Gyanmgeneralawarenessjuly2016 160702101738

GENERAL AWARENESS
JULY 2016
Vol. 5, Issue 01
A PUBLICATION OF GYANM EDUCATION &

TRAINING INSTITUTE PVT. LTD.
SCO 13-14-15, 2ND FLOOR, SEC 34-A, CHANDIGARH
Contents
CURRENT AFFAIRS
MARCH TO MAY 2016
BULLET NEWS
DEC 2015 TO FEB 2016
01-34
NATIONAL NEWS
MAY 2016
INDIA COMPLETES ITS GPS NETWORK
35-59
LATEST 100 GK MCQs
60-65
SSC CORNER
66-73
FIVE MONTHS GK BYTES
74-100
FIGURES TO REMEMBER
REPO RATE (05.04.2016)
6.50%
REVERSE REPO RATE
6.00%
MARGINAL STANDING
FACILITY RATE
STATUTORY LIQUIDITY RATIO
7.00%
21.25%
CASH RESERVE RATIO

BANK RATE
4.00%
7.00%
BASE RATE(s)
(of various banks)
9.30 to
9.70%
INDIAs RANK IN
Renewable Energy Index
World Press Freedom Index
Rank in Manufacturing Countries
3rd
133rd
6th
World Happiness Index
118th
Intellectual Property Index -2016
37th
Overall Growth Prospectus
5th
Global Talent Competitiveness Index
89th
Nuclear Security Index
21st
Ease of Doing Business (Forbes)

Human Development Index
ICT Development Index
97th
130th
131st
Rank in Brand Value
7th
Legatum Prosperity Index
99th
Global Terrorism Index
06th
Financial Secrecy Index

Ease of Doing Business (World Bank)
Number of Startups
Global Competitiveness Index, WEF
Protection of Minority Investors
45th
130th
03rd
55th
08th
GENERAL AWARENESS JULY 2016
With successful launch of IRNSS-1G on April 28, the seventh and last in
constellation of satellites that make up the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite
System (IRNSS), India completed its mission for a regional navigational system
on a par with US-based GPS. The system will be called NAVIC (Navigation with
Indian Constellation).
The IRNSS would aid terrestrial, aerial, marine navigation, fleet tracking
and disaster management. The service can also be integrated with mobile phones
in the country.
INDIA OFFERS $100 MILLION LOAN TO PAPUA

During the President Pranab Mukhaejees visit to Papua New Guinea, India
offered a $100 million line of credit for development of infrastructure to
explore and develop nations vast oil and gas resources. Several other
agreements were also signed for cooperation in the field of information
technology, agricultural research and health.
President also visited New Zealand and signed the Air Services Agreement to
enhance the air connectivity between the two countries.
MODI VISITS IRAN

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Iran on May 22 and 23. The visit focused
mainly on connectivity and infrastructure, energy partnership and boosting
bilateral trade. On May 23rd, India, Iran and Afghanistan signed an agreement
on developing Chabahar port in Iran.
INDIA 3RD IN RENEWABLE ENERGY

Due to strong focus of the Indian government on renewable energy and timely
implementation of renewable energy projects India has been placed at the third
position after the United States and China in the 'Renewable Energy Country
Attractiveness Index' prepared by global firm E Y.
LODHA COMMITTEE TO REVIEW MCI
4 INDIAN CITIES IN TOP 5 POLLUTED CITIES
The Supreme Court has appointed a three-member

panel headed by former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha
to review the functions of the Medical Council of India the regulator of medical profession and education in
India.
Of the five cities in the world with the worst air

pollution, four are in India, says a report by the World
Health Organisation. These four cities are Ludhiana,
Khanna, Amritsar and Gobindgarh. The dirtiest air was
recorded at Zabol in Iran while Delhi was ranked at 9th
place.
SOLAR TRAIN TRIAL IN JODHPUR
President Pranab Mukherjee visited China from May
The Indian Railways plans to conduct trial of its first

solar panel-powered train in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
Though the train would be pulled by conventional
diesel-run engines, the solar energy will be used for
internal electricity gadgets.
INDIA HAS 248.8 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS

A latest release of the Census 2011 data shows that
there are total 248.8 million households in the country
of which 202.4 million are of Hindus, 31.2 million belong
to Muslims, 6.3 million belong to Christians, 4.1 million
of Sikhs and 1.9 million belong to Jains.
WORLDs LARGEST AIRCRAFT LANDS IN INDIA

The worlds largest cargo aircraft, Ukraines Antonov AN
-225 Mriya or the Dream, made its first landing in
India on May 13 at the Rajiv Gandhi International
Airport at Hyderabad. The wide body aircraft is
powered by six turbofan engines and is the longest and
heaviest airplane ever built, with a maximum takeoff
weight of 640 tonnes.
RAIL HUMSAFAR SAPTAAH

The Ministry of Railways launched Rail Humsafar
Saptaah from May 26 to June 1 to highlight significant
achievements made by Indian Railways in all spheres.
Every day of the week will be devoted to a particular
aspect of passenger service.
100 CR PENALTY FOR WRONG INDIA MAP

According to the draft 'The Geospatial Information
Regulation Bill 2016', wrong depiction of the map of
India could land the violators in jail with a maximum
term of seven years and fine up to Rs 100 crore.
24 to 27, starting his trip from the highly

industrialised Chinese city Guangzhou.
President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena arrived in
New Delhi on May 13 for a two day visit.
International Vichar Mahakumbh was held in Ujjain
in Madhya Pradesh from May 12 to 14.
The H.R. Nagendra Committee on Yoga Education in
Universities has recommended seven programmes for
implementation in Indian universities.
To mark the 155th birth anniversary of Rabindranath
Tagore, India organized a cultural festival in Cairo,
Egypt from May 8 to 12.
A study by Assocham-KPMG shows that India is the
fifth largest producer of e-waste, discarding roughly
18.5 lakh metric tonnes of electronic waste each year.
Govt has granted status of classical language to six
languages - Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam,
Sanskrit and Odia.
APRIL 2016
AMBEDKAR JAYANTI AT UNO

For the first time, United Nations observed the birth
anniversary of Dr. B R Ambedkar on April 14 at its
headquarters in New York. It was organised by
Permanent Mission of India to the UN in association
with the Kalpana Saroj Foundation and Foundation for
Human Horizon to focus on the empowerment and
inclusion of excluded groups, reform of labour laws, and
promotion of education for all.
INDIA TOPS IN ATTRACTING FDI

As per a report by The Financial Times Limited, India
was the highest-ranked country in terms of attracting
FDI, receiving $ 63 billion worth of FDI projects in 2015.
India is closely followed by USA and China.
INDIA 6th IN MANUFACTURING

India has been ranked sixth among
the
world's
Top-Ten
largest
manufacturing countries. Previously,
India was 9th rank in the United
Nations Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO) report. China tops the list
followed by US, Japan, Germany and Korea. Indonesia
was at the bottom.
INDIA HOLDS MARITIME SUMMIT
APEX COURT ALLOWS NEET

The Supreme Court has allowed the holding of the
National Eligibility Entrance Test, NEET for medical
courses across the country. The top court set aside its
2013 order by which the common entrance test for
admissions to MBBS, BDS and PG courses in all medical
colleges was quashed.
W B LOAN FOR SWACHH BHARAT MISSION

The First Maritime India Summit was held in Goregaon,
Mumbai, from April 14 to 16 to focus on port based
economic growth of the country. India has a coastline of
over 7500 kms that offers vast opportunities for growth
oriented investment.
AADHAAR CROSSES HUNDRED CRORE MARK

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has
generated 100 crore Aadhaar numbers, touching a
historic milestone in a span of five-and-a-half years.
Aadhaar is now the largest digital platform in the world
for good governance and transparent delivery of
services of subsidies and services.
INDIA GETS FIRST LOAN FROM NDB

The newly started development bank by the global
group BRICS, New Development Bank NDB has started
giving loans. India is among the first four countries to
get a loan. The $ 250 million loan will be routed through
the Canara Bank for a renewable energy project.
RAJYA SABHA GETS 6 NEW MEMBERS

President nominated the six personalities from different
fields to the Rajya Sabha (House of Elders) following the
recommendations of the Central government. The six
persons include BJP leaders Subramanian Swamy and
Navjot Singh Sidhu and Narendra Jadhav, Malayalam
actor Suresh Gopi, journalist Swapan Dasgupta and
boxer Mary Kom.
President is empowered to nominate 12 prominent
persons from various walks of life to the Rajya Sabha.
World Bank has agreed to provide a $1.5 billion loan for

the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). SBM is the country's
largest-ever campaign to improve sanitation. It aims to
end open defecation and improve the management of
liquid and solid wastes.
TOP EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES OF INDIA

The HRD ministry released first-of-its-kind National
Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for ranking the
higher education institutions in the country. Results of
the rankings are:
Top Management Institute: IIM Bangalore, followed
by IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta
Top Engineering Institute: IIT Chennai, followed by
IIT Mumbai and IIT Kharagpur.
Best University: The Indian Institute of Science,
Bangalore
Top Pharmacy Institute: Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal
MODI NOT IN WORLD TOP 100

RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, tennis star Sania Mirza,
actress Priyanka Chopra and founders of Flipkart Binny
Bansal and Sachin Bansal are the Indians that have been
named by Time magazine in its list of the '100 Most
Influential People in the World'. Surprisingly, Mr Modi
does not figure in the list.
GERMANY TO HELP IN NAMAMI GANGE

India has joined hands with Germany to attain pristine
status of Ganga by adopting river basin management
strategies used for cleansing German rivers like Rhine
and Danube, under the Indian mission Namami Gange.
INDIA SIGNS PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT

India signed the historic Paris Climate Agreement at
United Nations in New York on April 22, along with 175
nations, marking a significant step ahead for combating
global warming.
In the agreement, all countries agreed to work to limit
global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius,
and to strive for 1.5 degrees Celsius.
INDIA SUFFERS HIGH TROJAN ATTACK
First National Tribal Carnival held in Delhi from April
As per a report from the security solutions firm

Symantec, India ranks third among countries with high
number of financial Trojan infections, where
cybercriminals defraud customers of online banking
services.
Globally, the financial sector was the highest targeted
sector in January with 40.2 per cent of all spear-phishing
attacks.
29 to May 02, 2016 to showcase and promote various

facets of tribal culture on a large scale.
India and South Korea have signed a MoU for
cooperation and mutual assistance in port related
matters and their developments.
India has signed an agreement with the Islamic
Development Bank for a $100 million line of credit to
facilitate exports to IDB's member countries.
Govt has released a Commemorative Coin of 200
rupees and a Circulation Coin of 10 rupees to mark
the 200th Martyrdom Day of Tatya Tope, a war hero
of 1857 war of Independence.
A statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh will be installed in
France's Saint-Tropez town in September this year.
The town is birth place of French General J F Allard
who served in the army of Maharaja.
MARCH 2016
NEW SHIPPING SERVICE TO BANGLADESH
INDIA NOT SAFE FOR JOURNALISTS

A study of 180 countries by the Paris-based Reporters
Without Borders to study the functioning of journalists
has placed India at a lowly 133rdplace.
It says that media in India continues to be under stress
as the government is "indifferent" to threats against
scribes. They are attacked frequently for reports that
may not be palatable to particular groups. The 2016
World Press Freedom Index is topped by Finland,
followed by the Netherlands and Norway.
The index measures media pluralism, independence, the
legal framework and the safety of journalists in 180
countries.
President Pranab Mukherjee went on a six-day trip to
A new beginning was made in maritime trade and

bilateral cooperation between India and Bangladesh
with the launch of direct shipping service between
Krishnapatnam in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh and
Chittagong in Bangladesh. The new service will lower
the transportation cost thereby boosting the exports.
Papua New Guinea and New Zealand on April 27.
Britains Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton,
the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, visited India on

a weeks goodwill tour.
India and France have launched a programme with
$1 trillion Potential Solar Programme under the
International Solar Alliance (ISA).
India, Afghanistan and Iran have agreed for joint
work on development of Chabahar port in Iran.
India and Mauritius have signed an MoU on
cooperation in the field of traditional system of
medicine and Homoeopathy.
The first ever two day North East-ASEAN (Association
of Southeast Asian Nations) Business Summit was
inaugurated in Centre in Imphal, Manipur.
3rd Asia Ministerial Conference on the Tiger
Conservation was held in New Delhi on April 12.
INDIA TO HOST 8TH BRICS SUMMIT

India will host the eighth annual summit of BRICS from
October 15-16 in Goa, in its capacity as chair of the
influential bloc comprising five countries Brazil,
Russia, India, China, South Africa.
The logo for the summit is a lotus with colours from all
the five member-countries and a traditional namaste in
the centre.
MODI GOES FOR A THREE COUNTRY TRIP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for a three - nation
tour to Belgium, the US and Saudi Arabia from March 30
to April 2. He attended India-EU summit in Brussels. In
USA, he attended the fourth Nuclear Security Summit in
Washington D.C. Before returning to India, he stopped in
Saudi Arabia to hold talks with their leaders.
WORLDs LONGEST ALL WOMEN FLIGHT
IMF TRAINING CENTRE IN DELHI

India and the IMF (International Monetary Fund) have
signed an agreement to set up a South Asia Regional
Training and Technical Assistance Centre (SARTTAC) in
Delhi for training officials in dealing with macroeconomic and financial issues on behalf of IMF.
INDIAN WOMEN LAG BEHIND IN BUSINESS

As per the Grant Thorntons Women in Business 2016
report of 36 countries, Russia held the top spot with 45
percent of senior-business roles occupied by women;
and Japan held the lowest spot at 7%. India faired very
poorly in this regard, being ranked at a lowly 34th spot.
Air India on March 6 flew the worlds longest allwomen operated and supported flight, nonstop, from
New Delhi to San Francisco, USA. The flight covered a
distance of around 14,500 km in close to 17 hours. It
was operated as part of International Womens Day
celebrations.
BANGALORE, MUMBAI ARE MOST INEXPENSIVE

In a list compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit that
compares the cost of a basket of goods in 133 cities
across the world, the cheapest were Lusaka, the capital
of Zambia, followed by Bengaluru and Mumbai in India.
Singapore is most expensive, followed by Zurich, Hong
Kong, Geneva and Paris.
WORLD CULTURE FESTIVAL AT YAMUNA BANK

The first World Culture Festival, a three-day event
celebrating cultural diversity and Art of Living's 35
years of service to humanity, was held on Yamuna bank
in New Delhi on March 11-13. Over 36,000 artists from
155 countries took part in the event.
The Art of Living is a global spiritual movement founded
by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
INDIA DISAPPOINTS IN ENERGY SECTOR

Global Energy Architecture Performance Index compiled
by the WEF for 126 countries to assess their ability to
deliver secure, affordable and sustainable energy,
placed India pretty low at 90th rank. Top rank was
secured by Switzerland followed by Norway.
Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the South Asian
COURT ALLOWS PHOTOS OF LEADERS IN ADs

Supreme Court has now allowed use of pictures of Chief
Ministers, Governors and Cabinet ministers in the
government's media advertisements. Earlier, in May
2015, court had imposed a ban on publishing such
photos treating it as misuse of public funds.
FOREIGN MINISTRY HOLDS RAISINA DIALOGUE

The Raisina Dialogue, a joint initiative of the Ministry of
External Affairs and a leading think tank, Observer
Research Foundation, New Delhi on March 2. The
summit is seen as Indias flagship conference of
geopolitics and geo-economics, designed to explore
prospects and opportunities for Asian integration.
PAK BETTER THAN INDIA IN HAPPINESS

When it comes to happiness quotient, India lags behind
neighbors like China, Pakistan and Bangladesh, ranking
118th in a study of 156 nations, according to The World
Happiness Report 2016, prepared on behalf of the
United Nations. Denmark takes the top spot displacing
Switzerland.
The report takes into account GDP per capita, life
expectancy, social support and freedom to make life
choices as indicators of happiness.
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)

nations was held Pokhara, Nepal.
Union Ministry of Shipping will host Maritime India
Summit at Mumbai from 14 to 16 April, with
Republic of Korea as the partner country.
India hosted a three-day conference in New Delhi
with IMF on the theme of 'Advancing Asia: Investing
for the Future' from March 12 to 14.
6th National Community Radio Sammelan held in
New Delhi. The theme was Community Radio in
India: Towards Diversity and Sustainability.
National Conference of Women Legislators held in
New Delhi, March 5-6, with theme Women
Legislators-Building Resurgent India.
India signed a MoU with Bahrain on cooperation for
prevention of human trafficking, especially in women
and children, their repatriation and rehabilitation.
India has signed an agreement with Maldives for
avoiding double taxation of income from
international air transport.
First meet of World Sufi Forum was held in New Delhi
from March 17-20. Sufi leaders from over 20
countries took part in it.
The India Aviation 2016, an international exhibition
Madhya Pradesh Tourism has won the award for the
on civil aviation held in Hyderabad, Telangana with

over 200 participants from across the globe.
Parsi Zoroastrians of India celebrated their Navroz
festival on March 21to mark beginning of their new
year.
Germany has assured its support for developing
three Indian cities as smart cities. The selected cities
are - Kochi, Bhubaneswar and Coimbatore.
Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi has been
declared as the worlds number one airport in 25-40
million passengers per annum (MPPA) category by
the Airports Council International.
Best Indian Destination for Wildlife. The state has 25

wild life sanctuaries including nine National Parks.
Rajasthan State Transport Corporation has launched
20 Nirbhaya buses with multiple safety measures to
better protect women passengers.
NEWS FROM STATES

MAY 2016
5 STATES ELECT THEIR CHIEF MINISTER
Tamil Nadu: Jayalalitha reelected leading the AIADMK All India Anna Dravida Munetra Kazhagam.
West Bengal: Mamta Banerjee reelected leading the
Trinamool Congress.
APRIL 2016
EDUCATION BAR FOR ULB SEATS
Any male person desiring
to contest for Urban
Local Bodies in Haryana
will now have to be
matriculate and have a
functional toilet at home
while a woman and a SC
candidate
will
be
required to be at least
8th standard pass. Minimum educational qualification
for SC women candidates will be 5th standard pass.
HOUSING SCHEME FOR WIDOWS

Jharkhand govt launched the Bhimrao Ambedkar Awas
Yojana for construction of houses for widows. The
beneficiaries will get Rs 75,000 support for constructing
houses in hilly areas and Rs. 70,000 in plain areas.
The Uttar Pradesh government has directed all the
Assam: Sarbananda Sonowal becomes the first BJP

Chief Minister.
Kerala: Pinarayi Vijayan of the CPI (M) led the left
democratic front LDF to become the Chief Minister.
Puducherry: V. Narayanasamy of Congress elected as

the new Chief Minister.
The Worlds largest Single Rooftop Solar Power

Plant with capacity of 11.5 MegaWatt (MW) has been
installed at Dera Baba Jaimal Singh of Radha Swamis at
Beas, in district Amritsar, Punjab.
district magistrates for plantation of 5 crore trees at

6,500 sites in 24 hours on a date fixed in month of July
under the Green UP - Clean UP programme.
Worlds maiden white tiger safari was opened up at
Mukundpur in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh. The
first whtite tiger was spotted in MPs Vindhya region
in 1915. It is a rare breed of tiger, found only in India.
Rajasthan has become the first state to pass land title
bill. It will seek all the documents from the
landowners, and will verify it against records held by
the state.
To promote the Swachh Bharat Mission, 20 Namma
toilets were established at different points in
Delhi. The mission targets to establish 2.56 lakh
public toilets by 2nd October 2017.
Bihar has become the fourth state in the country to
ban sale and consumption of liquor. The other three
states are Mizoram, Nagaland and Gujarat.
The European Investment Bank has agreed to give
Euro 450 million (Rs. 3,300 crore) towards
constructing a 23-km long Lucknow Metro rail line.
Germanys Development Bank KfW will provide loan
assistance of 3750 crore rupees for the development
of metro system for Nagpur city.
Asian Development Bank has approved a project loan
of $300 million for upgradation of over 400 km of
major district roads in Uttar Pradesh.
MARCH 2016
PRESIDENT RULE IMPOSED IN UTTRAKHAND
Central government recommended to the President to
invoke Article 356 in Uttarakhand to impose the
Presidents rule in the state as the present government
led by Harish Rawat lost the majority support.
On March 18, the state govt failed to secure majority vote
for passing the bill. This caused a constitutional crisis as
no state govt can spend money from April 1 based on a
failed Appropriation bill.
UNESCO SELECTS AGASTHYAMALA BIOSPHERE

UNs top cultural body UNESCO has included
Agasthyamala biosphere reserve in its World Network
of Biosphere Reserves. Located in the Western Ghats, in
the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the Agasthyamala is
home to 2,254 species of higher plants and has three
wildlife sanctuaries.
ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS ANNOUNCED

Election Commission has announced the schedule for
the forthcoming Assembly elections in April in four
States and one UT - Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal,
Assam and Puducherry. The Counting for all five will be
held on 19th of May.
MUZIRIS HERITAGE PROJECT

Indias largest heritage conservation project - Muziris
Heritage Project (MHP) was inaugurated by the
President at Trissur in Kerala. It is the ancient port city
dotted with monuments up to 3000 years old.
KERALA GOES FULLY DIGITAL

Kerala has been declared as the first digital state of India
for achieving digital connectivity of all villages and
panchayats. The state has achieved 100 per cent mobile
connectivity and 75 per cent Internet literacy.
Delhi has become the first state in the country to
launch the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine as

a public health programme for school children.
The HPV vaccine protects people against the
group of 150-odd HPVs, some of which can cause
cervical cancer.
Surat, Rajkot railway stations in Gujarat stood first
and second in terms of cleanliness, as per a survey
conducted by the Ministry of Railways.
Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh is celebrating
150 years of its existence.
Kerala has started Indias first Gender Park, an
autonomous institution to promote the gender equity
in development to promote participation of women.
Kerala has taken first of its kind initiative by
launching the Air Ambulance in the state.
GOVERNMENT
INITIATIVES
MAY 2016
MULTILINGUAL PORTAL BHARATAVANI
Ministry of HRD has launched the portal Bharatavani the largest online repository of dictionaries in India. It
is a single point source for multiple language learning,
content and technology in 22 scheduled languages,
which eventually will be extended to 100 more
languages.
NATIONAL IPR POLICY ANNOUNCED

The govt has approved the National Intellectual
Property Rights (IPR) policy with a view to promoting
creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. The policy
aims to push IPRs as a marketable financial asset,
promote innovation and entrepreneurship.
UJJWALA TO GIVE LPG TO BPL FAMILIES
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was
formally launched by the Prime Minister at Ballia, Uttar
Pradesh. The scheme aims to provide cooking gas
connections to five crore below-poverty-line
beneficiaries over the next three years. The connections
will be given in the name of women beneficiary.
UJALA SCHEME LAUNCHED FOR LED BULBS
Union Minister of State for Energy and Coal Piyush
Goyal formally launched the energy-efficient LED bulbs
distribution scheme UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable
LEDs for All) at Bhopal for the state of Madhya Pradesh
and Maharashtra.
The scheme aims to replace all the conventional bulbs
with the LED bulbs for reducing drastically power
consumption and emission of carbon gasses.
PORTAL LAUNCHED FOR SCHOOL STUDENTS
LOK SABHA PASSES BANKRUPTCY BILL

The Lok Sabha has passed the Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Code Bill 2016. The bill aims to improve
conditions for Ease of Doing Business.
Broadly speaking, Insolvency is a financial
situation where a person or business entity is not in a
position to repay its debts. When this status is confirmed
by courts, it is called Bankruptcy, a legal status.
A Parliamentary Standing Committee headed by J C
The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development

(HRD) has decided to launch ASMITA, an online student
tracking system for 25 crore students of India from class
I to XII. ASMITA is acronym for All School Monitoring
Individual Tracing Analysis and shall be launched under
Shala Asmita Yojana (SAY).
COMMITTEE TO REVIEW FRBM

Govt has constituted a five Member Committee headed
by former Revenue and Expenditure Secretary N.K.
Singh to comprehensively review and give
recommendations on the Fiscal Responsibility and
Budget Management (FRBM) road map for the future.
NITI AAYOG TO LAUNCH 15 YEAR PLAN

Govt has decided to replace the five year plans with 15
year vision documents. The NITI Aayog has been
directed to prepare a vision document for this purpose.
It will be implemented after the 12th five year plan
which is ending in March, 2017.
COMMITTEE FOR TAXI OPERATORS

The Union Government has constituted a committee
headed by Sanjay Mitra, Secretary of Union Ministry of
Road Transport & Highways to prepare a policy
framework for taxi and other transport operators.
UNIQUE BUSINESS IDENTIFICATION NUMBER

The Government plans to issue a UBIN for budding
entrepreneurs to start up their new businesses without
any delay.
The number will be issued by the
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.
SINGLE EMERGENCY NUMBER - 112

Govt has approved the
single emergency number
112 to help people access
directly
emergency
services
like
police,
ambulance
and
fire
fighting. The number will
be operational throughout
India from January 1, 2017.
Divakar Reddy, MP has been formed to tackle

misleading advertising as well as to fix liability
on endorsers/celebrities.
Parliament has passed two Bills- The Appropriation
Acts (Repeal) Bill 2015 and The Repealing and
Amending (Third) Bill, 2015 to repeal outdated 1053
old laws which had become redundant legislations.
Union Cabinet has approved a national policy on
capital goods which aims at creating more than 2
crore new jobs and tripling the production of capital
goods to Rs 7.5 lakh crore by 2025.
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities will now be known as 'Divyangjan'
Sashaktikaran Vibhag in Hindi, dropping the word
'viklangjan' from its previous nomenclature.
Govt has constituted the Investor Education and
Protection Fund Authority to strengthen the
framework for safeguarding the interest of investors.
The trial run of India's first ever Metro train equipped
to run in the driverless mode was conducted in New
Delhi on May 18 by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.
The Income Tax department has launched an
electronic grievance redressal system named enivaran to fast track taxpayers complaints and to
ensure their early resolution.
Government has selected 13 more cities for the smart
cities mission. The list is topped by Lucknow. Already
20 cities have been selected for this mission.
Moving towards environment friendly solutions,
Prime Minister Modi launched e-rickshaws and solar
powered boats in Varanasi.
EPFO has decided to increase benefits under the
Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance scheme from Rs
3.60 lakh to Rs 6 lakh.
Be stubborn about
your goals, and
flexible about your
methods...!!
8
APRIL 2016
PROGRAMME FOR VILLAGE UPLIFTMENT
3RD PHASE
OF
MISSION
INDRADHANUSH
The Union Health Ministry launched third phase of

universal
vaccination
programme
Mission
Indradhanush to cover 216 districts across several
States including Bihar, Gujarat, Assam, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
Under the mission, the children are vaccinated against
seven preventable diseases.
PANIC BUTTON MUST FOR MOBILE PHONES
The Gram Uday Se Bharat Uday Abhiyan (Village Self

Governance Campaign) was launched on April 14, the
125th Birth anniversary of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar,
to strengthen Panchayati Raj in villages, empowerment
of women and upliftment of farmers.
The
campaign concluded on April 24.
25 MINISTRIES JOIN IMPRINT INITIATIVE

25 Ministries and Departments of the Union
Government signed a MoU to join IMPacting Research
Innovation and Technology (IMPRINT) initiative. It was
launched on 5 November 2015 to establish a single
window mechanism to shortlist research projects by
leading research and technology institutes.
'VIDYUT PRAVAH' FOR 24X7 POWER SUPPLY

Govt has launched the mobile application 'Vidyut
Pravah' to empower common people to demand 24x7
power from the State. The app will provide the
highlights of the electricity availability in the country on
the real time basis.
INDIAs FIRST SEMI-HIGH SPEED TRAIN

The Nizamuddin-Agra Gatimaan Express that started on
April 5 is the first semi-high speed train in India. It will
run at a speed of 160 kilometer per hour and is expected
to cover the 200 km distance between Delhi and Agra in
100 minutes.
COMMITTEE FOR DOUBLING OF FARM INCOMES

Govt has set up a committee headed by Ashok Dalwai,
Additional Secretary at the Agriculture Ministry to
suggest ways to double farm incomes by 2022. The
committee will focus on finding the means for
enhancing productivity and reducing costs of
cultivation.
In a bid to improve women security, the government has

made it mandatory that no mobile can be sold
in India without an in-built panic button, starting
January 1, 2017. Besides, in-built GPS navigation system
would be mandatory for all phones with effect from
January 1, 2018.
E- MARKET LAUNCHED FOR FARM PRODUCE

To facilitate online trading of commodities in 21
markets from 8 states, an E-National Agriculture Market
was launched on April 14, 125th birth anniversary of Dr.
B R Ambedkar. The eight states are Haryana, UP, MP,
Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, HP and Telangana.
INDIA TO JOIN SAWEN

Union cabinet has approved Indias formal membership
of the regional group Sawen.
SAWEN (South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network) is a
regional network comprising of eight countries in South
Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives,
Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka for combating wildlife
crime and illegal trade in the region.
ISBN PORTAL LAUNCHED

The Union HRD Minster Smriti Irani launched a portal
for registration and allotment of International Standard
Book Number (ISBN) at a function held in New Delhi.
The portal will facilitate publishers and authors to
register for ISBN online. It is a 13 character
identification number allotted by International ISBN
Agency based in UK.
GOVT LAUNCHES ANMOL AND E-RAKTKOSH
STAND-UP INDIA LOAN SCHEME LAUNCHED

Govt has launched the Stand-up India scheme to give a
push to financial inclusion programme. Under the
scheme, 1.25 lakh bank branches will provide loans up
to 1 crore rupees to SC/ST and women entrepreneurs.
The scheme will help in creating 2.5 lakh entrepreneurs as
every bank branch will be required to provide two such
loans ranging from 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore without
collateral, for setting up a new enterprise.
Govt has launched a tablet-based application ANMOL

that allows ANMs (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) to enter
and update data for the beneficiaries.
Another web-based mechanism launched is ERaktKosh that interconnects all the Blood Banks of the
State into a single network.
RULES FOR PREVENTION OF ATROCITIES

Union Government notified the Scheduled Castes (SC)
and the Scheduled Tribes (ST) (Prevention of Atrocities
(PoA)) Amendment Rules, 2016 to enlarge scope of
rules to cover several more violations against SC/ST
persons as cognizable offences.
I P PORTAL LAUNCHED FOR SMEs

The government has launched
a portal The Indian IP
Panorama which will act as a
single window interface for
information on intellectual
property
and
provide
guidance on leveraging it for
competitive advantage. It is a
customised version of IP Panorama Multimedia toolkit,
developed by World Intellectual Property Organisation
(WIPO).
The Indian IP Panorama has 5 modules: (i) Importance of
IP for SMEs, (ii) Trademark, (iii) Industrial design, (iv)
Invention and Patent and (v) Patent Information.
Govt has launched its first online interactive heritage
portal Sahapedia to serve as one point resource for
collaborative knowledge on the arts, culture and
heritage of India.
The Department of Disinvestment has been renamed
as Department of Investment and Public Asset
Management or 'Dipam' under the Finance Ministry.
Railways to create a 1 lakh crore rupees Rashtriya
Rail Sanrakshan Kosh to strengthen safety measures
on the rail network to prevent accidents.
Govt has launched a Twitter Seva Service, a special
Twitter cell to respond to queries from start-ups,
exporters and importer, within 48 to 72 hours.
The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme has been
extended to 61more districts with low Child Sex Ratio
across 11 States/UTs. Already there in 100 districts.
Govt has decided to increase minimum wages of
contract workers to Rs 10,000 taking into
consideration the CPI and Dearness Allowance.
Govt plans to construct five lakh ponds under
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana by next year.
Govt has formed a committee headed by former
Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta to suggest ways to
improve protection along the Pakistan border.
Union government plans to lay more emphasis on
promoting Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and
Events (MICE) tourism in India.
Govt has launched a low cost micro solar
device, Surya Jyoti, to light up homes without
electricity and save millions of units of power.
Govt has issued a new set of income tax return forms
that require people with an income of Rs 50 lakh and
above per annum to disclose their assets.
MARCH 2016
WOMEN TRANSFORMING INDIA INITIATIVE
The NITI Aayog has launched the Women Transforming
India initiative in partnership with the UN in India and
MyGov. It will invite success stories from women
making efforts for empowerment of women, to
encourage and recognize them.
SETUBHARTAM - CROSSING FREE HIGHWAYS

Govt has launched the Setubharatam project on Mar 4 to
make all national highways free of railway crossings by
2019. Some 208 such points have been identified for
construction of rail over-bridges or underpasses.
NEW COLOUR SCHEME FOR POLLUTION LEVELS

Govt has launched the new four colour scheme for reclassification of industries based on the Pollution Index
(PI) scores.
Pollution Category
P I Score
Red
Orange
Green
White
60 and Above
41 to 59
21 to 40
Up to 20
No. of industries
covered
60
83
63
36
The purpose of the categorization is to ensure that the

industry is established in a manner which is consistent
with the environmental objectives.
ONE CRORE HOUSES IN RURAL AREAS
The Union Cabinet has approved the construction of one

crore houses in next three years in rural areas under
Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana Gramin to achieve the
objective of Housing for All. The scheme replaces thee
earlier Indira Awas Yojana.
A financial assistance of Rs.1.20 lakh will be provided for
construction of pucca houses to homeless families in plain
areas and Rs. 1.30 lakh in hilly and difficult areas. The
beneficiary will also be entitled to 90 days of unskilled
labour from MGNREGA.
STUDENTS TO ACT AS PARYATAK MITRA

Union Ministry of Tourism has launched the Paryatak
Mitra (tourists friend) programme to inculcate
appropriate tourism traits and knowledge amongst the
college students enrolled in NCC/NSS to enable them to
act/work as Tourist Facilitators.
10
PRADHAN MANTRI UJJWALA YOJANA

The Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs (CCEA)
approved
the
Pradhan
Mantri Ujjwala Yojana for
providing 5 crore free LPG
connections to women from
below poverty line (BPL)
households at a cost of Rs
8,000 crore.
GOVT STARTS HEALTHCARE ATMs

Union Health Ministry has started, on trial basis, five
healthcare ATMs in four states Madhya Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The
ATMs combine telemedicine with a rudimentary free
drugs programme.
UJALA SCHEME FOR LED BULBS

Govt has announced the UJALA' scheme for the LED
based Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme, which is
currently running successfully in over 120 cities across
India to replace incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs.
UJALA is an acronym for Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs
for All.
BRIGHT DAYS AHEAD FOR HOUSE BUYERS

The Rajya Sabha passed the landmark Real Estate
(Regulation and Development) Bill, 2015 on March 10 to
address corruption and inefficiency in the sector. The
bill aims to protect house buyers from the widely
prevalent opaque and fraudulent practices in the real
estate sector. Lok sabha has already passed this bill.
WOMEN CONQUER ITBP FORTE ALSO
Each ATM will be manned by a multipurpose public

health worker (MPHW) or an auxiliary nurse midwife
(ANM) armed with a multi-parameter patient vital
monitor and other devices required for checking basic
health parameters.
AADHAAR BILL PASSED BY PARLIAMENT

The Aadhaar (Target Delivery of Financial and Other
Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016 has been
passed by the Parliament to provide a legal back up to
the usage of Aadhaar card for various social welfare
schemes. It will empower the states to distribute
resources to deserving people and save the resources
that undeserving people get
UNIVERSITIES TO HAVE WEB PAGE FOR SC/ST

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked
varsities and colleges across the country to launch a
special page on their websites for checking
discrimination against SC/ST students.
The move comes amidst the debate on the issue of alleged
discrimination in higher educational institutions in the
aftermath of Rohith Vemula's suicide at Hyderabad
Central University.
UNRESERVED TICKET VALID FOR 3 HOURS

As per new rules, from March 1, an unreserved train
ticket for travelling up to 199 kms will no longer be
valid after 3 hrs of purchase of the ticket, or up to the
departure of first train for the destination, whichever is
later.
ENEMY PROPERTY ACT, 1968 AMENDED

Government has allowed women to be inducted as
officers in combat roles in the Indo-Tibetan Border
Force (ITBP), the last paramilitary force to do so. The
four other paramilitary forces CRPF, CISF, BSF and SSB
have already been allowed to recruit women officers in
the combat roles.
Lok Sabha passed a bill to amend the Enemy Property

Act, 1968. The properties covered by the Bill are those
left behind by people who became Chinese or Pakistani
nationals, after leaving India in the wake of wars fought
with these countries. The new bill also ensures that the
law of succession does not apply to enemy property.
11
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
TRADE DEFICIT SLIPS BELOW $5 BILLION
has launched the 'Clean Street Food Project' in

Delhi to sensitise the street food vendors about health
and hygiene aspects of food.
Railways launched an online clean my coach
service that allows travellers to get their
compartments cleaned by sending an SMS to 58888
or by using an app or a designated website.
Government has decided to digitally connect all the
Post Offices in rural areas by March 2017. There are
about 1,55,000 Post Offices in the country.
The Telecom Commission has approved the idea of
having a common number for emergencies such as
police, fire, ambulance, etc. all over India. The
proposed number is 112.
Exports continued to fall for the 17th month in a row,

shrinking by 6.74% to $20.5 billion in April, owing to
muted global demand. Imports, too, dipped by 23.1% to
$25.4 billion in April, leaving a trade deficit of
$4.9billion.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
MAY 2016
INDIA POISED TO GROW BY 8%
INDUSTRIAL GROWTH SHRINKS TO 0.1%

Growth in the country's industrial production measured
in terms of the Index of Industrial Production, IIP,
slowed to 0.1 per cent in March this year, due to poor
performance of the manufacturing and mining sectors,
and a sharp fall in capital goods output.
Core sector industries grew by 6.4 percent in March

on the back of high production rate of fertilizer,
cement, petroleum and electricity.
Global rating agency, Moody's has forecast a growth
rate of about 7.5 percent for the Indian economy in
2016 and 2017, driven largely by private
consumption growth.
APRIL 2016
RBI MAINTAINS GROWTH RATE AT 7.6%
The Reserve Bank in its first policy review of the year
expects the economy to grow by 7.6 per cent in the
current fiscal on the back of favourable monsoon,
slightly lower than the upper end of governments
projected rate of 7-7.75 per cent.
ADB PUTS INDIAs GROWTH AT 7.6 %
In its latest Global Economic outlook, Fitch Ratings, USA

has said that it expects India's real GDP growth to rise to
8 percent by 2018-19, from 7.9 percent in 2017-18 and
7.7 percent in 2016-17 driven by the gradual
implementation of structural reforms, higher disposable
income and improvement in economic activity.
UN REPORT PUTS INDIAS GROWTH AT 7.3%

A UN report The World Economic Situation and
Prospect says that notwithstanding delays in domestic
policy reforms, Indias economy is slowly gaining
momentum and is projected to grow by 7.3 per cent
this year and is expected to achieve a growth of 7.5 per
cent in 2017.
IMF KEEPS INDIAs GROWTH RATE AT 7.5%

The IMF has retained its growth forecast for India at
7.5% for the year 2016-17, largely driven by private
consumption even as weak exports and sluggish credit
growth weigh on the economy. It said structural
reforms, including GST and in areas like land and labour,
will be the key to boost Indias economic growth.
With the failure of the government to push through the

Goods and Services Tax and the Land and Labour
Reforms, the Asian Development Bank has lowered
Indias growth forecast to 7.4 per cent from an earlier
estimate of 7.6 per cent for the financial year ending
March 31, 2017.
NO BPL POPULATION BY 2032 - KANT

In a presentation made by Niti Aayog Chief Executive
Officer Amitabh Kant, it was stated that India will
achieve growth of 10% by 2032 to become a $10-trillion
economy, creating 175 million jobs and leading to zero
per cent of Below Poverty Line (BPL) population.
As per Arvind Panagariya, Vice Chairman, Niti

Aayog, India may achieve 8% growth on the back of
satisfactory progress in infrastructure development.
MARCH 2016
FITCH PUTS INDIAs GROWTH AT 7.5%
Fitch Ratings has lowered Indias economic growth
forecast for next fiscal to 7.7 per cent, but maintained
the GDP projection for current fiscal at 7.5 per cent.
12
ECONOMY & INDUSTRY

MAY 2016
WB LOAN FOR ROOFTOP SOLAR POWER
The World Bank has approved $625 million loan to
India to support the rooftop solar power generation
across the country. The project will be implemented
through the State Bank of India, which will on-lend the
funds to solar photovoltaic developers and end-users.
NEW DTAA SIGNED WITH MAURITIUS

India and Mauritius have signed a protocol amending
the double tax avoidance arrangement between the two
countries. Now India gets the right to tax capital gains
on investments routed through Mauritius, from April 1,
2017.
MMTC has launched in collaboration with Swiss gold
FSSAI BANS USE OF POTASSIUM BROMATE

After the alert raised by the
Centre
for
Science
and
Environment (CSE) that 84 per
cent of the 38 popular brands of
breads contained cancer-causing
chemicals, the Food Safety and
Standards Association of India
(FSSAI)
has
recommended
banning Potassium Bromate as a food additive.
INDIA RANKS 9TH IN CRONY CAPITALISM

A study by the leading financial magazine, The
Economist shows that in terms of crony capitalism,
India is ranked at ninth position with crony sector
wealth accounting for 3.4 per cent of the GDP. Russia
tops the list where wealth from the country's crony
sectors amounts to 18 per cent of its GDP.
Crony capitalism is a kind of economy where success in
business depends on close relationships between business
people and government officials as the later shower
favours on the selected few corporates.
company Pamp, a new gold coin Tola of 11.6639

grams on the occasion of Akshya Tritya, May 9.
World Bank has agreed to provide $ 100 million loan
to support Karnataka Urban Water Supply
Modernization project.
The Tata Group has made a foray into the ecommerce market through TataCLiQ.com to sell
apparel, electronics and footwear, etc.
India and Slovenia have signed a protocol to amend
the double taxation avoidance agreement (DTAA) to
include exchange of information to curb tax evasion.
Union cabinet has approved Rs.1,983 crore package
for widening of the 19-km stretch between DelhiUttar Pradesh border of the Delhi-Meerut
Expressway.
APRIL 2016
INDIA TOPS IN INWARD REMITTANCES
PRESIDENT HONOURS EXPORTERS

President Pranab Mukherjee presented Niryat Shree
and Niryat Bandhu Awards in New Delhi to honour
exporters for their excellent business achievements.
Both Awards were instituted by the Federation of Indian
Export Organization (FIEO) in the year 1995-96 with the
aim to motivate exporters.
DHAN WAPSI SCHEME wef JUNE 1

The govt has announced The Income Declaration
Scheme, 2016 Dhan Wapsi, an amnesty scheme for
declaring domestic black money, from June 1 till Sep 30.
Individuals willing to declare their black money in the
country will have to pay tax and a penalty, totalling 45
per cent.
INCOME TAX DATA MADE PUBLIC

In a landmark development towards greater
transparency, the income tax department has released
its key data, though after a lapse of 16 years. Taxpayers
account for just about one per cent of India's population.
Total income tax collections in 2015-16 were 2.86 lakh
crore rupees.
As per a recent World Bank report, India remained the

world's largest remittance recipient in 2015 despite
experiencing a one billion US dollar drop from the
previous year, attracting $69 billion, followed by China
at $64 billion.
COMPANIES TO OBSERVE IFRS NORMS

Companies with a net worth of Rs 500 crore or more
will have to follow new Indian Accounting Standards
(Ind AS) from April 1. The new standards have been
converged with the globally followed International
Financial Reporting Standards - IFRS.
BLACKSTONE ENTERS INDIA

In one of the largest private equity deals in the IT
industry, Blackstone, the New York based MNC in
investment and financial services has signed a deal to
buy 60.5 per cent stake in Mphasis, a Bengaluru based
IT services major.
13
India has offered to invest up to $20 billion in new
petrochemicals, fertiliser and liquefied natural gas

(LNG) facilities in Iran and sought land and cheaper
natural gas for this.
The Shan-E-Punjab Express, countrys first train with
CCTV cameras in all coaches, for safety of passengers,
started from Delhi for Amritsar.
The Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. has become the number
one coal producer in the country by producing a
record 137.90 million tonne of coal in 2015-16.
The East Coast Railway has become the largest
Freight Loading Railway Zone in 2015-16 with
handling of 173.49 million tonnes of freight.
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has launched a
new index Nifty Mid Smallcap 400 representing 150
midcap and 250 small cap companies.
Govt. has extended safeguard duty of 20 per cent on
steel imports till March 2018 to protect Indian
industry from cheap China steel
The total telephone subscriber base in the country
rose to 105.18 crore in February on the back of
growth in wireless users (102.66 crore) even as
landline base continues to decline.
MARCH 2016
100% FDI ALLOWED IN E-COMMERCE
The government has allowed 100% foreign direct
investment (FDI) in the marketplace format of ecommerce via the automatic route but not under the
inventory led model. This means that companies such as
Amazon and Alibaba can set up an online marketplace
legally now where sellers can hawk their products.
NO TO WILLFUL DEFAULTERS SEBI

To curb the menace of willful defaulters, the Securities
and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has barred them
from making a public issue or acquiring another listed
entity.
The RBI defines a willful defaulter as an entity that
defaults on its payment obligations even if it has the
capacity to pay back debts.
INDIA HIKES QUOTA IN IMF

The government has decided to invest Rs. 69,575 crore
towards increasing Indias quota in the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) from 2.44% to 2.75% to have
increased voting rights of 2.6% from the previous
2.34%.
INDIAs BIGGEST EVER CREDIT LINE

India signed its biggest ever overseas credit line,
extending $2 billion loan facility to Bangladesh,
repayable over 20 years. Managed by the Exim Bank,
the funds will be used for development of infrastructure
and social sector.
ALTO FIRST CAR TO CROSS 3 MILLION SALES

Marutis hatchback Alto has achieved cumulative sales
of three million units in the Indian market. It has taken
15 years and 6 months to achieve this record.
MAHINDRA ONLINE TRACTOR RENTING

Indias number one tractor producer, Mahindra&
Mahindra plans to launch Trringo a digital app, to start
online tractor rental business. It will offer a digital
platform to connect those looking to hire tractors and
those willing to rent their self-owned machines.
CALL DROPS NOT TO EXCEED 2% - S C

The Supreme Court has asked telecom operators to give
an undertaking that they have not exceeded the two
percent threshold limit of call drops as mandated in the
regulations of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
The U.S. Agency for International Development
INDIAN LOCOMOTIVES FOR MYANMAR
Railways have signed a contract to supply eighteen

Meter Gauge 1350 HP Diesel Electric Locomotives to
Myanmar Railways. The engines will be manufactured
by the Diesel Locomotive Works, Varanasi.
URIDASHI MASALA BONDS LAUNCHED BY IFC

International Finance Corporation (IFC) launched its
first Uridashi Masala Bonds (Japanese bonds) to
mobilise Rs 30 crore from Japanese retail investors. The
proceeds will be used for promoting private sector
development in India.
Masala bonds are rupee-denominated instruments sold
only to foreign investors.
(USAID) and the A have signed a MoU to provide $

848 million to develop solar parks across India.
As per the Brand Trust Report, e-retailer Amazon has
been ranked as India's most trusted online shopping
brand, followed by Snapdeal and Flipkart.
The World Bank to provide $250 million loan for
improving the performance of electricity distribution
in Rajasthan.
The government has formally withdrawn the
recognition of Delhi Stock Exchange (DSE) after it
was de recognised by SEBI "serious irregularities".
The govt has relaxed FDI norms for the insurance
sector to allow 49% foreign stake in local insurance
companies without prior approval, as against 26%
earlier.
Railways have tied up with the ISRO to use space
technology for providing the passenger information
in all trains and to explore new route alignments.
India and France have signed a MoU for construction
of six nuclear reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra.
World Bank to provide $ 35 million loan for Madhya
Pradesh citizen access to responsive services project.
World Bank to grant $ 300 million loan for the
Madhya Pradesh Higher Education Quality
Improvement Project
14
BANKING & FINANCE

MAY 2016
Union Bank of India has launched e-SBTR (Electronic
BANKS ASKED TO SHIFT TO EVM CARDS
The Reserve Bank of India has instructed banks to shift

from magnetic stripe based ATM and debit cards to EMV
chip and Pin based cards to ensure protection of cards
from cloning, skimming and other forms of frauds which
can happen on a magnetic strip.
WILFUL DEFAULTERS OWE Rs. 66,190 CRORE

As per a written statement made in Rajya Sabha by
Union Minister of state for Finance, there were 7,686
wilful defaulters owing Rs 66,190 crore to state-owned
banks as of December 2015.
The cumulative gross NPAs of 24 listed public sector
banks, including SBI group, stood at Rs.3,93,035 crore as
on 31 December 2015.
As per RBI, an asset becomes non-performing when it
ceases to generate income for the bank or the repayment
due is delayed for more than 90 days.
SEBI SHUNS WILLFUL DEFAULTERS

SEBI has prohibited willful defaulters from making a
public issue of shares, setting up market intermediaries
like mutual funds and brokerage firms. Nor they will be
allowed to take control of any listed company.
An individual or a company is declared a 'willful
defaulter' for deliberate non-payment of dues despite
adequate cash flow and good net worth.
Secured Bank Treasury Receipt), a single window

facility for payment of both - stamp duty and
registration fee for home purchase in Maharashtra
Saudi Arabia based Islamic Development Bank has
announced to open its first branch in India at
Ahmadabad, Gujarat to offer interest free banking
services as per the Muslim law Shariat.
UK based banking giant, HSBC Holding Plc has
decided to close its 24 branches in India, out of total
50.
The RBI has released Draft Guidelines for on tap
Licensing of Universal Banks in the Private Sector to
receive comments / suggestions from the public.
A commemorative coin of 100 rupees and a
circulation coin of ten rupees have been released on
the 475th birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap.
APRIL 2016
REPO RATE LOWERED TO 6.50%
The RBI announced a 25 basis cut in its policy interest
rate on April 5, lowering it to more than five-year low.
The new repo rate now stands at 6.50 per cent.
However, the reverse repo rate has been hiked by 25
basis points to 6 per cent. The new Marginal Standing
Facility and Bank Rate stand at 7.00 percent.
The move is likely to lower the rate of interest on bank
loans, facilitating the pace of economic growth.
BANKS ADOPT MCLR FOR LOWER RATES

Short-term working capital loans are set to get cheaper
as banks start adopting the marginal cost of funds-based
lending rate (MCLR) from 1 April. The new framework
requires banks to set rates based on their marginal cost
of funds rather than their average cost of funds. MCLR is
expected to improve transmission of policy rate cuts to
bank loan rates.
NEW DEVELOPMENT BANK SELECTS ICICI

The ICICI bank has become the first financial institution
in the country to be selected by the BRICSs New
Development Bank to explore opportunities around
bond issuance, co-financing, treasury management and
human resources in India.
INDIAs FIRST MOBILE ONLY BANK

The DBS, Singapore's largest bank, has launched Indias
first mobile only bank named digibank. It uses
technologies such as bio metrics and artificial
intelligence, to enable paperless, signature less and
branch less banking.
15
INDIAs FIRST PAYMENTS BANK
ICICI BANK STARTS WORK FROM HOME
Airtel M Commerce Services Limited (AMSL), a

subsidiary of Bharti Airtel (Airtel) has been granted
the Indias first payments bank license by RBI. The
company already offers mobile money services under
the brand name Airtel Money.
Keeping in mind the difficulties faced by the

women who very often opt to drop out from the
workplace at key life stages, ICICI Bank has announced
an initiative called iWork@home that uses technology to
enable women employees to work from home for an
extended period of time depending on their needs.
State
Bank
of
India has
launched
'NO
Queue' Mobile app to save its customers time to avail
banking services.
MARCH 2016
BANKS TO PAY QLY INTEREST ON SB A/Cs
RBI has asked banks to pay interest on savings accounts

on a quarterly basis or a shorter duration, a move which
will benefit crores of savings account holders.
At present, the interest is credited in savings bank
accounts on a half-yearly basis. Banks are free to decide
rate of interest on savings bank accounts. It is calculated
on the daily balance basis.
SMALL SAVINGS RATES SLASHED

The government has reduced interest rates payable on
small savings including Public Provident Fund, National
Savings Certificate and Kisan Vikas Patra to align them
closer to market rates. From 1st of April, PPF and NSC
will earn 8.1 per cent and KVP 7.8 per cent.
NPCI, issuer of Rupay card, plans to venture into the

credit card space by September 2016. It plans to
issue 100,000 such cards in the first year.
The RBI has signed a pact with Bank of Israel for
exchange of information pertaining to banking
supervision.
The Reserve Bank granted the first license for the
Small Finance Bank on 4 March to the Capital Local
Area Bank Ltd to start operations as Indias first SFB.
Indian Overseas Bank has become the first bank to
commence the sale of Indian Gold Coin. The coins are
available in the 5, 10 and 20 gram category.
DEFENCE, SCIENCE
& TECHNOLOGY
MAY 2016
NAVAL EXERCISE WITH ASEAN FORCES
The ADMM-Plus (ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting
Plus) Exercise on Maritime Security and Counter
Terrorism (Ex MS & CT) was held in Brunei. The nine
day naval exercise aims to strengthen the strong
bilateral ties and extensive maritime interactions
between India and ASEAN countries.
BRAHMOS TESTED SUCCESSFULLY
BANKERS MEET GYAN SANGAM IN GURGAON

The two day meet of public sector banks and insurance
companies and other financial institutions with the
government officials - Gyan Sangam, was held in
Gurgaon, Haryana on March 5-6 to discuss their
performance with particular focus on mergers, bad
debts (NPAs) and credit growth.
It was indicated that the government may go in for the
consolidation of banks, led by 6-10 major public sector
banks acting as anchor banks, to strengthen weak banks.
ACCOUNT AGGREGATOR NBFCs

RBI has come out with a draft regulatory framework for
new kind of Account Aggregator Non-Banking Financial
Companies (NBFC) which would act as an account
aggregator to help people view their accounts across
financial institutions in a common format.
The supersonic ballistic missile BrahMos was test fired

successfully from an aircraft in the air to land mode at
the Pokaran field firing range in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. It
has flight range of up to 290 km.
PRITHVI II MISSILE TESTED BY DRDO

India successfully test fired its indigenously developed
nuclear weapon capable Prithvi-II missile from the
Abdul Kalam Island, off Odisha coast. It has a strike
range of 350 kilometer.
16
INDIA TEST FIRES ANTI-BALLASTIC MISSILE

India successfully test-fired its indigenously developed
supersonic
interceptor
missile,
capable
of
destroying any incoming hostile ballistic missile. The
Advance Air Defence (AAD) missile dubbed as Ashwin
was fired from the Adbul Kalam Island (formerly known
as Wheeler Island), off the Odisha coast.
IAF LAUNCHES E-MAINTENANCE SYSTEM

Indian Air Force launched an Electronic Maintenance
Management System (e-MMS), one of the biggest
automated military maintenance systems in the world,
at the Air Force Station in Pune. The system would
seamlessly connect all the squadrons, wings, commands
with the Air Headquarters, after its implementation.
INS Kalvari (sea tiger shark), the first of the six
NAVY SAYS GOOD BYE TO SEA HARRIERS

The Indian Naval Air Squadron 300- White Tigers, bid
farewell to the British Sea Harriers fighter aircrafts on
May 11. They will be replaced by the new generation
MiG 29K/Kub fighters. Sea Harriers joined the Indian
Navy in 1983.
Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha became the first Chief of

Air Staff to fly the indigenously designed and
produced Light Combat Aircraft Tejas in Bengaluru.
Indian Army conducted its major military training
exercise Chakravyuh-II in Suratgarh, Rajasthan.
indigenous Scorpene-class submarines set out for sea

trials off the Mumbai coast.
India signed 4 MoUs for cooperation in defence sector
with Oman in Muscat.
The indigenously built Offshore Petrol Vessel ICGS
Shaurya joined the Indian Coast guard at Vasco, Goa.
ICGS = Indian Coast Guard Ship
Indigenously built Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Arush
joined the Indian Coast Guard at Cochi, Kerala.
The 27th edition of the India-Indonesian CORPAT
(Coordinated Patrol) between their navies was held
off the coast of Belawan, Indonesia.
Indias first indigenously built fast attack waterjet
craft INS Tarmugli was inducted in Indian Navy at
Visakhapatnam.
The Indian Navy has decided to decommission two of
its warships INS Veer and INS Nipat.
ISRO TESTS RE-USABLE LAUNCH VEHICLE

India successfully tested its first-ever indigenously built
space shuttle - the Re-Usable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstrator or RLV-TD on May 23 from
Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Re-usable technology
aims to help reduce the cost of launching satellites by 10
times.
17
WHO TO PROMOTE AYUSH
INDIA MAKES FIRST SONAR DOME

Indias first indigenous composite sonar dome, a ships
underwater eyes and ears, was launched at Goa.
Designed and produced by DRDO, it is a rare
achievement as very few companies in the world have
technology to make sonar domes.
INDIA 4TH IN DEFENCE SPENDING

India and the World Health Organization have signed
an agreement in Geneva for cooperation in promoting
quality, safety and effectiveness of service provision in
traditional Indian systems of medicine, called AYUSH.
GOOGLE CHROME IS TOP BROWSER

As per a global market research, Google Chrome,
claiming 41.7 per cent of desktop browser share has
become the top Internet browser, ending the long reign
of Microsoft Internet Explorer. Mozillas Firefox browser
stands at third place.
India has become the worlds fourth largest spender on

defence, following a 13.1% increase in its 2016-17
defence budget of Rs. 2,58,000 crore, according to US
research firm IHS Inc. USA is the largest spender in the
world, followed by China and Saudi Arabia.
INDIA US TO SHARE MILITARY LOGISTICS

To counter the growing maritime assertiveness of China,
India and the United States have agreed in principle to
share their military logistics.
IAF TO TAKE PART IN NATO EXCERCISE
In the first global assessment of the world's flora by

the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (London), it is
estimated that there are about 390,900 plants.
In a rare astronomical phenomenon, planet Mercury
was seen as a moving dot on the solar disc, from
various places of India, on May 9.
University of Cambridge researchers have built the
world's smallest working engine. The device, powered
by light, is just millionths of a millimeter in size.
China successfully launched its remote sensing
satellite Yaogan-30 into space atop a Long March
2D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
APRIL 2016
ARMY RAISES NEW GORKHA BATTALION
The Army has raised a new Gorkha battalion comprising
entirely of Gorkha troops of Indian domicile. The new
battalion, the Sixth Battalion of the First Gorkha Rifles
(6/1GR), christened Kanchi Paltan, has been raised at
Sabathu in the Shivalik foothills near Shimla, that houses
the 14 Gorkha Training Centre.
DEAL FINALISED FOR 36 RAFALE JETS

India has finalised the deal to purchase 36 Rafale fighter
jets from Dassault Aviation of France for 7.89 billion
euros (Rs. 59,000 crore). The Indian team managed to
bring down the deal price by 11 billion euros. The first
set of jets would be delivered within 18 to 20 months.
K-4 MISSILE TESTED SUCCESSFULLY

India has successfully tested its most ambitious weapon
system - a long range submarine-launched ballistic
missile, codenamed K-4, capable of striking targets upto
3,500 kilometres away. The missile was tested 40 kms
off the Vishakhapatnam coast.
12 IAF aircrafts will take part in the prestigious 'Red

Flag' air exercise alongside NATO forces from April 28
to May 13 in skies over Alaska. It is seen as a complex
and advanced network centric operation -- the toughest
test for flying machines and men.
ICGS Shoor, an offshore patrol vessel was inducted in

the Indian Coast Guard at it Mangalore base.
The 11th Indo-Mongolia joint army training exercise,

titled Nomadic Elephant - 2016 commenced on 25
April in Mongolia to share skills for handling Counter
Insurgency and Counter Terrorism events.
The 22nd Indo-Thai Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT)
was held from 19-27 April in the Andaman
Sea. Missile Corvette INS Karmuk and Dornier
Maritime Patrol Aircraft took part in this exercise.
The Indian Army conducted its major war exercise
named Shatrujeet (winning the enemy) in the Thar
Desert of Rajasthan.
LIGHTEST EVER SYNTHETIC MATERIAL

Scientists at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (of
ISRO), Thiruvananthapuram, have developed the
world's lightest ever synthetic material called silica
aerogel or blue air or frozen smoke. It has an
excellent thermal resistance and if used as filler in
uniforms, it can save many lives at the Siachen Glacier.
18
Indian army test-fired indigenously built nuclearcapable Agni-I ballistic missile with a range of 700
kms from Abdul Kalam Island on the Odisha coast.
Garuda Shakti, the 4th edition of joint army training
exercise between India and Indonesia was held at
Magelang, Indonesia, from March 11 to 23.
Defence Ministry has issued the order for purchase of
transport helicopters CH-47 Chinook and attack
helicopter AH-64 Apache, from the Boeing, USA.
ISRO PUTS UP SPACE RESEARCH RADAR

A new 30MHz radar system, Gadanki Ionospheric Radar
Interfereometer (GIRI), second largest in the world, has
been established at National Atmospheric Research
Laboratory (NARL) at Gadanki in Andhra Pradesh for
ionospheric, meteor and space weather research in a
comprehensive way. NARL functions under ISRO.
ISRO LAUNCHES 6TH IRNSS SATELLITE

SUPERCOMPUTER PARAM KANCHENJUNGA
The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Sikkim has
secured a rare distinction of having a supercomputer
named Param Kanchenjunga, which is said to be the
most powerful and fastest among all the 31 NITs.
INDIA GETS ASIA's BIGGEST TELESCOPE
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on 10

March launched the countrys sixth Indian Regional
Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS)-1F, on board its
launch vehicle PSLV C-32 from Sriharikota, Andhra
Pradesh. IRNSS is a set up of seven satellites to serve as
GPS (global positioning system) of India.
NATIONAL SCIENCE DAY FEB 28
Asia's biggest telescope has been launched in India. Built

by the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational
Sciences (ARIES) with the assistance of Belgium, the
telescope is located at a height of 2,500 metres at
Devasthal in Nainital district.
The Airports Authority of India has signed an MoU

with ISRO to provide scientific parameters for
construction of airports across the country.
India and the USA have signed an agreement for a
new Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave
Observatory (LIGO) project in India.
MARCH 2016
FORCE 18 HELD IN PUNE
The multinational mega Military Exercise Force 18 was
held in Pune, Maharashtra from March 2 to 8. Hosted by
Indian Army, it included 18 forces from ASEAN and
several other countries.
The theme of the exercise was `Humanitarian Mine
Action (HMA) and `Peacekeeping Operations (PKO).
ICGS Arnvesh, the Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) built by

the Cochin Shipyard was commissioned in the Indian
Coast Guard (ICG) in Visakhapatnam.
Iron Fist 2016 - Indian Air Force conducted its
biggest fire power combat exercise at Pokhran in
Rajasthan on March 18.
It was observed Feb 28 with the theme Scientific Issues

for Development of the Nation. The day is observed to
mark the discovery of the Raman Effect (phenomenon of
scattering of photons) by Indian physicist Sir C V
Raman, Nobel laureate on 28 February 1928.
EXOMARS LAUNCHED TO STUDY MARS

ExoMars 2016, an unmanned spacecraft was launched
jointly by Europe and Russia on a Russian Proton rocket
from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to study the
Mars' atmosphere for gassy evidence that life once
existed on the Red Planet.
Australian scientists have created the worlds
thinnest lens which is 2,000 times thinner than
human hair, a breakthrough set to revolutionise
nanotechnology.
19
INTERNATIONAL
MAY 2016
USA decided to fully lift its embargo on sales of lethal
KENYA DESTROYS HUGE STOCK OF IVORY
In one of the largest stockpile of elephant tusks (ivory)

destroyed in Africa, Kenya's president set fire to 105
tonnes of elephant ivory and more than one tonne of
rhino horn, seized from smugglers and poachers. The
ivory is reported to be worth over $150 million in the
open market and the rhino horn could raise as much as
$80 million.
WB LAUNCHES EMERGENCY FUND FOR ZIKA

World Bank Group has launched the Pandemic
Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) to protect and
support poorest countries against deadly pandemics
like Ebola, Zika. The PEF will ensure fast disbursement
of global financing.
ROYAL CAMPAIGN FOR MENTAL HEALTH

British Royals Prince William, Princess Kate and Prince
Harry launched the Heads Together campaign in
London to spread and promote public awareness about
mental health and wellbeing.
weapons to its one-time arch enemy, Vietnam, after a

gap of over 32 years.
Kenya to close World's biggest refugee camp in
Dadaab, citing threat to internal security. About
3,28,000 refugees, mostly from Somalia are staying in
this camp.
USA has approved selection of animal Bison as the
first national mammal of the country. This is in
addition to the present national symbol - Bald Eagle.
The European Central Bank (ECB) has decided to stop
printing of the 500 euro banknote by the end of 2018
with a view to curb illicit activities.
It is one of the highest value (Rs 38,0000
roughly) circulating banknotes in the world.
The International Bank Note Society has declared
New Zealands five-dollar note as the Banknote of the
Year for 2015 in a study of 40 notes from 20
countries.
APRIL 2016
WORLDs WHOs WHO IN PANAMA LEAK
A massive leak of 11.5 million documents from a law
firm in Panama reveals how the world's current rich
people, politicians and celebrities hide their money in
Panama. The documents, dubbed the Panama Papers,
were obtained by a Munich-based daily newspaper.
The names figuring in the leak included aides to Russian
President Vladimir Putin, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib
Razak's son Nazifuddin, family of Chinese President Xi
Jinping, Amitabh Bachchan.
USA TOPS IN ICT USAGE
Heads of state and government from G-7 nations,
USA, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and host

Japan held their meet in the Japanese city of Ise
Shima.
Finance ministers and central bank governors meet
of G-7 nations held in Sendai, Japan.
A two day International Buddhist conference was
held at the birth place of Lord Buddha, Lumbini,
Nepal to celebrate his 2,560th birth anniversary.
The first-ever World Humanitarian Summit was held
in Istanbul from 23 to 24th May.
The First World Conference on Tourism for
Development was held in Beijing, China from May 1821.
Harmony of the Seas, worlds biggest-ever cruise ship,
capable of accommodating more than 8,000
passengers and crew in the most luxurious conditions,
was unveiled in France.
A study of 50 nations by Chinese IT giant Huawei for

investment and deployment of Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) has placed USA at
top, followed by Singapore, Sweden. Huawei Global
Connectivity Index 2016 places India at 44th rank.
20
AUSTRALIA SUFFERS LOSS IN REEF TOURISM
Australian scientists have reported that over 90 per cent

of the Great Barrier Reef has been affected by mass
bleaching that is likely to destroy half the coral. Reef
tourism generates around $4 billion every year for
Australia.
Bleaching occurs when the water is too warm, forcing
coral to expel living algae and causing it to calcify and
turn white.
IMF & WB TO WORK FOR TAX IMPROVEMENT

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank
have joined hands with the United Nations and the
Organization
for
Economic
Cooperation
and
Development, to form a new group which will work for
building effective tax systems in developing countries
and avoiding tax base erosion.
SAN JOSE - THE MOST FUTURE READY CITY

In a study of 50 cities conducted by the IT firm Dell Future-Ready Economies Model, city of San Jose in
California, USA has been placed at top, followed by San
Francisco, Singapore. From India, Delhi ranks at
44th place.
WTO LOWERS TRADE GROWTH TO 2.8%

The World Trade Organization has revised its 2016
global trade forecast downward by more than one
percentage point to 2.8 per cent, warning that a
slowdown in China and broad market volatility
continued to threaten growth.
In September last, the WTO estimated global trade to rise
by 3.9 per cent in 2016.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ZERO - ICZ

ICZ was held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France
to promote the knowledge of Maths for greater global
good. A bronze bust of ancient Indian mathematician
and astronomer Aryabhatta was also unveiled there on
the occasion.
WORLD DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS

The World Bank released the 2016 edition of the World
Development Indicators (WDI). It includes 1400
indicators for over 200 economies to measure the 169
targets of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
set by UNO.
TOP 'GLOBAL GAME CHANGERS'

American business magazine Forbes has ranked some of
the biggest names in business as the 'Global Game
Changers'. The selected 30 businessmen have exhibited
growth and innovation, and their examples have had
been adopted and copied by rivals the world over.
The list is topped by Marcs Benioff, CEO of
Salesforce.com, followed by Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com.
It includes three Indians - Rahul Bhatia of Inter Globe
Enterprises, Cyrus Poonawalla of Serum Institute of India,
and Sunny Varkey of GEMS Education at 3, 23 and 26
positions respectively.
The annual Spring Meeting of IMF & WB was held at
Washington. Finance Ministers and Governors of
Central Banks from G-20 nations attended the meet.
Heads of about 53 countries took part in the
4th Nuclear Security Summit held in Washington, USA.
Nauru, the tiny South Pacific island nation has become
the 189th member of the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) and the World Bank.
Summit of the foreign ministers of the G-7 countries
was held at Hiroshima, Japan on April 11.
Japan has become fourth country in world to
successfully test its first stealth fighter jet X 2, the
other three being USA, Russia and China.
The latest World Malaria Report from WHO says that
Europe has become the worlds first region to wipe out
malaria with zero cases reported last year.
The 13th Islamic Summit Conference was held in
Istanbul, Turkey. This years theme was Unity and
Solidarity for Justice and Peace.
The worlds first public dengue vaccination
programme was launched in the Philippines.
In UK, Britain's Royal Mail has launched a set of
special postage stamps to mark the 400th death
anniversary of the great playwright William
Shakespeare.
Bangladeshs top court has rejected a 28-year-old
petition to remove Islam as official religion of the
country, disappointing the activists who wanted the
country to remain secular.
UNICEF launched a series of animated films, called
Unfairy Tales, to help frame positive perceptions
towards the tens of millions of children and
young people on the move globally (refugees).
A US grand jury has slapped a $ 940 million fine on
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Tata America
International Corp. in a trade secret case against
them.
In one of the largest environmental settlement in the
US history, oil and gas giant British Petroleum has
agreed to pay over $20 billion to the American
government as damages over the 2010 oil spill in the
Gulf of Mexico.
Venezuela has ordered a two-day working week for
public sector workers as a temporary measure to help
it overcome a serious energy crisis.
21
MARCH 2016
UN TO SET UP BLUE DOTS FOR REFUGEES
USA TOPS IN INNOVATIONS

According to the latest figures released by the Genevabased World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO),
the US continued to dominate the world of innovation
and inventions by filing 57,385 international patent
applications last year, followed by Japan and China. In
comparison India lagged behind by filing for only 1423
patents. In terms of companies, Huawei Technologies of
China with 3,898 applications was at top.
GATE CONTINUES TO BE RICHEST
The United Nations has decided to set up 20 child and

family support hubs known as "Blue Dots" from Turkey,
through Greece all the way to Slovenia as special
support centres for migrant children and families along
the most travelled route in Europe.
The centres will be looked after by the United Nations
High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United
Nations Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
Microsofts co-founder Bill Gates continues to be the

worlds richest person with a net worth of $75 billion,
according to Forbes annual ranking of billionaires.
Ranked 36th, Mukesh Ambani, with a net worth of $20.6
billion, leads the pack of 84 Indian billionaires in the list.
According to a new law in Uganda, parents who fail
USA STARTS NEW CHAPTER WITH CUBA
US President Barack Obama scripted history by

becoming first US President to visit its island neighbour
Cuba, after 88 years of strained relations. The US
snapped ties with Cuba in 1959 when the Cuban
revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro ousted a proAmerican government.
WORLDs COSTLIEST RAILWAY STATION
to vaccinate their children will face six months in jail.

It also requires children to have an immunisation
card to allow them to go to school.
9th International Abilympics started at Bordeaux in
France. Abilympics is coined from 'Olympics of
abilities' of persons with disabilities. It is a global
work skills competition held every four years.
Changi Airport in Singapore has been voted the
Worlds Best Airport for the fourth year in a row at
the 2016 World Airport Awards
The 59th Session of Commission on Narcotic Drugs
was held in Vienna, Austria
World's first fully electric double decker bus service
was launched by London's transport authority. The
buses have been made by China automaker BYD.
China's National People's Congress has set the
country's growth target at 6.5 to 7 % for 2016.
The World Trade Center Transportation Hub was

opened to public on March 3 at New York. Built at a cost
of $ 4 billion, it took 12 years to complete. It' will serve
250,000 daily commuters and 11 subway lines.
WORLD CONGRESS OF BIOSPHERE RESERVES

was held at Lima in Peru from 14-17 March 2016 to
address different issues related to the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) for promotion of biosphere
reserves across the world.
22
PERSONS IN NEWS
MAY 2016
UDAY KOTAK: Kotak
Mahindra Bank Chief, is
the only Indian in Forbes'
'Money Masters: The Most
Powerful People in the
Financial World' list of 40
persons.
Lt. Col. RANVEER JAMWAL:
An officer in the Jat
regiment of Indian Army successfully completed his
third Everest expedition, the earlier ones being in 2012
and 2013.
YASH CHOPRA: A life size bronze statue of the late
film-maker was installed by the govt of Switzerland in
Kursaal area to honour the film maker who shot most of
his romantic dramas in the lush mountains of
Switzerland.
RISHI NAIR: A 6th grade Indian American student won
the prestigious National Geographic Bee competition
2016 at Washington DC, USA.
NIHAR JANGA & JAIRAM HATHWAR: Two IndianAmerican students scripted history by becoming the
joint winner of the US Scripps National Spelling Bee
Contest. Nihar, a 5th grader, is the youngest winner of
the 91 year old contest while Jairam is in 7th grade. Each
will get a prize of $ 40,000.
APRIL 2016
SACHIN TENDULKAR: The Ministry for Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has named
cricket icon as brand ambassador of the 'Skill India'
campaign.
P SUSHEELA MOHAN: Renowned playback singer has
been recognized by the Guinness World Records for
singing the most number of songs in Indian languages 17,695 solo, duet and chorus-backed songs in 12 Indian
languages.
NITA
AMBANI:
Reliance
Foundation Chairperson has
been named the most powerful
businesswoman in Asia by
Forbes, leading a list of 50
women leaders from the region
that includes only eight from
India.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: A host of celebrations were
held in England and several other parts of the world to
observe 400th death anniversary of legendary
playwright, also known as The Bard of Avon. His
famous works include masterpieces like Othello,
Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II: The worlds oldest-serving
royal and the longest-reigning and longest-lived British
monarch turned 90 on April 21, receiving the greetings
of thousands of British citizens as well as wishes from
all over the world.
FATMA SAMOURA: The Senegalese UN diplomat was

named as the first ever female Secretary General of the
international football body, FIFA.
ARSENIY YATSENYUK: Ukrainian Prime Minister

announced his resignation in the wake of a month-long
political crisis that paralysed his government and frozen
the release of vital Western aid.
DILMA ROUSSEFF: 68 years old Brazilian President

was suspended on May 12 after several weeks of
nationwide protests for her removal. Senate has decided
to initiate impeachment proceedings against her on
charges that she broke budget accounting laws.
Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson: Icelands Prime

Minister resigned reportedly after his name figured in
the mushrooming worldwide scandal over hidden
offshore financial dealings exposed in the so-called
Panama Papers leak.
CRAIG WRIGHT: The Australian entrepreneur has

publicly identified himself as creator of virtual
cash/currency Bitcoin, under the fake name of Satoshi
Nakamoto. This ends years of speculation about who
came up with the original ideas underlying the digital
cash system.
MARCH 2016
ARVIND KEJRIWAL has been ranked 42nd among the
worlds 50 greatest leaders by Fortune magazine. He is
the sole Indian on the list, topped by Amazon CEO Jeff
Bezos.
LHAKPA SHERPA: A 42-year-old Nepalese woman of

USA climbed Mount Everest for the seventh time on May
20, creating a record for the most summits of the
worlds highest mountain by a woman.
PM NARENDRA MODI is among The 30 Most

Influential People on the Internet list compiled by the
Time magazine, USA, describing him as an Internet star
who often uses social media to conduct diplomacy.
23
MOTHER TERESA: The Nobel Laureate who spent 45

years serving the poor and sick on the streets of Kolkata
in her Missionaries of Charity, till her death in 1997, was
in news as the Pope Francis, religious chief of Christians,
has announced to confer Sainthood on her on
September 4, 2016.
ATMA RAM NADKARNI: Appointed as the Additional

Solicitor General in Supreme Court for a period of three
years.
ATIUR RAHMAN: Governor of Bangladesh Bank,

countrys beleaguered central bank, resigned after
hackers stole over $100 million from its accounts
maintained with the Federal Reserve Bank, New York.
Ms. TSAI ING-WEN:

President of Taiwan
AMAR SINGH: An Indian-origin Sikh has become the

Police Commissioner of Malaysia's capital Kuala
Lumpur, the first Sikh to achieve the top police post in
the Muslim-majority country.
SCOTT KELLY: The commander of the International
Space Station, returned to earth on March 1, completing
340 days stay in space, becoming the American with
longest stay in space. Record for longest stay in space is
held by Russias Valeri Polyakov, 437.7 days.
APPOINTMENTS
MAY 2016
3 NEW CHIEF MINISTERS
Sarbananda Sonowal: Assam, from BJP
Pinarayi Vijayan: Kerala, from CPI (M)
V. Narayanasamy: Puducherry, from Congress
KIRAN BEDI:
Appointed as the new Lieutenant
Governor of Union Territory of Puducherry.
VICE ADMIRAL SUNIL LANBA: Appointed as the next
Chief of Indian Navy, in the rank of Admiral.
S K BHAGAT: Appointed as Director General of the
Railway Protection Force (RPF).
S K SHARMA: Renowned scientist has been appointed
the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Nuclear
Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL).
ANURAG THAKUR: The BJP M P from Hamirpur in
Himachal Pradesh, was elected as the President of the
Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI).
SHASHANK MANOHAR: Former BCCI President, who
resigned recently, was elected unopposed as the first
independent Chairman of International Cricket Council,
for two years.
BINALI YILDIRIM: Elected as the new Prime Minister

of Turkey.
elected as the first women
BACIRO DJA: Appointed as the new Prime Minister of

Guinea Bissau, a small country in Western Africa.
RODRIGO DUTERTE: Elected as the New President of
the Philippines. He is the Mayor of Davao City in
Philippines. He is very popular and is known as Digong.
ENDA KENNY: Re elected as the Prime Minister of
Ireland
APRIL 2016
JUSTICE (retd.) PERMOD KOHLI: Appointed as the
new Chairman of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).
C P GURNANI: Elected as the new Chairman of the
National Association of Software and Services
Companies (Nasscom) for 2016-17. He is the MD & CEO
of Tech Mahindra.
MEHBOOBA MUFTI: Elected as the first woman Chief
Minister of Jammu and Kashmir
LOBSANG SANGAY: Re-elected as the Prime Minister
of the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharmsala,
Himachal Pradesh.
CLEMENT MOUAMBA: Appointed as the new Prime
Minister of Republic of Congo.
IDRISS DEBY: Elected for the 5th time as
President of Chad, a country in Central Africa.
BOUNNHANG VORACHIT:
President of Laos
Elected
as
the
the
new
THONGLOUN SISOULITH: Elected as the new Prime

Minister of Laos
VOLODYMYR GROYSMAN: Elected as the new Prime
Minister of Ukraine
SOORONBAI JEENBEKOV: New Prime Minister of
Kyrgyzstan.
HASHIM THACI: Elected as the President of Kosovo, a
small country in southeast Europe.
24
SIGURDUR INGI JOHANNSSON: Elected as the new

Prime Minister of Iceland after the earlier Prime
Minister resigned due to his name coming in Panama
Leaks.
AWARDS & HONOURS
NGUYEN XUAN PHUC: Elected as the new Prime

Minister of Vietnam.
ORDER OF THE RISING SUN,

GOLD AND SILVER: Former
bureaucrat and parliamentarian
N. K. Singh was selected for
Japans highest civilian honour,
for
promoting
economic,
educational and cultural ties
between India and Japan.
TRAN DAI QUANG: Elected as the new President of

Vietnam.
FAUSTIN ARCHANGE TOUADERA: Elected as the new
President of Central African Republic.
Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr: Appointed as the new Prime
Minister of Yemen
MARCH 2016
VINOD RAI: Former Comptroller and Auditor General
(CAG) has been appointed as the first Chairman of Banks
Board Bureau (BBB). BBB will start functioning from
April 1, 2016 to approve the appointments of banks top
executives and improve their governance.
JUSTICE BALBIR SINGH CHAUHAN: appointed as the
chairperson of the 21st Law Commission. He is a former
Supreme Court judge.
HTIN KYAW: elected as the first civilian President of
Myanmar to lead the country after 53 years of military
rule. He is a close aide of the iconic crusader of
democracy Aung San Suu Kyi.
H DEEP SAINI: Noted Indian scholar and plant
physiologist has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor
of the prestigious University of Canberra, Australia.
MAY 2016
MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE: South Korean

author, Han Kang, has won the prestigious prize for her
novel 'The Vegetarian'. The writer and her British
translator Deborah Smith will share the $72,000 prize
money.
This prize is given every year for the best book translated
in English and published in U K.
MILLENNIUM TECHNOLOGY PRIZE: US engineer
Frances Arnold has become first woman to win this
prize for pioneering directed evolution.
The award, given by the Technology Academy, Finland,
carries a cash prize of Euro one million.
Palme d'Or: Award for the best film at Cannes Film
Festival won by the film I, Daniel Blake by British
director Ken Loach.
PENs LITERARY SERVICE AWARD: Won by British
author J.K. Rowling for her dedication to free speech and
social justice. The award is given by PEN, a USA based
NGO for excellence in promoting peace, harmony and
human rights through literature.
ASHLEY JUDD: The American actor and activist has

been appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador of the
United Nations Population Fund - UNFPA, (formerly
the United Nations Fund for Population Activities).
COMMONWEALTH SHORT STORY PRIZE: (for Asia

region) won by Prashar Kulkarni for his story Cow and
Company.
MICHELLE YEOH: Famous action heroine of MalaysiaChina has been appointed as United Nations
Development
Programme
(UNDP)
Goodwill
Ambassador.
NORTH STAR": Highest civilian award of Mongolia

conferred upon two noted Indian scholars-Lokesh
Chandra and Mansura Haider for their contribution to
Mongolian studies.
AHMED ABUL GHEIT: Veteran Egyptian diplomat and

former Foreign Minister has been named as new
Secretary General of the Arab League.
Sudarsan Pattnaik: Renowned sand artist won the gold

medal at the 9th Moscow Sand Sculpture Championship
in Russia.
ALI MOHAMED SHEIN: Re-elected as the President of

Zanzibar.
APRIL 2016
MAHAMADOU ISSOUFOU: Re elected as the President

Niger for a second term
HASHIM THACI: Elected as the President of Kosovo, a
tiny country in southeastern Europe.
SARASWATI SAMMAAN: Prestigious prize for

literature given to the Jammu-born poet and novelist
Padma Sachdev for her autobiography Chitt-Chete
written in Dogri language. The award carries award
money of 15 lakh rupees, a citation and a plaque.
25
FBB FEMINA MISS INDIA WORLD 2016

Winner: Priyadarshini Chaterjee
First runners-up: Sushruthi Krishna
Second runners-up: Pankhuri Gidwani
DADASAHEB PHALKE AWARD: won by renowned
actor Manoj Bajpayee for the movie Aligarh.
Please note that this is NOT the national award
rather it is the regional award in Maharashtra, given
by Dada Saheb Phalke Foundation.
'Officier de l Ordre national de la Legion d
Honneur: (Officer of the Legion of Honour), highest
French civilian honour conferred upon Former Army
Chief General (retd) J J Singh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred Saudi
Arabias highest civilian honour- the king Abdulaziz
Sash. The award is named after Abdulaziz Al Saud, the
founder of the modern Saudi state.
MARCH 2016
63rd
NATIONAL FILM AWARDS
Best Feature Film: Baahubali - The Beginning by S S

Rajamouli
Best Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali for 'Bajirao
Mastani'
Best Actor: Amitabh Bachchan for 'Piku'
Best Actress: Kangana Ranaut for 'Tanu Weds Manu
Returns'
Best Hindi Film: Dum Laga Ke Haisha by Sharat
Katariya
Best
Popular
Film
Providing
Wholesome
Entertainment: Bajrangi Bhaijaan by Kabir Khan
CHAMELI DEVI JAIN AWARD: Priyanka Kakodkar and

Raksha Kumar won the award for 2015-16 for their
excellent work in journalism to highlight social issues.
The award is given only to women journalists.
SKOCH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Union
Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu for his
contributions to inclusive growth and towards poverty
alleviation in India.
KAYAKALP AWARD: The Post Graduate Institute of
Medical Education and Research bagged the top
government award for best hospital cleanliness and
infection control, winning prize money of Rs 5 crore
while AIIMS, New Delhi, came second and got a reward
of Rs 3 crore.
88TH OSCAR AWARDS

Los Angeles, USA, Feb 29, 2016
Given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences, USA to recognize excellence in cinematic
achievements, they are regarded as the highest
recognition in world of cinema.
Best Picture: Spotlight by Tom Mc Carthy
Best Director:
Alejandro Irritu (The Revenant)
Best Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)
Best Actress:
Brie Larson (Room)
ABEL PRIZE (for maths): Sir Andrew Wiles, an Oxford
University professor has won the 5,00,000 pounds prize
for cracking a 300-year-old mystery mathematical
theorem.
The prize, popular as the Nobel of Mathematics, is given
by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
GOLDEN CITY GATE AWARD: Prestigious award from
the world's leading travel trade show Internationale
Tourismus-Borse Berlin (ITB-Berlin) 2016 won by
Kerala Tourism's campaign on responsible tourism.
Most Film- Friendly State Award: Gujarat

DADA SAHEB PHALKE AWARD - 2015: Awarded to
veteran actor and film maker Manoj Kumar who played
the patriotic Indian in most of his films, becoming
famous as Bharat Kumar. His superhit movies
included Upkaar, Purab aur Pashchim, Kranti.
The award is the highest official recognition in Indian
cinema from the govt. It consists of a golden lotus, a cash
prize of Rs 10 lakh and a shawl.
KRISHI KARMAN AWARD:
Given to Himachal
Pradesh for its landmark achievement in showing
highest production of food grains in year 2014-15,
despite adverse weather conditions and rain-fed
farming in the state.
26
GLOBAL TEACHER PRIZE: The one million dollar prize

for innovative teaching has been won by Hanan Al
Hroub for her innovative approach in teaching to
overcome tense environments of the region under the
shadow of the Israel-Palestine conflict. She is a
Palestinian teacher from a refugee camp in Al-Bireh,
Palestine
Chevalier de la Lgion d'Honneur: (Knight of the
Legion of Honour), one of the highest civil honour by the
French government was conferred upon Anand
Mahindra, CMD, Mahindra & Mahindra.
BOOKS & AUTHORS

MAY 2016
Vanishing Shangri La by K N Raghavan.
The Drowned Detective by Neil Jordan,
Blood on my Hands: Confessions
Encounters by Kishalay Bhattacharjee
of
Staged
Our Impossible Love by Durjoy Dutta

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Life Mantras by Subrata Roy Sahara
Gandhi: An Illustrated Biography by Pramod Kapoor
Fixed: Cash and
Corruption
Shantanu Guha Ray
in
Cricket
by
Who Was Shivaji by Govind Pansare

Indigo Selected Stories by Satyajit Ray
A Handbook for My Lover by Rosalyn DMello.
OBITUARY
MAY 2016
BABA HARDEV SINGH: Spiritual leader and Head of
Nirankari Mission was killed in a road accident in
Montreal, Canada. He was 62.
BALRAJ MADHOK: Former President of Bharatiya Jan
Sangh (BJS) and veteran RSS leader died in Delhi. He
was 96.
The Outside Lands by Hannah Kohler

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
APRIL 2016
An Economist in the Real World by Kaushik Basu,
Chief Economist at World Bank
Swimmer Among the Stars by Kanishk Tharoor
Mercedes-Benz - Winning by Adil Jal Darukhanawala
Friends in Wild Places by Ruskin Bond.
Safeguarding India by NN Vohra.
The Making of India: The Untold Story of British
Enterprise by Kartar Lalvani
Advantage India From Challenge to Opportunity by
APJ Abdul Kalam and Srijan Pal Singh.
A State in Denial by B G Verghese
The Kiss of Life by Imraan Hashmi
The Mountain of Shiva by Dr Karan Singh. He is a
member of Rajya Sabha.
TONY COZIER: Famous West Indian cricket writer,

commentator and journalist passed away at the age of
75.
APRIL 2016
POORNIMABEN PAKVASA: Great social worker from
Gujarat, known for her exceptional work towards
educating tribal girls, passed away at the age of
103. Mother of famous classical dancer Padma
Vibhushan Sonal Mansingh, she was a Padma Bhushan
awardee.
SATYANAND MUNJAL: The co-founder of Hero Cycles
group, a great philanthropist, passed away in Ludhiana,
Punjab. He was 99.
PRATYUSHA BANERJEE: TV actress, known for her
role of Anandi in the popular serial Balika Vadhu,
allegedly committed suicide at her Kandivali residence
in Mumbai.
East of Suez by Alice Perrin
GUY HAMILTON: Veteran British movie director, who

directed four hugely popular James Bond films, passed
away at the age of 93. The four superhits include
Diamonds are Forever, Live and Let Die and The Man
With The Golden Gun and Goldfinger.
Buddhist Biology by David P. Barash

Standing GuardA Year in Opposition by
Chidambaram.
ROGERS NELSON: Pop music superstar, popularly

known as Prince in USA, died aged 57. He won seven
Grammy Awards and earned 30 nominations.
MARCH 2016
27
VICTORIA WOOD: Popular comedian, singer and

writer from BBC in United Kingdom, died at 62 after a
short but brave battle with cancer.
DORIS ROBERTS: The popular TV actress from USA
who delighted audiences as the meddling mother next
door on the popular TV soap Everybody Loves
Raymond, died at the age of 90. She won the popular TV
award Emmy five times.
BILL CAMPBELL: Silicon Valleys veteran adviser who
mentored technology heavyweights like former Apple
CEO late Steve Jobs and co-founder of Google, Larry
Page, died at age 75.
ZAHA HADID: Renowned Iraq-born British architect
passed away due to heart attack. She was 65. She was
worlds most famous female architect and was known
for her neofuturistic design which was her signature
architectural style.
IMRE KERTESZ: Hungarian author, 2002 Nobel
Literature Prize winner, died aged 86 in Budapest, after
a long illness.
MARCH 2016
PARAMESH KRISHNAN NAIR: Indian film archivist and
film scholar died on 4 March 2016. He was 82. He was
the founder and former director of the National Film
Archive of India.
P A SANGMA: Former Lok Sabha Speaker passed away
at the age of 68. He was co-founder of the Nationalist
Congress Party and remained Chief Minister of
Meghalaya from 1988 to 1990.
KUMARIMUTHU: Famous Tamil Comedy actor died in
Chennai. He was 77.
Ustad Ali Ahmad Hussain Khan: Eminent Shehnai
exponent died in Kolkata. He was 77.
LLOYD S. SHAPLEY: Veteran Mathematician from USA,
winner of Nobel Prize in Economics for his study of
strategic decision-making called game theory, died in
Tucson, USA. He was 92.
JOHAN CRUYFF: The Netherland's soccer legend died
of lung cancer in Barcelona, Spain. He was 68. He is
credited with some of the greatest triumphs of the
famous Barcelona Football Club.
GEORGE HENRY MARTIN:
The legendary music
producer, popular as the "Fifth Beatle", passed away in
England. He was 90. Winner of 6 Grammy Awards, he
held Guinness World Records for the most successful
producer ever with more than 50 Numbers.
PAT CONROY: US novelist whose best-selling novels
include 'Prince of Tides' and 'Water is Wide', died at the
age of 70 in South Carolina, USA.
RAY TOMLINSON: inventor of E-mail, passed away in

Washington, USA at the age of 74. He invented direct
electronic messages between users on different
machines on a certain network in 1971.
MARTIN
CROWE: Pioneering
cricketer, widely
acknowledged as New Zealands greatest batsman who
laid the foundations for Twenty20 cricket, died of
cancer at the age of 53.
PLACES IN NEWS
MAY 2016
CYCLONE ROANU: A strong cyclone lashed the coastal
areas of Andhra and Odisha causing heavy rains coupled
with gusty surface winds affecting the normal life
seriously.
SRI LANKA: Severe flooding has forced half a million
people to flee their homes in Sri Lanka as the torrential
rains and landslides claimed over 100 lives. The worsthit areas were in Colombo's north-eastern suburbs
along the Kelani River.
FORT MCMURRAY: City in state of Alberta in Canada
was in news as it suffered one of the worst wildfires,
torching over 1,600 homes and other buildings and
forcing more than 80,000 residents to flee. The local
govt has declared state of emergency to handle the
situation effectively.
APRIL 2016
UJJAIN: The month-long Simhastha Kumbh mela, one of
the largest congregations of Hindus, began in Ujjain on
April 22 on the banks of Kshipra River.
LATUR: City and district in Marathwada region of
Maharashtra was in news as it faced severe water crisis,
especially in the villages. The district with a population
of around 2.45 crore has suffered one of the worst
drought in recent years.
KOLLAM: In the worst-ever pyrotechnics tragedy to
strike Kerala, 110 persons were killed and close to 400
injured, many of them grievously, when a huge dump of
firecrackers stored for celebrations, exploded near the
Puttingal Devi Temple near Kollam, causing extensive
damage to nearby buildings.
TRIMBAKESHWAR TEMPLE: Famous temple of Lord
Shiva in Nashik, Maharashtra was in news as trustees of
the temple decided that even men devotees will not be
allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the temple,
reportedly to avoid the entry of women devotees.
28
KUMAMOTO: Town in south-western island of

Kyushu in Japan was devastated by several rounds of
earthquake tremors leading to death of over 41 persons
and injuring hundreds of others. Around two lakh
persons were affected in the severe earthquake.
PEDERNALES: City in Manab Province in Ecuador was
destroyed in a severe 7.8 magnitude earth quake.
Reportedly, around 654 persons were killed and several
hundreds were injured. Coastal city of Manta was also
very badly affected.
Sprinter Dutee Chand bagged two gold medals by

winning the women's 100m and 200m race at the
Taiwan Open Athletics Championships.
The Indian womens 4x100m relay team broke the 18year-old national record, though they stood fourth at the
IAAF World Challenge in Beijing.
Indian women's squash team won the Silver medal in
the Asian Team squash Championships at Taipei,China,
losing gold to Malaysia.
MARCH 2016
Indian shooters claimed three gold medals and a

bronze in the ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany.
BAGHMARA: The first-ever auction of a gold mine in

the country was held in Baghmara, Chhattisgarh. The
auction was won by Vedanta ltd., a unit of global mining
giant Vedanta Resources.
Federation Cup: Football, Mohun Bagan clinched the

title for the 14th time by defeating Aizawal FC in the
Final played in Guwahati.
PALMYRA: The famed ancient city of Syria was in news

as the Syrian troops backed by Russian forces
recaptured it from the Islamic State group on March 27,
in a major victory over the jihadists. The city captured
by the IS forces in May, 2015 was reduced to ruins by
them.
BRUSSELS: A series of bombings ripped through
Brussels airport and the Maelbeek metro station in
Belgium, killing around 38 people and injuring 130
others. Terror group - Islamic State claimed the
responsibility for the attacks.
SPORTS WORLD
MAY 2016
Amit Kumar Saroha, Indian para athlete from Haryana
won the gold medal in men's club throw (F-51) at the
French Open Athletics Championship in Paris.
Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam has been selected to
captain Indian women's hockey team for a four-nation
tournament in Darwin, Australia.
India's ace cueist Pankaj Advani has created history in
Abu Dhabi by clinching the Asian 6-Red Snooker title,
becoming the first in the world to hold both world and
continental titles in 6-red snooker at the same time.
Garima Chaudhary won gold medal at the 2016
Commonwealth Judo Championship finals at Port
Elizabeth in South Africa.
Indian boxer Sonia Lather won a silver medal at the
AIBA Women's World Championships in Astana,
Kazakhstan.
IOA APPOINTS 4 GOODWILL AMBASSODORS

The Indian Olympic Association has appointed four
Goodwill Ambassadors for Rio Olympics. They are Renowned music composer A R Rahman,
Bollywood actor Salman Khan,
Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra and
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
India and Japan have agreed for mutual exchange of
sports persons, coaches, experts and administrators to
improve the standard of the sports between the two
nations.
Nico Rosberg, the Formula One champion from
Germany, won his seventh race in a row at the Russian
Grand Prix in Sochi, Russia.
Eric Dusingizimana: Captain of cricket team of
Rwanda has set a new Guinness world record by batting
out a straight 51 hours, the longest individual net
session, beating the record set last year by India's Virag
Mane, who had batted a straight 50 hours.
Max Verstappen: 18 year old F1 driver from
Netherlands representing the Red Bull team has become
the youngest formula 1 winner as he won the title in
Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, Spain.
Thomas Cup: Denmark won the mens badminton title,
overcoming record champion Indonesia in the final
played in Kunshan, China.
Uber Cup: (women badminton), China claimed the cup
14th time by routing South Korea in Kunshan, China.
French Open, Second Tennis Grand Slam started in
Roland Garros in Paris on May 22. This is the only grand
slam played on clay court.
29
Dipa Karmakar, 22 year old girl from Agartala, Tripura

created history by becoming the first Indian gymnast to
qualify for the Olympics and to win the gold in vaults
event at the test event of the Rio Games in Brazil.
She performed the Produnova vault the extremely

difficult and most dangerous form that involves a front
handspring on the horse and two front somersaults.
Italian Open Tennis Championship: Andy Murray

defeated Novak Djokovic to win Men's Singles title.
7th Asian Youth Championships: Indian boxers
bagged three silver and one bronze medal in the games
held in Kazakhstan.
Madrid Open Tennis: Novak Djokovic of Serbia
defeated Andy Murray of Briton to win the finals.
Womens title was won by Simona Halep defeating
Dominika Cibulkova
World Snooker Championship title was won by Mark
Selby of England by defeating Chinas Ding Junhui in
finals played at Sheffield, UK.
Asia Badminton Championships at Wuhan, China:
Malaysias Lee Chong Wei defeated the world No. 1 Chen
Long of China in the finals.
Tobago batsman Iraq Thomas created a record by
scoring 21-ball century in the Tobago Cricket
Associations T20 tournament at Louis D'or, Tobago
(West Indies)
The International Cricket Council has suspended the
Cricket Association of Nepal due to a vacuum of cricket
leadership in the country.
APRIL 2016
CARIBBEANS WON THE T-20 IN STYLE
The West Indies lifted the World T-20 title in both the
men's and women's section. Mens team defeated
England and womens team routed the Australian team.
The finals were played at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.
The West Indies team is popularly known as Caribbeans,
after the name of the group of island countries which
jointly form this team.
Virat Kohli was named as the Player of the Tournament
Deepika Kumari equalled the world record in women's

recurve event at the Archery World Cup in Shanghai,
China.
India's star batsman Virat Kohli has maintained his
number one position in the ICC T20 batsmen
rankings and team India is also ranked at top.
M C Mary Kom: Indian woman boxer was named one of
the eight ambassadors for the upcoming World
Championships by the International Boxing Association
(AIBA).
Asian Kho-Kho championship: both, mens and
womens title were won by India by defeating respective
teams from Bangladesh at Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
National Badminton Championship: Mens title won
by Samir Verma and womens title won by P C Thulasi in
Chandigarh.
9th season of the popular Indian Premier League
opened on April 9 in Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The first match was won by Rising Pune Supergiants
against Mumbai Indians.
The Commonwealth Judo Congress has allotted the
2018 Commonwealth Judo Championships to India. The
games will be held in Jaipur.
SPORTSPERSONS TO GET Rs ONE LAKH PM

Union Sports Ministry has decided to provide one lakh
rupees per month as out of pocket allowance to the
sports persons under the Target Olympic Podium (TOP)
scheme in their preparation for the Olympics and
Paralympics Games at Rio de Janeiro. So far 77
sportspersons have qualified for various Olympic
games.
Government has decided to merge the Rajiv Gandhi Khel
Abhiyan with the Khelo India programme.
RAHUL JOHRI: appointed as the first Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India
- BCCI
30
LAUREUS WORLD SPORTS AWARDS

Best Sportsman of the year: Novak Djokovic, Serbia
Best Sportswoman of the year: Serena Williams, USA
Both of them won three grand slams in Tennis in 2015
Best Disabled Sportsperson: Paralympic swimmer
Daniel Dias of Brazil
Best Sports team: New Zealand's Rugby World Cupwinning team
Laureus World Sports Awards, known as the Oscars of
Sports, honour the notable sporting personalities and
their achievements of the previous year.
Britain's Anthony Joshua won the IBF world
heavyweight title by stopping American champion
Charles Martin in London, becoming the first boxer in
history to hold the Olympic super-heavyweight crown
(2012) and a version of the world heavyweight title
simultaneously.
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes driver of Germany won the
Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir,
Baharin.
TORCH LIGHTED FOR 31ST RIO OLYMPICS

The official countdown to this year's Rio de Janeiro
Olympics began on April 21 when the actress Katerina
Lechou performing as the high priestess lit up the
Olympic Torch at the Temple of Hera in ancient
Olympia, Greece.
The torch will be carried by prominent sportspersons in a
relay run culminating at Rio on August 5, the opening day
of the XXXI Olympic Games. This is for the first time that
Olympics are being held in South American continent.
MARCH 2016
Gurmeet Singh created history by becoming the first
Indian athlete to clinch a gold medal in the Asian 20 km
Race Walk Championships in Nomi, Japan.
S S P Chawrasia, ace Indian golfer won the European
Tour Hero Indian Open title in Delhi.
Dhruv Sitwala won the Asian Billiards Championship
held at Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Indian shooter Jitu Rai clinched the 50m pistol gold at
the ISSF World Cup in Bangkok,Thailand.
Nico Rosberg of Germany won the Formula One

Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, leaving behind his
compatriots Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.
Deepika and PR Sreejesh won the Dhruv Batra Player

of the Year Award for Women and Men respectively at
the Hockey India Annual Awards.
Asian Nations Cup Chess tournament won by

the Indian mens team in Abu Dhabi
Santosh Trophy National Football Championships:

Services retained the title after beating hosts
Maharashtra in the summit clash in Nagpur.
Danny Willett of UK won the US Masters Golf

Championship for the year 2016 at Augusta National
Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, USA.
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup: Australia beats India to win
the prestigious Hockey Tournament held in Ipoh,
Malaysia.
Singapore Open Badminton Championship: Mens Sony Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia
Womens - Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand, world no 1.
Malaysian Open Badminton title won by Lee Chong
Wei of Malaysia against world number one Chen Long of
China in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
MIAMI OPEN (tennis) IN FLORIDA, USA
Mens title: Novak Djokovic (Serbia) won by beating
Japan's Kei Nishikori
Womens title: Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) won by
routing Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia.
BARCELONA OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
Irani Cup Cricket championship: Rest of India team

won the title by beating Mumbai team in the finals
played in Mumbai.
India clinched the Asia Cup T20 trophy for a record
sixth time after beating Bangladesh by eight-wickets in
the final at Mirpur, Bangladesh.
Col C K Nayudu Trophy won by Mumbai by beating
Madhya Pradesh in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Nayudu
was the first Indian captain of Indian test match team
1st All India Open Invitational Snooker
Championship won by Rahul Sachdev in Aurangabad,
Maharashtra.
National Race Walking Championships, Jaipur:
Gurmeet Singh and Khushbir Kaur won the gold in
20kms event for men and women, respectively.
Rafael Nadal of Spain won the title defeating Kei

Nishikori of Japan in the finals played in Barcelona,
Spain.
Pro Kabaddi League Season 3: Patna Pirates beat the

U Mumba to emerge as Champions in the finals played in
Delhi.
Monte Carlo Masters: Rafael Nadal Spain of won the

title defeating Gael Monfils of France.
Russias Sergey Karjakin won the World Chess

candidates tournament in Moscow
31
Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold Badminton Tournament:

won by India's H S Prannoy in Basel, Switzerland.
World Table Tennis Team Championship: China
defeated Japan in both, mens and womens category, to
win both the championships at Kuala Lumpur.
In the second division, both, men's and women's team
titles were bagged by Indian teams.
All England Open Badminton Championship: Lin Dan
of China won the finals by beating his own teammate
Tian Houwei in the finals played in Birmingham, UK.
BNP Paribas Open Tennis Tournament: Novak
Djokovic of Serbia and Victoria Azarenka of Belarusia
won the mens and womens singles title, respectively, in
the finals played at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in
Southern California.
UCI Track Cycling Championship 2016 held in
London.
Dubai Tennis Championships: Stanislas Wawrinka of
Switzerland won the title by defeating Marcos Baghdatis
of Cyprus
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Former world number one
tennis star failed a drugs test at the Australian Open. As
a result, the 28 year old Russian star, a five time Grand
Slam champion, was suspended from sports, pending
further action.
DAYS & DATES

MAY
MAY 01: INTERNATIONAL LABOUR DAY
Observed across the world to promote and protect
interests of labour class., supported by the ILO. The
theme for 2016 is Celebrating the international labour
movement.
MAY 03: WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY
Observed across the world to celebrate freedom of press
and defending the media from attacks on their
independence. This years theme is Access to
Information and Fundamental Freedoms - This Is Your
Right!
Supported by UNESCO, this day was proclaimed by the
UN General Assembly in December 1993, on the
anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, Namibia.
MAY 11: NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY DAY
Observed all over India to hail the technological
achievements and developments in the country. This
years theme is Technology enablers of Startup India.
It was on this day in 1999 that the first, indigenous
aircraft Hansa-3 was test flown at Bangalore and the
Trishul missile was test fired successfully. On the same

day in 1998, three successful nuclear tests were carried
out at Pokhran, Rajasthan.
MAY 12: INTERNATIONAL NURSES DAY
Celebrated all over the world to commemorate Florence
Nightingales birthday. President of India honoured 35
nurses with the National Florence Nightingale
Awards on this day.
MAY 17: WORLD HYPERTENSION DAY
This years theme is "Know Your Numbers", with the
goal of increasing awareness about high blood pressure.
Normal blood pressure is defined as an average reading
no higher than 120/80 mm Hg. A readings of 140/90 or
higher is considered high blood pressure.
APRIL
APRIL 2: WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY
Observed across the globe, supported by the UNO. The
theme for this year is "Autism and the 2030 Agenda:
Inclusion and Neurodiversity".
Autism is a serious developmental disorder in children
that impairs their ability to communicate and interact.
APRIL 5: NATIONAL MARITIME DAY
Observed in India to commemorate the sailing of Indias
first steamship Loyalty on April 5, 1919 from Mumbai to
London. All major ports observe this day celebrating
Indias
seafaring
traditions
and
journeys.
APRIL 7: WORLD HEALTH DAY
Observed across the globe to disseminate knowledge
and awareness about human health and promoting
healthier living habits across the globe. This year the
theme of the Day is Beat Diabetes.
APRIL 8: NEW YEAR CELEBRATAIONS
It marked the beginning of the New Year for a number of
communities in India. For Hindus in North India, it was
Vikram Samvat 2073, first day of the month Chaitra,
beginning of the auspicious Navratras.
In Maharashtra, it was observed as Gudi Padwa
In Andhra and Karnataka; it was observed as Ugadi.
Sindhis observe this day as Cheti Chand.
APRIL 10: WORLD HOMOEOPATHY DAY
Observed to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr.
Samuel Hahnemann, a German Physician who
developed system of Homoeopathy.
APRIL 14: FIRE SERVICES DAY
Observed every year in India in memory of the sacrifices
made by the firemen during the devastating fire on SS
Fort Strikine ship in Mumbai Dock in the year 1944.
The theme of this years fire services day is prevent fire
accident, promote nations development.
32
APRIL 14: NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS

People in several parts of India celebrated beginning of
their new year on April 14.
In Assam and Northeastern states, it is observed as
Rongali or Bohag Bihu.
In Tamil Nadu side, it is celebrated as Puthandu.
In Kerala, people celebrate Vishu festival.
In North India, it is observed as Baisakhi, a festival of
gaiety to mark the harvesting of wheat crop.
In West Bengal, people celebrate it as their Poila
Baisakh.
APRIL 17: WORLD HEMOPHILIA DAY
Observed in the memory of Frank Schnabel, the founder
of the World Federation of Hemophilia as this day is his
birth day.
Hemophilia is a rare disorder in which your blood doesn't
clot normally because it lacks sufficient blood-clotting
proteins.
APRIL 18: WORLD HERITAGE DAY
Observed with an aim to create awareness among the
people towards conserve and protect the valuable assets
and cultural heritage across the world.
APRIL 21: "CIVIL SERVICE DAY"
Observed by all Indian Civil Services to re-dedicate and
re-commit themselves to the cause of the people.
On this day in 1947, Sardar Patel, then Home
Minister, addressed the first batch of civil servants in
independent India.
APRIL 22: EARTH DAY
Observed all over the world to demonstrate support for
environmental protection. The theme for this year is
"Trees for the Earth" with the aim of mobilizing nearly
eight billion plantings over the next five years.
APRIL 23: WORLD BOOK DAY
Celebrated all over the world, supported by the UNESCO
to promote the reading, publishing and copyright among
the public worldwide.
APRIL 25: WORLD MALARIA DAY
Observed to create awareness among the people about
this vector borne disease. The theme this year is End
Malaria For Good.
APRIL 26: WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DAY
Observed across the world to spread awareness about
the role that intellectual property rights (patents,
trademarks, industrial designs, copyright) play in
encouraging innovation and creativity.
This years theme is Digital Creativity: Culture
Reimagined.
MARCH
March 3: World Wildlife Day
It was observed across the world. This years theme was
The future of wildlife is in our hands, with African and
Asian elephants being the main focus of global
campaigns.
March 4: National Safety Day
Was observed across India. The day is organised
annually by the National Safety Council to
commemorate its establishment and enhance the safety
awareness among people.
March 8: International Women's Day
It is observed across the world. This year's theme for
the Day is Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender
Equality.
March 10: World Kidney Day
It was observed globally with the theme Kidney Disease
& Children - Act Early to Prevent It to enlighten parents
and caretakers about the incidence of kidney ailments in
children.
March 15: The World Consumer Rights Day
It was observed globally with the theme Antibiotics off
the Menu to make people aware of risk of antibiotics in
food items.
March 20: International Day of Happiness
The United Nations appointed Red, the leader of the
Angry Birds mobile game characters as an envoy to
inspire climate action toward a sustainable and happier
future for all.
March 21: World Forestry Day
Observed across the world to promote the importance
of forests and trees in our lives. It is also known as UN
International Day of Forests. This years theme is
forests and water.
March 22: World Water Day
Observed this year with the theme Water and Jobs. It
may be noted that three out of four of the jobs
worldwide are water-dependent.
March 23: World Meteorological Day
Observed this year with the theme Hotter, Drier,
Wetter. Face the Future.
March 23: Shahidi Diwas
Observed in India to pay homage to great freedom
fighters - Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev on their
martyrdom day. It was on this day in 1931 that they
were hanged in Lahore jail.
March 24: World Tuberculosis Day
Govt launched the new anti-TB drug Bedaquiline to
combat Drug Resistant TB as part of the Revised
National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP).
ALL THE NEWS ITEMS IN THIS MAGAZINE HAVE BEEN SOURCED
FROM VARIOUS NEWS PAPERS AND GOVT. PRESS RELEASES
33
Special Batches
for
SBI PO EXAM - 2016
34
Bullet News
(DEC 2015 FEB 2016)
For details visit www.gyanm.in
NATIONAL NEWS
FEBRUARY 2016
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin
Zayed Al Nahyan visited India.

Swachh Survekshan-2016 conducted by the Quality
Council of India has ranked Mysuru at number one,
followed by Chandigarh and Tiruchirapalli.
Vice President Hamid Ansari paid a five day (Feb 15) visit to South East Asia covering Brunei and
Thailand.
The 4-day National Arogya Fair organised by the
central and state government in collaboration with
CII was held in Dehradun, Uttarakhand
The Indian government has finally sanctioned
Rs.580 crore for the vital Agartala (India)-Akhaura
(Bangladesh) rail link, a project that was finalized in
January 2010.
First National Deworming Day observed on Feb 10
in schools and anganwadis to combat parasitic
worm infections among children.
Free Albendezole deworming tablets were
provided to children across the country.
The eighth Delhi Dialogue was held in New Delhi to
discuss politico-security, economic and sociocultural engagement with ASEAN.
Govt released a commemorative coin of 150 rupees
and a circulation coin of 10 rupees on the occasion
of 150th birth anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai.
The Road to Resilience, an initiative of the World
Bank to survey the entire Indian coastline was
completed on 15 February 2016.
A group of students of Jawaharlal Nehru University,
New Delhi raised anti national slogans, leading to
arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar, President of JNU
students union.
Number of billionaires in India has risen to 111,
placing India third, after China and the US,

according to Hurun Global Rich List 2016.
Birdwatchers from all over India took part in four
day annual Great Backyard Bird Count and shared
the information online.
In a survey of top 38 countries to assess the
protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR),
India ranked 37th on the 2016 Intellectual Property
Index.
Anti-Leprosy Day was observed on 30 January
nationwide in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi, who
attained martyrdom on 30 January 1948.
Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli arrived in New
Delhi on Feb 19 on a six-day visit to India. The two
countries signed 7 agreements for cooperation.
India and Afghanistan have agreed to allow visafree travel for diplomatic passport holders of the
two countries.
India has extended one million dollars assistance to
cyclone-hit Fiji. The category five cyclones Winston
had wind speed of upto 325 km per hour.
Global brand valuation firm Brand Finance has
rated Tata Consultancy Services as the Worlds Most
Powerful Brand in IT Services.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) completed ten years in
first week of February.
Banaras Hindu University (BHU) founded by
Freedom fighter Pt Madan Mohan Malviya has
turned 100 years old on 13th February 2016.
The 42nd Khajuraho Dance Festival, a world famous
annual classical dance festival, was held in the
temple town of Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh.
The biennial automotive show Auto Expo was held
in Greater Noida in the National Capital Region.
35
The 47th two-day Conference of Governors of all

Indian states and Lt. Governors of UTs was hosted
by the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
India and Pakistan have agreed to extend the rail
communication agreement by mutual consent for
three years from 19 January 2016.
The 6th National Science Film Festival &
Competition was held at Nehru Science Center in
Mumbai.
13th World Spice Congress was held in Ahmadabad
from Feb 27-29 with the theme 'Target 2020: Clean,
Safe and Sustainable Supply Chain'.
JANUARY 2016
President of France, Francois Hollande arrived in
Chandigarh on Jan 24 for a threeday visit to India.

He was the honourable Chief Guest at the
67thRepublic Day Parade at New Delhi. He also
inaugurated the interim secretariat of the
International Solar Alliance - ISA in Gurgaon,
Haryana.
For the first time, a military contingent of a foreign
country France took part in the Republic Day
Parade on January 26.
According to a global CEO survey, the top five
markets most important for overall growth
prospects are USA, China, Germany, UK and India.
India sends the largest number of engineers and
scientists to the US, about 950,000 of them.
In the Corruption Perceptions Index -2015 by the
Transparency International, India has been ranked
at 76th position out of 168 countries. The Index is
topped by Denmark, followed by Finland, Sweden
and New Zealand.
6th National Voters Day was celebrated across the
country on Jan 25.
The Mysuru-Varanasi Express has become the
countrys first blind friendly Braille-embedded
train.
Indias diaspora population is the largest in the
world with 16 million people from India living
outside their country in 2015.
The 153rd birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda
on January 12 was observed as National Youth
Day across the country.
Supreme Court stayed the Central government
notification allowing Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu.
Mumbai has been ranked 22nd and Delhi 24th in the
top-30 list of the worlds most powerful, productive
and connected cities. The list is topped by Tokyo,
followed by New York and London.
The Union Cabinet has approved the construction of
69 bridges on the Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa (TKK)
road section of the trilateral highway in Myanmar.

This will facilitate all season movement of goods
from Imphal to Mandlay in Myanmar and further
entering Thailand.
World Bank will provide a $ 50 million loan for Nai
Manzil'Education and Skills Training for
Minorities.
Youth in BPL category in the age group of 17-35
years will be the main beneficiaries of the project.
The Global Talent Competitiveness Index has placed
India at 89th rank on the basis of ability to attract
talent
The index is topped by the Switzerland
A Nuclear Security Index has placed India at 21st
rank among the 24 countries having one kg or more
of the weapon grade nuclear material.
A four day cultural festival 'Bharat Partv' was held
at the Red Fort lawns in Delhi from Jan 26-29 to
highlight the rich cultural heritage of India
The World Meteorological Organisation has
nominated India as the Regional Climate Centre to
provide information about El Nino.
Make in India Week was held in Mumbai during
February 13-18, 2016 to hold investors meet for the
manufacturing sector.
Indias share in IMF has increased to 2.75% making
it the 8th largest shareholder. Its voting rights now
will rise to 2.6% from 2.34%.
The World Bank will give $ 250 million loan for
Jhelum-Tawi Flood Recovery Project
India and Armenia signed an amended Double
Taxation Avoidance Treaty (DTAA) to share
information on banking and financial transactions.
The largest tricolour (66 x 99 feet) in the country
was hoisted atop the Pahari Mandir in Ranchi,
Jharkhand on the tallest pole standing 293 foot.
Union Ministry of Finance released the draft report
of Justice R V Easwar (Retd) Committee to simplify
the provisions of Income-tax Act, 1961.
The child sex ratio in India now stands at 918 (per
thousand male babies), dipping further from 927 in
2001, and reaching the lowest level since 1961.
Govt has decided to merge the Ministry of Overseas
Indian Affairs with the Ministry of External Affairs
to avoid duplication of work and to improve
efficiency.
India-Nepal Bus Service between Banbasa border in
Uttarakhand and Kanchanpur in Nepal started on
4th January, after a gap of 27 years.
The 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD) was held
on 9 January 2016 in New Delhi. It was a limited
edition as now it will be organised once in two
years.
National Conference on e-Governance held in
Nagpur, Maharashtra.
36
Indias first World Music Festival will be held in

Udaipur on Feb 12-13. Over 100 artistes from over
12 countries will take part in the festival.
103rd Indian Science Congress held at University
of Mysore, Karnataka.
International Kite Festival held at Sabarmati River
front in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
The Jaipur Literature Festival held at Hotel Diggi
Palace, Jaipur (Rajasthan) from January 21 to 25.
NEWS FROM STATES

FEBRUARY 2016
Haryana suffered big loss due to widespread violent
DECEMBER 2015
India has ranked a low 97th out of 144 nations on
Forbes' annual list of the best countries for doing

business in 2015
As per the Human Development Index (HDI)
compiled by the UNDP, India ranked a lowly 130th in
the list of 188 nations.
Prime Minister Modi visited Russia on Dec 23-24 to
attend the 16th India-Russia annual summit.
PM Modi visited Afghanistan on Dec 25 to meet
President Ashraf Ghani. He inaugurated the
Parliament building which has been constructed by
India.
According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR)
2015, the total forest and tree cover is 79.42 million
hectare, which is 24.16 percent of the total
geographical area
The Supreme Court has directed that acid-attack
victims should be considered under the disabled
quota to enable them to get reservations in govt
jobs.
The World Bank has approved a $ 1.5 billion loan
for the clean India campaign to ensure all citizens in
rural areas have access to improved sanitation
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a 3 day
visit to India. He attended Ganga Aarti at
Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi.
Panos Kammenos, Greek Defence Minister arrived
in India on a three day visit. The two countries
decided to enhance bilateral defence ties.
National Veda Convention and Vedic Conference
held in Kozhikode, Kerala.
The Lok Sabha passed the Bureau of Indian
Standards Bill, 2015 to establish the Bureau of
Indian Standards (BIS) as a National Standards
Body.
India and South Korea have inked a new MoU on
suspension of collection of taxes during pendency of
mutual agreement procedure.
The
ICT
(information,
communication
&
technology) Development Index places India a lowly
131st among 167 countries. South Korea tops the
index.
agitation by its Jat community demanding

reservation for Jats in government jobs.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has
approved construction of Indias longest 14 km
railway bridge on Katni Bina route in Madhya
Pradesh.
As per the National Air Quality Indices (NAQI) for
24 cities, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and
Muzzafarpur in Bihar topped the list for the worst
air quality.
Haryana to become the first state in the country to
have aquifer mapping done for its groundwater
resources by May 2016.
30th Surajkund International Crafts Mela began at
Surajkund in Faridabad, Haryana on Feb 1.
Telangana is the Theme State this time.
The World Bank to give $ 35 million credit for
the Citizen Access to Responsive Services Project
of Madhya Pradesh.
Haryana and the Province of Ontario in Canada have
signed a MoU for enhancing commercial and
cultural ties between the two states.
JANUARY 2016
Mumbai Central has become the first ever railway
station in India to have free high-speed Internet

facility
Sikkim has become India's first fully organic state
by converting around 75,000 hectares of
agricultural land into sustainable cultivation.
Nati folk dance of Kullu district has entered the
Guinness Book of World Records as the folk dance
by largest number9,892 women.
Govt has launched Ganga Gram Yojana in Uttar
Pradesh to minimize/stop pollution of the river
from 1600 villages on the bank of Ganges.
For the first time, on camera evidence has been
captured of the endangered Snow Leopard
inhabiting the high mountains of northern Sikkim.
The 14th edition of Mumbai International Festival
for Documentary, Short and Animation Films was
held in Mumbai from Jan 28 to Feb 03.
The Ardh Kumbh mela formally started at
Haridwar on Jan 12.
37
Kerala has become the first Indian state to achieve
Maharashtra has started the country's biggest
100 per cent primary education (up to class IV) by

implementing the programme Athulyam.
World Bank to provide $ 250 million loan for the
Bihars Kosi Basin Development Project.
Bihar government has decided to give 35%
reservation for women in all state government jobs.
Bihar govt has announced that no one can contest
the panchayat elections scheduled in 2016 in the
state, without having a toilet at their home.
Telangana has become the first state in the country
to officially accept electronic motor insurance
policies by the name e-Vahan Bima.
Wildlife Rescue Centre at Gorewada near Nagpur to

take care of sick, injured and rescued animals.
Losar, the biggest Tibetan Buddhist Festival began
on 12 December 2015 in Ladakh, J&K. The festival
marks the beginning of New Year for Buddhists.
Uttar Pradesh has launched International festival on
Birds in National Chambal Sanctuary to promote
state as an international bird-watching destination.
Hornbill Festival held in Kohima, Nagaland from
Dec 1 to 10 to highlight states rich cultural heritage.
Himachal Pradesh has become the first state to
launch Rotavirus vaccination for controlling the
child mortality rate (under 5 years of age) due to
diarrhea.
DECEMBER 2015
GOVT INITIATIVES
Delhi recorded the highest per capita income among
all the states in the country at Rs. 2,40,849 during

financial year 2014-15.
Green Peace India released the National Air Quality
Index covering top 20 most polluted cities in world
and Delhi was the most polluted city
The National Green Tribunal has directed that no
new or old diesel vehicle be registered in Delhi till
Jan. 6, with a view to curb pollution in capital.
The Konark Festival, the five-day festival of
classical dances of India, was held in Konark,
Odisha, in the back drop of the famous Sun Temple.
The International Sand Art Festival 2015 was held
in Konark, Odisha.
For the first time, two Indian cities, Varanasi and
Jaipur, have been selected in the Creative City
Network of the UNESCO in the categories - City of
Music and City of Crafts and Folk Art, respectively.
The Maharashtra legislature becomes the first
legislature to launch an online mechanism for its
members to send questions and move different
motions in the House.
The Odisha state launched Anwesha scheme to
provide free education to scheduled caste and
scheduled tribe students in the state.
The Bihar government has banned 15-year-old
diesel vehicles from its capital's roads to control
pollution.
Indias fourth and North Indias first cable-stayed
bridge was inaugurated at Basohali in Kathua
district of Jammu and Kashmir, over river Ravi.
West Bengal has approved formation of five new
districts in the state, bringing the total districts to
25.
Mumbais iconic boulevard Marine Drive, also called
the Queens Necklace, completed 100 years on Dec
16.
FEBRUARY 2016
Central government has announced the names of
the first 20 urban areas that will be developed as

smart cities.
The ambitious Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban
(rural-urban) Mission was launched from
Chhattisgarh's Dongargarh block.
The Union Cabinet has approved establishment of
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Self Employment
and Talent Utilisation (SETU) in NITI Aayog.
A mobile app Swachh Paryatan has been launched
to facilitate the public to communicate their
complaints about any unclean area/garbage piles in
and around 25 listed prime tourist destinations.
Govt has decided to extend E-Tourist visa facility to
37 more countries from Feb 26, making the total
count of countries under the scheme 150.
Govt has decided to halve the threshold for
coverage of firms under the EPFO from 20 at
present to 10 workers.
Finance Ministry has launched its official YouTube
channel with a view to disseminate information to
the public on a real-time basis.
Government has launched Project Sunrise for
prevention of AIDS in the 20 districts of eight NorthEastern states.
Union Ministry of Tourism has launched the 24x7
Toll Free Tourist Infoline in 12 International
Languages including Hindi and English in New Delhi
Government plans to set up Special Unit for
Transportation Research and Analytics (Sutra)
headed by Ratan Tata for improvement in railways.
38
National Disaster Response Force has raised a
Government has decided to institute a new award
squad of 162 dogs for rescuing people trapped

under debris in natural calamities like earthquake.
Indias first-ever Aviation Park will come up near
Bagodara village in Ahmadabad to strengthen the
aviation sector.
National Framework for Malaria Elimination 20162030 released to define the strategy for elimination
of the disease by 2030, in a phased manner.
The National Wildlife Action Plan 2017-2031
unveiled by the environment ministry to focus on
rehabilitation of threatened species of wildlife.
category under the National Film Awards titled The

Most FilmFriendly State/UT.
The Union Ministry of Shipping has started Project
Green Ports to make Major Ports across India
cleaner and greener.
Eight states have agreed to implement direct benefit
of transfer of subsidy in kerosene in 26 districts
w.e.f. April 1, 2016.
Finance Ministry to organise the India Investment
Summit from Feb. 4 in New Delhi to attract global
investors to promote Indian infrastructure sector.
The government has constituted a committee
headed by noted film-maker Shyam Benegal to look
into revamp of Censor Board.
A new luxury super fast express train 'Mahamana
Express' named after Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya
has been started between Varanasi to Delhi.
JANUARY 2016
Govt. has started a 19 point Start-up Action Plan
with a Rs. 10,000 crore fund for funding of Startups. The new ventures will be exempted from
paying income tax on their profit and visit of
inspectors for 3 years.
They will enjoy 80 per cent exemption in patent fee.
Government has launched the Pradhan Mantri
Fasal Bima Yojana", under which the premium will
be paid by central and state govt.
Farmers will have to pay only a token premium
of 2% for kharif, 1.5% for rabi and 5% for
commercial crops.
Govt has approved 33% reservation for women in
Central Armed Police Forces such as CRPF and CISF
at constablelevel positions.
14-15% reservation has been done at the constable
level in BSF, SSB and ITBP.
Govt has decided that all central ministries and
public sector units will have to float e-tenders for
procuring goods and services exceeding Rs 2 lakh.
India and Australia have agreed to allow people of
both nations to avail retirement benefits in each
other's country.
Health Ministry has decided to use the services of
Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI), a global NGO
working for promotion of vaccination in poor
countries.
Operation Green Hunt refers to an all-out
offensive by Indias paramilitary forces against the
Naxalites in the Naxal affected five states.
River Information System - the first of its kind in
India launched to facilitate safe and accurate
navigation on National Waterway-1 (Ganga River).
Union Govt and J&K have launched Wattan ko
Jano project to familiarize the local youth with the
development of the country in other states.
Sahaj Scheme launched for online booking of LPG
cylinders through the unified web portal
www.mylpg.in, available in 13 languages.
DECEMBER 2015
Govt has launched 4 new Information Technologybased initiatives to provide citizen-centric health
services. They include three applications:
Kilkari:An audio-based mobile service that
delivers
weekly
audio
messages
to
families about pregnancy, child birth and
child care.
Mobile Academy: For providing training
services to 9 million ASHA workers.
M-Cessation: Counselling helpline to help
tobacco users to quit tobacco.
Toll free number 1800-116666 to provide
round the clock counselling and treatment
support services to TB patients
Government has announced that taxpayers with an
annual income of more than Rs 10 lakh will not get
subsidised LPG cylinders from January, 2016.
39
Six new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will
UNCTAD says that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
be set up in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa,

Jammu, Kerala and Karnataka.
The government has launched an injectable polio
vaccine Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) which
will be administered in addition to oral polio drops
Lok Sabha passed a bill to develop 101 new
waterways across the country aimed at providing a
cheaper mode of transport
Govt has made it mandatory for the auditors to
report any suspected corporate fraud of Rs 1 crore
or more to the Corporate Affairs Ministry
Govt has decided to rename the posts of UDC and
LDC as Senior Secretariat Assistant and Junior
Secretariat Assistant, respectively.
Date for implementation of the Bharat Stage (BS) V
and VI emission standards for 4 wheelers extended
by 3 years to April 1, 2019 and April 1, 2021,
respectively.
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of
Children) Bill, which lowers the age for trial of
juvenile from 18 to 16 years, has been passed by
parliament.
Govt has asked the states and UTs to start Operation
Smile-II from 1 to 31 January 2016 to rehabilitate /
rescue the missing children.
Global Initiative of Academic Networks Scheme
launched to boost the quality of higher education
through international collaboration.
Central Board of Secondary Education has rolled out
its latest mobile application E-CBSE for providing elearning material for students and teachers.
With a view to provide relief to 3.7 lakh jute mill
workers, the govt has approved mandatory use of
jute packaging material for foodgrains and sugar.
inflows into India nearly doubled to $ 59 billion in

2015 as against 36 per cent rise at the world level.
DECEMBER 2015
Global financial analysts Goldman Sachs have said
that Indias GDP is expected to grow by 7.9 per cent
next fiscal driven by rising domestic demand
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services in its 'India
Credit Spotlight' newsletter has noted that India's
economy will grow at 7.4 per cent in the current
fiscal
The United Nations World Economic Situation and
Prospects (WESP) 2016 report says that India
would record a 7.3% growth in 2016 and 7.5% in
2017.
ECONOMY
FEBRUARY 2016
In a bid to kick start manufacturing in the
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
FEBRUARY 2016
According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO),
growth of the Gross Domestic Product is estimated
at 7.3% in the October-December 2015 quarter.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has marginally
revised downward the GDP growth for 2014-15 to
7.2% from the earlier estimate of 7.3%
The per capita Net National Income at current
prices is estimated as Rs 93,231 for 2015-16.
JANUARY 2016
The Global Economic Prospect by the World Bank

has projected a robust 7.8 per cent growth for the
Indian economy in the current year based on strong
investor sentiment in India and the positive effect of
the recent fall in oil prices.
electronics sector, government has launched a Rs.

10,000-crore Electronic Development Fund.
P M Modi inaugurated the Make in India Week on
Feb 13 in Mumbai. India is blessed with 4D Democracy,
Demography,
Demand
and
Deregulation.
As per the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the total
number of companies registered in the country rose
to more than 15.27 lakh in January 2016.
The Intellectual Property Appellate Board has
directed Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai
to issue GI tag for basmati rice to 7 states.
These states are Punjab, Haryana, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttarakhand, parts of Uttar Pradesh
and Jammu & Kashmir.
Brahmaputra Cracker & Polymer Ltd started the
Assam Gas Cracker project, the first ever
Petrochemical project in the North East India.
Union Cabinet has approved Trade Facilitation
Agreement of the World Trade Organization (WTO),
becoming 71st country to do so.
Indian Oil Corporations latest oil refinery in
Paradip, Odisha started production of petrol from
the Rs. 34,555-crore facility.
The TRAI has barred telecom companies from
charging differential rates for data services,
prohibiting Facebooks Free Basics and Airtel Zero
platform.
India has approved a $150 million credit line for the
development of Irans Chabahar port.
40
Bajaj Auto has launched a 150-cc motor bike named
The government has made it mandatory to quote
V that contains metal sourced from Indias first

aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant.
For the first time, 6 metro coaches, each 75 feet
long, were shipped to Australia from Mumbai port
as the first installment of 450 such coaches.
Govt has cut interest rates by 0.25% on short-term
post office deposits, Kisan Vikas Patras and other
small saving schemes below five years of maturity.
Govt to set up the National Organic Farming
Research Institute in Sikkim as the state is country's
first organic farming State.
Govt about Rs 5,030 crore from sale of its 5% stake
in the Maharatna PSU National Thermal Power
Corporation-NTPC, through OFS (offer for sale).
South Arabia emerged as the largest exporter of
crude oil to India in Jan. 2016, exporting 9.4 lac
barrels per day, followed by Iraq at 9.3 lac bpd.
Apprehensive of the name Zika, the virus, Tata
Motors have decided to rename their latest
hatchback model as Tiago instead of Zika.
Asian Development Bank will provide a $80 million
loan for improving the infrastructure in the two
North-Eastern cities of Agartala and Aizawl.
PAN for all transactions in excess of Rs.2 lakh to

curb black money.
During visit of Japans Prime Minister, Japan agreed
to support building of Indias first bullet train
network between Mumbai- Ahmadabad
The average number of days taken for incorporation
of a company has come down to 4.51 days in
November 2015 from 9.57 days in December 2014.
Singapore airport developer Changi will take up the
operations and management of the Ahmadabad and
Jaipur airports.
The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd has
become the first oil company from India to join the
global initiative Zero Routine Flaring by 2030
The SEBI has released concept paper for issuance of
Green Bonds. In a green bond funds are 'earmarked' for use towards financing green projects
only.
World Bank has said that India is the largest
recipient of inward remittances receiving over $ 72
billion in 2014, followed by China at $ 64 billion.
Singapore has replaced Mauritius as the top source
of foreign direct investment into India during the
first half of the current fiscal.
Four Asian countries have agreed to start
construction of 1800 kms long TurkmenistanAfghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline
project
The pipeline will carry natural gas from
Turkmenistan of which India and Pakistan will get
42% each and Afghanistan will get the remaining
16%
The govt is considering a 'medicines for oil' barter
system with Venezuela where Indian pharma
exporters are facing problems to repatriate their
sales proceeds
JANUARY 2016
India is home to the fourth largest population of
millionaires in the Asia Pacific region, with 2.36 lakh

such high net worth individuals
The Inland Waterways Authority of India plans to
set up a Waterways Hub at Haldia, West Bengal to
attract more investment in the state.
3 loss-making subsidiaries of HMT Ltd, (Hindustan
Machines Ltd) namely HMT Watches Ltd, HMT
Chinar Watches Ltd, and HMT Bearings Ltd. Closed.
Govt has decided to implement strict emission
norms of Bharat Stage (BS) VI from April 1, 2020, by
skipping BS-V altogether.
World Bank has agreed to provide Rs 1071 crore
funding for the Neeranchal National Watershed
Project
India has overtaken Thailand as the world's largest
rice exporter in 2015, shipping 10.23 million tonnes
as against 9.8 million tonnes by Thailand.
The Asian Development Bank to extend a $625
million loan for the proposed $840 million
Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor.
DECEMBER 2015
Cochin Shipyard has become the first shipyard in
India to get the nod to build LNG (liquefied natural
gas) transporting ships, making India 4th such
country
41
Reliance Jio launched 4G telecom service providing
RBI has permitted banks to sell India Gold Coins of 5
data services with a speed up to 1 gigabyte per

second
Bharti Airtel will invest Rs. 60,000 crore over the
next three-years in Project Leap to upgrade its
networks
YouTube has tied up with Whistling Woods Int
owned by Subhash Ghai, to open its first video
production studio called YouTube Spaces in India.
India received its first uranium consignment for its
nuclear power reactors from Canada, after a gap of
over four decades.
The first Goa to Mumbai double-decker Shatabdi
train was flagged off from Panjim, Goa on Dec 6.
and 10 grams, minted by Metals and Minerals

Trading Corporation of India (MMTC)
RBI has advised that the government will pay 2.5%
commission to banks for attracting more gold in the
Gold Monetisation Scheme
The RBI has asked banks to provide loans of up to
Rs 3 lakh at 7 per cent interest rate to Women SelfHelp Group (SHG)
RBI has decided to dispense with the requirement
of physically forwarding paid central government
cheques to the departments for clearance.
From Feb 1, 2016, cheques will be paid
through Cheque Truncation System (CTS), without
their physical movement.
The Union Cabinet has approved conversion of
MUDRA Ltd, an NBFC, into MUDRA Bank to promote
loans under the MUDRA Yojana.
MUDRA: Pradhan Mantri Micro Units Development
Refinance Agency
RBI has granted operational freedom to banks to
offer all their products and services through the
ATM channels provided technology permits the
same.
RBI has hiked its shareholding in National Housing
Bank by contributing Rs 1,000 crore towards the
paid capital, bringing the total capital to Rs 1450
crore.
RBI has asked banks not to issue such 1000 rupee
notes which, by mistake, were printed without
security thread.
State Bank of India has become the first public
sector bank to launch wealth management service
SBI Exclusif to cater to fast-growing affluent
segment of the country.
The country's largest private sector lender ICICI
Bank became the first private bank to achieve the
milestone of Rs 1 lakh crore in housing loan.
BANKING
FEBRUARY 2016
RBI has asked banks to follow accounting standard
Ind AS converged with International Financial

Reporting Standards (IFRS) from April 1, 2018.
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance
headed by M. Veerappa Moily submitted the report
on the Net NPAs of Public Sector Banks (PSBs).
As per the report, PSBs had gross NPAs of Rs
369,990 crore and net NPAs of around 205,024
crore rupees, till September 2015.
SBI has launched "FlexiPay Home Loan", offering

higher amount and up to five years of interest
moratorium to professionals in the age group of 21
to 45 years.
Govt to infuse Rs 5,000 crore as capital in the public
sector banks to strengthen their balance sheet for
compliance of Basel III capital norms.
RBI has extended the $2 billion currency swap
arrangement to SAARC nations till mid-November
2017 to enhance economic cooperation.
State Bank of India has started an exclusive Japan
Desk as a single nodal point for attracting FDI
worth $30 billion from Japan.
JANUARY 2016
RBI introduces new banknotes of 500 rupees and
100 rupees denominations with enhanced security
features.
Reserve Bank has started the process of issuing
'Master Directions' on various regulatory issues in
its bid to simplify the communication process.
Reserve Bank has asked banks to ensure that every
village with a population over 5,000 should have a
bank branch by March 2017
DECEMBER 2015
The RBI has decided to lower the banks investment
in SLR to 20.5% by January 2017 from 21.5% at
present.
SLR would be cut by 25 basis points to 21.25%
as on April 2, 2016; 21% by July 9, 2016,
20.75% by Oct 1, 2016 to 20.75% and 20.50 %
by Jan 1, 2017.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the RBI and
commercial banks cannot hide routine information
about the top defaulters, etc.
RBI has hiked Priority Sector Lending (PSL) norms
for Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) from 60 per cent at
present to 75 per cent of their total lending
42
RBI has said that from April 1 next year, all banks
will have to follow a new and uniform methodology
to calculate base rate as per the marginal cost of
funds.
All new loans and renewals will now be priced
with reference to the Marginal Cost of Funds
based Lending Rate (MCLR)
Banks will have to publish MCLR of five
maturities every month-overnight rates, one
month, three months, six months and one year.
Like base rate, banks will not be allowed to lend
below MCLR, except for few categories, like
loans against deposits, loans to banks own
employees.
DEFENCE, SCIENCE &

TECHNOLOGY
FEBRUARY 2016
Indian President and the Prime Minister inspected
State Bank of India has become first bank in India to
issue EMV chip and pin based debit cards to ensure

enhanced secure transactions.
EMV stands for EuroMaestroVisa.
Yes Bank has bagged the prestigious 'Bank of the
Year' award conferred by Britains 'The Banker'
magazine.
HSBC (Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation)
announced shutting down of its private banking
business in India
Tech Mahindra has launched MoboMoney,
Indias first Tap N Pay contactless digital payment
solution in the form of a prepaid wallet
Axis Bank has partnered with e-Mudhra to
introduce eSign an online electronic signature
service which facilitates an Aadhaar holder to
digitally sign a document at the click of a button.
Announcing the 5th Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy
review on Dec 2, RBI Governor did not change any
of the key policy rates.
RBI has granted in principle approval to the
National Payments Corporation of India to function
as the Central Unit for Bharat Bill Payment System.
Banks opened a whopping 19.52 crore accounts
under the Prime Minister's Jan Dhan Yojana till the
first week of December, 2015.
RBI has extended the deadline for exchanging pre2005 currency notes by another six months to June
30, 2016. It was to expire on Dec 31, 2015.
RBI has asked banks to make changes in ATM
switches by March 31, 2016 to help customers
register for mobile banking services from the ATM.
Govt released two commemorative coins of Rs.125
and Rs.10 as part of the 125th birth anniversary
year celebrations of Babasaheb Bhim Rao
Ambedkar.
ICICI Bank has tied up with railways e-ticketing
platform IRCTC to sell rail tickets through its
website.
the International Fleet Review 2016 held on 4 Feb

to 8 Feb at Visakhapatnam coast.
The Indian Navy's first locally developed nuclear
submarine INS Arihant is now ready for full fledged
operations.
After nearly 60 years of sailing across the oceans,
the Indian Navy's aircraft carrier, the INS Viraat is
destined to be decommissioned in June, 2016.
It was inducted in Indian Navy in May 1987 as
refitted British warship HMS Hermes.
Andhra govt has agreed to base the ship off
Visakhapatnam coast, converting it into a
luxury hotel for promotion of tourism.
A study by the Stockholm-based think-tank SIPRI
states that India is the worlds largest importer of
arms, accounting for 14% of global arms imports.
Indigenously developed Prithvi-II missile, capable of
carrying 500 kg to 1000 kg of warheads up to 350
kms, was tested successfully
'Exercise IBSAMAR' (India, Brazil, South Africa
Maritime) between the navies of Brazil, India and
South Africa was held off the Goa coast
Indias first indigenously developed lightest
revolver Nidar, weighing just 250 grams, was
launched by the state-run Ishapore Rifle Factory in
West Bengal.
Indian Army participated in the Cobra Gold 2016
the biggest military exercise hosted by Thailand,
along with its counterparts from 35 countries
Indian and Chinese troops held their first joint
tactical exercise Sino-India Cooperation 2016 in
Chushul-Moldo area of Ladakh border with China.
BAE Systems, UK has announced selection of
Mahindras as its Indian partner for the supply of
145 M777 ultra light howitzers to the Indian Army
LAMITYE 2016, the 7th joint military training
exercise between the Indian Army and the
Seychelles Peoples Defence Forces (SPDF) was held
in Seychelles.
The 9th edition of India-Nepal Combined Military
Exercise Surya Kiran IX was held in Pithoragarh
district of Uttarakhand.
The Ministry of Defence to locally produce 106
upgraded Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Mark 1-A
jets to replace the ageing fleet of MiG fighter
aircraft.
43
The 4th India-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol(corpat)
The DRDO successfully test-fired Nag anti-tank
was conducted by both navies in the Andaman Sea.

Japan joined the US, Russia, and China as one of the
only countries to produce its own fifth-generation
stealth fighter jet- X-2-Shinshin
Saudi Arabia launched a massive military exercise
North Thunder that included troops from 20
nations in King Khalid Military City in Saudi Arabia.
Govt has launched a device developed by the CSIR
CEERI, named Ksheer-Scanner that detects the
adulterants like urea, salt, detergent, soda etc in
milk.
YouTube has launched its YouTube Red service to
offer original movies and shows without ad breaks
to the public.
Scientists working with the LIGO [Laser
Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory],
USA, have detected for the first time, signals of
gravitational waves.
These signals are emanating from two merging
black holes 1.3 billion light years away.
These ripples in space-time were predicted by
Albert Einstein, some 100 years ago.
Union Cabinet has given in principle approval for a
proposal to have a gravitational wave detector in
India under LIGO-India Project.
The Japanese space agency has successfully
launched a new X ray astronomy satellite AstroH
to study the origin of black holes.
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
has launched the country's first anti-diabetic
ayurvedic drug BGR -34 for Diabetes type 2
patients.
Hyderabad-based biotechnology research company
Bharat Biotech has announced that it has developed
the worlds first vaccine for Zika virus.
Mobile messaging app WhatsApp crossed the one
billion user milestone globally on Feb 02.
missile at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in

Rajasthan.
INS Kadmatt, the second indigenous stealth AntiSubmarine Warfare (ASW) Corvette, was inducted
in Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam.
India and France began their eight-day counterterrorism
and
counter-insurgency
joint
exercise Shakti-2016 in Rajasthan.
India has supplied three Mi-25 gunship helicopters
to Afghan Air Force.
A new variant of Thrush bird named as the
Himalayan Forest Thrush has been found in the
northeastern India and parts of Tibet, Nepal and
China.
A class of frogs that grows in tree holes who as
tadpoles feed on eggs laid by their mother, has been
discovered in the north-east region.
A Bengaluru-based technology startup has
developed Indias first artificial liver tissue with the
help of 3-D printing technology.
Global streaming pioneer Netflix (of USA) has
launched its service in India, allowing viewers to
access unlimited TV and cinema content online
The NASA successfully launched Falcon 9 rocket
made by SpaceX Company, from California to place
ocean monitoring satellite Jason-3 in orbit.
Scientists have discovered the most energetic light
ever detected in the universe from the centre of a
supernova known as Crab pulsar
Astronomers have discovered the largest known
solar system, consisting of a large planet that takes
nearly a million years to orbit its star.
The periodic table of elements in Chemistry has
added four new chemical elements - 113, 115, 117
and 118, discovered by scientists in Japan, Russia
and US.
Scientists in Singapore have developed a humanlike social robot named Nadine, with soft skin and
flowing brunette hair
China successfully launched Gaofen-4 Earth
Observation Satellite from the Xichang Satellite
Launch Centre in Sichuan, China.
JANUARY 2016
Indigenously designed and built advanced light
helicopter (ALH) Rudra made its debut at the
Republic Day parade.
Indian Navy warship INS Kolkata successfully testfired long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM)
Barak NG developed in collaboration with Israel.
15th January observed as Army Day. On this day in
1949, Lt.Gen. Cariappa became the first Indian
Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.
The 15th edition of bilateral exercise by the Indian
Coast Guard and its Japanese counterpart began off
the coast of Chennai, Tamil Nadu in the Bay of
Bengal.
DECEMBER 2015
Unified Commanders Conference, chaired by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi was held on board Navys
aircraft carrier - INS Vikramaditya,
34 Islamic nations have agreed to form a new
Islamic military alliance led by Saudi Arabia to
fight terrorism with a joint operations center based
in Riyadh,
INS Godavari, the country's first indigenously
designed and built warship was decommissioned at
Mumbai on Dec 24 after 32 years of service.
44
The 8th edition of INDRA NAVY-15, a joint naval
exercise between Indian and Russian navies, started

off the coast of Visakhapatnam in the Bay of Bengal.
Israeli military has successfully tested from a ship
an advanced surface-to-air supersonic missile
Barak 8, co-developed with India. It has a range of
100 kms.
Govt has approved the purchase of S-400 Triumf air
defence missile systems from Russia.
Cochin Shipyard Ltd launched the Fast Patrol
Vessel ICGS Atulya for induction in Indian Coast
Guard.
Indian Coast Guard has commissioned interceptor
boat ICGS C-422 to further enhance its vigil along
Pondicherry and South Tamil Nadu coast.
Pakistan tested nuclear capable ballistic missile
Shaheen 1A, range of 900 kms & Shaheen-III which
can carry nuclear warheads up to 2,750 kms
The ISRO launched PSLV-C29 rocket carrying six
satellites of Singapore. They included main satellite
TeLEOS-1 and five mini satellites
US space company SpaceX created history on Dec 21
when its Falcon 9 rocket landed back on earth
within 10 minutes of its launch from the Cape
Canaveral
The Atlas V rocket of NASA, carrying the supplies
for the International Space Station, blasted off from
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, USA,
Scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)
have discovered a new species of eel named Bengal
moray eel along the Digha coast in West Bengal.
China launched its first space telescope- the Dark
Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) Satellite to study
the mysterious dark matter.
China has approved commercial production of its
first domestically developed electricity-powered
aircraft known as RX 1E.
INTERNATIONAL
FEBRUARY 2016
On Feb 1 MPs of National League for Democracy
party lead by Aung San Suu Kyi joined the
parliament, marking end to the military rule since
1962.
A landmark UN-backed ceasefire came into effect in
Syria at midnight of 26 Feb, supported by both
USA and Russia.
This is the first major truce in five years of civil
war that has claimed more than 2.7 lakh lives.
Britain is facing a big debate these days on the issue
of BrexitBritains exit from the European Union. A
referendum will be held on June 23, 2016 to decide

the issue.
WHO has declared Public Health Emergency of
International Concern over the explosive spread of
the mosquito-borne Zika virus.
United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon has
released a report called 'One Humanity: Shared
Responsibility'.
The report calls for a global campaign to
prevent the destruction of humanitarian laws
and to protect civilians in conflict.
France has become the first country in the world to
legally ban supermarkets from throwing away or
destroying unsold food.
The three day annual World Government Summit
was held in Dubai.
The Noor Ouarzazate Solar Complex, worlds largest
solar power plant started operations on February 4
in the Souss-Massa-Dra area in Morocco.
The first cargo train under Beijing led-Belt and Road
connectivity initiative along the New Silk Road from
China to Iran completed its first journey.
The 10,400 kms trip from Yiwu near Shanghai
to Bander Abbas port in Iran took just 14 days,
a full 30 days shorter than the maritime voyage.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, lead by USA, one
of the biggest trade deals in history, was signed in
New Zealand on Feb 4.
Bank of Japan has imposed, for the first time, a
negative interest rate of minus 0.1 per cent for
certain bank deposits placed with it.
Alphabet, the company that owns Google, has
overtaken rival Apple Inc in terms of value of
market capitalisation on Feb 1
A survey of 230 cities for assessing quality of life by
the global consulting firm Mercer has placed Vienna
at the top, followed by Zurich.
Finance ministers and central bankers from the
Group of 20 major rich and developing economies
began a two-day meeting in Shanghai on Feb 26.
A two day summit between leaders from the ASEAN
and the United States was held in California to dwell
upon maritime security in the South China Sea.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and
the European Union (EU) have signed an agreement
to improve cooperation in cyber defense.
Apple notched a record $18.4 billion in profit for the
quarter ending 31st Dec 2015, the largest ever
profit recorded by a single company in world's
history.
A Twin Otter plane of Tara Air crashed on Feb 24 in
Dana of Myagdi district of Nepal, killing all 23
people aboard.
On Feb 23, Pakistans parliament became the
worlds first parliament to run fully on solar power.
45
World Radio Day was observed globally by UNESCO
Toyota continues to be the worlds biggest
on 13 February 2016 with the theme Radio in

Times of Emergency and Disaster.
The United Nations' (UN) World Day of Social
Justice observed on February 20 to encourage
people to look at how social justice affects poverty
eradication.
World Cancer Day was observed across the world
on 4th February. This years theme was We can, I
can.
automaker selling 10.15 million vehicles in 2015,

closely followed by Volkswagen and General
Motors.
World Economic Forums prestigious annual
meeting held at Davos, Switzerland, from January
20 to 23.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens became the
world's fastest film to make one billion dollars at
the global box office.
JANUARY 2016
DECEMBER 2015
A monster blizzard named Snowzilla paralysed the
The 10th WTO (World Trade Organisation)
entire US East Coast on Jan 24 with hurricane-force

winds and record snow
In a survey to compile Best Country Report
Germany was ranked as the best country, followed
closely by Canada. India was placed at the
22nd place.
The data released by China's the National Bureau of
Statistics shows that China's economy grew 6.9 per
cent in 2015, the slowest pace in last 25 years.
Countries like Brazil, Colombia and El Salvador are
facing the threat of the highly infectious Zika virus
spread by mosquito bite.
It is particularly harmful for pregnant ladies as it
affects the foetus growth adversely.
The Zika virus is transmitted by Aedes species
mosquitoes, which also spread dengue and
chikungunya viruses.
Crude oil prices plunged to 12 year low at $ 29.93 a
barrel, due to abundant oversupply and the ongoing
row between key producers Iran and Saudi Arabia
France has announced a Euro 2 billion state of
economic and social emergency" plan to revive job
creation and catch up with the worlds economy.
Digital Dividends, a report by World Bank explores
the impact of the internet, mobiles and related
technologies on economic development in the
world.
A report by U N World Tourism Organization states
that the international tourist arrivals grew by 4.4 %
in 2015 to reach a total of 1184 million in 2015.
The number of international migrants reached 244
million in 2015 for the world as a whole, a 41 per
cent increase compared to 2000.
World Economic Forums prestigious annual
meeting held at Davos, Switzerland, from January
20 to 23.
The World Health Organization has declared Liberia
free of Ebola virus. Now there is no other country
officially reporting Ebola cases.
Asia's largest underground railway station, covering
a total area of 147,000 square metres, opened in
Futian in Shenzhen city in south China.
Ministerial Conference was held in Nairobi, Kenya

from Dec 15 to 19.
United States has lifted a 40-year ban on oil exports,
marking a historic shift for the booming US oil
industry.
China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
(AIIB), ajoin effort of 56 countries, was formally
established in Beijing on Dec 25.
It has an authorised capital of $100 billion and
subscribed capital of $50 billion
India holds 8.52 % share in the capital
It will invest in sectors like energy,
transportation, urban construction, education
and healthcare.
Zimbabwe plans to adopt the Chinese Yuan as its
currency with a view to cancel the debt worth 40
million dollars from China.
The UN Security Council (UNSC) has adopted a
resolution to increase sanctions against the Islamic
State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS) group and other
terrorist groups.
In Saudi Arabia, females were allowed to cast votes
and run for office for the first time in the country's
history.
46
Nearly 200 nations adopted the first global pact to
New Zealanders chose a new flag design featuring
fight climate change on Dec 12 at COP 21 meet by

UNFCCC at Le Bourget, France,
COP - Conference of the Parties
UNFCCC - United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change
The United Nations has launched a new initiative
titled Anticipate, Absorb, Reshape to build climate
resilience in the worlds most vulnerable countries.
India has initiated the idea of the international solar
alliance to harness solar power as a major step to
mitigate carbon gas emissions.
World leaders from 20 countries, including India
and global investors lead by Bill Gates, launched
Mission Innovation at the COP21 in Paris
Mission Innovation aims at accelerating clean
energy revolution across the world and to promote
the use of renewable energy resources.
Brazil's economy shrank by 1.7% in the third
quarter of the year compared with the second
quarter, deepening the country's worst recession.
The Federal Reserve of USA hiked interest rates by
25 basis points to 0.50 on Dec 16, for the first time
since 2006, assuming stable growth of U.S.
economy.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg pledged to give
away 99% of his company shares worth $45 billion,
to mark the birth of his daughter Maxima
IMF has decided to include the Chinese currency,
the Yuan, in its Special Drawing Rights (SDR) basket
effective from October 1, 2016
The United Nations General Assembly adopted a
resolution to observe November 5 every year as
World Tsunami Awareness Day
The World AIDS Day was observed on 1 December
2015 across the world with the theme Getting to
zero, End AIDS by 2030.
2nd World Internet Conference was held at Wuzen
in Eastern China from Dec 16 to 18.
Mexico has approved the use of the first-ever
vaccine against dengue fever - Dengvaxia,
manufactured by French pharma major Sanofi
Pasteur.
The Philippines became the first Asian country to
approve the sale of the world's first-ever dengue
vaccine, Dengvaxia.
Gambia, a tiny West African country has decided to
become an Islamic republic because Islam is the
religion of the majority of its citizens.
The first media summit of countries belonging to
the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS)
grouping held at Beijing on Dec 1.
Food and Agriculture Organization of UNO launched
International Year of Pulses on 10 November with
the theme nutritious seeds for a sustainable future.
silver fern and red stars on a black and blue

background. The new design will be confirmed by
vote in March.
PERSONS IN NEWS
FEBRUARY 2016
U K SINHA: The government has extended Sinha's term
as the Chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of
India (Sebi) till March 01, 2017.
SAMEER ANJAAN: Bollywoods popular lyricist has
made into the Guinness Book of World Records for
writing the most number 3524, songs for Bollywood
films.
NEYMAR: Iconic football player from Brazil was in news
as Courts in Brazil issued warrants to freeze his assets
worth almost $ 50 million.
GEN. RAJENDRA CHETTRI: Nepalese Army Chief was
conferred the honorary rank of General of the Indian
Army by the President Pranab Mukherjee.
JANUARY 2016
RAGHURAM RAJAN: RBI Governor was named Global
and Asia-Pacific Central Bank Governor of the Year
2015 by the prestigious UK magazine The Banker
AZIM PREMJI: Chairman of Wipro has been ranked as
the most generous Indian of the year for the third time
in a row with donations worth Rs. 27,514 crore
APARNA KUMAR, IPS: She is the first woman officer of
any All-India Services to scale the Mount Vinson Massif,
the highest peak in the Antarctic sub-continent.
SHEIKH NIMR AL-NIMR: A prominent Shia cleric,
highly critical of the ruling Al Saud dynasty, was
executed by the Saudi Arabian govt for his alleged
involvement in shooting policemen.
DECEMBER 2015
SHAH RUKH KHAN: has been ranked as the countrys
top-earning celebrity with estimated earnings of Rs.
257.5 crore this year, pushing Salman Khan to the
second position (202.75 crore) in the latest Forbes India
Celebrity List for 2015.
KATY PERRY: Global pop singer from USA is on top of
Forbes magazine's list of highest-paid musicians of
2015, with $135 million in earnings.
47
ANGELA MERKEL: German Chancellor has been named

as the "Person of the Year" by the Times Magazine for
her role in Europe's refugee crises and Greek debt.
Amitava Bhattacharyya, IAS, Bimal Julka, IAS and D

P Sinha, IPS have been appointed as the Information
Commissioners in the Central Information Commission
APPOINTMENTS
GIANNI INFANTINO: Elected as the new President of

world Football body FIFA. He is a Football
administrator from Switzerland and is Chief of
European Football body UEFA.
FEBRUARY 2016
JUSTICE H L DATTU: Former Chief Justice of India has
been appointed as the Chairman of the National Human
Rights Commission.
FAUSTIN ARCHANGE TOUADERA: Elected as the new

President of Central African Republic (CAR)
YOWERI MUSEVENI: Elected new President of Uganda,
for the fifth time.
RAJENDRA SINGH: Appointed as the new Director

General of the Indian Coast Guard.
ALBERT PAHIMI PADACKE: New Prime Minister of

the Central African country Chad.
KALYAN SINGH: Governor of Rajasthan given the

additional charge of Governor of Himachal Pradesh.
CHRISTINE LAGARDE: Re-appointed as the Managing

Director of the International Monetary Fund for a
second five-year term.
K N VYAS: Appointed new Director of Bhabha Atomic

Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai
AMIT MITRA: West Bengal Finance Minister has been
appointed as the new chairman of the Empowered
Committee of State Finance Ministers on Goods and
Services Tax (GST).
KALIKHO PUL: New CM of Arunachal Pradesh.
PARAMESHWARAN IYER: Appointed as the new
Secretary of the Drinking Water and Sanitation
Department to steer the Swachh Bharat Mission. He is
the World Banks water and sanitation specialist.
ARUNA SETHI: Appointed as the first women head of
the Indian Cost Accounts Services
D J PANDIAN: Former chief secretary of Gujarat has
been appointed vice-president and chief investment
officer of the newly formed Asia Infrastructure
Investment Bank (AIIB).
JAI KUMAR GARG: appointed MD and CEO of
Corporation Bank
ARCHANA RAMASUNDRAM, IPS: Appointed as the
Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal, SSB.
She is the first woman to head a paramilitary force. SSB
guards Indian borders with Nepal and Bhutan.
K DURGA PRASAD, IPS: Appointed Director General of
Central Reserve Police Force.
K K SHARMA, IPS: Appointed Director General of the
Border Security Force.
GURDEEP SINGH: Appointed as the Chairman and
Managing Director (CMD) of NTPC Ltd. For the first time
a Maharatna company chief has been selected through a
search committee route.
JANUARY 2016
SAILESH: A senior IAS officer, appointed as the new
Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
AMIT SHAH: Re-elected unopposed as the President of
the Bharatiya Janata Party
ATULESH JINDAL: Appointed as the Chairman of the
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)
DINESH SHARMA: Elected to the 12-member board of
directors of the China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank (AIIB).
DEVENDER KUMAR SIKRI: Appointed as Chairman of
fair-trade regulator Competition Commission of India
AMITABH KANT: Given additional charge of Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog. He is Industry
Secretary at present.
URJIT PATEL: Reappointed as Deputy Governor of
Reserve Bank of India, for a second three-year term.
Dr. GYANENDRA D BANDGAIYAN: Appointed as the
Director General of the National Centre for Good
Governance.
MARCELO REBELO de SOUSA: Elected as the new
President of Portugal
PAVEL FILIP: Appointed as the Prime Minister of
Moldova, small poorest European country
TSAI ING-WEN: Elected as the new President of Taiwan
GIORGI KVIRIKASHVILI: Elected as the Prime Minister
of Georgia, Europe.
48
DECEMBER 2015
R.K. MATHUR:
Appointed the Chief Information
Commissioner (CIC)
GAUTAM H BAMBAWALE: Appointed as the High
Commissioner of India to the Pakistan
ARUN KUMAR JAIN: Appointed Chairman of Central
Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
SIR VENKATRAMAN RAMAKRISHNAN: Nobel laureate
in Chemistry, assumed Presidency of the Royal Society
in London for a period of five years.
AWARDS & HONOURS

FEBRUARY 2016
ARYABHATA AWARD 2013: The prestigious honour by
Astronautical Society of India given to Dr Avinash
Chander, former Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister
and ex-DRDO chief.
Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Classical Music
Award for 2015-2016: (by Maharashtra government)
won by Sarangi maestro Pandit Ram Narayan, a Padma
Vibhushan awardee.
Khuswant Singh memorial prize for poetry: awarded
to Arundhathi Subramaniam for her poetry book 'When
God is Traveller'.
E&Y ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR 2015: Won by
Vinita Gupta, CEO and Nilesh Gupta, MD of Lupin Ltd, a
leading Pharma company of India.
GOLDEN CONCH AWARD: (for the best documentary
film) won by Manipuri documentary film Phum-Shang
about the environmental problems of Loktak Lake, at
the 14th Mumbai International Film Festival
HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD: (by Amnesty International)

won by Indian lawyer and human rights defender Henri
Tiphagne, founder of NGO Peoples Watch.
Chevalier de la Legion dHonneur: (Knight of the
Legion of Honour), one of the France's highest civilian
honour was given to Fashion designer Manish Arora
from New Delhi.
ORDER OF FRIENDSHIP: Russia's top civilian awards
given to Ramayah Shanmuga Sundar, Director of
the Kudankulam nuclear power plant.
CRYSTAL BEAR AWARD: Best film award in children
category at the Berlin film festival won by Malayalam
film Ottaal (The Trap) directed by Jayaraj Rajasekharan.
GOLDEN BEAR AWARD: Berlin film festivals top prize
won by the Italian film Fuocoammare (Fire at Sea), a
harrowing documentary about Europes refugee crisis.
DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA AWARD: (for best
feature film) won by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for the
film The Revenant
58th GRAMMY AWARDS, Los Angeles, USA, Feb 15
These are the highest awards given in the field of music.
Category
Album
Artist
Record of the
Uptown fund
Mark Ronson
year
Album of the year
1989
Taylor Swift
Song of the year
Thinking Out
Ed Sheeran &
Loud
Amy Wadge
Best Rock
Don't Wanna
Alabama Shakes
Performance
Fight
Best World Music
Sings
Angelique Kidjo
Album
Best Music Video
Bad Blood
Taylor Swift
V SHANTARAM LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:

Conferred upon veteran wildlife filmmaker Naresh Bedi
BEST FIRST FOREIGN FILM AWARD: won by Titli, a
feature film by Kanu Behl. Award is given by the French
Syndicate of Cinema Critics.
GREEN BOND PIONEER AWARD: won by Yes Bank for
being the Pioneers in Emerging Markets-India. Yes
Bank had issued Indias first ever Green Infrastructure
Bonds for Rs. 1000 crore in 2015
CROSS OF THE ORDER OF MERIT:
Germanys
prestigious honour conferred upon Goverdhan Mehta,
renowned researcher in Chemical Sciences.
49
69th BAFTA AWARDS, London, Feb 14

British Academy of Film and Television Awards are the
top film awards for Films screened in Europe.
Best Film:
The Revenant
Best Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant
Best Actress: Brie Larson for Room
Best Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Mexico) The Revenant
Outstanding British film: Brooklyn
JANUARY 2016
PADMA AWARDS ANNOUNCED
India's highest civil awards after Bharat Ratna for the
year 2016 were announced on the eve of Republic Day
(25th January). These awards carry no cash component.
Total 112 awards were announced which included 10
Padma Vibhushans, 19 Padma Bushans and 83 Padma
Sris. Some of the famous winners are given below:PADMA VIBHUSHAN - 10
Sr.
Person
Field
From
No.
1
Tamil Superstar
Art-Cinema
Tamil Nadu
Rajinikanth,
2
Founder of the
Trade &
Maharashtra
Reliance empire
Industry
late Dhirubhai
Ambani,
3
Art of Living
OthersKarnataka
founder Sri Sri Ravi
Spiritualism
Shankar
4
Cinema baron
Literature &
Andhra
Ramoji Rao
EducationPradesh
Journalism
5
Former Jammu and Public Affairs
Delhi
Kashmir Governor
Jagmohan,
6
Former DRDO chief
Science &
Karnataka
VK Aatre,
Engineering
7
Cancer specialist
MedicineTamil Nadu
and chairperson of
Oncology
Adyar Cancer
Institute Dr V
Shanta
8
Eminent
Art-Classical
Delhi
Bharatnatyam and
dance
Kuchipudi dancer
Yamini
Krishnamurthi
9
Classical vocalist
Art-Classical
West Bengal
Girija Devi
Vocal
10
Indian-American
Literature &
USA
economist Avinash
Education
Dixit
PADMA BHUSHAN - TOTAL 19

Sr.
No.
1
2
Person
Field
From
Anupam Kher
Udit Narayan Jha
Art-Cinema
Art-Playback
Singing
Art-Sculpture
Civil Service
Literature &
Education Journalism
OthersArchitecture
Public Affairs
Sports-Badminton
Sports-Tennis
Trade & Industry
Maharashtra
Maharashtra
3
4
5
Ram V Sutar
Vinod Rai
Dr. Barjinder
Singh Hamdard
Hafeez
Contractor
R C Bhargava
Ms Saina Nehwal
Ms Sania Mirza
Pallonji Shapoorji
Mistry (NRI/PIO)
7
8
9
10
UP
Kerala
Punjab
Maharashtra
UP
Telangana
Telangana
Ireland
PADMA SRI TOTAL 83

Sr.
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Person
Field
From
Ajay Devgn
Ms Priyanka
Chopra
S S Rajamouli
Art-Cinema
Art-Cinema
Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Art-Film Direction
and Production
Art-Film Direction
and Production
Literature &
Education
Literature &
EducationJournalism
Others-Advertising &
Communication
Public Affairs
Sports-Archery
Karnataka
Madhur
Bhandarkar
Dhirendra Nath
Bezbaruah
Prof Pushpesh
Pant
Piyush Pandey
8
9
Ujjwal Nikam
Ms Deepika
Kumari
Dilip Sanghvi
10
Trade & Industry
Maharashtra
Assam
Delhi
Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Jharkhand
Maharashtra
ASHOKA
CHAKRA: Nation's
highest
peacetime
gallantry award, , has been awarded posthumously to
Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami of 9 Para (Special
Forces) for his acts of most conspicuous gallantry in
eliminating 10 terrorists in 11 days before laying down
his life in the line of duty in Sep 2015 in Kupwara sector
of Jammu & Kashmir.
JNANPITH AWARD FOR 2015: Noted Gujarati writer
Raghuveer Chaudhari became the 56th writer to be
conferred with India's highest literary honour. His most
noted works include novels 'Amruta' and 'Uparvas.
61ST FILMFARE AWARDS DECLARED
Best Actor: Ranveer Singh for Bajirao Mastani
Best Actress: Deepika Padukone for Piku
Best Film: Bajirao Mastani
Best Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Bajirao Mastani
Lifetime Achievement: Moushumi Chatterjee
50
THE HINDU PRIZE, 2015: (for best novel) won by

Easterine Kire, poet, novelist and childrens writer from
Nagaland, for her novel When the River Sleeps.
DSC Prize for South Asian Literature: Anuradha Roy
for her novel Sleeping on Jupiter.
YASH CHOPRA MEMORIAL AWARD: Given to veteran
actress Rekha for her contribution to the film industry.
KNIGHTHOOD HONOUR IN UK: conferred upon Dr
Harpal Singh Kumar, an Indian-origin cancer research
expert for his influential work on prevention and
treatment of cancer.
Lorenzo Natali Media Prize for 2015 (Asia-Pacific):
Ankita Anand journalist for sensitive portrayal of life for
young women facing the threat of the diktat of khap
panchayats in Haryana.
PEN - Allen Foundation Literary Service Award
(USA): Won by the Harry Potter author J K Rowling for
her support for free expression and charitable causes.
WINNERS OF 73RD GOLDEN GLOBES 2016

Held on Jan 10 at Los Angeles, California, USA
Best Motion Picture (Drama): The Revenant
Best Actor (Drama): Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Best Actress (Drama): Brie Larson for Room
Best Director: Alejandro Inarritu - The Revenant
DECEMBER 2015
THE GOLDEN PEACOCK: Award for best feature film at
the 46th International Film Festival of India won by the
Colombia film Embrace of The Serpent directed by Ciro
Guerra. The award carries cash prize of Rs 40 lakh.
GARWOOD AWARD for Outstanding Global Leader
in Open Innovation: The President of India, Shri
Pranab Mukherjee was conferred this award by the UC
Berkeley-Haas School of Business, California, USA.
NATIONAL SCIENCE MEDAL (USA): Indian-American
tumour scientist Prof. Rakesh Jain has been selected for
this top US science award.
SOUTH EAST ASIA WRITE AWARD: Won by Singapore
based Indian origin writer J M Mali for his contribution
to Tamil literature.
MAILER PRIZE FOR LITERATURE, USA: won by Indiaborn author Salman Rushdie
QUEEN's YOUNG LEADERS AWARD 2016: Two
Indians, Kartik Sawhney and Neha Swain, have won this
prestigious award in the United Kingdom for their work
in transforming the lives of others
Miss Universe 2015: Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach of the

Philippines
Miss International 2015: Edymar
Martnez of Venezuela
Miss Earth 2015: Angelia Ong from Philippines
Miss Intercontinental 2015: Valentina Rasulova from
Russia
Miss World 2015: Mireia Lalaguna from Spain
OBITUARY
FEBRUARY 2016
USTAD ABDUL RASHID KHAN: The oldest performing
vocalist of Hindustani Music, Padma Bhushan awardee,
a descendant of Tansen, passed away in Kolkata at the
age of 107 years.
GEN. K V KRISHNA RAO: Former Army Chief who
played a key role in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation
War, died of a cardiac arrest in New Delhi. He was 92.
JASWANT SINGH RAJPUT: Two time Olympic gold
winner in Hockey, passed away at the age of 90 years.
O N V KURUP: Jnanpith award winning, very popular
and most respected Malayalam poet from Kerala passed
away at the age of 84. He was honoured with Padma Sri
in 1998 and Padma Vibhushan in 2011.
SUDHIR TAILANG: Well-known cartoonist, passed
away in New Delhi at the age of 55. He was suffering
from brain cancer.
NIDA FAZLI: Renowned poet and lyricist, known for
compositions like Kabhi kisi ko mukamil jahan nahi milta
and Hosh waalon ko khabar kya, died in Mumbai due to
heart failure. He was 78.
S.S. TARAPORE: Former Deputy Governor of the
Reserve Bank of India died at Mumbai at the age of 80.
BALRAM JAKHAR:
Veteran Congress leader and
former Lok Sabha Speaker, four times M P, passed away
in New Delhi. He was 92.
AKBAR KAKKATTIL: Noted Malayalam novelist and
short story writer passed away at the age of 62.
HARPER LEE: One of America's most celebrated
novelists whose 1960 masterpiece "To Kill a
Mockingbird" was read by millions worldwide, died at
the age of 89. Equally popular was his second novel Go
Set a Watchman, published in 2015. In fact, it was the
original manuscript of her first novel.
51
BOUTROS BOUTROS-GHALI: Former UN Secretary

General, the Egyptian diplomat who became the first
Secretary General from Africa in 1992, died in Cairo. He
was 93.
SUSHIL KOIRALA: Former Prime Minister of Nepal and
President of Nepali Congress passed away in
Kathmandu after prolonged illness. He was 78.
EDGAR MITCHELL: NASA astronaut, who was the sixth
man to walk on the Moon from Apollo 14 mission in Feb
1971, died in West Palm Beach, Florida at age of 85.
JANUARY 2016
MRINALINI SARABHAI: Veteran dancer and Padma
Bhushan recipient passed away in Ahmedabad. She was
97. She was proficient in Bharatanatyam, Kathakali and
Mohiniyattam.
LtGen. J F R JACOB (retd): Ex Governor of Goa and
Punjab and war hero of 1971 Bangladesh war, passed
away in New Delhi after a brief illness. He was 92.
GENERAL O P MALHOTRA: Former Punjab Governor
and ex-Chief of Army Staff passed away in Gurgaon due
to old-age complications on Dec 29. He was 93.
V. RAMA RAO: Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
leader and former Sikkim Governor passed away in
Hyderabad after prolonged illness. He was 80.
RAJESH VIVEK UPADHYAY: Noted film/ TV artist died
in Hyderabad. He was 66. Rajesh was mainly known for
his roles in films like Lagaan (Guran) and Swades.
MUFTI MOHAMMAD SAYEED: Jammu and Kashmir
Chief Minister died in New Delhi. He was 79.
SAROSH HOMI KAPADIA: Former Chief Justice of India,
68, passed away in Mumbai.
A.B. BARDHAN: Veteran Communist Party of India
leader, 92, passed away after a long illness at New
Delhi.
DAVID BOWIE: One of the most influential recording
artists of all time in UK, passed away due to throat
cancer. He was 69.
MARVIN MINSKY: Noted mathematician and the
computer scientist, pioneer of artificial intelligence, died
at the age of 88 in Boston, USA.
NATALIE COLE: Grammy-winning US singer passed
away in Los Angeles. She was 65. She gave super hits
like Our Love and This Will Be.
HASKELL
WEXLER:
Oscar
winning
US
cinematographer died in California. He was 93. He was
one of the Americas most influential cinematographers.
YASUTARO KOIDE: The worlds oldest man died in

Nagoya, Japan at the age of 112
DECEMBER 2015
SADHANA (Shivdasani/Nayer): Veteran actress, who
mesmerised audience in timeless hits like Hum Dono,
Love in Simla and Waqt, died in Mumbai after a brief
illness. She was 74. She will always be remembered for
her iconic fringe hair on forehead, the Sadhna cut.
SHARAD JOSHI: Renowned agro-economist, founder of
Shetakari Sangthana, crusader for farmers rights and a
former Rajya Sabha member, died at Pune at 81.
MAM RAMASWAMY: Industrialist, founder of Chettinad
Group, former parliamentarian passed away in Chennai
at the age of 84 after prolonged illness.
USTAAD SABRI KHAN: Renowned sarangi player died
at age of 88 due to breathing problems. He was
decorated with Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.
DR. ROBERT L. SPITZER: Veteran psychiatrist who
gave psychiatry its first set of rigorous measuring
standards to describe mental disorders, died in New
York. He was 83.
ELDAR RYAZANOV: Russian legendary film Director
died in Moscow at the age of 88. He directed some of the
most popular and beloved comedies such as Irony of
Fate, The Garage and Office Romance.
PLACES IN NEWS
FEBRUARY 2016
KUMBAKONAM: Temple town of Thanjavur district in
Tamil Nadu was the venue for the famous Mahamaham
festival on Feb 22.
ELEPHANTA ISLAND: Located near Mumbai, a
UNESCO world heritage site, famous for its Hindu cave
sculptures depicting the cult of Shiva, was in news
because the island, which was dependent upon dieselpowered generators for electricity until now, will be
completely electrified by August, 2016.
MURUD-JANJIRA BEACH: A picnic along the Arabian
Sea went horribly wrong for a group of collegians from
Pune when 13 of them drowned off the Murud-Janjira
beach in Maharashtras Raigad district.
CYCLONE WINSTON: One of the most powerful storms
recorded in the southern hemisphere tore through the
Pacific island nation Fiji, killing over 44 persons,
flattening
remote
villages
and
cutting
off
communications.
52
JANUARY 2016
PATHANKOT: A group of 6 suspected Jaish-eMohammad (JeM) terrorists attacked the Pathankot Air
Force base in Punjab on January 2. All the attackers
were killed, claiming martyrdom of 7 defence personnel
KALIACHAK: A small town 25 kms southwest of Malda
in West Bengal was in news as more than a dozen
policemen were injured and police station was set on
fire in mob fury in an incident of communal violence.
MAZAR-e-SHARIF: City in Afghanistan was in news as

the Indian Consulate there was attacked by the heavily
armed terrorists. An intense 25-hour gun-battle
between security forces and terrorists ended in the
killing of all attackers.
RAMADI: City in Iraq was declared liberated from the
Islamic State group after clinching a landmark victory
against the jihadists. The city was lost to IS in May, 2015.
DECEMBER 2015
UMAID BHAWAN PALACE: in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, has

been adjudged the best hotel in the world based on
reviews and opinions collected by travel site Trip
Advisor for its Travellers Choice awards for Hotels'.
KANNUR: Town in Kerala was in news as the

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) excavated 35,950
cannon balls at the historic Fort St Angelo there.
CHARSADDA: At least 25 persons were killed and

several other were seriously wounded when Taliban
suicide attackers stormed the prestigious Bacha Khan
University in Charsadda, near Peshawar in Pakistan.
SHENZHEN: In China, more than 90 persons were killed

due to a landslide caused by the collapse of a huge
mound of waste construction mud in Shenzhen
industrial area in south China.
53
SAN BERNARDINO: A city in California, USA was in

news as gunmen opened fire on a holiday party at a
social services agency, killing 14 people and wounding
17 others. Two gunmen were killed later on.
TYPHOON NONA (Melor): Hundreds of thousands of
people were evacuated from the central Philippines as a
typhoon with winds of up to 150 kph made landfall,
causing heavy rains leading to massive flooding and
landslides.
SPORTS WORLD
FEBRUARY 2016
Punjab defeated Mizoram to lift the Dr BC Roy Trophy

for the National Junior Football Championship at
Hoshiarpur, Punjab.
34th Senior National Rowing Championship held at
Hussainsagar Lake, Hyderabad.
83rd Senior National Snooker Championship: Aditya
Mehta won the title by defeating Manan Chandra in
Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
Kerala won the 61st National School Athletics
championship held in Kozhikode, Kerala
India achieved a rare 3-0 clean sweep in the T20
International against Australia in Sydney to emerge on
the top of the ICC T20 rankings.
Dutee Chand, ace sprinter set a new national record in

the 60m dash in 7.28 seconds at the 7th Asian Indoor
Athletics Championships in Doha.
The Indian womens cricket team made history on Jan

29 by clinching its maiden T20 series win over threetime world champions Australia in Melbourne.
Kidambi Srikanth won the Men's Singles title of the

Syed Modi International Badminton Championships
held in Lucknow, U P.
Fittipaldi of Brazil won the MRF Challenge Formula

2000 race in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.
Anirban Lahiri, Indias top golfer has been voted as the

Hilton Asian Tour Golfer of Year by fans in an online
poll.
Rishabh Pant, Wicketkeeper-batsman in India U-19
team created world record for fastest 50 playing against
Nepal in the ICC U-19 World Cup in Mirpur, Bangladesh.
Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis won
the St. Petersburg Ladies Doubles Trophy.
12th South Asian Games came to an end on Feb 16 at
Guwahati. India finished at the top with a record 308
medals - 188 Gold, 90 Silver and 30 Bronze. Shooter
Chain Singh won record 6 Gold medals. Hosted city was
Shillong and Guwahati.
13th SAG will be hosted by Nepal in Kathmandu in 2019.
Ranji Trophy: Mumbai won the prestigious cricket
championship
defeating
Saurashtra
in
Pune,
Maharashtra.
The Indian women's cricket team lead by Mithali Raj
won the three-match Twenty20 International series
against Sri Lanka 3-0 in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
Hockey India League: Jaypee Punjab Warriors won the
championship by beating Kalinga Lancers in Ranchi,
Jharkhand.
36th National Chess team Championship was won by
the Indian Railways in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN concludes in Melbourne,

Australia. First of the four grand slams of tennis
Mens Singles: World Number One Novak Djokovic of
Serbia beats Andy Murray of Britain
Womens Singles: Germany's Angelique Kerber got her
maiden grand slam title by beating defending champion
world no 1, Serena Williams of USA
Mens Doubles: Jamie Murray of UK and Brazils Bruno
Soares won the title
Womens Doubles: Sania Mirza of India Martina Hingis
of Switzerlandwon the title
Quinton De Kock, batsman from South Africa became
the quickest and the youngest batsmen to score 10
centuries in ODIs. He notched it up in just 55 innings,
beating the record of Hashim Amla who had notched up
10 tons in 57 innings. He scored his 10th century in
Centurion, SA, playing against England.
Brendon McCullum, New Zealand Skipper has smashed
the fastest ever Test century in just 54 balls, playing
against Australia at Christchurch.
Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year: won by Sean
Abbott, the bowler from Australia.
ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup: The West Indies
won the cup for the first time, beating three time
champions India in Mirpur, Bangladesh.
Badminton Asia Team Championships: China and
Indonesia won the womens and mens categories,
respectively, in Hyderabad.
54
2021 World Aquatics Championships will be hosted

by Fukuoka city of Japan and by Doha, Qatar in 2023.
The first ever Asia Cup in its T-20 format started from
February 24th in Bangladesh.
The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2017 will be
hosted by England in June 2017.
Helmet for Umpires: Concerned about the safety of its
on-field officials, the ICC has decided to provide
specially designed helmets to umpires in the upcoming
World T20 in India to ensure their safety.
JANUARY 2016
DHANWADE SCORES RECORD 1009 RUNS
Mumbai teenager Pranav Dhanawade scripted history
by becoming the first batsman ever to notch up a fourfigure score by smashing an unbeaten knock of 1009
including 59 sixes and 129 fours in 6 hours 35 minutes.
Ravichandran Ashwin, Indias off-spinner was ranked
as the No. 1 Test bowler in the ICC rankings for 2015.
PV Sindhu won the Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold
Badminton title beating Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour in the
final at Penang, Malaysia.
Jehan Daruvala of India won the New Zealand's most
popular motor race the Lady Wigram Trophy.
Siril Verma, young Indian badminton player was
declared number one in junior men's singles category in
the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings.
APURVI CHANDELA broke the world record on 5
January 2016 to grab a gold medal in the women's 10
metre air rifle event with a score of 211.2 at the Swedish
Cup Grand Prix in Savsjo, Sweden.
Later, she won her second gold in 10 metre tri series
event, thereby also winning the title of Shooter of the
Tournament
V V S Laxman's classy innings of 281 against Australia
at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in 2001 has been rated
as the greatest Test performance of the last 50 years in
an online survey by the Cricket Magazine.
ONGC won the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hockey tournament
by beating Railways in New Delhi.
Rakhi Haldar and Kavita Devi won gold in their
respective weight categories in the Senior National
Weightlifting Championships held in Patiala, Punjab.
Arunima Sinha, the amputee mountaineer who set a
record by climbing the Mount Everest, conquered Mount
Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest mountain outside
Asia, at 6960.8 metres.
India won the first T20 Asia cup Cricket for

Blind beating Pakistan by 44 runs in the finals held at
Kochi, Kerala.
Delhi International Chess Tournament started in
Delhi on Jan. 9
BCCI ANNUAL HONOURS
'Cricketer of the Year' - Men: Virat Kohli, Indian Test
captain
'Cricketer of the Year' - Women: Mithali Raj, 1st Indian
woman and 2nd in world to complete 5,000 runs in ODI
India beat defending champions Afghanistan 2-1 in the
final of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF)
Cup in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Chennai Open Tennis: Stanislaus Wawrinka (Swiss)
won the cup for the third time in row, beating Borna
Coric of Croatia.
The 76th All-India Inter-University Athletics
Championship was held in Patiala and the Punjabi
University emerged as the overall champions for the
sixth year in a row.
Senior National Wrestling Championship, New Delhi
Gold won by Bajrang Punia in Men's 65kg and Ritu
Phogat in women's 48kg Freestyle categories.
Priyanka Phogat won the gold in the womens 55kg
category.
Overall championship was won by Railways in mens
category and by Haryana in womens category.
Vijay Merchant (U-16) Trophy: Punjab won the
cricket trophy after beating Mumbai in Bengaluru.
Premier Badminton League: Delhi Acers won the title
by beating Mumbai Rockets in New Delhi.
Indian women boxers won 4 gold, 9 silver and 9 bronze
medals at the 5th Amateur International Boxing
Association (AIBA) Nations Cup in Ruma, Serbia.
The 61st National School Athletic Meet held at
Kozhikode, Kerala from Jan 29.
Justice (Retd) R M Lodha committee appointed by the
S C to look into the affairs of BCCI has recommended
sweeping reforms that include a bar on ministers from
occupying positions, putting a cap on the age and tenure
of the office-bearers and legalising betting.
Japan's Izumo Takuto and Hong Kong's Zhu
Chengzhu won the boys' and girls' table tennis titles,
respectively, in the 11Even Sports 2015 ITTF World
Junior Circuit Finals in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
FIFA Ballon d'Or award: Lionel Messi of Argentina
won the World Player of the Year Award for the fifth
time.
55
FIFA Womens World Player of the Year: Carli

Lloyd, US midfielder claimed her first award.
INTERNATIONAL HOCKEY FEDERATION
ANNUAL AWARDS 2015
Player of the Year (men): Robert Van der Horst, The
Netherlands
Player of the Year (women): Lidewij Welten, The
Netherlands
World champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway won the
Qatar Masters Open Chess Tournament.
Indonesian Masters Grand Prix Gold badminton

tournament: Indias K Srikanth suffered a very narrow
defeat from Tommy Sugiarto who won the finals in
Malang, Indonesia.
59th National Shooting Championship, New Delhi.
Vijay Kumar, Olympic medalist won gold in the men's
25-metre centre fire pistol
Apurvi Chandela won Gold medal in the 10-metre Air
Rifle event
Chain Singh won the Gold in the 50-metre Rifle event
Elizabeth Susan Koshy won Women's 50m Rifle Gold
Ronnie O'Sullivan of Britain won his sixth World

Snooker Masters title after defeating Barry Hawkins in
London.
The 68th National Track Cycling Championship held

at Ludhiana, Punjab.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul: The West Indies batsman

announced his retirement from international cricket
The 22nd National Cricket Tournament for the

visually impaired was held in New Delhi.
Veteran tennis star Marat Safin became the first

Russian player to enter the prestigious International
Tennis Hall of Fame, USA.
2nd Indian Super League Football tournament:

Chennaiyin FC defeated FC Goa in the finals played in
Goa.
2015 BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL Tennis Tournament

at Brisbane, Australia.
Mens Singles: Milos Raonic of Canada defeated Roger
Federer
Womens Singles: Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) beats A
Kerber
Mens Doubles: Henri Kontinen & John Peers
Womens doubles: Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis
Commonwealth Table-Tennis Championships were

held in Surat, Gujarat. India topped the medal tally with
16 medals.
Australia has declined to take part in forthcoming

Under-19 World Cup Tournament in Bangladesh citing
security reasons.
All India Football Federation has named midfielder

Eugeneson Lyngdoh and striker Bala Devi as the Playerof-the-Year and woman Footballer - of - the - Year,
respectively.
DECEMBER 2015
Senior National Weightlifting Championships,

Patiala: Haryana's Deepak Lather won gold medal in
the men's 62kg category and set a new national record.
Vikas Thakur of Services created a new national record as
he won the gold medal in the 85kg category.
P V Sindhu has won the Macau Open Grand Prix Gold

Badminton tournament for the third consecutive time,
beating Minatsu Mitani of Japan.
Thakur Anoop Singh won the Mr. World title in the
World Bodybuilding and Physique Championships in
Bangkok, Thailand.
12th National Ice-Skating Championship held in

Gulmarg, J&K from Dec 30 to Jan 03, 2016.
Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) awarded
Player of the Year title for the PGTI Order of Merit to
Bengalurus S Chikkarangappa as he won the McLeod
Russel Tour Championship at Kolkata.
Deborah Herold has become the first Indian female

cyclist to be ranked fourth in the World Elite Women
Ranking for the 500m time trial event.
Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy won the doubles
title in the Mexico Open Grand Prix Badminton
tournament in Mexico City.
India won four-match Test series against South Africa,

3-0, played in India.
Col. C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award: Syed

Kirmani, India's former wicket-keeper batsman who
played 88 Tests and 49 ODIs
Two new teams, Pune and Rajkot have become the

new franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for a
period of two years, replacing the suspended teams of
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.
Gujarat won their maiden Vijay Hazare Cricket

Trophy by beating Delhi in the finals played in
Bengaluru.
18th Asian Luge Championship: Shiva Keshavan of
Manali, HP won a silver medal at Nagano, Japan.
Pro Wrestling League: Mumbai Garuda outclassed

Haryana Hammers to clinch the inaugural title in New
Delhi.
Hockey World League: Australia defeated Belgium to

lift the title at Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Stadium, Raipur,
Madhya Pradesh.
56
Robert Lewandowski, Polish professional footballers

nine-minute, five-goal haul for German Football Club
Bayern Munich against Wolfsburg earned him Guinness
World Record for fastest three, four and five goals.
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg won the 2015 Formula
1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu
Dhabi, UAE.
Underdog Tyson Fury shocked the boxing world by
giving a stunning defeat to the reigning world heavy
weight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine
on Nov 28, becoming the first Briton to hold a world
heavyweight crown since 2011.
BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2015 award won
by tennis star Andy Murray of UK
Dan Carter, winner of Rugby World Cup from New
Zealand, has been named 2015 Sports Personality of the
Year.
Chen Long of China and Carolina Marin of England
were declared Male and Female Player of the Year,
respectively, by the Badminton World Federation (BWF)
in Dubai.
CRICKETER OF THE YEAR - 2015: Australian batsman
Steve Smith has been selected for this prestigious award
by the ICC. He was also named Test Cricketer of the
Year.
ODI Cricketer of the Year 2015: South Africa's ODI
captain batsman AB de Villiers
FIFA Club World Cup: Barcelona (Spain) won the cup
by beating River Plate (USA) in finals played in
Yokohama, Japan.
The International Tennis Federation announced
following rankings for 2015:
Mens World Champion - Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
Womens World Champion - Serena Williams (the USA)
Mens Doubles World Champions - Jean-Julien Rojer &
Horia Tecau
Womens Doubles World Champions: Sania Mirza and
Martina Hingis
Great Britain won the Davis Cup for the first time
since 1936 after the British Andy Murray beat
Belgium's David Goffin in Ghent, Belgium.
Brendon McCullum, New Zealand cricket captain
announced on Dec 22 his retirement from all forms of
international cricket.
BOOKS & AUTHORS

BOOK
Playing It My Way
AUTHOR
Sachin Tendulkars
autobiography, has
entered the Limca Book of
Records in the category of
best-selling books, with
1,50,289 copies sold.
An Economist In The Real
Kaushik Basu
World
Bullets and Bylines
Shyam Bhatia, noted
journalist
Lal
Bahadur
Shastri:
Anil Shastri and Pawan
Netritva ke Sutra
Chowdhary
Dial D for Don
Neeraj Kumar, former
Inside Stories
of
CBI
Police Commissioner of
Case Missions
Delhi
Ancestral Affairs
Keki Daruwalla.
Why We Love the Way We
Preeti Shenoy
Do
The Bestseller She Wrote
Ravi Subramanian
In Other Words
Jhumpa Lahiri
Nathuram Godse - The
Anup Sardesai
Story of an Assassin
Transendence a book
Former President APJ
Abdul Kalam based on his
spiritual experiences with
Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
Azad Bachpan ki Aur
Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel
Peace prize winner
The Turbulent Years 1980Pranab Mukherjee,
1996
President of India
Indias Foreign Policy
Muchkund Dubey, a
former Indian Foreign
Secretary
The Z Factor: My Journey as
an autobiography of
the Wrong Man at the Right Subhash Chandra, media
Time
moughal, founder of Zee
TV.
Maru
Bharat
Saru
Jain Acharya
Bharat (My India Noble
Ratnasundersuriswarji
India) written
Maharaj. This is the
300th book written by
Maharaj ji.
Go Set a Watchman, the Harper Lee, topped the US
second novel
bestseller list in 2015,
selling 1.6 million copies.
57
A God in Ruins
Kate Atkinson - The book

won the novel-of-the-year
prize at Britain's Costa
Book Awards 2015.
'Anything But Khamosh'

Bharathi S Pradhan.
biography of Shatrughan
Sinha written
The Bose Brothers and Madhuri Bose, the grandIndian Independence An
niece of Netaji Subhas
Insiders Account
Chandra Bose.
On My Terms: From the
an autobiography of
Grassroots to the Corridors
Sharad Pawar
of Power
This Unquiet Land
Barkha Dutt
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Jeff Kinney
See Me
Nicholas Sparks
Rogue Lawyer
John Grisham
Combating Hunger and
M.S. Swaminathan
Achieving Food Security
Chronicles of Time and
Raymond Francis Isar
Chance
Because We Say So
Noam Chomsky
Why India Is Not A Great
Bharat Karnad
Power (Yet)
My Gita
Devidutt Pattnaik
The Mare's Trap
Wendy Doniger.
What Happened to Netaji
Anuj Dhar
Rebooting India: Realizing a Nandan Nilekani and Viral
Billion Aspirations
Shah
India-Myanmar Relations
Rajiv Bhatia
The Clintons' War on
Roger Stone and Robert
Women
Morrow
Mrs Funnybones
Twinkle Khanna
To the Brink and Back:
Jairam Ramesh.
Indias 1991 Story
A Childrens History of India
Subhadra Sen Gupta.
The Country of First Boys
Amartya Sen
Baat Niklegi toh Phir
Sathya Saran
Dreaming Big: My Journey to
an autobiography of
Connect India
Sam Pitroda, noted
technocrat who brought
telecom revolution in
India.
The Chinar Leaves
veteran Congress leader
and close aide of the
Gandhi family M L
Fotedar
Neither a Hawk nor a Dove: Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri,
An Insiders Account of
ex Foreign Minister of
Pakistans Foreign Policy
Pakistan.
The Courage to Act - A

Memoir of a Crisis and Its
Aftermath by
Ben S. Bernanke. The

author is the ex governor
of the Federal Reserve of
USA and the book is about
the lessons learnt from
the recessions like 2008
Financial Crisis.
The Outsider: My Life in
an autobiography of
Intrigue
Frederick Forsyth, noted
thriller novelist.
Two Years Eight Months and
Salman Rushdie.
Twenty Eight Days
The Monsoon War: Young
Capt Amarinder Singh
Officers Reminisce 1965
and Lt. Gen. Tajindar
India-Pakistan'
Shergill
The Curse of Surya
Dev Prasad.
Hubris: Why Economists
Meghnad Desai.
Failed to Predict the Crisis
and How to Avoid the Next
One
The Power of Meow
David Michie
Muslim Cosmopolitanism in
Seema Alavi
the Age of Empire
Portrait of a Serial Killer
Khushwant Singh (edited
by Mala Dayal)
GYANM ONLINE TESTS

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59
Latest MCQs
ON CURRENT AFFAIRS
MAY GK TEST 01
9.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana was

launched from
A. Varanasi
B. Lucknow
C. Ballia
D. Hathras
E. Noida
The first graphene electronic paper has been
developed by
A. India
B. Brazil
C. Japan
D. China
E. The USA
Which state government has recently
declared a 10% reservation quota for
Economically Backward Classes (EBCs) among
the general category candidates?
A. Odisha
B. Tripura
C. Gujarat
D. Sikkim
E. Haryana
Which Indian Naval Ships (INS) have been
decommissioned at the Naval Dockyard,
Mumbai?
A. INS Prabal and INS Pralaya
B. INS Nipat and INS Veer
C. INS Prabal and INS Nashak
D. INS Nirbheek and INS Nishank
E. INS Vikrant and INS Virat
Which Indian personality has been invited to
address a joint session of the United States
Congress?
A. Baba Ramdev
B. Ratan Tata
C. Narendra Modi
D. Sushma Swaraj
E. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
The Almatti Dam, in news recently, is a
hydroelectric project on which river?
A. Krishna
B. Kaveri
C. Godavari
D. Tungabhadra
E. Periyar
With which country has India recently signed
an MOU on the Jaitapur nuclear reactor?
A. Italy
B. Papua New Guinea
C. France
D. Germany
E. Canada
Who is the newly elected Prime Minister of
the Tibetan government-in-exile?
A. Lobsang Sangay
B. Penpa Tsering
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
C. Lobsang Tenzin D. Sonam Topgyal

E. Dalai Lama
Which artist won the gold medal at the 2016
Moscow Sand Sculpture Championship The
magical world of sand?
A. Rahul Arya
B. Nitish Bharti
C. Manas Kumar Sahoo
D. Sudarsan Patnaik
E. Jatin Das
The __________ recently submitted a report on
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2015.
A. Shah Nawaz Committee
B. Ravi Prakash Tyagi committee
C. Kalyan Banerjee committee
D. TK Vishwanathan committee
E. Antulay committee
Nomadic Elephant 2016 was a joint military
exercise hosted by India and
A. Russia
B. Seychelles
C. Mongolia
D. France
E. The UK
Which of the following schemes launched by
the Modi government is/are re-packaged
version/s of some old schemes?
1. National Rurban Mission
2. Atal Pension Yojna
3. Basic Savings and Deposit Account
4. Stand Up India
A. All of these
B. 1, 2
C. 2, 3, 4
D. 2, 3
E. 1, 2, 3
As per the Finance Ministry, the 24 Public
Sector Banks put together had total NPAs of
Rs. ________ Crore as of December, 2015.
A. 4, 78, 000
B. 10, 50, 000
C. 6, 54, 000
D. 3, 70, 000
E. 8, 70, 000
Stressed assets in a banks always
A. Lead to its re-rating by CRISIL
B. Lead to loan restructuring
C. Create a pressure for getting more deposits
D. Lead to lower profitability
E. Result in retrenchment
In case of a loan taken against a security, the
bank has the right to
A. Ask for additional security if the security falls
in market value below a certain minimum
B. Withdraw the sanction given for the loan
60
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
C. Raise the rate of interest being charged on the

loan
D. Take over the security and auction it to recover
its dues
E. None of these
The Augusta Westland deal involved the sale
of
A. Defence helicopters
B. AWACS
C. Battle guns
D. Submarines
E. VVIP choppers
The US Presidential elections will see _______
and _______ fight for the most powerful political
office in the world.
A. Barack Obama, Donald Trump
B. Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton
C. Donald Trump, Al Gore
D. Al Gore, Hillary Clinton
E. None of these
The data regarding industrial output and
consumer prices in India are collected by
A. Commerce Ministry
B. Finance Ministry
C. NITI Aayog
D. Central Statistical Office
E. National Sample Survey Organization
A Green Revolution based on the cultivation of
paddy is on in
A. East India
B. North-East India
C. North India
D. Central India
E. South India
Murrah, New Jersey, Holstein --- all these
represent the breeds of
A. Dairy animals
B. Mangoes
C. Wheat
D. Apples
E. Rice
Which of the following terms is NOT used in
banking?
A. Seed money
B. Net Interest Income
C. Convertible deposit
D. Spread
E. Pre-closure
Match the following:
1. Venture capital
P. Ombudsman
2. Export guarantee
Q. NRDC
3. Coordination among regulatorsR. ECGC
4. Bank customers charter
S. FSDC
5. Bank customers complaints T. BCSBI
P
Q
R
S
T
A.
5
1
2
3
4
B.
5
3
2
1
4
C.
4
2
1
3
5
D.
3
2
5
1
4
E. None of these combinations is correct
Prince, a popular American performer, died
recently. He was a renowned
A. Guitarist
B. Actor
C. Comedian
D. Acrobat
E. Pop singer
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
A shell company is basically one

A. Whose shares command a low price
B. Having a bad dividend payment record
C. Which deals with financial investments
D. Only in name, having no real functions
E. Having no profits
An area in India can be declared droughtaffected on the basis of
A. A lending banks assessment
B. Deficient foodgrain output
C. The growers inability to repay their loans
D. Actual rainfall and its spatial distribution as
compared to its 50-year average rainfall
E. Any of these
The Maoris are the aborigines of
A. China
B. New Zealand
C. Europe
D. South India
E. South Africa
Which of the following is NOT a credit rating
agency?
A. CIBIL
B. ICRA
C. CRISIL
D. CARE
E. Moodys
Which of the following is NOT essentially
required on the face of a cheque meant for
clearing?
A. Cheque number
B. Complete bank details of the payee
C. IFSC
D. MICR Code
E. All of these are required
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna is designed
to help
A. BPL families have their own houses
B. BPL women get free LPG connections
C. Poor people get electricity for free
D. BPL families get LED bulb free of cost
E. Light up the streets in slums
_________ has been nominated by BCCI for the
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2016.
A. Unmukt Chand
B. Mahendra Singh Dhoni
C. Virat Kohli
D. Harbhajan Singh
E. Ajinkya Rihane
The letter R in the acronym ARCIL stands for
A. Renewal
B. Resurgence
C. Repair
D. Reconstruction
E. Reunification
Balraj Madhok, who passed away recently,
was a prominent leader of the
A. Congress
B. BJP
C. BSP
D. CPI
E. RSS and Bhartiya Jan Sangh
Recently, the government has relaxed the
Foreign Direct Investment norms for ecommerce companies operating on
A. the marketplace model
B. the inventory-based model
61
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
C. the B2C model

D. the B2B model
E. the aggregator model
Oprah Winfrey is a renowned American
___________.
A. TV hostess
B. model
C. pop singer
D. sportsperson
E. businesswoman
Which of the following is the LEAST effective
means of selling banking products?
A. Telemarketing
B. Cold calling
C. Group selling
D. Cross selling
E. Online marketing
If you maintain a Savings Bank Account with a
negative balance,
A. you will be debarred from opening any bank
account in future
B. you will have to pay maintenance charges to
the bank
C. you will have to pay a penalty for doing so
D. you will not have to pay any maintenance
charges to the bank
E. you will be required to close the account after
paying all the penalties and charges due to you
Pick the odd man out.
A. Financial Inclusion: Nachiket More Committee
B. NABARD: Shivaraman Committee
C. Urban Cooperative Banks: Malegam Committee
D. New Banking Policy: Narsimhan Committee
E. Lead Bank scheme: Gadgil Group
Who among the following is most likely to
have a Current Account in a bank?
A. Unemployed graduate B. Housewife
C. Sole proprietor of a shop
D. Minor child
E. Poor farmer
The words Crony Capitalism which were
part of newspaper headlines recently refer to
A. Economic cartels
B. Economic policies designed to help ones
favourites
C. Corrupt government
D. Rule by the rich
E. None of these
Who has been elected the first Muslim Mayor
of London?
A. Sadiqe Khan
B. Mohammad Asif
C. Salim Khan
D. Altaf Hali
E. Sabika Khan
Legendary filmmaker ________ was honoured
with a special statue by the Swiss
government.
A. Guru Dutt
B. Hrishikesh Mukherjee
C. Yash Chopra
D. Satyajit Ray
E. Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Pick the odd one out.
A. DDGJY
B. eKYC
C. NRHM
D. SBA
E. PMGSY
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
In case of an Adjustable Rate Loan, the rate of

interest
A. Changes in later years
B. Varies as per the banks judgment of the
customer
C. Can be changed at any time
D. Varies as per the creditworthiness of the
customer
E. Changes in response to the economic
environment
In the acronym MSF, the letter M stands for
A. Marginal
B. Minimum
C. Margin
D. Market
E. Material
Shashank Manohar, who had quit the BCCI, is
the new chief of
A. IOC
B. ICC
C. IPL
D. ICU
E. Selection Committee for Indian cricket team
Baba Hardev Singh, who passed away recently
in Canada, was the spiritual head of
A. Art of Living mission
B. Nirankari mission
C. Art of Dying mission
D. Radhasoami mission
E. Akal Takht
Noise pollution is said to begin when the
sound level crosses
A. 140 db
B. 120 db
C. 20000 Hz
D. 85 db
E. 40000 Hz
A Pay Order is a
A. Crossed cheque
B. Kind of Demand Draft, made payable locally
C. Bearer cheque
D. None of these
E. Travellers cheque
Damascus is the capital of
A. Syria
B. Iraq
C. Chad
D. Abu Dhabi
E. Nairobi
The total cost of plant and machinery in case
of small scale industries should not exceed
A. Rs. 20 Cr
B. Rs. 50 Cr
C. Rs. 2 Cr
D. Rs. 10 Cr
E. Rs. 8 Cr
ANSWER KEY TEST - 1
Q.
1
6
11
16
21
26
31
36
41
46
A.
C
A
C
E
C
B
D
D
C
B
Q.
2
7
12
17
22
27
32
37
42
47
A.
D
C
E
B
A
A
E
C
B
D
Q.
3
8
13
18
23
28
33
38
43
48
A.
C
A
D
E
E
B
A
C
E
B
Q.
4
9
14
19
24
29
34
39
44
49
A.
B
D
D
A
D
B
A
B
A
A
Q.
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
A.
C
D
A
A
D
C
B
A
B
D
62
MAY GK TEST 02
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Which court upheld the cow slaughter ban in

Maharashtra
but
decriminalized
the
possession of beef?
A. Supreme Court
B. Bombay High Court
C. Ahmedabad High Court
D. Aurangabad High Court
E. Nasik Bench
Who wrote the book Shashi Kapoor the
Householder, the Star that was released
recently?
A. Sanjana Kapoor
B. Aseem Chhabra
C. Vivian Kabir
D. Both A and B
E. Anupma Chopra
India ranks ________ in the crony-capitalism
index released by The Economist in May 2016.
A. Ninth
B. First
C. Third
D. Seventh
E. First
Alberta, where a state of emergency was
declared due to massive wildfire, is a part of
A. Canada
B. Bermuda
C. The USA
D. Mexico
E. Indonesia
Name the cosmetic company that was ordered
to pay 55 million US dollars by a US jury, to a
woman who claimed that companys talcum
powder had caused her ovarian cancer.
A. Avon
B. LOreal
C. Henkel
D. Johnson & Johnson (J&J)
E. Proctor & Gamble
The
Special
Breakthrough
Prize
in
Fundamental Physics was announced in May
2016 by recognizing the scientists and
engineers who contributed to the momentous
detection of
A. Frictional Pull
B. Kinetic Drift
C. Infra red Rays
D. Gravitational Waves
E. Time travel
Who has/ have publicly identified himself as
the creator of Bitcoin, the virtual currency?
A. Craig Steven Wright
B. Satoshi Nakamoto
C. Joseph Thomas
D. None of the above
E. Both A and B
A/An _________ report claims that some 7.5
Crore school age children in crisis areas
around the world are in desperate need of
educational support.
A. UNICEF
B. UNESCO
C. WHO
D. World Children's Fund E. ILO
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
Who is the author of the forthcoming book

India vs Pakistan: Why Cant we just be
Friends? that was in news last month?
A. Husain Haqqani
B. Nawaz Sharif
C. General Pasha
D. Pervez Musharraf
E. Imran Khan
Which of the following is NOT a primary
function of a Bank?
A. Granting Loans
B. Collecting Cheques/Drafts of customers
C. Facilitating import of goods
D. Issuing Bank Drafts
E. Selling Gold/Silver Coins
Money Laundering implies
A. Evading taxes on the income earned in India
B. Depositing illegal money in banks abroad
C. Financial dealings involving huge cash
transactions
D. To present as if the money comes from a
legitimate source
E. None of these
The BJP has formed a state government for
the first time in
A. Assam
B. Tamil Nadu
C. Uttrakhand
D. West Bengal
E. Kerala
Which state was in news recently for its
efforts to bring about controversial changes in
school books?
A. Andhra Pradesh
B. Haryana
C. Uttar Pradesh
D. Chhatisgarh
E. Rajasthan
Core Banking refers to
A. A group of networked bank branches
B. The banking operations of the Reserve Bank
C. The World Bank's operations
D. Routine operations in retail banking
E. None of these
In a rare astronomical spectacle, the ______
orbited past the ______ last month to create a
tiny, black spot on its surface for a while.
A. Saturn, Sun
B. Jupiter, Sun
C. Earth, Sun
D. Mercury, Sun
E. Moon, Sun
The No-Tobacco Day falls on
A. April 23
B. June 5
C. July 11
D. May 31
E. May 1
The acronym NSEL refers to
A. National Stock Exchange Ltd.
B. National Securities Exchange Ltd.
C. National Spot Exchange Ltd
D. National Stock Exchange Liability
E. New Spot Exchange Ltd.
A. Kolkata
B. Varanasi
C. Mumbai
D. Hyderabad
E. Lucknow
63
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
The right to disqualify an MLA, who has

defected to another party after his election,
lies with the
A. High Court
B. Assembly Speaker
C. State Election Commission
D. Chief Minister
E. State Governor
The acronym BCSBI refers to an organization
which is a
A. Watchdog to monitor and ensure that the
banks follow the prescribed service standards
B. Watchdog to monitor that the banks follow the
prescribed standards for financial reporting
C. Complaint redressal forum for consumer
complaints regarding banks
D. Forum to decide disputes involving bank loans
recovery
E. Government body meant to select CEOs and
Board Directors for public sector banks in India.
A Green Bond is defined as one which raises
money
A. From across the world
B. For an indefinite period
C. At a low rate of interest
D. For environment-friendly projects
E. None of these
Which of the following in India is/are NOT a
statutory bank/s?
1. Bank of India
2. Allahabad Bank
3. United Bank of India
4. State Bank of India
A. 1, 4
B. 1, 2
C. 1, 3, 4
D. 1, 2, 3, 4
E. 1, 2, 3
Dadaab, the worlds largest refugee camp, is
located in
A. Kenya
B. Egypt
C. Hungary
D. Nigeria
E. Iraq
Which of the following is not a debt
instrument?
A. ADR
B. GDR
C. Govt. Security
D. Debenture
E. F&O
The government has decided to start the
process of consolidation in the banking sector
by merging
A. IDBI Bank with Bhartiya Mahila Bank
B. Bhartiya Mahila Bank with Panjab National
Bank
C. Bhartiya Mahila Bank and associate banks of
State Bank of India with it
D. Some smaller PSU banks with Oriental Bank of
Commerce
E. Some smaller banks with Panjab National Bank
Red Bull is the name of a/an
A. Austrian F1 car drivers team
B. IPL franchisee
C. Indian Hockey League franchisee
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
D. Kabaddi League franchisee in India

E. None of these
In the past 15 months, the trade deficit of
India has been
A. Stable after a rise
B. Falling
C. Rising
D. Fluctuating
E. Stable
To obtain their Net Demand and Time
Liabilities, the banks subtract . from their
Gross Demand and Time Liabilities.
A. The money lying as Cash Reserve Ratio
B. The money lying in inter-bank deposits
C. The money lying in Recurring Deposits
D. The amount of staff loans
E. The money lying in Current Accounts
Select the mismatched pair:
A. NGT: Environmental protection
B. CBEC: Education
C. TRAI: Telecommunications
D. NASSCOM: Software companies
E. BCSBI: Service levels in banks
NEET, an acronym which was in news of late,
refers to
A. National Eligibility and Entrance Test
B. New Environmental Efficiency Test
C. New Education and Evaluation Test
D. National Economic Efficiency Evaluation Test
E. National Environmental Evaluation Test
The devaluation of a countrys currency
makes its .. costlier and its .. cheaper.
A. imports, exports
B. goods, services
C. imports, domestic production
D. domestic production, exports
E. exports, imports
Inflation is usually computed on the basis of
A. WPI
B. CPI
C. Both A and B
D. IIP
E. Nominal GDP
The global prices of crude oil are determined
by
A. OPEC
B. World Bank
C. Russia and USA
D. OECD
E. GCC
Indias first Spice Museum will be opened in
A. Mannar
B. Tiruchirappalli
C. Thiruvananthapuram D. Kochi
E. Guntur
Who is the author of the book The Drowned
Detective?
A. E. Jeffrey Archer
B. Richard Cliff
C. Neil Jordan
D. Teddy Jamieson
E. John Banville
Which of the following is/ are CORRECT about
the assembly election results declared
recently?
1. The BJP will get a chance to form a government
in Assam for the second time.
64
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
2. The LDF has ousted the UDF in Kerala.

3. Jayalalitha has won for a record 6th time and is
the first politician in 32 years to win a second
time successively.
A. 1, 2, 3
B. 2 Only
C. 3 Only
D. 1, 3 Only
E. 2, 3 Only
Laxmirani Majhi is associated with
A. Boxing
B. Wrestling
C. Archery
D. Wushu
E. Weightlifting
Who among the following has won the 2016
Man Booker International Prize?
A. Han Kang
B. Marlon James
C. Orhan Pamuk
D. Elena Ferrante
E. Paulo Coelho
Which of the following is the currency of
China?
A. Rouble
B. Dollar
C. Baht
D. Yen
E. Renmibi
_______, the CEO of ______ was on a visit to India
recently.
A. Tim Cook, Microsoft
B. Jack Ma, Alibaba
C. Satya Nadella, Microsoft
D. Warren Buffett, Birkshire Hathway
E. Tim Cook, Apple
The biggest quarterly loss ever by a bank in
India was reported recently by
A. Bank of Baroda
B. UCO Bank
C. Panjab National Bank D. Bank of India
E. State Bank of India
A unique feature of Islamic Banking is that
A. Charging interest on loans is considered a sin
B. No loans are given
C. There are custodial charges imposed on
savings
D. It does not allow the accounts to be opened for
non-Muslims
E. None of these
The amount kept aside by a bank for
provisioning has a direct impact on its
A. employees salaries
B. NPAs
C. share price
D. profitability
E. All of these
The biggest rooftop solar plant in the world
has been installed in
A. Patanjli Vidyapeeth, Hardwar
B. Golden Temple, Amritsar
C. Radha Soami Satsang, Dyalbagh
D. Tirupathi Balji Temple, Tirupathi
E. Radha Soami Satsang, Beas
VS Achyutanandan is a politician, who in news
recently. He belongs to
A. Madhya Pradesh
B. Kerala
C. Assam
D. West Bengal
E. Pudducherry
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
For the financial year 2016-17, a senior

citizen in India can enjoy a basic income tax
exemption limit of
A. Rs. 3, 50000
B. Rs. 3, 00, 000
C. Rs. 2, 50, 000
D. Rs. 4, 50, 000
E. Rs. 3, 25, 000
Mid-cap stocks are those which
A. belong to large, stable companies
B. belong to young, fast-growing companies
C. have a regular dividend payment record
D. trade at a low market price
E. None of these
A banks marketing costs tend to be the lowest
in case of
A. Online marketing
B. Direct marketing
C. Tele-marketing
D. Group marketing
E. Niche marketing
PM Narendra Modi will lead the nation at the
International Yoga Day celebrations in
A. Noida
B. Hissar
C. Chandigarh
D. Hardwar
E. Gurgaon
A. NIM
B. POCSO
C. EPS
D. P/E
E. EBIDTA
ANSWER KEY TEST - 2
Q.
1
6
11
16
21
26
31
36
41
46
A.
B
D
D
D
D
A
A
E
C
B
Q.
2
7
12
17
22
27
32
37
42
47
A.
B
A
A
C
E
B
C
C
A
B
Q.
3
8
13
18
23
28
33
38
43
48
A.
A
A
E
C
A
B
A
A
D
A
Q.
4
9
14
19
24
29
34
39
44
49
A.
A
A
A
B
E
B
D
E
E
C
Q.
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
A.
D
E
D
A
C
A
C
E
B
B
65
SSC CORNER
elected president of the Constituent Assembly. The
Constituent Assembly met for the first time on 9th
December, 1946.
Various committees were constituted i.e. Committee on
Fundamental Rights, the Union Powers Committee and
Union Constitution Committee. Finally, on 26th
November, 1949, the process was completed and the
Constituent assembly adopted the constitution. 284
members signed the document and the process of
constitution making was complete. This day is
celebrated as the Constitution Day.
INTRODUCTION
The Constitution of India is the supreme law of India. It
lays down the framework defining fundamental political
principles, establishes the structure, procedures,
powers and duties of government institutions and sets
out fundamental rights, directive principles and the
duties of citizens. It is the longest written constitution of
any sovereign country in the world. Dr. Bhimrao Ramji
Ambedkar is regarded as the chief architect of the
Indian Constitution.
The Constitution was adopted by the
Constituent Assembly on 26th November, 1949 and
came into effect on 26th January, 1950, which was
chosen to commemorate the Poorna Swaraj declaration
of 1930. With its adoption, the Union of India officially
became the Republic of India, replacing the Government
of India Act, 1935 as its fundamental governing
document. India celebrates the coming into force of the
constitution on January 26 as the Republic Day.
The Preamble to the Constitution declares India a
sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic,
assuring to all its citizens justice, equality, and liberty,
and endeavors to promote fraternity among them.
THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
The Constitution was drafted by the Constituent
Assembly, elected by the members of provincial
assemblies. The 389-member Constituent Assembly
took 2 years, 11 months and 18 days) to complete its
task. The Constituent Assembly set up a Drafting
Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. B.R.
Ambedkar to prepare a Draft Constitution. The first
temporary president of the Constituent Assembly was
Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha. Later, Rajendra Prasad was
STRUCTURE
The Indian constitution is the world's longest
constitution. At commencement, it had 395 articles in 22
parts and 8 schedules while in its current form, it has 25
parts containing 448 articles, 12 schedules, 5
appendices and 122 amendments.
BACKGROUND
With the coming into force of the Constitution, the
Indian Independence Act was automatically repealed.
India ceased to be a dominion of the British Crown and
became a sovereign democratic republic.
SOURCES
The Constitution of India is drawn from many sources.
Considering the needs and conditions, the framers
borrowed different features freely from previous
legislation, primarily the Government of India Act, 1935.
After independence, both the nations got a separate new
constituent assembly, with sovereign powers to help it
draft and enact a new constitution.
Many people call the Indian constitution a copy paste
work or a beautiful patchwork as most parts have been
copied from the Government of India Act, 1935 and the
constitutions of other countries. Our founding fathers
chose to incorporate what they found most suitable in
those days. The sources of various features of the Indian
Constitution are
Government of India Act, 1935
1. Federal Scheme
2. Office of Governor
3. Judiciary
4. Emergency Provisions
5. Administrative Details
66
Britain
1. Parliamentary form of government
2. Single citizenship
3. Rule of Law
United States of America
1. Preamble
2. Fundamental Rights
3. Federal structure
4. Independence of the Judiciary
5. Separation of Powers
6. Judicial Review
Ireland
Directive Principles of State policy
Australia
1. Freedom of trade within the country
2. Concurrent List
France
Ideals of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity
Canada
1. Quasi-federal form of government
2. Distribution of powers
Soviet Union
Fundamental Duties
Germany
Emergency Provisions
South Africa
Constitutional amendment procedure
PREAMBLE TO THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION
Though the Preamble is an operative part of the Indian
constitution, yet it serves several important purposes. It
explains the ideals and objectives of the constitution.
After the 42nd amendment in 1976, the Preamble reads:
WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly
resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN
SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to
secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY, of thought, expression, belief, faith and
worship:
EQUALITY, of status and opportunity and to
promote among them all;
FRATERNITY, assuring the dignity of the individual
and unity and integrity of the nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY, this 26th day of
November 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND
GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.
An analysis of the preamble reveals that the source of

the constitution is We, the people. Therefore, the
constitution derives its authority from the people of
India.
The very first sentence declares India to be a Sovereign,
Socialist, Democratic Republic. The word sovereign
implies that India is internally supreme and externally
free. The state authority of India is supreme over all
men and
associations within Indias territorial
boundary. Externally too, India is free from all external
controls.
The terms socialist and secular were added to the
preamble by the 42nd amendment in 1976. With people
of all faiths living in the country, it is imperative that
India does not accept any religion as its state religion.
Indias secularism ensures that religious minorities do
not suffer from a sense of inferiority.
The words Democratic Republic used in the preamble
are very important. It implies that the government
power is vested in the hands of representatives elected
by a popular vote. A system is said to be republican, if no
office of the state is held on the basis of hereditary
rights. In India, every office of the state from the highest
to the lowest is open to every citizen. Thus, the head of
the state is not hereditary as in England, nor is it based
on military power as in dictatorial regimes.
For an ideal democracy, the preamble emphasizes
justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. The ideal of
justice implies a system where individuals can realize
their full potentials. But political and legal justice is a
myth unless accompanied by social and economic
justice. Social justice implies that all social
discriminations like caste or untouchability must be
ended. Economic justice implies that economic
exploitations should be ended. However, social and
economic justice still remain unrealized dreams in India.
Liberty, to be meaningful, must mean liberty of thought,
expression, belief, faith and worship. The ideal of equality
is aimed at removing discriminations between citizens.
This is particularly important in the Indian society,
vitiated by caste system and untouchability.
Finally, fraternity, as an ideal, is to ensure the dignity of
the individual and unity of the nation.
PARTS OF THE CONSTITUTION
Part I Union and its Territory
Part II Citizenship
Part III Fundamental Rights
Part IV Directive Principles of State Policy
Part IV-A Fundamental Duties
Part V The Union
Part VI The States
67
Part VII States in part B of the First schedule Part VIII

The Union Territories
Part IX The Panchayats
Part IX-A The Municipalities
Part IX-B The Co-operative Societies
Part X The Scheduled and Tribal Areas
Part XI Centre-States Relations
Part XII Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits
Part XIII Trade and Commerce within India
Part XIV Services under the Union and States
Part XIV- A Tribunals
Part XV Elections
Part XVI Special provisions for certain classes
Part XVII Languages
Part XVIII Emergency provisions
Part XIX Miscellaneous
Part XX Amendment to the Constitution
Part XXITemporary, Transitional and Special
provisions
Part XXIIShort title, date of commencement,
Authoritative text in Hindi and Repeals
SCHEDULES
Schedules are the lists in the Constitution that
categorize and mention different bureaucratic activities
and government policies.
1st Schedule - States and Union Territories. Any
changes to their borders
2nd Schedule - Salaries of officials holding public offices,
judges, and Comptroller and Auditor General
3rd Schedule - Forms of Oaths for elected officials and
judges.
4th Schedule - Allocation of Rajya Sabha seats
5th Schedule - Administration of Scheduled Areas and
Scheduled Tribes
6th Schedule - Administration of tribal areas in Assam,
Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram
7th Schedule - Union, State and Concurrent Lists
8th Schedule - Official languages
law. There is a Prime Minister as the head of the union

cabinet, which aids and advises the President in
performing his constitutional duties. The Union cabinet
is collectively responsible to the House of the People
(Article 75).
The Constitution is federal in nature but unitary in
spirit. The common federal features like
1. A Written Constitution
2. Supremacy of the Constitution
3. Two sets of government 3. Division of powers
4. Bicameral legislature 5. Independent judiciary
as well as unitary features like
1. Single Constitution
2. Single citizenship
3. A strong Centre
4. All-India Services
5. Emergency Provisions etc.
can be found in the Indian Constitution, a unique
combination which makes it quasi-federal in form.
Each state and Union Territory in India has its own
government. Analogous to the President and the Prime
Minister, each unit has a Governor (for states) or
Lieutenant Governor (for Union territories) and a Chief
Minister.
The Constitution and the Judiciary
The Judiciary interprets the Constitution as its final
arbiter. It is the duty of the Judiciary as mandated by the
Constitution, to be its watchdog, by scrutinizing any act
of the legislature or the executive from overstepping
their bounds as set in the Constitution. It protects the
fundamental rights of the people, as given in the
Constitution, from infringement by any organ of the
state. It also balances the conflicting exercise of power
between the centre and a state or among states, as
assigned to them by the Constitution.
Judicial Review
Judicial review in the Constitution of India has been
adopted from the United States. Judicial Review implies
that the Constitution enjoys the supreme power, with all
other laws being under its supremacy.
9th Schedule - Laws beyond judicial review

10th Schedule - Anti-defection laws
11th Schedule - Panchayati Raj
12th Schedule - Municipalities
The Constitution and the Government
With the aid of the Constitution, India is governed by a
parliamentary system of government, with the executive
being directly accountable to the legislature. It states
that there shall be a President of India, who shall be the
head of the executive. The President's duty is to
preserve, protect and defend the constitution and the
68
GYANM QUIZ - 14
How much do you know about the world around you?
Take the quiz below to find out for yourself and WIN
some exciting prizes as rewards.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The country on the top of the Human

Development Index report of UNDP for 2015,
is
A. The USA
B. Switzerland
C. Denmark
D. Canada
Anaemia is caused by the deficiency of
A. Protein
B. Iron
C. Iodine
D. Vitamin C
The
Constitutional Amendment Act
deals with
A. Goods and Services Tax
B. Judicial Appointments
C. NITI Aayog
D. Creation of Telangana
Heartiest congratulations to the winners of Gyanm

Quiz-13!
1.
2.
The winners are being informed by post.
Name: ______________________________________
Address: ____________________________________
____________________________________________
119th
____________________________________________
PIN: _____________________
Mobile: ___________________________________ _
The Prime Ministers Jan Dhan Yojana is

meant for
A. Manual scavengers
B. Giving scholarships to needy students
C. Self-employed women
D. Financial inclusion
My answers to Gyanm Quiz - 14 are:

1.
2.
3.
The Cannes Film Festival was held in May in

A. The USA
B. Sweden
C. Germany
D. France
10.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Signature _______________
The efficiency of a computer is measured by

A. Hertz
B. Decibel
C. Angstrom
D. None of these
TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1.
7.
The first metal used by man was

A. Copper
B. Gold
C. Iron
D. Silver
8.
Which state recently saw forest fires on a

massive scale?
A. Himachal Pradesh
B. Meghalya
C. Jammu and Kashmir
D. Uttrakhand
9.
10.
Ram Bhanga Ranchi

Sarina Una
The most widely spoken language in the

world is
A. Hindi
B. Chinese
C. French
D. English
The Periyar Sanctuary is located in
A. Andhra Pradesh
B. Kerala
C. Telangana
D. Tamil Nadu
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Please send your responses to the quiz, along with

your COMPLETE ADDRESS and PIN CODE, by 25th
June, 2016. The responses can be sent
By e-mail to gynam.college@gmail.com OR
On Whatsapp mobile number 09646888377 OR
By post to Gyanm College of Competitions,
SCO 13-15, 2nd Floor, Above Dominos, Sector 34-A,
Chandigarh-160034
ONLY the residents of India are eligible to
participate.
In case of multiple correct entries, a draw will be
held to decide the winner/s.
The Prize/s CANNOT be exchanged for cash.
The decision of the jury shall be FINAL and
BINDING on all the participants.
The winners names shall be announced in the
August, 2016 issue.
69
Profit And Pleasure

ON SCIENCE &
SCIENTISTS
Profit and Pleasure not only tickles your nerve cells but also
makes you learn interesting facts about the world. This
time around, we are focusing on some people and what they
did. Here we go!
1.
This well-known medieval scientist scribbled a

mathematical problem on the margins of his diary
and also wrote that he knew the solution but would
not reveal it. The problem had troubled the
mathematicians until recently when Andrew Wiles
finally made a breakthrough with a successful
solution. (He got the Abel Prize for Mathematics for
this solution)
Which problem are we discussing?
2.
Hello, Mr. Watson, I need you. These famous words

marked the successful invention of a revolutionary
technology.
Can you identify this famous invention?
3.
The king of Greece gave an important assignment to

a famous scientist in those days to find out a way to
decide whether his throne was made of genuine gold
or not. The scientist took to the task with exceptional
dedication ad was deeply involved in finding an
answer all the time but success eluded him. One
morning, when he plunged into his bathtub, an idea
suddenly occurred and excited with it, he came out
on the streets of Athens, shouting Eureka! Eureka! (I
have found).
Which famous scientist is being talked about?
4.
5.
This blood grouping was discovered based on

experiments on a certain type of monkey found in
Africa. Besides routine blood groupings i.e. A, B, AB
and O, a mention of this blood grouping is also
required in medical diagnosis.
Which grouping are we talking about?
He was constantly trying to generate electricity in his
laboratory through his countless experiments but
had been unsuccessful so far. One evening, dejected
with the results, he threw the magnet in his hand
towards his equipment and suddenly, the ammeter
showed a slight movement. His eyed sparkled as
finally, he had got what he wanted.
Do you recall the name of this famous scientist?
6.
Most refined oils these days carry a label like 99%

PUFA-rich oil or something similar. Such refined oils
claim to be good for your heart.
But, what exactly does PUFA mean?
7.
Viagra is a blockbuster drug for erectile dysfunction

marketed by Pfizer. In reality, its origins lie in a
medicine for heart ailments, which was incidentally
found to have some other uses as well.
Can you name the chemical involved?
8.
This husbandwife duo has the rare distinction of

winning a Nobel Prize in science each. To cap it, even
their daughter was a Nobel Prize winner later.
Can you identify the woman in question?
9.
His theory on the birth and death of stars had been

largely ignored when made public but he worked
relentlessly for many decades to prove its truth.
Finally, it culminated in a well-deserved Nobel Prize
for Physics in 1983. The mass limit beyond which the
stars collapse is named after this man, who was
nephew of CV Raman, Indias first Nobel laureate in
Physics.
Can you name him?
10. One gram of this food contains protein equivalent to

those found in one tonne of vegetables and
unsurprisingly, it has been hailed as a Superfood of
Tomorrow by the World Health Organization.
Doctors frequently recommend it to people with
protein deficiency and it is easily available in capsule
form worldwide.
Which ultimate source of protein are we talking
about?
KEY
1.
Fermats Last Theorem
2.
Telephone
3.
Archimedes
4.
Rh+ and Rh- (based on Rhesus monkey)
5.
Michael Faraday
6.
Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids
7.
Sildenafil Nitrate
8.
Marie Curie
9.
Subramaniam Chandershekhar
10. Sunova spirulina, an alga
70
How much well-equipped are you with vocabulary to

express yourself in different situations? Take the quiz
below to find out for yourself and also learn some
new words as a BONUS!
Directions: Given below are certain words printed in
BOLD letters, followed by four choices in each case. Find
out the choice which best conveys the meaning of the
word in question. You will find the detailed solution to this
exercise in this issue only.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
PERTINENT
A. Smooth
C. Handsome
SHRILL
A. Through voice
C. In disagreement
INCOMMUNICADO
A. Stay at a place
C. Closed
D. Change dramatically
VOCAL
A. Aged
C. Excessive talker
13.
B. Critical
D. Jarring
14.
B. Silent
15.
B. Abusive
D. Fond of writing
HOSTILE
A. Trigger-happy
C. Peace-loving
B. Roundabout way
D. Pungent
11.
B. Relevant
D. From Germany
B. Decent
D. Related to eyes
CORNUCOPIA
A. Going deep into a river
B. A bunch of some objects
C. Flexibility
D. Flood
10.
12.
TACITURN
A. Speaking little
C. Connected
LAUDABLE
A. Horrible
C. Enjoyable
D. Highly commendable
9.
PACIFIC
A. Broker
C. Peace-loving
B. Full of love
D. Related to oceans
APOCRYPHAL
A. Having no legs
C. Of heights
B. Historical
D. Unproven
SUAVE
A. Sophisticated
C. Well-educated
B. Having holes
D. Practical
PERSISTENT
A. Hardworking
C. Sensible
B. Lazy
D. Urgent
VIVACIOUS
A. Swaying
C. Likely
B. Confused
D. Lively
PONDERING
A. Shining
C. Thoughtful
B. Praiseworthy
D. Reckless
SEDULOUS
A. Persistent
C. Interesting
B. Dirty
D. Worthy of hatred
MY SCORE
0-3
4-7
8-11
12-15
RATING
Get going!
Work hard!
Great, youre almost there!
Wow!
SOLUTION
1.
Pertinent: related, relevant, to the point

Popular synonyms: germane
Examples: A. Your ideas were not pertinent to
the discussions going on.
B. All the matters pertinent to improving the
mutual relations will be taken up at the talks.
2.
Shrill: adjective: jarring, piercing, searing (sound)

Popular synonym: strident
Examples: A. The MLAs made a shrill demand for
the CMs resignation.
B. Common
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B. There is shrill opposition to the proposal for

mandatory use of passport as an ID card.
3.
4.
Incommunicado: adjective: silent, unspoken

Popular synonyms: taciturn
Example: She was incommunicado despite our
best efforts to make her speak.
11.
Vocal: adjective: expressive, talkative

Popular synonym: voluble
Examples: A. A good salesman has to be, by
definition, quite vocal.
B. Her vocal manners gave us headache many a
time.
Suave: adjective: sophisticated, well-bred

Popular synonym: debonair
Examples: A. A diplomat has to be suave while
dealing with his foreign counterparts.
B. Her suave disposition helped her bag the
airhostess job.
12.
Persistent: adjective: persevering, hardworking

Popular synonyms: industrious, sedulous
Derivation: Persistence
Examples: A. My persistent managerial work was
finally recognized with a promotion.
B. You may be intelligent, but without a persistent
application of mind, you can achieve nothing.
13.
Vivacious: adjective: cheerful, lively

Popular synonyms: animated
Example: Her vivacious face lit up every party
and made it a super hit event.
14.
Pondering: adjective: serious, in a thinking mood

Popular synonyms: thoughtful, cogitative
Examples: A. Newton was pondering under a tree
as an apple fell from above.
15.
Sedulous: adjective: hardworking, persistent

Popular synonym: persevering
Examples: A. A new business requires sedulous
planning and thorough execution.
B. The mantra of success in life is overcoming
every failure and doing sedulous hard work to
overcome ones weaknesses.
5.
Tacit: adjective: silent, speaking very little

Popular synonym: taciturn
Example: Many people are tacit at social events
but they are quite vocal with their friends.
6.
Hostile: adjective: fighting, contentious

Popular synonyms: belligerent, bellicose,
pugnacious
Derivation: Hostility
Examples: A. Hostile nations like North Korea
always keep global tensions alive with their
nuclear tests.
B. The hostile attitude she carries does not let
reach a compromise with others.
7.
Examples: A. Several apocryphal tales about the

freedom struggle are quite popular but most
historians do not accept them.
B. The storyteller often narrates many apocryphal
incidents, often taken to be true by lay people.
Laudable: adjective: praiseworthy

Popular synonyms: superlative, first-rate
Examples: A. Shabanas laudable portrayal made
the drama a super hit.
B. The phone specifications look laudable on
paper but the final test lies in its use.
8.
Cornucopia: noun: great excess, abundance

Popular synonyms: Plethora
Examples: A. The reputed college library has a
cornucopia of books on all topics.
B. The cornucopia of so many TV channels offers
an unlimited choice to suit all tastes and
preferences.
9.
Pacific: adjective: related to peace, peace-loving

Popular synonyms: pacifist
Derivation: Pacifism
Examples: A. The pacific leader made all efforts
to end the long-standing enmity.
B. He was known to have a pacific nature and
often made peace between the warring parties in
her college.
10.
Apocryphal: noun: a story/ incident of doubtful

origin, un-historical
Popular synonym: unsubstantiated, legendry
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Special Batches
for
SBI PO EXAM - 2016
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MAY 2016
Deepika Kumari equalled the world record in
women's recurve event in which sports: Archery
Archery world Cup was held at which place in
China: Shanghai
_________re-elected as the Prime Minister of the
Tibetan
government-in-exile
in Dharmsala,
Himachal Pradesh: Lobsang Sangay
President Pranab Mukherjee went on a six-day
trip to Papua New Guinea (PNG) and ______on
April 27: New Zealand
Railways has decided to create a 1 lakh crore
rupees Rashtriya Rail Sanrakshan Kosh (RRSK)
for what purpose: To strengthen safety
measures on the rail network to prevent
accidents
What is the formal name of the Indian GPS
system: Indian Regional Navigation Satellite
System (IRNSS)
IRNSS is a setup of how many satellites: Seven
________appointed as Director General of the
Railway Protection Force (RPF): S K Bhagat
India offered a $100 million line of credit for
development of infrastructure to explore and
develop which nations vast oil and gas resources:
Papua New Guinea
The prestigious civil award Order of The Rising
Sun, Gold and Silver is conferred by which
country: Japan
Which Indian bureaucrat was recently honoured
with Order of The Rising Sun, Gold and Silver
award: N. K. Singh
Which major step has recently been taken by the
Income Tax department to achieve more
transparency in its working: It made public the
data on tax payers
Renowned sand artist __________ won the gold
medal at the 9th Moscow Sand Sculpture
Championship in Russia: Sudarsan Pattnaik
The International Cricket Council has suspended
which country from its membership: Nepal
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A Parliamentary Standing Committee headed by J

C Divakar Reddy, MP has been formed for what
purpose: To tackle misleading advertising as
well as to fix liability on endorsers/celebrities
Which foreign bank has launched Indias first
mobile only bank named digibank: DBS Bank,
Singapore
Garima Chaudhary won gold medal at the 2016
Commonwealth ______ Championship finals at Port
Elizabeth in South Africa: Judo
North Star is the highest civilian award of which
country: Mongolia
Two warships of Indian Navy, INS Veer and INS
Nipat were in news for what reasons: They were
decommissioned
Name the author of the book Blood on my Hands:
Confessions of Staged Encounters: Kishalay
Bhattacharjee
The International Bank Note Society has declared
which countrys five-dollar note as the Banknote
of the Year for 2015: New Zealand
Batsman Iraq Thomas created a record by scoring
21-ball century. He is from which country:
Tobago
In which state massive forest fires in its 16-17
districts posed a serious problem: Uttrakhand
Indian shooters claimed three gold medals and a
bronze in the ISSF Junior World Cup held at which
place: Suhl, Germany
Name the first of the six indigenous Scorpeneclass submarines that was set out for sea trials off
the Mumbai coast: INS Kalvari
In which country our President recently received
a traditional welcome by rubbing his nose with
that of Chief of their Maori tribe: New Zealand
Which country recently destroyed over 105
tonnes of elephant ivory and more than one tonne
of rhino horn, seized from smugglers and
poachers: Kenya
Name the Formula One champion from Germany
who won his seventh race in a row at the Russian
Grand Prix in Sochi, Russia: Nico Rosberg
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Lee Chong Wei, winner of Asia Badminton

Championship, is from which country: Malaysia
Govt has launched UJALA scheme for what
purpose: For distribution of LED bulbs
What is the full form of the acronym UJALA:
Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All
International labour day is observed on which
day of May: May 01
Which UN organization promotes the observance
of International Labour Day: International
Labour Organization (ILO)
Govt has launched Ujjwala scheme for what
purpose: For distribution of LPG connection to
BPL families
Balraj Madhok, a veteran politician, who passed
away recently, was a former president of which
national political party: Bhartiya Jan Sangh
Govt has granted status of classical language to
how many languages: Five
Which are the five languages that recently have
been given the status of Classical Language:
Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia
Malayalam is spoken in which state of India:
Kerala
Telugu is spoken in which state of India:
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
To promote eco-friendly transport solutions,
Prime Minister Modi recently launched erickshaws and solar powered boats in which city:
Varanasi
World Press Freedom Day is observed on which
day: May 03
Which UN organization supports the propagation
of World Press Freedom Day: UNESCO
Name the two awards that are given at national
level to encourage the exporters: Niryat Shree
and Niryat Bandhu Award
We hear a lot about the term NPA these days.
What it is: Non Performing Asset
What is NPA: It is a loan account in default
where delay in payment of dues is more than
90 days
As per a global market research, _______, claiming
41.7 per cent of desktop browser share has
become the top Internet browser: Google
Chrome
The ADMM-Plus (ASEAN Defence Ministers
Meeting Plus) Exercise on Maritime Security and
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Counter Terrorism (Ex MS & CT) was held in

which country: Brunei
World Snooker Championship title was won by
Mark Selby. He is from which country: England
The Supreme Court has appointed a threemember panel headed by former Chief Justice of
India RM Lodha to review the functions of which
apex professional body: Medical council of India
In which country a special cultural festival was
organized to mark the 155th birth anniversary of
Rabindranath Tagore: Egypt
The European Central Bank (ECB) has decided to
stop printing of the _____ euro banknote by the
end of 2018 with a view to curb illicit activities:
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Scientists of which university have built the
world's smallest working engine: University of
Cambridge
Who has been Appointed as the next Chief of
Indian Navy: Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba
Chief of the Indian Navy is appointed in which
rank: Admiral
What is the purpose of the proposed Geospatial
Information Regulation Bill 2016:To punish the
wrong depiction of the map of India
A life size bronze statue of which Indian filmmaker was installed by the govt of Switzerland to
honour him: Yash Chopra
The ICGS Shaurya that recently joined the Indian
Coast Guard is what type of ship: Offshore Petrol
Vessel
What is the main objective of recently passed
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Bill 2016: To
promote conditions for Ease of Doing
Business
Fort Mcmurray, city in state of Alberta in Canada
was in news for what reasons: A massive wild
fire around it almost destroy the city, forcing
more than 80,000 residents to flee
Name the public sector trading giant that recently
launched a new gold coin named Tola: MMTC
Which Indian bank has been selected by the New
Development Bank as its partner for operations in
India: ICICI Bank
Cow and Company, a story by Prashar Kulkarni
won which international award: Commonwealth
Short Story Prize
Enda Kenny has been re elected as the Prime
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Minister of which country: Ireland

The H.R. Nagendra Committee has been
appointed by the govt. for which purpose: For
Yoga Education in Universities
In a rare astronomical phenomenon on May 09,
which planet was seen as a dot moving on the
solar disc: Mercury
Madrid Open Tennis was won by which tennis
star: Novak Djokovic
As per a recent global study, India was ranked
_____ in terms of crony capitalism: 9th
Which country tops in promotion of crony
capitalism: Russia
The Indian Naval Air Squadron 300- White
Tigers, bid farewell to which fighter aircrafts:
The British Sea Harriers
Which are the new fighter aircraft that have
replaced the British Sea Harriers: MiG 29K
The Drowned Detective is a book written by
which author: Neil Jordan
With which country India has signed an MoU for
mutual corporation in the field of sports: Japan
According to Royal Botanic Gardens, world has
over 390,900 plant species. Where is this garden:
London
Which country hosted the 7th Asian Youth
Championship: Kazakhstan
Govt has approved the single emergency
number______ to help people access directly
emergency services like police, ambulance and
fire fighting: 112
What is the full form of the acronym UBIN:
Unique Business Identification Number
What is the purpose of issuing UBIN: To expedite
establishment of new startups
A commemorative coin of hundred rupees and a
circulation coin of ten rupees have been released
on the 475th birth anniversary of which great
warrior: Maharana Pratap
Which national day is observed on April 11:
National Technology Day
Indian Army conducted its major military training
exercise Chakravyuh-II at which place:
Suratgarh, Rajasthan
Which country elected a dashing flamboyant
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as its President:
Philippines
Which Indian state has won the award for the
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Best Indian Destination for Wildlife: Madhya

Pradesh
Atma Ram Nadkarni has been appointed as the
Additional ___________ in Supreme Court for a
period of three years: Solicitor General
Govt of America has approved selection of animal
________ as the first national mammal of the
country: Bison
The RBI has released Draft Guidelines for on tap
Licensing of which type of banks recently:
Universal Banks in the Private Sector
Which country has decided to close World's
biggest refugee camp in Dadaab, citing threat to
internal security: Kenya
Name the President of Sri Lanka who visited India
for two days on May 13 - 14: Maithripala
Sirisena
The worlds largest cargo aircraft, Ukraines
Antonov AN -225 Mriya recently landed at which
Indian airport: Hyderabad
In a global study by WHO of the cities with worst
air pollution, four of the five worst polluted cities
are in which country: India
Union cabinet has approved Rs.1,983 crore
package for widening of the 19-km stretch of
which expressway: Delhi-Meerut expressway
68 year old president of which major country was
suspended after several weeks of nationwide
protests for her removal: Brazil
What is the name of this President: Dilma
Rousseff
Govt. has formed Sanjay Mitra Committee for
what purpose: To prepare a policy framework
for taxi and other transport operators
With which Island country India has signed a
amended DTAA: Mauritius
Why international nurses day is observed on May
12: It is the birthday of famous nurse Florence
Nightingale
Nursing community of India is honoured by the
President on this day by which awards: Florence
Nightingale Award
Shashank Manohar has been elected as the first
independent Chairman of which international
cricket body: ICC-International Cricket Council
Name the four Goodwill Ambassadors appointed
by the Indian Olympic Association for the Rio
Olympics: AR Rahman, Salman Khan, Abhinav
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Bindra and Sachin Tendulkar

Who is the only Indian in Forbes' 'Money Masters:
The Most Powerful People in the Financial World'
list of 40 persons: Uday Kotak
Who is Uday Kotak: Chief of Kotak Mahindra
Bank
Name the famous West Indian cricket writer,
commentator and journalist who passed away
recently: Tony Cozier
Baba Hardev Singh, a spiritual leader who died in
a car accident, was the head of which sect:
Nirankari Mission
International Vichar Mahakumbh was held in
______ in Madhya Pradesh: Ujjain
Fatma Samoura, the first ever female secretary
general of FIFA, is diplomat of which country:
Senegal
Name the worlds biggest ever cruise ship,
recently launched in France: Harmony of the
Seas
Indias trade deficit slipped below $5 billion and
the month of April. Is it because of low exports or
low imports: Both
Govt has decided to replace the five year plans
with which new concept: 15 year vision
document
Country is going through the 12th five year plan.
When will it come to an end: 31st March, 2017
Govt. has recently approved the National IPR
Policy. What is IPR: Intellectual Property Rights
Which wing of the defence forces has launched
one of the biggest automated military
maintenance systems in the world: Indian Air
Force
The Electronic Maintenance Management System
of the Indian Air Force will be based at which air
force station: Pune
Max Verstappen, winner of the Spanish Grand
Prix F1 Championship was in news for what
reasons: He is the youngest (18 years) winner
of F1 championship
Name the Indias indigenously developed
supersonic interceptor missile, capable of
destroying any incoming hostile ballistic missile:
Ashwin
The First World Conference on Tourism for
Development was held in_______, China: Beijing
The Indian Railways plans to conduct trial of its
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first solar panel-powered train in which place:

Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Eric Dusingizimana, captain of cricket team of
Rwanda has set a new Guinness world record for
what achievement: Batting continuously for 51
hours
With which global organization India has signed a
MoU for promotion of traditional Indian system of
medicine: WHO World Health Organization
Man Booker International Prize is given for which
achievement: For the best book translated in
English and published in U K
Name the winner of the 2016 Man Booker
International Prize: Han Kang, South Korea
Which novel has been selected for the 2016 Man
Booker International Prize: The Vegetarian
Name the tennis star who won the Italian Open
Tennis Championship: Andy Murray
The World Bank has approved $625 million loan
to India to support the rooftop solar power
generation. This loan will be disbursed through
which Indian bank: State Bank of India
Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha was in news for
flying which air craft: Tejas
Which country launched its remote sensing
satellite Yaogan-30 May 2016: China
As per the Renewable Energy Country
Attractiveness Index' prepared by global firm E &
Y, India has been placed at which rank: 03rd
What is the strike range of the Prithvi II missile
recently tested by DRDO: 350 kms
The Worlds largest Single Rooftop Solar Power
Plant has been established is in which city in
Punjab: Dera Beas (Amritsar )
Govt. has formed NK Singh committee for review
of FRBM road map. What is full form of FRBM:
Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management
President Pranab Mukherjee visited China from
May 24 to 27. He started his visit from which
Chinese city: Guangzhou
Name the British author who won the PENs
Literary Service Award: J. K. Rowling
The acronym PEN stands for what: Poets,
Essayists and Novelists
Under the Dhan Wapsi scheme for declaration of
domestic black money, how much tax and penalty
is payable: 45%
The Asian team squash women championship was
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won by which country: Malaysia

What was Indias rank in the Asian team squash
women championship: Second
British Royals launched the Heads Together
campaign o spread and promote public awareness
about which ailment: Mental Health
Name the electronic grievance redressal system
recently launched by the Income Tax Department:
e-nivaran
World Hypertension day is observed on which
date: May 17
What is the theme of this years World
Hypertension Day: Know Your Numbers
The normal blood pressure is defined as an
average reading no higher than _______ mm Hg:
120/80
Ms. Tsai Ing-wen has been elected as the first
women President of which country: Taiwan
On his recent visit to Iran, PM Modi signed an
agreement for development of which important
port in Iran: Chabahar
Which three countries have joined hands to
develop the Chabahar port: India, Iran and
Afghanistan
In which neighbouring country of India, severe
flooding has forced half a million people to flee
their homes: Sri Lanka
Name the Indian states that were hit hard by the
strong cyclone Roanu: Andhra Pradesh and
Odisha
Lhakpa Sherpa, the 42 year old mountaineer
created which new record: Climbing Mount
Everest by a Lady for maximum number of
times 7
Name the athlete who bagged two gold medals by
winning the women's 100m and 200m race at the
Taiwan Open Athletics Championships: Dutee
Chand
Federation Cup is associated with which sports in
India: Football
Federation Cup 2016 was won by which team:
Mohun Bagan
What is the popular name of the French Open,
second tennis grand slam: Roland Garros
A two day International Buddhist conference was
held at which place in Nepal: Lumbini
Thomas Cup and Uber Cup are associated with
which sports: Badminton, Men and Women,
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Name the country that won the Thomas Cup:
Denmark
Name the country that won the Uber Cup:
China
Binali Yildirim has been elected as the new
Prime Minister of which country: Turkey
The 27th edition of the India-Indonesian
CORPAT was held in which country: Indonesia
Which wing of armed forces of India and
Indonesia took part in recent CORPAT: Navy
In which Indian city the trial run of India's first
ever Metro train equipped to run in the
driverless mode was conducted: New Delhi
Government has constituted the IEPF Authority
to strengthen the framework for safeguarding
the interest of investors. What is the full form of
IEPF: Investor Education and Protection
Fund
With which mini European country India has
signed a protocol to amend the DTAA: Slovenia
India
successfully
tested
its
firstever indigenously built space shuttle RLV
TD on May 23. Write full form of RLV-TD: ReUsable Launch Vehicle - Technology
Demonstrator
What is the main benefit of the space shuttle:
Heavy cost reduction in satellite launching
Who has been elected as the new President of
Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI):
Anurag Thakur
______ has been Appointed as the new
Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of
Puducherry: Kiran Bedi
Palme dOr is the price for the best film at which
famous film festival: Cannes, France
Which film won the Palme dOr for 2016: I,
Daniel Blake
Who is the director of the film I, Daniel Blake:
Ken Loach, UK
Name the Indias ace cueist who won the Asian
6-Red Snooker Title: Pankaj Advani
Which Japanese city hosted the meet of Finance
ministers and central bank governors of G-7
nations: Sendai
Which international bank has decided to close
roughly half of its branches in India: HSBC
With which country India signed 4 MoUs for
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cooperation in defence sector: Oman

USA decided to fully lift its embargo on sales of
lethal weapons to its one-time arch enemy,
_______ after a gap of over 32 years: Vietnam
Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam has been selected
to captain Indian women's _____ team: Hockey
World Bank Group has launched the Pandemic
Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) for what
purpose: To protect and support poorest
countries against deadly pandemics like
Ebola, Zika
Govt. has decided to replace the word
Viklangjan for disabled persons with which
new word: Divyangjan
Millennium Technology Prize is given in which
country: Finland
INS Tarmugli, recently inducted in Indian Navy
is what type of ship: Fast attack water jet craft
World Bank has agreed to provide $ 100 million
loan to support Urban Water Supply
Modernization project of which state:
Karnataka
Government has selected _____more cities in the
first phase of the smart cities mission: 13
S K Sharma has been appointed the Chairman
and Managing Director (CMD) of which national
scientific organization: Nuclear Power
Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL).
Heads of state of G-7 nations held their annual
summit at which place in Japan: Ise Shima
A joint study by Assocham-KPMG shows that
India is the ____largest producer of e-waste,
discarding roughly 18.5 lakh metric tonnes of
electronic waste each year: Fifth
____ has been elected as the new and the first
BJP Chief Minister of Assam: Sarbananda
Sonowal
Pinarayi Vijayan has been elected as the Chief
Minister of which state: Kerala
Recently FSSAI has recommended banning the
use of which chemical in the making of bread:
Potassium Bromate
What is the name given to the Indias new GPS
system: NAVIC
What is the full form of the acronym Navic:
Navigation with Indian Constellation
Employee Provident Fund Organization has
decided to increase benefits under the
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Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI)

scheme from Rs 3.60 lakh to _____rupees: Six
lakh
Amit Kumar Saroha won the gold medal in
which game at the French Open Athletics
Championship in Paris: Men's club throw
Recently approved national policy on capital
goods which aims to _____ the production of
capital goods to Rs 7.5 lakh crore by 2025:
Triple
The Union Ministry of Human Resource
Development (HRD) has decided to launch an
online system ASMITA for what purpose:
Student tracking system programme
What is the full form of ASMITA: All School
Monitoring Individual Tracing Analysis
The first-ever World Humanitarian Summit was
held in _______ from 23 to 24th May: Istanbul
Name the new multilingual portal launched by
the ministry of HRD: Bharatavani
Which State Transport Corporation has
launched 20 Nirbhaya buses with multiple
safety measures to better protect women
passengers: Rajasthan
Which Saudi Arabia based bank has offered to
open Islamic banking branch in India: Islamic
Development Bank
First bank branch offering Islamic banking is
proposed to be opened by a foreign bank in
which city: Ahmadabad
Rishi Nair, a 6th grade Indian American student
won which prestigious competition in USA:
National Geographic Bee competition
_________ has been appointed as the new Prime
Minister of Guinea Bissau, a small country in
Western Africa: Baciro Dja
The Ministry of Railways launched Rail
Humsafar Saptaah from May 26 to June 1 for
what purpose: To highlight significant
achievements made by Indian Railways
India recently tested air to land version of its
supersonic ballistic missile BrahMos at which
place: Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
Which type of bank borrowers have been
prohibited by SEBI from making public issue of
shares: Willful defaulter
Sonia Lather, a silver medal winner in AIBA
Women's World Championships is associated
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with which sports: Boxing

The 148-year-old Tata Group has made a foray
into which new field recently by the name
TataCLiQ.com: E-commerce
Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Arush has joined which
wing of Indian Forces: Indian Coast Guard
The RBI has instructed banks to shift from
magnetic stripe based ATM and debit cards to
which type of cards: EMV chip and Pin based
cards
Which bank has launched e-SBTR (Electronic
Secured Bank Treasury Receipt) for payment of
both - stamp duty and registration fee for home
purchase in Maharashtra: Union Bank of India
APRIL 2016
A massive leak of 11.5 million documents from a
law firm in which country revealed how the
world's current rich people, politicians and
celebrities hide their money: Panama
Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr has been appointed as
the new Prime Minister of which country: Yemen
Where in India Worlds maiden white tiger safari
was opened up: Mukundpur, Madhya Pradesh
____________elected as the first woman Chief
Minister of Jammu and Kashmir: Mehbooba
Mufti
India has been ranked ______ among the world's
Top-Ten largest manufacturing countries: Sixth
In terms of manufacturing level, which country is
ranked no. one in world: China
Name the cricketer who was named as Player of
the tournament in the world T-20: Virat Kohli
Who is Dr. Karan Singh, author of the book 'The
Mountain of Shiva': He is a member of Rajya
Sabha
IAF aircrafts will take part in the prestigious 'Red
Flag' air exercise alongwith which forces: NATO
Where in world the prestigious 'Red Flag' air
exercise was held: Alaska
Where in India the Army has raised a new Gorkha
battalion comprising entirely of Gorkha troops of
Indian domicile: Sabathu, Himachal Pradesh
The government has launched a portal The Indian
IP Panorama to act as a single window interface
for providing information on which subject:
Intellectual property maters
This portal is a customised version of IP
Panorama Multimedia toolkit, developed by
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WIPO. What is WIPO: World Intellectual

Property Organization
Germanys Development Bank KfW has agreed to
provide loan assistance of 3750 crore rupees for
the development of metro system for which
Indian city: Nagpur
Heads of about 53 countries took part in the
4th Nuclear Security Summit held in ____________
USA: Washington
World Autism Awareness Day was observed
across the globe on April 2. What is Autism: A
serious developmental disorder in children that
impairs the ability to communicate and interact.
The government has issued a new set of income
tax return (ITR) forms that require people with
an income of Rs. ______lakh and above per annum
to disclose their assets: 50 lakh
Which stock exchange has launched a new index
Nifty MidSmallcap 400 representing 150 midcap
and 250 small cap companies: National Stock
Exchange
The Airports Authority of India has signed an
MoU with ________ to provide scientific parameters
for construction of airports across the country:
ISRO
Name the new interest mechanism that requires
banks to set rates based on their marginal cost of
funds rather than their average cost of funds:
marginal cost of funds-based lending rate
(MCLR)
India has become the worlds _______ largest
spender on defence, following a 13.1% increase in
its 2016-17 defence budget: Fourth
Which country is the largest spender on defence
in world: USA
Zaha Hadid, renowned Iraq-born British __________
passed away due to heart attack: Architect
Name the campaign that was launched on April 14
to strengthen Panchayati Raj in villages,
empowerment of women and upliftment of
farmers: Gram Uday Se Bharat Uday Abhiyan
As per a global study, India ranks third among
countries with high number of financial Trojan
infections. What is Trojan infection: Transactions
where cybercriminals defraud customers of
online banking services
UNICEF launched a series of animated films,
called Unfairy Tales to create awareness about
which group of people: Refugees
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233) P Susheela Mohan, renowned playback singer has

been recognized by the Guinness World Records
for which achievement: For singing the most
number of songs in Indian languages - 17,695
234) Where in India Asia's biggest telescope has been
launched: Devasthal, Nanital
235) The European Investment Bank has agreed to give
Euro 450 million towards constructing the metro
rail line in which Indian city: Lucknow
236) Faustin Archange Touadera, has been elected as
the new President of which African country:
Central African Republic
237) Name the India's first semi high speed train
launched on April 5: The Nizamuddin-Agra
Gatimaan Express
238) Which country conferred its highest civilian
honour- the king Abdulaziz Sash on the Prime
Minister Modi: Saudi Arabia
239) Govt has launched the mobile application 'Vidyut
Pravah' for what purpose: for information on
24x7 power from The States
240) The HRD ministry released first-of-its-kind NIRF
for ranking the higher education institutions.
What is NIRF: National Institutional Ranking
Framework
241) As per NIRF _______ has been declared as the no. 1
management institute in the country: IIM
Bangalore
242) The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore has
been placed at No. 1 in which category by NIRF:
Best University
243) As per NIRF rankings, which is the top
engineering institute of India: IIT Chennai
244) Where in India a company of Vedanta Resources
set the Guinness World Record for planting
2,08,751 saplings at a single location in less than
an hour: Mansa, Punjab
245) With which country India signed an agreement
for a new Laser Interferometer GravitationalWave Observatory (LIGO) project in India: USA
246) Indias first indigenous composite sonar dome
was launched at Goa. What is its function: It acts
as ships underwater eyes and ears
247) The RBI announced a 25 basis cut in which of its
policy rates: Repo Rate
248) What is the new repo rate after April 5: 6.50%
249) On April 5, RBI hiked the reverse repo rate by 25
basis points to _______ per cent: 6%
250) W.E.F. April 5, RBI has revised Marginal Standing

Facility and Bank Rate to ______ per cent: 7%
251) What is the likely impact of recent lowering of
repo rate on the rate of interest on bank loans:
They may be reduced
252) What is the likely impact of recent lowering of
repo rate on the growth prospects of the
economy: Likely to go up
253) In one of the largest private equity deals in the
industry, Blackstone Company of USA acquired a
60.5 per cent stake in Indian company Mphasis.
We are talking about which field of industry:
Information Technology
254) With a view to protect which Indian industry, the
government has extended safeguard duty of 20
per cent on import of this product till March
2018: Steel
255) Companies with a net worth of Rs. 500 crore or
more will have to follow new Ind AS from April 1.
What is Ind AS: Indian Accounting Standards
256) World Bank has agreed to provide a $1.5 billion
loan for implementation of which national level
mission: Swachh Bharat Mission
257) Which bank has launched 'NO Queue' Mobile app
to save its customers time to avail banking
services: State Bank of India
258) Under Stand-up India scheme banks have been
asked to provide loans up to _____ crore rupees to
SC/ST and women entrepreneurs: One
259) The loans under Stand-up India may be provided
without collateral. What is collateral: No need to
offer land or building or any other security
260) Britain's Royal Mail has launched a set of special
postage stamps to mark the 400th death
anniversary of which great playwright: William
Shakespeare
261) Which railway zone has topped in terms of largest
Freight Loading in 2015-16: The East Coast
Railway
262) Bihar has become the _________ state in the country
to ban sale and consumption of liquor: Fourth
263) In one of the largest environmental settlement in
the US history, which oil and gas company has
been asked to pay over $20 billion towards
damages: British Petroleum
264) _________ April is observed as the National
Maritime Day of India: 5th
265) The worlds first public dengue vaccination
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programme was launched recently in which

country: Philippines
World Health Day is observed on which date:
April 07
World Health day this year shall be focusing on
control of with disease: Diabetes
Nguyen Xuan Phuc has been elected as the new
Prime Minister of which country: Vietnam
Name the team that won the Asian Nations Cup
Chess tournament: India
Govt has constituted a high-level committee
headed by former Home Secretary Madhukar
Gupta for what purpose: to suggest ways to
strengthen the border protection along the
border with Pakistan
Govt has launched a low cost micro solar
device, Surya Jyoti for what purpose: To meet
lighting needs in areas without electricity
International conference on zero was hosted by
which European city: Paris
According to Arvind Panagariya India is close to
achieving 8% GDP growth on the back of
satisfactory
progress
in
infrastructure
development. Who is he: Vice Chairman at Niti
Aayog, India
Name the lady who has been named the most
powerful businesswoman in Asia by Forbes
Magazine: Nita Ambani
Which global body has revised its 2016 global
trade forecast downward by more than one
percentage point to 2.8 per cent: WTO-World
Trade Organization
Who has been elected as the new Chairman of the
National Association of Software and Services
Companies (Nasscom) for 2016-17: C P Gurnani
Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson has been elected as the
new _____________ of Iceland: Prime Minister
Mission Indradhanush covers how many vaccine
preventable diseases: Seven
25 Ministries and Departments of the Union
Government have joined IMPacting Research
INnovation and Technology (IMPRINT) for what
purpose: To establish a single window
mechanism to shortlist research projects
Name the countrys first train with CCTV cameras
in all coaches: Shan-E-Punjab Express
Hindus in north India observed April 8 as the
beginning of their traditional new year. Can you
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name the year: Vikram Samvat 2073

In Andhra and Karnataka, April 8 was observed as
________ festival: Ugadi
In which Indian state April 8 was observed as
Gudi Padwa: Maharashtra
The first ever two day North East-ASEAN
(Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Business
Summit was hosted by which city: Imphal,
Manipur
Name the author of the book 'A State in Denial': B
G Verghese
Govt has launched a tablet-based application
ANMOL that allows ANMs to enter and update
data for the beneficiaries. What is ANM: Auxiliary
Nurse Midwife
Which temple was in news due to a worst-ever
pyrotechnics tragedy claiming over 110 lives:
Puttingal Devi Temple near Kollam, Kerala
Govt plans to construct five lakh irrigation ponds
under which scheme: Pradhan Mantri Krishi
Sinchai Yojana
Malaysian Open Badminton title was won by Lee
Chong Wei of which country: Malaysia
"Advantage India - From Challenge to
Opportunity" is a book written by one of the exPresidents of India. Can you name him: APJ Abdul
Kalam
Name the winner of the FBB Femina Miss India
World 2016 contest: Priyadarshini Chaterjee
In the abbreviation FBB Miss India World, FBB
stands for what: Fashion at Big Bazaar
Name the Indian city which hosted National
Badminton Championship: Chandigarh
3rd Asia Ministerial Conference on the Tiger
Conservation was held in __________on April 12:
New Delhi
For which city in Maharashtra, in a first in the
history, a train was used to supply 25 lac liters of
water: Latur
A portal was launched in New Delhi for for
registration and allotment of ISBN. What is the
full form of ISBN: International Standard Book
Number
__________ has become the first state to pass land
title bill for verification of land records:
Rajasthan
A statue of which Indian Maharaja will be
installed in France's Saint-Tropez town in
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September this year: Maharaja Ranjit Singh

Who has been named as the brand ambassador of
the Skill India Campaign: Sachin Tendulkar
Danny Willett who won the US Masters Golf
Championship for the year 2016 is from which
country: Britain
Why World Homoeopathy Day is observed on
10th April: It is the birthday of Dr. Samuel
Hahnemann, a German Physician who
developed system of Homoeopathy
To which country India has offered to invest up to
$20 billion in new petrochemicals, fertiliser and
LNG facilities and sought land and cheaper
natural gas for this: Iran
Saraswati Sammaan is given for excellence in
literature in which language: Any language
recognized by Indian constitution
Poet and novelist Padma Sachdev won Saraswati
Sammaan for her autobiography Chitt-Chete
written in which language: Dogri
Union government plans to lay more emphasis on
promoting MICE tourism in India. What is MICE:
Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events
Asian Kho-Kho championship was held at which
place in India: Indore, Madhya Pradesh
Which country won both, mens and womens title
of Asian Kho-Kho championship: India
The First Maritime India Summit was hosted by
which city in India: Mumbai
For the first time, United Nations observed the
birth anniversary of which great Indian leader at
its headquarters: Dr. B R Ambedkar
Which European country has offered to help in
Namami Gange project for cleaning of Ganges
like their rivers Rhine and Danube: Germany
The fire services day is observed on which day of
April: 14th
In Tamil Nadu side, April _____ is celebrated as
Puthandu: 14th
In which state people celebrate Vishu festival on
April 14th to mark beginning of their new year:
Kerala
As per a recent World Bank report, which country
received largest amount of inward remittances in
2015: India
Which country conferred its highest civilian
honour upon Former Army Chief General(retd) J J
Singh: France
316) A study of 50 nations for investment and

deployment of Information and Communications
Technology has placed which country at top: USA
317) India has successfully tested its K-4 ballistic
missile. What is the launch pad of this missile:
Submarine
318) India has decided to become a formal member of
the regional group SAWEN for what purpose: For
combating wildlife crime and illegal trade
319) What is the full form of SAWEN: South Asia
Wildlife Enforcement Network
320) Airtel M Commerce Services Limited (AMSL) has
been granted the Indias first _________ bank
license by RBI: Payment
321) Which National Institute of Technology in India
has developed the fastest super computer 'Param
Kanchenjunga': Sikkim
322) The recently launched E-National Agriculture
Market covers agriculture markets from how
many states: Eight
323) Volodymyr Groysman has been elected as the new
Prime Minister of which country: Ukraine
324) Which tiny South Pacific island nation has become
the 189th member of the IMF and the World Bank:
Nauru
325) India has finalised the deal to purchase 36 ________
fighter jets from Dassault Aviation of France:
Rafale
326) Jharkhand govt launched the Bhimrao Ambedkar
Awas Yojana for construction of houses for which
category of persons: Widows
327) Which town in south-western island of Kyushu in
Japan was devastated by several rounds of
earthquake tremors:
Kumamoto
328) Which country in South America continent was
shaken by several rounds of severe earthquake,
claiming over 654 lives: Ecuador
329) Monte Carlo Masters championship is associated
with which sports: Tennis
330) Monte Carlo Masters 2016 was won by which
tennis star: Rafael Nadal
331) Adil Jal Darukhanawala, a veteran automobile
enthusiast has written a coffee table book
recently about which famous auto company:
Mercedes - Benz
332) Friends in Wild Places is a recent book written by
which famous author: Ruskin Bond
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333) Which Indian bank got the first loan of $ 250

million from the newly established BRICS New
Development Bank: Canara Bank
334) In a study of 50 cities conducted by the IT firm
Dell - Future-Ready Economies Model, city of San
Jose was ranked no. 1. Where is this city:
California, USA
335) Which wing of Indian forces conducted its major
war exercise named Shatrujeet (winning the
enemy): Army
336) Where in India the army conducted its war
exercise 'Shatrujeet': Thar Desert of Rajasthan
337) Satyanand Munjal, a great philanthropist and
industrialist, passed away in Ludhiana, Punjab at
the age of 99. He was the co-founder of which
industrial group: Hero Cycles
338) The annual Spring Meeting of the International
Monetary Fund and the World Bank was held at
which city in USA: Washington DC
339) World Hemophilia Day is observed on April 17.
Hemophilia is what type of ailment: Non-clotting
of blood
340) Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is associated with which
sports: Hockey
341) City of Ipoh hosted the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in
which country: Malaysia
342) What was the rank of India in Sultan Azlan Shah
Cup: Second
343) Which country won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup by
beating India: Australia
344) Name the girl from Agartala, Tripura who created
history by becoming the first Indian gymnast to
qualify for the Olympics: Dipa Karmakar
345) Name the gymnastic feat preformed by Dipa
Karmakar as it is one of the extremely difficult
and most dangerous form: Produnova vault
346) ________ of Germany won the Formula One Chinese
Grand Prix in Shanghai: Nico Rosberg
347) Women's title at the Singapore Open Badminton
Championship was won by Ratchanok Intanon.
She is from which country: Thailand
348) Men's title at the Singapore Open Badminton
Championship was won by Sony Dwi Kuncoro of
which country: Indonesia
349) The Forbes list of top 30 Global Game Changers is
topped by Marcs Benioff. Who is he: CEO of
Salesforce.com
350) Name the Indian who has been ranked third in the
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Forbes list of top 30 Global Game Changers:

Rahul Bhatia of Inter Globe Enterprises
Which Indian IT major has been slapped a $940
million fine by a US grand jury: Tata Consultancy
Services (TCS)
World Heritage Day is observed all over the world
on which date: 18 April
Govt has released a Commemorative Coin of 200
rupees and a Circulation Coin of 10 rupees to
mark the 200th Martyrdom Day of Tatya Tope.
Who was he: A war hero of 1857 war of
Independence
The 13th Islamic Summit Conference was held
in________, Turkey: Istanbul
IMF and world bank have joined hands with the
United Nations and OECD for improvement of tax
systems world over. What is OECD: Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Development
________ has been declared the Laureus Best
Sportsman of the year: Novak Djokovic, Serbia
________ has been declared the Laureus Best
Sportswoman of the year: Serena Williams, USA
Which sports team won the Laureus Best Sports
Team of The Year Award: New Zealand's Rugby
World Cup-winning team
Name the Silicon Valleys veteran adviser,
mentored of Steve Jobs, Larry Page, who died
recently: Bill Campbell
India, Afghanistan and Iran have agreed for joint
work on development of Chabahar port in which
country: Iran
With which country India has signed an MoU on
cooperation in the field of traditional system of
medicine and Homoeopathy: Mauritius
The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao programme has
been extended to additional 61 low CSR districts.
The term CSR stands for what: Child Sex Ratio
Doris Roberts, the popular TV actress of the
popular TV soap Everybody Loves Raymond, died
at the age of 90. She was from which country: USA
Which famous temple was in news for depositing
1,311 kg of gold in a public sector bank under
Gold Monetisation Scheme?: Tirupati Balaji
Temple, Andhra Pradesh
As per the 2016 World Press Freedom Index,
which country enjoys the number one position for
the functioning of journalist: Finland
As per the 2016 World Press Freedom Index,
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what was the rank of India: 133rd

Scientists have reported that over 90 per cent of
the Great Barrier Reef has been damaged by mass
bleaching. It is in which country: off the
Australian coast
Name the East Asian country where both, new
President and the Prime Minister were elected
recently: Laos
Government has decided to merge the Rajiv
Gandhi Khel Abhiyan with which other
programme: Khelo India
Rahul Johri has been appointed as the first Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of which major Indian
sports body: BCCI- Board of Control for Cricket
in India
As per the latest World Malaria Report from
WHO, ________ has become the worlds first region
to wipe out malaria with zero cases reported last
year: Europe
Idriss Deby was elected for the 5th time as the
President of Chad. Where is this country: Central
Africa
Which day is observed as the Earth Day all over
the world: April 22
What is the theme for the Earth Day this year:
Trees for the Earth
Victoria Wood, popular comedian, singer and
writer died at 62 after a short but brave battle
with cancer. She hailed from which country:
United Kingdom
Name the leading Bollywood actress who has
been named by Time magazine in its list of the
'100 Most Influential People in the World':
Priyanka Chopra
Civil servants all over India observe April 21 as
________ day to re-dedicate and re-commit
themselves to the cause of the people: Civil
Service Day
Why April 21 has been selected as the Civil
Service Day: On this day in 1947, Sardar
Patel addressed the first batch of Indian civil
servants
The Olympic Torch for the Rio de Janeiro
Olympics was ceremoniously lighted at the
Temple of Hera in which place: Ancient Olympia,
Greece
The Rio Olympics beginning on August 5 will be
the ____ edition of modern Olympic games: 31st
381) A statement by Amitabh Kant says that India will

be free of BPL population by 2032, attaining a
growth of 10%. Who is he: CEO of Niti Aayog
382) Rogers Nelson, pop music superstar, popularly
known as _________ in USA, died aged 57: Prince
383) Which Indian city is the host for the popular
religious event Simhastha Kumbh: Ujjain,
Madhya Pradesh
384) Simhastha Kumbh is being held in Ujjain on the
banks of which river: Kshipra
385) As per a report by The Financial Times Limited,
which country in world received highest FDI in
2015: India
386) Where in world, representatives of 175 nations
signed the historic Paris Climate Agreement: New
York
387) The Paris Climate Agreement aims at limiting
global temperature rise to well below ____ degrees
Celsius, and to strive for ______ degrees Celsius: 2,
1.5
388) How many prominent persons were recently
nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President:
Six
389) Name the famous Malayalam actor who has been
nominated as a Rajya Sabha MP: Suresh Gopi
390) England and several other parts of the world are
celebrating 400th death anniversary of a legendary
playwright. Can you name him: William
Shakespeare
391) What is the popular other name for the William
Shakespeare: The Bard of Avon
392) Name any two famous master pieces written by
William Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet
and Hamlet
393) Name the worlds oldest-serving royal and the
longest lived monarch who turned 90 on April 21:
Queen Elizabeth II
394) The Department of Disinvestment has been
renamed as Department of Investment and Public
Asset Management or 'Dipam'. It is in which
ministry: Union Finance Ministry
395) Name the veteran British movie director, director
of four hugely popular James Bond films, who
passed away at the age of 93: Guy Hamilton
396) Clement Mouamba has been appointed as the
new Prime Minister of which African country:
Republic of Congo
397) Barcelona Open Tennis Championship was held in
85
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which country: Spain

Name the tennis star who won the Barcelona
Open Tennis Championship: Rafael Nadal
With which country India launched a $1 trillion
Potential
Solar
Programme
under
the
International Solar Alliance: France
Name the Indias first online interactive heritage
portal launched recently: Sahapedia
Which UN agency organizes activities for
promotion of World Book Day on April 23:
UNESCO
Japan has become fourth country in world to
successfully test its first stealth fighter jet X 2.
What is stealth technology: Ability to avoid
detection by Radar
Poornimaben Pakvasa, great social worker
from________, known for her exceptional work
towards educating tribal girls, passed away at the
age of 103: Gujarat
Which city has been selected for hosting 2018
Commonwealth Judo Championships in India:
Jaipur
An Economist in the Real World is a book written
by Kaushik Basu. Who is he: Chief Economist at
World Bank
On which day of April the World Malaria Day is
observed across the world: 25th April
With which country Indian navy held a joint
exercise named CORPAT - 2016: Thailand
What is the full form of the word CORPAT:
Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai)
Which global organization supports the
celebration of the World Intellectual Property Day
on April 26: WIPO - World Intellectual Property
Organization
The joint army training exercise, titled Nomadic
Elephant - 2016 was held between which two
countries: India and Mongolia
Scientists at which Indian organization have
developed the world's lightest ever synthetic
material called silica aerogel: Vikram Sarabhai
Space Centre
Govt. has decided to increase minimum wages of
contract workers to Rs. _________ at the national
level: 10,000/ADB has agreed to give a loan of $300 million for
upgradation of 400 kms of major district roads in
which state: Uttar Pradesh
414) Which country has ordered a two-day working

week for public sector workers as a temporary
measure to help it overcome a serious energy
crisis: Venezuela
415) ICGS Shoor is what type of ship inducted in the
Indian coast guard: Offshore patrol vessel
416) Union Sports Ministry has decided to provide one
lakh rupees per month to sportspersons
preparing for Olympics under TOP Scheme. TOP
stands for what: Target Olympic Podium
417) Govt has set up a committee headed by Ashok
Dalwai, for what purpose: To suggest ways to
double farm incomes by 2022
418) The government has made it mandatory that no
mobile can be sold in India without an in-built
________button, starting January 1, 2017: Panic
MARCH 2016
419) Indigo Selected Stories is a collection of stories
by which famous film maker: Satyajit Ray
420) 88TH Oscar Awards, 2016 were held in which city
of USA: Los Angeles
421) The Oscar for the best director was won by the
film The Revenant. Name the director:
Alejandro Irritu
422) Film ____________ won the 2016 Oscar for the best
feature film: Spotlight
423) The Oscar for the best actor has been won by
___________ for the film The Revenant: Leonardo
DiCaprio
424) Gurmeet Singh and Khushbir Kaur won the gold
in the national championship for which event:
Race Walking
425) The National Race Walking Championships was
held at which place: Jaipur
426) According to Forbes annual ranking of
billionaires, __________ has been ranked at No. 1 in
the world with a net worth of $75 billion: Bill
Gates
427) __________ has been declared as the worlds number
one airport in its category by the Airports Council
International: Indira Gandhi International
Airport, Delhi
428) Rahul Sachdev recently won the all India
championship in which event: Snooker
429) Defence Ministry has issued an order worth Rs
22,000 crores for purchase of Chinook and
Apache helicopters from which country: USA
430) What type of helicopter is CH-47 Chinook: Heavy
86
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transport
What type of helicopter is AH-64 Apache:
Multirole Attack
Vinod Rai, Former Comptroller and Auditor
General (CAG) was in news recently for what
reasons: He has been appointed as the first
Chairman of Banks Board Bureau
What is the basic objective of the newly formed
organization Banks Board Bureau: To approve
the appointment of banks top executives and
improve their governance
On which date we celebrate National Science Day:
Feb 28
The National Science Day is observed on Feb 28
as on this day discovery of __________ was made in
1928: Raman Effect
Name the Indian scientist who won the Nobel
prize for discovery of Raman Effect: Sir C. V.
Raman
________ has been declared as the first digital state
of India for achieving digital connectivity of all
villages and panchayats: Kerala
Indias largest heritage conservation project Muziris Heritage Project is located at which place:
Trissur, Kerala
Martin Crowe, one of the greatest batsman of New
Zealand was in news for what reasons: He passed
away
Govt. has launched _________ project to make all
national highways free of railway crossings by
2019: Setubharatam
The UGC has asked varsities and colleges to
launch a special page on their websites for
checking discrimination against which category of
students: SC/ST students
Which Indian car has achieved cumulative sales of
three million units in the Indian market: Maruti
Alto
Which Union Ministry organized The Raisina
Dialogue, a project to explore prospects and
opportunities for Asian integration: Ministry of
External Affairs
Name the mega military exercise that was held
jointly by Indian and armies of ASEAN countries:
Force 18
Mega military exercise Force 18 was held at
which place: Pune, Maharashtra
World Bank has agreed to grant $ 300 million
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loan for the Higher Education Quality

Improvement Project in which state: Madhya
Pradesh
In a recent study of energy effectiveness of the
countries, India was placed at 90th rank. Which
was the best country: Switzerland
Name the veteran actor and film maker who has
been awarded Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2015:
Manoj Kumar
What is the amount of cash prize given to the
winner of Dada Saheb Phalke Award: Rs. 10 lac
Col C K Nayudu Trophy is associated with which
sports: Cricket
___________ won the 2016 C K Nayudu trophy:
Mumbai
Finals of C K Nayudu trophy were held in
___________, Madhya Pradesh: Indore
Indian shooter ___________clinched the 50m pistol
gold at the ISSF World Cup in Bangkok,Thailand:
Jitu Rai
Worlds costliest railway station was opened to
public on March 3 in which city: New York
Who Was Shivaji is a book written by which
author: Govind Pansare
The United Nations has decided to set up 20 Blue
Dots in Europe for what purpose: As child and
family support hubs for refugees
Which two UN organizations have been given the
task of lookin after of Blue dots: UNHCR and
UNICEF
On March 03 we celebrate which day associated
with the wild animals: World Wildlife Day
Which animal is the main focus of 2016 World
Wildlife Day: Elephant
Which UN body organizes the Zero Discrimination
Day on March 1 across the world: UNAIDS
India observes National Safety Day on March 04
to promote which aspect of life: Safety
awareness among people
Uridashi Masala Bonds are issued in which
country: Japan
Which Indian state has taken first of its kind
initiative by launching the Air Ambulance in the
state: Kerala
Ray Tomlinson, a veteran IT expert of USA passed
away recently. He is known for invention of which
IT application: E-mail
Which country won the both, mens and womens
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category in the World Table Tennis Team

championship: China
Which country has agreed to promote three
Indian as smart cities: Germany
Germany has assured help for promoting which 3
cities as smart city in India: Kochi, Bhubaneswar
and Coimbatore
Air India on March 6 flew the worlds longest
all-women operated and supported flight,
nonstop, from New Delhi to____________, USA: San
Francisco
In terms of women occupying top positions in
business in 36 countries, what was Indias rank:
34th
__________ occupies the top spot in terms of women
occupying top positions in business: Russia
Name the former world number one tennis star
who failed a drugs test at the Australian Open:
Maria Sharapova
Chevalier de la Lgion d'Honneur is one of the top
civil honour of which country: France
Name the Indian industrialist who has been
honoured with Chevalier de la Lgion d'Honneur:
Anand Mahindra, CMD
International Women's Day was observed across
the world on which date: 8 March
_________ is the first bank to get the licence for the
small finance bank: Capital Local Area Bank Ltd.
Govt has launched the new ____ colour scheme for
re-classification of industries based on the
Pollution Index (PI) scores: Four
In the context of score on pollution index, ______
colour shows the highest level of pollution: Red
In the context of score on pollution index, ______
colour shows the lowest level of pollution: White
In a recent survey of 133 cities for cost of living,
which two Indian cities figure among the most in
expensive cities: Bengaluru and Mumbai
Lok Sabha passed a bill to amend the Enemy
Property Act, 1968. It relates to properties of
which persons: People who became Chinese or
Pakistani nationals, after leaving India in the
wake of wars fought with these countries
ISRO launched IRNSS 1 F satellite for what
purpose: To provide GPS facility
Indian GPS system-IRNSS is a setup of _________
satellites: Seven
India signed its biggest ever overseas credit line,
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extending $2 billion loan facility to which country:

Bangladesh
Which Indian bank will look after the $2 billion
loan line to Bangladesh: Exim Bank
Scott Kelly who returned to earth on March 1,
completing 340 days stay in space, created which
record: American with longest stay in space
As per new rules, unreserved train ticket for
travelling upto 199 kms will no longer be valid
after _____ hours of purchase of the ticket: Three
The first-ever auction of a gold mine in the
country was held in Baghmara. It is in which
state: Chhattisgarh
Indias first gender park has been started in which
state to promote the participation of women in
development: Kerala
__________ has become the first state in the country
to launch the HPV vaccine as a public health
programme for school children: Delhi
What is the full form of HPV: Human Papilloma
Virus
March ___ is commemorated as National Security
Day to praise the work of security forces: 4
Ahmed Abul Gheit, veteran Egyptian diplomat has
been named as new Secretary General of which
international body: The Arab League
Irani Cup is associated with which sports: Cricket
Irani Cup 2016 was lifted by __________ team by
beating Mumbai: Rest of India
Govt. has launched Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana
for what purpose: To provide free LPG
connections to women in BPL households
Justice __________ Chauhan has been appointed as
the chairperson of the 21st Law Commission:
Balbir Singh
What is the purpose of setting up the law
commission: To review the existing laws for
improvement
Govt has announced the ________ scheme for the
LED
based Domestic
Efficient Lighting
Programme: Ujala
What is full form of UJALA: Unnat Jyoti by
Affordable LEDs for All
High Court of which state is celebrating 150 years
of its existence: Uttar Pradesh
__________ High Court is celebrating 150 years of its
existence: Allahabad
India hosted a three-day conference in ____________
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with International Monetary Fund from March 12

to 14: New Delhi
The government has decided to invest Rs 69,575
crore towards increasing Indias quota in which
international organization: IMF-International
Monetary Fund
Garuda Shakti was the joint army training
exercise between ________ and India: Indonesia
Garuda Shakti joint military exercise was hosted
by which country: Indonesia
Govt. has started which new technological
initiative for primary health care in four states:
Healthcare ATMs
George Henry Martin, popular as the "Fifth
Beatle", passed away in England. He was a
prominent figure from which field: Music
Name the bill recently passed by the Parliament
that aims to protect house buyers from the widely
prevalent opaque and fraudulent practices in the
real estate sector: Real Estate (Regulation and
Development) Bill, 2015
What is the name of the online service launched
by the railways to facilitate passengers for
cleaning of their coaches: Clean My Coach
The one million dollar prize for innovative
teaching- Global Teacher Prize has been won by
Hanan Al Hroub. She is from which country:
Palestine
Santosh trophy is associated with which sports:
Football
Santosh Trophy 2016 was won by _________ team:
Services
All England Open Badminton Championship was
hosted by which city in UK: Birmingham
___________ of China won the All England Open
Badminton Championship: Lin Dan
Government has recently allowed women to be
inducted as officers in combat roles into which
paramilitary force: ITBP
What is the full form of ITBP: Indo-Tibetan
Border Police
SEBI has disallowed which type of borrowers
from making a public issue or acquiring another
listed entity: Willful defaulters
Indian army successfully test-fired indigenously
built nuclear-capable Agni-I ballistic missile. What
is its range: 700 kms
Golden City Gate Award is given for excellence in
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which field: Tourism

Which Indian body won the Golden City Gate
Award-2016: Kerala Tourism
Union Ministry of _________ will host Maritime
India Summit at Mumbai from 14 to 16 April:
Shipping
4th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves was
held at Lima in ______from 14-17 March: Peru
________ elected as the first civilian President of
Myanmar to lead the country after 53 years of
military rule: Htin Kyaw
ExoMars 2016, an unmanned spacecraft has been
launched jointly by Europe and Russia for what
purpose: To study the Mars' atmosphere
FSSAI has launched the 'Clean Street Food Project'
in Delhi to sensitise the street food vendors about
health and hygiene aspects of food. What is FSSAI:
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
World's first fully electric double decker bus
service has been launched in which international
metro: London
Governor of the Central Bank of which country
recently resigned as the bank's account in USA
were hacked causing a loss of over $100 million:
Bangladesh
In which country an Indian-origin Sikh has
become the Police Commissioner of its capital:
Malaysia
Gandhi: An Illustrated Biography is a book
written by which author: Pramod Kapoor
Chameli Devi Jain Award are given for excellence
in which field: Journalism by women
Which bank has launched a contactless mobile
payment solution Touch & Pay: ICICI Bank
What was the theme of this year's World
Consumer Rights Day: Antibiotics off the Menu
The World Consumer Rights Day is observed
across the globe in March on which date: 15
World Kidney Day is observed globally on which
date: March 10
The 59th Session of Commission on Narcotic Drugs
was held in________, Austria: Vienna
Which global prize is famous as Nobel for
Mathematics: Abel Prize
Abel prize is given by which country: Norway
In a study of 156 nations in the World Happiness
Report 2016, India has been ranked as ________
place: 118th
89
539) As per the World Happiness Report 2016 which

country is the happiest in the world: Denmark
540) Indian Air Force conducted its biggest fire power
combat exercise at Pokhran in Rajasthan on
March 18. What was its name: Iron Fist 2016
541) The Pope Francis, religious chief of Christians, has
announced to confer Sainthood on the social
worker who spent 45 years serving the poor and
sick on the streets of Kolkata. Name her: Mother
Teresa
542) Name the hospital that bagged the top
government award Kayakalp for best hospital
cleanliness and infection control, winning a prize
money of Rs. 5 crore: PGIMER, Chandigarh
543) Michelle Yeoh has been appointed as United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Goodwill Ambassador. Who is she: Famous
action heroine of Malaysia-China
544) Name the American actor and activist who has
been appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador of
the UNFPA: Ashley Judd
545) What is the full form of UNFPA: United Nations
Population Fund
546) The India Aviation 2016, an international
exhibition and conference on civil aviation was
held in_______, Telangana: Hyderabad
547) Which Indian city hosted the first meet of World
Sufi Forum: New Delhi
548) Which railway station has stood first in India in
terms of cleanliness, as per a survey conducted by
the Ministry of Railways: Surat, Gujarat
549) The Time Magazine recently described which
Indian leader as Internet star who often uses
social media to conduct diplomacy: Narendra
Modi
550) The government has reduced interest rates
payable on small savings w.e.f. April 01, 2016.
Name two small savings schemes: Public
Provident Fund, National Savings Certificate
551) __________Airport in Singapore has been voted the
Worlds Best Airport for the fourth year in a row
at the 2016 World Airport Awards: Changi
552) Railways have tied up with which organization to
leverage the space technology for providing the
passenger information in all trains: ISRO
553) Name the city that hosted the 6th National
Community Radio Sammelan: New Delhi
554) Parsi Zoroastrians of India celebrated their
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___________festival on March 21to mark beginning

of their new year: Navroz
Who created history by becoming the first Indian
athlete to clinch a gold medal in the Asian 20 km
Race Walk Championships: Gurmeet Singh
Name the ace Indian golfer who won the
European Tour Hero Indian Open title in Delhi: S
S P Chawrasia
UNESCO has included Agasthyamala biosphere
reserve in its World Network of Biosphere
Reserves. Where is it in India: In the Western
Ghats
Which Bank has become the first bank to
commence the sale of Indian Gold Coin (IGC) in
the domestic market: Indian Overseas Bank
What are the three weight categories in which
India Gold Coins are available: 5, 10 and 20 gram
With which country India has signed an
agreement to avoid double social security
contribution: Australia
US President Barack Obama scripted history by
becoming first US President by visiting which
country after 88 years of strained relations: Cuba
March ___________ was observed as the
International Day of Happiness: 20
The United Nations appointed 'Red' as an envoy
to inspire climate action toward a sustainable and
happier future for all. Who is 'Red': Leader of the
"Angry Birds" mobile game characters
The government has relaxed FDI norms for the
insurance sector to allow overseas companies to
buy ________percent stake in domestic insurance
companies without prior approval: 49
March 21 was observed as the ___________ day
across the world to promote the importance of
forests and trees in our lives: World Forestry
Day
March 22 was observed as the __________ day with
the theme Water and Jobs: World Water Day
The World Sparrow Day is observed across the
world on which date: March 20
The World Meteorological day is observed on
March 23 for what purpose: To spread
awareness about climate change
____________reelected as the President Niger for a
second term: Mahamadou Issoufou
9th International Abilympics started at Bordeaux
in France. Who are the participants in this:
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Skilled persons with disabilities

Which Indian city will host the eighth annual
summit of BRICS from October 15-16: Goa
Which flower has been selected in a symbolic
form as the logo for the 8th Brics Summit: Lotus
_________ won the Krishi Karman Award for its
landmark achievement in showing highest
production of food grains in year 2014-15:
Himachal Pradesh
The government has formally withdrawn the
recognition of which Stock Exchange after it was
de recognised by SEBI: Delhi
Govt has launched the new drug Bedaquiline to
combat drug resistant form of which disease:
Tuberculosis (TB)
_______was observed as the World Tuberculosis
day: March 24
Subrata Roy Sahara, promoter of Sahara Group
who is in Tihad Jail, has written a book about his
experiences. What is the name of this book: Life
Mantras
The Girl on the Train is a famous novel written by
___________: Paula Hawkins
Which country signed a MoU for construction of
six nuclear reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra:
France
Name the govt. scheme that aims to achieve the
objective of Housing for All: Pradhan Mantri
Awaas Yojana
A financial assistance of Rs.__________ lakh will be
provided for construction of pucca houses to
homeless families in plain areas: 1.20
A financial assistance of Rs.__________ lakh will be
provided for construction of pucca houses to
homeless families in hilly and difficult area: 1.30
RBI has asked banks to pay interest on savings
accounts on a ______basis or a shorter duration:
Quarterly
Rate of interest on savings bank accounts in banks
in India is decided by which authority: Banks
themselves
Indias number one tractor producer, Mahindra&
Mahindra plans to launch Trringo a digital app
for what purpose: To start online tractor rental
business
Which country has made a law to jail the parents
who fail to vaccinate their children: Uganda
Who is the only Indian leader in the worlds 50
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greatest leaders list compiled by Fortune

magazine: Arvind Kejriwal
RuPay, the domestic card payment service
provider by NPCI plans to issue which new type of
card: Credit Card
Which Indian state was put under President's rule
in last week of March, 2016: Uttarakhand
Name the famous ancient city of Syria that was
recently recaptured by Syrian troops: Palmyra
ISRO has establish world's second largest
Ionospheric Radar at which place in Andhra
Pradesh: Gadanki
Who is the director of the film 'Baahubali' that
won the national award for best feature film: S S
Rajamouli
The film Bajrangi Bhaijaan won the national
award for best film in which category: Most
popular film
Name the three countries visited by prime
minister modi in the last week of march:
Belgium, USA and Saudi Arabia
India has started a new direct shipping service to
Chittagong in Bangladesh from which port in
India: Krishnapatnam in Nellore, Andhra
Pradesh
The World Bank has agreed to provide $250
million loan for improving the performance of
electricity distribution in which state: Rajasthan
H Deep Saini, noted Indian scholar and plant
physiologist has been appointed as the Vice
Chancellor of which global university: University
of Canberra, Australia
Which bank has announced an initiative called
iWork@home that uses technology to enable
women employees to work from home for an
extended period: ICICI Bank
The first World Culture Festival, a three-day event
celebrating cultural diversity was held on the
bank of which river: Yamuna
The World Cultural Festival was organized by
which organization: Art of Living
Which e-retailer has been ranked as the most
trusted online shopping brand in India: Amazon
According to the latest figures released by the
Geneva-based World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO), ___________ is the top most
country in filling patents: USA
Deepika and PR Sreejesh won the Dhruv Batra
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Player of the Year Award for Women and Men,

respectively, in which sports: Hockey
The Telecom Commission has approved which
number as a common number for emergencies
such as police, fire, ambulance, etc. all over India:
112
The U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID) and the Asian Development Bank have
signed a MoU to provide $ 848 million for which
purpose: To develop solar parks across India
FEBRUARY 2016
First Grand Slam of Tennis 2016 was held at
which place: Melbourne, Australia
_____________ won the Mens Singles title of
Australian Open: Novak Djokovic
_____________ won the Womens Singles title of
Australian Open: Angelique Kerber
Angelique Kerber, winner of Womens title in
Australian Open, is from which country: Germany
Which Union Ministry has decided to reduce the
threshold for coverage of firms under the EPFO:
Labour Ministry
What is the full form of EPFO: Employees
Provident Fund Organization
The threshold for coverage of firms under the
EPFO has been reduced to _________ workers from
20 at present: 10
ICC has decided upon what new measures for the
safety of the umpires: They will be provided by
specially designed helmets
The Indian womens cricket team made history by
clinching its maiden T20 series against which
country: Australia
Name the author of the book Why we love the
way we do: Preeti Shenoy
Nathuram Godse - The Story of an Assassin is a
book written by which author: Anup Sardesai
What is the name of the book by Former
President APJ Abdul Kalam based on his spiritual
experiences with Pramukh Swami Maharaj:
Transendence
What is the name of the indigenously developed
Light Combat Aircraft which is about to replace
the MiG fighters: Tejas Mark 1-A
The GDP growth for 2014-15 has been scaled
down to 7.2% from the earlier estimate of 7.3%,
by which Government organization: Central
Statistics Office (CSO)
620) As per latest CSO data, per capita income during

2015-16 is likely to be above ________ thousand
rupees: 77
621) As per a list compiled by Wealth-X in
collaboration with Business Insider, _______ is the
2nd richest person in India: Ajim Premji
622) Central government has selected how many cities
in the first phase for development as smart cities:
20
623) Henri Tiphagne, founder of NGO Peoples Watch
was recently awarded which international
honour: Human Rights Award
624) Human Rights Award is given by which global
organization: Amnesty International, Germany
625) A commemorative coin of 150 rupees and a
circulation coin of 10 rupees was released on the
occasion of 150th birth anniversary of which great
freedom fighter: Lala Lajpat Rai
626) 34th Senior National Rowing Championship was
held at Hussainsagar Lake in which city:
Hyderabad
627) Anti-Leprosy Day is observed on 30 January in the
honour of which national leader: Mahatma
Gandhi
628) Name the player who won the 83rd Senior
National Snooker Championship: Aditya Mehta
629) Which city hosted the 83rd Senior National
Snooker Championship: Indore, MP
630) Gurdeep Singh has been appointed as the
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of which
Maharatna company: NTPC Ltd.
631) What is the full form of NTPC Ltd: National
Thermal Power Corporation Ltd.
632) Which country has produced the fifth-generation
stealth fighter jet- X-2-Shinshin: Japan
633) Which paramilitary force of India has appointed,
for the first time a woman as its Director General:
Sahastra Seema Bal
634) Name the newly appointed Director General of
Sashastra
Seema
Bal
(SSB):
Archana
Ramasundaram
635) Sahastra Seema Bal looks after the security of
which part of border of India: Nepal and Bhutan
636) K Durga Prasad, a senior IPS officer has been
appointed Director General of which paramilitary
force: CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force)
637) __________ has been appointed as the Director
General of Border Security Force: K K Sharma
92
638) Which global social networking application

recently crossed the one billion user milestone:
WhatsApp
639) President of India recently conferred the
honorary rank of General of the Indian Army to
Chief of Army of which country: Nepal
640) Which state won the 61st National School
Athletics championship: Kerala
641) Dial D for Don is a book written by former Police
Commissioner of Delhi. Name him: Neeraj Kumar
642) Ancestral Affairs is a book written by which
author: Keki Daruwalla
643) World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared
Public Health Emergency of International Concern
over the explosive spread of which disease: Zika
Virus
644) As per recent market reports, which is the largest
company of the world in terms of market
capitalization: Alphabet
645) 2021 World Aquatics Championships will be
hosted by _______city of Japan: Fukuoka
646) Which company has launched a 150-cc bike
named V that contains metal sourced from
Indias first aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant: Bajaj
Auto
647) Mens Singles Title in the Syed Modi International
Badminton Championships was won by which
player: Kidambi Srikanth
648) Name the veteran wildlife filmmaker who won
the V Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award:
Naresh Bedi
649) Name the Indian film that won the Best First
Foreign Film Award given by the French
Syndicate of Cinema Critics: Titli
650) D J Pandian, former Chief Secretary of Gujarat has
been appointed vice-president and chief
investment officer of which newly formed global
financial institution: Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank
651) Which govt organization has launched the
country's first anti-diabetic ayurvedic drug BGR 34 for Diabetes type 2 patients: Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
652) For what purpose the Government has decided to
infuse about 5,000 crore rupees capital in the
public sector banks: To strengthen their
balance sheet for compliance of Basel III
capital norms
653) Hyderabad-based
biotechnology
research
company Bharat Biotech has announced that it
has developed the worlds first vaccine against
which major disease: Zika Virus
654) Name the major employment scheme run by govt.
that completed 10 years in February: Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act (MGNREGA)
655) Name the state that won the Dr BC Roy Trophy for
the National Junior Football Championship:
Punjab
656) The Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, led by ______,
one of the biggest trade deals in history, was
signed in New Zealand on Feb 4: USA
657) The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
has barred telecom service providers from
charging differential rates for data services. This
is in promotion of which concept: Net neutrality
658) The eighth Delhi Dialogue was held in New Delhi
to discuss politico-security, economic and sociocultural engagement between the ________ and
India: Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN)
659) Reserve Bank has decided to undertake which
step to check handling of customer complaints
and how banks have implemented Charter of
Customer Rights: Incognito visits to bank
branches
660) Which country won the highest number of medals
in the 12th South Asian Games: India
661) India emerged number one in the 12th South
Asian Games by winning total _______ medals: 308
662) Name the ace Indian Shooter who won record six
medals in the 12th South Asian Games: Chain
Singh
663) 13th SAG will be hosted by Nepal in Kathmandu in
which year: 2019
664) As per Swachh Survekshan-2016 conducted by
the Quality Council of India to rank the Indian
cities on the basis of cleanliness, _________ has been
ranked no. one: Mysuru
665) Central Bank of which major economy has
imposed, for the first time, a negative interest rate
of minus 0.1 per cent for certain bank deposits
placed with it: Japan
666) BAFTA awards 2016 were given away in London
on Feb 14. What is the full form of BAFTA: British
Academy of Film and Television Awards
93
667) Which film won the BAFTA award for the best
film: The Revenant
668) Name the iconic football player from Brazil was in
news as Courts in Brazil issued warrants to freeze
his assets worth almost $ 50 million: Neymar
669) Supreme court has directed RBI to submit a list of
defaulter companies whose bank dues are more
than Rs. ___________ crorers: 500
670) Worlds longest train route, running for 10,400
kms, starts from and ends at which place: Yiwu
(China) and Bander Abbas (Iran)
671) What is the formal name given to this 10,400 kms
rail route: Belt and Road connectivity initiative
672) Prime Minister Mr. Modi inaugurated the Make in
India Week on Feb 13 in which city: Mumbai
673) Mr. Modi has been highlighting the 4D blessings of
Indian economy. What are these 4Ds:
Democracy, Demography, Demand and
Deregulation
674) World famous Grammy Awards are given for
excellence in which field: Music
675) 58th Grammy Awards ceremony was held on 15th
February at which place: Los Angeles, USA
676) Grammy for Record of the Year was won by
Uptown Funk by which artist: Mark Ronson
677) Taylor Swift won the Grammy for the Album of
the Year. What is the name of the Album: 1989
Taylor Swift
678) 36th National Chess team Championship was won
by the _____________in Bhubaneswar, Odisha:
Indian Railways
679) Chevalier de la Legion dHonneur is one of the
highest civilian award of which country: France
680) Name the Indian fashion designer who was
conferred above award in February 2016: Manish
Arora
681) Lamitye 2016, the 7th joint military exercise was
conducted by Indian army with which other
countrys army: Seychelles
682) Which country hosted the ICC under19 Cricket
World Cup-2016 : Bangladesh
683) ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup-2016 was won
by which country: West Indies
684) The three day annual World Government Summit
was hosted by which city: Dubai
685) In a survey of top 38 countries to assess the
protection of IPR, India ranked 37th. What is the
full form of IPR: Intellectual Property Rights
686) In a recent survey of countries for assessing

protection of IPRs, which country was placed at
top: USA
687) What is the title of the latest book written by
Shyam Bhatia, noted journalist: Bullets and
Bylines
688) Leading gun-maker BAE Systems, the UK based
multinational company has selected which Indian
corporate as their partner for manufacturing
M777 howitzers in India: Mahindras
689) M777 howitzer guns will be used as major
weapon by which proposed army formation:
Mountain Strike Corps
690) Govt. proposes to assign the security of which
border area to Mountain Strike Corps:
Mountainous borders with China
691) National Arogya Fair was organized to showcase
and promote the strengths, efficacy and
affordability of the AYUSH. What is the full form of
AYUSH: Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy,
Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy
692) First phase of worlds largest solar power plant,
with a capacity to produce 580 mw was started in
which country on Feb 4: Morocco
693) Name the batsman from South Africa who became
the quickest and the youngest batsmen to score
10 centuries in ODIs: Quinton De Kock
694) Which global organization has released a report
called 'One Humanity: Shared Responsibility':
UNO
695) India observed the first National Deworming Day
on which date: Feb 10
696) What is the objective of the National Deworming
Day: To combat parasitic worm infections
among children
697) Which deworming tablet is provided free to
school and pre-schools children who fight worm
infections: Albendezole
698) The Reserve Bank of India has released the
Report of the Working Group (Chairperson: Prof.
P.G. Apte) on which topic: Introduction of
Interest Rate Options in India
699) Name the Indian Navy's aircraft carrier which is
destined to be decommissioned in June, 2016: INS
Viraat
700) Which state has decided to convert INS Viraat into
a luxury hotel for promotion of tourism in the
State: Andhra Pradesh
94
701) What is the name of the 9th edition of India-Nepal

Combined Military Exercise: Surya Kiran IX
702) Surya Kiran IX military exercise was held in which
area: Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand
703) Indian and Chinese troops held their first joint
tactical exercise Sino-India Cooperation 2016
for what purpose: For joint operation on
humanitarian aid and disaster relief
704) Sino-India Cooperation 2016 - joint tactical
exercise was held in which part of China border:
Ladakh
705) Which ministry has launched the 24x7 Toll Free
Tourist Infoline in 12 International Languages to
facilitate tourists: Union Ministry of Tourism
706) As per the National Air Quality Indices for 24
cities by Central Pollution Control Board, __________
is the city with worst air quality: Varanasi
707) Government
has
launched
____________for
prevention of AIDS in the 20 districts of eight
North-Eastern states: Project Sunrise
708) Indian Oil Corporations latest oil refinery started
production in Paradip in which state: Odisha
709) Government has decided to set up the National
Organic Farming Research Institute in which
state: Sikkim
710) Indian Army participated in the Cobra Gold
2016 the biggest multilateral military exercise.
It was hosted by which country: Thailand
711) Golden Conch Award is given for excellence in
which field: Documentary Films
712) Golden Conch Award is given at which film
festival: Mumbai International Film Festival
713) World Cancer Day was observed across the world
on which date: 4th February
714) What was this years theme for the World Cancer
Day: We can, I can
715) In a global survey by Brand Finance for brand
power, which Indian firm has been rated as the
Worlds Most Powerful Brand in IT Services: TCS
Tata Consultancy Services
716) Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR) has launched the BGR-34, country's first
ayurvedic drug for treatment of which major
disease: Diabetes type - II
717) In the anti-diabetic drug, acronym BGR stands for
what: Blood Glucose Regulator
718) Aruna Sethi has been appointed as the first
women head of the which all India administrative
719)
720)
721)
722)
723)
724)
725)
726)
727)
728)
729)
730)
731)
732)
733)
734)
service: Indian Cost Accounts Services

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Classical Music Award for
2015-2016 was conferred on Pandit Ram
Narayan. He is a master player of which
instrument: Sarangi
Parameshwaran Iyer, a World Banks water and
sanitation specialist has been selected by the
Indian govt. to head which major national
mission: Swachh Bharat Mission
The app myCAMS has been launched for what
purpose in context of mutual fund business: To
facilitate paperless eKYC
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has
raised a special squad of which animal to boost its
rescue efforts in earthquake hit areas: Dogs
Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai has
issued Geographical Indication tag for which
item to 7 states in the Indo-Gangetic Plains:
Basmati Rice
The first ever Petrochemical project in entire
North East India was started in February in
Dibrugarh in which state: Assam
The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2017 will be
hosted by ________________ in June 2017: England
The Indian government has finally sanctioned
Rs.580 crore for the vital Agartala-Akhaura rail
link with which country: Bangladesh
Indias first-ever Aviation Park will come up near
Bagodara village in which state: Gujarat
What is the objective of setting up aviation park:
To promote special units to manufacture
spare parts for aircrafts
The National Wildlife Action Plan 2017-2031 has
been unveiled by which ministry: The
environment ministry
__________________, Indias top golfer has been voted
as the Hilton Asian Tour Golfer of Year by fans in
an online poll: Anirban Lahiri
_______________________founded by Freedom fighter
Pt Madan Mohan Malviya has turned 100 years on
13th February 2016: Banaras Hindu University
(BHU)
World Radio Day is observed globally on 13th
February by which UN organization: UNESCO
What was the theme of this years World Radio
Day: Radio in Times of Emergency and
Disaster
Scientists have detected for the first time, signals
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743)
of ________________waves emanating from two

merging black holes 1.3 billion light years away:
Gravitational
Prediction about gravitational waves was made
about 100 years ago by which great scientist:
Albert Einstein
The gravitational waves have been discovered
after decades of research by scientists at LIGO,
USA. Expand LIGO: Laser Interferometer
Gravitational-wave Observatory
CEO and MD of which corporate entity have been
selected as the E&Y ENTREPRENEUR OF THE
YEAR 2015 from India: Lupin Ltd.
U K Sinha, the Chairman of Securities and
Exchange Board of India (Sebi) was in news for
what reasons: He has been given extension for
one year
Name the Indias first indigenously developed
lightest revolver weighing just 250 gms: Nidar
Name the Bollywoods popular lyricist who made
into the Guinness Book of World Records for
writing the most number3524 of songs for
Bollywood films: Sameer Anjaan
Government has launched a Rs. 10,000-crore
Electronic Development Fund for what purpose:
To promote manufacturing in the electronics
sector
Which country launched a massive military
exercise North Thunder that included troops
from 20 nations: Saudi Arabia
_____________ has been appointed as the new Chief
Minister of Arunachal Pradesh: Kalikho Pul
744)
745) Name the America's celebrated novelist whose
1960 masterpiece "To Kill a Mockingbird" was
read by millions worldwide: Harper Lee
746) Christine Lagarde, the Managing Director of the
International Monetary Fund was in news
recently for what reasons: She has been reappointed for a second five-year term
747) Amit Mitra has been appointed as the new
chairman of the Empowered Committee of State
Finance Ministers on GST. Who is he: West
Bengal Finance Minister
748) Name the New Zealand cricketer who smashed
the fastest ever Test century in just 54 balls:
Brendon McCullum
749) _____________, ace sprinter set a new national record
750)
751)
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753)
754)
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756)
757)
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760)
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in the 60m dash in 7.28 seconds at the 7th Asian

Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha: Dutee
Chand
_____________, has been appointed as the new
Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
(BARC), Mumbai: K N Vyas
What is the title of the recent book by Jhumpa
Lahiri: In Other Words
An Economist in the Real World is a book written
by the Chief Economist of the World Bank. Name
him: Kaushik Basu
Who has been elected new President of Uganda,
for the fifth time: Yoweri Museveni
Crystal Bear Award is given for excellence in
which field: Childrens films
Crystal Bear Award is given in which
international film festival: Berlin Film Festival
Name the Indian film that won the 2016 Crystal
Bear Award: Ottaal (The trap)
Berlin Film Festivals top prize for the best feature
film is named as ______________: Golden Bear
Award
The Golden Bear Award for 2016 was won by an
Italian film. What was its name: Fuocoammare
(Fire at sea)
The term Brexit is very much in news these days,
particularly in Europe. What does this mean:
Britains Exit from the European Union
The womens and mens title in the Badminton
Asia Team Championships were won by which
country: China and Indonesia, respectively
The Mahamaham festival, celebrated once in 12
years, also known as Kumbh Mela of South is held
at which place: Kumbakonam
The book Playing It My Way has entered the
Limca Book of Records in the category of bestselling books, with 1,50,289 copies sold. This is
the autobiography of which person: Sachin
Tendulkar
Government has launched a device developed by
the CSIR CEERI, Pilani, Rajasthan, named
Ksheer-Scanner for what purpose: To detect
adulteration in milk
The Road to Resilience, a survey of the entire
Indian coastline for promoting six coastal disaster
management projects is an initiative of which
global organization: World Bank
The survey of 230 cities for assessing quality of
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769)
770)
771)
772)
773)
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778)
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life by the global consulting firm Mercer has

placed _____________at the top: Austrias capital
Vienna
Name the former Chief Justice of India who has
been appointed as the Chairman of the National
Human Rights Commission: Justice H L Dattu
Mobile app Swachh Paryatan has been launched
by which ministry to promote cleanliness of
prime tourist destinations: Ministry of Tourism
As per a global study, India is the top importer of
arms. Which is at the 2nd rank: China
Parliament of ___________ has become the worlds
first parliament to run fully on solar power:
Pakistan
RBI has extended the $2 billion currency swap
arrangement to __________nations till midNovember
2017
to
enhance
economic
cooperation: SAARC
What is the full form of the term IBSAMAR: India,
Brazil, South Africa Maritime
Govt has decided to extend ___________visa facility
to 37 more countries from Feb 26: E-Tourist
The Indian Navy's first locally developed nuclear
submarine _____________is now ready for full
fledged operations: INS Arihant
Who has been appointed as the new Director
General of the Indian Coast Guard: Rajendra
Singh
Aryabhata award 2013, the prestigious honour by
Astronautical Society of India has been conferred
upon which scientist: Dr. Avinash Chander,
former chief of DRDO
Goverdhan Mehta,
renowned researcher in
Chemical Sciences, has been honoured with the
prestigious Cross of the Order of Merit by which
country: Germany
Which Indian bank has won the Green Bond
Pioneer
Award
for
promoting
Green
Infrastructure Bonds: Yes Bank
_________ has been elected as the new President of
world Football body FIFA: Gianni Infantino
__________won the prestigious Ranji trophy cricket
championship defeating Saurashtra: Mumbai
Government plans to set up a dedicated, cross
functional team called Special Unit for
Transportation Research and Analytics (Sutra) for
improvement in which area: Railway
The innovative team Sutra is proposed to be
782)
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headed by which person: Ratan Tata

The Union Cabinet has approved establishment of
AIM and SETU in which organization to encourage
innovations and entrepreneurship in the country:
NITI Aayog
The acronyms of AIM and SETU stands for: Atal
Innovation Mission and Self Employment and
Talent Utilisation
JANUARY 2016
Jnanpith Award is given for excellence in which
field: Literature
Jnanpith Award is given for excellence in
literature in which language: All 22 Indian
languages approved by the Constitution
Name the winner of the Jnanpith Award 2015:
Raghuveer Chaudhary
Shri Raghuveer Chaudhary is a noted novelist of
which language: Gujarati
Vijay Hazare Trophy is associated with which
sports: Cricket
Name the team that won the Vijay Hazare Trophy
for 2015: Gujarat
Government has announced that taxpayers with
an annual income of more than Rs. ______ lakh will
not get subsidised LPG cylinders from January,
2016: Ten
Dr. Harpal Singh Kumar was conferred with
Knighthood Honour in UK for what achievement:
For his influential work on prevention and
treatment of cancer
Senior National Wrestling Championship was
held at which place: New Delhi
Bajrang Punia, Ritu Phogat and Priyanka Phogat
are the prominent players of which sports:
Wrestling
Which is the last country to be declared free of
deadly Ebola disease by WHO: Liberia
Who has been named as the 'Cricketer of the Year'
- Men for 2015 by the BCCI: Virat Kohali
Who has been named as the 'Cricketer of the Year'
- Women for 2015 by the BCCI: Mithali Raj
Scientists in which country have developed a
human-like social robot named Nadine, with soft
skin and flowing brunette hair: Singapore
_____________ has been named as the new Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog: Amitabh
Kant
Haskell Wexler, an Oscar winning cinema
97
800)
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802)
803)
804)
805)
806)
807)
808)
809)
810)
811)
812)
813)
celebrity from USA died recently. He was from

which field of cinema: Photography
Which country recently launched Gaofen-4 Earth
Observation Satellite: China
The government has approved the signing of the
Raptor MoU for what purpose: To conserve and
reverse the decline of birds of prey such as
vultures, eagles etc
Dr. Gyanendra D Bandgaiyan has been appointed
as the Director General of which national
organization: National Centre for Good
Governance
Giorgi Kvirikashvili has been elected as the Prime
Minister of which European country: Georgia
Rakhi Haldar and Kavita Devi won gold in their
respective weight categories at the National level
in which sports: Weight lifting
RBI has notified that from Feb 1, 2016 all govt
cheques
will
be
paid
through ________________system:
Cheque
Truncation System
Reserve Bank has asked banks to ensure that
every village with a population over __________
should have a bank branch by March 2017: 5,000
RBI has asked SLBCs to ensure that every village
with a population over 5,000 should have a bank
branch by March 2017. What is SLBCs: State
Level Bankers Committees
The government has constituted a committee
headed by noted film-maker ____________ to look
into revamp of Censor Board: Shyam Benegal
World Bank has agreed to provide a $ 50 million
loan funding of Nai Manzil' project for what
purpose: Education and Skills Training for
Minorities in BPL category
Name the Indias star off-spinner who was ranked
as the No. 1 Test bowler in the ICC rankings for
2015: R. Ashwin
World champion Magnus Carlsen won the Qatar
Masters Open Chess Tournament. He is from
which country: Norway
Name the Mumbai boy who created cricket
history by scoring 1009 runs not out: Pranav
Dhanawade
Reserve Bank has started the process of issuing
composite instructions under the title _________ on
various regulatory issues in its bid to simplify the
communication process: Master Directions
814) South Asian Football Federation Cup was won by

India by defeating which country: Afghanistan
815) South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Cup was
hosted
by
which
Indian
city:
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
816) Name the important document of Chemistry
which now has its seventh row completed with
the introduction of four new chemical elements:
The periodic table of elements
817) Name the veteran Communist Party of India
leader who passed away after a long illness at
New Delhi: A. B. Bardhan
818) Which university won the overall trophy in the
76th
All-India
Inter-University
Athletics
Championship: Punjabi University
819) 'Anything But Khamosh' is an autobiography of
which prominent celebrity politician: Shatrughan
Sinha
820) A classy performance by which Indian cricketer in
2001 has been rated as the greatest Test
performance of the last 50 years: VVS Laxman's
821) Name the famous novel by Harper Lee that
topped the US bestseller list in 2015, selling 1.6
million copies: Go Set a Watchman
822) Bidali Neemuchwala has been appointed new
Chief Executive Officer of which IT corporate:
Wipro
823) Which educational institute hosted the
103rd Indian Science Congress: University of
Mysore, Karnataka
824) Apurvi Chandela broke the world record by
earning highest ever score of 211.2 in which
event: 10 meter air rifle shooting
825) Name the indigenous stealth Anti-Submarine
Warfare (ASW) Corvette that was recently
inducted in Indian Navy: INS Kadmatt
826) _________________became the fastest film to take one
billion dollars at the global box office: Star Wars
the Force Awakens
827) Name the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister who
breathed his last at the All India Institute of
Medical Sciences in New Delhi: Mufti
Mohammad Sayeed
828) Govt has decided to implement norms of Bharat
Stage (BS) VI from April 1, 2020 for what
purpose: To minimize the air pollution from
vehicles
829) The counter-insurgency joint exercise Shakti-
98
830)
831)
832)
833)
834)
835)
836)
837)
838)
839)
840)
841)
842)
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844)
2016 was held at which place: Rajasthan Desert

Shakti 2016 - joint military exercise was held by
which two countries: India and France
Name the Indian badminton player who was
declared number one in junior men's singles
category in the Badminton World Federation
(BWF) rankings: Siril Verma
Which country was in news for conducting a
powerful Hydrogen bomb test in a defiant and
surprising move as there is a UN ban on testing
and development of nuclear weapons: North
Korea
As per the Hurun India Philanthropy List 2015,
_____________ has been ranked as the most generous
Indian of the year: Azim Premji
Golden Globe Awards are given in which country:
USA
Golden Globe Awards are given for excellence in
which field: Cinema
The Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture
(Drama) was won by which movie: The Revenant
With which country India has signed an
agreement for enabling people of both nations to
avail retirement benefits in each other's country:
Australia
International Kite Festival was held at which city
in India: Ahmadabad, Gujarat
India will host a joint military exercise with 18
members countries of East Asian Summit in
March, 2016 at which place: Pune, Maharashtra
Eight Indian states have agreed to implement
direct benefit of transfer of subsidy in _________in
26 districts w.e.f. April 1, 2016: Kerosene
_____________has become the first state in the
country to officially accept electronic motor
insurance policies by the name e-Vahan Bima:
Telangana
Justice (Retd) R M Lodha committee was
appointed by the Supreme Court for what
purpose : To look into the affairs of BCCI
Name the amputee Indian mountaineer who
conquered Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, the
highest mountain outside Asia: Arunima Sinha
The novel 'A God in Ruins' which won the novel of
the year prize in Britain is written by whom: Kate
Atkinson
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GENERAL AWARENESS

A PUBLICATION OF GYANM EDUCATION &

LATEST 100 GK MCQs

FIVE MONTHS GK BYTES

REVERSE REPO RATE

CASH RESERVE RATIO

World Happiness Index

Intellectual Property Index -2016

Overall Growth Prospectus

Global Talent Competitiveness Index

Nuclear Security Index

Ease of Doing Business (Forbes)

Rank in Brand Value

Legatum Prosperity Index

Global Terrorism Index

Financial Secrecy Index

GENERAL AWARENESS JULY 2016

INDIA OFFERS $100 MILLION LOAN TO PAPUA

MODI VISITS IRAN

INDIA 3RD IN RENEWABLE ENERGY

LODHA COMMITTEE TO REVIEW MCI

4 INDIAN CITIES IN TOP 5 POLLUTED CITIES

The Supreme Court has appointed a three-member

Of the five cities in the world with the worst air

SOLAR TRAIN TRIAL IN JODHPUR

President Pranab Mukherjee visited China from May

The Indian Railways plans to conduct trial of its first

INDIA HAS 248.8 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS

WORLDs LARGEST AIRCRAFT LANDS IN INDIA

RAIL HUMSAFAR SAPTAAH

100 CR PENALTY FOR WRONG INDIA MAP

24 to 27, starting his trip from the highly

AMBEDKAR JAYANTI AT UNO

INDIA TOPS IN ATTRACTING FDI

INDIA 6th IN MANUFACTURING

INDIA HOLDS MARITIME SUMMIT

APEX COURT ALLOWS NEET

W B LOAN FOR SWACHH BHARAT MISSION

AADHAAR CROSSES HUNDRED CRORE MARK

INDIA GETS FIRST LOAN FROM NDB

RAJYA SABHA GETS 6 NEW MEMBERS

World Bank has agreed to provide a $1.5 billion loan for

TOP EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES OF INDIA

MODI NOT IN WORLD TOP 100

GERMANY TO HELP IN NAMAMI GANGE

INDIA SIGNS PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT

INDIA SUFFERS HIGH TROJAN ATTACK

First National Tribal Carnival held in Delhi from April

As per a report from the security solutions firm

29 to May 02, 2016 to showcase and promote various

INDIA NOT SAFE FOR JOURNALISTS

President Pranab Mukherjee went on a six-day trip to

A new beginning was made in maritime trade and

Papua New Guinea and New Zealand on April 27.

Britains Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton,

the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, visited India on

GENERAL AWARENESS JULY 2016

INDIA TO HOST 8TH BRICS SUMMIT

MODI GOES FOR A THREE COUNTRY TRIP

WORLDs LONGEST ALL WOMEN FLIGHT

IMF TRAINING CENTRE IN DELHI

INDIAN WOMEN LAG BEHIND IN BUSINESS

BANGALORE, MUMBAI ARE MOST INEXPENSIVE