand on his time.

iii. Dravid had a short stint as mentor of the Indian team before the series in England last year and several players
spoke highly of their interactions with the former India captain.

1.

RBI

issues

draft

norms

on

rupee-linked

bonds

overseas

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday said that Indian corporates, eligible to raise external commercial
borrowings (ECBs), are permitted to issue rupee- linked bonds overseas.
ii. Corporates which are, at present, permitted to access ECB, under the approval route, will require prior permission
of the RBI to issue such bonds and those coming under the automatic route can do so without prior permission of the
RBI.
iii. The RBI proposed that the subscription, coupon payments and redemption might be settled in foreign currency.
iv. It also stipulated the coupon on the bonds should not be more than 500 basis points above the sovereign yield of
the Government of India security of corresponding maturity as per the FIMMDA yield curve prevailing on the date of
issue.

2. Government to Give Rs 6,000 Crore Interest-Free Loans to Sugar Mills

i. The government has approved interest-free loans for cash-strapped sugar mills to help them pay nearly 30 per cent
of the record Rs 21,000 crore they owe to cane farmers, many of whom are struggling with huge debts as the first
country-wide drought in six years looms.
ii. Sugar cane prices, meanwhile, have jumped over the years due to the populist policies of state governments to
raise minimum support prices for farmers.

iii. Mills in India, the world's biggest sugar producer after Brazil, have been
lobbying the government for months seeking relief as prices of the sweetener have fallen below the cost of production
due to ample supplies.
iv. The federal government earlier this year approved a subsidy to export raw sugar, although that failed to boost
shipments amid a global glut.

3. Small traders' body CAIT to launch ecommerce platform

i. After fighting tooth and nail with online retailers, the apex body of small traders, Confederation of All India Traders
(CAIT), has decided to launch its own ecommerce portal in the next three months.
ii. Named 'e-Lala', the proposed portal will provide a direct interface between sellers and consumers and there will be
no third agency which will be involved in any transaction, thereby eliminating the commission component which the
sellers need to pay.
iii. The proposal was recently discussed at the national governing council meeting of CAIT. The body has constituted
a committee under the chairmanship of its national president BC Bhartia to implement the plan.
iv. It will be the first ecommerce portal in the country by the traders for the traders. It will be a location-based portal
wherein traders from different cities will be registered under their respective category of items.
v. Consumers will have the option to buy either online or from the physical store of the chosen seller

4. Microsoft begins rebranding of Nokia Priority Stores

i. In order to increase its presence in emerging markets like India, Microsoft on Wednesday kick-started rebranding of
Nokia Priority Stores as Microsoft Priority Resellers.

ii. India is the first country among Microsoft's global markets to roll out the new look for its retail outlets.

iii. This is perhaps one of the biggest rebranding exercises undertaken by a mobile manufacturer and we wanted
India to lead the way being a priority market for us. For many consumers, the rebranded shops will be their first
experience of Microsoft as a consumer hardware manufacturer.
iv. While existing Nokia stores would transform into Microsoft Priority Resellers, housing only Microsoft products, the
multi-branded retail stores will be rechristened as Microsoft Mobile Resellers.

5. Kapil Mishra to Succeed Jitender Tomar as Delhi's Law Minister

i. Delhi Jal Board vice chairman Kapil Mishra will succeed Jitender Tomar as Delhi's law minister. A letter has been
sent to the president in this regard.
ii. Mr Tomar had stepped down on Tuesday after being arrested over allegations that he had faked his law degree.
iii. Mr Mishra, the legislator from northeast Delhi's Karawal Nagar, was placed in the crucial Jal Board to help realise
the Aam Aadmi Party's election promise of providing cheap water to Delhiites.

6. SEBI cracks down on 200 illicit fund-raising activities in 1 year

i. Stepping up action against illicit fund-raising in a big way, SEBI has cracked down on nearly 200 such activities in
last one year relating to fraud against gullible investors and recovered Rs. 25 crore.
ii. SEBI has passed close to 200 orders in last one year against illegal fund-raising activities and barred individuals
and companies from mobilising money from public.
iii. The Securities Laws Amendment Act, which was notified by the government in August 2014, empowers SEBI to
pass orders for attachment of properties, arrest of defaulters and to access call data records.
iv. A majority of orders against deemed public issues were in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and
Odisha. The same for CIS activities are in Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West
Bengal.
1. Union Cabinet gives nod to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement
i. Union Cabinet meet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the signing of Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement.

ii. The agreement which is similar to the SAARC Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) seeks to regulate the vehicular
traffic of passenger, personal and cargo amongst BBIN countries.
The agreement will be signed on 15th June 2015 at the Transport Ministers meeting in Thimpu, Bhutan.
iii. BBIN agreement aims to promote safe, environmentally sound and economical efficient road transport in the subregion of BBIN. It also seeks to help each member country to create an institutional mechanism for regional
integration.
iv. BBIN agreement will benefit member nations for mutual cross border movement of passenger and goods for
overall economic development of the region.
For implementation of this agreement each signatory member will bear its own costs.

2. Senior scientist Dr. Srivari Chandrasekhar appointed as Director of CSIR-IICT

i. Dr. Srivari Chandrasekhar was appointed Director of CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) a premier
research institute of Union Government based in Hyderabad, Telangana.

ii. He was named appointed to the top post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
who is ex-officio Chairman of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) functioning under Union Ministry of
Science and Technology.
iii. He has made significant contributions in diverse areas of organic chemistry with a special emphasis total synthesis
of biologically active natural products, on chiral chemistry and pharmaceutical products.
iv. He also has developed technologies for synthesis of latest anti-tumor and abortive drug mesoprostol, antituberculosis drug bedaquiline and drug for treatment of schizophrenia asenapine etc. Apart from above contributions,
he also has more than 250 publications with 5,000 citations to his credit.

3. 26 African countries create TFTA: Cape Town to Cairo free-trade zone

i. African countries have signed a historic The Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) that facilitates creation of Africas
largest free-trade zone.

ii. 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.
iii. The pact was signed in Egypt will intent to ease the movement of goods across 26 member countries which
represent more than half the continents GDP. TFTA pact combines existing three trade blocs among the African

nations viz Southern African Development Community (SADC), East African Community (EAC), Common Market for
Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
iv. It will remove trade barriers on most goods, making them cheaper and stimulating $ 1 trillion worth of economic
activity across the region of more than 600 million people.

4. Indian-Origin Surgeon General Vivek Murthy Presented With Pride of Community Award

i. Indian-origin US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has been presented with the
Pride of the Community Award by a prominent Hindu advocacy group.
ii. Receiving the award by the Hindu American Foundation at its 12th Annual Day reception at Capitol Hill, Mr Murthy
said that he draws inspiration from the life of Swami Vivekananda.
iii. HAF also awarded Anantanand Rambachan, Professor of Religion at St Olaf College, Dharma Seva award;
Harpreet Singh Mokha of the Department of Justice, the Mahatma Gandhi Award for the Advancement of Pluralism;
and Senator Mark Kirk and Rep Joe Crowley, HAF's Friend of the Community awards.

5. Stanford scientist Manu Prakash makes water based computer

i. Manu Prakash, who amazed the world last year by building a paper microscope, has now come up with a computer
that works by moving water droplets. P
ii. rakash is an assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford University and he has developed the water computer
with the help of two of his students. He was born in Meerut, India.
iii. What Prakash did was devise a system in which tiny water droplets are trapped in a magnetic field. When the field
is rotated or flipped, the droplets move in precise direction and distance. This became the basis of the computer
clock, which is an essential component of any computer.
iv. Computer clocks are responsible for nearly every modern convenience. Smartphones, DVRs, airplanes, internet without a clock, none of these could operate without frequent and serious complications.

6. Reliance Capital names Gopkumar as CEO of broking, distribution business

i. Reliance Capital, part of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group, today said it has appointed B Gopkumar chief executive
of its broking and distribution business.
ii. Gopkumar, who succeeds Vikrant Gugnani, has over 20 years of industry experience. He has handled various
assignments across varied functions, including direct sales, priority banking, marketing, product development, broking
and distribution.
iii. Reliance Capital's broking business -- Reliance Securities -- provides a varied customer base with access to
equities, equity options, wealth management solutions and mutual funds.

9. CAD shrinks massively to 0.2 per cent in Q4

i. The countrys current account deficit (CAD) narrowed sharply to USD 1.3 billion, or 0.2 per cent of Gross Domestic
Product (GDP), in the fourth quarter of the last financial year on a sequential basis mainly on account of a lower trade
gap.
ii. The CAD shrank to 1.3 per cent of GDP for full financial year 2014-15.
iii. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, CAD narrowed sharply to USD 1.3 billion (0.2 per cent of GDP) in fourth quarter of
financial year 2014-15 from USD 8.3 billion (1.6 per cent of GDP) in the third quarter

8. Forbes list: Dhoni only Indian among world's richest athletes

i. Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the only Indian sportsman in Forbes magazine's 100 highest-paid athletes in the
world.
ii. Dhoni has been ranked 23rd on the Forbes list of The World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2015 dropping a notch from
his ranking of 22 last year.
iii. Dhoni's total earnings stood at $31 million, including amount from salary/winnings at $4 million and endorsements
worth $27 million.
iv. The earnings figures include salaries, prize money and bonuses paid out between June 2014 and June 2015.
1. Second border haat opens in Sipahijala district of Tripura

i. The second border haat (rural market) was opened for common people at Kamalasagar in Sipahijala district of
Tripura bordering Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh.
ii. The haat was jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina
by video-conferencing from Dhaka on June 6, 2015. This market is set up at the zero line of the international border
with one part on the Indian side and the other in Bangladesh.
iii. Initially it will facilitate bilateral trade of 16 shortlisted locally produced goods. These goods include agricultural and
horticultural crops, spices, minor forest products excluding timber, fish and dry fish, dairy and poultry products,
cottage industry items, wooden furniture, handloom and handicraft items.
iv. People residing within a distance of 5 km from along the border are entitled to do business at the haat which will
take place once in a week initially. No local taxes would be levied on the goods sold in the haats and currencies of
both the countries would prevail.
v. First border haat was inaugurated on Srinagar- Purba border area in January 2015 by Union Commerce and
Industries Minister Nirmala along with her Bangladeshi counterpart Tofail ahmed.

2. Renewable energy targets quadruple globally in 10 years: IRENA

i. IRENA is an intergovernmental organization to promote adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy. It is a
global hub for renewable energy cooperation and information exchange within its member nations.
ii. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has announced that in past one decade renewable energy
targets have quadruple globally.

iii. It was mentioned IRENA Renewable Energy Target Setting report which was released by IRENA Director-General
Adnan Z. Amin on the side lines of IRENAs 9th Council meeting in Dubai.

iv. As per report, 164 countries have adopted at least one type of renewable energy target compared to 43 countries
in 2005. All nations are adopting renewable energy targets to meet multiple objectives including energy security,
environmental sustainability and socio-economic benefits.
v. The majority of 150 countries have focused committed renewable energy targets on the electricity sector The
numbers of countries setting renewable targets for the heating and cooling sector have increased to 47 from 2
countries in 2005.

3. RBI allows NRIs to subscribe chit funds

i. Reserve Bank of Indian has allowed non-resident Indians (NRIs) to invest in chit fund to encourage flow of capital
into the country. Decision in this regard was taken after RBI had revised the extant guidelines for subscription to the
chit funds in consultation with the government.

ii. Henceforth, NRIs on non-repatriation basis will be

allowed to invest in chit fund without any ceiling. However, the subscription to the chit funds by NRIs will be
mandatorily brought in through normal banking channel, including through an account maintained with a bank in
India.
iii. The state government may permit any chit fund to accept subscription from NRIs on non-repatriation basis. It will
be permitted by the registrar of chits or an officer authorized by the state government in accordance with the
provisions of the Chit Fund Act, 1982.
iv. Earlier in May 2000, RBI had barred NRIs from investing in a company or firms engaged in the business of chit
fund. Apart from this decision, RBI also extended the scheme allowing airline companies to raise external commercial
borrowings (ECB) for working capital as a permissible end-use under the approval route. Now, the ECB scheme will
continue till March 31, 2016.

4. Legendary actor Sir Christopher Lee passes away

i. Legendary English actor, singer and writer Sir Christopher Lee passed away in London, United Kingdom. He was
93. The veteran actor was famously known as the master of horror for his famous villainy acting roles in numerous
movies such as Dracula, The Wicker Man, James Bond, Lord of the Rings trilogy etc.

ii. Christopher Lee was born in London in 1922 Film career: His on screen acting career began in 1947 after he had
the Rank Organisation where he was trained as an actor. His career spanned more than 7 decades. His famous
acting roles include Francisco Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Saruman in The Lord of the
Rings film trilogy (20012003), The Hobbit film trilogy (20122014), Count Dooku Star Wars trilogy (2002 and 2005)
and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008).
iii. He also is known for his best performance portraying of Pakistans founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the biopic
Jinnah (1998). Music career: Lee was also known for his singing ability. He had recorded various opera and musical
pieces between 1986 and 1998.
iv. He also had recorded symphonic metal album Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross in 2010 after he had
worked with several metal bands since 2005. Awards and Honours: He was knighted in 2009 for services to drama
and charity and was awarded the Bafta fellowship in 2011 and Spirit of Metal award (2010)

5. Union Government scraps import duties on AIDS drugs and test kits
i. Union Government has scrapped customs import duties for drugs and test kits used to treat Human
immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS).
ii. In this regard Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has issued a notice that will remain in effect till March
2016. This decision will help to cut prices of AIDS drugs across the country and thus help directly in Governments
national program to fight the disease.
iii. It will also make import raw materials that are used to make antiretrovirals under the national program cheaper.
This tax exemption will be applicable to certain first-line and second-line antiretroviral drugs which are used to treat
adults and children.
iv. Apart from drugs certain diagnostic kits and equipment are also exempted from tax. In India more than 2.1 million
HIV/AIDS patients are provided with daily antiretrovirals for free from state-run distribution centres which are operated
by National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).

6. C.S Verma steps down as SAIL CMD

i. State-owned SAIL on Thursday said C. S. Verma had relinquished the charge as Chairman and Managing Director
on completion of his tenure and Steel Secretary Rakesh Singh has assumed the charge till a regular incumbent is
appointed.
ii. Mr. Verma was appointed CMD of the countrys largest steel producer for a 5-year term in June 2010 by the
previous UPA government, and was eligible for an extension till he attained the superannuation age of 60 years in
September 2019.
iii. The governments not extending his tenure to the top job makes him the first Maharatna PSU head to be denied
an extension during the current NDA regime.

7. TCS, Infosys face US probe for H-1B visa violations

i. The US government has opened an investigation against two of the biggest Indian outsourcing companies for
possible violations of H1-B visa rules, according to a media report.
ii. The Department of Labour has opened the investigation against Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys for
possible violations of rules for visas for foreign technology workers under contracts they held with an electric utility
Southern California Edison
iii. The power company had recently laid off more than 500 technology workers amid claims that many of those laid
off were made to train their replacements who were immigrants on the temporary work visas brought in by the Indian
firms
iv. The move by the Labour Department comes days after the NYT had reported that hundreds of employees at
entertainment giant Walt Disney were laid off and replaced with Indians holding H1-B visas.
1. AP launches Mee Bhoomi digital depository of land records

i. The Andhra Pradesh government has launched `Mee Bhoomi', a digital depository of land records.The portal,
http://meebhoomi.ap.gov.in/, makes all land details along with Adangal/Pahani and 1-B details, available to the
people.

ii. It also lists details of land owners, area, assessment, water source, soil type, nature of possession of the land,
liabilities, tenancy, and crops grown. One can also view individual/ village adangal and 1B details on the website.
iii. Besides the survey number or pattadar number, it also gives the option of entering the Aadhaar card number to
view land details. Users can also search for their field measurement book (F.M.B) on the website. The details of any
transactions will also be updated on the website.
iv. With respect to grievances related to land, people can register a complaint at the closest Mee-Seva centre, which
will process the same within 15 days.Making the portal mobile-friendly, the government has also launched an Android
app.

2. RBI allows FII buying in Kaveri Seed

i. The stock of Kaveri Seed Company will see some buying interest on Monday, as the Reserve Bank of India on
Friday said foreign portfolio investors could now invest up to 49 per cent of the companys equity base.
ii. The RBI decision follows foreign investor shareholding falling below the revised threshold limit. According to
exchange data, at the end of March 2015, FIIs held 22.26 per cent stake in the seed major.

3. Dick Costolo resigned as CEO of Twitter Inc

i. Dick Costolo on 11 June 2015 resigned as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
of Twitter Inc after serving the company for five years. Costolo will demit the office of CEO on 1 July 2015.
ii. Twitter co-founder and Square Inc's CEO Jack Dorsey will take over as the Interim CEO of the company on 1 July
2015 and will stay until a replacement is found.
iii. Costolo joined the company in 2009 as its Chief Operating Officer. In 2013, he helped the company to go public
and recently he struggled to attract new users to the service.

4. 50-lakh penalty on Future Generali

i. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has imposed a
penalty of 50 lakh on Future Generali Life Insurance Company.
ii. The regulator, which had examined 34 charges on a variety of aspects related to business, said the company had
violated many norms, including not settling huge number of claims in respect of the group insurance schemes,
continuation of corporate agency even after expiry of licence, use of unlicensed entities for procuring business and
distribution of gift vouchers procured from Big Bazar, one of the group companies.
iii. It has been asked to pay the penalty within 15 days, according to an order issued by IRDAI Chairman TS Vijayan.

5. Wes Hall inducted into ICC Hall of Fame

i. Former West Indies fast bowler Wes Hall was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of
Fame during the lunch break on the opening day of the Sabina Park Test between West Indies and Australia.

ii. He became the fourth cricketer to receive the honour this year after Betty Wilson, Anil Kumble and Martin
Crowe.Hall, 77, received his commemorative cap from fellow Hall of Famer Courtney Walsh, and is now the 18th
cricketer from the Caribbean to be bestowed with the award.
iii. Hall, who played 48 Tests for West Indies between 1958 and 1969, said he was "privileged" and "honoured" to
receive the award which put him in the company of the "many greats of the game"

6. China launches freight train service connecting Europe

i. China today launched a freight train service between its northeastern city of Harbin and Europe, opening a new
trade route to Europe covering a distance of nearly 10,000 kms.
ii. The train left Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, carrying 49 containers of domestic goods such as electronic
products and auto parts worth US$ three million from northeast and north China, state-run Xinhua news agency
reported.

7. In Haryana village, contest of selfies with daughter to save girl child

i. Haryana's Bibipur village, which wants The Women's World' added to its name, has now come out

with a unique idea to continue its efforts to create gender-neutral atmosphere in the state.
ii. The village panchyat has decided to organize a best selfie with daughters' contest to honour the winning family with
a trophy, certificate and Rs 2,100 as cash prize.
iii. The panchayat has invited parents to send their selfies to the village sarpanch on WhatsApp by June 17 while the
winner family would be announced after two days.
iv. Village sarpnach Sunil Jaglan said they that had already received more than 120 entries in past four days after
they announced the contest.

8. Utility bills valid proof of address to open account: RBI

i. Bills for postpaid mobile service, piped gas and water supply can now be submitted as proof of address for opening
account with banks or other financial institutions, the Reserve Bank said today.
ii. Utility bill which is not more than two months old of any service provider (electricity, telephone, postpaid mobile
phone, piped gas, water bill) for the limited purpose of proof of address are deemed to be Officially Valid Documents
(OVDs) under 'simplified measures.
RBI issued final guidelines for 6-year and 13-year Interest Rate Futures

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the final guidelines for the 6-year and 13-year cash settled Interest Rate
Futures (IRF) on government securities with residual maturity of 4-8 years and 11-15 years respectively under the
Interest Rate Futures (Reserve Bank) (Amendment) Directions, 2015. For this purpose, RBI amended the Interest
Rate Futures (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2013 dated 5 December 2013.
ii. For the 6-year cash settled IRF contracts, the underlying shall be a coupon bearing government security of face
value of 100 rupees and the residual maturity of 6-year IRF is between 4 and 8 years on the expiry of futures
contract.
iii. For the 13-year cash settled IRF contracts, the underlying can be a coupon bearing government security of face
value of 100 rupees and residual maturity will be between 11 and 15 years on the expiry of futures contract.
iv. Moreover, the RBI also expanded the residual maturity for the existing 10-year cash settled IRF from 9-11 years
to 8-11 years to provide market participants a greater choice and flexibility to hedge their interest rate risk across
different tenors.

US becomes world's largest oil producer, says BP Report

i. As per recently released report by British Petroleum (BP) Energy Company,

United States (US) became the worlds largest oil producer in 2014 surpassing Saudi Arabia.
ii. Production: US had produced 11.6 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) i.e. 15.9% more oil in 2014. While, Saudi
Arabia was placed second position as it had produced 11.5 million bpd in 2014. Russia was placed at third position
with 10.8 million bpd oil production.

iii. Natural Gas Production: US also has surpassed Russia as the worlds largest producer of natural gas.
iv. Consumption: China had remained the worlds largest growth market for energy in 2014
v. Facts related to India: Indias oil production gad declined by 1.3% at 895,000 bpd, while the consumption had
increased by 3% to 3.8 million bpd. India has shown 7.1% rise in energy consumption.

Government sacks Dr. Bimal Roy, Director of Indian Statistical Institute

i. Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) has sacked

Dr Bimal K Roy as the Director of Indian Statistical Institute (ISI). He was removed from the office on charges of
indiscipline one-and-a-half months before the end of his term.
ii. Professor Sanghmitra Bandyopadhayay now will replace Dr Bimal K Roy as the Director of ISI. With this
appointment she has become the first woman to lead the institute.
iii. Roy who is a renowned cryptologist was appointed Director of ISI in August 2010. In April 2015, he was conferred
with Indias fourth highest civilian honour Padma Shri for his contribution in the discipline of literature and education.
VK Singh inaugurates first India-China Yoga College at Yunnan Minzu University, China
i. Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V K Singh inaugurated first India-China Yoga College at Yunnan Minzu
University
in
Kunming,
China.
ii. This is first Indian government institution related Indian spiritual art form i.e. Yoga in China inaugurated ahead of
the
first
UN
Yoga
Day
to
be
observed
on
June
21.
iii. The Yoga College was established in lines with the MoU for establishing the Yoga College signed during the Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modis
visit
to
China
in
May
2015.
iv. This college seeks to provide certification courses in the Indian spiritual art with them Indian teachers who are
going to help in curriculum development and training.

Government
launches
Migrant
Resource
Centre
in
Chennai
i. Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) was set up in Chennai by the Union Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA)
and
Tamil
Nadu
state
government.
ii. The MRC will provide migrants and overseas Indian workers with information, advice, counseling and guidance on
all
aspects
of
overseas
employment.
iii. Following are support functions of MRCs

Dissemination of information on safe and legal migration.

Dissemination of information regarding status of recruiting agents along with other service providers.

Registration and response to complaints and grievances within the redressal forum of MOIA.

To offer counseling support in form of walk in or telephone and email support.

iv. Note: It is the fourth such MRC in India set up by MOIA. The first MRC was established in 2008 in Kochi, Kerala by
MOIA. Later, fully functional MRCs in Hyderabad (Telengana & Andhra Pradesh), Gurgaon (Haryana) were
established.
14th June: World Blood Donor Day
i. World Blood Donor Day is being observed across the world on 14 June to raise the public awareness about the
need for safe blood donation.
ii. The theme of this years campaign is Thank you for saving my life. This years campaign encourages donors all
over the world to donate blood voluntarily and regularly with the slogan Give freely, give often. Blood donation
matters.
iii. Objective
To spread awareness about the need for safe and secure blood supplies.
Provide an opportunity to draw public attention to the importance of blood donation for saving lives.

Recommendations of Bibek Debroy Committee on restructuring of Indian Railways

i. The committee has suggested measures for restructuring the Railway Board and its departments so that policy
making is separated from day-to-day operations.
ii. Recommendations of Bibek Debroy committee

Establishment of an independent regulator Railway Regulatory Authority of India (RRAI) with a separate
budget and to be independent of the Ministry.

RRAI will decide on tariffs to revamp the cash-strapped railways.

Railway Budget should be phased out with gross budgetary support to Indian Railways.

No privatisation of Indian Railway but allowed participation of private sector in the railway projects.

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.

iii. Background: 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 Bibek Debroy. The other 6 members are former cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar,
Gusharan Das, Ravi Narain, Partha Mukhopadhyay, Rajendra Kashyap, Ajay Tyagi and Ajay Narayan Jha.

Daily GK update 15 June

BSNL launched free roaming today
i)State-run BSNL will launch free roaming, starting today, which will allow all its mobile customers across
the country to receive incoming calls at no cost.

Now BSNL mobile customers will not need to carry multiple SIMs and handsets during roaming. ii)They
are free to talk as long as they want without worrying of any charges during incoming calls.
In fact, it is like a dream of One Nation One Number coming true, BSNL CMD Anupam Shrivastava
said in a statement. One June 2, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had announced that the telco
would be launching free roaming scheme from June 15.

iii)The company also clarified that it has not received any communication from sectoral regulator TRAI
regarding the roaming scheme.
We have not received any such communication from TRAI.BSNL has announced this scheme with the
consent of Minister of Communications & IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad who himself had announced it in a
press conference held on June 2. TRAI has no objection to it, Shrivastava said

Ameising Luikham takes over as New Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises

Shri Ameising Luikham, IAS (MN:1981) today took over as Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises in
the M/o Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises . Prior to this he was working as Secretary, North Eastern
Council, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.

Shri Luikham's appointment is vice Shri Kapil Dev Tripathi, IAS (AM:1980) who already have been
appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Sheila Kaul, former Governor of Himachal Pradesh, died

i) Former Governor of Himachal Pradesh, ex-Union Minister and Congress leader Sheila Kaul died after a
brief illness on 14 June 2015. She was 100.

She is now survived by sons Gautam Kaul, a retired IPS officer, and Vikram Kaul, an international sports
administrator, besides daughter Deepa Kaul, a former Information Minister in UP.
ii) She was married to renowned botanist Kailash Nath Kaul, who established the National Botanical
Research Institute in Lucknow. Kaul, sister-in-law of Jawaharlal Nehru, was oldest surviving former
Parliamentarian.
iii) She was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for five times in 1971, 1980 and 1984 (from
Lucknow) and in 1989, 1991 (from Rae Bareli).

Nasscom signs MoU with IESA

i)The National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) on Monday signed an MoU
with India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) to speed up 'Make in India' and 'Digital India'
agenda for electronic system design and manufacturing (ESDM) and IT.

ii)The aim is to create a common agenda that will guide the Government and industry to construct policies
and an environment leading to the creation of ESDM and IT products, solutions and brands out of India.
Vinay Shenoy, Chairman, IESA, said: "By joining forces, we are now better able to address 'DeviceInfrastructure-Application' and the interplay between them. Initial focus areas are likely to be policy
frameworks, enabling capability build-up, knowledge sharing, eco-system discovery and promotion.''
Under the MoU, both industry associations will bring key stakeholders and partners from industry,
Government, academia and investment community closer and identify key areas of investment.

FDI in services sector up 46% in 2014-15

i)With the government taking steps to improve ease of doing business and attracting investments, FDI
inflows into the services sector grew by over 46% to $3.25 billion in 2014-15.
ii)The services sector, which includes banking, insurance, outsourcing, R&D, courier and technology
testing, had received foreign direct investment (FDI) worth $2.22 billion in 2013-14.

However, the total foreign inflow in 2014-15 in the services sector was low as compared to 2012-13 when
it was $4.83 billion, according to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) data.
iii)The government has announced a series of steps such as fixing timeliness for approvals to improve
the ease of doing business in the country and attracting domestic as well as foreign investments.
In step with the growth in FDI in important sectors like services, overall foreign inflows in the country too
rose by 27% to $30.93 billion during the previous fiscal. The amount was $24.29 billion in 2013-14.

Wholesale price inflation dips in May

i)Wholesale inflation at (-)2.36 per cent in May as against (-)2.65 per cent in April.
Inflation remained in negative territory for the seventh month in May, registering a decline of 2.36 per cent
on account of subdued prices of food items, fuel and manufactured goods.The Wholesale Price Index
(WPI) based inflation was () 2.65 per cent in April.

It has been in the negative zone since November 2014. Inflation in last May was 6.18 per cent.
ii)The lower inflation comes amid a forecast of deficient monsoon this year. In contrast to IMDs forecast
of 12 per cent deficient rainfall, the onset of monsoon has been reasonably strong so far.
Citigroup said that overall the monsoon is still a risk factor but we expect CPI (retail inflation) to
undershoot RBIs Jan-16 projection by 40bps and average 5 per cent in 2015-16. This is likely to create
room for further 25 bps cut in current fiscal.
iii)The CPI inflation had inched up marginally in May to over 5 per cent from 4.87 per cent in the previous
month.

Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) launched India Nuclear Insurance Pool (INIP)
i)The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) on 12 June 2015 launched the India Nuclear Insurance Pool
(INIP).The INIP has become the 27th such insurance pool in the world as countries such as France,
Russia, South Africa and the U.S. have put in place such similar risk transfer mechanisms.Features of
India Nuclear Insurance Pool (INIP)

ii)It will cover the risks of liability of nuclear operators and suppliers under Section 6(2) and Section 17 of
the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages (CLND) Act, 2010 respectively.
It provides three types of policies viz., tier 1 policy for operators, tier 2 policy for turn key suppliers and tier
3 policy for suppliers other than turn key supply

Union Government launched website to connect employers, job seekers

i)Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Kalraj Mishra on 15 June 2015 launched a
digital Employment Exchange for Industries (EEX) portal eex.dcmsme.gov.in which will connect
employers and job seekers.
ii)The portal will help in linking Make in India initiative with Skilled India one.The employers and job
seekers can now register at www.eex.dcmsme.gov.in. Nearly, two lakh job seekers have already
registered themselves with the EEX.

iii)There are large units in the country which are dependent on MSMEs, but the absence of skilled
manpower results in non-competitiveness of MSMEs and Indian industry as a whole.
Until and unless, the skilled hands do not find the appropriate jobs and the appropriate employer, it
will lead to frustration and skepticism to the entire skilling program of this country.
Therefore, it is utmost important that these skilled hands get a platform where they can find livelihoods for
themselves. This online portal will enable industrial units in finding suitable manpower and will help job
seekers in finding suitable jobs

1. Union Government launched Augmented Reality Application named Sakaar

i. The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh
on 15 June 2015 launched an Augmented Reality (AR) application named Sakaar to highlight the achievements of
the Department of Space.

ii. The application has been developed by Development and Educational Communication Unit (DECU) of ISRO for
Android devices.
iii. Sakaar consists of 3D models of MOM, RISAT, rockets (PSLV, GSLV Mk-III); videos of INSAT 3D-predicting
cyclones, GSLV D5/Cryo, Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) orbit insertion, launch video of MOM, 360 degree animated
view of MOM; Anaglyph of Mars surface.
iv. Augmentation is in real time and the information is overlaid on the live view of the devices camera. Essentially, AR
requires three elements:

Android device with back camera

AR application

AR Markers.

2. PM Narendra Modi launched book titled Education of Muslims by Professor JS Rajput

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 June 2015 launched a book titled Education of Muslims: An Islamic
Perspective of Knowledge and Education Indian Context edited by Professor JS Rajput.
ii. The book is aimed at informing and educating policy-makers, scholars and readers about role of Islam in pursuit of
education and knowledge.
iii. The book contains 16 articles written by various scholars and historians including JS Rajput on wide ranging
issues related to understanding of Islam religion, role of Islam and its educational institutions (madrasas) in
dissemination of knowledge and educational status of Muslim children in India among others.
iv. JS Rajput is an accomplished educationist and historian. He is a former director of National Council of Educational
Research and Training (NCERT) and Chairman, National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).

3. UN elected Denmark's Mogens Lykketoft to head General Assembly

i. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 15 June 2015 elected Denmark's Mogens Lykketoft as its
President for its upcoming 70th session in September 2015.
ii. He will have tenure of one year and succeeds Uganda's Sam Kutesa to preside over the 193-member body.
iii. Lykketoft presently is the speaker of Danish Parliament since 2011 and is a member of the Social Democrats party.
iv. Earlier from 1993 to 2001, Lykketoft served Denmark as its Foreign and Finance Ministers.

4. LIC Nomura Mutual Fund CEO Nilesh Sathe appointed member, life at IRDAI

i. The government has appointed Nilesh Sathe, Chief Executive Officer of LIC Nomura
Mutual Fund Asset Management Company, as the member-life of insurance regulator IRDAI.
ii. The post was lying vacant since the retirement of S Roy Chowdhury in February 2014.
iii. Sathe will be joining the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) on July 1 and have a
four-year long tenure at the Hyderabad-headquartered insurance sector watchdog.
iv. Sathe held various positions in LIC, which include Executive Director (marketing) and Senior Divisional Manager in
Mumbai.

5. Indian Railways names Haridwar Mail as Yoga Express

i. Indian Railways has named Haridwar Mail as Yoga Express with an immediate effect.
ii. In this regard the train No 19031/19032 Ahmedabad-Haridwar-Ahmedabad famously known as Haridwar Mail has
been christened as Yoga Express.
iii. This decision was taken by Indian Railways before celebration of first International Yoga Day on 21st June which
will be observed as global event.

6. Sunil Chhetri becomes first Indian to score 50 international goals

i. Prolific striker Sunil Chhetri on Tuesday became the first Indian footballer to score 50 international goals during his
team's 2018 World Cup qualifying match against Guam.
ii. Chhetri's feat, though, came in a losing cause, as India suffered their second successive defeat in the preliminary
joint qualification second round.
iii. Former captain Bhaichung Bhutia stays at the second spot with 42 goals in 107 matches while IM Vijayan has 40
goals from 79 games. This meanwhile, was Chhetri's 87th match.
iv. For the record, it was Chhetri who scored India's all the goals in the team's four joint preliminary round 2018 World
Cup qualifying games so far.

1. Govt okays 16 FDI proposals worth Rs. 6,751 cr.

i. The government on Wednesday approved 16 foreign investment proposals, including those of Torrent
Pharmaceuticals and Star India Private Limited, amounting to Rs. 6,750.86 crore.

ii. The proposals were cleared during the FIPB meeting held on May 28
iii. Broadcaster Star India Private Limited has been given approval for further issuance and transfer of shares to its
foreign collaborator and acquisition of another Indian company engaged in broadcasting sector on a slump sale
basis.
iv. Syngene International has been allowed to raise foreign investment to 44 per cent from 10 per cent by initial public
offering of equity shares to FIIs, FPIs and NRIs.

2. Book titled Modi - Incredible emergence of a star in Chinese language written by Tarun Vijay
i. A book on Prime Minister Narendra Modi titled Modi Incredible emergence of a star written in Chinese language by
Tarun Vijay
ii. The book was published in July 2014 by Sichuan Universitys South Asia Study Centre.
iii. The book is a biography based on the life and economic vision of Narendra Modi.

3. ASCI launches mobile app to curb misleading advertisements

i. In a bid to address misleading advertisements, the Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI) launched its
consumer complaint mobile application ASCIonline, to provide consumer complaint services on a mobile app
besides providing the facility online.

ii. Talking about the initiative, Narendra Ambwani, ASCI chairman said, One of the goals of ASCI is to provide
convenient access for lodging complaint and hence this launch of mobile app."
iii. Lodge complaints by simply providing advertisement details and objection. Users can also attach the files like
image or video or YouTube link of that advertisement.
iv. Status of complaints and complaint tracking also made simple and user-friendly.

4. Archana Ramasundaram out of CBI, appointed Director of NCRB

i. Senior IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram has been moved out of the CBI and
appointed as Director, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
ii. Ramasundaram, a 1980 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, was appointed as Additional
Director in CBI in February last year amid controversy.She was not assigned any work on the direction of the
Supreme Court, which is hearing a writ petition against her appointment.
iii. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has approved lateral shift of Ramasundaram from the post of
Additional Director, CBI to hold Director General or equivalent level post at the Centre.
iv. Ramasundaram's appointment last year had generated quite a controversy as the CBI locked horns with Central
Vigilance Commission (CVC) and Home Ministry over the choice.

5. Charles Correa, face of contemporary architecture in India passes away

i. Indias greatest contemporary architect Charles Correa passed away in

Mumbai following a brief illness. He was 84.
ii. He was Chief Architect for Navi Mumbai along with Shirish Patel and Pravina Mehta from 197075.
iii. He also had served as first Chairman of the National Commission on Urbanization and was appointed by then
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1985.He is founder of Mumbais Urban Design Research Institute (established in
1984) dedicated to protect the environment and improve lives of urban communities.
iv. He had been awarded the Padma Shri (1972), Padma Vibhushan (2006) by Government of India. He was also
awarded Royal Gold Medal for Architecture (1984) by the Royal Institute of British Architects, 7th Aga Khan Award for
Architecture (1998), Praemium Imperiale of Japan.

6. Election Commission suspends recognition of PA Sangma-led National Peoples Party

i. Election Commission of India (ECI) has suspended recognition of the PA Sangma-led National Peoples Party
(NPP) which was a recognized state party in Meghalaya.
ii. The recognition of NPP was suspended under para 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment)
Order, 1968 after the party failed to file the election expenditure statement incurred in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
iii. At present NPP has one Lok Sabha member- PA Sangma from Tura constituency from Meghalaya. It also has 4
members in Rajasthan Legislative assembly and 2 in Meghalaya Legislative assembly.

7. BSNL to set up 40,000 wi-fi hot spots India

i. State owned telecommunications giant Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has announced to set up 40,000
Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) hot spots across the country.
ii. This project will come in lines with new digital architecture which is part of Union Governments flagship Digital
India Programme. The 40,000 wi-fi hot spots project will be entailed with an investment of about 6,000 crore rupees.
The project is likely to be completed by 2018.
iii. It was announced by Union Minister of Communications & IT Ravi Shankar Prasad after launching the Wi-Fi facility
at Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
iv. BSNL has installed the Wi-Fi facility at the premises of Taj Mahal as part of the Union Governments plan to
provide free internet services at major tourist places across country.

1. Union Cabinet gives nod to introduction of Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015
i. Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved introduction of Bureau of Indian
Standards Bill, 2015 in coming session of Parliament.
ii. The Bureau will perform its functions through a Governing Council consisting of President and other members.

iii. Mandatory certification regime: Empower government to bring mandatory certification regime for articles,
processes or services which it considers necessary.
iv. Simplified conformity assessment schemes: In order to allow ease of doing business, the bill allows multiple types
of simplified assessment schemes. It includes Self Declaration of Conformity (SDOC) against any standard which will
give multiple simplified options to manufacturers.
v. Mandatory hallmarking: provisions related to compulsory hallmarking of precious metal articles. Strengthening
penal provisions: It will help for better and effective compliance of law and enable compounding of offences for
violations.

2. Odisha State Co-op Bank launches Bank on Wheels

i. Intervening directly the Odisha State Co-operative Bank is going to launch the Bank on Wheels to help farmers
get loans on their doorstep. Twenty vans with ATM facility will move around 20 remote and tribal pockets in Keonjhar,
Koraput, Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh and Sambalpur districts for the purpose.
ii. The Centre has provided Rs 6 crore, at the rate of Rs 30 lakh for each vehicle, to agriculture department for the
scheme under Rashtriya Krishi Bikas Yojana.
iii. Anyone can withdraw money from the mobile ATMs though the scheme is meant for farmers

3. Union Cabinet approves Solar Power capacity target to 1 lakh MW under JNNSM by 2022
i. Union Cabinet approved increasing Indias solar power capacity target under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar
Mission (JNNSM) to 1 Lakh Mega Watt (MW) by 2022.

ii. 1 Lakh Mega Watt (MW) target principally will comprise of 40,000 MW from
Rooftop and 60,000 MW through Large and Medium Scale Grid Connected Solar Power Projects.
iii. After meeting this ambitious target, India will become one of the largest Green Energy producers in the world by
surpassing several developed countries.
iv. These projects will help in generation of additional 2000 MW capacity of Grid-connected solar power projects and
create employment of about 12,000 people in rural and urban areas. It will also help to reduce about 3.41 Million
Tonnes (MT) of carbon emissions into the open environment every year.

4. Union Government decided to increase number of work days under MGNREGA in drought hit areas
i. The Union Government on 17 June 2015 decided to increase the number of workdays under Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) from 100 days to 150 days in drought-affected areas of the
country.
ii. The decision to increase the wage days in drought-affected areas was taken as Government is expecting an
increase in demand for wage-based employment due to drought affecting regular agricultural activities in some
places.
iii. Earlier in February 2014, previous government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the number of workdays
under MNREGA was increased from 100 days to 150 days for tribal areas who have received land rights under the
Forest Rights Act, 2006.

5. CEA-led committee to suggest GST rates, report likely in two months

i. A committee headed by the Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) will recommend the possible rates of Goods & Services
Tax (GST), slated to be introduced from April 1 next year.

ii. The setting up of two committees to facilitate implementation of the new

indirect tax regime. The other will be a Steering Committee under the co-chairmanship of the Additional Secretary in
the Revenue Department and Member Secretary, Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers.
iii. The CEA-led committee will recommend possible tax rates under GST that would be consistent with the present
level of revenue collection of the Centre and States.
iv. While making recommendations, this Committee would take into account expected levels of growth of economy,
different levels of compliance and broadening of tax base under GST. The Committee would also analyse the sectorwise and State-wise impact of GST on the economy.

6. Op DOGA to secure Yoga Day event

i. Foolproof security arrangements made at the venue of the International Yoga Day event on Rajpath this weekend
have been dubbed Operation DOGA a combination of the words, dog and Yoga - in line with the magnitude of the
deployment of security dogs for the purpose.

ii. As the venue around India Gate-Rajpath will be visited by close to 40,000
people, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi this Sunday, its peripheries and core areas have already been
handed over for security checks to an undisclosed number of canine troops.
iii. The ITBP, nominated as the national centre for excellence for sniffer and police dogs training, has put on job a
special breed of Belgian Shepherd, Malinois, who gained prominence across the world after they reportedly
participated in the strike of the U.S. Navy SEAL commandos on Al-Qaida chief Osama Bin Laden.

7. Beno Zephine becomes first 100% blind officer in IFS

i. The 25-year-old from Chennai was informed by the external affairs ministry on Friday that she has been inducted
into the Indian Foreign Service, the first 100 per cent visually-challenged person to gain entry into the 69-year-old
service.
ii. Former diplomats have hailed the decision to allow 100 per cent visually challenged people into the service.
iii. She was working as a probationary officer for state bank of India.

SBI launches online forex platform

i)State Bank of India (SBI), the countrys largest bank, has launched SBI eforex, an Internet-based
platform that enables customers to book their foreign exchange transactions online.
ii) This smart platform facilitates the customers of the bank to obtain forex rates without having to
physically visit the branch.

iii) SBI eforex is an innovative platform incorporating robust security features and is designed to be
user-friendly, fast and convenient. It is a highly flexible product offering the facility to the customers to
customise and set their own limits for deal size, daily transaction limits etc. Details of all deals done
are made available to the users on a real-time basis.
iv) Under the forex segment, SBI had recently launched 'Fx Out' which enables sending of foreign
currency remittances from any its branches in India.

Gandhi medals to mark his 33 years of freedom struggle

i) Now among the various Gandhi souvenirs and memorabilia that has been sold and collected for over
the past half a century, will be added a set of limited-edition medallions highlighting milestones in his
33 years (1914-1947) of freedom struggle.
ii) Alok Goyal, a Kolkata-based numismatic dealer, has created a series of medals on Father of the
Nation. So far, he has marketed five such medals beginning with Gandhis return to India from South
Africa in 1914.

iii) The sixth in the series to will hit the market on June 20 to commemorate 75 years of Netaji's last
meeting with Gandhiji before leaving India in early 1941. Each of the series will have just 500 medals
and are being sold at Rs. 1,000 a piece.The next two in the series would be on Gandhi-led civil
disobedience movement and the movement against untouchablility.
iv)Goyal-designed Gandhi medals were being manufactured a private German mint. He earlier had
marketed commemorative coins with divine icon of Lord Venkateswara, in association with a
Lichenstein company Coin Invest Trust and under a license from the Republic of Palau.

China and Australia formally sign free trade agreement

i)China and Australia have signed a trade agreement that is set to increase market access for
Australian beef and wine exporters while boosting Chinese carmakers and electronics producers who
wish to sell their goods to Australians.
ii) One flashpoint is the inclusion of an investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) clause, which grants
foreign companies the right to sue governments for breaching commitments in such agreements.

The Australian union movement has also raised concerns about the access to be granted to Chinese
citizens under labour market provisions.
iii) The Australian prime minister, Tony Abbott, said the agreement would give each nation
unprecedented access to each others markets and pointed to the reduction in tariffs imposed on
trade.
It removes barriers to Australian agricultural exports across a range of products, including beef, dairy,
lamb, wine, horticulture and seafood,

India offers Tanzania expertise in natural gas sector

i) India on Friday offered its expertise to Tanzania in development of

its potentially rich natural gas sector and decided to extend e-tourist visa to people of the African
nation even as the two countries signed eight MoUs to expand engagements in diverse areas.During
extensive talks Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete,
both the countries also decided to establish a Joint Working Group to strengthen cooperation in counter
terrorism.

ii)The MoUs signed included a loan agreement between Exim Bank and Tanzanian government on a
line of credit for $ 268.35 million for extension of a pipeline project and cooperation in the field of
hydrology, tourism and agriculture.India is the largest trading partner of Tanzania in Africa with
bilateral trade in 2013-14 being more than $4 billion.

Union Government launched weather alert service NOWCAST

i) Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh launched a weather alert service named
NOWCAST.NOWCAST will be used to send SMS alerts on extreme weather data like hailstorm,
thunderstorm and squall originated by India Meteorological Department (IMD) to over one crore
farmers whose mobile numbers are registered on governments mKisan portal.Further, the mKisan
portal will send warning SMSs to farmers located in affected district/blocks. These warnings will help
the farmers to take precautionary measures as needed and feasible.
ii)The SMS will be sent in English, Hindi and regional languages as per farmers request.This
technological break-through is a collaborative effort between mKisan Portal developed by DAC,
weather technologies adopted by IMD and GIS Portal of NIC.

iii)Radha Mohan Singh also launched Insurance Web-Portals for Farmers (www.farmer.gov.in/insurance)
that will enable farmers to insure their crops under three schemes.
iv)Prevailing provisions under which farmers can insure their crops are
National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS)
Modified National Insurance Scheme (MNAIS)
Weather based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS)
Besides, Coconut Palm Insurance Scheme (CPIS) also is applicable in some parts of the country.

Aakar Patel appointed as Executive Director of Amnesty International India

i) Journalist and writer Aakar Patel appointed as Executive Director of Amnesty

International (AI) India. He will head AI Indias operations and its efforts to end human rights abuses in
India and worldwide.Patel as the organizations chief political advisor, strategist and spokesperson will
give direction to its goal of being an independent, effective, and deep-rooted organization in India.

ii) Patels previous work includes

India: Low Trust Society (2015)
Rights and Wrongs, a report on the 2002 Gujarat riots which he co-authored
Worked as a columnist with publications in India and Pakistan
Television and radio work as an independent expert

India set for World Yoga Day on 21 June 2015.

i) International day of yoga is also called as the world yoga day. United Nations
General Assembly has declared 21st of June as an International Yoga Day on 11th of December in
2014.Launching a particular date of practicing yoga all across the world and celebrating as yoga day
was initiated by the Indian Prime Minister to the United Nations General Assembly.
ii) Official name of this day is UN International Yoga Day and also called as Yoga Day. It is a worldwide
event celebrated by the people of all countries through practicing yoga, meditation, debates,
meetings, discussions, variety of cultural performances, etc.World Yoga Day or International Day of
Yoga would be celebrated by the people throughout the world first time on 21st of June in 2015, at
Sunday.

iii) In a country-wide campaign, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is organising yoga sessions
for India Inc on Sunday (June 21), the International Day of Yoga. Thousands of representatives of
industry, including CEOs, employees and family members, are rolling out their yoga mats to participate
in the event.
Sushma Swaraj leaves for New York for International Yoga Day event

i)External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today left for New York where she is going to participate in the International
Yoga Day event being organised by the Indian Mission at the United Nations.

ii)She will represent India next week in Nepal at a global donors' conference aimed at raising funds for the
earthquake-hit country(Nominated by PM Shri Narendra Modi).

Haryana launches Village Mentoring Project(VMP) to uplift villagers.

i)The Haryana Government today launched a Village Mentoring Project (VMP)

to improve healthcare and education of the villagers with a special emphasis on girl child.

ii) The project would create awareness among the villagers about various issues including educating girl child, health,
financial matters etc

China launched worlds first electric passenger aircraft BX1E.

i)China launched the worlds first electric passenger aircraft named BX1E that
could be used in pilot training, tourism, meteorology and rescue operations.
ii)The aircraft was designed together by Shenyang Aerospace University and Liaoning General Aviation Academy
located in the northeastern Liaoning Province of China.

Serbia edge Brazil in final to clinch Fifa U-20 World Cup title.
i) Serbia pulled off a historic 2-1 win in extra time to beat heavily favoured Brazil in the final of the Fifa Under-20
World Cup in Auckland on Saturday.

ii) Serbia, playing in the FIFA U-20 World Cup for the first time as an independent nation, will leave as its
champions.Auckland's North Harbour Stadium. Nemanja Maksimovic's decisive, 118th-minute goal settled the final 21 in favour of the delirious Serbians, and left five-time champions Brazil to settle for silver.

Brightest Galaxy in Early Universe named after Cristiano Ronaldo as CR7

i)Scientists in third week of June 2015 named a newly discovered galaxy after
Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo. The galaxy was labeled as CR7 (COSMOS Redshift 7).
ii)CR7 is three times brighter than the brightest distant galaxy known till now, called Himiko. This brightest galaxy was
discovered in the early universe that contains the first generation of stars. For this discovery, they used ESOs Very
Large Telescope (VLT).

PM to launch 3 flagship schemes for urban revamp on June 25.

i) The three big ticket projects Smart Cities Mission, Atal Mission for
Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and the Housing for All, now named as Pradhan Mantri
Awas Yojana (PMAY), are worth Rs. four lakh crore.
ii)It marks a red-letter day in the history of urban development in the country with the simultaneous launch of AMRUT,
PMAY and Smart Cities Mission.
iii) The Prime Minister will also release operational guidelines for the three urban missions besides unveiling logos
and tag lines, according to a senior Urban Development Ministry official.

Nikesh Arora appointed SoftBank President

i)India-born former Google executive Nikesh Arora has been appointed the
President of Japans telecommunications giant SoftBank Corp that paid the rising star a whopping US$135 million
for the financial year 2014.
ii)Arora, 47, who earlier held the vice presidents post, was appointed company president and chief operating officer
at a general meeting of shareholders here yesterday.

India Unlimited to boost synergies between Indian and Swedish entrepreneurs.

i)India Unlimited - a platform for connecting India and Sweden in every field where both stand to gain.
ii)Seeking synergies between Swedish and Indian entrepreneurship, Indian mission in Sweden has launched India
Unlimited platform.
iii)The aim of the platform India Unlimited is promoting Brand India in Sweden and Brand Sweden in India.
State Government initiative to make Arunachal an organic state.
i) In a bid to make Arunachal Pradesh a hundred per cent organic state, the State government decided to launch
State Soil Health Mission.The programme aims at proper documentation of soil health and preparation of soil map.
ii)Arunachal Pradesh government which is among the top five states for devolution of powers to Panchayati Raj, has
initiated steps to strengthen the urban local self-governance to enhance revenue base of urban local bodies.
1. India sets two Guinness world records on International Yoga Day
i. India has set two Guinness world records (GWR) in Rajpath yoga event held on the eve of first
International Yoga Day led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
ii. First record is the largest number of participants- 35,985 people had participated in largest yoga
demonstration at a single venue i.e. Rajpath yoga event.

iii. Second is the most number of nationalities at a single event People of 84 nationalities performed
yoga at one place.
iv. The awards were received by Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Yesso Naik from representatives of
Guinness World Records.
v. In this event all participants of all ages had performed various yoga exercises on the entire two-km
stretch from Rafi Marg crossing near Vijay Chowk to India Gate. This mass yoga event has broken
previous world record on mass yoga exercise which was set by 29,973 students from 362 schools on
November 19, 2005 led by Vivekananda Kendra at Jiwaji University Gwalior.

2. Vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyam selected for Sangita Kalanidhi award 2015

i. One of the foremost south Indian classical vocalists, Sanjay Subrahmanyam

has been selected for the Sangita Kalanidhi award 2015. It will be bestowed upon him when he will
preside over the 89th annual conference of the Academy which will be held between December 15,
2015 and January 1, 2016.
ii. With this, he is seventh artistes to be conferred with the award before completing 50 years of age.
Others are Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer, Musiri Subramania Iyer, G.N.
Balasubramaniam, Semmangudi R. Srinivasa Iyer, M.L. Vasanthakumari and M. Balamuralikrishna
iii. Sangita Kalanidhi is a prestigious award bestowed annually upon an expert of Carnatic Music by the
Madras Music Academy. The awards name has been derived from Sanskrit which means treasure of
Music and art in English. This honour is considered one of the highest awards in Carnatic music.

3. International Yoga Day: Stamps, coins and commerce

i. The government of India has released stamp s and coins of the denomination of Rs.10 and Rs.100 on
International Yoga Day (IYD) on June 21.
ii.The Department of Posts is bringing out stamp and the finance ministry coins.
iii. Also, on IYD, the Discovery Channel has telecasted a short film 'The Story of Yoga' to take viewers
through a journey of rediscovering the Indian ancient practice.

4. HAL delivers Orbiter Craft Module Structure of Chandrayaan-2 to ISRO

i. HAL has delivered Orbiter Craft Module Structure of Chandrayaan-2 to ISRO

Satellite Centre (ISAC).
ii. The Orbiter Craft Module structure is a 3 tonne category bus structure made out of a central
composite cylinder, shear webs and deck panels
iii. The Chandrayaan-2 mission is aimed at placing an Orbiter around the moon and sending a Lander
and Rover to the surface of the moon. It will be launched by a Geo-Stationary Satellite Launch Vehicle
(GSLV-MKII).

iv. HAL has partnered and supported ISRO throughout its journey by providing hardware for satellites,
SLV, ASLV, PSLV, GSLVMKII and GSLV MKIII (LVM3).

5. National vendor development programme in Bengaluru

i. Peenya Industrial Assocation (PIA) will hold PIA: Expo 2015 - National Vendor Development
Programme at Bengaluru from June 25-27.
ii. Peenya Industrial Complex is one of the biggest industrial complexes housing about 8,500 MSMEs
and spread over an area of 45 sq. km. It is surrounded by a dozen peripheral industrial estates,
employing about 8.5 lakh people, out of which about four lakh are women employees.
iii. This years PIA Expo:2015 is being held held at Dr Prabhakar Kore Convention Center,
Yeshwanthpur, Bengaluru.

6. Overnight Liquid Transaction facility on NSEs Web-based Mutual Fund platform began
functioning
i. National Stock Exchange (NSE) on 22 June 2015 operationalised the Overnight Liquid Transaction
facility on its web-based Mutual Fund Service System (MFSS) platform. The platform was launched on
19 June 2015.
ii. The facility allows the participants to place purchase and redemption orders simultaneously in liquid
schemes. This facility will only be available on MFSS Web based platform and in Physical mode only.
iii. Earlier in May 2015, a similar product was introduced by Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) which has
so far seen daily transactions of worth 400-500 crore rupees.

7. Federer Wins Weber Title for Eighth Time

i. Roger Federer showed he was ready for Wimbledon by defeating

Andreas Seppi of Italy, 7-6 (1), 6-4, on Sunday in Halle, Germany, to claim his record-setting eighth
Gerry Weber Open title.
ii. It was Federers fourth title of the season, after wins at Brisbane, Dubai and Istanbul, and a timely
boost for Wimbledon eight days before the tournament begins.
iii. Andy Murray claimed his 34th career title and third title of the season with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over
unseeded Kevin Anderson in the final of the grass-court Queens Club tournament in London. Murray
joined John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt as four-time winners of the event.

8. Nico Rossberg of Mercedes wins Austrian Grand Prix of F1

i. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg from Germany has won the Austrian
Grand Prix Formula One (F1) World Championship title. It is Rosbergs eleventh overall championship
title and the third win in the 2015 season.
ii. First was the Spanish Formula 1 World Championship title won on May 10, 2015 and second was
Monaco Grand Prix on May 24, 2015. Nico Rosberg had also won the Austrian Grand Prix of 2014
season which was maiden win for Mercedes on this track.
iii. Lewis Hamiltion (Mercedes) from United Kingdom was placed at the second position. Felipe Massa
(Williams) from Brazil was placed at the third position. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) from Germany stood at
the fourth position.

9. Former Indian women hockey captain Shashi Bala passes away

i. Former Indian women hockey team captain Shashi Bala passed away on 21 June 2015. Shashi was
killed in a car accident along with her son in Kahma village of Punjab. ii. She was a former hockey
player and had made international debut in 1987.
iii. She had captained Indian hockey team for women in Women Hockey World Cup Qualifier held in
Harare, Zimbabwe in 1997. She was also team member of the Indian hockey team for women in 1998
World Cup played at Netherlands.
1. Maharashtra topped the list of States and UTs in IPR filing in 2013-14: IBEF report
i. India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) in the third week of June 2015 released a report on Intellectual Property
Rights (IPRs) filing in India during 2013-14.
ii. While Maharashtra topped the list of states and Union Territories (UTs), Bengaluru was the top city in IPR filing.

iii. Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumakuru and Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) figured in the top 10 scientific bodies and institutions with 32, 24 and 12 filings respectively.
iv. India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), is a trust established by the Department of Commerce, Union Ministry of
Commerce and Industry.

2. SoftBank Corp, Bharti Enterprises Limited and Foxconn formed a JV named SBG Cleantech Ltd
i. Japan headquartered telecommunications and Internet major SoftBank Corp, Bharti Enterprises Limited and
Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group on 22 June 2015 formed a Joint Venture (JV) named SBG Cleantech
Limited. This JV is aimed at promoting the adoption of clean and safe energy in India.

ii. SBG Cleantech will be a harbinger of solar and wind energy. The venture will invest in developing renewable
energy plants across India. SBG Cleantech will be committed to contribute to Union Government's mission of 24x7
power for all and achieving 100GW solar and 60GW wind target by 2022.
iii. SBG Cleantech will have Manoj Kohli, a Bharti Enterprises Limited veteran, as its executive chairman and Raman
Nanda will be the Chief Executive Officer of the company. The company will be headquartered in Delhi.

3. Rajasthan topped the list of States commissioning grid connected Solar Power projects
i. Rajasthan topped the list of states commissioning grid connected solar power projects in the country with an
installed capacity of 1147 megawatt. The list was released by the Union ministry of New and Renewable Energy on 4
June 2015.

ii. Gujarat, which remained the undisputed leader in solar energy generation till
2014, came second with an installed capacity of 1000MW.
iii. The state has also signed MoUs with power developers like SunEdison, Adani Enterprises, Reliance Power and
Azure Power that will generate 14000 MW solar power. National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is already in the
process of commissioning 680 MW in the state.

4. Sister Nirmala Joshi, successor of Mother Teresa passes away

i. Sister Nirmala Joshi, former Superior General of Missionaries of Charity

passed away in Kolkata after brief illness at the age of 81.
ii. She had taken over as Superior General in March 1997 after the death of Mother Teresa.
iii. Sister Nirmala was elected as Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity six months before Mother Teresas
death (September 5, 1997).
iv. She was bestowed with the Padma Vibhushan, Indias second highest civilian award in 2009 for her services to the
nation.

5. Kerala Government declares June 22 as Snake Bird Day

i. 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. The formal announcement was made by State minister for
forest Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan at a function organised by Snake Bird Foundation in Thiruvananthapuram.
ii. It is water bird which is also known as Indian darter (Anhinga melanogaster). It has large slender long-necked
water bird and is mostly black with silver wing markings.
iii. As per IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Snake Bird is classified as Near Threatened species. Threat: Its
population is moderately declining owing anthropogenic reasons like pollution, drainage, hunting and the collection of
eggs and nestlings.
iv. It inhabits in shallow inland wetlands including rivers, lakes, swamps and reservoirs. In case of India there are over
1500 snake birds in which majority are found in Kerala. These species usually nests atop tall trees near wetlands.

6. Maharashtra declares Blue Mormon as State butterfly

i. Maharashtra has officially declared Blue Mormon species as State butterfly as part of state symbols. Decision in
this regard was taken in State Wildlife Board meeting presided by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai.
ii. With this, Maharashtra became the first State in the country to have a State butterfly.
iii. Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor) is the second largest butterfly species in terms of size, after the southern
birdwing (Troides minos).
iv. Blue Mormon has black, velvet wings with bright blue spots. The lower ends of its wings are black. Its body has
some red spots on one side. Distribution: It is only found (endemic to) in Sri Lanka, Western Ghats of Maharashtra,
South India and coastal belts of the country.

1. India emerges as third largest FDI source for United Kingdom

i. India has emerged as the third largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) source for United Kingdom (UK) in 2014-15.

ii. It was revealed in recently released report Inward Investment Report 2014-15 of UK Trade and Industry (UKTI).
This FDI source was based in terms of number of projects i.e. source of inward investment.
iii. US has remained the largest source of inward investment for UK with a total of 564 projects in 2014-15 and was
followed by France (124 projects) and India (122 projects).

iv. During the year 2014-15, the FDI from India increased by 65 per cent and has resulted in creation of 7,730 jobs as
well as protection of 1,620 jobs in UK. Sector wise Indian companies had invested in healthcare, agriculturetechnology, food and drink.

2. SEBI simplifies IPO norms

i. To help investors and companies in IPOs, SEBI today halved the listing time to six days from the date of the public
offer and also allowed a larger number of firms to tap the fasttrack route for raising funds.
ii. Currently, the companies are required to list their shares on the stock exchanges within 12 days of the last date of
the IPO (Initial Public Offer) process, thus keeping the funds locked in for a longer period of time.
iii. The shorter time period, which would come into effect from January 1, 2016, would also help reduce the costs
associated with the public offering, SEBI Chairman U K Sinha said after a meeting of the regulators board.

3. India ranked 143rd in Global Peace Index, wasted $340 billion due to violence

i. The research firm based in Australia has ranked India as the 143rd out of the
162 nations listed in the Global Peace Index.
ii. The economic impact of containing and dealing with the consequences of Indias levels of violence was estimated
to cost the national economy $341.7 billion in 2014.
iii. The peace index also indicated that since the last eight years India has fallen 6% in the ranking due to the
deteriorations in indicators measuring deaths from external conflict, political terror and perceptions of criminality.

4. Five banks to lead NTPCs debut masala bond offering

i. Barclays, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, HSBC and SBI Capital Markets are being tipped to lead NTPCs debut
issuance of offshore rupee-linked bonds.
ii. The five lenders also led NTPCs US dollar offering last November, when it raised $500 million through a 10-year
Reg S-only bond priced to yield 205bp over Treasuries.
iii. NTPC, the countrys largest power company, is among a handful of Indian companies waiting to raise funds
through this new market once the Reserve Bank of India finalises guidelines on such issues.
iv.The offshore notes, also called masala bonds, will be issued under Indias external commercial borrowing
guidelines.

5. EPFO makes UAN mandatory for all employers under its purview

i)Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has notified an order to make

Universal Account Number (UAN) mandatory for all its employers. It will be mandatory for all employers covered
under the Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.
ii)The UAN facility was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2014. It is portable throughout the
lifetime of an employee and removes the need for employees to apply for PF transfer claims while changing jobs
iii) EPFO is a statutory body of Union Government under the aegis of Ministry of Labour and Employment.its
headquarter Headquarters New Delhi.

6. Union Government launches Bhuvan Ganga Mobile App to aid Clean Ganga Mission
i)Union Government has launched Bhuvan Ganga Mobile Application and Web Portal to aid flagship mission to Clean
Ganga.
ii) The app and webportal was launched by Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Rejuvenation Uma Bharti in New Delhi.

iii)Bhuvan Ganga application: It will facilitate public to upload pictures of pollution sources of the Ganga River for
further action by the authorities concerned. It will also serve platform for people to monitor pollution in river Ganga
and enable decision makers to prioritize interventions.
iv) Bhuvan Ganga Portal: It is deployed as part of Indian Space Research Organisations (ISROs) Bhuvans
geoportal with all geospatial layers related to Ganga River. It will be used as a tool to support decision making and
planning for the Clean Ganga Mission.

7. Steffi Graf appointed Kerala's brand ambassador for Ayurveda

i)Tennis legend Steffi Graf was on Wednesday appointed the Ayurveda brand ambassador of Kerala.

ii) The Kerala tourism department was given sanction to sign an agreement with Graf to become Ayurveda brand
ambassador as part of the department's 'Visit Kerala Scheme', Chandy said.
iii) The tourism department had already held discussions and reached an agreement with the German former World
number one tennis player, who had bagged 22 Grand slam single titles.
iv) Kerala's Ayurveda, an ancient system of health care which is famous for its holistic effect on body and mind,
attracts a large number of people from the country and abroad every year

1. PM Narendra Modi launches Smart Cities Mission, says Centre committed to urban India
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled three mega flagship schemes aimed at developing cities and
towns as "new engines for growth".
ii. The three projects -- 100 smart cities, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and
Housing for All - will ring in a new urban era, which will entail an investment of over Rs 3 lakh crore in the next five
years.

iii. The Smart City project seeks to enhance quality of life in 100 selected cities with 24 hour water and power supply,
world class transportation system, better education and recreational facilities, e-governance and environment-friendly
atmosphere, among others. The Smart City project will be based on PPP model, Naidu said.
iv. AMRUT seeks to ensure basic infrastructure for 500 cities with a population of above one lakh. Ensuring water
supply to each household, sewer connections, sanitation and solid waste management, provision for roads and public
transportation beside implementation of reforms in urban governance would be the focus under the scheme.

2. 11 Indian companies in Forbes Asia's 'Best Under A Billion' list

i) As many as 11 Indian companies including Avanti Feeds LtdBSE 0.37 % and Borosil Glass WorksBSE 0.11 % are
ranked among top 200 Asia Pacific corporations in Forbes Asia's 'Best Under A Billion' list.
ii) The list covers public companies with annual revenue of $5 million to $1 billion, Forbes said, adding that they
should also have positive net income and should be publicly traded for at least a year.
iii) Companies from mainland China & Hong Kong (84) as well as Taiwan (36) dominated this year's list accounting for
60 per cent of the top 200 publicly-traded companies in the Asia Pacific region.
iv) With 11 companies, India was ranked fourth on the list after South Korea which has 17 firms in the coveted list.

3. State Bank of India appoints Anshula Kant as CFO

i) State Bank of India (SBI) on Thursday announced the appointment of

Anshula Kant as its chief financial officer (CFO). Kant has been designated as the deputy managing director and
CFO of the bank, SBI said in a filing on BSE.
ii) She joined SBI as a probationary officer in 1983 worked under various departments of the bank. Prior to her
appointment, P.K. Gupta was the CFO.Gupta moved to SBI Capital as chief executive officer.
iii) Kant has been designated as the deputy managing director and CFO of State Bank of India.

4. India leads FDI in South Asia with 34 billion investment in 2014

i)ndia leads regional inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in South Asia
accounting for $34 billion investment during 2014 and the upward trend is likely to continue this year also, according
to a UN report which placed China as the world's largest FDI recipient.
ii) "FDI inflows to the country (India) surged by 22% to about $34 billion" improving its position to 9th top host country
for FDI in 2014, over its rank of 15th in 2013, the UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2015 says.
iii) India is likely to maintain an upward trend in 2015 as economy recovery gains ground.

5. Union Cabinet gives nod to rename SECI as Renewable Energy Corporation of India

i) Union Cabinet has given nod to rename Solar Energy Corporation of India
(SECI) as the Renewable Energy Corporation of India (RECI).
ii) Apart from this decision, Union Cabinet also gave approval to SECI to convert into Section 3 Company by applying
to the Registrar of Companies (ROC) from a Section 8 Company under the Companies Act, 2013. This decision will
help SECI or renamed entity RECI.

iii) SECI is a not-for-profit company under Section-25 of the Companies Act 1956. it was Established in 2011 as a
facilitation and implementation institution dedicated to Solar Energy sector. Operates under: the aegis of Union
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy,its Objective is to develop Solar Technologies and ensuring inclusive solar
power development throughout India.

6. Zaheer Abbas appointed as ICC President

i) Former Pakistan cricket team captain Zaheer Abbas has been selected the new
President of International Cricket Council (ICC) for one year term.
ii) He will be 13th President of ICC and succeeds Mustafa Kamal of Bangladesh who had resigned from the post of
ICC President in April 2015.
iii) Decision in this regard was taken during the ICC Annual Conference week in Barbados. Zaheer Abbas was a righthanded batsman. He had played 78 Tests and 62 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in his 22-year long illustrious career
spanning from 1969 to 1985. He had scored 5,062 runs in Test career and 2,572 runs in ODI career. He also had
represented Pakistan in three World Cups in 1975, 1979 and 1983. He also captained Pakistan in 14 Tests and 13
ODIs matches. In his career, he had scored 108 centuries.
iv) He was the only Asian batsman to score 100 first-class centuries and was also first batsman to score three
consecutive centuries in ODIs.

7. Axis Bank launches debit card with enhanced security features

i) Axis BankBSE -0.11 % has launched a debit card equipped with improved
security features, aimed at attracting more customers towards cashless transactions, which would also help bringing
down the bank's operational cost.
ii) The card christened as Secure+ offers three key features, which come at a cost of Rs 300 a year."This product
should become the primary debit card for the bank to offer.
iii) While you can deactivate or re-activate card with the touch of a button on Axis Bank mobile app, you can also
block Axis Bank or other bank cards kept in a wallet, which is lost.
iv) Customers can now block all the cards in her/his wallet with a single phone call. You can either intimate Axis Bank
about other card details in advance or can do the same after your wallet is lost.The card also offers fraud protection
subject to a maximum limit of Rs 75,000.

8. Inderjeet Singh, Jinson Johnson won gold at Asian Athletics Grand Prix
i) Inderjit Singh and Jinson Johnson of India on 23 June 2015 bagged gold at the first leg of the Asian Athletics Grand
Prix in Bangkok, Thailand.
ii) Inderjit won the gold in Shot Put by throwing 19.83 meters while Johnson won the gold in 800 meter event with a
time of 1:48.52.
iii) This was Inderjeet's second gold in an international event in June 2015, having won the shot put event at the
Asian Championships in Wuhan, China on 3 June 2015.In the first leg, India won a total of eight medals which
included 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 5 Bronze medals.

9. R Ashwin breaks into top 10 of ODI bowlers rankings

i) Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has jumped two places to the 10th position in the ICC bowlers rankings
issued today.
ii) Ashwin, who bagged six wickets in the three ODIs against Bangladesh, was Indias leading wicket-taker in the justconcluded three-match series against Bangladesh and is also the only Indian to feature in the top-10 list.
iii) Bengal medium-pacer Mohammed Shami, who missed the series, which was Indias first bilateral loss to
Bangaldesh (1-2), due to injury is the only other Indian bowler in the top-20 list at the 12th position.
iv) In the batting chart, Virat Kohli tops the Indian players list at the fourth position as opener Shikhar Dhawan, who
was the leading run-getter in the series with an accumulated score of 158, dropped a place to seventh.
v)Dhawan still stays well clear of skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who occupies the eight spot in the table led by
South Africas AB de Villiers.
vi)Suresh Raina has also improved his ranking by two places to 18th

1. RBI extends deadline for exchanging pre-2005 currency notes till December 2015
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the date to exchange pre-2005 bank notes till December 31, 2015
for third time.

ii. RBI had set the last date for public to exchange these notes as June 30, 2015. RBI has urged people to deposit the
old design notes in the bank accounts or exchange them at a bank branch.

iii. pre-2005 notes have fewer security features as compared to 2005 and post-2005 currency notes. It will also
remove fake currency notes in circulation which were being pumped in Indian economy were copies of pre-2005
notes.
iv. The spillover effect of the RBIs decision will be to flush out black money. Money has value only as long as it is a
medium of exchange and store of value.
v. A disincentive for cash hoarders With the RBIs announcement, currency hoarders will be left with no option but to
liquidate their unaccounted holdings by spending or exchanging them.

2. Exim Bank lends $268 million to Tanzania to extend water pipeline

i. Export-Import (Exim) Bank has extended a line of credit of $268.35 million to

Tanzania for financing extension of Lake Victoria pipeline.
ii. With this agreement, Exim Bank has now in place 198 LOCs, covering 63 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America,
Europe, Oceania and the CIS, with credit commitments of over $12.10 billion, available for financing exports from
India.
iii. Till date, the bank has sanctioned an aggregate amount of $2.33 billion for 19 projects valued $3.75 billion under
the BC-NEIA.

3. India, US ink pacts to enhance cooperation in health sector

i. India and United States have signed a series of agreements on health in order to enhance cooperation in health
sector. The multiple areas covered under such agreement include cancer research, medical infrastructure
development and application of new diagnostic technologies.

ii. MoU on cancer research, control, prevention and management: To develop collaborative research projects on
population-based cancer control and implementation science.
iii. MoU on collaboration in Environmental, occupational Health and Injury Prevention and Control: Further enhance
cooperation in the fields of environmental and occupational health along with injury prevention and control research.
iv. Set up mechanism of antimicrobial resistance which also include the applications of systems biology.

4. Ericsson appoints Paolo Colella as new head of region India

i. Ericsson has announced the appointment of Paolo Colella as new Head of

Region India. In this new role, Paolo will also take a seat on Ericssons Global Leadership Team, reporting to the
Chairman of Region India and Senior Vice President Asia-Pacific, Mats H Olsson.
ii. Chris has successfully managed Ericssons operations in India during his two year stint in the country and enabled
the India operations to grow into the largest employee base for Ericsson in the world.
iii. Paolo Colella, who assumes his new role effective September 1, 2015, has been responsible for Ericssons
Consulting and Systems Integration practice globally for around six years.

5. Union Government exempts educational institutions from prior green nod

i. Union Government has exempted builders from obtaining prior green nod for construction of Universities, School,
College and Hostel facilities.
ii. In this regard Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has issued a circular to
exempt green nod for educational institutions provided they should follow sustainable environment practises of
construction.
iii. Besides, educational institutes MoEFCC has exempted builders from obtaining prior green nod for construction of
industrial sheds. It also exempts godowns and buildings which are connected with production related and other
associated activities of the unit in the same premise.
iv. in this circular MoEFCC had clarified that prior environment clearance is mandatorily required for construction of
Medical Universities and institutes having hospital facilities.

6. Mobile tower set up at 16,000 feet in Ladakh

i. State-run BSNL, with the Army's assistance, today operationalised a mobile tower at an altitude of 16,000 feet in
Eastern Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.
ii. The mobile tower at Chongtash has been established with assistance from the Indian Army's Trishul Signallers in
terms of transportation, setting up and rearward connectivity.

7. NCR to have a second airport; Aviation ministry makes Jewar as first choice

i. The civil aviation ministry on Thursday took an in-principle decision to have a

second airport in the National Capital Region (NCR). Among the probable sites for the airport, the ministry zeroed in
on Jewar, keeping in view the fact that availability of land is a big problem.
ii. On the UP governments choice of having an airport in Firozabad, the minister said the purpose of a second airport
near Delhi would be defeated if an airport comes up in Firozabad.
iii. With the population of NCR (National Capital Region) 8 crore, covering Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Meerut in
western Uttar Pradesh, using only one airport, there is an urgent need for a second airport.

8. Satnam Singh Bhamara: All about India's first NBA player

i. Satnam Singh Bhamara, the first Indian-born player to be drafted in the NBA League, was introduced to basketball
by his father, who is a farmer.
ii. Picked by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2015 NBA Draft, Singh has made history. But, there's a long way to go.
iii. Born in Ballo Ke, a village in Punjab where there are no basketball courts and no cable television, he started
playing the game at an early age. At the age of 12, he was sent to the government-funded Ludhiana Basketball
Academy, where he spent two years away from home studying and training and honing his basketball skills.
iv. In 2010, at age 14, Singh was one of 29 Indian athletes in three sports who moved to the United States to get
trained at the renowned IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, as part of a new scholarship programme to promote,
develop, and manage sports and entertainment in India.

1. China-led AIIB development bank holds signing ceremony

i. China has hosted the signing ceremony of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a new international
financial institution set to rival the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
ii. Delegates from 50 countries signed articles that determine each member's share and the bank's initial capital.

iii. The AIIB, which was created in October by 21 countries, led by China, will fund Asian energy, transport and
infrastructure projects.
iv. The AIIB will begin with authorised capital of $50bn (31.8bn), eventually to be raised to $100bn. China will hold a
30.34% stake making it the largest shareholder of the bank, Reuters quotes China's Finance Ministry as saying.

2. J Jayalalithaa launches first phase of Chennai Metro

i. First phase of Chennai Metro service was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa after she flagged
off inaugural train.

ii. The first phase of Metro service covers the 10-km overhead (elevated)
stretch. It connects Alandur in south Chennai to Koyabedu in the north.
iii. The metro service will bear capacity of 1276 passengers with four coaches. It will cover seven stations in the
stretch. They are Koyambedu, Arumbakkam, Vadapalani, Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus, Ashok Nagar,
Ekkattuthangal.
iv. The Corridor 2 or second phase of this metro connecting Chennai Central and St. Thomas Mount is will be ready
by end 2015. The whole project is implemented by Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL). It was approved by then
Congress-led UPA government in 2009.

3. India, Thailand sign multiple agreements including double taxation avoidance treaty
i. India and Thailand on Monday signed a number of important agreements, including the double taxation avoidance
treaty, and exchanged instruments of ratification on the extradition treaty inked in 2013, which provides for the legal
framework for seeking extradition of fugitive offenders.

ii. The tax treaty provides for the framework to avoid double taxation and
prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes so as to promote bilateral economic cooperation.
iii. On the last day of her three-day visit, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj co-chaired the 7th meeting of the
India-Thailand Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation.
iv. The extradition treaty signed between the two countries in 2013 provides for the legal framework for seeking
extradition of fugitive offenders, including those involved in terrorism, transnational crimes, economic offences etc.

4. President conferred Punyabhushan Award on Prataprao Pawar

i. President Pranab Mukharjee on 26 June 2015 conferred Punyabhushan Award on Prataprao Pawar, Chairman of
Sakal Media Group (SMG) at Balgandharva Auditorium in Pune.

ii. Pawar is the 27th recipient of the Punyabhushan award and his name was selected for
the award by a committee led by scientist Raghunath Mashelkar. Besides, President also felicitated five veteran
freedom fighters in the function.
iii. The Punyabhushan (Pride of Pune) award constituted by Tridal, Pune is annually announced by the
Punyabhushan Foundation on 23 March with a view to commemorate the memory of Indian revolutionary martyrs
Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru.
iv. It is awarded to an eminent personality from the field of art, music, culture, science, industry, social service, or
sports in the city of Pune Maharashtra, India. The award carries a memento and cash prize of 1 lakh rupees.

5. Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji written by Abdul Kalam

i. Book titled Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji authored by former President Dr APJ
Abdul Kalam and Arun Tiwari was released on 15 June 2015.

ii. In Transcendence, the authors Dr Kalam and Arun Tiwari have mapped a
journey of self-realization reflected in the eyes of Pramukh Swamiji, painting a delightful fusion of spirituality, science
and leadership.
iii. His candid vignettes (literature) from life on the centre stage of Indian technology and societal missions, Indian
politics and world affairs are interwoven with revelations of a profound connection with Swamiji.
iv. Pramukh Swamiji Maharaj, one of the most inspiring spiritual figures of modern times and the fifth spiritual
successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, is the inheritor of a legacy of Gunatit gurus hearkening to the early nineteenth
century. Pramukh Swamiji became a friend of the eleventh president of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

6. Bajaj Allianz launches weather-based crop insurance

i. Private insurer Bajaj Allianz has launched a weather-based crop insurance scheme for orange crops in Nagpur,
Hingoli and Washim districts of Maharashtra.

ii. The index-based insurance policy will cover losses incurred by orange fruitgrowing farmers due to deviation in weather conditions and has been approved by Central and the State government,
a company release issued here said.
iii. The company has also launched a campaign to create awareness about the scheme in three districts.
iv. The losses would be assessed on the basis of pre-defined and government-approved term sheets and actual
weather data received from an approved automatic weather station installed in each block of these districts.

7. Topalov wins title

i. A quick but frustrating draw for Viswanathan Anand proved enough for Veselin Topalov to claim the Norway Chess
2015 title in Stavanger, Norway, on Thursday.

ii. All the expectations of a thrilling battle for the title between the two leading players of the elite field came to naught
once Topalov managed a safe position arising out of the Queens Gambit Declined.
iii. But in the biggest surprise result of the competition, Jon Ludvig Hammer upstaged World champion Magnus
Carlsen in the battle between two home players.

8. Jwala Gutta, Ashwni Ponappa win womens doubles title of Canada Open Badminton tournament
i. Indian pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwni Ponappa won the womens doubles title of the Canada Open Badminton
tournament.
ii. In the finals match played at Calgary, Canada they defeated Dutch pair of Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek in
straight games of 21-19, 21-16. It is their first title of this season.
iii. Michelle Li of Canada won the womens single title, by defeating Kaori Imabeppu of Japan by 21-17 25-23 score in
the final match.

1. BRICS bank to be operational by end of 2015: South Africa

i. The emerging market BRICS nations will have their own development bank by the end of the year.
ii. "The New Development Bank is expected to be operational by end of 2015," the South African finance ministry said
in a statement that announced the nomination of South African banker Leslie Maasdorp as vice president of the bank
and parliamentary ratification of two treaties concerning the lender.

iii. The BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - which represent 40 per cent of the world's
population and a quarter of its economic output, decided in 2013 to create their own development bank to step up
lending for the infrastructure projects needed to close the gap with the industrialised world.
The bank, which will be headquartered in Shanghai, is expected to have up to $100 billion in capital.
iv. The inaugural meeting of the board of governors of the New Development Bank will be held in the Russian city of
Ufa on July 7 to confirm the appointment of the management of the lender.

2. India ranked best for investment

i. A ranking of destinations for attractiveness to foreign investors has placed India at the top among 110 countries.
China has secured the 65th position and the U.S. is at the 50th. In the 2014 index, India was at the sixth position and
Hong Kong was number one.

ii. The ranking is based on an index for baseline profitability that assumes that
three factors affect the ultimate success of a foreign investment: how much the value of an asset grows; the
preservation of that value while the asset is owned; and the ease of repatriation of proceeds from selling the asset.
iv. The index combines measures for each of these factors into a summary statistic that conveys a countrys basic
attractiveness for investment.

3. Govt to infuse additional Rs 11,500 cr in PSU banks in FY16

i. Government is likely to infuse additional USD 1.8 billion (about Rs 11,500 crore) in public sector banks this fiscal
over and above USD 1.2 billion earmarked in the Budget, Finance Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said on Friday.
ii. The government has earmarked Rs 7,940 crore in the Budget for recapitalisation of PSU banks for the current
fiscal.
iii. The government has already started assessment of capital requirement of public sector banks. It has already
received presentation of 14 public sector banks.
iv. According to an estimate, public sector banks would need an additional capital of Rs 2.40 lakh crore by 2018 to
meet the Basel III capital adequacy norms.

4. Mboweni heads for Brics bank

i. Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene announced on Friday that former Reserve Bank
governor Tito Mboweni has been appointed as the non-executive director to the board the Brics New Development
Bank (NDB).
ii. He added that Cabinet had endorsed the nomination of Leslie Maasdorp for vice-president of the NDB. Maasdorp
recently parted ways with AdvTech where he was chief executive. He was previously the president of Merrill Lynch for
southern Africa.
iii. The management of the NDBs will be appointed at the board of governors inaugural meeting on July 7 Nene said.
The NDB is expected to be up and running by the end of the year.

5. Link Intime launches apps to give investors real-time info

i. To give real-time information, securities registry service provider Link Intime India Pvt Ltd has launched two unique
mobile applications, one for investors and the other for client companies.
ii. The bLink app provides the latest information across all client companies serviced by Link Intime to investors. The
app will provide information about IPO allotments, details of shareholder meetings, dividends declared and book
closure period, undelivered articles, failure of credits of dividend/ interests, and failure of credit of shares/ bonds into
investors accounts, among others.
iii. An investor can add up to 10 DP accounts under one login. The InSta Link app, for authorised corporate clients of
Link Intime, gives an overview of the latest available holdings of shareholders of the company under various
categories and changes thereof in the immediate past seven days.

6. HDFC Securities mobile trading app available in 11 languages

i. HDFC Securities, a subsidiary of HDFC BankBSE -0.23 % has launched its

mobile trading app in 11 different regional languages.
ii. Language arriers or lack of research and advice should not be reasons for not investing in the future. Apart from
English the app will be available in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada,
Malayalam and Oriya.
iii. HDFC Securities has had a call centre running which services customers in eight different languages. The mobile
apps in multiple languages along with call centres will give lot of comfort to investors.

7. ICC amends rules in a bid to restore balance in ODIs

i. In a bid to restore the balance between bat and ball, the ICC today decided to scrap the batting Powerplays and
allow five fielders outside the 30-yard circle in the last ten overs of an innings in one-dayers.
ii. The rule changes will come into effect for series starting on or after July 5, the ICC said in a media release issued
today.
iii. The ICC Board during its Annual Conference here adopted these recommendations which were made by the ICCs
cricket committee headed by the former India captain Anil Kumble in Mumbai this May.
iv. The ICC Board also reviewed and adopted the Integrity Working Partys recommendations to allow a greater role
for a central Anti-Corruption Unit and pave the way for greater coordination of preventative and investigative activity
around the world with a unified vision to keep cricket clean.

1. Indian Railways, Indian Army among worlds biggest employers: WEF Study

i. Two Indian organizations, India Army and Indian Railways are among the worlds biggest employers. It was
revealed in a research published by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Both organisations employ around 2.7 million
people together.

ii. Indian Railways was placed at 8th position with 1.4 million staff, while Indian Army was placed at 9th position with
1.3 million employees in the list of worlds biggest employers.
iii. US department of Defense: It is the worlds biggest employer with over 3.2 million employees.

iv. Peoples Liberation Army (PLA): Chinese military is 2nd biggest employer with 2.3 million employees.
2. Bharti Airtel becomes 3rd largest mobile operator in world
i. Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Airtel has become the worlds third largest mobile operator with 303 million subscriber.

ii. With operations in 20 countries, Bharti Airtel, which is present in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Africa, has
become the third largest mobile operator in the world in terms of subscribers, the company said in a statement.

iii. Quoting latest data published by World Cellular Information Service (WCIS), it said Airtel has over 303 million
mobile subscribers across its operations and has moved up one position in the global rankings.
iv. China Mobile, according to WCIS, is the top mobile operator in the world with 626.27 million subscribers. Vodafone
Group of UK ranks second with 403.08 million subscribers.
3. IDFC appoints former CAG Vinod Rai as independent director
i. Infrastructure financing firm IDFC today appointed former Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) as
independent director.
ii. The appointment has been made with immediate effect.
iii. Rai also worked as Financial Services Secretary. He was director on several boards including the State Bank of
India, ICICI Bank, IDBI Bank, and Life Insurance Corporation of India.

4. Afghan prez Ghani nominates first female judge to Supreme Court

i. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani nominated a female judge to the Supreme Court on Tuesday in an unprecedented
move that has angered some Islamic conservatives.

ii. Anisa Rasouli, the head of the Afghan Women Judges Association and a former juvenile court judge, was the only
female nominated to the nine-member bench after the announcement was delayed due to opposition by a group of
Islamic conservatives earlier this month.
iii. President Ghani's wife Rula stepped into the limelight during the presidential election last year and has been
actively campaigning for women's rights since then.
5. Nadia district in West Bengal wins UN Public Service Award 2015

i. Nadia district in West Bengal has won the United Nations Public Service Award 2015 in the category of improving
delivery of public services for or eliminating open defecation in the district.

ii. The award was presented by the acting Secretary General of the UN Lenni Montiel to District Magistrate of Nadia
and Sabhapati of Nadia Zilla Parishad in Medellin, Colombia.
iii. It was a collaborative effort with the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and World Bank along with state
government and local governments.
iv. The programme was initiated in 2013. In one-and-half-years, toilets were built in 5 lakh households and over 200
cluster toilets in public places.

6. HDFC Bank launches '30-min auto', '15-min 2-wheeler' loans

i. Country's second largest private sector lender HDFC Bank on Monday launched '30-min auto' and '15-min 2wheeler' loan schemes, for which customers have to provide only their biometric details.
ii. The 30-minute auto loan is available for HDFC Bank customers, as well as others. With this technology-enabled
solution, loans for two-wheelers can also be approved within 15 minutes
iii. Any person willing to avail a loan can walk into an auto dealership or any other touch points of the bank and
provide the Aadhaar card number and fingerprint, it said.

7. Rahul Agarwal is Lenovo India MD

i. Technology major Lenovo on Monday said it has appointed Rahul Agarwal as the Managing Director of its India
operations with immediate effect.
ii. Agarwal succeeds Amar Babu, who will now take on a regional mandate as Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific
and Chairman, Lenovo India.
iii. Rahul Agarwal takes charge at a time when Lenovo is gearing up for its next phase of growth, diversifying beyond
PCs into the smart connected devices while maintaining a strong PC focus

8. Adelaide Oval to host cricket's first ever day-night Test

i. Australia and New Zealand will play cricket's first day-night Test in Adelaide from late November.
ii. The Test, running November 27-December 1, will feature pink balls that Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland
believes will hold up to Test match play.
iii. The Test is one of six at home for the Australians - three each against New Zealand and West Indies - from
November 5 until January 7.