Current Affairs 2016 PDF Capsule by Affairscloud

AC Current Affairs
Booster 2016
Hello Dear AC Aspirants,
Here we are providing best AC Current Affairs Booster 2016

keeping in mind of upcoming Banking, Insurance, SSC, UPSC and
other competitive exam which cover Current Aaffairs section .
PLS find out the links of AffairsCloud Exam Capsule and all also
AC monthly capsules + pocket capsules and Static Capsule which
cover almost all questions of GA section
All the best for upcoming Exam with regards from AC Team.
Kindly Check Other Capsules
Afffairscloud Exam Capsule

Current Affairs Study Capsule
Current Affairs Pocket Capsule
Static General Knowledge capsule
Help:
If You Satisfied with our Capsule mean kindly donate some amount
to BoscoBan.org (Facebook.com/boscobengaluru )
or Kindly Suggest this site to our family members & friends !!!
Current Affairs 2016 PDF
Table of Contents
Current Affairs January 2016 .................................................................................................... 3

Current Affairs February 2016 ...............................................................................................27
Current Affairs March 2016 .....................................................................................................54
Current Affairs April 2016........................................................................................................76
Current Affairs May 2016 ...................................................................................................... 100
Current Affairs June 2016 ...................................................................................................... 125
Current Affairs July 2016 ....................................................................................................... 144
Current Affairs August 2016 ................................................................................................. 172
Current Affairs September 2016 ......................................................................................... 202
Current Affairs October 2016 ............................................................................................... 234
Current Affairs November 2016 .......................................................................................... 271
Current Affairs December 2016 .......................................................................................... 307
2|Page
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2017 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Current Affairs January 2016

INDIAN AFFAIRS
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs increase in the budget amount for grid-connected solar
rooftop systems to Rs. 5,000 crore from Rs.600 crore for 2019-2020.
Amaravati will get Indias first ever underwater tunnel under the river Krishna -3km long.
Pakistans Singer Adnan Sami gets Indian Citizenship
Goa set up Investment Promotion Board (IPB) for fast approvals to industrial proposals - cleared 62
proposals with investment of Rs 5,200 crore.
Government decided to merge the ministry of overseas Indian affairs (MOIA) with the external affairs
ministry.
Telangana becomes the first state in the country to legally accept Electronic motor insurance policies
e-Vahan Bima -under Motor Vehicle Act 1988
Alstom the French transportation equipment maker rolled out the first set of railway coaches for the
Kochi Metro project - Chennai metro the first.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the 103rd Indian Science Congress in Mysore,Karnataka
Theme Science & Technology for Indigenous Development in India
5 key bills assented by Prez Pranab Mukherjee - Article 111
1. Atomic Energy (Amendment) Act
Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Act, 2015
2. Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act, 2015
3. Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015
4. Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts
Act
A friendship bus service between India and Nepal via Champawat in Uttarakhand resumed after a
gap of 27 years.
State election commissioner (SEC) Ashok Kumar Chauhan announced that toilets will be mandatory
requirement for eligibility to contest panchayat elections in Bihar.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh approved 33% of constable-rank personnel in paramilitary Central
Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and 15% in the border
guarding forces for being filled up by women.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the road projects worth Rs
41,000 crore for Telangana.
Union Minister of State for Development of North-Eastern Region (MDoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh
released MDoNER Calender-2016.
Theme Rising North East
Odisha gov increased the Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel by 3% each.
Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Shri. Y. S. Chowdary laid Foundation
for the building complex of the International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography (ITCO-
Ocean) at Hyderabad.
BHEL has commissioned 600 MW unit at Kakatiya Thermal Power Project, Telangana.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh approved the allocation of Additional Central Assistance
(ACA) of Rs.1000 crores to 7 states.
Jharkhand,Chhattisgarh,Bihar,Odisha,Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the River
Information System (RIS) in New Delhi.
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways decided to directly shift from BS-IV to BS-VI Emission
norms directly by 01.04.2020 -Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Shri Nitin
Gadkari.
Ministry of Urban Development approved the Atal Mission plans for Punjab(720cr) and
3|Page
Uttarakhand(267cr) for 2015-16.

Kerala Gov implement the Sampoorna Arogya Keralam - Families with annual income below Rs.3
lakh - OutlayRs.20 crore
Ministry of Urban Development has commissioned Quality Council of India (QCI) to make Report Card
of Swachh Bharat Mission
President promulgated Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Ordinance, 2016 to make
amendments to the Enemy Property Act, 1968.
Operation Green Hunt to hunt Maoists in Sukma district of south Chhattisgarh.
Maharashtra CMDevendra Fadnavis unveiled Laman Diva as the logo of the first Make in India (MII)
Week scheduled to be held in Mumbai between February 13 and 18.
Gove approved the set up of fifth Greenfield electronics manufacturing cluster in Raipur, Chattisgarh
worth Rs.89 crore
International Kite Festival began at Surat and Rajkot in Gujarat.
Human Resource Minister Smriti Irani unveiled the 43rd New Delhi World Book Fair
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas launched an Online Initiative to engage the LPG Consumers and
Citizens of India.
Governors rule imposed in Jammu & Kashmir under Article 92 (1) after death of Jammu & Kashmir
Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Railway Board chairman AK Mittal inspected first luxury Make in India railway coaches at Habibganj
railwaystation(Bhopal).
Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu inaugurated Implementation of E-enabled Track
Management System (TMS) & Mobile Application of TMS on Indian Railway and Track Inventory
Management System on Northern Railway at Rail Bhawan, New Delhi .
Telangana became the first State to make gender education compulsory
Kerala became the first state in the country to achieve the status of 100% primary education declared by
Vice-President Hamid Ansari.
Scientists at Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes (CIRB) in Hisar have successfully produced a
cloned buffalo offspring Cirb Gaurav.
CIRB becomes worlds third and Indias second institute to produce cloned buffalo.
20th National Youth Festival has commenced in capital city of Chhattisgarh, Naya Raipur.
Theme India Youth for Skill, Development and Harmony
BHEL commissions 520 MW thermal power unit in Andhra Pradesh in successful operation at Simhadri
Super Thermal Power Station of NTPC.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar approved major changes to the Defence Procurement Procedure -
modernize defence acquisitions
India Meteorological Department (IMD) changed the languages and also redefined many of its terms.
BSF starts Operation Cold along international border Covering Sriganganagar, Bikaner, Barmer and
Jaisalmer in Rajasthan
14th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas held in New Delhi, Organised by External Affairs Ministry
Nitin Gadkari-led Road Ministry announced Rs 11,000 crore for a plan to reduce the number of road
fatalities and to fix 726 black spots .
Supreme Court stayed the Centres notification lifting ban on controversial bull taming sport Jallikattu
during the festival of Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar launched two initiatives
SAMEEP(Safety Alert Messages Exclusively For Passengers) is an effort towards instant
communication with railway passengers
B-Safe is a prolonged multi-media awareness campaign.
Union Cabinet gave its nod for India becomes a member country of International Energy Agency
Ocean Energy Systems (IEA-OES) by signing the Implementing Agreement (IA).
Supreme Court suggested Parliament to enact separate law for child rape - rape of infants and
children below 10 years of age
Sikkim turned out to be the Indias first fully organic state by implementing organic practices - 75,000
4|Page
hectares
Union Human Resource Development Minister Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani inaugurated the permanent
campus (Phase I) of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) at Vithura
Indias Grid-linked solar generation capacity crosses 5,000 MW mark
Jharkhand to set up fast track courts for trial of witchcraft-related attacks relating to witchcraft incidents.
President Pranab Mukherjee given his assent to the Sugar Cess (Amendment) Bill, 2015 -Rs 25 to Rs
200 per quintal under Sugar Cess Act, 1982
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 with special provisions to tackle child
offenders in the age group of 16-18 years committing heinous offences.
First Mahila Troop inducted for High-Altitude Posts of IC Border - 500 women labor force
The countrys first water tourism will begin in Madhya Pradesh on February 12 to February 21
in Hanuwantiya at Indra Sagar Dam.
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) sanctioned 791 crore rupees to the drought affected
Telangana.
Worlds largest Tricolour hoisted at the Pahari temple in Ranchi - 99 by 66 feet and height of 293 feet.
Pranab Mukherjee launched the Pulse Polio programme for 2016
1st phase six States - Assam, Gujarat, Punjab, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Union government released draft for the right of transgender person bill, 2015
Issue the certificate for the identification of the transgender persons
Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh inaugurated
the Hall of Nuclear Power in New Delhi.
For the first time in 10 years, sex ratio in Haryana shown a mounting crossing the 900 mark with 903
girls per 1,000 boys.
BHEL commissioned the second 660 MW supercritical unit of Lalitpur Super Thermal Power
Project (STPP) in Uttar Pradesh.
Kalraj Mishra released Laghu Udyog Samachar Magazine on Startup India theme in 13th Meeting of the
NBMSME
National Conference on Sustainable Agriculture and Farmers Welfare was chaired in Sikkim Chief
Guest PM Narendra Modi
Central Information Commission has ruled the Universities and examining bodies for not to charge
more than Rs 2 per page for providing copies of evaluated answer scripts to students.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released the results from the first phase of the National Family
Health Survey (NFHS-4), 2015-16
Improvements in maternal and child health and nutrition and Better care for women during
pregnancy
IIT-Kharagpur has launched an innovation centre to promote the culture of innovation
Union Cabinet approved National Tariff Policy for Electricity to tightening regulations for setting
power rates and promotion of clean energy.
Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurate d
the 19th National Conference on e-Governance in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
Telangana Gov is set to introduce Course Credits in Secondary education for students to take part in
certain programmes.
Bihar Gov approved 35 per cent reservation for women in government jobs
Cabinet approbated 50000 crore rupees for Infrastructure Projects in TN
Four-lane National Highways projects in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Tirupur and 2 flyovers in
Marthandam and Parvathipuram.
Policy on Promotion of City Compost approvrd by the Union Cabinet to lower the maximum retail
price of city compost for farmers -Rs 1,500 per tonne
Rs 4,918-crore approved for Highway Project in Bihar - 222 kms
Gov granted infrastructure status to the shipyard industry to enable shipyards to avail flexible long-term
funding at lower costs under Income Tax Act, 1961
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs given its nod for setting up over 5,000 MW of Grid-Connected
5|Page
Solar PV Power Projects - Rs 30,000 crore

Andhra Pradesh has reestablished the Andhra Pradesh Commission for Backward Classes by exercising
the rights vested in the section 3 of Andhra Pradesh Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993.
Indias first radio taxi service for the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) was flagged off in
Mumbai.
France returns head of Hindu statue taken 130 years ago taken from the Phnom Da temple in southern
Takeo territory by French researchers in 1882-1883.
Union Ministry Environment, Forest and Climate Change had notified stricter environment rules for
sugar industries in various states of the country to minimize water pollution
400 liter per ton limited to 200 liter per ton
The first free Public Wi-Fi service launched by Indian Railways telecom wing RailTel in partnership
with Google at Mumbais central railway station.
Union Tourism Ministry consented fund under Swadesh Darshan scheme, to create infrastructure
for Beating Retreat - Rs 99 crore
On the 119th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, PM Modi publicized the 100 secret
files
Maharashtras first Solar Power operated Mini-Water Supply Plant commissioned in Hingna village of
Mouda Taluka in Nagpur district
Corporate affairs ministry under the initiative of Government Process Re-engineering (GPR) has
initiated the Central Registration Centre (CRC) -to provide speedy incorporation-related services.
Maharashtra govt given its consent to new maritime policy for port development to create better
facilities around 720 km coastal region of the state.
India commemorated and honoured the 67th birth anniversary of its Constitution as Republic day
French President Francois Hollande was the chief guest of 67th Republic Day
French Marching Contingent 76 member French Army contingent
Army Dog Squad After 26 long years.
For the first time, a women only stunt contingent demonstrated their motorcycle riding skills
The celebration this year was 25 minute shorter than usual.
For the first time, Dhabalu Sisa (41) and Samari Sisa (46) a couple from Odisha attended the
Republic Day function as PM Narendra Modis guests.
For the first time, the parade saw an ex-servicemen tableau
Indian and Chinese troops meet on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh sector of Jammu and
Kashmir for the ceremonial Border Personal Meetings
The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act came into
force for prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.
India has donated 40 ambulances and 8 buses to various hospitals, non-profit charitable organisations
and educational institutions in Nepal.
French President Francois Hollande visit to India
Chief guest of the Republic Day parade.
Modi met Hollande at the Rock Garden
16 agreements signed during Business summit regarding Smart Cities, Urban Sector
Development,Solar Photovoltaic Projects,partnership for helicopters
India, France sign Rafale fighter plane accord
India, France ink pacts for cooperation in space technology
Indias first international &inter-governmental organization headquartered in India
Mr. Hollande Bollywood Meet Actors Aishwarya Rai & Shahrukh Khan, Designer Ritu Beri
& filmmaker Aditya Chopra
Indian Railway flagged off Indias first blind friendly train, from Mysuru to Varanasi.
Railway broadband reaches 500,000 households through its Railwire network.
Union Cabinet has publicized the names of the first 20 urban areas that will be developed as smart cities
Sr. no City State Sr. no City State
1 Bhubaneswar Odisha 11 Indore Madhya Pradesh
6|Page
2 Pune Maharashtra 12 NDMC New Delhi

3 Jaipur Rajasthan 13 Coimbatore Tamil Nadu
4 Surat Gujarat 14 Kakinada Andhra Pradesh
5 Kochi Kerala 15 Belagavi Karnataka
6 Ahmedabad Gujarat 16 Udaipur Rajasthan
7 Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh 17 Guwahati Assam
8 Vishakapatnam Andhra Pradesh 18 Chennai Tamil Nadu
9 Sholapur Maharashtra 19 Ludhiana Punjab
10 Davangere Karnataka 20 Bhopal Madhya Pradesh
CCEA Approves Hybrid Annuity Model for Highway Projects - provide 40% of the project cost to the developer
Union Cabinet approved the plan of rising 17 India Reserve Battalions (IR Bns) in Jammu & Kashmir and Left
Wing Extremism (LWE) affected States.
Aparna Kumar UP cadre IPS officer become the countrys first civil servant to scaled Mount Vinson Massif.
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced to impose ban on polythene in entire state from January
2017.
GOI to create Khadi Gramudyog network announced at the 68th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and a
book titled Nathuram Godse The Story of an Assassin is also released on the occasion.
Wings Rainbow in Mumbai and Kerala is to launch G-Taxi (Gender Taxi) operated owned and operated by
members of the LGBT
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
India will no longer receive financial aid from the UK, from January 1, 2016.
New coins featuring William Shakespeare, Beatrix Potter, the Army and the Great Fire of
London are released in 2016.
India and Pakistan exchanged the list of their nuclear installations for the 25th consecutive year under
a bilateral agreement.
Saudi Arabia announced the end ceasefire agreement with Yemens Houthi involve fighters and their
allies.
3 post-graduate courses of Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru ranked top in Central Asia -
Paris-based international agency Eduniversal,
Sri Lanka and Pakistan agreed to expand their bilateral free trade agreement by inclusion of services
and investment and 8 MoUs and defence deal signed
Chinas first lawsuit on same-sex marriage rights has been accepted by a court
Worlds happiest countries- 1. Fiji(beautiful islands) 2.Colombia and 3.Saudi Arabia became third
country - Greece is the third most unhappy country
Nepal elected to the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) executive board, representing the
group of Asia-Pacific countries for the term 2016-2018.
Sri Lanka government proposes new constitution - aimed at devolving power and preventing the sort
of ethnic tensions
Kenya published new broadcast regulations to place strict limits on sexual content and ban
preachers from soliciting money on air.
2016 outsourcing index - top 10 India includes China, Malaysia, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, The
Philippines, Mexico, Chile and Poland
India and Philippines - greatest priority in case of outsourcing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping reshuffles military headquarters in major revamp 4 HQ
US and Jordan signed a Joint Action Plan (JAP) to improve efforts against nuclear and radiological
smuggling
India has largest diaspora population followed by Mexico and Russia - UN report Trends in
International Migrant Stock
India Tourism Year in China in 2015 andChina Tourism Year in India in 2016 announced by
China National Tourism Administration (CNTA)
7|Page
Conference of Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) on Afghan Peace and Reconciliation

process held in Islamabad
Nepal gov proposed formation of 4-member Eminent Persons Group to review the existing bilateral
agreements with India
Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy in Baghdad after 25 years
WHO announced that the Ebola epidemic that has ravaged West Africa for two years
United Nations reduced its GDP growth forecast for India for 2016 to 7.5% from 8.2% - report
by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
India marked as 2nd largest fruit producer in Global List - handbook, published by the Oxford
University 1. China and 2.Brazil
US removed a wide range of sanctions against Iran
Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTC) India - 89th position.
Switzerland followed Singapore, Luxembourg,United States and Denmark.
Indian business leaders emerged as the most optimistic lot globally about economic recovery in 2016
- Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR).
French President Francois Hollande declared a state of economic emergency to redefine Frances
economic and social model.
India and Israel agreed to intensify coordination to deal with the menaceof terrorism
USA, China, Germany, the UK and India - most promising markets globally: PwC survey
4 Indian Magnificoes among Worlds 62 Super-Rich -Oxfam report An Economy for the 1%
Mukesh Ambani,Azim Premji,Dilip Shanghvi and Hinduja Brothers
India ranked 4thamong the top five Asia Pacific countries with 2.36 lakh - Asia Pacific 2016 Wealth
Report, by New World Wealth 1.Japan, 2. China and 3.Australia
Indias growth projection unchanged at 7.3% in the current fiscal - International Monetary Fund
(IMF)
World tourism numbers hit record 1.18 billion in 2015 - United Nations World Tourism Organisation
India and the UK agreed to strengthen economic cooperation in infrastructure financing, addressing
issues of cross-border tax evasion and avoidance.
India ranked 22nd among worlds best countries - World Economic Forum
Top 5 countries - Germany, Canada, the UK, the USA and Sweden
Denmark crowned as Worlds Best Country for Women - US News and World Report.
Second Sweden,Third Canada and Algeria and Pakistan are the worst countries for females
India submitted its first Biennial Update Report (BUR) to the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Global Human Development Report (HDR) 2015 by UN Development Programme (UNDP)
Bangaldesh tops in SouthAsia.Sri Lanka, Iran-69th, Maldives-104th, India- 130th
World Economic Forum (WEF) accredited World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and Salesforce
CEO Marc Benioff to its Board of Trustees.
Indias National capital New Delhi(20th ) and Financial capital Mumbai(12th ) among the top Asia -
Asia Pacific 2016 Wealth Report. First - Tokyo
Japans Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga approved the lifting of sanctions on Iran.
India become the third largest steel producer in the world after China and Japan with a production
of 6 million tonne (mt) in 2015
IIM Ahmadabad, IIM- Bangalore; and the ISB in top 100 on FTs global MBA list by Financial
Times Global MBA Ranking for 2016
Pakistan plans its first mega nuclear power plant - 2,000 megawatts.
Japanese automaker Toyota emerged as the worlds biggest automaker for the 4th straight year.
India at 76th place in its Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2015 - Denmark-topped in the list
Danish parliament approved a controversial law allowing authorities to seize refugees cash and
valuables
International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced to implement long due quota reforms - more voting
8|Page
rights to India and China.

Bill Gates topped the list of 50 Worlds Wealthiest People - Wealth-X
Amancio Ortega(Inditex) 2nd and Warrant Buffett(Berkshire Hathaway) - 3rd
US Agency for International Developments (USAID) extends the funds for the TB-free India project
- USD 7.5 million
India ranks 4th on the list of nations with the most number of think tanks after US, China and UK
Japan unveiled countrys first stealth fighter aircraft X-2
BANKING & FINANCE
RBI asked State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) banks to identify villages with population
above 5,000 without a bank branch
SEBI rejects Sahara plea to restore portfolio manager licence because it was Not fit and proper for
this business
Punjab National Bank launched host of digital banking solutions including green PIN and enrichment
of its mobile app.
Among all Asian and BRICS currencies, Rupee turned out to be one of the best performers in
2015 excluding yen.
LIC introduced a limited premium paying, non-linked with-profits Endowment Assurance
plan Jeevan Labh.
RBI imposes Rs 1 cr fine on State Bank of Travancore
Andhra Bank launched Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) at all its branches max Rs. 2 lakh
India Index Services & Products (IISL) launched the Nifty Private Sector Bank Index.
India to grow robust at 7.8% in 2016-17 - World Banks latest Global Economic Prospect (GEP)
report
Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance launched micro term insurance plan Bajaj Allianz Bima Dhan Suraksha
Yojana with return of premium option.
Kotak Life launches Premier Life Plan -about 35 to 40 per cent up to 99 years of age
ICICI Bank partnered with FINO PayTech to venture into the payments bank space 30%
SBT to sponsor NeFMS Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MNREGA)
scheme.
HDFC targets fund size of Rs. 5000 crore for HCARE-1 12years
HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company set up a wholly-owned reinsurance company at the Dubai
International Financial Centre (DIFC) -USD 12.33 million.
Indian Bank to raise Rs 1,100 crore from bonds to fund business growth.
Bank of Baroda timely paid over Rs 95 crore as interest to the beneficiaries of its additional tier-I
Basel-III compliant bonds issue of Rs 1,000 crore.
BankBazaar.com launches One Loan Two Homes program to help the flood-affected citizens of
Chennai.
Asian Development Bank extend a $625 million loan to the proposed $840 million Visakhapatnam-
Chennai Industrial Corridor.
SEBI tightened the rules on mutual fund-sector-specific exposure limit 30% of the NAV to 25%.
IndiaFirst Life Insurance joint venture with Bank of Baroda, Andhra Bank enter into pension space
to launches retirement plan
Asian Development Bank extend a $625 million loan to the proposed $840 million Visakhapatnam-
Chennai Industrial Corridor.
India (1945-2015): Largest recipient of loans from World Bank -$102.1 billion
Countrys largest lender SBI opened a branch in Seoul, South Korea
SBI launches dedicated branch for start-ups in Bengaluru-wealth management offering centre -
Exclusif
Bank of India (BOI) acquired 49% stake from BSE Ltd in their joint venture BOI Shareholding
9|Page
Ltd for an undisclosed amount.

RBI raises shareholding in NHB by pumping in Rs 1,000 crore -Rs 450 crore to Rs 1,450 crore
GOI and WB sign agreement for Neeranchal National Watershed Project -Rs.2142 crore
Chinas Xi Jinping launches Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank-India and 56 countries have
joined as founding members
World Bank released its annual World Development Report (WDR) titled Digital Dividends with
a focal point on the impact of the Internet, mobile phones and communication technologies
on economic development.
Banks to issue 2nd tranche of sovereign gold bonds -915.95 kg amounting to Rs. 246 crore.
Suresh Prabhu announced that World Bank would be the anchor investor in the new Railway
Development Fund.
World Bank to extend $20 million for reconstructing Visakhapatnam's Indira Gandhi Zoological
Park (IGZP).
Somnath Temple is all set to become Gujarats first temple to deposit its idle gold in the Gold
Monetisation Scheme as its trustees 35kg
Bombay Stock Exchange launched a new service for algorithm trading test environment in
partnership with Symphony Fintech Solutions Pvt Ltd.
State Bank of Travancore tied up with the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to provide
customers of the state utility online facility for remittance of electricity charges.
Bihar Kosi Basin Development Project got a financial succor of US$ 250 million from World Bank
ICICI Bank inaugurated its first full service branch at Sandton in Johannesburg in South Africa
RBI instructed banks to cease Rs 1,000 notes lacking Security Thread
FreeCharge teamed up with MasterCard & Yes Bank to launch Virtual Card
Gold Monetisation Scheme gets Simplified - depositors to deposit their gold directly with
the refiners .
Deposits in Jan Dhan accounts cross Rs 30,000 Crore
Gov announced that under the monetisation scheme, so far 900 kg of idle household
RBI shortlisted 5 companies for Audit and Risk Monitoring Mechanism (AMRMS)
Auditime Information Systems Pvt Ltd-Mumbai,NCSSoft Solutions Pvt Ltd-Chennai, PWC
Pvt Ltd- Mumbai,Quadrant 4 Software Solutions Pvt Ltd,Chennai and Thomson Reuters Pvt
Ltd Mumbai.
ADB 2nd tranche $80 Million assistance for urban reforms in Agartala & Aizwal
RBI governor Raghuram Rajan joins World Economic Forum (WEF) task force to study the global
finance system
Bank of Japan has imposed a negative interest rate of -0.1% on accounts it holds for commercial
banks.
State Bank of India and Bank of Baroda are creating stricter norms on anti-money laundering (AML)
framework for their branches outside India.
Gov revised down its annual economic growth for the fiscal year that ended in March 2015
to 7.2% from 7.3%.
RBI increased the Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for all states to Rs 32,225 crore for the
current and next financial years.
BUSINESS
Indias Petronet LNG ink revised contract with RasGas of Qatar to import gas at a significantly
lower price.
PM Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of the new plant for the construction of new helicopter
manufacturing unit of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Tumkur district in Karnataka
Oasis Group to invest Rs 500 crore for establishing a wheat-based ethanol plant - at Zira
district, Ferozepur in Punjab.
Union Government abolishes export duty 5% export duty on pellets, 10% on bauxite and 30% on
10 | P a g e
chromite and iron ore.

Gov decided to shut three units of HMT including HMT Watches, HMT Chinar Watches and HMT
Bearings
Bhel commissioned two 220/20kV substations in Afghanistan to expand its footprint in the strife-torn
nation.
PayPal ties-up with Shopmatic for cross-border transactions -first tie-up with an Indian partner.
IndusInd Bank tied up with online payment solution firm payU India to provide customers the full
suite of consumer banking products online
Flipkart,Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd has entered into an arrangement with Flipkart for online booking
of Mahindra KUV100.
Microsofts charity arm is set to donate $1 billion in cloud computing services over the course of
the next three years
India initiated a probe into alleged dumping of rubber variants used for leather goods by
the EU, South Korea and Thailand
SoftBank invests Rs 100 cr more in Housing.com for premier developers called BRAND FALCON
MRF Tyres and the International Cricket Council (ICC) becomes global partner for four-years deal.
FDI flows into India nearly doubled in 2015 -United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD)
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) gets environmental clearance for a project in
the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin -53,000 crore.
Coca Cola launched milk-based beverages under the brand name Vio.
India has outpaced Thailand as the worlds largest rice exporter in 2015 - Thai Rice Exporters
Association
Ratan Naval Tata the Indian businessman and the Chairman of Emeritus Tata Sons have invested in
the start-up Teabox
Apollo Munich ties up with Axis Bank for offering bank customers a paperless customized insurance
policies.
Dr Reddys Laboratories (DRL) received an approval from the US Food and Drug Administration
(USFDA) for ZembraceSymTouch injection.
Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) are to
collaborate to develop a battery for passenger cars using technology .
Iran, Airbus has signed a deal to buy 118 Airbus jets worth $27.
Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro have joined US President Barack Obamas
ambitious computer science for all
Alibabas first Indian trade facility centre opens in Jaipur and a Hindi portal, aimed at connecting
small and medium businesses
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Name of the Awards Name of the Persons

eASIA award 2015 DAVA project
2015 Sangita Kalanidhi Award Sanjay Subrahmanyam
Limca Book of Records Delhi Police (cash heist case)
National Payments Excellence Awards 2015 Corporation Bank
Flipkart Website of the Year India 2015
2015 Costa Novel Prize
Costa First Novel Award Andrew Michael Hurley
Costa Novel Award Kate Atkinson
Costa Poetry Award Don Paterson
Costa Children Book Award Frances Hardinge
Costa Biography Award Andrea Wulf
2015 US Bestseller List Harper Lees (Go Set a Watchman)
Pentagon award US drone operators
11 | P a g e
Peoples Choice Award Priyanka Chopra

Central Banker of the Year Award 2016 Raghuram Rajan
India Philanthropy List 2015 Azim Premji
H K Devsare Baalsahitya award Balkrishna Garg
Entrepreneur of the Year Kunal Bahl(Snapdeal)
PMs trophy Tata Steel
Best in the country Mangaluru Airport
Golden Globe Awards 2016
Picture
Best Motion Picture (Drama) The Revenant
Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) The Martian
Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama) Leonardo DiCaprio
Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama) Brie Larson
Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) Matt Damon
Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) Jennifer Lawrence
Best Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Best Animated Feature Film Inside Out
Best Foreign Language Film Son of Saul (Hungary)
Television
Best Series (Drama) Mr. Robot
Best Actor in a Television Series (Drama) Jon Hamm
Best Actress in a Television Series (Drama) Taraji P. Henson
Best Series (Musical or Comedy) Mozart in the Jungle
Best Actor in a Television Series (Musical or Comedy) Gael Garcia Bernal
Best Actress in a Television Series (Musical or Comedy) Rachel Bloom
Best Miniseries Wolf Hall
Best Actor in a Miniseries Oscar Isaac
Best Actress in a Miniseries Lady Gaga
Cecil B DeMille Award Washington
2016 FIFA Ballon dOr award Lionel Messi
Guiness Book Kullu folk dance Nati
National Award on e-Governance Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)
Most generous graduate of Yale B-School Indra Nooyi
Danny Kaye Humanitarian Leadership Award David Beckham
Neerja Bhanot Award Subhashini Vasanth

International Woolmark Prize Suket Dhir
Amazing Indians Awards 2016
Incredible Innovators Chintakindi Mallesham
Young Indians, Big Achievements Damini Sen
Young Indians, Big Achievements Malavath Poorna
Ordinary Indians, Extraordinary Achievements Murugan S
Energising India Mathews K Mathew

Indian at Heart Timothy
Global Indians Yashraj Khaitan
Grassroots Soldier Late Kallen Pokkudan
Grassroots soldier Popatrao Pawar
Educators of India Ruma Roka
Stree Shakthi Sunita Aralikar
Unstoppable Indians S Ramakrishnan
Lorenzo Natali Media Prize Ankita Anand
Guinness Book of World Records Amritsar
Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan
2016 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature Anuradha Roy
61st Britannia Filmfare Awards 2015
12 | P a g e
Best Film Bajirao Mastani

Best Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) Ranveer Singh
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female) Deepika Padukone
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male) Anil Kapoor
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female) Priyanka Chopra
Best Playback Singer (Male) Arijit Singh
Best Playback Singer (Female) Shreya Ghoshal
Best Costume Anju Modi and MaximaBasu
Best Choreography Pt Birju Maharaj
Prof MV Pylee Award Dr Jancy James
The Hindu Prize, 2015 Easterine Kire
9th Annual Cinema Eye Honours The Look of Silence
National Bravery Awards 2015 25 Childrens
Gov Award new Category Most Film Friendly State/UT
2nd most followed Indian on Twitter PM Modi
National Award for Technology Innovation in Petrochemicals 2015-16
Innovation in Polymeric Material
Industry Indian Oil Corporation Ltd
Ester Industries Ltd
Academic and R&D Institution IIT Guwahati
Innovation in Polymeric Products
Industry Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd
Innovation of Polymer processing Machinery & Equipments
Industry Kabra Extrusiontechnik Ltd
Academic and R&D Institution IIT Madras
Innovation in Polymer waste Management & recycling technology and green polymeric material & products
Industry Supreme Industries Ltd
Academic and R&D Institution Defence Institute of Advanced Technology
Polymers in Agriculture & Water Conservation
Mr. S Dinesh Kumar & Mr. MJ Giridharan
Polymers in Public Health Care
Industry Sahajanand Medical Technologies Pvt Ltd
Research in the field of Polymer Science & Technology
Industry Reliance R&D Centre
Academic and R&D Institution Indian Oil Corporation Ltd
Guinness Book of World Records Adeles Hello - one billion views
Padma Awards 2016
Rajinikanth Actor
Ramoji Rao Media baron
Girija Devi Classical vocalist
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Spiritual guru
V K Aatre Former DRDO chief
Avinash Dixit IndianAmerican economist
Jagmohan Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor
Yamini Krishnamurthi Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi dancer
Dr V Shanta Cancer specialist and chairperson of Adyar Cancer
Institute
Padma Bhushan awardees
Anupam Kher Actor
Udit Narayan Singer
Hafeez Contractor Architect
Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry Industrialist
Vinod Rai Former CAG
Sania Mirza Tennis Star
Ram Sutar Indian sculptor
13 | P a g e
Saina Nehwal Badminton star

Late Swami Dayanand Saraswati Spiritual leader
Swami Tejomayananda Spiritual leaders
Heisnam Kanhailal Theatre personality
R C Bhargava Maruti Suzuki chairman
Indu Jain Chairperson of Bennett, Coleman & Co
Robert Blackwill Former US Ambassador to India
Barjinder Singh Hamdard Ex-parliamentarian, editor of Punjabi Newspaper
Prof N S Ramanuja Tatacharya Sanskrit Scholar
Prof D Nageshwar Reddy Asian Institute of Gastroenterology
Venkata Rama Rao Alla Drug technology
Jeevan Raksha Padak Awards 2015
Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak
Ullas Unnikrishnan (Posthumous) Kerela
Munna alias Ramdars Sisodiya(Posthumous) Madhya Pradesh
Ankit Kumar Mishra (Posthumous) Uttar Pradesh
Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak
Shivakumar R. Karnataka
Laldinpuia Mizoram
Shaitan Singh (Posthumous) Rajasthan
Jitendra Kumar Soni Rajasthan
Shourya Veer Singh (Posthumous) Madhya Pradesh
Riya Chaudhary (Posthumous) Uttar Pradesh
Monika alias Manisha (Posthumous) Uttarakhand
Gaurav Kumar Bharti (Posthumous) Uttar Pradesh
Ravindra Pal Singh (Posthumous) Uttar Pradesh
Gallantry Awards 2016
Ashok Chakra Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami
Shaurya Chakra 1. Colonel Santosh Yashwant Mahadik
(Posthumous)
2. Sepoy Dharma Ram (Posthumous)
3. Major Praphul Kumar Bhardwaj
4. Lieutenant Harjinder Singh
5. Naik Kheem Singh Mehra
6. Major Anurag Kumar
7. Major Sandip Yadav
8. Naik Satish Kumar
Order of Australia Sajeev Koshy
Russian Order of Friendship Ramayah Shanmuga Sundar
Jananpiths Navlekhan Award Amlendu Tiwari & Om Nagar
2015 Prince Mahidol Award Morton Mower, Michael Marmot
K Veeramani Award for Social Justice 2015 Nitish Kumar
Honored by ISSF Abhinav Singh Bindra

Amnesty International Human Rights Award 2016 Henri Tiphagne
V Shantaram Life Time Achievement Award Naresh Bedi
William E Colby award Midnights Furies Nisid Hajari
Allan Border Medal 2016
One Day International Player of the Year Glenn Maxwell
Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year Alex Ross
State Player of the Year Adam Voges
Womens International Cricketer of the Year (Belinda Ellyse Perry
Clark Award)
2016 Yash Chopra Memorial Award Actress Rekha
14 | P a g e
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS
United Nations appointed Lionel Messi and pop sensation Shakira to promote eradication of poverty
by 2030.
Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria took over as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff of IAF.
Atul Sobti charged as chairman and managing director (CMD) of BHEL
Javed Ahmed appointed DG of Police of Uttar Pradesh -replace vacant Jagmohan Yadav
D.K.Hota appointed as CMD of defence PSU BEML Ltd .
Syngene International appointed Jonathan Hunt as CEO-designate after Peter Bains
Wipro appointed Abidali Z Neemuchwala as chief executive officer (CEO), succeeding T K Kurien
Shekhar Saran assumed charge as CMDof Ranchi-based Central Mine Planning & Design Institute
Ltd
Mary Barra first Woman to chair General Motor as CEO succeedor of Tim Solso
Novo Nordisk announced Indian cricket star Sachin Tendulkar as brand ambassador for the disease
awareness campaign Changing Diabetes
Filippo Grandi (58) appointed as the new High Commissioner for the UN Refugee Agency
(UNHCR)- succeedor of Antonio Guterres,
LinkedIn named Akshay Kothari its India head - succeedor of Nishant Rao.
Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) appointed Kunal Shah, as the new chairman.
Vishal Suri CPO in Thomas Cook appointed as managing director - succeedor of Rajeev Wagle.
Aditya Birla Group appointed Sushil Agarwal group CFO and Ashish Adukia as the deputy CFO the
groups telecom venture, Idea Cellular
Vedanta Ltd appointed Samir Cairae as CEO of the Metals division in India
Telecom engineer and inventor Sam Pitroda designated as the Technical Advisor to the Odisha Gov
Thilanga Sumathipala,President of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC)become the head of the Asian Cricket
Council.
Amitabh Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra replaces Aamir Khan as Incredible India ambassador
Centre has appointed AB Khare as the Chairman and Managing Director of the state-run Madras
Fertilizers Ltd succeedor of I Vijay Kumar.
Dr. Achyuta Samanta has been elected as the general president for the 105th Indian Science Congress
Association (ISCA)
Gurbir Grewal appointed as the top prosecutor in New Jersey - first South Asian
Devender Kumar Sikri appointed as chairman of Competition Commission of India (CCI)
succeedor of Ashok Chawla
Gajendra Chauhan designated as the chairman of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII)
Wipro appointed Bhanumurthy B. M. as the President and Chief Operating Officer
Sailesh appointed as Registrar General and Census Commissioner (RGCC) of India by Appointments
Committee of Cabinet
Flipkart.com named Binny Bansal as its CEO-succeedor of Sachin Bansal.
Economist Paul Kaba Thieba named as the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso by the President Roch
Marc Christian Kabore
Micromax appointed VikasThapar as new senior vice president for finance.
Airbus Group designated Ashish Saraf as its Vice-President of Industry Development, Strategic
Partnerships and Offsets.
French IT services firm Capgemini appointed Srinivas Kandula as the CEO of its India operations
succeedor of Aruna Jayanthi
DHL Express designated Ken Lee as its Chief Executive Officer for Asia Pacific region succeedor
of Jerry Hsu
R Shivakumar, Chairman of Kumar Group of companies, Bengaluru appointed as the Chairman of
Assocham Karnataka Regional Council.
Bhaskar Bhat appointed as chairman of Tata-SIA joint venture Vistara
15 | P a g e
Ronaldinho appointed as Brand Ambassador of Nagjee International Club Football Tournament

Taiwan elected its first female president Tsai Ing-wen succeedor of Ma Ying jeou
HSBC appointed Ravi Menon as the chief executive of its asset management arm - succeedor of
Puneet Chaddha
Dinesh Sharma elected into the 12-member board of directors of AIIB
Tata Motors appointed Guenter Butschek as its Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director
Ola has appointed Raghuvesh Sarup as its chief marketing officer
Lalu Prasad Yadav elected as president of his party Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for the ninth
consecutive term
Mindtree appointed RostowRavanan as CEO and Managing Director and Krishnakumar Natarajan
moved on to the role of Executive Chairman.
ICSI(Institute of Company Secretaries of India) appointed Mamta Binani as its President
Shri Sanjiv Ranjan designated as the next Ambassador of lndia to Republic of Argentina.
Parliament of Moldova accredited Pavel Filip as the 3rd Prime Minister of European nation
10 new EDs appointed in public sector banks
Name Previous Bank Now
Mayank K Mehta Union Bank of India Bank Of Baroda
Dina Bandhu Mohapatra Bank of India Canara Bank
Vinod Kumar Kathuria Punjab National Bank Union Bank of India
R Subramania Kumar Punjab National Bank Indian Bank
Rajkiran Rai G Central Bank of India Oriental bank of Commerce
Nageswaro Rao Y Vijaya Bank Vijaya Bank
A S Rajeev Indian Bank Indian Bank
Ramesh S Singh Central Bank of India Dena Bank
G Subramaia Iyer Canara Bank UCO Bank
Sunil Mehta Allahabad Bank Corporation Bank
Ravi Chellam designated as the executive director of NGO Greenpeace India - succeedor of Samit
Aich.
Government has designated Atulesh Jindal as the Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes
succeedor of Arun Kumar Jain.
Amit Shah was elected as the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa elected as President of Portugal succeedor of Anibal Cavaco Silva
Alice Vaidyan appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of General Insurance Corporation of
India (GIC Re) first women
Lava International ltd promoted Navin Chawla as chief operating officer
Sachin Tendulkar appointed as the brand ambassador of a newly-launched pleasure cruise
Twitter designated Leslie Berland as its Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).
Gurdeep Singh appointed as chairman and managing director (CMD) of central PSU National
Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)
SC of India has accredited Justice Sanjay Mishra as the Lokayukta of Uttar Pradesh.
Dr. Kamlesh Kumar Pandey is appointed as the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities
(CCPD)
Ten Non-Official Directors appointed in banks
Name of Appointee Bank Name
Girish Kumar Ahuja & Pushpendra Rai State Bank of India
Amit Chatterjee & G Gopalkrishna Dena Bank
Archana Ravindrarai Dholakia Bank of Maharashtra
V V R Sastry & M Bhagavantha Rao Vijaya Bank
Prof Radha R Sharma Allahabad Bank
Satyanarayana Dash NABARD
Atanu Sen Punjab and Sind Bank
16 | P a g e
Department of Telecommunications has designated J.S. Deepak as its Secretary succeedor of

Rakesh Garg.
Blue Star Ltd has designated Vir S Advani as its Managing Director and B Thiagarajan as Joint
Managing Director
P. Harish appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Mexico
Vice-Admiral Sunil Lanba designated as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Naval
Command.
SCHEMES
Gov will unveil Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme for kerosene from 1st April 2016
TN Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa launched the scheme Amma Seeds available through Amma
Service Centres across the state
Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti
launched Ganga Gram Yojana at Village Puth in Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh 1600 villages
Union Cabinet approved the Stand Up India Scheme to promote entrepreneurship
among SC/ST and Women entrepreneurs.
Mission Indradhanush added Four new vaccines -adult Japanese Encephalitis vaccine, Rotavirus
vaccine and Measles Rubella vaccine - Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash
TN Chief J Jayalalithaa launched a round-the-clock call centre for ensuring fast response to
grievances.
Nai Manzil Scheme is an integrated Education and Livelihood Initiative for the Minority
Communities launched in Jammu and Kashmir
Union Government decided to extend the Scheme Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao to 61 more districts in
2016
SEEMA DARSHAN - to provide an opportunity for the children to experience the border
environment and to encourage patriotism and nationalism among the students - Ministry of Human
Resource Development
Andhra Pradesh Gov launched Giriputrika Kalyana Pathakam Scheme to support the tribal women
Cabinet approves Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana - new crop insurance scheme,
having premiums as low as 1.5% of the sum insured.
Start Up India, Stand Up India launched in Thane by Deepak Ghaisas - Rs 10,000 crore 4 years
MoUs
PM Narendra Modi given its ex-post facto approval for the approach adopted by India at the
10th Ministerial Conference in Nairobi, Kenya- Nairobi Package.
India and Bahrain signed an agreement to strengthen their ties in key areas like trade and counter-
terrorism.
Maharashtra gov signed an MoU with private helicopter service company Pawan Hans - to boost
tourism
31 countries signed Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement (MCAA) to
increase the transparency in functioning of multinational enterprises (MNEs)
GOI,Jharkhand and the JBVNL (Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited)signed the first MOU for
operational & financial turnaround of Discoms under the Scheme UDAY
GOI signed MOU under the Scheme Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) with the State
of Uttar Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL).
GOI, Chhattisgarh and CSPDCL (Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited) signed a
MoU for operational & financial turnaround of Discoms under the Scheme UDAY
Rajasthan gov signed MoU with the Central Government of India to join Ujwal DISCOM Assurance
Yojana (UDAY) scheme.
17 | P a g e
GOI signed a MOU under the Scheme Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) with the State
of Uttar Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL).
Union cabinet given its ex-post-facto approval to MoU with Bangladesh for Mode of Operation of
Border haats on India-Bangladesh Border
Union Cabinet apprised the protocol signed earlier between India and Czech Republic in the field
of heavy industry
India-Australia Social Security Agreement comes into operation toenabling people of both nations to
avail retirement benefits
Reliance Defence Ltd signed an MOU with Andhra Pradesh gov to set up a naval facility along the
countrys eastern coast 20,000 crore
Sri Lanka and Pakistan agreed to expand their bilateral free trade agreement - 8 MoUs and defence
deal signed
Haryana Gov signed eight MoUs with top companies of China to set up a USD 10 billion industrial
park and smart cities
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) signed a MoU with National
Remote Sensing Center (NRSC) for web-based monitoring of watershed projects.
RINL - Visakhapatnam Steel Plant inked an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh Gov - Rs 38500 Crores
Union Cabinet chaired given its ex-post facto approval for the MoU between India and
Maldives cooperation in the field of Health
Government signed a loan agreement with Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA) for
pollution abatement of River Mula-Mutha under National River Conservation Plan - Rs. 1000 crore
NHAI has signed MoU with National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) under Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO) and North East Centre for Technology Application and Research for
monitoring and managing national highways.
Madhya Pradesh and the Singapore government have signed four MoUs
1,000-megawatt wind energy plant
MoU on urban planning
MoU on skill training
MoU on food processing
Exim Bank and the Andhra Pradesh have signed MoU for promoting exports
Maharashtra and Tata Trust signed MoU for a skill training programme for the youth
MoU inked between the Department of Space / Indian Space Research Organization
(DOS/ISRO) and Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (KISR) to cooperate & use of outer space
for peaceful purposes.
Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) inked MoU with National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the
Department of Space for monitoring mining activity
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) inked MoU with Department of
Telecommunication (DoT) for the implementation of National Action Plan for Skill Development in
Telecom Sector.
GOI and Armenia inked the protocol to amend the existing Double Taxation Avoidance Convention
Indian and Russian researchers signing an agreement for a period of six months in the areas of basic
and Exploratory Sciences.
The Union Cabinet has recently settled an approval for cyber security pacts signed with Malaysia,
Singapore and Japan - CERT-In.
Union Cabinet approved the MoU between India and Singapore on cooperation in the field of civil
aviation.
COMMITTEES
Gov constitutes Committee for Holistic interpretation of the provisions of the Cinematograph Act/
Rule - Headed by Filmmaker ShyamBenegal
Gov has formed a committee to review pay structure and social security benefits provided to Gramin
Dak Sevaks headed by Kamlesh Chandra
18 | P a g e
Justice R MLodha panel submits report to SC for reforms in BCCI

Recommended suspension of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals due to their
involvement in illegal betting and spot-fixing
Arvind Panagariya panel to fast-track bullet trains to accelerate the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed
Rail Corridor,
Gov decided to set up a high-powered panel headed by cabinet secretary P K Sinha to process
the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission
Kamal Hassan and Gautam Ghosh are inducted in the Shyam Benegal committee to holistically
look into the functioning of controversy ridden Central Board of Film Certification.
Union Ministry of Finance released the draft report of 10 member committee headed by Justice R V
Easwar (Retd) Committee to simplify the provisions of Income-tax Act, 1961.
Legislative Department of Union Law Ministry initiated an expert committee to review the Specific
Relief Act, 1963.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda set up a Central monitoring team which constitutes a technical
group to monitor the Zika situation.
SC instructed the Union Government to set up a committee to investigate the living
conditions and salary structure of over 3 lakh nurses.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
Reliance capital gets CCI nod to acquire Goldman Sachs fund arm -Rs.243 crore in cash.
Airtel acquires 100 per cent stake in Augere Wireless - Rs 3,314.36 crore.
Union Cabinet approved a proposal for the formation of a joint venture companies between Indian
Railways and state governments - Rs 100 crore
SBI buy four premium flats in the citys tony Peddar Road area from the loss-making Air India - Rs
90 crore.
Paytm acquires Shifu for $8mn to enrich customer experience
Nokia announced acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent(French firm) for 15.6 billion euros i.e. USD 16.6
billion.
Zydus Group acquired select brands and the manufacturing operations in Haridwar of Zoetis
Quikr to acquire Commonfloor - $200 million
Abraaj Group is set to acquire a majority stake in Quality CARE India Ltd - 72% for 2,000 crore.
Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd. acquired major stake i.e. 51% in India Circus Retail Pvt.
HCL Technologies Ltd acquired oUKs Point to Point Ltd and Point to Point Products Ltd for Rs 78
crore.
Cognizant has acquired KBACE Technologie for an undisclosed amount.
Airtel and Axiata to merge Bangladesh operations - $2 billion
Apple Inc. acquired San Francisco-based education-technology startup LearnSprout
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Bombay Stock Exchange Ltd launched a web-based portal for registrars and share transfer agents
(RTAs)
worlds largest blue star sapphire, weighing 1404.49 carats found in a mine in the city of Ratnapura,
in southern Sri Lanka
Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das inaugurated the states land bank web portal jharbhoom.Nic.In
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) decided to open a 100 acre Space Park in Bengaluru
NASA discovers five superstars in other galaxie which are parallel to Eta Carinae - using data from
NASAs Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes.
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) officially confirmed the permanent
addition of four new elements to the periodic table
19 | P a g e
Atomic number 113, 115, 117 and 118

Mylan Pharmaceuticals Private Limited has launched their generic Hepatitis C medicine under brand
name MyHep LVIR in India
Chinas country code domain .cn has become worlds most commonly used in the internet
Microsoft launched the Surface Pro 4 in India in three variants
Pune based research labs of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)have
developed new ammunition
A team of scientists led by an Indian-American professor discovered a new method that may help
in detecting dwarf galaxies dominated by dark matter
NASA successfully tested driverless car using at NASA Centre in California
Researchers at a university in Britain developed viruses that could halt the decline of Muga
caterpillar in India
Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu inaugurated implementation of E-enabled Track Management System
(TMS) and Mobile Application of TMS on Indian Railway at Rail Bhawan, New Delhi.
Illumina announced the launch of the startup named GRAIL to develop blood-based cancer tests.
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda launched m-Health initiatives
Kilkari means babys gurgle delivers free, weekly, time-appropriate 72 audio
messages about pregnancy, child birth and child care
Mobile Academy - It is a free audio training course designed to Accredited Social Health
Activists (ASHAs)
M-Cessation -It aims at reaching out to those willing to quit tobacco use
TB Missed Call initiative -A helpline with a toll free number will provide information,
counselling and treatment support services for TB.
NASA declared spacecraft Juno became the farthest travelled solar powered spacecraft
Second largest black hole in the Milky Way discovered by Japanese astronomers - CO-0.40-0.22
NASSCOM (The National Association of Software and Services Companies) 10K Start-up
Program in partnership with the Telangana government inaugurated the T-Hub NASSCOM Start-up
Warehouse in Hyderabad.
Zinnia became the first flower that has finally bloomed in outer space - Veggie lab aboard
International Space Station (ISS)
SPACEX Launching NASA Jason-3 Ocean Surveillance Satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base,
California
Chinese scientists develop new bio-artificial liver to help recover patients liver functions
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Siodia launched DVAT BILL App to boost Delhi Governments tax
collection
ISRO launched PSLV-C31 rocket successfully, carrying IRNSS 5th , IRNSS-1E from Satish
Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota
TranServ launched Indias 1st Social Mobile Wallet, Udio - enables squaring of dues, sharing
dinner bills or a cab ride a hassle free task
Largest Prime Number discovered - 274,207,281-1 dubbed M74207281
India will set up a satellite tracking and imaging centre in southern Vietnam that will give Hanoi
access to pictures from Indian earth observation satellites.
Union Government launched Sahaj Scheme for online booking of LPG cylinders. The booking can
be done through the unified web portal www.mylpg.in
In Latin America countries the Mosquito-borne Zika virus has created a panic over thousands birth
defects
Intelsats next generation satellite Intelsat 29e was successfully launched from French Guiana aboard
an Ariane 5 vehicle.
Astronomers of Royal Astronomical Society (RSA) have discovered the largest known solar system
2MASS J2126-8140
GOI launches National Job Portal for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) Thaawarchand Gehlot
Stockholm becomes the worlds first city to get the ultra high speed 5G mobile network.
20 | P a g e
Puducherry Lt Governor AK Singh launches MITRA(Mobile Initiated Tracking and Rescue

application) app to ensure safety and security of women, children and the elderly during emergency.
Customs Department initiated its first-of-its-kind mobile application in the world dubbed Indian
Customs Guide to Travellers to inform people about all Indian customs rules
DEFENCE
North Korea successfully carried out its first hydrogen bomb test marking a stunning step forward in
its nuclear development.
15th edition of bilateral exercise between India and Japan titled Sahayog-Kaijin 2016 - Chennai,
Tamil Nadu in the Bay of Bengal.
Indian and French troops commenced their 8 days counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency joint
exercise at the Mahajan field firing range in Bikaner, Rajasthan.
10th edition of the bilateral Indian Navy-Royal Omani Navy biennial exercise take place in the
Arabian Sea
INS Kadmatt - second ship of Project 28 (P28) class anti-submarine warfare
Israel gets fifth German-made nuclear-capable submarine INS Rahav - built in Kiel, Germany -
$500 million
An indigenously-built third generation anti-tank missile, Nag successfully hit in the Mahajan Field
Firing Range, Rajasthan.
Three Mi-25 gunship helicopters manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) were supplied
by India are officially join the Afghan Air Force.
Akash the medium-range mobile surface-to-air missile was successfully test fired from complex-3 of
the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipuri in Odisha
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASAs) revamped planet-hunting Kepler
spacecraft has discovered more than 100 planets orbiting other stars
A British woman Sue York became the first person in the world to have a pancreas transplant
ENVIRONMENT
The oceans will contain more plastics than fish by 2050 - World Economic Forum (WEF) and Ellen
MacArthur Foundation.
Global warming causes $1.5 trillion loss on middle-class - Swiss financial services major UBS report,
titled Climate change: A risk to the global middle class,
Worlds largest canyon far larger than the Grand Canyon in the US(in the picture) has been spotted by
Chinese scientists.
Seven Buddhist caves discovered at Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivli (Mumbai) in India.
The Oldest Christian monastery St Elijahs monastery in Iraq destroyed by the jihadist group Islamic
State (IS).
A team of scientists from India, Sweden, China, the US and Russia discovered a new bird species
Zoothera salimalii in Himalayan Forest Thrush in northeastern India .
Indian biologist Sathyabhama Das Biju with his team discovered a new genus of tree hole-breeding
frogs named Frankixalus in the forests of northeast India and bordering parts of China.
Tea Board of India launched the 5th version of its ambitious Plant Protection Code for the Indian
Tea industry.
SPORTS
Name of the Sport Events Name of the Winners

ICC ranking
Steve Smith (Aus) 899 points
Top-3 Test batsmen
Kane Williamson (NZ) 889
21 | P a g e
Joe Root (Eng) 888

RavichandranAshwin (Ind) 871 points
Top-10 Test bowlers Dale Steyn (SA) 867
Stuart Broad (Eng) 859
RavichandranAshwin (Ind) 406 points
Top-3 Test all-rounders Shakib Al Hasan (Ban) 384
Stuart Broad (Eng) 326
National Wrestling Championship
Mens 65kg
First Bajrang
Second Rajneesh
Third Manoj and Bhagat Singh
Mens 57kg
Gold SandeepTomar
Silver Ravinder
Womens 48kg
Gold RituPhogat
Silver AprnaBishni
Bronze Pooja and Nirmal
Qatar Masters Open chess tournament Magnus Carlsen
2015 South Asian Football Federation India
P T Rajan Gold Cup Rajsamman
World record by scoring 1009 runs at school level
PranavDhanawade
tournament
Chandela (Gold)
Swedish Air-Rifle Championship Astrid Steffensen (Silver)
Stine Nielsen(Bronze)
26th LalBahadurShastri Hockey tournament Oil and Natural Gas Corporation(ONGC)
MCL Title sponsors Oxigen Wallet
Junior Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings.
Mens Singles Womens Singles
First: SirilVerma(India) First: Carolina Marin(Spain)
Second:TomaJunior Popov(France) Second: SainaNehwal(India)
Third: ChiragSen(India) Third: Li Xuerei(China)
Ninth: KidambiSrikanth(India) Twelfth: PV Sindhu(India)
FIFA rankings India 163
2015 England Player of the Year Wayne Rooney
Hilton Asian Tour Golfer of the Month MiguealTabuena
2016 with Brisbane title SaniaMirza(India) and Martina Hingis(Swiss)
Qatar Open 2016
Singles Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
Doubles Feliciano Lopez (Spain)
Marc Lopez (Spain)
Hopman Cup Nick Kyrgios (Austrlaia)
Brisbane International Victoria Azarenka
WTA title Sloane Stephens
2016 Chennai Open title StanislasWawrinka from Switzerland
BWF Ranking
Marcelo Melo of Brazil, followed by HoriaTecau of
Man Double Ranking
Romania and Netherlands Jean-JulienRojer.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia ahead of Andy Murray of

Mens Singles Great Britain and Swiss Roger Federer.
Sania and Martina

Womens Double
Bopanna - 9th
Coach of Pune IPL team Stephen Fleming
22 | P a g e
Queen Elizabeth Commemoration Cup Queens Turf

ICC Event Partner MoneyGram
World Record by Sania-Martina as they win 29th match SaniaMirza and Martina Hingis
on trot
2nd-fastest 50 in T-20 Colin Munro
Denmarks sportsperson of 2015 Rene HoltenPoulsen
International Tennis Hall of Fame Marat Safin
2015 German Player of the Year MesutOzil
Sydney International Title 2016 SaniaMirza and Martina Hingis
7000 ODI runs after AB de Villers ViratKohli
2016 Apia international title
Mens Singles Viktor Troicki
Womens Singles Svetlana Kuznetsova
Mens Doubles Jamie Murray of UK/Bruno Soares of Brazil
Womens Doubles Martina Hingis of Switzerland/SaniaMirza
1.India
ICC Test Rankings 2.Australia
3.South Africa
Delhi International Open chess title Ivan Popov(Russia)
2016 Dafabet Masters UKs Ronnie OSullivan
Badminton League Champion Delhi Acers
Life time ban by ICC IPL player AjitChandila
First England bowler in ICC top Bowler Stuart Broad after Steve Harminson
Lady Wigram Trophy JehanDaruvala
T20 Fifty Record Chris Gayle
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Uttar Pradesh
Grand Slam Singles title Roger Federer 300th win
Malaysia Masters Grand Prix
Mens Singles Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia)
Womens Singles P. V. Sindhu (India)
Mens doubles Kevin SanjayaSukamuljo (Indonesia) & Markus Fernaldi
Gideon (Indonesia)
Womens doubles Ayaka Takahashi (Japan) &MisakiMatsutomo (Japan)
Mixed doubles ZhengSiwei (China) & Li Yinhui (China)
womens world indoor pole vault record JennSuhr
34th National Rowing Championship
Open single sculls NavneetKaur (Pun)
Double sculls HarpreetKaur&NavneetKaur (Pun)
Coxless fours Odisha (PramilaPravaMinz, PratimaPuhana, Sanjukta
Dung, ManjulaXess)
Pairs Sanjukta Dung &ManjulaXess (Odi)
Senior Men
Single sculls Sandeep Kumar (All India Police)
Lt wt double sculls G. Vishnu Prasad &Arjun B. Panicker (Ker)
Coxless four Punjab (Lachhman Singh, Sushil Kumar, Robin Mangar,
Rohit Kumar)
Lt wt coxless fours All India Police (DharmendraChoudhary, Nitesh Kumar
Lall, Ravinderjit Singh, Jagsir Singh)
Pairs Gurwinder Singh &Karamjeet Singh (Pun)
Australian Open 2016
Mens Singles Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
Womens Singles Angelique Kerber (Germany)
Mens Doubles Jamie Murray (UK)/Bruno Soares (Brazil)
Womens Doubles Martina Hingis (Switzerland)/SaniaMirza (India)
Mixed Doubles Elena Vesnina (Russia)/Bruno Soares (Brazil)
Retired from International Cricket Pakistan - Imran
23 | P a g e
West Indies Chanderpaul(all form)

BWF ranking P V Sindhu 11th
12th Sub-Junior National Snooker championship Ishika Shah
Olympic quota with gold medal HeenaSidhu
2015 FIH Awards
Player of the Year (Men) Robert Van der Horst
Player of the Year (Women) LidewijWelten
Rising Star of the Year award (Men) Chrisopher Ruhr
Rising Star of the Year award (Women) Lily Owsley
Goalkeeper of the Year award (Men) David Harte
Goalkeeper of the Year award (Women) Joyce Sombroek
ITTF World Junior Circuit Finals IzumoTakuto and Zhu Chengzhu
Blind T20 Asia Cup India
Fifth spot in ICC batting Rohit Sharma
National Billiards Championship Sourav Kothari
OBITUARY
Name of the person Profession Country

Ian Fraser LemmyKilmister Singer and British heavy metal band Motor head Britain
Natalie Cole Singer USA
A.B. Bardhan Politician, Maharashtra Assembly India
Matthew Hobden Cricketer UK
Steve Gohouri Wigan Athletic defender Germany
Angus Scrimm Actor USA
Maria Teresa de Filippis First woman to race in a Formula 1 grand prix Italy
Otis Clay Singer USA
David Bowie Singer USA
Alan Rickman Actor Britain
Yasutaro Koide Worlds oldest man Japana
Glenn Frey Guitarist USA
Trailblazer Mathematician, computer scientist USA
Abe Vigoda American actor USA
Paul Kantner Jefferson Airplane guitarist and co-founder USA
EttoreScola Director Italy
Mrinalini Sarabhai Dancer India
AroonTikekar Journalist India
Rajesh VivekUpadhyay Television actor India
SaroshHomiKapadia 38th Chief Justice of India India
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir India
LabhshankarThakar Gujarati Writer India
RavindraKalia Hindi Writer India
Anil Ganguly Filmmaker India
Gopal Krishna Roy Journalist India
Ventrapragada Rama Rao Former Sikkim Governor India
ManpreetAkhtar Punjabi folk singer India
Geethapriya Kannada filmmaker and lyricist India
Ravindra Reddy Chairman of MTAR India
Shankar Ghosh Tabla player India
NirmalaGajwani Former Deputy Speaker of Gujarat Assembly India
KalpanaRanjani Malayalam film actor India
Ranbir Chopra Indian basketball Player India
MaheswarBaug Former minister and freedom fighter India
Former Army Chief General and former
Krishna Rao Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Nagaland, India
Manipur and Tripura
24 | P a g e
T.N. Gopakumar Journalist India

NayaniKrishnakumari Telugu litterateur India
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Anything But Khamosh Shatrughan Sinhas biography released by BJP veteran LK Advani at in
New Delhi.
Narendra Modi released a book titled MARU BHARAT SARU BHARAT(My India Noble India)
through a video conference in Mumbai- authored by Jain Acharya Ratnasunder suriswarji Maharaj
Vice President Hamid Ansari released the book Jawaharlal Nehru and the Indian Polity In
Perspective - edited by former police officer P.J. Alexander
The Minister of State (MoS) for Railways Manoj Sinha released a book titled Objective Railway
Engineering-Track, Works & Others authored by a well known Civil Engineer MM Agarwal.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, released a book named The Z Factor written by Shri
Subhash Chandra.
PM releases unique illustrated version of Shri-Durga-Saptashati compiled by Dr. Sandeep Joshi
Union Minister of Human Resource Development Launches Veer Gaatha Series of Books on Param
Veer Chakra Awardees
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee released ten books including a book on Tolerance at the 40th
Kolkata International Book fair.
Vice President Hamid Ansari released the second volume of memoirs of President Pranab
Mukherjee titled The Turbulent Years 1980-1996 at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi
IMPORTANT DAYS IN JANUARY 2016
Jan 4 2016
Remember Day: World Braille Day(207th birth anniversary of Louis Braille)
Purpose : To recognize the efforts of Louis Braille. Louis Braille is credited with inventing the Braille
language which helps blind people to read as well as write.
January 09
Remembered Day: Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (NRI Day)
Organized: India
Purpose: To Mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of India. The day
commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa in Bombay on 9 January 1915.
Jan 10 2016
Remember Day: World Hindi Day
Purpose : To mark the day, 14 September 1949, on which the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi written
in Devanagari script as the Official Language of the Union.
Organization: India
Jan 12 2016
Remember Day: National Youth Day
Purpose : To commemorate the birthday of Swami Vivekananda, maker of the modern India.
Organization: India
Theme : Indian youth for development skill and harmony
25 | P a g e
Jan 15 2016
Remember Day: Indian Army Day
Purpose : Recognition of Lieutenant General K. M. Cariappa's taking over as the first Commander-in-Chief
of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India, on 16
January 1949.
Organization: India
Jan 24 2016
Remember Day: National girl child day
Purpose : To increase the awareness among people about all the inequalities faced by the girl child in the
society
Organization: India
Jan 25 2016
Remember Day: National Voters Day
Purpose : To encourage more young voters to take part in the political process
Organization: India
Theme : Democracy and electroral participation
Remember Day: National Tourism Day

Purpose : To raise awareness of the importance of tourism for the country's economy.
Organization: India
Jan 26 2016
Remember Day: International Customs Day
Purpose : To recognizes the role of custom officials and agencies in maintaining border security.
Organization: World Customs Organization
Theme : Digital Customs: Progressive Engagement
Jan 26 2016
Remember Day: 67th Republic Day
Purpose : To honour the Constitution of India as it came into force on the same day in the year 1960
Organization: Government of India
Theme of Parade : Swachh Bharat' and 'Digital India
Jan 27 2016
Remember Day: International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust
Purpose : To commemorates when the Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration and death camp
Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland on January 27, 1946.
Organization: UN
Theme : From Words to Genocide: Antisemitic Propaganda and the Holocaust.
Jan 30 2016
Remember Day: Martyrs Day
26 | P a g e
Purpose : To honor of those who lost their lives defending the sovereignty of the nation and death
anniversary of Mahathma Gandhi
Organization: India
Jan 31 2016
Remember Day: World Leprosy Day
Purpose : To increase the public awareness of the Leprosy or Hansen's Disease
Organization: NGOs
Current Affairs February 2016
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Union governments Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) agreed to set up Indias
first defense industrial park at Ottappalam - 231.25 crore
30th Surajkund International Crafts Mela celebrated at Faridabad in Haryana
Theme State - Telangana
Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalitha laying the foundation stone for the states first 800-MW supercritical
coal-based power plant at Athipattu in Tiruvallur district
Meghalaya becomes the Indias fastest-growing state with a growth rate of 9.7% in 2013-14 and MP
9.5%
Government set up a Tax Policy Research Unit (TPRU) and Tax Policy Council by replacing Tax
Research Unit and Tax Policy and Legislation
2016 National Pension System (NPS) - 11,459,555 subscribers with total corpus of Rs. 90, 327
crore.
Indias first underwater restaurant Real Poseidon(20 feet below ground level) initiated
in Ahmedabad
Union Health Ministry issued detailed guidelines for fighting against Zika virus
Mumbai Metropolitan Metro- highest potential for modern retail in the country at Rs 1.05 lakh crore
- Think India. Think Retail. 2016 report
President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the Counter-Terrorism Conference 2016 at Jaipur
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the 3rd edition of Global Ayurveda Festival at Kozhikode, Kerala
Instrument of Ratification of the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage,
1997 submitted by India to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - Rajiva Misra
Invest Karnataka 2016, the first Global Investors Meet (GIM)
Theme where the future is made at Bengaluru.
147 projects with a commitment to invest Rs 1.33 lakh crore.
Ministry of Finance in partnership with SBI Caps is organized an India Investment Summit in New
Delhi
Maharashtra rolled out a deradicalisation programme for the minority community in wake of IS
threat
Odisha government lifted the restrictions on visit of foreign tourists to certain tribal areas in the State
after 3 years
Gov approved highway projects worth Rs 17,000 crore for 9 states.
Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh and Punjab.
Union Government to set up National Organic Farming Research Institute in Sikkim
PM Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation - Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited, a
petrochemical complex at Lepetkata.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visit to Sri Lanka
27 | P a g e
9th session of Joint Commission meeting was co-chaired by Sushma Swaraj and Sri Lankan
foreign affair minister Mangala Samaraweera.
Both Nations signed MoUs on education and health sectors
Both Nations agreed to find an innovative and lasting solution to the fishermen issue.
Right of Minority Tamils
India offers succored to Sri Lanka in IT sector
Sushma Swaraj inaugurates Rise of Digital India exhibition - Sangam festival of India in
Sri Lanka 2015-2016.
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched Project Sunrise on for prevention of AIDS in
the 8 North-Eastern states
Kerala Literature Festival Kozhikode, key topics like spirituality, social media, womens issues,
Dalit issues, freedom of expression, environment issues and media activism
National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) at Bhubaneswar, Odisha dedicated to
nation by PM Modi.
India has more than 15 lakh registered companies but only 10.7 lakh of them were active - Corporate
Affairs Ministry
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav launched a new UP Revenue Code - code 39 Acts
Indias first fully solar-powered educational institute by Sri Aurobindo International Centre for
Education Puducherry.
GOI global development agencies launch a programme to eliminate malaria in 11 years
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) raising a squad of 162 dogs for their specialised Urban
Search and Rescue (USAR) tasks
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the 15 million tonne per annum Indian Oil Corporation 11th refinery
at Paradip, Odisha.
Under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, PM Narendra Modi approved Rs 1 lakh crore loans to
small entrepreneurs
Mumbai plans to set up Indias first international arbitration centre
Home minister Rajnath Singh approved new norms on disaster management to take care of all
emergencies arises
Very harsh type of disaster is categorised as Red, moderate type is categorised
as Orange and low type is designated as Yellow.
Petroleum and Natural Gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan released the North East Hydrocarbon
Vision-2030 in Guwahati.
State covered under Vision Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
5 Pillars of Vision:People,Policy,Partnership,Projects and production
Internet Readiness Index Maharashtra followed by Karnataka, Gujarat, Telengana and Tamil Nadu
Ministry of External Affairs and Railway will lay the Rail Line to connect Agartala with Akhaura in
that country by 2017
Indian Railways Launched 3 IT enabled projects
Paperless unreserved ticketing mobile application.
Hand Held Terminals for TTEs.
E-booking of disposable linen on trains.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change finally notified wild pig as vermin for a year in
Uttarakhand
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi unveiled a draft document Vision Assam 2030.
Theme - Everything for Everyone
Sikkim gov will construct Mini Sikkim for showcasing the states diverse and rich culture - fifteen
ethnic communities
The Tithal beach in Valsad district of Gujarat - Indias first disable friendly beach in the country -
Rs.5 crore
Health Ministry initiated National Framework for Malaria Elimination 2016-2030 - J P Nadda
Elephanta Island to get electricity from Independence Day 2016 - Rs 25 crores.
28 | P a g e
Madhya Pradesh gets its First Mega Food Park promoted by M/s Indus mega Food Part Pvt. Ltd - Rs.
127.70 crore
Dr Jitendra Singh and Shri Kiren Rijiju inaugurate the festival Destination North-East-2016 -
Mumbai and Bangalore
Gujarat Gov announced a new IT Policy and Incentive Scheme (2016-21), -Rs. 25 crore
To promote the sector by providing subsidies to investors and create 10 lakh new jobs.
States can clampdown mobile internet access under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code
(CrPC) as ruled by the Supreme Court.
Vizag port in Hyderabad will be the first major port to run on solar energy - Rs. 60 crore
PM Narendra Modi instigated Make In India Week at MMRDA ground in Mumbai on 18
February.
India is blessed with three Ds: Democracy, Demography and Demand
Maharashtra signed MoUs with 3 companies worth Rs.21, 400 crore.
Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has completed its 100 years of foundation
Established in 1916 by freedom fighter Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya.
The national bird of India Peacock termed as vermin and collected in Goa.
J Jayalalithaa CM of Tamil Nadu inaugurated a series of projects worth Rs 1,002.02 crore - five
bridges and five railways over bridges
Minister of Urban Development M.Venkaiah Naidu released the results of Swachh Survekshan-
2016 of 73 major cities
Rank City State/UT
1 Mysore Karnataka
2 Chandigarh Chandigarh
3 Tiruchirapalli Tamil Nadu
4 New Delhi Municipal Corporation New Delhi
5 Visakhapatnam Andhra Pradesh
6 Surat Gujarat
7 Rajkot Gujarat
8 Gangtok Sikkim
9 Pimpri-Chinchwad Maharashtra
10 Greater Mumbai Mumbai
GOI sanctioned Rs 4,100 crore as a disaster relief fund to seven states.
Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Tamil
Nadu.
Uttar Pradesh amended the Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reform
It replaces Land Revenue Act of 1901, Zamindari Abolition and Land Reform Act 1950
and Land Revenue Act, 2015.
BHEL commissioned a 101 MW gas-based Combined Cycle Power Plant (CCPP) in Tripura.
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur and Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR) are
collaborating for joint research, exchange of faculty and students
Ravi Shankar Prasad announced to increase number of common service centres in the country to
cover 250,000 gram from 150,000
GOI unveiled the National Capital Goods Policy - first ever policy for the capital goods sector -
230,000 Cr in 2014-15 toRs. 750,000 Cr in 2025
Food Processing Sector in Jharkhand gets its first Mega Food Park in the State - 114.73 crore
Ministry of Culture with Nehru Memorial Museum and Library organized a Special Lecture and a
National Conference as part of Commemoration of Tatya Topes 200th Birth Anniversary.
Union Cabinet given its stamp of approval to ink a concord in the area of Traditional
Medicine between Ministry of AYUSH, GOI and World Health Organization, Geneva.
Samej village in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh becomes smokeless by the Indian Oil
Corporation (IOC)
International Cricket Council (ICC) and United Nations Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
29 | P a g e
launched the Team Swachh clinics in partnership with BCCI

Cabinet on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the construction of 6 railway lines and a railway
bridge at an estimated cost of Rs 10,700 crore.
Awas Yojana (Urban) - Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation accredited construction
of 81,757 houses for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in urban areas in 7 states.
West Bengal, Telangana, Bihar, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand
Indian Railway Project Management Unit (IRPMU) initiated a computer-based signalling system at
Khurja junction, a city famous for pottery in Uttar Pradesh.
Tamilnadu(Venkatamangalam) And West Bengal To Invest 150crores In Waste Management under
the Swachh Bharat mission
Union Cabinet given nod to Election laws (Amendment) Bill 2016
Section 11 of the Delimitation Act, 2002 and Section 9 of the Representation of the People
Act
PM Narendra Modi gave its assent to the Amendments of Delimitation Act,2002 - 100thAmendment
Gov gave its approval for clearance of 8 highway projects worth 6000 crores.The total length of the
project is about 350 kms.
Maharastra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab ,Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh
Tricolour to fly high at all central universities - Smiriti Zubin Irani - 207 Feet high mast
BHEL commissioned a 270-MW coal-based thermal power project of GVK Power & Infra Ltd in
Tarn Taran District of Punjab
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh leading the charts in establishing the Special Purpose Vehicles
(SPV) for the implementation of smart city plans.200 crore for the 20 selected cities
Katni in Madhya Pradesh to have Indias longest railway bridge of 14 km -Rs.200cr
President of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) and BCCI secretary announced the
launch of Swachh Himachal Campaign Padhai bhi, Safai bhi in Dharmashala to creating awareness
and better understanding among youth about the current sanitation situation
Mahamaham - Hindu religious festival celebrated in Kumbakonam once in twelve years during the
full moon of Tamil month Maasi (Feb-March)
Kasaragod district of Kerala has been declared as the second zero landless district, after Kannur -
Ramesh Chennithala
The 42nd Khajuraho Dance Festival begun in Khajuraho, Chhatrapur District in Madhya Pradesh
Exhibition on history of Indian coin & currency in the Great Hall of North Block, New Delhi -
inaugurated by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
Assam Cabinet approved Mass Rapid Transit System and given green signal to Detailed Project
Report of Guwahati Metro Rail Corporation Limited - 203 Km
Mizoram launched National Food Security Act, 2013 - Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer
Affairs Minister John Rotluangliana at Aizwal
India has shown a mounting in sex ratio from 933 females in 2001 to 943 in 2011 for every 1,000
males - Office of Registrar General of India(RGI)
President inaugurates Indias first gender park Thantedam Gender Park at Vellimadukunnu in
Kozhikode
Seismic Microzonation reports for Delhi and Kolkata has been released by Union Minister for
Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh Vardhan
13th world spice congress-an event conducted by spices board, the cochin. Slogan: Target 2020:
clean, safe and sustainable supply chain
Kerala becomes Indias first Digital State in the country by President Pranab Mukherjee -Digital
Empowerment Campaign .Kerala E- Literacy, E-governance in Kerala, Digital Literacy Campaign
and NOFN Project
Government to mobilise Rs. 10 crore investment under Ambitious Sagarmala Project, the
mobilization includes 4 crore in the Infrastructure alone
Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru - first in the nation to receive Green-Co platinum
certificate from Confederation of Indian Industries(CII) - Green-Co rating system
30 | P a g e
President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated UL Cyber Park under the Uralungal Labour Contract
Cooperative Society in Kozhikode, Kerala.
President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the first phase of Kerala Tourisms Muziris Heritage Project
at the International Research and convention Centre, Kodungalloor.
Punjab gov imposed a ban on the sale of Army uniform in the state without proper identification.
Jharkhand State Budget 2016-17 publicized to read more click here
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das presented Rs 63,502 crore budget for 2016-17 with
strong focus on agriculture, curbing tax evasion and women.
Prabhus Era: Rail Budget 2016-17

On 25th February 2016, Railway Budget for the fiscal year 2016-17 has been presented by Union Minister of
Railways Suresh Prabhu.
The key budget document dubbed Annual Financial Statement aka Budget Statement, showing
estimated receipts and expenditure, has to be laid before Parliament in respect of every financial year
which runs from 1st April to 31st March w.r.t Article 112 of the Constitution.
Here are the complete Highlights of Railway Budget
Slogan for all Sabka saath sabka vikas
3Rs of Budget Restructure, Reorganize and Rejuvenate
Capital expenditure Rs 1, 21,000 crore
Expected Operating Ratio 92%
Expected Revenues Rs 1,84,820 cr next year
Budgetary support from Govt Rs 40,000 crore
Saving from last years estimates Rs 8,720 crore
Innovation grants to start-ups Rs 50 crore
Head of innovative council of Indian Railways Ratan Tata
Insurance company agreed to fund Rs 1.5 lakh LIC
Expenditure on Modernization of railway infrastructure in 5 years Rs 8.5 lakh crore
Elimination of unmanned level crossing By 2020
Proposed freight corridors Delhi-Chennai, Kharagpur-Mumbai, Kharagpur-Vijayawada
Location of Indias first rail auto hub Chennai
New name for coolies Sahayaks (will be trained in soft skills)
North East India states to be connected through broad gauge Mizoram & Manipur
Cabinet approval for joint ventures with state govts 6 MoUs signed with state govts
Sub-quota for women in each of the reserved categories in catering 33%
Increase in seat quota for senior citizens 50%
Number of bio toilets & additional toilets in 475 stations 17,000
Publishing of magazine in all regional languages Rail Bandhu
Initiation of WiFi services 100 stations this year
Commissioning of new tracks 2800 km
Electrification 1,600 km in this year and 2,000 km proposed for the next year.
For Unreserved Passenger:
Antyodaya Express A long-distance, fully unreserved, superfast train service to be operated on
dense routes.
Two to four Deen Dayalu coaches will be introduced in some long distance trains for unreserved
travel to enhance our carrying capacity for the masses.
For the reserved passenger Humsafar, Tejas and UDAY:
Humsafar Fully air-conditioned third AC service with an optional service for meals.
Tejas Will showcase the future of train travel in India by operating at speeds of 130 kmph and
above, it will offer onboard services such as entertainment, local cuisine,Wi-Fi, etc.
UDAY Utkrisht DoubleDecker Air-conditioned Yatri (UDAY) Express on the busiest routes,
expected to increase carrying capacity by almost 40%.
SMART Coaches:
New SMART (Specially Modified Aesthetic Refreshing Travel) coaches would cater to emerging
31 | P a g e
needs of customers and also ensure lower unit cost of operations due to higher carrying capacity.
Ticketing facilities:
Plan to introduce bar-coded tickets on pilot basis to tackle menace of ticketless travel.
Ticket vending machines Initiating sale of platform tickets through ticket vending machines which would
be made compatible with cash and credit/debit cards
Intend sale of tickets through hand-held terminals for short-distance travellers.
Introduced 1,780 automatic ticket vending machines.
E-ticketing facility Railways will open the e-ticketing facility to foreign debit/credit cards for foreign
tourists and NRIs.
Enhanced capacity of e-ticketing system from 2000 tickets/min to 7,200/min.
E-booking ticket facility on the concessional passes available to journalists.
Facility of cancellation of tickets through 139 telephone line.
Improving customer interface:
FM Radio stations for providing train borne entertainment by installing PA systems in trains.
GPS based digital displays inside coaches to provide real time information regarding upcoming
halts.
Wireless enabled Rakshak devices to intimate gangmen about approaching train.
Drones to be used for remote monitoring of ongoing projects.
2,500 water vending machines at railway stations have been provided.
Swachh Rail:
Clean my Coach Service A passenger can request cleaning of his/her coach/toilets on demand
through SMS.
Installation of additional 30,000 bio-toilets in the next financial year.
IRCTC services & food availability:
IRCTC will extending e-catering services from existing 45 large stations to all 408 A-1 and A
class stations.
Local cuisine of choice will be made available to passengers.
Railwats will look at pilot availability of childrens menu items on trains.
Baby foods, hot milk and hot water would be made available on stations andchanging boards for
babies would be provided in train toilets.
Rail Mitra Sewa & Accessible India:
Expanding of Sarathi Seva in Konkan Railway to help the old and disabled passengers requiring
assistance at stations.
To provide at least one Divyang friendly toilet at each platform in A1 class stations.
To ensure availability of wheelchairs in sufficient numbers at A1 class stations.
Battery operated cars and paid porters services for specially able people.
Union Budget 2016 17

On 29th February 2016, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented his third Union Budget for 2016-17 citing
the acceleration of GDP growth to 7.6%. CPI inflation has come down to 5.4%.
Union Budget comes into effect from April 1.
Highlights of Union budget
Nine pillars of budget Governance and ease of doing business, fiscal discipline, tax reforms, Agriculture
and farmers welfare , Rural sector with focus on employment,social sector with healthcare, Educational
skills and job creation, Infrastructure and investment & financial sector reforms.
Tax Proposals No changes have been made to existing income tax slabs
Tax relief
Taxpayers with income below Rs. 5 Lakh per year Relief of 3000 p.a. under section 87A.
Taxpayers living in rented houses HRA deduction up from Rs. 24, 000 to 60,000 p.a. under
section 80 GG.
Corporate tax
Corporate IT rate for companies not exceeding Rs. 5 crore turnover has been
decreased to 25% plus surcharge.
32 | P a g e
New manufacturing companies incorporated on or after 3.2016 to be taxed at 25% plus cess plus
surcharge.
Start up
100% deduction of profits for 3 out of 5 years for startups setup during April, 2016 to March,
2019 except MAT.
Affordable Housing
100% deduction for profits to an undertaking in housing project for flats upto 30 sq. metres in
four metro cities and 60 sq. metres in other cities approved during June 2016 to March 2019 and
completed in three years. MAT will apply.
First time home buyers get additional Rs 50,000 deduction for housing loans up to35 lakh,
provided cost of house is not above Rs. 50 lakh.
Service Tax Exemption
For houses built less than 60 square metres.
Services provided under Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana and by Assessing
Bodies empanelled by Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.
On general insurance services provided under Niramaya Health Insurance Scheme launched by
National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and
Multiple Disability.
Exemption from service tax for Annuity services provided by NPS and Services provided
by EPFO to employees.
National Pension Scheme
40% of withdrawal at the time of retirement under NPS to be tax exempt.
Tax on rich
Surcharge on income tax for those with incomes exceeding 1 crore per annum
increased from 12% to 15%.
Tax on Car
1 % infra cess on small cars, 2.5 % on diesel and 4% high capacity tax for SUVs.
1% service charge on purchase of luxury cars over 10 lakh and in cash purchase of goods and
services over Rs. 2 lakh.
MSME Category
Increase the turnover limit under Presumptive taxation scheme under section 44ADof the Income
Tax Act to 2 crores to bring big relief to a large number of assessee in the MSME category.
Others
Rs 1,000 crore allocated for new EPF (Employees Provident Fund) scheme.
Krishi Kalyan Cess @ 0.5% on all taxable services, w.e.f. 1 June 2016.
Clean Energy Cess levied on coal, lignite and peat renamed to Clean Environment Cess and rate
increased from 200 per tonne to 400 per tonne.
Excise on readymade garments with retail price of 1000 or more rose to 2% without input tax
credit or 12.5% with input tax credit.
Excise duty of 1% without input tax credit or 12.5% with input tax credit on articles of jewellery.
10% rate of tax on income from worldwide exploitation of patents developed and registered in
India by a resident.
Non-banking financial companies shall be eligible for deduction to the extent of 5% of its
income in respect of provision for bad and doubtful.
Infrastructure and agriculture cess to be levied.
Commitment to implement General Anti Avoidance Rules (GAAR) from 4.2017.
Excise duty on tobacco increased by 10-15% except beedi.
Basic custom and excise duty on refrigerated containers reduced to 5% and 6%.
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Rs 35,984 crore
Govt will reorganize agricultural policy to double farmer income in five years. Here is the allocation:
Category Allocation
Agri credit Rs 9 lakh crore
Crop Insurance Scheme (PM Fasal Bima Yojana) Rs 5,500 crore
33 | P a g e
Interest subvention for agriculture loans and creation of new Rs 15,000 crore
Accelerated Irrigation Programme Benefit (AIPB) Rs 17,000 crore
Long Term Irrigation Fund will be created in NABARD Rs 20,000 crore
Sustainable management of ground water resources Rs 6,000 crore
Enhancing of Dairy Farming Rs 850 crore

4 new schemes Pashudhan Sanjivani, Nakul Swasthya Patra, E-Pashudhan Haat andNational Genomic
Centre for indigenous breeds have been introduced to enhance dairy farming in India at Rs 850 crore.
Other Proposals under Irrigation
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana to be implemented in mission 28.5 lakh hectares will be
brought under irrigation.
Promote organic farming through Parmparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana and Organic Value Chain
Development in North East Region.
5 lakh farm ponds and dug wells in rain fed areas and 10 lakh compost pits for production of
organic manure will be taken up under MGNREGA
Soil Health Card scheme will cover all 14 crore farm holdings by March.
2,000 model retail outlets of Fertilizer companies will be provided with soil and seed testing
facilities during the next three years
Unified Agricultural Marketing e-Platform to provide a common e-market platform for wholesale
markets.
Rural Economy Rs 87,765 crore
Below Poverty Line (BPL) Families Rs 2000 crore allocated for 5 years
Government is launching a new initiative to provide cooking gas to BPL families with state support. LPG
connections to be provided under the name of women members of family.
Other Proposals:
87 lakh crore will be given as Grant in Aid to Gram Panchayats and Municipalitiesas per the
recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission.
Every block under drought and rural distress will be taken up as an intensive Block under the
Deen Dayal Antyodaya Mission.
A sum of Rs 38,500 crore allocated for MGNREGS.
300 Rurban Clusters will be developed under the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission
100% village electrification by 1st May, 2018.
District Level Committees under Chairmanship of senior most Lok Sabha MP from the district for
monitoring and implementation of designated Central Sector andCentrally Sponsored Schemes.
A new Digital Literacy Mission Scheme for rural India to cover around 6 crore additional
household within the next 3 years.
National Land Record Modernization Programme has been revamped.
New scheme Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan proposed with allocation of 655 crore.
Hub to support SC/ST entrepreneurs.
Investments and Infrastructure Rs. 2, 21,246 crore
Total allocation for road construction including PMGSY Rs 97,000 crore
27,000 crore to be spent on roadways.
65 eligible habitats to be connected via 2.23 lakh kms of road.
55,000 crore for roads and highways.
Other Proposals:
100% FDI in marketing of food products produced and marketed in India.
Shops to be given option to remain open all seven days in a week across markets.
New Greenfield ports to be developed on east and west coasts
Revival of underserved airports Centre to Partner with States to revive small airports for
regional connectivity
of Disinvestment to be renamed as Dept. of Investment and Public Asset Management.
Govt will amend Motor Vehicle Act in passenger vehicle segment to allow innovation.
34 | P a g e
Banking Rs 25,000 crore towards recapitalization of PSBs

Banking Board Bureau will be operationalised.
Target of disbursement under MUDRA increased to 1, 80,000 crore.
Process of transfer of government stake in IDBI Bank below 50% started (currently its 80%).
General Insurance companies will be listed in the stock exchange.
Govt to increase ATMs, micro-ATMs in post offices in next 3 years.
Amendments in the SARFAESI Act 2002 to enable the sponsor of an ARC to hold up to100%
stake.
A Financial Data Management Centre to be set up.
Nuclear Power Sector Rs 3000 crore
Govt drawing comprehensive plan to be implemented in next 15-20 years for exploiting nuclear
energy.
Govt to provide incentive for deep-water gas exploration.
Education and Skill Development
Higher Education Financing Agency to be set-up with initial capital base of Rs 1000 Crores.
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to increasing focus on quality of education.
Scheme to get 500 cr for promoting entrepreneurship among SC/ST.
Digital repository for all school leaving certificates and diplomas.
1,700 crore for 1500 multi-skill development centres.
62 new navodaya vidyalayas to provide quality education
10 public and 10 private educational institutions to be made world-class.
Digital literacy scheme to be launched to cover 6 crore additional rural households.
Objective to skill 1 crore youth in the next 3 years under the PM Kaushal Vikas Yojna.
100 Model Career Centres to operational by the end of 2016-17 under National Career Service.
National Skill Development Mission has imparted training to 76 lakh youth.
Health
A new health protection scheme for health covers upto 1 lakh per family. Senior
citizens will get additional healthcare cover of Rs 30,000 under the new scheme.
National Dialysis Service Prog with funds through PPP mode to provide dialysis at all district
hospitals.
PM Jan Aushadhi Yojana to be strengthened and 300 generic drug store to be opened.
Governance and Ease of Doing Business
Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Programme
It will be launched to link States and Districts in an annual programme that connects people through
exchanges in areas of language, trade, culture, travel and tourism.
Other Proposals:
A Task Force has been constituted for rationalisation of human resources in various Ministries.
Bill for Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services by using the
Aadhaar framework to be introduced.
Automation facilities will be provided in 3 lakh fair price shops by March 2017.
Amendments in Companies Act to improve enabling environment for start-ups.
Price Stabilisation Fund with a corpus of 900 crore to help maintain stable prices of Pulses.
Madhya Pradesh presented State budget of 2016-17 click here to read more
Finance minister Jayant Malaiya proposed the Madhya Pradesh state budget in legislative
assembly in Bhopal on Friday. The budget estimates for 1.58 lakh crores.
City Momentum Index 2016: The Rise of the Innovation-Oriented City, Bengaluru is ranked first in
the Asia Pacific region
Top 3 :London, Silicon Valley Dublin, Bengaluru
Top 10 cities in Asia Pacific:Sydney, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Tokyo, Nanjing,
Hyderabad, Melbourne and Seoul.
35 | P a g e
WHO declared the Zika virus outbreak as an International Emergency.

Nielsens consumer confidence index
India(131) is followed by Philippines (117), Indonesia (115), Thailand (114)
and Vietnam (112).
Vietnam initiated the worlds longest three-rope cable car system with a total length of 6,292.5
metres in the Northern Province of Lao Cai.
European Union consented 3.3 billion Euros of succor for Turkey to cope with the issue of Syrian
migrants.
WHO accorded PQP (Pre-qualification of Medicines Programme) certification to the GreenSignal
Bio Pharma Pvt. Ltd.
Hamid Ansari visit to Brunei and Thailand
Brunei: 3 agreements have been signed between the two nations:
Defence Cooperation Health Cooperation and Youth Affairs & Sports Cooperation
Thailand - first visit by an Indian Vice-President to Thailand after a gap of 50 years-
confirmed Indias participation in the Cobra Gold 2016
BHEL launched a 500 Mw Kosti thermal power plant in Sundan
Indian to be on UN panel on womens economic Renana Jhabvala, social worker from Ahmedabad
had invited to serve as a panelist.
United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) released a set of six dedicatory stamps on Lesbian
Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) issue.
France become the first country in the world to ban food waste by supermarkets.
Pakistan Hindu minority community have a marriage law as a parliamentary panel has unanimously
approved the Hindu Marriage Bill after decades of delay and in action - Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir
Virk .Sindh become the first Pakistani Assembly to adopt the Hindu Marriage Bill by allowing the
minority community to register their marriages.
US President Barack Obama unveiled a new cyber Security National Action Plan aims to increase
security awareness - requested $19 billion
One Humanity: Shared Responsibility report publicized by UN
For a global campaign on the sidelines of World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey.
Theme of the summit will be One Humanity: Shared Responsibility.
International IP Index -US Chamber of Commerce India ranked 37th
Top 3 US, UK and German
3rd India- Australia energy security dialogue held in Australia
Proposed to set up a virtual reality training centre at ISM, Dhanbad.
coal mining sector will provide help to India in improving the safety, production and
productivity of coal mines
The worlds largest concentrated solar power plant will be opened in Morocco - 760,000 tons per
year.
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi visit to India
Bilateral Meeting UAEs ADNOC to store crude in India
Both nations have signed 9 agreements
Disaster hit countries of 2015 - United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)
China, US and India
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar summoned US Ambassador Richard Verma to expressed
disappointment over US administrations decision to sell eight F-16 fighter jet to Pakistan
Canada, the US and Mexico signed a MoU to cooperate on climate change in Winnipeg, Canada.
The first Silk Road train arrives in Tehran to connect China and Iran arrived in Tehran - carrying 32
containers
Worlds largest producers of oil, Saudi Arabia and Russia consented to freeze oil output at near-
record levels but producer Iran and Iraq stood out of this agreement.
U.S -Southeast Asian summit session held at the historic Sunnylands Center in Rancho Mirage,
California.
36 | P a g e
UN and the Colombian government jointly launched the new trust for peace building
activities especially in the conflict areas of FARC-EP 8 million US dollar
The Ontario(Canada) delegates inked various agreements with India in diversified fields prominently
the cleantech sector 13 agreements 300 cr
Pakistan parliament became the first of its kind to run entirely on solar power. It was inaugurated by
Pakistan Prime minister Nawaz Sharif - $55 million
India to extend $1 million in immediate assistance to the Island Nation Fiji after Devasting
cyclone Winston hits.
David Cameron led United Kingdom has been granted Special Status in the 28 Nation union.
Nepal PM KP Oli visit to India/Both the nations has signed 7 agreements
Hurun Report 2016 China 1st, US 2nd ,India ranked 3rd
Indians list topped by Mukesh Ambani - $26 billion, followed by Sun Pharmas Dilip
Shanghvi ($18 billion) and Pallonji Mistry ($13 billion)
Indian Governments Power purchase Agreements with solar firms were inconsistent with
international Norms - World Trade Organization
Bolivian president Evo Morales lost his fourth term referendum to continue in office.He came into
reign in 2006.
Anti-terrorism bill being passed in the South Korean Parliament the opposition party spoke
continuously for more than 115 hours making it the longest filibuster.
Indian permanent representative to UN, Syed Akbaruddin approached New Zealand
Ambassador Gerard Jacoubus van Bohemen, the Chair of the 1267 al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee to
include Masood Azhar in the list.
Worlds Best City to Live In - 18th Mercer Quality of Life study
Baghdad was named as the worst city in the world.
List of topbest places List of Indian cities made
Rank City Country Rank City State
1 Vienna Austria 139 Hyderabad Telangana
2 Zurich Switzerland 144 Pune Maharashtra
3 Auckland New Zealand 145 Bangalore Karnataka
4 Munich Germany 150 Chennai Tamil Nadu
5 Vancouver Canada 152 Mumbai Maharashtra
6 Dusseldorf Germany 160 Kolkata West Bengal
7 Frankfurt Germany 161 New Delhi New Delhi
An Independent report by Ernst & Young - Britain as the first among FinTech cities of the world.
Major FinTech cities: Australia, California, Newyork, Hong Kong, Germany and Singapore
Iranians will cast vote on February 26, 2016 to choose a new parliament and for the top clerical body
Assembly of Experts
BANKING & FINANCE
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) launches its e-services to access policy related
information
RBI gives nod for the appointment of Independent Director B Swaminathan as the Non- Chairman of
the Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) for three years.
State Bank of India (SBI) launched a new home loan scheme for young working executives.
6th bi-monthly monetary policy review - repo and reverse repo rate unchanged
at 6.75% and 5.75%and CRR 4% respectively.
HDFC bank is using its ATM network to clutch new customers by extending its branch services
through ATMs -to sell loans to non-customers
Gov infuse about Rs 5,000 crore capitals in the Public Sector Banks (PSB) in the current fiscal to
strengthen balance sheet.
BSE and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) jointly developed a corporate governance
scorecard
37 | P a g e
Mahindra Asset Management Company received a stamp of approval from SEBI to initiate
its mutual fund business.
RBI survey - The real Gross Value Added at basic price (GVA) is expected to increase to 7.8% in
the next fiscal (2016-17) from 7.4% expected in 2015-16.
CAMS launched Aadhar based eKYC for setting up an instant (MF) mutual fund account
Bandhan Bank has instigated an international debit card in association with Visa also kicked off NRI
banking services.
Corporation Bank had signed a pact with Universal Sompo General Insurance Co Ltd for insurance
cover
Death cover of Rs 10 lakh to its Corp Signature and Rs 5 lakh
Reserve Bank of India released the Report of the Working Group on Introduction of Interest Rate
Options in India - headed by PG Apte
Minimum lot size for IROs on exchanges will be Rs. 2 lakh.
In OTC, the minimum lot size will be kept at Rs. 5 crore.
Indian economy will be growing at a 5-year high of 7.6 per cent in fiscal year 2015-16 as per
the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Department of Electronics & IT (Deity) in a company with Canbank Venture Capital Fund is all set
to initiate the Electronics Development Fund (EDF) in Mumbai PM Modi
RBI is changing the profile of the government securities (Gsecs), it is buying from bond investors
under its open market operations (OMOs).
Bank of Baroda publicized its net loss of Rs 3,342 crore for the December quarter in comparison
with Rs 332 crore profit last year
Monster Salary Index (MSI) report, Information Technology sector in
India is the highest paying sector with a median gross hourly salary of Rs 346.42.
Reserve Bank of India announced the liquidity measures for March 2016 for a combination of
appropriate instruments and for adequate additional liquidity infusion.
India GDP likely to clock 7.8% growth in 2016 Nomura
Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has
marginally mounted the PF interest rate to 8.8% from 7.75%
State Bank of India (SBI) launched Japan Desk, a first-of-its-kind initiative to facilitate Japanese
corporates looking to invest with banking and advisory services.
Punjab National Bank (PNB) declared United Breweries Holdings, Kingfisher Airlines and Vijay
Mallya as willful defaulter.
Supreme Court directed the RBI that it seeks the list of companies, which have defaulted bank loans
of over Rs. 500 crore.
Interest on short-term post office saving deposits was cut by 0.25 percent and the rate on employees
provident fund was increased marginally to 8.8 percent.
Axis Bank made partnership with Suvidhaa to offer loan to urban poor.
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) - India will go on with durable
growth at 7.4% in the next financial year
Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd and Idea Cellular obtain payment bank license.
Our government is all set to proffer banking services in every village with the succor of technology
and the network of Common Services Centres (CSCs).
World Bank pledged to lend to Rajasthan gov on energy reforms - meeting between World Banks
country Director in India Mr. Onno Ruhl and Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje.
Public Investment Board(PIB) Clears Rs. 800 Crore proposal from India Post to set up Payment
Banks.
Srei ram winvest 2000 crores for India Vision Fund which will buy the stressed assets, loans &
properties of corporate, NBFCS and companies
RBI has extended thecurrency swap arrangement to SAARC nations till mid November 2017 - US $
2 billion
Mr. Babul Supriyo informed in LokSabha that HUDCO (Housing and Urban Development
38 | P a g e
Corporation) have sanctioned 90Crores to APCRDA.

SBI launches new branch for e-commerce loans
SBI ESmart SME to offer E-Commerce startups, this is the first of its kind.
Macro Economic Survey 2015-16 - Finance minister Arun Jaitley tabled the Macro-Economic
Survey 2015-16 in Parliament
In accordance with survey, Indian economy is growing at a pace of 7-7.5% and it is expected
to accelerate at 8% in the next couple of years.
Indias macro-economy is sturdy and it is likely to be the fastest growing major economy in
the world in 2016 as it shows an expansion from 7.2% in 2014-15 to 7.6% in current fiscal.
Deficit -3.9% ,Inflation -4.5 to 5% ,Current account deficit -1-1.5% of GDP.
India ranks first in milk production, accounting for 18.5% of world production.
RBI included the National Bank of Abu Dhabi PJSC (NBAD) in second schedule of RBI Act, 1934
Birla Sunlife Mutual funds officially launched 100 % paperless Aadar based EKYC facility
EPFO has tightened norms for withdrawal of Provident Fund as well as investment in Varishtha
Pension Bima Yojana attain the age of 54and wait up to 57 Years.
Govacquired a staggering 1, 131 Kg of gold that 3014 crore under the Gold Monetisation Scheme
SEBI has given its nod to IDBI bank to raise capital of 3771 crores by issuing shares
through Qualified Institutional Players(QIP)
State Bank of India got approval from its shareholders to raise capital of 15000 crores by public issue
or overseas assurance of shares.
BRICS Bank to provide its first loan to India on Solar project green projects
BUSINESS
Chinese energy company Sunshine Kaidi New Energy Group planned to invest about 1 billion
euros ($1.1 billion) in a new biodiesel plant in northern Finland.
Govt banned duty- free import of capital goods for power generation and transmission projects under
the EPCG Scheme.
Vietnam had lifted the ban on import of groundnut from Indian after nine months.
Japans ShinMaywa Industries will set up a plant for the manufacturer of US-2 amphibious aircraft in
India.
Chinese technology company ZTE has inked a pact with the Andhra Pradesh government to work on
smart city projects in the state.
SEBI instigated a task force to review the risk management norms for national-level commodity
bourses following the suspension of futures trading for castor seed on NCDEX.
Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) approved the Geographical Indications Registry (GI)
tag .
Gov imposed minimum import price (MIP) on 173 steel products ranging from $341 to $752 per ton.
Chettinad cotton saree won the India Handloom tag for its unique designs and identity.
India had topped the record of milk production which is of 146.31 million tonnes in 2014-15
Top 3 : India, US, China
YES Bank tied up with Smartbox Ecommerce Solutions for solving challenges related to last mile
delivery for e-commerce players.
IIT Madras partnered with Nokia to enhance broadband connectivity in rural India by enabling the
government vision Digital India.
Vedanta Groups owner Anil Agarwal set up the countrys first LCD panel manufacturing
plant in Maharashtra.
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M) had approved a plan to transfer the agri-business of the company
to its subsidiary.
Kstart had announced to have technology partnership with Google for its seed-stage portfolio
companies.
Tata Motors-Bharat Forge Tie Up For $ 11 Billion FICV Bid replace 2,610 Russian designed
39 | P a g e
Sarath BMP-II
Gujarat State Fertilizers Commission proposed to set up a manufacturing unit of Nylon -6 Plant near
Baroda at an estimated cost of Rs.140 Crores.
US Department of Commerce decided to initiate Antidumping and Countervailing duties
investigations on imports from Pneumatic off -Road Vehicle tyres from India, China and Sri Lanka.
4 Bengali sweets to come into possession of GI tag
Moa of Jainagar, Sarpuria of Krishnagar and SitabhogandMihidana of Burdwan.
MoU signed between CII and Dubai exports will simplify the export process between the countries
SIPIR (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) Report- India in the topmost position of
Arms import in the world between 2011-2015.
Top 3 : India, China and Australia
Ricoh India,Japan got an order worth Rs.344 Crores from Kerala State Electronics Development
Corporation to supply hardware for Government schools in Odisha.
FINO Paytech has tied up with Reliance Commercial Finance to provide credit to rural areas of
Maharastra and Madhya Pradesh.
Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilessh yadav Signed Pact with Taxi Giant OLA to create over
50, 000 entrepreneurs opportunities across the state.
Times Internet enters into a strategic partnership with Investopedia.com to create a blend of local and
international information, knowledge to grow the brand in India
Vedanta Limited wins Indias first-ever auction of a gold mine to curb the overseas purchase of the
metal that cost $36 billion last year in Chhattisgarh.
Gov decided to raise the Minimum Support Price of Raw Jute by 18.5 % to Rs.3200 from Rs.
2700 for 2016-17

Forbes 30 under 30 Asia Sania Mirza, Virat Kohli, Saina Nehwal, Arunima
Sinha,Chaitanya Tamhane
Shraddha Kapoor, Raghav Verma, Mehul
Agrawal Kanika Tekriwal, Ritesh Agarwal
Aryabhata Award Avinash Chander
EEPC Star Performer Award NALCO
Green Bond Award Yes Bank
worlds most valuable company Alphabet Inc
Best First Foreign Film Award - Kanu Behl
French Syndicate of Cinema Critics 2016 (FSCC)
First chancellors award Kerala University
Golden Conch Award
Dadasaheb Phalke Award for Best Debut Film of a Far From Home
director
Animation category Chhaya
Best short fiction film Agli Baar
Best student film Going Home
Bhimsen Joshi Award Maestro Pandit Ram Narayan
CMs innovation award Keralas She-Taxi
Award for innovation in XBRL reporting RBI
UNESCO Medals
Professor Isamu Akasaki Japan
Professor Lei Jiang China
Professor Philippe Pernod France
Professor Nicholas Kotov USA
40 | P a g e
Academician Gennady Krasnikov Russia

Professor Igor Ashurbeyli Russia
Doctor Mikhail Dubina Russia
Doctor Natalya Mikhaylova Russia
IFPI Best-Selling Artist of 2015 Adele
Most Push-Ups in Minute Worls record KJ Joseph
EY Entrepreneur Award Lupins CEO and MD - Vinita Gupta,
Nilesh Gupta
Hilton Asian Tour Golfer of the Year award Anirban Lahiri
La Liga player of the month award Lionel Messi
Pride of Kerala award Vidya Balan
2016 BAFTA Awards
Academy Fellowship Sidney Poitier
Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Angels The Costumiers
EE Rising Star Award John Boyega
Best Film The Revenant
Best Documentary Amy
Best Animated Film Inside Out
Best Short Film Operator
Best Film Not in the English Language Wild Tales Argentina
Best Director Alejandro G. Inarritu (The Revenant)
Best Actor in a Leading Role Leonardo DiCaprio
Best Actress in a Leading Role Brie Larson
Best Actor in a Supporting Role Mark Rylance
Best Actress in a Supporting Role Kate Winslet
Best Cinematography Emmanuel Lubezki (The Revenant)
Outstanding British Film Brooklyn
Best Original Music The Hateful Eight
Best Sound The Revenant Lon Bender, Chris Duesterdiek,
Martin Hernndez, Frank A. Montano, Jon Taylor,
and Randy Thom
Best Costume Design Mad Max: Fury Road Jenny Beavan
Best Makeup and Hair Mad Max: Fury Road Damian Martin and Lesley
Vanderwalt
Best Editing Mad Max: Fury Road Margaret Sixel
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Naji Abu Nowar (Writer/Director) and Rupert Lloyd
Producer (Producer) Theeb
Golden Beaver Award Nagaland is changing. But
58th Grammy awards 2016
General
Record of the Year Uptown Funk (Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars)
Album of the Year 1989 (Taylor Swift)
Song of the Year Thinking Out Loud (Ed Sheeran & Amy Wadge)
Best New Artist Meghan Trainor
POP
Best Solo Performance Thinking Out Loud (Ed Sheeran)
Best Duo/Group Performance Uptown Funk (Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars)
Best Traditional Vocal Album The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern
Best Vocal Album 1989
Dance/Electronic
Best Dance Recording Where Are U Now (Skrillex and Diplo with Justin
Bieber)
41 | P a g e
Best Dance/Electronic Album krillex and Diplo Present Jack U (Skrillex and Diplo)
Rock
Best Rock Performance Dont Wanna Fight (Alabama Shakes)
Best Metal Performance Cirice
Best Rock Song Dont Wanna Fight
Best Rock Album Drones
R&B
Best R&B Performance Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey) The Weeknd
Best Traditional R&B Performance Little Ghetto Boy (Lalah Hathaway)
Best R&B Song Really Love
Best R&B Album Black Messiah
Best Urban Contemporary Album Beauty Behind the Madness
Rap
Best Rap Performance Alright (Kendrick Lamar)
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration These Walls (Kendrick Lamar featuring Bilal, Anna
Wise & Thundercat)
Best Rap Song Alright
Best Rap Album To Pimp a Butterfly
Others
Best World Music Album Sings
Best Childrens Album Home
Best Comedy Album Live at Madison Square Garden
Best Musical Theater Album Hamilton
Best Music Video Bad Blood
Best Music Film Amy
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album Sylva
Swachh Sarvekshan-2016
Best performer in North Zone and Best in Citizen Chandigarh, Chandigarh
feedback category
Best performer in behavior change communication Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu
Best performer among Smart Cities and Best in New Delhi Municipal Corporation, New Delhi
Service Level Status
Best Performer in South Zone and Best in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Independent Observation
Best Performer in West Zone Surat, Gujarat
Best performer in door-to-door collection and Rajkot, Gujarat
transportation of Solid waste and sweeping
Best performer in North-East and Best performer Gangtok, Sikkim
among capitals
Best performer among satellite cities Pimpri-Chinchwad, Maharashtra
Best Performer among mega cities Greater Mumbai
Top mover in North Zone (improved the rank by Allahabad,
maximum number) Uttar Pradesh
Top mover in West Zone Nagpur, Maharashtra
Top mover in South Zone Visakhapatnam, Pradesh Andhra
Top mover in East Zone Odisha
Top mover in North-East Imphal , Manipur
Israel Prize Professor David Shulman
Honoured In US for His Charity Work Ishaan Patel
2016 Yash Chopra Memorial Award Actress Rekha
Guinness Book of World Records Sameer Anjaan - 3,524 songs
Raksha Mantris Trophy for Best Service Hospital Command Hospital (Eastern Command), Kolkata
42 | P a g e
IBA Banking Technology Award Karnataka Bank Ltd

Knight of the Legion of Honour, Frances highest Manish Arora
honour
PECASE Honour Vikram Shyam ,Milind Kulkarni ,Kiran
Musunuru ,Shwetak Patel, Rahul Mangharam,Sachin
Patel
World Press Photo of 2015 Warren Richardson
Limca Book of Records Tendulkars autobiography -Playing It My Way
Global Teacher Award Robin Chaurasia (Top 10)

Berlin International Film Malayalam film Ottaal
Festival - Crystal Bear award
India Sports Awards 2015
Best company promoting sports (public sector) Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd.
Best company promoting sports (private sector) YES Bank Pvt Ltd.
Best professional services company Technology Frontiers (India) Pvt Ltd.
Best NGO promoting sports STAIRS
Best sports start-up HotFut Sports Infrastructure Pvt Ltd
Best national sports federation Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India
Sportsperson of the year Lalita Babar (Athletics)
Breakthrough sportsperson of the year Dipa Karmakar (Gymnastics)
Coach or support staff of the year Kuldeep Handoo (Wushu)
Lifetime achievement award Balbir Singh
Best state Gujarat
Remi Award at WorldFest Kanavu Variyam
Guinness World Records India Gates 550kg rice bag
Global CSR Award GVK Biosciences
Germanys prestigious Cross of the Order of Goverdhan Mehta
Merit
Nobel Prize nomination Afghanistans National Cyclist team
Dinanath Mangeshkar Prize 2016 Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Ranveer Singh
Indias greenest School Father Agnel School Greater Noida
Queens Valley School Delhi.
Government senior Secondary School Shimla
100 most powerful Indians 2016 (IE 100). 1.PM Narendra Modi
2.Amit Shah (50)
3.Mohan Bhagwat (64)
4.Arun Jaitley (62)
TripAdvisor:Asias Travellers Choice Award 1.Ngapali beach(Myanmar)
Winning Beaches. 2.Nacpan Beach(Philippines)
3.Kata Noi(Thailand)
Oscar Awards 2016
Best Picture Spotlight
Best Actor Leonardo DiCaprio
Best Actress Brie Larson
Best Direction Alejandro G Inarritu for The Revenant
Best Original Song Writings on the Wall from Spectrex
Best Original Score Ennio Morricine for The Hateful Eight
Best Foreign Language Film Son of Saul (Hungary)
Best Live Action Short Film Benjamin Cleary and Serena Armitage
for Stutterer
Best Documentary Feature Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees for Amy
43 | P a g e
Best Documentary Short Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy for A Girl In the River:

The Price of Forgiveness
Best Supporting Actor Mark Rylance
Best Animated Feature Pete Doctor and Jonas Rivera for Inside Out
Best Animated Short Gabriel Osorio Pato Escala for Bear Story
Best Visual Effects Andrew Whiteburst, Paul Norris, Mark
Ardington andAra Bennett for Ex Machina
Best Sound Mixing Chris Jenkins, Greg Rudloff and Ben Osmo for
Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Sound Editing Mark Mangini and David White for Mad Max: Fury
Road
Best Film Editing Margaret Sixel for Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Cinematography Emmanuel Lubezki for The Revenant
Makeup and Hairstyling Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega and Damian
Martinfor Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Production Design Colin Gibson and Lisa Thompson for Mad Max:
Fury Road
Best Costume Design Jenny Beavan for Mad Max Fury Road
Best Actress In A Supporting Role Alicia Vikander
Best Adapted Screenplay The Big Short for Charles Randolph and Adam
McKay
First Asian to get Global Reel Award Resul pookutty
Name of the person Name of the Post

KalikhoPul CM of Arunachal Pradesh
Actress Kajol Part-time member of PrasarBharati board
DattaPadsalgikar Mumbai New Police Commissioner
J K Garg MD of Corporation Bank
SeemaBalArchana
1st woman DG of Sashastra
Ramasundram
Saroj Kumar Jha key World Bank position
VirenderSehwag XI Punjabs mentor
S N Prasad CIL director
Jai ShankerMenon UNDOF head
ArunaSethi Head of ICoAS
Satender Kumar High Commissioner of India to Saint Lucia
DJ Pandian AIIB Vice-President
AnoopBhaskar Head, IDFC Mutual Fund
John Nicholson NATO Commander in Afghanistan
Mr.Iyer Seceratary, Swachh Bharat Mission
David Lim GM(India), Singapore Airlines
Ashok Kumar Bhargava Chairman, Indian Tea Association
YogeshwarSangwan Ambassador of lndia to the Republic of Armenia
Vishal Mehta President of International Grown Diamond Association(IGDA)
BrijbhushanSharan Singh Chief, Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
Anil K. Jain
Dr.AratiPrabhakar U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE)
Ganesh Thakur
Dr. K.R. Sridhar
Davinder Singh vice-chairman of ICC commission
44 | P a g e
HarinderSidhu Australian High Commissioner to India

MukeshBansal, AnkitNagori Flipkart(Resigned)
Tamar Hahn Director, United Nations Information Centre
Ramesh Abhishek Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion(DIPP)
DhirendraHiralalWaghela Chief Justice of Bombay High Court
Nagendra Kumar Saxena High Commissioner of India to Solomon lslands
Kirthiga Reddy Facebook India Head(Step down)
Vilas Tonapi Director of IIMR(Indian Institute of Millets Research)
Ashok Chawla TERI, Chairman
Air Vice Marshal Rajiv
Air Marshal rank
DayalMathur
Devaraja Reddy ICAI President
Albert PahimiPadacke PM, Chad
Sri Srinivasan Judge Of US Supreme Court(First Indian)
Nitin Seth CPO, Flipkart
Alok Kumar Verma Delhi Police commissioner
K.M. Mammen Chairman, Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA)
Vinay Kumar Singh MD, National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC)
JayantMisra Director General of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
Sujan R. Chinoy Ambassador of India to Republic of the Marshall Islands
KetanShukla High Commissioner to the Republic of Bostwana
Faustin-ArchangeTouadera President, Central African Republic
Amar Singh Kuala Lumpur Police Commissioner
RiMyong Su Military Chief Of North Korea
MD & CEO of Metropolitan Securities Exchange of India Limited
Udai Kumar
(MSEI)
Vineet Saran Chief Justice of Orissa High Court
HL Dattu Chairman, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)
K.N.Vyas Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
Michael Pesch CEO of consulting business arm, Infosys
Katsushi Inoue Honda India CEO(Resigned)
Amitava Bhattacharyya
3 information commissioners in CIC
BimalJulka
DivyaPrakashSinha
Rahul Taneja New Chief People Officer of Jet Airways
Dinesh Maheshwari Chief Justice of Meghalaya
Rajendra Singh First Non-Navy Director General of Coast guard
Mahindra Kumar Sharma United Spirits chairman
Subhro Kamal Mukherjee Chief Justice of Karnataka High court
Gianni Infantino FIFA President
Dinesh Sharma Chairperson of Governing Council of IFAD, Rome
VinodRai Chairman of Banks Board Bureau
AshwiniNangia Director of CSIR-National Chemical Lab
Ajay Kumar Sharma Ambassador of Republic of Mauritania
TsewangNamgyal Ambassador of republic of Haiti
RozlePrezelj IAAF Athletes Commission
Mashrafe Bin Mortaza UNDP Goodwill Ambassador
Rohit
Sharma Nissan Global Ambassador
Andre Russell Suzie Bates
45 | P a g e
Microsoft acquired software keyboard and SDK application maker SwiftKey - 250 million USD.
Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Entertainment joint venture with film-maker producer duo Neeraj
Pandey and Shital Bhatias Friday Filworks for production of movies.
Cisco Systems Inc publicized to acquire Jasper Technologies that connect devices to internet for $1.4
billion in cash and equity awards.
Anil Ambani-led Reliance Infrastructure inked a concord to sell its cement business wing Reliance
Cement to Birla Corporation for Rs. 4,800 crore.
Wipro signed an agreement to acquire the US-based HealthPlan Services from Water Street
Healthcare Partners for $460 million
Google owned YouTube acquired BandPage for $8 million - delivering photos
and band info for more than 500,000 artists.
HCL Technologies had acquired the Volvo Groups external IT business.
$1.75 billion (Rs 11,900 crore).
Cipla has acquired two US Drug companies namely InvaGen and Exelan pharmaceuticals for $550
million
SCHEMES
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) completed its ten
years of achievement - US$15 billion.
Maharashtra State Cabinet announced the Babasaheb Ambedkar Special group Incentive Scheme for
the economically backward Dalit entrepreneurs
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship,Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana
(PMKVY) has completed 10 lakh enrolments
States with maximum enrolment under scheme Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,Madhya
Pradesh, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh
Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh launched Udyam Aakansha Scheme for promoting micro, small
and medium enterprises in the state.
Facilitating online registration and self-certification
Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje launched the mobile library-cum-school on wheels - NGO, Tabar
Society
Jayalalithaa the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu had announced Amma Kudineer Thittam a new
scheme for supplying drinking water - 20 liters of pure water every day.
West Bengal government launched the Utkarsh Bangla Scheme for school dropouts at the Netaji
Indoor Stadium in Kolkata
Odisha government introduced a self-certifying scheme for non-hazardous industries to set up units.
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojanas guidelines released at Kisan Mela
2% for Kharif crops and1.5% for Rabi crops and annual commercial and horticultural
crops will be 5%
PM Narendra Modi launched the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission to transform the rural
areas to get an urban look - 5100 crore 300 clusters in next 3 years
Slogan Rural Soul, Urban Amenities
Atal Innovation Mission and Self Employment Talent Utilization set up National Institution for
Transforming India Rs 500 Crore and Rs. 1, 000 crore
Gov will extend the e-tourist VISA to 37 more countries - total 150 countries
Karnataka government announced housing scheme for transgenders - 600 houses
National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) which is now renamed as Deen Dayal Antyodaya
Yojana-NULM - 4,041 statutory urban local bodies
Components - Employment through Skill Training and Placement,Social Mobilisation and
Institution Development,Subsidy to urban poor and Shelters for urban homeless
46 | P a g e
Atal Pension Yojana replaced the National Pension System now will be eligible for the tax benefits
as it was provided for National Pension System.
Tax benefits comes with additional deduction of Rs. 50,000 - gained 20 Lakh beneficiaries
MoUs
Haryana government signed an agreement with Indo-UK Healthcare Private Limited with proposed
investment of Rs 1,000 crore.
Haryana and Ontario in Canada had signed a Pact to enhance commercial and cultural ties.
Haryana and South Korean state of Chungcheongbuk agreed to collaborate on technology and
development.
Union Railway ministry instigated the Personalised take away bedrolls scheme for Chennai Central
Railway Station and Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station of Southern Railway.
Type 1 - Rs.140 and Type 2 - Rs.110.
Israel and Turkish energy firms signed an agreement to sell $1.3 billion worth of gas to Edeltech
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Indo-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol (IMCOR)
signed between Indian Navy and Myanmar Navy.
National Investment and Infrastructure fund (NIIF) the Indias maiden sovereign wealth signed
MoU with Russias Rusnano OJSC to set up high technology private Equity fund in India.
Labour Ministry signed agreements with employment & career activities orgs
8 agreements with Uber, Quikr, Monster, Tech Mahindra, Babajobs,India Staffing
Federation, Buzzmatic Ventures and GoldFish
MoU signed between the ministry of railways on and the gov of Sweden on technical cooperation in
Rail Sector for getting best international technology along with investment
India signed an agreement with the United Kingdom (UK) on exchanging information about
criminals.
Union Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval for signing of a MoU between India and Singapore
Cabinet apprised about signing of MoU with on cooperation in the fields of Science, Technology
and innovation (STI).
Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE) and Andhra University had signed a MoU to start
the IIPE sessions during the academic year 2016-17.
India and Armenia ratified MoU on Agricultural Cooperation- trade and investment prospects also
sharing Knowledge that both countries gained erstwhile.
The Department of bio-technology of Ministry of Science & Technology and UKs top research
institute signed a MoU for collaboration for research on Crop Sciences
Establishment of Indo-UK plant science centre in India
The cabinet approved $150 million for development of Chabahar port in Republic of Iran which will
facilitate trade route to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan.
Rajasthan Govt has inked 51 memorandums of understanding worth Rs 11,531.21 crore with various
companies - Rs 3.21 lakh crores
Prasar Bharati signed a MoU with Empressa de communicacao to the broadcast related endeavors
Exchange of News Programmes and co-production.
BML Munjal University had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Axis Bank.
Aims to aware the students about Banking Sector
National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) signed MOU with Indian Institute of
Chemical Biology to promote entrepreneurship.
Jharkhand gove and Adani Group inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up a 1600
MW capacity thermal power plant for investment of 15000 crore rupees
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) signed two bilateral Advance Pricing Agreements
(APAs) with United Kingdom
India and US signed an agreement to improve the system at Directorate General of Civil
Aviation (DGCA) - fund $808
47 | P a g e
National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) had inked Memorandum of Agreement

(MoA) with Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) in Kolkata for technology
Transfer at IACS.
Union Cabinet approved the proposal for notification of commitments under the Trade Facilitation
Agreement (TFA) of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Part of the WTOs Bali ministerial package of 2013
PM- Narendra Modi and his cabinet approved the agreement which will avoid double taxation for
International airline enterprises in Maldives and India.
India and United States of America has set up bilateral mechanism for sharing information for
tracking movements of satellites, avoiding collisions and identifying potential threads to space and
ground assets.
The worlds biggest multinational trade deal signed by 12 member nations of the Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TTP) in Auckland, New Zealan
Cover 40 percent of the world economy
India and Afghanistan inked a pact for visa-free travel for diplomatic passport holders of the two
countries.
India signs an Agreement to Become an Associate Member State of (EMBO)Associate Member
State European Molecular Biology Organisation
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU) had signed an
agreement on cyber defence to improve cooperation.
US and Russia enter into a New deal to stop Bloodshed in Syria came as a joint statement from US
and Russia.
This ceasefire excludes Islamic state, al-Nusra Front and the other deemed terrorist groups.
Manipal University had signed a MoU for academic cooperation with University of Chicago USA in
Manipal.
COMMITTEES
Empowered Group of State Transport ministers Headed by Rajasthan Transport Minister Yunus
Khan formed to suggest measures on ailing transport sector.
Companies Law Committee submitted its report to the Government for examining and making
recommendations on changing of the Companies Act, 2013.
Committee formed in Nashik to Rejuvenate Godavari - Deepak Naik(Head), Rekha Somalia, Deepak
Naik - rejuvenated nearly 78 rivers
Committee framed under T.S.R Subramanian to evolve the New Education Policy
Consider the various suggestions received from online portal, various educational pioneers
and experts and frame a Draft of the New Education Policy
Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP)s expert committee
To examine the possibility of replacing multiple prior permissions with pre-existing
regulatory mechanism has submitted its recommendations aimed at promoting ease of doing
business
Headed by Ajay Shankar
Economist and West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra appointed as the chairman of
empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on Goods and Service tax.
French space agency Centre National dtudes spatiales (CNES) signed a letter of intent with
the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in the next Mars mission 2018
Smartphones app MyShake turns the Android phones into an earthquake detector.
Worlds first fully automated farm with robots handling almost every step of the process from
48 | P a g e
watering seedlings to harvesting crops will be open in Japan announced by Kyoto-based Spread
India and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) joined hands to explore the
environment of Ladakh under NASAs Spaceward Bound programme.
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) launched Indias first ayurvedicanti-
diabetic drug named BGR-34 for type two Diabetes mellitus.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launched the official YouTube channel for the Ministry of finance.
CRMNEXT had launched Indias first cloud based digital CRM platform to provides commutable
cloud CRM solutions.
The first artificial graphene-like structure had been created by the University of Arkansas. The team
of researchers was headed by an Indian-origin researcher.
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has initiated an EMI scheme which will help them in their continuation of
the treatment and meet the high cost of medication.
The first machine harvestable chickpea variety, NBeG 47 has been released in Andhra
Pradesh suitable for the states variable climate.
Dr. Mahesh Sharma launched the 247 Toll Free Tourist Infoline in 12 International
Languages including Hindi and English.
North Korea successfully launched the Kwangmyongsong-4 a communications satellite into space.
The Crime Mapping, Analytics and Predictive System (CMAPS) is being operationalised by Delhi
Police in partnership with ISRO - predictive policing mechanism
International physicists association detected gravitational waves for the first time in the world
YouTube launched its first original movies and series for YouTube Red subscriber
Indian Space Research Organasion (ISRO) launched the Cryogenic mark-III based GSLV
satellite launch vehicle in December.
RailYatri.inlaunched a medical emergency app. It will enable train travelers to check for vital
information regarding medical facilities in the surrounding area of their location.
Arun Jaitley the Union Finance Minister inaugurated the Non-Tax Receipt Portal (NTRP).
Developed by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) office - Rs 2 lakh crores.
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Javadekar launched a website and mobile application for
integrating its Environment Information System(ENVIS) centres -69
Amazon announced the launch an initiative that enables small and medium businesses (SMBs) to go
online and sell products Amazon Tatkal.
Ringing Bells Pvt Ltd a Noida based company had launched Freedom 251 possibly the worlds
cheapest Smartphone Rs.251
Japan space agency Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched ASTRO-
H space observation satellite to study the black holes.
Scientists have discovered five new exoplanets coining them hot Jupiters
WASP 119b, WASP 114b,WASP 126 b, WASP 129 b and WASP 133 b.
Googles Project Loon had crashed down in Sri Lanka in a tea plantation - crashed during its first
test flight.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had found a super-Earth with an
atmosphere for the first time.
Indian Space Research Organisation successfully hot tested Cryo CE 20 Engine for flight duration
of 640 seconds at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) at Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.
The union minister for science and technology Harsh Vardhan dedicated the Ksheer Scanner
system for people
Used to detect Adulteration in Milk. It was developed by CSIR-CEERI.
Ministry of Tourism initiated the Swachh Parayatan Mobile App by Mahesh Sharma
Google Search Engine as Swachh Paryatan
Haryana to become the first state in India to have Aquifer mapping -to find out the exact location of
the Aquifer rocks
US Inter Continental Ballistic Missile Minuteman 3 was launched from Vandenberg Air force Base
in California.
49 | P a g e
Scientists at McGill University created an energy efficient model Biological Super computer that can
process the information using very little energy.It use energy from Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)
DEFENCE
India has participated in the 35thedition of Cobra Gold multilateral exercise as an observer plus
country hosted by Thailand.
India and China held their first joint tactical exercise (JET) codenamed Sino-India Cooperation
2016in the Chushul-Moldo, Jammu and Kashmir
9th Indo-Nepal Combined Battalion level Military Training Exercise Surya Kiran has been started off
today at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
IBSAMAR is a joint naval exercise between India, Brazil and South Africa - Exercise to
commence from Goa Coast
Indian Army and Seychelles Peoples Defence Forces (SPDF) had joint the 7th joint military
exercise in Victoria.
The Indian Navy conducted an International Fleet Review (IFR) at Visakhapatnam.
The state government had decided to set up the countrys first Aviation Park in Gujarat.
Indian Coast Guard planned to induct 38 more aircraft and helicopters into navy by 2020
INS Viraat an Airrcraft carrier will be developed as a tourism centre in the Navy, Andhra Pradesh.
Ishapore Rifle factory in west Bengal - designed Indias lightest revolver Nidar
weighing 250gm
Indias indigenously developed Prithvi-II missile had been successfully test-fired from
the Chandipur, Odisha.
Captive flight trials of an advanced state-of-the-art Anti-Radiation Missile (ARM) are planned
for April-May this year 100 to 125km
ENVIRONMENT
Birds of 11 rare species have been found in Jharkhand during a survey of the water bodies.
25 dams, in the state is nearly about 71,134 as recorded by the Asian Bird Survey 2015.
Central Pollution Control Boards (CPCB) has released its latest report National Air Quality
Indices (AQI)
Delhi is not the pollution capital of India but still it has been ranked with very poor score of
362.
Varanasi and Muzaffarpur are leading the list with severe pollution
New species of Hydroid Polyps emitting green fluorescence in the Red Sea discovered by
international team of biologists.Hydroid polyps are also called hydrozoas.
The Department of forest and Animal Keepers at Arignar Anna Zoological Park has carried out long
day census of birds and came to the conclusion that 31 species of birds in Vandalurs Otteri Lake.
Greenpeace analysis data taken by NASA satellites alarmed that the average particulate matters of
population increased in India overtaking China for the first time in 21st century.
Birders in Goa sighted rare Falcated Duck in Goa - verity in Goas Bird list.
SPORTS
2016 Syed Modi Badminton Title
Mens singles category Indian KidambiSrikanth
Womens singles Sayaka Sato from Japan
Mens doubles category Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong from Malaysia
Womens doubles category Jung Kyung-eun and Shin Seung-chan from South
Korea
Mixed Doubles Title Indonesian pair Praveen Jordan and Deby Susanto
50 | P a g e
2021 World Aquatics Championships Fukuoka

2015 MRF Challenge Formula 2000 PietroFittipaldi
No 1 batsman in T20 Internationals ViratKohli
` National Snooker Championship 2016
Mens final Aditya Mehta
womens final VidyaPillai
womens billiards final KeerathBhandaal
61st National School Athletics championship Kerala
World No. 9 in latest BWF ranking K.Srikanth
ICC Permanent member status India, England and Australia (removed)
Mumbai International Open Chess tournament Title Swapnil S Dhopade
ICC suspended for three months Yasir Shah
Retired from One-Day Internationals New Zealand cricketer Brendon Barrie
McCullum(100th consecutive Test)
Fastest cricketer to make 10 ODI centuries De Kock of South Africa
Womens World Cup Final In 2017 Lord
BCCI bans for 5 years Pakistani umpire AsadRauf
St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy SaniaMirza and Martina Hingis
ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2016 West Indies
12th South Asian Games 1.India, 2. Sri Lanka 3.Pakistan
Buenos Aires Title Dominic Thiem
Rio Olympic Games Qualifier ShortDena Banks Sridhar
National Chess Team Championship Indian Railways
Clothing supplier for WC T20 Numero Uno
Indonesias first Formula1 Driver Rio Haryanto
th
World Rabk 6 in chess Suhaanialohi
2016 Hockey Title Japee Punjab Warriors
Asian Wrestling Championship Iran 1st and India 7th (9medals)
7th WTA career title Francesca Schiavone
Chief coach of Sri Lanka Graham Xavier Ford
Wawrinka won Dubai ATP Tennis Title 2016
Womens Singles Sara Errani from Italy
Mens Doubles Simone Bolelli and Andreas seppi
Womens Doubles Chuang Chia Jung from Chinese Taipei and
DarijaJurak from Croatia
2016 Qatar Total Open
Singles JelenaOstapenko of Latvia
Doubles Taipei Chan Hao-ching / Taipei Chan Yung-jan of

China
Ranji trophy Mumbai 41st time
Record: seven better Olympic qualification time Gurmeet Singh
ICC Test rankings 1.Austrlia 2. India 3, South Africa
2016 Nagjee International Club Football Tournament Dnipro Reserves of Ukraine
OBITUARY

Frank Finlay Actor UK
Benoit Violier Worlds best chef France
Dan Hicks Singer & Writer USA
51 | P a g e
NASA Astronaut Edgar Mitchell USA

SushilKoirala Former Prime Minister Nepal
Leslie Bassett Composer USA
Anatoly Ilyin Soviet football legend Russia
Boutros Boutros Former UN Secretary-General Egypt
Andy Ganteaume Cricketer West Indies
AndrzejZulawski Film Director France
Harper Lee Novelist USA
Umberto Eco Philosopher cum Novelist Italy
Intizar Husain Famous Urdu fiction writer, novelist, columnist and Pakistan
poet
Kollam G K Pillai Malayalam Actor India
BalramJakhar Former LokSabha speaker MP, India
S. S. Tarapore Former RBI Deputy Governor India
SudhirTailang Cartoonist India
NidaFazli Urdu poet India
KailashYadav UP Panchayati Raj minister India
Aurobindo Mukherjee Film director India
Biraja Prasad Indian Ambassador to Tajikistan India
O N V Kurup Malayalam poet, lyricist, professor and India
environmentalist
Rajamani Music director India
Akbar Kakkattil Malayalam novelist and short story writer India
Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan Singer India
Bhubaneshwari Mishra Odissa singer India
B K Garudachar Cricketer India
Nihal Ahmed Maulavi Former minister of Maharashtra India
Mohammed Usman
Rajesh Pillai Malayalam Film director India
Kumarimuthu Actor comedian India
BOOKS & AUTHORS

Sentinels of Raisina Hill authored by Mohan Joseph (Controller General of Accounts) Dhirendra
Singh (former Home Secretary)
Indian Paper Money penned by Shri Razack
Transendence - Former President APJ Abdul Kalam
Amar Chitra Katha has launched its first romance title A Kingdom For His Love the fiction co-
authored by Vani Mahesh and Shinie Antony
Information & Broadcast Minister (I&B) had released the India 2016 and Bharat 2016 Reference
Annual books
Anything but Kamosh: The biography of Shatrughan Sinha - Shatrughan Sinha biography
IMPORTANT DAYS IN FEBRUARY 2016

Feb 2 2016
Remember Day: World Wetland Day
Purpose : To marks the date of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention,
on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
Theme: Wetlands for our Future Sustainable Livelihoods
52 | P a g e
Feb 4 2016
Remember Day: World Cancer Day
Purpose : To raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection and treatment.
Organization: WHO
Theme: We can I can
Feb 6 2016
Remember Day: International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation.
Purpose: To raise awareness about the female genital mutilation (FGM) and to promote its eradication
Organization: UNICEF
Theme: Achieving the new Global Goals through the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation by 2030
Feb 7 2016
Remember Day: 68th Nowshera Day
Purpose : To honour the sacrifice of jawans who sacrifice their lives while fighting against Pakistani enemy
at the border line town of Nowshera in 1947.
Organization: Indian Army
Feb 11 2016
Remember Day: International Day Women and Girls in Science
Purpose : To highlight female achievement, equal access and participation in the science field.
Transforming the World: Parity in Science
Organization: UN
Theme: Transforming the World: Parity in Science
Feb 13 2016
Remember Day: World Radio Day
Purpose : To remember the contribution of radio in our life.
Organization: UNESCO
Theme: Radio in Times of Emergency and Disaster
Feb 20 2016
Remember Day: World Day of Social Justice
Purpose : To promote efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, exclusion and unemployment
Organization: UN
Theme: A Just transition environmentally sustainable economies and societies.
Feb 21 2016
Remember Day: International Mother Language day
Purpose : To promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism
Organization: UN, UNESCO
Theme: Quality education, language(s) of instruction and learning outcomes
Feb 22 2016
Remember Day: World thinking day
Purpose : A day when they think about their "sisters" (and "brothers") in all the countries of the world, the
meaning of Guiding, and its global impact.
Organization: WAGGGS(World Association For Girl Guides and Girl Scouts).
Theme: Connect Activity Pack
Feb 24 2016
Remember Day: Central Excise Day
Purpose : To encourage the employees of excise department to carry out the central excise duty all over the
53 | P a g e
India in better way in order to prevent the corruption

Organization: GOI
Feb 28 2016
Remember Day: National Science day
Purpose : To commemorate the discovery of Raman Effect by Sir C.V.Raman in 1928
Organization: GOI
Theme: Scientific issues for Development of the Nation
Current Affairs March 2016

INDIAN AFFAIRS
Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) introduced two prime projects

NationalWaterway No 2 - Brahmaputra River between the Bangladesh
border and Sadiya (Assam) - Rs 50.76 crore
Ro-Ro ferry service between Dhubri & Hatsingimari
Haryana government announced to rename Mustafabad village as Saraswati nagar.
Knight Frank Wealth Report 2016 - Mumbai, with 1094 billionaires(21st )followed by Delhi at
545(23rd )
Chennai gets first smart self cleaning toilets in India 183 by Eram scientific solution
Carriage by Air amendment bill to empower Union government to revise the limits of liability for
airlines and compensation as per the Montreal Convention which India accepted in 2009.
12th South Asian Games decided to set up Tikhor Park (Games Mascot) in Guwahati and Shillong
with Rs. 2 Crore
PM Narendra Modi Launches Setu Bharatam Project to ensure our highways without railway
crossings, the Setu Bharatam Project.
Outlay: Rs. 50,800 cr and Target: 2019
Allepey, the Venice of the East, and a favourite tourism spot in Kerala- Indias first 75-seater Solar
Ferry - built by NavAlt
Raisina-Dialogue - the three day Flagship Programme on Geopolitics and Geo-economics began
in New Delhi - Sushma Swaraj
Sri Arun Jaitley introduced the Aadhaar (Target Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits
and other Services) Bill, 2016.
Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT) signed a MoA with the Union Government to get
a loan of Rs. `1000 crores.
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited owned Commissions Supercritical Thermal Unit - 700 MW at
Bellary Thermal Power Project in Karnataka.
The traditional Spring Festival of Mizoram, Chapchar Kut, was celebrated across the state on
March 5, 2016.
Indian Railways to set up special wing for research SRESHTA - Special Railway Establishment for
Strategic Technology and Holistic Advancement
UP gov passed the UP revenue code amendment bill that facilitates Dalits to sell their land to Non-
Dalits.Pre-British era revenue law was replaced by UP Revenue Code (Amendment) Bill, 2016
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan laid out the foundation stone for Octomax unit in the oil
refinery at Mathura.First high octane gasoline production unit - Rs 5,000 crore novel technology.
The Sex ratio in Gujarat(22nd) fallen significantly from 920 in 2001 to 919 in 2011.
Union Government proposes to launch a River Information System (RIS), the system is similar
to Air Traffic Control.
Germany partnered with Indias flagship program Smart City Mission to develop Bhubaneswar,
54 | P a g e
Kochi, and Coimbatore as smart Cities.

Womens Day News box
ICICI bank announced a work-from-home programme for the women workers iWork @
home platform
Air India flew its first worlds longest all women flight from New Delhi to San Francisco.
Tata housing tying up with SBI to provide special home loan part of Her Ghar scheme
SBI life insurance launched the Smart Women Advantage scheme for life cover, savings and
female-specific critical illness benefits
Indias rank in women representation has slipped from 117 to 144.
Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Sanjay Gandhi launched Mahila
e-Haat portal in New Delhi to enable women to sell their products across the nation
Indias air force will induct its first female fighter pilots in June - Bhawna Kanth, Avani
Chaturvedi and Mohana
Haryana Global Investors Summit 2016 - Gurgaon
Happening Haryana Global Investors Summit-2016 - 25 lakh crore
48-year-old Enemy Property Act to allow the custodians to continue to hold sway over enemy
properties .It will amend the Enemy Property Act, 1968.
Gujarat govt.topped the list of states with most investment potential
Report released by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
Top 5: Gujarat, New Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra
Govt. mulls Wind Energy Potential to promote wind energy projects - interest discount of 0.25 %
Saudi Arabia and India hold talks on regional and global issues of mutual interests.
Sushma Swaraj and Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir in New Delhi.
Rajya Sabha passes Bureau of Indian Standards bill to make BIS, a national standards body.
Rajya Sabha passed National Waterways Bill 2015 by the Minister of Road Transport and Highways
and Shipping, Mr. NitinGadkari.
Real Estate Regulation and Development Bill - the favour of protection of Home buyer 70% sale
proceeds
Union Cabinet approved the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP).
It will enhance domestic oil and gas production,
Union Cabinet approved the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs to amend the Sikh Gurdwaras
Act, 1925
IMF will establish a knowledge-sharing centre in India,
Technical support and assistance to India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan
and Bhutan.
Cabinet approved amendment to mining law-Mines and minerals (Development and Regulation)
Amendment Bill 2015 to transfer of mining lease for captive mines.
Lok Sabha passes Aadhaar bill 2016 - to avail the subsidies and schemes of the Government
Kakrapar atomic power Plant in Gujarat was shut down after leakage developed of heavy water.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated three Railway projects at Bihar Rs.7200 cr
Patna Rail-cum-road Bridge
Mokama double line Railway bridge
Munger rail-cum-road Bridge
Govt to computerise all ration shops by 2019 by installing electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices
Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat has conducted a honey festival in Mangaluru
Foreign Minister of the Government of Mexico, H.E. Ms Claudia Ruiz Massieu Salinas, visited India
on two day visit to India
Mexico in the international context and its relations with India - lecture
Allahabad High Court(1866) celebrates its 150th Foundation Day on 14th March 2016 -
Conference Advancing Asia: Investing for the Future held in New Delhi by Government of India
and the IMF
UP Govt approved a policy for senior citizens monthly pension from Rs. 300 to Rs. 400.
55 | P a g e
Indias First Education Focused Accelerator Programme Edugild Started At MIT,PUNE

Jammu & Kashmir adopted new industrial policy 2016 to attract an investment of Rs.2000 crores -
Governor N N Vohra
International Childrens Film Festival The Golden Elephant for the North East Region began in
Gangtok
Order Amendment Bill, 2016 passed in Lok Sabha to amend the Constitution Scheduled Castes
Order 1950.
5 states: Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Kerala, Odisha and West Bengal,
The largest fair on Food & Hospitality Sector AAHAR 2016 - 31st edition
was inaugurated by Harsimrat Kaur Badal
Under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana Loans worth Rs1.09 lakh crore have been sanctioned to small
entrepreneurs
Loan between Rs.50, 000 and Rs.10 lakh
The Centre has released 609 crore rupees for upgrading prisons in eight States
Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh,Maharashtra, Mizoram, Tripura and Arunachal
Pradesh.
Union Government given final approval for setting up a Mega Food Park in Khammam District of
Telangana- Rs. 108.95 crore
India and China Exchange Tariff Cut Offers to liberalise trade ties as they exchange offers on tariff
cuts in goods imports.
Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal land bill-2016.
Contradiction of the construction of contentious Sutlej Yamuna Link.
Career Guidance Counselling Centres launched in Delhi to improve employment opportunities for
women
President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the 5th edition of the India Aviation 2016 in Hyderabad
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan- Ek Kadam Swachhta Ki Aur Survey
Surat Cleanest Railway Station and Varanasi Dirtiest railway station
Cisco to set up Internet of Everything (IoE) innovation centre in Visakhapatnam
Part of the inauguration of Indias first statewide broadband project-AP Fiber Net in
Visakhapatnam
PM Modi inaugurated the first World Sufi Forum- Bain-ul-Aqwami Sufi Conference in New Delhi.
Indian Airforce to conduct day-night exercise Iron-fist at Rajasthans Pokhran firing range
Gov of Goa declared Feni as Heritage spirit of Goa. under the Goa Excise Duty Act, 1964.
SC allowed photographs of CMs, Governors & Ministers in Public advertisements - Justice Ranjan
Gogoi bench
Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu unveiled Model Building Bye-Laws, 2016 for
granting permission for construction of buildings -
Union Health Minister J P Nadda, launched Bedaquiline new anti-TB drug for Drug Resistant TB
BHEL commissioned another 270 MW unit at Goindwal Sahibcoal-fired power project in Punjab
Punjab Assembly has passed a bill Punjab Settlement of Agricultural Indebtedness Bill, 2016 to
provides relief to the farmers
The Union ministry of Health & Welfare launched a study on Longitudinal Ageing of Indians termed
as LASI(Longitudinal Ageing Study in India)
6% of the total population of India is elderly people
340 million of 60+ aged people in 2050
India Post released customised commemorative stamp on HAL to recognize the companys 75 years
services to the nation
Government clears new Defence Procurement Policy to make equipments locally and fund private-
sector R&D t
NTPC commissioned a 250 MW Unit-I of its arm at Bihar.
PM Inaugurates Power transmission line between India & Bangladesh from Agartala
Bangladesh providing 10GB Internet Bandwidth to India
56 | P a g e
Himachal, Mumbai to have electric buses from Tata motorsunder its flagship scheme Faster
Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India).
Gov approved 11 highway projects with a total length of about 453 km and worth of Rs 6,284 crore
Swachh Bharat rankings Cleanest building
Rashtrapati Bhavan, UPSC Building, Hyderabad House, Jawaharlal Nehru Bhavan and
Vigyan Bhavan
110 gram panchayats in Chhattisgarh were declared open defecation-free under the Swachh Bharat
Abhiyan
Mehbooba Mufti elected as first woman chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir
Andhra Pradesh gov inaugurates Indias first lift irrigation project at Pattiseema village.It connects
river Godavari with Krishna
BHEL commissions 600 MW unit of Singareni project in Adilabad
Ayurveda, Arogya fair is a four day programme which began in Goa.
Organised by AYUSH ministry and Confederation of Indian Industry
Objective is to popularize the Indian Medicinal system
India decided to provide electricity operated cars at zero down payment making it as a 100% e-
vehicle nation by 2030 said by Piyush Goyal
Madhya Pradesh to have its first Indo Tibetan Border Police weapon training centre at Batiagarh,
Damoh Rs 2100 crores
The Union Minister of health and welfare J P Nadda launched Rota virus vaccine in Bhubaneshwar
Maharashtra gets its first set of Women Commanders to protect forest - a batch of 20 women
Common Yoga protocol revealed for 2nd International day of Yoga(June 21) by the AYUSH
minister Shripad Yesso Naik
The Economic Advisor of Himachal Pradeep Chauhan released Sixth Economic Census of Himachal
Pradesh - 100 per cent establishments
First state in the country to complete the census and release the report
BHEL commissioned 40 MW hydropower generating unit at the Teesta low dam hydro electric
project (HEP) in West Bengal.
Haryana gov approved the Jat reservation bill to provide reservation to Jats and four other
castes(Sikhs, Rors, Bishnois and Tyagis)
Haryana becomes 1st to launch Injectable Contraceptive - Salamati
To maintain a healthy balance between the births of children by using injectable
contraceptive
Gov notified the new Aadhaar Act, 2016 - the numbers assigned by it a statutory backing for transfer
of subsidies and benefits
Telengana CM Chandrasekhar Rao passed the bill Payment of Salaries and Pensions and Removal of
Disqualifications(Amendment) Bill-2016 for hike in salary of MLAs and MLCs.
Kachabali village in Rajsamand district of Rajasthan become the first in state to vote in support of
closing down the only liquor shop in the village.
Financial capital of India Mumbai to get its first Arbitration Centre for dealing the financial disputes.
The permissions time 14 from 40 and time limit come down from 60 to 30 days
BHEL commissioned 250 MW coal-based thermal power plant in Bihar.
STATE BUDGET 2016-17
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh presented the State Budget for the fiscal year 2016-17.
Uttarkhand Government presented the 40422 crores State budget 2016-17
Telengana Government to present 1.30 Lakh crore Budget 2016-17
Goa CM Laxmikant Parsekar Presented State Budget for 2016-17
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Government presented its State Budget for the year 2016-17
Haryana gov proposed a tax free budget for the financial year 2016-17.
57 | P a g e
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia presented a Rs 46,600 crore annual budget for 2016-17
Strategic dialogue between US and Pakistan after the controversial deal of F-16 jets
Peru government has declared state emergency after a major oil pipeline burst affecting two rivers
Chiriaco and Morona rivers
Global Energy Architecture Performance Index Report WEF.India - 90th place
Top 3: Swizerland, Norway and Sweden
London is the most expensive city to live in, by overtaking Hong Kong, New York -Savills survey
China launched its first self propelled floating dock, giving it the ability to repair warships from the
coast.
Worlds Costliest Train Station Opened in New York,connects New York to New Jersey.
India Signs Agreement With IEA(International Energy Agency) in the fields of energy data and
forecasting.
UN Refugee Agency and UNICEF are setting up special support centres Blue Dot hubs to protect
children & families on move across Europe.
Women at Work: Trends2016 -International Labour Organizations Report.
Womens wages remain unchanged in 20 years
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Childrens Emergency
Fund(UNICEF) jointly launched the Global Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child
Marriage.
12 countries across Africa and Asia.
Pakistan Government initiated probe into Karachi-based Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)
partys Alleged ties with based Research Analysis Wing (RAW)
Mumbai and Bangalore are among the cheapest cities in the world - London forecast group (EIU).
Most expensive city: Singapore, London(6th) and New York(7th )
The Arab League has declared Lebanese movement Hezbollah a terrorist group, the decision
came during an Arab League foreign ministers visit in Cairo.
Chinas Supreme Court is setting up its own international maritime judicial centre to
handle territorial disputes.
UNESCO joined hands with CJ Welfare to start an animation program named Rainbow Ruby.
Support for Better Life for Girls campaign
Happiness Index India ranked 118
Top 3: Denmark, Switzerland and Iceland
Narendra Modi is set to join the league of the most prominent world leaders at the World
famous Wax Museum Madame Tussauds in London.
4th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves was inaugurated in Lima, Peru
The worlds first fully electric-powered double-decker bus unveiled in London
US presidential hopeful Donald Trump, Author J K Rowling,Former Olympic athlete Caitlyn
Jenner,Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo,Cristiano Ronaldo,Lily Singh and Josh Ostrovsky
Bangkok is to impose a curfew during the worlds biggest water festival - Songkran festival
13th meeting of Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development was held on 14 March 2016
in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
eAtlas of Gender Inequality in Education released by the UNESCOs Institute for Statistics (UIS).
Gender inequalities highest in the Arab States, sub-Saharan Africa and South, and West Asia
India provided 265 million grant for constituting Tagores memorial Auditorium in Srilanka
Nepal to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) as a dialogue partner.
TIMEs Most Influential people - PM Modi, tennis player Sania Mirza and Bollywood actress
Priyanka Chopra
Others - Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Aziz Ansari
58 | P a g e
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD) made a standardised electronic

format for the exchange of Country-by-Country (CbC)
Fortune 50 leaders listed by Fortune magazine - Arvind Kejriwal(42nd)
Indian origin -South Carolinas governor Nikki(17th) and Resham Saujani(20th )
Women Saujani, Angela Merkel,Aung San Suu Kyi ,Christine Lagarde and Sheik Hasina
Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment for 2015 UN Report
The contribution by India, China & Brazil in 2015 in renewable energy - $156 billion
US President, Barack Obama made a historic visit to Cuba in 88 years
Signed a first business deal in Cuba since the 1959 revolution
British gov lifted the ban on the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF)
Syrian Army(mortal blow) recaptures historic city of Palmyra from IS
EgyptAir Flight MS181 hijacked to Cyprus.
The UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) launched a series of animated films Unfairy Tales Of Refugee
And Migrant Children to help frame positive insights toward the tens of millions of children and
young people.
Ebola threat comes to an end in West Africa declared by WHO
France long military operation Sangaris(2013) in Central African comes to an end
India institute its first Chair in the Arab world at Egypts third largest university Ain Shams
University (ASU) in Cairo.
BANKING & FINANCE
IFClaunched its first Uridishi masala bond in India to mobilize 300 million rupees from Japanese
household investors to promote private sector investment .
World Bank, India and Government of Madhya Pradesh inked a credit concord worth of US $300
million for the Madhya Pradesh (MP) Higher Education Quality Improvement Project.
RBI announced relaxation of certain norms in the balance sheet - unlock 40,000 crores to support the
capital requirement
Nomura report that Indias GDP growth will rise from 7.6% to 7.8% in the year 2016-17.GDP
Government cancelled the contract for the RS. 10,050 crore Zojila Pass Tunnel Building Project -
Jammu & Kashmir
RBI Released the Non Banking Financial Company- Account Aggregator Directions, 2016
To allow a separate category of Non Banking Financial Company to emerge as an Account
Aggregator.
Foreign Banks Get Myanmar Licence
Vietnams Bank for Investment and Development
Taiwans E.SUN Commercial Bank
South Koreas Shinhan Bank
State Bank of India
Capital Local Area Bank Limited got first small finance bank licence.
Axis bank is better placed than ICICI and other public sector bank in terms of corporate book
profitability - Nomura
Government may look into merging the twenty seven PSBs into just six -Gyan Sangam bad loan
issue
The growth forecast for India is at 7.5 per cent this fiscal and sees higher growth over
the next two financial years Fitch
Soft Bank group Corp plans to split its domestic and overseas business - Nikesh Arora
Department of Revenue sets up dedicated structure for monitoring taxpayer Services - Tax
Administration Reforms Commissions (TARC) report
YES Bank starting its first All women operated branch in Bengaluru Yes Grace
RBI share its FDI details with the Intelligence Bureau and Research and Analysis Wing to prevent
59 | P a g e
the entry of Black money

Govt removed proposed tax on EPF withdrawals
To make up to 60 per cent of savers corpus withdrawn from the EPF tax-free if invested in
annuity and 40% tax free
ICICI Bank launched credit-linked subsidy scheme under PMAY(Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana)
HDFC Bank tied up with 5 start ups
Senseforth Technologies,Tagnpin,Safe 2 Pay,Bugclipper and Taptis Technology
Employee Provident Fund Organisation announced an incentive for the employees who register
between January and December 2016 - 5 to 10%
116 central public sector enterprises spent an amount of Rs 2447.59 crore on Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) in 2014-15
The GDP growth of India at 7.9% for the fiscal year 2016 - Crisil
India Post Picked Deloitte as Consultant for Payments Bankto advise it on setting up a payments
bank Rs.800cr
ICICI signed a pact with Italian luxury sports car manufacturer Ferrari to issue co-branded credit
cards Visa platform.
Kotak Mahindra Bank Group signed an agreement up with Canadian Pension Plan Investment
Board (CPPIB) to launch a $525 million fund.
RBI is likely to pay the government Rs 57,000 crore in dividends in the fiscal year 2016-17.
SBI released arrears worth Rs.1, 465 crore to about 7.75 lakh defence beneficiaries under OROP
scheme
RBI asked banks to credit interest on savings accounts every quarter or shorter than that of the fiscal.
ICICI Bank launched a new NFC-based mobile payment system iTap enabling contactless
transactions via its Pockets app.
IDBI allowed its customers to invest in bonds through its ATMs.
G-Sec through ATM is an extension of Banks Samriddhi G-Sec Portal
Gov slashed the interest rates of Public Provident Fund (PPF) scheme - will be cut to 8.1 per cent
from 8.7 per cent
Five-Year National Savings Certificates - 1 per cent as against 8.5 per cent
Five-year Monthly Income Account - 7.8 per cent as opposed to 8.4 per cent
Two-year time deposit -2 per cent instead of 8.4 per cent,
Five-year recurring deposit will earn 4 per cent instead of 8.4 per cent
Chhattisgarh gov disbursed Rs 1,821-crore loans to several beneficiaries under the Pradhan
Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY)
HDFC Bank launched banking solution for start-ups after SBIs InCube and RBL Banks India
start-up Club.
IRDA gave nod to allow LIC to invest in the Public Sector Banks.
Government canceled Recognition of Delhi Stock Exchange following the serious irregularities in its
demutualization functioning
Indias current account deficit fell further to 1.3% of the gross domestic product.
Indias GDP growth has been projected at 7.7% - ICRA
Bajaj Finance has entered into the Rs 20,000-crore life care segment
World Bank proposed a $ 1.5 billion dollar to the clean India campaign Swachh Bharat in rural
areas.
RBI soften the rules on Liquidity measurement accordance with the new Basel III norms
Notice period is greater than 30 days for Cash outflows of retail term deposit
Lakshmi Vilas Bank tied up with NBHC(National Bulk Handling Corporation Private Limited) for
collateral management & warehousing
South Indian Bank got the ISO 9001:2008 certification.
Indian economy is fast growing which has been projected at 7.2% in 2015-16 by the BMI research
8% in 2016-17
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) gave its nod to 49% FDI in Insurance
60 | P a g e
and Pension Sector

RBI revised the Rules for rehabilitation of MSMEs to reform the banking sector and bring down the
NPAs. Loan limits -25 crores
RuPay plans to issue 100,000 credit cards in September this year.
IOB(Indian Overseas Bank) has become the first bank issuing the gold coins in 5,10 and 20 gms.
World Bank approved $100 million loan to Jordan for job creation.
World Bank approved $250 million loan to Support Electricity Distribution Sector Reforms in
Rajasthan.
Federal Bank plans to set up incubation centers for startups in Bangalore and Ernakulam 25cr
RBI announced the private placement of securities for UDAY scheme
Applicants to apply through private placement approach and securities issued by governments
of Bihar, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Punjab and Rajasthan
Bharat Bank ties up with Chillr to make payments easier.
RBI signed Currency swap agreement with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka
To draw up to $700 million over a maximum period of three months
Asian Development Bank brought down the forecast of growth of Asia to 5.7% for the financial year
2016-17.
Central Board of Direct Taxes(CBDT) department signed 11 Advance Pricing Agreements with
taxpayers overseas to reduce litigations.
European Investment Bank Provide loan to Lucknow Metro Project of 450 million (about Rs. 3,300
crore)
Gov allowed 100% FDI in e-commerce through automatic route in marketplace model of retailing.
RBI has cancelled the certificate of registration of 22 NBFCsunder Section 45-IA (6) of the Reserve
Bank of India Act, 1934
SEBI has raised the FPI (Foreign Portfolio Investors) investment limit in government securities
to 1,40,000 crore from April,4
Japan has been providing support to India both financially and technically for the
various infrastructure projects - worth 242.2 billion yen
BUSINESS
Infosys to collaborate with Microsoft on analytics solution to offer Healthcare Analytic Solutions
on Microsoft Intelligent Cloud Technology.
Bajaj Power inked agreement with Indian Railways for Lalitpur- Udaipura rail section electrification
project - nearly 47 crore
Tata Motors signed Tri Partite Partnership with Bharat Forge and US based General Dynamics Land
Systems for Rs. 50 K crore future infantry combat Vehicle project.
DIPP gave its clearance to 12 industrial licenses to Reliance Defence for manufacturing of Defence
equipments in India and Overseas
Maruti Suzukis hatchback model Baleno - Make in India model is now launched in Japan.
Gov approved a new price formula for their undeveloped gas discoveries in difficult areas- USD
7 per million British thermal unit (mmBtu)
The California-based Uber services opened its first Asian engineering centre in Bengaluru.
BSNL signed MoU with Tata Sky to offer video-on-demand services to their 2 crore customers
across India.
Gov decided to relax procurement norms related to experience and turnover for micro, small and
medium start-ups with a view to enabling these ventures to be part of its public procurement.
Union Government notified maximum sale price of Bt cotton seed for 2016-17.
BG-I version at 635 rupees and BG-II version was fixed at 800 rupees
The metals and mining, automobile and construction materials sectors lead in sustainable business
practices - Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
61 | P a g e
Gov imposed anti-dumping duty of up to 44.7 percent on import of plastic-processing

machines from Chinese Taipei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Spain Major Gamesa Wind Turbines won the solar energy order from LAUGFS Power Ltd in Sri
Lanka to provide solar power in Baruthankanda village in Sri Lanka.
India is the second biggest investor in London after USA.
WHO suspended the approval of tuberculosis (TB) drugs made by Indias Svizera
Labs,Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Taxi app Ola launched its new service called Micro to overtake its rival Uber in terms of a number
of rides in a months time.
Cisco Systems to invest $100 million over the next 18 to 24 months in India and to train over
250,000 students by 2020.
Sachin Tendulkar became a shareholder and brand ambassador of Smartron.
Microsoft shut its artificial intelligence robot Chat program Tay.
Ola Cabs tied up with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance to provide motor insurance to its drivers -
accident cover of Rs 2 lakh.
The first direct container MV Harbour-1 Vessel between India and Bangladesh carrying cotton was
flagged off from Krishnapatnam of Andhra Pradesh to Chittagong.
Reliance Defence entered into a deal with Israel based Rafael Defence to manufacture air to air
missile systems, air defence and observatory balloons - $ 10 billion
Gujarat and Maharashtra contribute nearly 46% of the Indian exports occupying the topmost place
ASSOCHAM Study
Top 5 -Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh

Airport Service Quality Awards (ASQ) 2015 Mumbai,New Delhi,Jaipur,Lucknow and Hyderabad
airports
Global Top Employer Award TCS
Melbourne based South Asian community Randeep Hooda
Honour
NASA Scholarship Sataparna Mukherjee(West Bengal)
Best Restaurant of India Indian Accent
Armaan Ebrahim FMSCI Motorsports Man of the Year Trophy
Chameli Devi Jain Award, 2016 Priyanka Kakodkar and Raksha Kumar
Skoch Lifetime achievement Award M Venkaiah Naidu
Chevalier de la Legion dHonneur (Knight of the Legion Tikka Shatrujit Singh
of Honour)
Noor Inayat Khan prize Geetakshi Arora
Krishi Karman Award Himachal Pradesh
CV Kunhiraman Literary prize M.Sukumaran
National award for Outstanding Efforts in the Field of Pallava Bagla
Science and Technology Communication on Electronic
Medium,
Lifetime achievement award - META Awards 2016 Ratan Thiyam
Bihari puraskar prize of 2015 Bhagwathi Lal Vyas

Dadasaheb Phalke Award Manoj Kumar
A M Turing Award 2015 Whitfield Diffie and Martin Hellman
Global Green Hero Award Stevie Wonder
The Innovation Award 2016 Prof. Sirshendu De
Mahindra Lifetime Achievement Award Dr.Amrita Patel
Krutitava Smagra Samman 2016 Padma Sachdev
62 | P a g e
Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef bin The Legion of Honour award - France
Abdulaziz
Anand Mahindra Knight of the Legion of Honour - France
Visitors Award for Innovation 2016 Professor Rakesh Bhatnagar of Jawaharlal Nehru
University
The Visitors Award for Research 2016 Molecular Parasitology Group of Jawaharlal Nehru
University
Fulbright-Kalam Climate Fellowship India and US(New award)
Golden City Gate Award Kerala Tourism
2016 Global Teacher Prize Palestinian Hanan Al Hroub
IAA Editor of the Year Sanjay Gupta
Brand Endorser of the Year Varun Dhawan, a Bollywood actor
TV Anchor of the Year award Rajat Sharma of India TV
Media Person of the Year Raj Nayak of Colors
CEO of the year Kumar Mangalam Birla
Abdulqadir Rashik First Prize in UN #LinksSDGs Data Visualization
Challenge
2016 Abel Prize - Nobel prize of Mathematics Sir Andrew wiles
Forbes 2016 Worlds Billionaires List
Top 3 1.Bill Gates (60)
2.Amancio Ortega (79)
3.Warren Buffett (85)
Indians
36 Mukesh Ambani (58)
44 Dilip Shanghvi (60)
55 Azim Premji (70)
88 Shiv Nadar (70)
133 Cyrus Poonawalla (74)
135 Laxmi Mittal (65)
184 Uday Kotak (56)
196 Kumar Birla (48)
219 Sunil Mittal (58)
Grete Lundbeck European Brain Research Prize Tim Bliss, Graham Collingridge and Richard Morris
Windham-Campbell Prizes
Drama Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (United States)
Hannah Moscovitch (Canada)
Abbie Spallen (Ireland)
Fiction Tessa Hadley (United Kingdom)
E. Morgan (United States)
Jerry Pinto (India)
Non- fiction Hilton Als (United States)
Stanley Crouch (United States)
Helen Garner (Australia)
Stree Shakti Puraskar Award Winners
Devi AhilyabaiHolkar Award AnyayRahitZindagian NGO of Goa
Rani Lakshmibai Award Seema Prakash of Madhya Pradesh
Rani Rudramma Devi Award AsthaSansthan , NGO of Rajasthan
Mata Jijabai Award ChandraprabhaBokey Maharashtra
Kannagi Award P Bhanumati Kerala
Rani GaidinliuZeliang Award Mariola Rajasthan
The Nari Shakti Puraskar Awardees RashmiAnand (Delhi)
DrNandita Krishna (Tamilnadu)
DrLaxmiGautam(Uttar Pradesh)
NehaKirpal(Delhi)
LatikaThukral(Haryana)
DrSailakshmiBalijepally(Tamilnadu)
63 | P a g e
Kausalya(Tamilnadu)
DrSwarajVidwan(Uttarakhand)
Maharishi Badrayan Vyas Samman
SANSKRIT Dr. KS Maheswaran
Dr. Pramod Kumar Sharma
Dr. Madhav Janardan Ratate
Dr. Vinay Kumar Pandey
ARABIC Dr. Aurang Zeb Azmi
PERSIAN Dr. Atiqur Rahman
PALI/PRAKRIT Dr. Samani Sangeet Prajan
SANSKRIT Dr. KS Maheswaran
Dr. Pramod Kumar Sharma
Dr. Madhav Janardan Ratate
Dr. Vinay Kumar Pandey
ARABIC Dr. Aurang Zeb Azmi
10th Asian film awards
Best Film The Assassin
Best Director Hou Hsiao-Hsien for The Assassin
Best Actress Shu Qi for The Assassin
Best Supporting Actress Zhou Yun for The Assassin
Best Cinematography Mark Lee Ping-bing for The Assassin
Best Production Design Hwarng Wern-ying for The Assassin
Best Original Music Lim Giong for The Assassin
Best Sound Chu Shih-yi, Tu Duu-chih and Wu Shu-yao for The
Assassin
Best Actor Lee Byung-hun for The Inside Men
Best Newcomer Jessie Li for Port of Call
Best Supporting Actor Tadanobu Asano for Journey to the Shore
Best Screenplay Jia Zhangke for Mountains May Depart
Best Editing William Chang Suk-ping, Chu Ka-yat, Liao Ching-sung,
Wong Hoi, Philip Yung for Port of Call
Best Visual Effects Prasad Sutar for Bajirao Mastani
Best Costume Design Lee Ji-yeon and Shim Hyun-seob for The Throne
5th National Photography Awards
Life Time Achievement Award Bhawan Singh
Professional Photographer Award Javed Ahmed Dar
Amateur Photographer Himanshu Thakur
Hockey India Awards 2016
DhruvBatra Player of the Year award India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and Deepika
Lifetime Achievement Award Captain Shankar Laxman
Upcoming Players of the Year Harjeet Singh and Preeti Dubey
Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year Savita
Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year Kothajit Singh
Ajit Pal Singh Award Midfielder of the Year Ritu Rani
DhanrajPillay Award for Forward of the Year Rani
JamanLal Sharma Award for Invaluable Contribution Baldev Singh
Hockey India Presidents Award for Outstanding Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy
Achievement
The milestone awards Dharamvir Singh, Kothajit Singh, BirendraLakra and
SushilaChanu
Turning out in India colours for the 200th time Gurbaj Singh and V R Raghunath
Guiness book of Records P.Susheela - singing highest number of songs
Limca book of records for crossing Mana pass Pallavi Fauzdar
63rd National Film Awards
Best actress Kangana Ranaut for Tanu Weds Manu Returns
Best actor Amitabh Bachchan for Piku
64 | P a g e
Best Film Baahubali: The Beginning

Best Director Sanjay LeelaBhansali for BajiraoMastani
Best popular film providing wholesome entertainment BajrangiBhaijaan
Best Film Friendly State Award Gujarat (special mention to UP and Kerala)
Best Bodo film DauHuduniMethai
Best Punjabi film ChauthiKoot
Best Odiya film Pahada Ra Luha
Best Marathi film Ringan
Best Malyalam film Pathemari
Best Konkani film Enemy
Best Kannada film Thithi
Best Hindi film DumlagaKHaisha
Best Bengali film Shankhachil
Best Assamese film Kothanodi
Best Khasi film Onaatah
Best Haryanvi film Satrangi
Best Wancho film The Head Hunter
Best Manipuri film EibusuYaohanbiyu
Best Mizo film Kimas lode Beyond the Class
Best Maithili film MithilaMakhaan
Best Sanskrit film Priyamanasam
Best Telugu film Kanche
Best Tamil film Visaaranai
Best Choreography Remo SSouza (DeewaniMastani in BajiraoMastani)
Best Background score Ilaiyaaraja (ThaaraiThappattai)
Best Music direction M Jayachandran (KaathirunnuKaathirunnu in
EnnuNinteMoideen)
Best Costume Designer and Make-up Artist Nanak Shah Fakir
Best Editing Late Kishore TE (Visaaranai)
Best Dialogues JuhiChaturvedi (Piku) and Himanshu Sharma (Tanu
Weds Manu Returns)
Best Screenplay Writer (Original) JuhiChaturvedi (Piku) and Himanshu Sharma (Tanu
Weds Manu Returns)
Best Cinematography SudeepChaterjee (BajiraoMastani)
Best Female Playback Singer Monali Thakur (MohMohKeDhage)
Best Supporting Actress TanviAzmi (BajiraoMastani)
Best Supporting Actor Samuthirakani (Visaaranai)
Special Mention RinkuRajguru (Sairat)
Special Mention Jayasurya (Su SuSudiVathmeekam&LukkaChuppi)
Special Mention Ritika Singh (IrudhiSuttru)
Best Childrens Film Duronto
Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation ValiyaChiraKullaPakshikal
Best Film on Social Issues Nirnayakam
NargisDutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Nanak Shah Fakir
Integration
Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director NeerajGhaywan (Masaan)
APPOINTMENTS& RESIGNS

Mehbooba Mufti Chief Minister of J & K
SudhirMankad, Bharat
NarotamDoshi and Non official directors of RBI
NatarajanChandrasekaran
S Rao Public interest director and chairman of BSES
ShakuntalaDoleyGamlin Chief Secretary of Arunachal Pradesh
65 | P a g e
Tapan Kumar Chand Chief of Aluminium Association of India(AAI)

Balbir Singh Chauhan 21st Law Commissioner
Ahmed AboulGheit Secretary General of the Arab League
SanjivKohli High Commissioner of India to the Independent State of Samoa
VishvasViduSapkal High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Fiji
Anil Wadhwa Ambassador of India to the Republic of San Marino
Ravindra Ambassador of India to the Republic of Cote dIvoire
H Deep Saini Vice Chancellor of Canberra University
NainaLalKidwai Non executive Director of Altico capital
AtiurRahman Bank governor of Bangladesh
Merrick Garland 113th chief justice of US
ThazhaVarkey Paul 56th President of ISA(International Studies Association)
RituBeri Advisor to the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
Zaheer Khan Captain of Delhi Daredevils for 2016 IPL
Rakesh Mohan Independent director of Nestle India
Ajit Singh Chief Justice of Guwahati High Court
Satish Mittal Chief Justice of RajasthanHigh Court
Justice PermodKohli Chairman of Central Administrative Tribunal
Vice admiral Atul Kumar Jain Chief of staff, Eastern Naval Command
Lt Gen N P S Hira Deputy Chief of Army Staff
Theodore Theodoridis Interim general secretary of UEFA
JitendraJagota Chairman of IDSA
Sunil Sabharwal Alternate Executive Director of IMF(First Indian)
HashimThaci President of Kosovo
HtinKyaw First Civilian President of Myanmar
Faustin-ArchangeTouadera President of Central Africa
Lori Robinson First female army combatant of USA
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Adviser for state oil firm Petroliam NasionalBhd (Petronas)
Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan First female speaker for Vietnam Parliament
Surya Deva UN Human Rights Council adviser
Hung-Hsiu-chu First female leader of Taiwan
NanditaBakshi President and Chief Executive Officer of Bank of the West
SushilaKarki First woman Chief Justice of Nepal
VineetTaneja CEO of Micromax(resigned)
Amar Abrol CEO of AirAsia India
S Sridhar Managing Director (MD) of Pfizer
Patrick Dupuis Board member of Wipro
Suresh Senapaty Chairman of Honeywell Automation India Ltd (HAIL)
BhusanPatil President of Paytm
SanjivKapoor Chief strategy and commercial officer of Vistara
Karl Koehler CEO of Tata Steel Europe(Resigned)
MrugankParanjape MD & CEO of Multi Commodity Exchange
M S Dhoni Brand ambassador of Revital H
KanganaRanaut Brand Ambassador of Reebok India
Maria Sharapova Goodwill ambassador of UN(Suspended)
Ashley Judd Goodwill Ambassador of UN
Michelle Yeoh Goodwill ambassador of UNDP
Red-the leader of angry birds Ambassador to Climate change UN
Lionel Messi Global ambassador of Huawei
Hinduja group acquired the famous 1,100 room Old War Office Building of Britain in central
London
South Asian bank DBS acquired the on shore operations of RBS in India for a deal of 1000 crores.
66 | P a g e
Bharti Airtel acquired Videocon Telecoms spectrum in six circles for Rs 4,428 crore
Ola acquired payment technology solutions Qarth technologies to strengthen its money base.
Japan based NTT has acquired the IT arm of PC manufacturer Dellat $ 3 billion
Russia approved a deal of ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) to acquire 15% stake in Vankor oilfield from
Rosneft - 1.3 billion US dollars
Sun Pharma buys Novartis 14 brands for $ 293 mn in Japan
SCHEMES
Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav implemented Food Security Act 2013 in 47 more districts of the
state.
Punjab has become the seventh state to join the scheme Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana
(UDAY) Rs.20,838 crores
Haryana become 8th state to join UDAY scheme
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)released a new Four-
colour Classification Scheme for industries based on their pollution level.
Red category: PI score of 60 and above.
Orange category: PI score of 41 to 59
Green category: PI score of 21 to 40
White category: PI score below and upto 20.
Narendra Modi selected his own Varanasi constituency,Nagepur village for development
under Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana after Jayapur village.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah launched Mukhyamantri Santwana Harish Yojana for free treatment to
accident victims for the first 48 hours in the nearest hospital.
Cabinet approved the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwal Yojana a scheme for providing LPG to
households Below Poverty Line Rs.8000 crores
NITI Aayog as a part of International Womens Day launched the Women Transforming India
initiative in partnership with the UN in India and MyGov.
PM Narendra Modi launched the scheme to provide LEDs - UJALA(Unnat Jyoti by Affordable
LEDs for All) is the name given for the LED based Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme(DELP)
RUSA(Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan) - to improve the Quality of Higher education in India
Minister of HRD
Funding in the ratio of 65:35 for general category States and 90:10 for special category
states
Gov mobilizes 370 crore for Swachh Bharat Khosh to support the various cleanliness programmes
across the nation
Gov amended Atal Pension Yojana (APY) to give an option to the spouse to contribute for balance
period on premature death of the subscriber.
Government proposed to hike the wages of NREGS workers by 6%.
Committee dropped the new wage calculation formula
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launched Fasal Bima Yojana and Unified Package Insurance scheme
Uttarkhand is the first state in the nation to implement the scheme at 2% premium
Cabinet given its approval for extension of time period of the Udaan Scheme for Jammu &
Kashmir till 2019-20 from the earlier time period of 2015-16.
Cabinet approved Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana to provide houses for all people in the rural area
1 crore houses in the year 2016-17 to2018-19
MoUs
India and Bangladesh signed a new $2 billion credit agreement to implement socio-economic
development projects in Bangladesh.
67 | P a g e
MoU signed between Telangana and Maharashtra government on river Godavari Water
Projects in Mumbai.
Jammu and Kashmir Government has signed MoU with Union Ministry of Power - Rs.9800 crore
UDAY
MS Swaminathan Research Foundation has signed MoU with Bhubaneswar based Kalinga Institute
of Social Sciences.
Union cabinet apprised the MoU signed by the Railway ministry with Japan and Russia for technical
cooperation in the railway sector.
MoUsigned between India and Bahrain on cooperation for prevention of human trafficking
especially trafficking in women and children, rescue, recovery, repatriation and re-integration of
victims of trafficking
Ministry of Railways has signed a MoU with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
for developing Remote Sensing and geographic information system (GIS) for Remote Sensing at
unmanned railway crossing.
India and Bangladesh began a new era of petroleum trade with a special goodwill train loaded with
High speed diesel from India to Bangladesh.Siliguri station to Parbatipur - first major petroleum
consignment from India
World Bank approved USD 35 million credit agreement to Madhya Pradesh for the Citizen Access to
Responsive Services Project.
Reserve Bank of India signed a pact with Bank of Israel for Information Exchange and Banking
supervision.
Yes Bank signed pact with the India Brazil Chamber of Commerce for cooperation in knowledge
sharing, consultancy, skill and technology.
TATA motors signed agreement with the Indian Army to supply 619 more highly mobilized trucks to
the Indian Army.
India and France signed MoU to create 6 Nuclear Reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra.
India and Lithuania signed MoU in the field of agriculture and the agreement proposed to include
horticulture, etc.
India signed MoU with UAE in fields of Infrastructure development with the NIIF(National
Investment and Infrastructure Fund)
India and Russia will join hands to minimize the consequences of Natural calamities like Flood and
Earthquake.
Telangana industries department principal secretary Arvind Kumar and Aerocampus Aquitaine
general manager Jerome Verschave to provide training to the aviation fraternity and aerospace
Nepal signed pact with China to build a strategic railway link between the two
countries through Tibet to reduce land-locked.
Iran signed a confidential oil agreement with France total company to develop the Azadegan oil field.
Iran signed agreements with Pakistan to boost trade and security.
Mizoram and Japanese International Cooperative Agency(JICA) signed pact on Capacity
Enhancement for Sustainable Agriculture and Irrigation Development.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
signed MoU to collaborate on supporting Indias expansion plans for clean energy infrastructure
COMMITTEES
Maharashtra Gov formed a committee headed by Chief secretary Swadhi Kshatriya to ensure the
MoUs signed during the make in India week - 2500 MoUs
Centre to set up Mahesh Kumar Singla committee constituted to consider ST status to 6 communities
of Assam
Moran, Koch Rajbongshi, Muttuck,Sootea,Tai Ahom and Adivasis
National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC) wound up with immediate effect as it has
68 | P a g e
fulfilled the mandate for which it was constituted.

Indian Railways formedSpecial Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to implement the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High
Speed Bullet Train project - named the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited.
Akhilesh Ranjan Committee was constituted by the Central Board of Direct Taxes to examine
the business models for e-commerce, and identify the direct tax issues.
Former Chief Justice H.L.Dattu appointed as member of the International Coordinating Committee
Bureau of National Human Rights Institutions Bureau in Geneva.
Delhi gov launched the first HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) vaccine in the state to prevent cervical
cancers.
American Astronaut Scott Kelly returned to earth after spending almost a year at International Space
Station 340 days
Union Tribal Affairs Minister JualOram launched revamped website - http://www.ncst.gov.inof
National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.
Indian Scientists developed a herbal drug for Dengue.
Five health care ATMs have come up in four states - handled by a multipurpose public health worker
(MPHW)
Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh under a health Ministry
China plans to land a probe on Mars in 2021 that coincide with the 100th anniversary of founding of
the ruling communist Party of china
Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) launched its Sixth Navigation Satellite IRNSS-1F by
the PSLV C-32 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.
Ministry of Culture has initiated Project Mausam which is to be implemented by the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
To explore the multi-faceted Indian Ocean world collating
archaeological and historical research
Plastic Decaying Bacteria discovered that can decompose Plastics, by the Japan researchers -
Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6
Railways launched mobile app called Clean My Coach for all long-distance trains - SMS to
58888 by typing CLEAN < Space >< 10-digit PNR number>
Europe and Russia launched an unmanned spacecraft named ExoMars 2016 to explore that if life
once existed on the Red Planet
Haryana govt.s building became the only building in India to have an Earthquake Warning System
installed onsite.
UNICEF launched the first test for the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles-drones with Malawi
government - decreasing waiting period for HIV testing of infants.
Webportal Launched for allocation and monitoring of Coal resourcesby State Distribution agencies.
Meteorology Department (IMD) has indigenously developed Drishti, an instrument that will
provide real time visibility information to pilots.
Drishti was introduced first at the Indira Gandhi International Airport
Depot Online System of state run Food Corporation of India (FCI) has been launched by the Union
Government to carry transparency and minimize storage losses of food grains.
Gurgaon-based Baxi mobile app allowed its users to book rides on the app without using Internet.
ISRO established the Gadanki Ionospheric Radar Interferometer (GIRI) at National Atmospheric
Research Laboratory (NARL) near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.
South Korea tops the world in high Internet speed report by Akamei technologies
Sweden followed by Norway and India at 114th position
Countrys first cyber security public organisation launched by China Org will focus on promoting
self-discipline
PM Narendra Modi launched KisanSuvidha mobile app to prove information such as weather,
69 | P a g e
market prices, seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and agriculture machinery.

Researchers have developed a new Gravity Map of Mars with three NASA spacecraft
ISRO set to launch 22 satellites in Single mission and create new history.
India Govto adopt 112 as the national emergency number in place ofall numbers such as at present, a
person dials 100, 101, 102 and 108.
China launched its navigation satellite BeiDou(22nd) from Xichang Satellite launching centre.
Uber launched bike sharing service called uberMOTO in Guragon - charges Rs 3 per kilometre
Narendra Modi launched Asias Biggest telescope Aries(Aryabhatta Research Institute for
Observational Sciences) in Nainital
Telangana Road Transport Authoritys Mobile App M-Wallet launched by IT minister KT Rama Rao
and transport minister P.Mahender Reddy
DEFENCE
Ministry of Defence (MoD) approved a Rs 13,000 crores weapons and sensors package for the seven
new stealth frigates
Indian Army kicked off a week long Multinational Field Training Exercise (FTX) Force 18in
Pune at headquarters of the Indian Armys Southern Command.
Theme Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) and Peacekeeping Operations (PKO)
South Korea and US Begin Military Exercise - a day after the North Koreas threat to US
India and Indonesia begin their Joint Military Exercise Shakti IV from March 10-23 in Indonesia.
Sixth ship of LCU MK IV project, was launched on 12 March 2016 at an exciting ceremony at
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd, Kolkata.
India successfully test fired nuclear-capable intermediate range Agni-I ballistic missile in Odisha -
700 km
US Navy ship USS Conestoga tug boat was discovered after 95 years at the San Francisco coast.
Indian Coast Guards fast patrol vessel (FPV) Arnvesh ship commissioned at Visakhapatnam by the
Eastern Naval Command, Vice-Admiral HCS Bisht.
Indian Army gets its first Thermal based RADAR technology Divyachaksu (divine eye) that will
enable to look through the walls developed by DRDO
Indian Navy deployed a P8I maritime Aircraft to Seychelles for monitoring purpose
Indian Coast Guard re-based one ship and six boats from Chennai to Andaman and Nicobar Region
to rebase the assets
C-407, C-412, C-414, C-416, C-417 and C-428
Singapore Navy (RSN) test-fired a Barak missile from its Victory-class missile corvette RSS Vigour
during Fleet Exercise conducted in the South China Sea
Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar flagged off Indias first indigenous composites sonar
dome in Goa
ENVIRONMENT
Researchers discovered a new snake species in the Western Ghats in Kolhapur and Sindhudurg
districts
A group of Scientists led by Matias Jones of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile have
discovered four enormous planets
HIP8541b, HIP74890b, HIP84056b and HIP95124b
A new species of pale-gold colored frog discovered in Andes in Colombia by Smithsonian Tropical
Research Institute (STRI) research
British astronomers have discovered a cluster of nine monster stars R136. 30 million times brighter
than the Sun
Biosphere reserve shared by Kerala and Tamil Nadu Agasthyamala placed in the new 20 Biosphere
70 | P a g e
reserves list released by UNESCO

CSIR(Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants) discovered L-Menthol derived
from Mentha plant that can be used as anti-cancer drugs.
SPORTS

All India Open Invitational Snooker Championship 2016- Rahul Sachdev
Aurangabad
Aaron Phangiso Suspended from bowling in Domestic cricket for suspect
bowling action.
Asia Cup title Indian Team (6th time)
Amity Polo Cup trophy Jindal Panther
World Golf Championship AnirbanLahiri(India) - 28th
Golfer Adam Scott(Australia) 1st
Bubba Watson(USA) 2nd
Irani Cup Cricket Title Rest of India
Pro Kabaddi title Patna Pirates
CK Nayudu Trophy 2015-16 title Mumbai U 23
Unbeaten 35-Game Record Lionel Messi
ISSF World cup Thailand JituRai(India)- Gold
Pang Wei(China) - Silver
Wang Zhiwei(China) - Bronze
Asia title -professional Vijender Singh
Santosh Trophy football title 2016 -Nagpur Services
Llyod Pro-Am Championship trophy Delhi
Miss India title ShwetaRathore
Australian Grand Prix NicoRosberg
Street Child Games - 100-metre dash Chennai girl Hepziba Gold
Dr.GnaniLaksumanan Memorial Cup Quick Enough
Mens singles title - Swiss Open HS Prannoy
Hero Indian Open title SSP Chawrasia
2016 World Chess Candidates Tournament Sergey Karjakin
BNP Paribas Open titles 2016
Mens Singles Serbian Novak
Women Singles Victoria Azarenka of Belarus
Mens Doubles Pierre Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut of France
Womens Doubles US Pair Bethanie Sands and Coco Vandeweghe
Paralympic Games - Arunachal Pradesh
Wheelchair race Techi Talla
Boys 100 meter race Tabam Tatak
Girls100 meter race LiterOri
Mens 100 meter race Thasang Ajay
World Table Tennis Championship Malaysia
Womens Table Tennis India
Mens Table Tennis India
2016 All England Badminton title
Mens Singles Lin Dan
Womens Singles NozomiOkuhara
Mens Doubles Ivan AndreyevichSozonov of Russia with compatriot
VladimirIvanov
Mixed Doubles Indonesia pair Praveen Jordan and his partner Debby
Susanto
Race walk National Championships Jaipur
50km walk rcae Junior Women category of 10 Km Race
BasantBahadur Singh Rana (Gold) Walk Neena(gold)
Chandan Singh (Silver) BhawnaJat(Silver)
71 | P a g e
Jitender Singh Rathore (Bronze) Priyanka Patel(bronze)

Asian 20km walking race
Mens IndiaGurmeet Singh - Gold
Japans Isamu Fujisawa - Silver
Kazakhstans GeorgiySheiko - Bronze
Womens Chinas Rui Liang - Gold

Japans Kumiko Okada - Silver
South Korean Jeongeun Lee - Bronze
ICC T20 rankings

Number One T20 Batsman ViratKohli kept
Number one Bowler Samuel Badree
Number One Team India
2022 National Games Meghalaya
2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup India
Retrired from International cricket after World T20 Shane Watson
Qualifies for Rio Olympics YogeshwarDutt
Second fastest player to reach 1,000 T20 runs Faf du Plessis
Second player to hit century in 2016 T20 World Cup Chris Gayle
Promoted as International Umpire Napoleon Singh
Official tech partner for London Marathon TCS
Suspended after failing drug test at Australian Open Maria Sharapova(Russia)
Suspended from bowling in international cricket Bangladesh left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny and pacer
Taskin Ahmed
OBITUARY

Geroge Kennedy Actor USA
Auckland Cricket New Zealand
Pat Conroy Writer USA
Ray Tomlinson E-Mail Inventor USA
Nancy Davis Reagan Actor USA
Nana Vasconcelos Percussionist, vocalist and Berimbau player Brazil
Sir George Martin Producer UK
Keith Emerson Musician&keyboardist USA
Lloyd Shapeley Mathematician ,Economist USA
Anita Brookner Writer Britain
Paul Daniels TV Magician Britain
Meir Dagan Former chief of Israeli intelligence agency Israel
Frank Sinatra Jr singer, songwriter, and conductor USA
Anker Joergensen Danish Prime Minister Denmark
Andrew Grove Former Chairman and CEO of Intel USA
Johan Cruyff Football Player Holland
Garry Shandling Actor and comedian USA
Mother Angelica Global Catholic Network founder USA
Jim Harrison Writer & Poet USA
Patty Duke Actress USA
P K Nair Founder and director of the National Film Archive of India
India
PurnoAgitokSangma Former Lok Shaba speaker Meghalaya India
Ashok Ghosh All-India Forward Bloc Leader India
Kala Bhavan Mani Malayalam Actor India
72 | P a g e
Ustad Ali Ahmad Hussain Shehnai maestro India

Khan
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Who was Shivaji ? authored by Sri Govind Pansare
The Culture Heritage of Trans Himalayas-Kinnaur authored by Shri P.S. Nagi Loktus.
An Illustrated Biography: Gandhi was authored by Pramod Kapoor
IMPORTANT DAYS IN MARCH 2016
Mar 1 2016
Remember Day: Zero Discrimination Day
Purpose : To create awareness to people from all corners of the world, about the evil consequences of
discrimination, to celebrate diversity, and to reject discrimination.
Organization: UNAIDS
Theme: Stand Out
Mar 3 2016
Remember Day: : World Wildlife Day
Purpose : To raise awareness of the World's flora and fauna.
Organization: UNGA
Theme: The future of wildlife is in our hands
Remember Day: National defence day

Purpose : To commemorate in the memory of Pakistan's successful defence against India that marked the
ceasefire in the 1965 war
Organization: India
Theme: Its My Turn
Mar 4 2016
Remember Day: National Security Day
Purpose : To praise the work of security forces, who plays a major role in maintaining peace and security of
the people in India.
Organization: India
Mar 8 2016
Remember Day: International womens day
Purpose : : To celebrate the achievements of women while calling for greater equality.
Organization:
Theme: Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality
Mar 10 2016
Remember Day: World Kidney Day
Purpose : To create awareness among the people globally, about the importance of the kidneys and also to
reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health issues.
Organization: WHO
Theme: Kidney Disease & Children: Act Early to Prevent It
March 13 2016
Remembered Day: World Rotaract Day
Purpose: To recognize the services offered by the Rotaractors through out the World.
73 | P a g e
Mar 15 2016
Remember Day: World Consumer Rights Day
Purpose : To promote the basic rights of all the consumers, to demand that those rights are respected and
protected.
Organization: WCRD
Theme: Antibiotics off the menu
Mar 18 2016
Remember Day: World Sleep Day
Purpose : To celebrate the benefits of good and healthy sleep and to draw society attention to the burden of
sleep problems and their medicine, education and social aspects
Organization: WASM
Theme: Good Sleep is a Reachable Dream
Mar 19 2016
Remember Day: Earth Hour
Purpose : To create awareness for global warming and Earth Hour is a global campaign with a simple
message to switch off non-essential lights for one hour
Organization: WWF
Time: From 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m
Mar 20 2016
Remember Day: World Sparrow Day
Purpose : To create awareness of the house sparrows and other birds to the rapidly changing
environments, and of threats to their populations.
Theme: Rise for the SPARROW Experience the power of One
Remember Day: International Day of Happiness

Purpose :To recognised happiness as a fundamental human goal and called for a more inclusive,
equitable and balanced approach to economic growth
Organization: UN
Mar 21 2016
Remember Day: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Purpose : Aims to remind people of racial discrimination's negative consequences. It also encourages
people to remember their obligation and determination to combat racial discrimination.
Organization: UN
Theme: Challenges and Achievements of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action
Remember Day: World Down syndrome Day (WDSD)

Purpose : To raise public awareness and create a single global voice for advocating for the rights,
inclusion and well being of people with Down syndrome.
Organization: WHO
Theme: My friends, My Community
Remember Day: International Day of Forests

Purpose : To raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests and of trees outside forests
Organization: UN, FAO
Theme: Forests and water
Remember Day: World Poetry day

Purpose : To promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world
74 | P a g e
Remembered Day: International Day of Nowruz

Purpose: To celebrates the start of the Persian spring festival March 21 ever year. It occurs on or around
the time of the March equinox.
Organization: UN
Mar 22 2016
Remember Day: World Water Day
Purpose : To create awareness among the people about the importance of conservation of this valuable
finite resource for the future generations.
Organization: UN
Theme: Water and Jobs
Mar 23 2016
Remember Day: World Meteorological Day
Purpose : To support the all the countries by providing meteorological services related to natural disasters,
climate and water.
Organization:UN,WMO
Theme: Hotter, drier, wetter. Face the Future
Remember Day: Martyrs day

Purpose : To marks the assassination of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in 1948
Organization: GOI
Mar 24 2016
Remember Day: World Tuberculosis Day
Purpose : To create awareness to the public about the dreadful tuberculosis (TB) and efforts to eliminate
the disease.
Organization: UN, WHO
Theme: Unite to End Tuberculosis
Remembered Day: International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights
Violations and for the Dignity of Victims
Purpose: To promote the importance of the right to truth and justice.
Organization: UN
March 25 2016
Remembered Day: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic
Slave Trade
Purpose: It honors the lives of those who died as a result of slavery or experienced the horrors of the
transatlantic slave trade. It is also an occasion to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice.
Organization: UN
Theme: Remember Slavery: Celebrating the Heritage and Culture of the African Diaspora and its Roots
Remembered Day: International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members
Purpose: Date is the anniversary of the abduction of Alec Collett, a journalist who died while working
for the UN.
Organization: UN
Mar 27 2016
Remember Day: World Theatre Day
Purpose : To figure of world stature shares his or her reflections on the theme of Theatre and a Culture of
Peace
Organization: International Theatre Institute (ITI)
75 | P a g e
Current Affairs April 2016
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Haryana Assembly passed Haryana Municipal (Amendment) Bill, and Haryana Municipal
Corporation (Amendment) Bill 2016 to provide civic amenities in unauthorized residential colonies
in the Budget Session
Indias first semi-high speed train Gatimaan Express flagged off from Delhis Hazrat Nizamuddin
station by Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu
Telangana has unveiled a new ICT policy along with four other policies to support innovation,
gaming and animation, rural tech centres and growth of electronics
Union Minister of State for Ministry of Textiles, Shri Santosh Gangwar initiated three mega textile
projects in Nagaland
1. Eri Silk Development Project
2. Apparel and Garment Making Centre in Dimapur
3. Muga P3 Basic Seed Station Kobulong in Mokokchung district
Odisha Adarsh Vidyalaya (OAV) project has been initiated covering 14 districts to provide modern
schools in the underdeveloped rural areas and to fill up vacant teacher posts
Government appointed The Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar to endorse the I Support Skill
India campaign to build awareness on the importance of skill development.Target : To skill 2 crore
youth by 2022
Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan dedicated 36 new CNG stations
located in Delhi and NCR to the public.
Cabinet given its approval for promulgation of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Anatomy
Regulation, 2016 to lay down procedures for providing supply or availability of unclaimed of dead
bodies to the Medical College
Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated Namma Toilet in New Delhi
Government to issue universal identity cards to the physically challenged people to access various
benefits being extended by the Government.
Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal laid the foundation stone for underground cabling work under
Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) in Varanasi- Rs. 432 crores
UP Government will provide electricity to all villages in Uttar Pradesh and aims to provide
electricity 24/7 to every household in India by 2019.
Jharkhand government reserve two per cent employment in various departments for
meritorious sports persons of the state announced by CM Raghubar Das.
Salam hailed Devi is the first transgender person in Tamil Nadu to contest the assembly elections in
the RK Nagar constituency in Chennai
Union Railway Minister, Suresh Prabhu inaugurates fitment of CCTV in Shan-E-Punjab Express
(Amritsar-New Delhi). It Becomes the First Train Fitted with CCTV Surveillance Cameras in India.
Maharashtra passed the dance bar regulation bill with regulations against the violators.
Maharashtra Assembly lead by Devendra Fadnavis passed the Prohibition of Social Boycott Bill
2016 to becoming the first State to enact such a law.
Gov has reconstituted Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) board and Ram Bahadur Rai,
Senior Journalist has been appointed as Chairman of the Board.
Netajis Driver Colonel Nizamuddin becomes oldest human alive at 116 years
Union Gov to compensate of Rs 8.5 lakh for SC/ST victim of gang rape, murder or an acid attack
including 47 offences to get the compensation from a state government
The Kohinoor Diamond was gifted to the Britain by Maharaja Ranjith Singh said by the Government
to the Supreme Court
76 | P a g e
Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma released a Commemorative Coin of Rs. 200/ and a
Circulation Coin of Rs. 10/- on Tatya Tope on the occasion of his Martyr Day.
Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (CGRBMS) launched in New Delhi by
Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation with Indian Institute of
Technology, Kanpur (IITK)
Maharashtra has facing water crisis in many parts of the State. The State Gov has stepped up to
contain the loss and decided to ban digging of bore wells beyond 200 feet.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma unveiled the restored 18 feet tall Finial at Humayuns
Tomb, New Delhi
Union cabinet gave nod to amend the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill-2015 to enable the
distribution of around 42,000 crore among all states to encourage them to plant forests.
Union Cabinet approved Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) to function
from a temporary campus in Tirupati - Initial cost of Rs. 137.30 Crore
Indian Navy decided to grant permanent commission to seven women officers belonging to the Short
Service Commission (SSC) batch of 2008-09.
The Department of Disinvestment renamed as Department of Investment and Public Asset
Management or DIPAM announced by Arun Jaitley
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda inaugurated the first of its kind Current
Good Manufacturing Practise (CGMP) compliant facility for manufacture of DPT and TT vaccine at
the Central Research Institute (CRI), Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh.
Government hikes minimum wage for contract workers to Rs 10,000 per month based on a Supreme
Court Verdict announced by Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatrey
Union government gave approval for Gurdwaras Amendment Bill 2016 to provide the rights to
Sahjhardi Sikhs to vote (above 21 years) in the elections to Member of the Board and the
committees.
The Lok Sabha passed the Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016 to establish a Regional
Centre for Biotechnology, an study centre of Education, Training and Research
Department of Telecommunications(DoT) issued the notification regarding Panic Button and
Global Positioning System in Mobile Phone Handsets Rules 2016.With effect from 01.01.2017
All feature phones will have configuration of Panic buttons using 5 or 9 Buttons
Operation Sulaimani is an initiative of Kozhikode district administration to eradicate poverty and to
avoid food wastage in the district.
Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar announced that free laptops to 500 meritorious students who
secure a minimum of 95 per cent marks in Class X Board examination this year.
Uttarakhand Gov to be first stable to buy short term power procurement through e-auction with nine
biddings - 100-200 Megawatt
Ministry of Railways has pledged to set up a 1 lakh crore rupees safety fund called Rashtriya Rail
Sanraksha Kosh to strengthen safety measures on the rail network to prevent accidents.
Haryana Gov has notified Water Audit Scheme for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)
to fillip water harvesting and conservation in industrial units.
Bihar becomes the fourth state in India to impose a total prohibition of alcohol.
President Pranab Mukherjee has implemented the Uttarakhand Appropriation (Vote on Account)
Ordinance, 2016 which sanctions expenditure that has come under direct federal rule.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the Green Delhi programme by planting trees at the
Triangular Park at New Delhi.
Gujarat Assembly cleared amendments in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement-Gujarat
Amendment Bill- 2016.It empowers the authorities to exempt projects vital to defence of national
security, infrastructure and electrification project or affordable housing or industrial corridors set up
by the State and infrastructure projects under PPP model.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurated 100 piped water supply projects for rural areas and pledged
to make piped water provision in all gram Panchayats by 2017.
Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the Department of Biotechnology funded Biotech Infrastructure
77 | P a g e
Facility (BIF) at ICAR-National Research Centre on Mithun (ICAR-NRCM), Jharnapani in

Nagaland.
Minister for Science and Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan launched government funded Twinning
Network Program on Chemical Ecology of North East Region in Kohima
Union Government and National Socialist Council of Nagaland, under the leadership of N. Kitovi
Zhimomi and M.B Neokpao Konyak have mutually agreed to extend the Cease Fire
Agreement by another year
Vasundhara Raje - led Rajasthan government has passed the Rajasthan Urban Land (Certification of
Titles) Bills 2016
Constitution (Schedule Caste) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2016 passed in Parliament. The Bill amends
the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950. The Indian Constitution authorizes the President to
state the Scheduled Castes in various states and union territories.
Parliament passes Industries (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015. The bill amends
the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951.
Union government is mulling to make it mandatory to allot 1 per cent of total cost of any highway
project for road safety. India witnesses as high as 5 lakh road accidents per annum.
J & K CM Mehbooba Mufti sanctioned a grant of 5% interest subvention with the effect from 1st
April, 2016 with a limit of Rs 5 Lac per unit for a period of four years.
Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Ministry will earmark Rs 33,000 crores for
development of the north-eastern states during the present fiscal.
Union Government nods Rs. 9,005 crore investment in reasonable housing of 73,205 houses in 3
States for Economically Weaker sections under Prime Ministers Awas Yojana
3 States: Maharashtra, Punjab and J&K
Union Urban Development Minister Venkaih Naidu, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah flag off
South Indias First Underground Metro in Karnataka
East-West corridor of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL)
Anandiben Patel led Gujarat government declared 10% reservation for the economically backward
among upper castes the move likely to benefit all upper caste families with annual income less than
Rs six lakh.
NITI Aayog, Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) and Temasek Foundation jointly to launch
Urban Management Programme for Capacity Building of officials of State Governments and ULBs
in implementing the Urban Rejuvenation Mission.
7 States namely Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar
Pradesh & Assam) would be taking part in this Programme.
Railway Ministry to set up two new Directorates & Dial 139 for Cancelling Train Ticket
PLACES IN NEWS
125-foot tall Ambedkar statue to come up in Hyderabad

Bhubaneswar - top of the first batch of 20 smart cities selected by the Ministry of Urban
Development also became the first to get its Special Purpose Vehicle.
AAP government has decided to build a permanent memorial to APJ Abdul Kalam at DilliHaat in
INA
The first ever air-conditioned local train flagged off from Mumbai into it local areas
Union Agriculture and farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh laid the Foundation stone
of first Horticultural Sciences at Karnal, Haryana.
Gudi Padwa the Hindu New Year celebrated in Maharashtra
Central Government gave its stamp of approval to the nations first Metrino Pod project A Personal
Rapid Transit (PRT) network in Gurgaon, Haryana - Rs 850 crore
Cheiraoba also called Sajibu Cheiraoba is an annual and religious festival celebrated in Manipur
Simhastha Kumbh Mela, largest congregation of Hindus began in Ujjain. It was celebrating every 12
years
78 | P a g e
Kerala celebrating the Harvest Festival, Vishu across the state

Uttar Pradesh has directed all the district magistrates for plantation of 5 crore trees at 6,500 sites in
24 hours under the Green UP Clean UP initiative.
Wooden Charkha - spinning wheel which is largest in the world is planned to be installed at Terminal
3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Ahmedabad
The three day Curtain Raiser International Yoga Fest inaugurated by Shri Shripad Yesso Naik in
New Delhi
Mumbai - Ahmedabad bullet train to travel under the sea near Thane creek - 21 km long tunnel
PM lays foundation stone for Indias biggest power plant in Jharkhand and addresses Panchayati Raj
Sammelan on 24th April.
Indian Navy set up a new naval detachment at Androth islands of Lakshadweep
Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Uma Bharti inaugurated
Water Film Festival at Water Expo-2016 in New Delhi.
Indias poorest district Nabarangpur in Odisha will get its first Government model degree college. It
was funded by the Centre and the state government in the ratio 65:35.
Andhra Pradesh government to set up Rs 1K Crore for Agri-Plastic Park in Vijayawada
Haryana Gov decided to rename Gurgaon district as Gurugram and also decided to change the name
of Mewat district to Nuh.
Capital of Nagaland Kohima city was declared a smoke-free area by Deputy Commissioner
Rovilatuo Mor
Rahuri Municipal Council of Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra became the first municipality
to attain the status of integrated with digital locker for the issuance of all essential Documents.
Britains Royal Mail has issued a set of special postage stamps to mark the 400th death anniversary
of William Shakespeare.
Bronze bust of Aryabhatta unveiled at UNESCO Headquarters by the HRD Minister Smriti Irani in
an international conference on the zero in Paris, France.
The statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh will be installed in Saint-Tropez town, France
Saudi Arabias has announced a pact with Egypt to build bridge over Red Sea- $1.7bn
Dubai plans to build a tower that will stand higher than its Burj Khalifa, currently the worlds tallest
skyscraper
South Pacific island nation Nauru has become the 189th member of the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) and the World Bank.
South Koreas main opposition party won in general election, ending the 16-year parliamentary
majority
New York City declared this years April 14 as Bindeshwar Pathak Day in recognition of the
contributions made by the Indian social activist Bindeshwar
Union Government has accorded its approval for expansion of the India Chile Preferential Trade
Agreement
Europe become the worlds first region to eliminate malaria recorded with zero cases
India, China agrees for peaceful negotiations to settle border issue. This negotiation was decided
during the annual 19th round of boundary talks between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and
his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi
Anti Slavery Crusader Harriet Tubman to be first African-American on Official Currency of
the United States and its insular territories US Dollar
India officially signed the World trade organizations trade facilitation agreement to make easier at
customs procedures to boost commerce. The Instrument of Acceptance handed over by the Indias
WTO ambassador Anjali Prasad to WTO director General Roberto Azevedo.
India lays foundation stone for 4000 houses under the third and final phase of Housing Project in
Central and Uva Provinces of Sri Lanka.
79 | P a g e
Saudi Arabia kingdom has approved the Vision 2030, along term economic reform plan.
Bangladesh Gov passed a draft of the Bangladesh Supreme Court Judge (Investigation Act) 2016 to
empower the Parliament to impeach the Supreme Court judges
Indian Air Force top pilots and jets participating in the Exercise Red Flag in USA
UNICEF and Indian Medical Associations Kerala wing joined hands to promote safe and healthy
practices across the state for improving maternal and child health.
FOREIGN VISIT BY GOV OFFICIALS

PM Modi visit to Belgium, USA and Saudi Arabia
* Modi participated in
1.13th Summit between the European Union and India took place in Brussels on 30 March
2016.Summit has endorsed the EU-India Agenda for Action 2020 as a common road map for the
strategic partnership in the next five years.
2. 2016 Nuclear Security Summit was held in Washington, D.C
* NaMo announced security plans in the US as a part of the Summit
* India and the US on inked MoU for setting up a new Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave
Observatory (LIGO) in India that will act as catalyst in the research of various aspects of
gravitational wave astronomy.
3.5 MoUs were signed between India and Saudi Arabia and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was
bestowed with Saudi Arabias highest civilian order award dubbed King Abdulaziz Sash
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on a 10-day itinerary to the US to attend the Spring Meetings of
the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, a UN session on the drugs problem, and an
interaction with American investors.
FM Arun Jaitley addresses World Bank in Washington
Arun Jaitley participated in the Sixth Annual Ministerial Meeting of India and US Economic &
Financial Partnership
The Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, chaired the BRICS FMs and Central Bank Governors
(FMCBG) meeting
India has joined the G20 leadership in fighting money laundering, tax evasion and terror
financing.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on 4-day visit to Iran, Moscow
India has been eying deeper energy ties with that country and has already lined up 20 billion US
dollar as investment in oil and gas also in petrochemical and fertilizer projects in Iran.
She attend the annual Foreign Ministers meeting of Russia, India and China in Russia
Three nations Finalised the Trilateral Chabahar Agreement
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia Lundeg Puresvsuren Visit to India
India extended a line of credit (LoC) of USD 1 billion to Mongolia and agreed to exchange of
sentenced prisoner
Mongolia confers highest honour to two Indians - Lokesh Chandra and Mansura Haider
President Pranab Mukherjee boards 5 day visit on two nation-tour to Papua New Guinea and
New Zealand
MoU between India and Papua New Guinea
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Papua New Guinea on cooperation in the field of health
area and medical science
India awarded $100 million line of credit for development of infrastructure and acceded to jointly
develop new avenues of cooperation to explore and develop the Pacific nations vast oil and gas
resources.
India inks agreements and MoUs with New Zealand in the field of Air Connectivity and Education
and Bilateral relation
80 | P a g e
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES
National Family Planning Summit 2016 inaugurated by Union Health Minister P. Nadda in New
Delhi. Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan is the brand ambassador and anchor for the new
communication approach.
North East-ASEAN Business Summit 2016 commenced in Imphal, Manipur
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the three-day 3rd Edition of Asia Ministerial
Conference on Tiger Conservation in New Delhi. Government has allotted 380.00 crore to the
Project Tiger
Maritime India Summit 2016 Inaugurated by Narendra Modi in Mumbai
India, South Korea signed MoU for cooperation and mutual assistance in development of Ports
signed by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road, Transport and Highways and Shipping,
Government of the Republic of India
PM Modi pitches for Rs. 1 Lakh Crore investment for Port Development
A total of 141 MoUs and Business Agreements were signed by various players in maritime sector
Sagarmala National Perspective Plan Released
Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurates Regional Conference of North Eastern States on Child
Adoption in Shillong, Meghalaya
Prime Minister inaugurates Joint Conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices in New Delhi
The Army Commanders six-day Conference inaugurated by Union Defence Minister Manohar
Parrikar in New Delhi
Heart of Asia Conference for the year 2016 held in New Delhi
Participating countries - Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz
Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and UAE
International Defence Expo opens in Malaysia. Around 1000 defence companies from 29 countries
taking part in the exhibition
India hosts Asia-Pacific Remote Sensing Symposium from April 4 to 7 to discuss on the applications
of remote sensing technologies for disaster mitigation and to better monitor global climate change
RANKINGS & REPORTS
India has become the worlds fourth largest spender on defence by US research firm IHS Inc
report. Top 3 are USA, China and UK
India Rankings 2016 released by National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).
University
Rank Name City State
1 Indian Institute of Science Bangalore Karnataka
2 Institute of Chemical Technology Mumbai Maharashtra
3 Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi Delhi
Engineering
1 IIT M Chennai Tamil Nadu
2 IIT B Mumbai Maharashtra
3 IIT K Kharagpur West Bengal
Management
1 IIM B Bangaluru Karnataka
2 IIM A Ahmedabad Gujarat
3 IIM C Kolkata West Bengal
Pharmaceutical
1 Manipal College of Pharmacy Manipal Karnataka
2 University institute of Chandigarh Chandigarh
pharmaceutical sciences
81 | P a g e
3 Jamia Hamdard New Delhi Delhi
A report titled Global report on urban health: equitable, healthier cities for sustainable
development, 2016 released by World Health Organisation (WHO) in collaboration with United
Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) showing the health in equities between
the richest and poorest urban populations.
India ranked at 6th Position in the 2015 report on Trends in world military expenditure released
by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI),
World Health Day 2016 was celebrated on April 7 with theme Halt the rise: Beat Diabetes.
WHO has released its first Global Report on Diabetes.
Indias Maharajas Express has been ranked among the top rated trains in the world and Plaza
New York was rated among the best hotels for the super - rich. Singapore Airlines topped in the
favourite list.
India ranks 44 in 2016 Global Connectivity Index by Huawei.
Delhi ranked 44th among worlds 50 future-ready cities by Dell
Top cities: San Jose, San Francisco, Singapore and London
Forbes Releases First Ever Global Game Changers List
Top 3: Marc Benioff (USA), Jeff Bezos (USA) and Rahul Bhatia (IND)
Indians in the list: Rahul Bhatia(3), Cyrus Poonawalla(23) and Sunny Varkey (26)
India ranked at 133 among 180 countries in the recent annual meeting of World Press freedom
Index. Top 3 nations are Finland, Netherlands and Norway
TIMEs 100 influential People List released by News Magazine TIME
Six Indians in the list are RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, Hindi Actress Priyanka Chopra,
Tennis Player Sania Mirza, Environmentalist Sunita Narain , Flipkart Founders Binny Bansal
and Sachin Bansal, CEO of Google Sundar Pichai
Mumbai based Indias largest IT Company TCS has been recognized as one of the UKs leading
employers for women in a list published by The Times.
Most influential brand in India: Top 5 brands are Google, Facebook, Gmail,
Microsoft and Samsung and Flipkart ranked 7th.
World Health Organisation reported that 21 nations including Six African region and four of
Indias Neighbouring countries: Bhutan, China, Nepal and Malaysia could be free from Malaria
by the year 2020
India ranked 3rd in worldwide dope violation in new WADA report. Top 4 countries are Russia,
Italy, India followed by Belgium.
Fairness for Children report released by UNICEF. Top 4 countries are 1.Denmark 2. Finalnd
3.Norway 4.Switzerland
BANKING & FINANCE
Micro-pension scheme Swavalamban, Subscribers can switch to the Atal Pension Yojana
(APY).APY is applicable only to workers in the age group of 18-40 years
National Stock Exchange (NSE) introduced a new index to its broad market indices Nifty Mid
Smallcap 400.It comprise of 400 companies
German Governments Development Bank KFW provide a loan assistance of EUR 500 million
(about Rs.3,750 crore) for the modern and sustainable metro system for Nagpur. It is the first metro
rail project.
DCB Bank has started an Aadhaar - based ATM Which is the first ATM in the country which
operates using the Aadhaar data
SBI launched State Bank of India NO Queue app. It is a mobile-based virtual queuing application for
customers to book an instant queue ticket for select services at select branches within a configured
radius of 15 kms
82 | P a g e
Indias first cash giving app CASHe launched in Mumbai by TSLC Pte Ltd
RBI has announced the first Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement for 2016-17. It cuts the Repo
rate by 25 basis points to 6.5% and kept the Cash Reserve Rate (CRR) unchanged.
Union Government has tripled the funding for exports to Iran to Rs 3,000 crore through the Export
Development Fund (EDF) of the EXIM Bank.
Cabinet approves recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission on Fiscal Deficit target
of 3% of gross state domestic product (GSDP) for states for the 2015-20 period.
Global Growth will come to 8 percent this year, lower than a previous forecast of 3.9 percent
according to World Trade Organization (WTO)
World Bank presented its ambitious climate action plan that will help nations to create an
additional 30 Gigawatts of renewable energy, early warning frameworks and in creating climate
smart agriculture investment plans for at least 40 nations.
India sat again on the top of the Credit Suisse Emerging Consumer Scorecard 2016 by Credit
Suisses Other Countries position are China(2), Saudi Arabia(2),Indonesia (4th), Turkey (5th), Mexico
(6th), Brazil (7th), South Africa (7th) and Russia (8th).
Kochi based Federal Bank signed pact with Phillip Capital, for managing the NRI Portfolio
Investment Scheme (PIS).
India has offered to invest up to $20 billion in Iran announced by Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradha
during his two day visit to Iran. This was the first visit by an Indian minister to Iran.
Bharti Airtels payments bank venture Airtel M Commerce Services Ltd has become the first entity
to receive final approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to start a payments bank.
The Corporate Affair Ministry has exempted housing finance companies from filing financial
statements in XBRL format. Banking, insurance, power sector and non-banking finance
companies are already exempted.
Kochi based Federal Bank with Chillar Payment Solutions Ltd Launched Campus Wallet in Kerala
to promote the start-ups technology.
India, growth is projected to notch up to 7.5 per cent in 2016-17, as forecast in October according to
Economic Outlook IMF
India named as the worlds largest remittance recipient in 2015 despite experiencing a $ 1 billion
drop from the previous year according to the World Bank
RBI (Raghuram Rajan) and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI- adviser Nandan
Nilekani) launched the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) to encourage electronic payment systems for
ushering in a cashless society in India.
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) President
Jin Liqun signed the first co-financing framework agreement.
New Development Bank (NDB) sanctions $ 250 million funding to Canara Bank for a renewable
energy project in India
RBI has reduced the minimum tenure of Masala bonds to three years from the previously stated five
years. Masala Bond is used to refer to rupee-denominated borrowings by Indian entities in
overseas markets.
Oriental Bank of Commerce will raise over 178 crore by issuing share to Life Insurance
Corporation on a preferential basic and allot 2, 15, 48,758 equity shares of the bank
Uttar Pradesh(15%) has claimed the most favoured investment destination of PPP Projects followed
by Maharashtra and Gujarat, followed by Maharashtra and Gujarat, According to the ASSOCHAM-
SREI
Asian Development Bank (ADB) clears $300-million loan for upgradation of UP roads connectivity
of about 400 Kms in major district of Uttar Pradesh
Banks were advised to share all the transactions details in standard format so that Revenue
Intelligence and Central Security agencies to probe the money laundering and financial fraud Cases.
Govt relaxes norms for partial PF withdrawal. Now EPF members have three more months to
withdraw the entire balance in their EPF accounts, until an employee attains the age of 58.
RBL becomes first private sector bank to open dedicated branch for Startups in Bengaluru. It will
83 | P a g e
offer banking services like foreign exchange, remittances and cash management.
IFMR capital has enabled the first capital market transaction for MUDRA which emphases on
providing low cost loans to microfinance and non-banking financial institutions. This will be a short
term transaction with tenure of 1.5 years
RBI issued the master direction for merger of private sector banks and also between NBFCs and
banks. The decision of amalgamation should be approved by respective boards by two-thirds
majority and all accounts should be KYC compliant.
CAPITAL LOCAL AREA BANK introduced the nations first Small Finance bank Capital Small
Finance Bank Limited in Punjab
HDFC Standard Life Insurance has tied up with India bulls Housing Finance Ltd for a corporate
agency agreement.
Indias nuclear power agency Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has cleared
insurance policy for all 21 reactors. India plans to build around 60 nuclear reactors with an aim to
produce 63,000 megawatts (MW) of power by 2032
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned a loan of 1000
crore rupees to Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (HSWC) for the purchase of wheat during
the ongoing Rabi marketing season.
Information services company Experian launched Hunter Fraud Score a new scoring mechanism that
measures the probability of fraud in a credit application across the banking and insurance industries
Mountaineer and Explorer Sir Edmund Hillary is featured on face of the $5 bill currency note named
best Banknote of the year. It was Designed by Canada Banknote Company
All the Banks mandated to report to the central government within two days any information on
NGOs getting foreign funds.
Union government given its approval for the MoU that links Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority of India (IRDAI) and the Insurance Authority of United Arab Emirates. The agreement
pave the way for enhanced cooperation in the field of insurance supervision
DBS Development Bank launched a mobile-only bank in India. It will provide customer service via a
247 artificial intelligence-driven assistant networks
Canada based Mobilephone maker BlackBerry and Digitsecure a payments platform launched BBM
Money in India
Central Board of Direct Taxes has released a hard data on the total number of taxpayers in the
country for first time
Worlds fastest Bombay stock exchange has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with
Korea Exchange (KRX) of South Korea for listing S&P BSE Sensex-based derivatives contracts on
the latter.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) joint venture with German
government for a special programme on Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security
Small Industries Development Bank of India and SAARC Development Fund (SDF) has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for mutual cooperation and collaboration.
BUSINESS
Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) initiated the hot trial of the new state of the art 1.2 MTPA
(million tonne per annum) Universal Rail Mill (URM) from its flagship entity, the Bhilai Steel Plant
(BSP).
Union finance ministry imposed the Safeguard duty of up to 20 percent on steel imports until March
2018 to protect domestic manufacturers from cheap Chinese imports.
The Reliance Asset Management Company has been listed among the best employer brands by Aon
Hewitt
The worlds largest crude exporter with crude reserves of about 265 billion barrels Company
Aramco is planning to make a major investment in India
Xiaomi has made the first investment$25 million investment in digital media firm, Hungama, India
84 | P a g e
Navratna Company has commissioned a record Rs 30,300 crore projects in the last fiscal and also
achieved a planned capex of Rs 22,500 crore. It includes the establishment of two new international
inter-connections one with Nepal and the other with Bangladesh
Bhubaneswar based The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has become the largest freight loading railway
zone of Indian Railways, the board with 49 million tonnes of freight.
EMC Corporation has opened its second R&D centre in India at Pune. The company already has a
Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has commissioned a season wise tiltable canal top solar
PV plant at Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh.
NTPCs 2,100 MW Farakka Super Thermal Power Station in West Bengal had to stop generation,
given a declining availability of cooling water from the Farakka feeder canal
E-commerce giant Snapdeal has initiated Snapdeal Sunshine, a program that allows users to donate
to the associated NGOs
India and shareholders of the Turkmenistan - Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Pipeline Company
Limited inked an accord to invest $200 million in studies and engineering for the $10 billion project
Micromax teams up with Visa and Tran Serv to promote digital payments. Users will be able to use
mobile-based push payments using mVisa and make eCommerce payments on merchant and social
media applications
Polaris has tied up with the popular e-commerce website Snapdeal to sell its ATV (All Terrain
Vehicles).
Golden Tobacco Ltd. has become the first company in India to implement the rule of Union Health
Ministry.85% pictorial health warnings in tobacco products
Union Government imposes anti-dumping duty on N-Butyl Alcohol from European Union,
Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa and the US for five years
Panasonic along with US-based sustainable energy provider, AES would install a joint project of 10
MW energy storage array at Jhajjar, Haryana. This is the first large-scale battery-based energy
storage project of India.
US think-tank Atlantic Council has launched an India-US trade initiative to strengthen economic ties
and meet the two countries bilateral trade target of $500 billion.
IMF, WB, UN and OECD are set to join with other International organizations to jointly work on
tax related issues and develop new policies and standards to stop tax base erosion and evasion
Indias ranks first in FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) overtaking the US and China. India
attracts $63 billion value FDI projects
No 1. Gujarat attracted $12.4 billion
No. 2 Maharashtra brought $8.3 billion
Mumbai based Mahindra & Mahindra has become the first Indian company to join a global energy
campaign EP100 headed by an international non-profit group the Climate Group
US IT major Accenture plans to expand its global security presence by opening a cyber centre in
Bengaluru. It will be the largest cyber security facility in Accentures global delivery network
Vistara announced a long term strategic partnership with TCS for a broad range of information
technology services including application maintenance services and airport infrastructure support.
RIL, worlds biggest refining complex at Jamnagar in Gujarat has bought crude oil from Iran after a
6-year break.
India has banned import of milk and milk products, certain mobile phones and a few other items
from China as their quality was unacceptable announced by Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
Environment ministry has given environmental clearance and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)
clearance to the Rs 694 crore BPCLs project in West Bengal.
Taxi operator Uber has partnered with Election Commission in Tamil Nadu to support the
#TN100percent initiative to spread awareness on voting among the electorate for the upcoming
election
Cadbury chocolates maker Mondelez inaugurated a Rs 1,265-crore plant largest Asia-Pacific facility
in SriCity, Andhra Pradesh.
85 | P a g e
Videocon d2h has partnered with Vodafone M-Pesa, now customers can recharge their d2h
service using Vodafone m-pesa.
Union Gov in line to sell 36% of stakes through offer for sale mode in Faridabad based Hydropower
generation company NHPC
Japanese automobile maker Isuzu has opened its new factory at Sri City in Andhra Pradesh paving
the way for a position in the Indian light commercial vehicle (LCV) and utility vehicle (UV) markets.
Mumbai based integrated power company Tata Power has commissioned its 44 MW Lahori
windfarm project in Shajapur of Madhya Pradesh.

Maharashtrian Of The Year Ranveer Singh
PEN Freedom to Write Award Ahmed Naji(Egypt)
Guinness World Record for at the same time Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL)
planting 208,751 saplings
National Geoscience Awards 2014
National Geoscience Award for Excellence Ashok KuApr Singhvi
Young Scientist Award Dr Indra Sekhar Sen
Hridaynath Award Viswanathan Anand
Asias 50 most powerful business woman list
Nita Ambani 1 Reliance Foundation Chairperson
Arundhati Bhattacharya 2 Chairperson of State Bank of India
Mu Sigma 14 CEO Ambiga Dhiraj
Dipali Goenka 16 CEO Welspun India
Vinita Gupta 18 CEO Lupin
Chanda Kochhar 22 ICICI Bank Managing Director
Vandana Luthra 26 VLCC Health Care Founder
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw 28 Biocon Founder
Founders Award 2016 Mother Teresa
French civilian the Legion of Honour Navanetham Pillay(South Africas first non-white
woman judge)
Miss India World 2016 Priyadarshini Chatterjee
UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Khadija Ismayilova (Azerbaijan)
Prize 2016
Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Award 2016 Priyanka Chopra
World record of longest dance Soni Chaurasiya - Kathak dancer from Varanasi
123 hours and 30 minutes
National Intellectual Property (IP) Award IIT-Kharagpur
Global Indian of the Year 2016 award Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
NRI of the Year Award 2016 Sania Mirza
French civilian honour JJ Singh
Saraswati Samman for the year 2015 Padma Sachdev
Time reader poll of 100 most influential people
1 Bernie Sanders
2 Big Bangs
3 Aung San SuuKyi
4 Barak Hussian Obama
5 MalalaYousafzai
Indians in the list Narendra Modi
Priyanka Chopra
86 | P a g e
Sania Mirza
Sundar Pichai
Satya Nadella
Mumbai Press Clubs lifetime achievement award T N Ninan
Laureus World Sports awards
Novak Djokovic Sportsman of the year
Serena Williams Sports woman of the year
Team of the Year 2016 Rugbey Team, New Zealand
Comeback of the Year 2016 Dan Dan Carter, New Zealand Union Player
Breakthrough of the Year 2016 Jordan Spieth, American Golf Star
Hindi Sevi Samman Awards Ge Fuping - china
Alka Dunputh - Japan
Shichiro Soma - Japan
2016 Pulitzer Prize Winners Public Service Associated Press
Cyprus Commander of the Order of Merit Amitav Banerji
The Order of Arts and Letters - French honour Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee
Randstad Award 2016 Google India
Best Actress award at Tribeca Film Fest Radhika Apte
New York Festivals 2016 Bronze Undercover Asia: Girls for Sale
Worlds Most Beautiful Woman for 2016 Jennifer Aniston
Dadasaheb Phalke award Manoj Bajpayee (Aligarh)
Kendra Sangeet Natak Akademi Samman PrefullaKar
AlokKanungo
SadasivPradhan
International Award on Plant Nutrition Ashok Kumar
First Humanitarian Prize Aprguerite Barankitse
Press club award for bravery in Journalism Jagendra Singh
WHCA scholarship Misha Euceph Pakistan
EQUIS Accreditation IIM-Calcutta
The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star NK Singh
- Japan
Sand art contest in Russia Gold Sudarsan Pattnaik
2016 Nelson Mandela Award Swat Activist Tabassum
Highest paid Chief Executive Officers in world
Top 3 Indian
Mark V Hurd PepsiCos Indra Nooyi 8th
Robert A Iger LyondellBasells Bhavesh Patel 6th
David Cote Microsofts Satya Nadella 26th
Guinness World Records Duck-billed dinosaur - China
Civil Service Day Award
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana LDM of Allahabad bank of India Raj Kishore Prasad
LDM of Union bank of India Surendra Chandra Das
LDM of Punjab National Bank Pramod Narayan
Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) Dr Savita Anand, Principal Resident Commissioner of Rajasthan
Aishwariya Singh, District Collector
Swachh Vidyalaya Anantpur district in Andhra Pradesh
Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir
Dadar & Nagar Haveli
Soil Health Card Scheme category District Collector of the district
Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh
87 | P a g e

SimpliceSarandji Prime Minister of Central African Republic
DavioGunnlaugsson Prime minister of Iceland resigned
SigurdurIngiJohannsson Prime minister of Iceland
Nguyen XuanPhuc Prime minister of Vietnam
ArseniyYatsenyuk Prime minister of Ukrainian resigned
VolodymyrGroysman Prime minister of Ukraine
TemirSariyev Kyrgyzstan Prime Minister resigned
BounnhangVorachit President of Laos
IdrissDeby President of Chad
Clement Mouamba Prime Minister of Congo
LobsangSangay Prime minister of Tibet
RiekMachar Vice president of South Sudans
Radha Kumar University Council United Nation
Ajay Singh Banga US member of the Commission on Enhancing National Cyber security.
GeetaPasi US envoy to Chad
C.P. Gurnani Chairman of NASSCOM
J Geeta Reddy Public Accounts CommitteeChairperson of Telangana
Vasu Director of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA)
MeeranBorwankar DG of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D)
S. Ravindran Chairman of Karnataka VikasGrameena Bank (KVGB)
Deepak Kashya Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of BSNL.
RatanWattal Liaison officer with Jammu and Kashmir
SoumenMitra Kolkata Police Commissioner
SusmitaPande Chairperson of National Monument Authority (NMA)
Vijay ShekharSharm Chairman of Industry body Internet and Mobile Association of
India(IAMAI).
Deepak Mishra Additional Director General in the Central Reserve Police Force
Judge N K Agarwal Haryanas Lokayukta
P.K.Mishra Goas Lokayukta
Subramanian Swamy Nominates members of RajyaSabha
Navjot Singh Sidhu Nominates members of RajyaSabha
NarendraJadhav Nominates members of RajyaSabha
Suresh Gopi Nominates members of RajyaSabha
SwapanDasgupta Nominates members of RajyaSabha
Mary Kom Nominates members of RajyaSabha
Ajith Kumar Chief of Rubber Board
BhupendraKainthola Director of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).
JaspalBindra Chairman of Centrum Group
Amitabh Coomar CEO of GoJavas
Manish Sharma CEO of Panasonics India
SharadAgarwal India Head, Lamborghini
Hugh Johnston Twitter board of directors
TausifMonif President of Lambda
PunitSoni Flipkart Chief Product Officer resigned
Bimlendra CEO of Tata Steels Europe
BishwadipDey High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
RudraGauravShresth High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Mozambique
GeethaJohri Gujarats first woman DGP
88 | P a g e
Mahesh Iyer COO of Thomas Cook

Inzamam UlHaq Chief selector of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
Rahul Johri CEO of BCCI
NanduNateka CCIs Legends Club(First noncricketer)
Charles Borromeo Tata Steel sportsdepartment has resigned
Rick Osterloh Google new hardware division as Senior Vice-President
Ram kumar leaves ED of ICICI resigned
Vijay Chandok ED of ICICI
DebrajPradhan Ambassador of India to Norway
Masakui Ambassador of India to the Republic of Zimbabwe
NandiniSingla Ambassador of India to Portugal
Satender Kumar Ambassador of India to the Republic of Barbados
T. Suresh Babu Ambassador of India to Mongolia
Ajay Devgn and Kajol Brand ambassadors of Andhra Pradesh tourism
Salman Khan & AbhinavBindra Goodwill ambassador for India at Rio Olympics
Dhoni Brand Ambassador of Amrapali resigned
ViratKohli Brand ambassador of Premier Futsal
Pankaj Kumar Ambassador for Girl Child(AFGC)
MS Dhoni Brand Ambassador of LAVA International
Flipkart has acquired a Bengaluru-based mobile payments company PhonePe

Private equity firm Blackstone India entered into an agreement with Hewlett Packard
Enterprise (HPE) to buy a majority stake in Mphasis Limited in a deal valued between $825
million and $1.1 billion.
Chennai-based customer support platform Freshdesk has acquired New Delhi-based Memetic Labs
Technologies for an undisclosed sum
Finnish mobile network equipment maker Nokia to buy Frances Withings S.A. for 170 million
Euros ($191 million)
SCHEMES
Gov launched Gram Uday to Bharat Uday Abhiyan from 14th to 24th April, 2016 to generate nation-
wide efforts to increase social harmony across villages, strengthen Panchayati Raj, promote rural
development, and foster farmers progress.
Government of Punjab to begin the process of issuing 303074 pre-active cashless Farmers Health
Insurance Cards under Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Bima Yojna .It will enable farmers to get health
cover up to Rs 50,000 for their treatment and compensation of Rs 5 Lakhs in case of death
Union Minister for Women & Child Development Maneka Sanjay Gandhi initiated a project Swadhar
Greh scheme to construct 100 special Home for widows at Vrindavan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel launched the state-wide implementation of Centres National Food
Security Act Maa Annapurna Yojna. People will get wheat at Rs 2 per kilo and rice at Rs 3 per kilo
under this scheme
Jammu & Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti announced to launch Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food
Entitlement Scheme (MMSFES) to supplement the National Food Security Act (NFSA) from July 1,
2016.States public distribution system will get additional 5 kgs of ration per person.
Jharkhand Government launched Bhimrao Ambedkar Awas Yojana for widows on 125th birth
anniversary of B R Ambedkar. Construct a home for Widows and Pensions. Rs 75,000 will be granted
to build a house in districts in hilly terrains and Rs 70,000 in plains areas
Uttarakhand has become the 10th state to join the UDAY (Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana). Net
benefit of about Rs 962 crore would accrue to the state.
89 | P a g e
Eight states have issued bonds worth over Rs.98,959.96 crore under UDAY (Ujwal DISCOM
Assurance Yojana) scheme in 2015-16.The special bonds (non-SLR special securities) issued by RBI.
Gov has approved Goas coastal circuit project under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme. Sum of Rs.
99.99 crores given by the central assistance is a record highest allocation received by Goa Tourism
since 2010.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the Stand up India scheme and a Web portal for the scheme
in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Composite advance between 10 lakh and upto Rs.100 lakh.The process
would be led by SIDBI, Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) and NABARD
Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal with Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister Andhra Pradesh to
launched National Energy Efficient Agriculture Pumps Programme and National Energy Efficient Fan
Programme in Vijayawada , Andhra Pradesh
Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, Union Minister of women and Child Development launched Beti
Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme in additional 61 districts
Haryana Gov has notified the Affordable Plotted Housing Policy 2016 for low and medium standard
towns under Deen Dayal Jan Awas Yojana. All the projects are be required to be completed within
seven years from the date of license granted
Gov has merged Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan with Khelo India.Aim of the scheme is to Construct
Sports Complexes in each block and exclusively both for outdoor and indoor sports discipline for 5
years and conducting summer camps every year to enhance the sports spirits
Union Sports Ministry has decided to provide Rs. One lakh per month as Out of Pocket allowance to
the sports persons under the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme. Till date, 77 Indian athletes in
eight disciplines have qualified for the Olympics
MoUs
Indian Oil Corporation inked an MoU with Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation to scrutinize the
possibility of jointly working on setting up a LPG (Liquefied petroleum gas) import terminal
at Chittagong port and other downstream infrastructure in that country.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Mumbai based Sun Pharma have joined into an
agreement for research and innovation in preventive health announced by Union Health Minister JP
Nadda
Maharashtra (Devendra Fadnavis) first state to signed MoU with the Tata Trusts (Ratan Tata) to link
all government colleges and medical colleges to the national cancer grid for uniform cancer profiling
and quality treatment. The initiative targets to have 50,000 bone marrow donors.
Union Cabinet approved a MoU signed between India and Sweden for technical cooperation in the
rail sector.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom signed
signed 6 agreements in the fields of defence, tourism, taxation, space research, and conservation of
mosques.
Union Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved for signing the Paris
Agreement adopted at the 21st Conference of Parties held in Paris in last December. Environment
Minister Prakash Javadekar signed the agreement from India side on 22 April 2016 in UN
Central Council for Research in homoeopathy (CCRH) has signed two MOUs with College of
Homeopaths of Ontario, Canada and another between CCRH and Yerevan State Medical University,
Armenia during two day International Convention on World Homoeopathy Day organized at Vigyan
Bhawan, New Delhi.
United Nations Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and GITAM University signed a MoU to
empower the adolescents 10-19 years and address the adolescent issues in the district of
Visakhapatnam. Kerala
Union Cabinet given its approval for signing of a MoU between India and UAE on preventing all
forms of human trafficking, especially women and children.
Union Cabinet was approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and
90 | P a g e
Bangladesh to promote development of cooperation in fisheries and aquaculture and allied

sectors through mutually agreed activities and procedures.
Narendra Modi apprised the MoU signed with Bahrain, Kuwait, Nepal, South Korea, Sri Lanka,
Vietnam and BRICS Nations on Organizing Youth Exchange Programmes with these countries.
Union Cabinet approved for signing of a MoU between India and Bhutan on technical cooperation in
the field of capacity building, benchmarking and bilateral exchange in infrastructure engineering.
India and Sri Lanka signed MoU to supply 150 Boats to Mullaitivu fishermen. The total cost of the
project of Rs. 100 million.
Trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed among Sri Lanka, Japan and India
for collaboration in Science & Technology
Khaled Al-Aboodi, CEO of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and Tarun Sharma, regional head
on behalf the EXIM Bank signed a MoU with ICD for a possible $100 million line of credit to
simplify exports to IDBs member countries.
Tata Trusts signed MoU with the Odisha government to achieve elimination of Malaria from the state
by 2030.
COMMITTEES
Information and Broadcasting Ministry has formed a three-member Committee to oversee the
guidelines set for government advertisements by the Supreme Court are followed. The committee
headed by the former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) B B Tandon.
Union Minister of Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal released Report of
the Technical Committee on Large Scale Integration of Renewable Energy in India. The Committee
has published a 15 point Action Plan for facilitating large scale integration of renewable in the
country, in a secure and reliable manner.
Haryana government set up a two-member Commission of Inquiry headed by Retired Justice S N
Jha, former Chief Justice of Jammu to probe the sequence of events leading to violence during
the Jat agitation for reservation in February.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh chairs High Level Committee meeting for Central assistance to
Karnataka, Puducherry and Arunachal Pradesh affected by drought and floods.
Rs 842.7 crore to Karnataka, Puducherry and Arunachal Pradesh affected by drought and
floods.
The finance minister Arun Jaitley formed a sub-committee headed by former Chief Economic
Adviser Ashok Lahiri panel to interact with the trade and industry on the imposition of central Excise
duty on jewellery. The committee has to submit report within 60 days.
Union Government has set up a panel to make a blueprint for doubling farmers income by 2022.The
Panel was headed by Agriculture Ministry Additional Secretary Ashok Dalwai,
Film maker Shyam Benegal headed committee constituted by the Information and Broadcasting
ministry panel submits its report on censor board. Children and adults are protected from potentially
harmful or unsuitable content while audiences, particularly parents, are authorized to make informed
watching decisions
Parliamentary Standing Committee has been formed to tackle misleading advertising as well as to fix
liability on endorsers/celebrities. The committee was headed by MP J C Divakar Reddy .
The violator may be penalised with either a fine of Rs 10 lakh or imprisonment up to two
years or both.
PM Narendra Modi launched National Agriculture Market portal that will have 21 mandis from 8
States to connect e-mandis in several state on the 125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar.
*States include Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh Rs.200Cr
GOI released Indian Intellectual Property (IP) Panorama in New Delhi by offering a single window
91 | P a g e
interface for information and guidance on intellectual property

Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) Headed by Ramesh Abhishek launched Startup
India portal and mobile app In New Delhi.
Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal launched a mobile application
Vidyut PRAVAH Mobile application to empower common people to demand 24X7 power from the
states.
Indias smartest app based cab company Ola has introduced electric rickshaws on its platform at the
Start-up India event held in Noida
The Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has launched a new service, Twitter
Seva, to address issues and grievances of startups, exporters and importers, and other stakeholders.
HRD Minister Smriti Zubin Irani launched a portal for registration and allotment of International
Standard Book Number (ISBN) in New Delhi
Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched the Low Cost
and Environment-friendly solar lighting device, Surya Jothi.
Maharashtra Government has decided to use hologram technique to check every alcohol bottle
manufactured and sold in the State.
Intel India has inaugurated UnnatiKendras across 10 towns in Telangana to create a blueprint for
the digitization of non-urban India. The company to set up the first Unnati Kendra at Nadimpalli
village.
Supercomputer Param Kanchenjunga was formally unveiled by Sikkim Governor Shrinvas Patil in
Sikkim based National Institute of Technology.
Indian Railway used drone for the first time to inspect Dedicated Freight Corridor project. It was be
tested in Bihar State.
Infosys cofounder S Gopalakrishnan launched a new app Itihaasa that chronicles the fascinating
journey of the Indian IT Industry.
Minister of State of Culture and Tourism (I/C) and Minister of State for Civil Aviation Dr. Mahesh
Sharma launched the National Monuments Authority (NMA)s Web Portal called NOC Online
Application and Processing System (NOAPS)
Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai launched PoochhO Carpool app to help people during odd-even
scheme(April 15 to 30)
Indias first open source encyclopedia to the Art and culture Sahapedia has launched. The Meaning
of Saha in Sanskrit meant as Together with
Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (APEPDCL) has become the first e-
office electricity distribution company among all power utilities in India.
Election Commission has launched mobile application eVoters with comprehensive details about the
coming May 16 assembly polls in Kerala.
University of Georgia (UGA) and Israels Ben-Gurion University has created the worlds smallest
diode using a single DNA molecule.
India is going to start its online platform, Hotstar in other countries over the next few months.
California based giant HP unveiled worlds thinnest HP Spectre Notebook weighing 1 kg and as thin
as 10.4 mm
Chinese researchers introduced a new approach for making an all-weather solar cell developed a
highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cell.
Purdue University Researchers in Indiana in the US have come up with the first 3D map of the virus
structure. The virus is built similar to other flaviviruses, like that of dengue
Team of Scientists from Institute of Advance Study in Science & Technology in Assam have
developed an eco-friendly Nano technology for water-softening applications Chitosa
Chinas first security robot AnBot unveiled at the ongoing China Chongqing Hi-Tech Fair. It was
jointly developed by the National University of Defence Technology and a robotics company in
central Chinas Hunan Province.
The worlds first licensed vaccine Dengvaxia against a mosquito-bo disease dengue has been
launched by Philippines. It is the first public immunization program for dengue fever
92 | P a g e
ISRO and NASA are jointly operated mission NISAR a satellite that helps studying earthquake and
its patterns .The satellite is called NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, or NISAR
ISRO Scientists Scientists in Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre lab recently manufactured the worlds
lightest material called silica Aerogel or blue air.
ISRO developed PSLV-C33 is carrying Indias seventh navigation satellite IRNSS-1G which is
launched off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
China has successfully launched a retrievable scientific research satellite SJ-10to study Micro-
gravity
China has launched a sounding rocket also called Research Rocket Kunpeng-1B was launched from
Danzhou by the National Space Science Center (NSSC).
US based aerospace company SpaceX has successfully landed a reusable rocket Falcon 9 rocket into
orbit.
Russia has launched its maiden rocket Soyuz-2.1A from a new cosmodrome
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has abandoned its efforts to reinstate the operations of
costly satellite Hitomi that was used to probe the black holes using X-Ray Telescopes.
America based space Company Blue Origin successfully accomplished the third launch and vertical
landing of its reusable New Shepard rocket, the BE-3 engine in Texas
US Researchers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics have discovered a rare triple-
star system KELT-4Ab with a gas giant planet that is similar in size to Jupiter.
NASA engineers tested a 3D printed rocket engine turbo pump with liquid methane for NASAs
journey to Mars and other deep-space missions
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly retired from the NASA, but he will continue to participate in the
ongoing research related to his one-year mission.
Mobile POS solutions company ePaisa launched its digital wallets business into a new mobile
application Master-Wallets. Payments would be made into the merchants verified bank account.
OED Technologies of China has developed the worlds first graphene electronic paper, the new
material has been adjudged as the worlds first of its kind.
Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao launched Online App called AdiPraman which will enable
the tribal populace of the state get the caste validity certificates online. This is the first of its kind in
India.
DEFENCE
13 the Edition of bi-annual exercise Tat Suraksha began in Andaman and Nicobar from April 5.
India and the United States have agreed in principle to share military logistics. Union Defence
Minister Manohar Parrikar announced this agreement
Indian Armys elite STRIKE 1 corps is to conducting a major exercise Shatrujeet in the deserts of
Rajasthan to evaluate the capability of the Army.
Indian military has completed an amphibious exercise Jal Prahar in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
All three wings of the armed forces Army, Air Force and Navy are participated.
Indias indigenously developed surface-to-air Akash missile was test fired for second consecutive
day from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near Balasore in Odisha.
India has conducted a secret test of the nuclear-capable undersea ballistic missile K-4 SLBM in the
Bay of Bengal from INS Arihant from the Vishakhapatnam coast in Andhra Pradesh.
INS Karmuk and a Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft are participating in the 22nd Indo-Thai
Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) in the Andaman Sea.
US Navy is leading 30-nation maritime exercise across Middle East Waters The International Mine
Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX) started in Bahrain.
The 11th Indo-Mongolia joint training exercise Nomadic Elephant -2016commenced at Mongolia.
Chinas air force joint training exercises with Pakistan Shaheen 5 began in China
The Pakistan Navy has successfully conducted a test launch of the shore-based anti-ship Zarb Missile
93 | P a g e
in the Arabian Sea

Russian Military test-fired a cruise missile named Iskander tactical missile system from the Kapustin
Yar practice range in the Astrakhan Region as part of drill.
Indian Naval Ships namely Veer and Nipat, served for the defence operations under illustrious 22nd
Killer Squadron decommissioned from the Indian Navy
ENVIRONMENT
High Court of Himachal Pradesh issued notices on the matter of declaring monkey as vermin for 6
months
Worlds first White Tiger Safari opened at Mukundpur in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh. The
Safari has been inaugurated by the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Endangered bird spoon-billed sandpiper was spotted in tropical island of Chinas Hainan area
In south western Japan two powerful earthquakes hit a day killed at least 29 people and 1,500 people
injured
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have combined the best features of a lobster
and a fish to create an artificial eye that can see in the dark
Scientists have identified three new species of mouse lemurs Ganzhorns mouse lemur, Microcebus
manitatra and Microcebus boraha in the South and East of Madagascar
Endangered Asiatic wild dogs spotted in nature reserve in Chinas Gansu province have spotted at
least nine such dogs or dholes on camera.
SPORTS

Womens &MensWorld Twenty20 West Indies
world title with record free skate score EvgeniaMedvedeva Gold
40th Paris Aprathon 2016 Kenyas VisilineJepkesho and Cyprian Kotut
2016 Bahrain Grand Prix Mercedes driver NicoRosberg
Chinese Grand Prix NicoRosberg
WLBS World snooker championship ChitraMagimairaj - Gold
VarshaaSanjeev Gold
Asian Nations Cup Chess tournament, Abu Dhabi India
Hawkes Bay Cup, New Zealand India beat Canada
Miami Open 2016

Mens Singles Novak Djokovic
Womens Singles Victoria Azarenka (Belarus)
Mens Doubles Pierre Hugues (France)
And Herbert Nicolas (France)
Womens Doubles BethanieMattek-Sands (USA)
and Lucieafov(Chezh Republic)
BWF RankingsFIFA World Rankings 2016
KidambiSrikanth 14
ParuPalliKashyap 18
SainaNehwal 8
Pusarla V Sindhu 10
Manu Attri 19
B Sumeeth Reddy
JwalaGutta 15
94 | P a g e
AshwiniPonnappa
BWF RankingsFIFA World Rankings 2016
Rank(Mens) Country Rank(Mens) Country
1 Argentina 1 Argentina
2 Belgium 2 Belgium
3 Chile 3 Chile
4 Colombia 4 Colombia
5 Germany 5 Germany
Malaysian Open 2016
Mens Singles Lee Chong Wei ( Malaysia)
Womens Singles RatchanokIntanon (Thailand)
Mens Doubles Kim Gi-Jung( South Korea ) and
Kim Sa-rang ( South Korea)
Womens Doubles Tang Yuanting (China) and
Yu Yang (China)
Mixed Doubles Tontowi Ahmed ( Indonesia) and LiliyanaNastir (
Indonesia )
world International Boxing Federation title Anthony Joshua, America
US Masters golf 2016 Danny Willett - First Briton
WTA rankings
Womens Singles Womens Doubles Rank
Serena Williams (USA) Aprtina Hingis (Swiss) 1
AgnieszkaRadwanska (POL) SaniaMirza (India) 2
Angelique Kerber (GER) BethanieMattek- Sands 3
(US)
GarbineMuguruza (ESP) YaroslavaShvedova 4
(Kzh)
Hilton Asian Tour Golfer of Month S.P. Chawrasia of India
Asian KhoKho Championship Title, MP Indias mens and womens teams
WTA rankingsWisdens top five cricketers of 2015
Player Country
Jonny Bairstow England
Brendon McCullum New Zealand
Steve Smith Australia
Ben stokes England
Kane Willamson New Zealand
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup,Malaysia. Australia
Monte Carlo Masters title Rafael Nadalfrom Spain
withdraw from Sultan of Johor Cup Hockey India
First champion of the Asian Tennis Tour (ATT) Vishnu Vardhan
SidharthRawat
Rio shooting World Cup JituRai 6th Spot
OlehOmelchuk of Ukraine Gold
Wang Zhiweiof China Bronze
First Indian participant at World Kickboxing Tajamul Islam
Championship
Baecelona Open
49th Clay court cup and equaled the record with Rafael Nadal
Guillermo Vilas
Doubles Winners United States Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan
Stuttgart Grand Prix tournament
Womens doubles title Garcia-Mladenovic
95 | P a g e
and Kristina Mladenovic

Womens singles title Angelique Kerber
ISSF World Cup AprcusSvennson - Gold
Mairaj Ahmad Khan - Silver
TaAprroCasandro - Bronze
FPAI Indian Player of the year Award JejeLalpekhlua
PFA Player of the Year RiyadMahrez - first African
First woman rider TVS Shreya Sunder Iyer
Equals the world record in the womans recurve DeepikaKumari
event at Archery World Cup in Shanghai.
Commonwealth Judo Championship GarimaChaudhary Gold
RajwinderKaur - silver
Australias bowling coach Allan Donald South Africa
New Zealands captain Kane Williamson
Sri Lanka Crickets Chief Selector SanathJayasuria
Cricket Association of Nepal Suspended by ICC
World Championshipbrand ambassadors MC ApryKom
International Hockey Umpire Durga Thakur
Rio 2016 Olympic Qualifier Paddlers SoumyajitGhosh, ManikaBatra
Wrestler SandeepTomar
Indian Rower DattuBhokanal
Sprinter Sudha Singh
Judok Player Avatar Singh and ThoudamKalpana
Devi
First Indian Gymnast to Qualify for Olympics DipaKarmakar
Kansai Nerolac Gujarat Lionsassociate sponsor

Mother Dairy Delhi Daredevils principal sponsor
ShahidAfridi Pakistans T20 captain
Asian/Oceania Qualifying Tournament Shiva Thapa - silver medal
Retired from international cricket Australia Cricketer Clint McKay
Retired from international cricket England Cricketer James Taylor
Retired from ODIs, T20Is Sri Lankan veteran cricketer RanganaHerath
Hong Kong all-rounderIrfan Ahmed Suspended by the International Cricket Council
(ICC) for two and a half years
First Day /Night Test India 7 New Zealand
BCCI decided to waive off the financial penalty of West Indies Cricket Board
USD 97 million
2018 Commonwealth Judo Championships India
OBITUARY

Zaha Hadid Architect Iraq
Ronnie Corbett Entertainer UK
Larry Drake Actor USA
CesareMaldini Football player Italy
Gato Barbieri Jazz saxophonist Argentina
Barbara Turner Screenwriter and producer USA
Merle Haggard Singer USA
David Gest Entertainer, Producer UK
Arnold Wesker Writer UK
96 | P a g e
MalickSidibe Photographer Africa

Ismael Quintana Salsa music legend USA
Doris Roberts Actress USA
Bill Campbell Former Ivy League football coach USA
Chyna Former WWE Womens Champion USA
Prince Roger Nelson Musician USA
Guy Hamilton Director UK
BanharnSilpa Former Thai PM Thailand
Papa Wemba Singer Africa
Harry Wu Human rights campaigner China
Toms Cartoonist India
Amanullah Khan Founder of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front India
(JKLF),
Shaktiman Indian police horse, Uttarkhand India
D.Ravinder Finance Ministers PRO & Former Journalist India
SatyanandMunjal Co-founder of Hero Cycles group India
Justice Jai Singh Sekhon Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge India
VeenuPaliwal Indias first woman biker India
C Silvera Former Union Minister of Mizoram India
Yogendra Bali Journalist and author India
MHP Rao Architect India
RanjanBaindoor Ranji Trophy player India
BabuBharadwaj Journalist India
BOOKS & AUTHORS

The Kiss of Life How a Superhero and my son defeated cancer authored by Bilal Siddiqui and Co-
authored by Emraan Hashmi.
A State in Denial Pakistans Misguided and Dangerous Crusade authored by veteran journalist BG
Verghese
NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly will write a book titled Endurance: My Year in Space and Our
Journey to Mars.
The Making of India: The Untold Story of British Enterprise authored by KartarLalvani
IMPORTANT DAYS
Apr 2 2016
Remember Day: World Autism Awareness Day
Purpose : To raise awareness about children with autism throughout the world.
Organization: UN
Theme: Autism and the 2030 Agenda: Inclusion and Neurodiversity
Apr 4 2016
Remember Day: International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action
Purpose : To raise awareness about landmines and progress toward their eradication
Organization: UN
Theme: Mine Action is Humanitarian Action
Apr 5 2016
Remember Day: National Maritime Day
Purpose : To commemorate the maiden voyage of the first Indian Vessel 'S. S. Loyalty' owned by M/s.
97 | P a g e
Scindia Steam Navigation Company from Mumbai to London on 5th April 1919.
Organization:
Theme: Ease of doing business in the maritime sector
Apr 6 2016
Remember Day: International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
Purpose : To promotes healthy lifestyles and emphasizes the International Olympic Committees (IOC)
focus on giving as many people as possible access to sport.
Organization: UNOSDP
Theme: Lets play for Sustainable Development Goals
Apr 7 2016
Remember Day: World Health Day
Purpose : To celebrate the founding of the World Health Organization, the worlds leading health
organisation, on 7 April 1948.
Organization: WHO
Theme: Halt the rise: beat diabetes
Apr 8 2016
Remember Day: International Romani Day
Purpose : to celebrate Romani culture and raise awareness of the issues facing Romani people.
Organization: UN
Apr 10 2016
Remember Day: World Homeopathy Day
Purpose : : To honour the Father of Homeopathy System of medicine Dr. Samuel Hahnemann.
Organization: WHO
Apr 11 2016
Remember Day: National Safe motherhood day
Purpose : To create awareness on proper healthcare and maternity facilities to pregnant and lactating
women.
Organization: GOI
Apr 12 2016
Remember Day: International Day of Human Space Flight
Purpose : To remembers the first human space flight on April 12, 1961.
Organization: UN
April 14 2016
Remembered Day: Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar 125th Birth Anniversary
Organization: GOI
Apr 17 2016
Remember Day: World Hemophilia Day
Purpose : To create awareness for hemophilia and other bleeding disorders, which also serves to raise funds
Organization: WFH
Theme: Treatment for All The Vision of All
Apr 18 2016
Remember Day: World Heritage Day
Purpose : To raise public awareness about the diversity and vulnerability of the world's built monuments
and heritage sites and the efforts required to protect and conserve them.
98 | P a g e
Theme: The Heritage of Sport
Apr 21 2016
Remember Day: Civil Services Day
Purpose : To re-dedicate and re-commit themselves to the cause of the people.
Organization: GOI
Theme: The flag bearer of continuity & change in governance
Apr 22 2016
Remember Day: World Earth Day
Purpose : To demonstrate support for environmental protection.
Organization: UN
Theme: Trees for the Earth
Apr 23 2016
Remember Day: World Book and Copyright Day
Purpose : To promote reading, publishing and copyright.
April 24 2016
Remembered Day: National Panchayati Day
Purpose: The day marks the passing of Constitution[73rd Amendment]Act 1992 , that came into force from
24th of April 1993.
Organization: India
April 25 2016
Remembered Day: World Malaria Day
Purpose: To recognise the global efforts to control malaria. It is an occasion to highlight the need for
continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria control and elimination.
Organization: WHO
Theme: End malaria for good
Apr 26 2016
Remember Day: World Intellectual Property Day
Purpose : To raise awareness of how patents, copyright, trademarks and designs impact on daily life and to
celebrate creativity, and the contribution made by creators and innovators to the development of societies
across the globe
Organization: WIPO
Theme: Digital Creativity: Culture Reimagined
Apr 29 2016
Remember Day: International Dance Day
Purpose : To attract the attention of the wider public to the art of dance
Remember Day: International Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare
Purpose : To pay a tribute to the victims of chemical warfare and to discourage the world to prohibit
the use of chemical weapons.
Organization: UN
Apr 30 2016
Remember Day: International Jazz Day
99 | P a g e
Purpose : To promote peace,dialogue among various cultures,diversity,eradicating discrimination,respect of

human dignity, promotion gender equality and individual expression.
Current Affairs May 2016

INDIAN AFFAIRS
Real Estate Act comes into force with effect from 1st May after 8 year long efforts to make operational
Rules, Setting up regulatory authorities and Appellate tribunals.
Border Security Force(BSF) to set up the tallest national flag(356 feet) near Attari-Wagah Joint Check
Post famously known as the Wagah border.
Odisha Skill Development Authority becomes operational from May 1 announced by Chief Minister
Naveen Patnaik
Madhya Pradesh High Court terms reservation in promotions in the State as unconstitutional.It reserve
16% posts for scheduled castes and20% for scheduled tribes
Union gov launched an initiative named MICE(meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) for
the upgradation of tourism sector in India
Rajya Sabha approved an amendment to the mining law that allows Transfer of captive mines in cases
of mergers and acquisitions said by Mines minister Narendra Singh Tomar
Lok Sabha passed Compensatory Afforestation Fund bill, 2015 to create special funds like National
Compensatory Afforestation Fund and also a State Compensatory Afforestation Fund.
Lok Sabha passes Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Bill, 2016 that will help improve Indias ranking in
the World Banks Ease of Doing Business index.
DRDOs laboratory Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences(DIPAS) in collaboration with
Department of AYUSH organised a training program on Yoga for the Defence Wing Staff.
PM Narendra Modi officially approved the adoption of UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics
to formulates the data collection process.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik declared to increase by 500 to 600 for amendment to the Gram
Panchayat Act
Lok Sabha approved the Finance Bill 2016. Bill retaining the contentious 1% excise duty on non-silver
jewellery, though only jewellers with more than `12 crore annual turnover will have to pay the duty.
Haryana to enact Act to accord statutory status to Sports Council announced by Haryana Health
Minister Anil Vij
Union Railways Ministry launched the Bharat Darshan Tourist train for pilgrims to visit and bookings
are being done by IRCTC .Rs 830 per day for each person.
Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti launched the first trash skimmer for River Yamuna for
skimming of solid waste material and Rs.850 crore rupees approved for the third phase of Yamuna
action plan
Union Gov to provide mobile connectivity in 55,669 villages by 2019 in a phased manner.BharatNet
project to connect all 2.50 lakh gramPanchayats
Gujarat gov announced a government resolution (GR) granting minority status to the Jain
community.Poor people among the Jain community can avail of various scholarships, gov welfare
schemes as per Article 30 of Indian Constitution.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma released a Commemorative coin of Rs. 100/- and
a Circulation coin of Rs. 10/as a part of 475th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Maharana Pratap in
New Delhi.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL) completed Rs 4.77 crore Kumudvathi river rejuvenation project
near Nelamangala in Bengaluru rural district.
Parliament approved the Anti-Hijacking Bill that award death penalty to the criminals in case of death
of hostages or security personnel.It will Amend Anti-Hijacking Act, 1982
100 | P a g e
Gujarat Government announced its Agri Business Policy in order promotes food processing and
agriculture waste management during the festival of 2016 Krishi Mahotsav
Parliament passed the Industries (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015 with Lok Sabha
approving some technical amendments to transfer from the Centre to states the control over industries
engaged inthe production of potable alcohol.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat won the Assembly floor test.It will revoke Presidents Rule
in the state.
Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav approved the 200 Km Long bicycle highway from Agra to the Lion
Safari in Etawah to promote Eco-Tourism in the surroundings of the Taj Mahal
Rajya Sabha passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 as it is the biggest economic reform that
will make easier to do business.
Rajya Sabha passed The Indian Trusts (Amendment) Bill 2015. The Amended Indian Trusts bill
removes certain outdated clauses from the Indian Trusts Act.
Banaras Hindu University founded by Madan Mohan Malaviya has completed 100 years of its eventful
journey.
NDA Gov led by Prime Minister decided to liberate of the Nehruvian five year plans and replace the
plans with 15 year vision credentials.The first 15-year vision document will start from 2017-18, along
with a seven-year National Development Agenda
Union Cabinet approved the National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) policy with a view to
promoting creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. This is to create public awareness about the
economic, social and cultural benefits of IPRs among all sections of society.
The Supreme Court upholds the validity of the criminal defamation law of the 156-year-old penal
laws.The court gave its verdict on a batch of petitions filed that challenging the constitutional validity
of sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code providing for criminal defamation.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has notified the Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation
in Services and Admission in Educational Institutions) Act, 2016 to provide reservation in services and
admission in educational institutions to persons belonging to backward classes in the State.
Indian Postal Department enhanced their services to Hi-tech by geo-tagging the post offices and started
to monitor the timely clearance of the letter boxes through a mobile application called BHUVAN
Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda laid the foundation stones of three medical colleges at
Rajouri in Jammu,Anantnag in south Kashmir and Baramulla in the north Kashmir.
Union gov approved the Odisha Governments proposal to set up Kalinganagar National Investment and
Manufacturing Zone project as part of Ease of Doing Business inJajpur district.
Rajasthan becomes Indias first state to issue newspaper advertisements to select vice-chancellors for
state universities.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik has coined a special scheme named Green Passage for orphan
students. This proposed scheme will function under the Higher Education Department.
Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi drafted the National Policy for Women 2016
for Women to deal the issues against the Women.
Union government has opened a Tatkal window to fast-track patent proposals. Application fees for
individuals and start-ups have been kept at Rs 8,000 while for companies, is Rs 60,000.
Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated an Intelligent Operations Centre and launched a Mobile App Monitor
for transformation of Presidents Estate into a smart township
Indigenously developed fecal incontinence management system Qora launched by Minister of State
for Science & Technology, Shri Y.S.Chowdary in New Delhi. QoraTM technology under DBTs
ownership granted in key markets, including US, EU, Canada, Singapore, Australia, and Japan.
Indias Red line campaign was launched in February this year to curb over-the-counter use of antibiotics
is finding recognition, and could be adopted on a world scale.
Union Health Minister J P Nadda launched the Centre for Environmental Health to judge the impact of
environment-linked health problems like air pollution, climate change, pesticide use and sanitation.
Union Cabinet decided to set aside the Supreme Courts order on NEET that made a pan Indian
common medical entrance test mandatory.National Eligibility cum Entrance Test that outlaws the states
101 | P a g e
to go with their own entrance exams

Gujarat Gov announced that totally 6,000 villages in the state becomes open defecation free under
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
Union Minister of State in PMO with IC of North Eastern States and Youth Services and Sports, Dr
Jitendra Singh has laid the foundation stone of bridge at Ujh Bridge which costs Rs.44 Cr in Kathua
district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu inaugurated five new activities
1.New AC Weekly Express train between H. Nizamuddin-Pune
2.Expansion of VIKALP Scheme of Alternate Train Reservation to Delhi-Howrah, Delhi- Chennai,
Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Secunderabad Circuits,
3.Hand Held Terminals that makes Sale of Unreserved Tickets in Pilot Basis.
4.Launching of Ergonomically Redesigned & Optimised Tools for Track Gangs, Keymen & Patrolmen
5.Improving Safety at Unmanned Level Crossing in pilot basis.
National Green Tribunal(NGT) banned light and heavy diesel vehicles, which are passed more than 10
years old, in six major cities in Kerala
Odisha Governor SC Jamir promulgated Odisha Official Language (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 for
use of Odia language as a tool for communication in official matters.Gov to formulate laws to
implement the Odisha Official Language Act 1954.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved National Capital Goods Policy 2016.It is the First
ever policy for Capital Goods sector.
Women and Child Development Ministry Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi released Draft Model Rules
under Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.Provisions for children who commit
offences in the age group of 16-18 years
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities named as Divyangjan Sashaktikaran
Vibhag in Hindi, after leaving the word viklangjan from its previous terminology.
Gujarat Governor O P Kohli released Gujarat, Diu & Daman and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Volume of the
Peoples Linguistic Survey of India Series
Assembly Elections 2016 Results: 5 states
West Bengal:
Mamta banerjee retains the position
Mamata Banerjee -led TMC is heading for a continuous victory in the Assembly elections
TMC Won 211 out of 294
Puducherry:
Congress and DMK alliance succeed over N.R Congress
Congress alliance made 17 successes out of 30 seats
Cabinet clears Railway projects worth Rs 11,000 crore.
Cabinet gives nod to six new IITs; Upgrades Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad to IIT.
Cabinet gives ex-post facto approval to Amendments in Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launches 20 Nirbhaya buses with safety measures for women.
Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu launched Dial 139 service for RAC and wait-listed tickets to
cancel their tickets, Earlier only confirmed ticket holders could cancel their tickets through 139 service
and IRCTC website.
Union Cabinet waived off loans worth over Rs 9,079 crore in a bid to restructure the PSU that owed by
Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Ltd (HFCL).
HRD Minister launches Bharatavani Portal, Indias largest online repository of dictionaries at Lucknow.
Centre approves Rs 4241 cr National Investment and Manufacturing Zone(NIMZ) in Odisha
Govt approves over Rs 5500 Cr investment to improve infrastructure in six states
Centre allocated Rs 6000 crore for welfare of people in mining areas
T.S.R Subramanian Committee for Evolution of a National Education Policy submits report to Ministry
of HRD.
PM Narendra Modi to flag off trains to Mizoram, Manipur including Kamakhya-Vaishno Devi Katra
weekly train
102 | P a g e
Narayanasamy stakes claim to form government in Puducherry

WCD Minister, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi releases Draft Trafficking of Persons (Prevention,
Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2016
Prime Minister approves retirement age of doctors of Central Health Services to 65 years
Indian Railways, PEC sign MoU to set up Kalpana Chawla Chair on geospatial technology
Delhi Govt Launches 'DVAT M SEWA' Mobile App
Ministry of Railways launches RAIL HAMSAFAR SAPTAAH a Week Long Celebration to
showcase Railway Achievements during 2014 2016.
PLACES IN NEWS
PM Narendra Modi launched solar powered boats - 11 and distributing 1,000 e-rickshaws to people in
Varanasi
The world largest to be built called Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) project may be set up at Hanle in
Ladakh.
Telagana CM K. Chandrasekhar Rao performed the Bhoomi Puja for the Kaleshwaram Project to
Connect the Godavari River through a series of barrages, reservoirs and enhanced irrigation schemes
Telangana Gov to set up Spices Park in in Padigal in Nizamabad with investment of Rs. 31 Crore
Karnataka gov decided to establish the Asias first Rice Technology Park at Gangavati in Koppal
district and a Maize Technology Park at Ranebennur in Haveri district.
Manamadurai-Rameswaram rail track in Tamlinadu to become first green corridor to make rail tracks
discharge free zones
Indian Railways conduct trials of its first solar panel-powered train which will have its lights & fans
run on solar energy in Jodhpur
Worlds largest single rooftop stretch of 42 acre solar power plant of 11.5 Mw capacity was installed in
Amritsar, Punjab with an Investment of Rs 82 Crore (2012) to Rs. 10,000 Crore
Mandalay Bay Resort Convention Centre, Las Vegas in the United States is next biggest solar
photovoltaic power statio
Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal flagged
offthe countrys first driverless-metro train was tested on track in New Delhi. The train brought from
South Korea.
The worlds largest cargo carrier aircraft Antonov An-225 Mriya landed at the Rajiv Gandhi
International airport in Hyderabad.
Indias first ever Passenger Satisfaction Survey at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.
Lakshadweep became first Union Territory (UT) to sign 24x7 Power for All document.
Wipro joined with Oil major Saudi Aramco and Princess Nourah University (PNU), inaugurated Saudi
Arabias first all women business and technology park (WBP) in Riyadh.
Rich tributes were poured to former defence minister and Indias first high commissioner to the UK V
K Krishna Menon on his 120th Birth Anniversary in London.
Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from Japan, China, South Korea and the Association of
South East Asian Nations are agreed on the requisite to address downside risks to global economic
improvement in Frankfurt, Germany
Zimbabwes central bank to introduce its own version of US dollars Known as bond notes in order to
ease a cash shortage in the country.
The festival held to mark the 155th birth anniversary of poet laureate Rabindranath Tagore on May 8-
12, Egypt.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon initiated the constitution of the UN Zika Response Multi-Partner
103 | P a g e
Trust Fund (MPTF) to finance unfunded priorities in the response to the Zika outbreak.
Greeces Parliament has approved a bill that would reform the countrys pension and tax systems to
increase social security and pension contributions and raise taxes for most people.
US President Barack Obama signed into law new import restrictions on Syrian cultural artifacts in a
move to stop the Islamic States trade in looted antiquities.
US India Defence Cooperation Act introduced in Senate to elevate the status of the Indo US defence
relationship on par with that of Americas closest allies like NATO and Israel.
Kenyan government will close Worlds biggest refugee camp Dadaab refugee camp for national
security.
President Barack Obama signed to make US bison as its national mammal.It will a symbol for
Americas heritage.
The Oxford English Dictionary(OED) added 19 Singaporean terms and 13 Hong Kong terms in its
latest update and also includes about 500 new words and phrases from around the world.
International Fund for Agricultural Development an arm of UN Nations will provide grants worth $150
million to India in the next three years to aid the farm sector.
A four minute documentary film Beti screened at the 42nd Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF),
Washington DC. The short films the only film from India to be featured amongst 421 films
representing 85 countries
The worlds first artificial intelligence lawyer installed by Law Firm Baker Hostetler in the United
State and named as ROSS.
Italian Parliament passed legislation legalizing same-sex civil unions, with 372 voting in favour, 51
against and 99 abstaining.
The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the European Union launched the #Emergency
Lessons campaign on education in countries like Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia
and the United Kingdom
US House of Representatives gave nod to a bilateral legislative move to strengthen defence ties with
India
First metro line to the sea opens from Los Angeles to Santa Monica marks the return of commuter train
service to the sea for the first time since 1950s
India, Thailand, Myanmar to be connected with a 1400-km highway which will link India with
Southeast Asia by land for the first time in decades.
Indian External Affairs Ministry has banned Indian nationals from travelling to Libya.
Dubai opened the worlds first functioning 3D-printed office building in a bid to enhance Gulfs main
tourism and business development.
Bihar Govt, UNICEF And MDM Join Hand To Curb Malnourishment.
IAF Participation in Ex Desert Eagle II at UAE
FOREIGN VISIT BY GOV OFFICIALS

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena came to India on a two day itinerary. Sirisena will address the
valedictory session at the Vaicharick Mahakumbh.
The Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar visits Oman from 20 to 22 May 2016
Defence Cooperation - Indian Defence Ministry and the Ministry of Defense of Sultanate of
Oman.
Marine Crime Prevention at Sea-Royal Oman Police (Coast Guard) and the Indian Coast Guard
Maritime Issues-Government of the Sultanate of Oman and the Government of India
Flight Safety information Exchange- Sultanate of Oman represented by Royal Air Force of
Oman and the Indian Air Force.
Prime Minister first visit to Iran from May 21 23
India and Iran sign 12 bilateral agreements including Chabahar port development
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Indian Prime Minister
104 | P a g e
Narendra Modi inked a three-way transit agreement on Irans southern port of Chabahar
The Persian service of All India Radio has launched a multimedia website and mobile app
launched by PM Modi in Iran.
President Pranab Mukherjee visited China from May 24 27 to expand Indias civilian nuclear
programme.
A six-day long global conference on women empowerment with a theme of Women:Uplifting and
Uniting the World.
Landmark meeting of SAARC Countries on protection of Children held in Delhi.The eight
nations(Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka)
composing the South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC) are assembled.
India, US hold first Maritime Security Dialogue in New Delhi to promote the partnership in
the Maritime Field, India and US made the successful first round of discussion under the Maritime
Security Dialogue
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Department of Animal Husbandry,
Dairying & Fisheries organized a day-long national conference on Gaushalas cowsheds in New
Delhi.
49th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) held from May 2-5 at Frankfurt,
Germany.The Asian Development Outlook 2016 predicts the growth rates to 5.7% each in 2016 and
2017, from 5.9% projected last year.Theme : Asian Economic Outlook 2016
16th edition of the Airport Show with participation of more than 300 companies from 55 countries
including India held in Dubai from May 9 to 11 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition
Centre.
International Buddhist conference held in Nepal to remember the 2560th Buddha Birthday
AnniversaryTheme: Lumbini, Nepal: the birth place of Lord Buddha and the fountain of Buddhism
and world peace
First World Conference on Tourism for development to promote the tourism in lifting people out of
Poverty and Building peace held in Beijing, China from 18 to 21 May 2016Theme: Tourism for
Peace and Development
ALL Ladies League (ALL) organised the Women Economic Forum (WEF) from May 16-21, 2016 in
New Delhi, IndiaTheme: Women: Uplifting and Uniting the World
G7 finance summit begins at Sendai in Japan to give fillip for balancing the growth of the global
economy amid the slowing down of the Chinese economy and those of other emerging countries.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon inaugurated the first world humanitarian summit in Istanbul,
Turkey. The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) announced the launch of a new fund
Education Cannot Wait fund - $3.85 billion over five years.
42nd G7 summit held in Japan & Obama makes historic visit to Hiroshima.
RANKINGS & REPORTS
India ranks at third position after the United States and China in the category of Renewable Energy
Country Attractiveness Index reported by EY
Registrar General and Census Commissioner released the Census Data 2011 on Households by
religion, sex of head of household and household size
Religious Communities Total no. of households (in Percentage to Total
million) households
1 2 3
Total Households 248.8 100.0
Hindu 202.4 81.3
Muslim 31.2 12.5
105 | P a g e
Christian 6.3 2.5

Sikh 4.1 1.7
Buddhist 1.9 0.7
Jain 0.9 0.4
Protecting People through Nature was released by World Wildlife Fund as main title and Natural
World Heritage sites as Drivers of sustainable Development as Sub title.96 countries, around 229
natural and mixed World heritage sites including Western Ghats facing Threats
According to MIALs data Mumbais international airport The Chhatrapati Shivaji International
airport four times more assemblages than other airports
To End AIDS Epidemic By 2030 needed more funding and leadership UN report released by U.N.
Secretary General Ban Ki Moon .Being tackled the epidemic has been inspiring, with a 42 %
decline in AIDS-related deaths since a peak in 2004.Report shows that urgent action is needed to end
the AIDS epidemic by 2030.
WHO report -Two out of top 5 worlds most polluted cities in India, Delhi ranks 11th.Gwalior 2nd
and Allahabad 3rd . The dirtiest air was recorded at Zabol in Iran
United Nations released World Cities Report 2016 Urbanisation and Development: Emerging
Futures report.India is planned to add 300 million new urban residents by 2050
China, India and Brazil have become major sites for business investment, presenting globa
companies with unprecedented opportunities for research and development
Most Iconic wonders of the world, The Taj Mahal has been surveyed as top five tourist spots in the
world and Second in Asia by Travel Planning and Booking site TRIP advisor
o Machu Picchu in Peru- 1st and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi 2nd
World Health Statistics 2016: Monitoring Health for the Sustainable Development Goala report by
World Health Organization. Global life expectancy for children born in 2015 was 71.4 years (73.8
years for females and 69.1 years for males). Healthy life expectancy 63.1 years globally (64.6 years
for females and 61.5 years for males)
o Highest Life Expectancy 86.6 years Women in Japan
o Highest Life Expectancy 81.3 years Men in Switzerland
o Lowest Life Expectancy 50.8 years Women in Sierra Leone
o Lowest Life Expectancy 49.3 years Men in Sierra Leone
Maharashtras cultural capital Pune followed by Jaipur has emerged as the best five star hotels
destination in 2015.
o World Top 5- Florence ( Italy), Tokyo, London, New York and Venice (Italy )
According to the UN environment report over 40 million people in India will be put at risk from
rising sea levels by 2050. Mumbai and Kolkata having the maximum exposure to coastal flooding in
future due to rap urbanisation and economic growth .
Country Estimated People Under Risk

India 40 million
Bangladesh 25 million
China 20 million
Philippines 15 million
IIM-A, IIM-B climb 57th positions and 67th positions on Financial Terms Executive Education rankings .
IIM-B top ranked among Indian B Schools
India has secured ninth position in the 2016 Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index.Top 3 1.US,
China; 2. Canada and 3.Germany
India is ranked at ninth position in crony-capitalism with crony sector wealth accounting for 3.4 per cent
of the gross domestic product (GDP) by Forbes.
Top 3: Russia, Malaysia and Philippines
Germany is the cleanest with least number of crony capitalists.
Russia fares worst in the index
106 | P a g e
Report by OECD - India ranks fifth position in the exports of Fake goods globally, while china is No.1
in the list followed by Turkey and Singapore.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) releases Actions on Air Quality Report.
India becomes 5th largest producer of e-waste in world: ASSOCHAM-KPMG study.
India among top 10 steel importers in 2015: WSA.
Indian economy may see 7.8 % growth in FY17: Credit Suisse
Indian economy to grow 7.7% in FY17: FICCI Survey
India tops global slavery index with 18.35 million people enslaved
India climbs to 41st slot on competitiveness ranking
BANKING & FINANCE
Employers Provident Fund Organisation has launched One Employee One EPF Account system on
labours day(May 1) and also launched a software named EPFO-E-samkisha launched for centralized
processing that will transfer and consolidate accounts with ease
Mobile payments major Paytm joined hands with Wipro Ltd to create the requisite technology
infrastructure for its payment bank
National Stock Exchange launched a trading platform for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
This is the first dedicated exchange for micro SMEs. This is a joint initiative of NSE and Small
Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).
The International Monetary Fund is forecasted constant growth for India at 7.5%.The growth was
driven Private consumption, Weak Exports and Sluggish credit growth weight on the Indian
Economy
Kotak Mahindra Bank has opened IFSC Banking unit at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City
(GIFT) City.
Banking sector has increased the number of wilful defaulters of PSBs from 5,554 to 7,686 in three
years said by Minister of state for finance Jayant Sinha.
MCB Capital Markets introduces Worlds first Exchange Traded Fund focused on Indias sovereign
bonds with a typical maturity between 8 and 13 years.
Union Gov approved the MoU between Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Central Bank of United
Arab Emirates (UAE) on co-operation concerning currency swap agreement.
NASSCOM has signed a MoU with Facebook to build a product design initiative to help young
entrepreneurs into becoming problem solvers and solution builders.
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) may be converted into a Green Bank to
enable it to access funding from overseas banks.This will be supported by the Union Power Ministry
as this conversion would pave the way to avail of certain benefits.
ICICI Bank is the first financial institution in the country to tie up with the BRICS Grouping
promoted New Development Bank to create a platform for sharing knowledge and deepening
network connectivity between NDB and ICICI Bank
Federal Bank joined with Transfast Remittance LLC for facilitating online inward remittance to India
in Rupees for their NRI customers based in USA.
Central Bank of Europe is mulling to decide the fate of the 500-euro banknote at the end of 2018, as
these denominations associated with money laundering, the black market and terrorist financing.
Asian Development Bank raise granting India to USD 3 billion to enhance its lending to India to
USD 3 billion this year to support robust growth in the country.
IDBI Bank decided to open an international banking unit (IBU)at the International Financial Services
Centre (IFSC) in Gandhinagar.
Securities market regulator SEBI has gave in-principle approval to YES Bank for it to act as
custodian of securities.
Indias largest urban co-operative bank Saraswat has donated of Rs one crore towards relief work
drought conditions in various parts of Maharashtra.Vice Chairman Gautam E Thakur handed over a
107 | P a g e
cheque of Rs 50 lakh to Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis

The banks in Telangana state will provide 6000 crore rupees loans to the poor under Mudra Yojana
said by Union Labour Minister Bandaru dattatreya
South Indian Bank has tied-up with National Australia Bank (NAB) for online inward remittance
from Australia at competitive rates.
o RBI releases draft norms for universal bank licences on tap
Allowing individuals with 10 years of experience in banking and finance to apply for a licence
successful track record for at least 10 years are eligible to apply for a licence.The initial minimum
paid-up voting equity capital required is Rs.500 crore.
RBI is mulling to issue banknotes of 1000 rupees denominations with inset letter R in both the
number panels. It will also have the year of printing 2016 printed on the reverse side.
ICICI in association with Jet Airways launched the countrys first contactless credit cards for small
and mid-sized enterprises and their employees
RBI has directed that entities from Pakistan, China, Bangladesh and four other regions including Sri
Lanka, Afghanistan, Iran and Hong Kong or Macau will require its prior approval to establish branch
office or project office in India
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced that the Income Declaration Scheme 2016 will remain
functioning till September 30 for filing of Declarations and Payments
RBI authorises 29 agency banks to accept payments of I-T dues , sufficiently in advance of the due
date to avoid last minute rush.
IDFC Bank launched Twitter campaign dubbed #IDFCTwitterResume which will help in applying
for a new job as simple as sending out a tweet.
DBS Bank decided to set up its biggest technology hub outside its headquarters in Hyderabad.Mohit
Kapoor as the head of its Technology Development Centre in Hyderabad.
Royal Bank of Scotland(RBS) is to shut its banking operations in India having given up on efforts to
find a buyer as the planned to reduce its international operations to 13 countries from the current 38.
State Bank of India has planned to merge its five associate banks and also to merge Bharatiya Mahila
Bank.
Nepal SBI Bank has launched payment gateway to facilitate online trade and non-trade transactions
between the Himalayan nation and India.The lender handed over a cheque for Rs 5.21 crore to Nepal
Prime Minister K P Oli for PM Natural Disaster Relief Fund.
Punjab National Bank(PNB) reported a net loss of Rs 5,370 crore in the March quarter, the biggest
ever quarterly loss in Indias bank history.
Honda Motors Scooter India (HMSI) has partnered with IndusInd Bank to cater retail finance to
buyers.
Nomura financial Services Company has wholly withdrawn its mutual fund joint venture with LIC of
India.LIC holds a 45 per cent stake and LIC Housing Finance a 20 per cent stake in the venture
World Bank announced Pandemic Insurance plan to organize funds quickly against virulent disease
outbreaks
o Under the programme the 77 least developed countries will be covered by the insurance
o Bank is setting up separate emergency Cash Window and other outbreaks not covered
Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation(HSBC) Holdings will shut halve the number of branch
in India to 26 from the present 50 and keeping focus on retail banking over digital channels.
India signs loan agreement with World Bank for IBRD loan of US$ 100 million for Karnataka
Urban Water Supply Modernization project.Four key components such as (i) Capital Investment
Program
Gov has approved the revision in guidelines of the Performance in Credit Rating Scheme to increase
its credibility and effectiveness for both borrowers and banks
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi granted ex-
post facto approval to the proposal of Yes Bank for scale up in the foreign investment limit to 74%
from the present foreign equity limit of 41.87%.
Islamic Development Bank to open its first branch at Ahmedabad.
108 | P a g e
EPFO doubles insurance for subscribers to Rs 6 lakh.

Union Bank of India launches e-SBTR to facilitate stamp duty and registration on property purchases.
HDFC among world's top 10 consumer financial services firms.
Indias growth to rise to 8 percent in FY2019: Fitch.
Tea Board has designated Bank of India as the new settlement bank for PanIndia E-auction from sale
number 25.
BUSINESS
American Online cab aggregator Uber and chinas e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has announced a
global partnership for payment platform Alipay.
Capgemini jointly with Nasscom has launched their digital literacy centre at the Helen Keller Institute
of Deaf and Deaf & blind dedicated to training individuals in Digital Literacy in Panvel and
surrounding areas of Navi Mumbai
Reliance power is all set to setup a 3,000 MW LNG-based power plant in Bangladesh.The first Phase
of 750MW gas-based power plant established at Meghnaghat near Dhaka
Union government has approved the proposal of Infosys to set up an IT/ITeS special economic zone in
Bengaluru.
Flipkart launch its Maps service with Social Technology Lab by Dr. Ashwin Mahesh MapUnity.
MapUnity started TechNagara social network for Smart Cities mission
Gov has started the process for issuance of Unique Business Identification Number (UBIN) to facilitate
potential entrepreneurs set up their business without any delays
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority(NPPA) fixed the ceiling price of 54 drug formulations used
for treatment of cancer and other diseases it also fixed the retail price of 11 drugs.
National Aluminium Company(NALCO) signed an MoU with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
(BARC), Mumbai, for research and development cooperation in the fields of mutual interest.
FPL partnered with America based Nokero Solar Equipment maker to launch off-grid solar products
and soon plans to manufacture in India.
ASSOCHAM Reported that Indian e-commerce sector growth triples or grew by 209% past 5 years
Tata Trusts and Nudge Foundation entered into a strategic partnership to help alleviate poverty through
product innovation and capacity building
Ola signed a MoU with National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC)
to focus on building a sustainable framework by supporting entrepreneurship, skill development
training and self-defence courses for Safai Karamcharis and Scavengers.
Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board and Solar Energy Corporation of India signed a pact to form
a 50:50 Joint Venture for implementation of solar power projects in the state.
Tech giant Apple has opened a new development center in Hyderabad which will focus on
development of Maps for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.
Microsofts Finland mobile makers Nokia mobile device business, has decided to sell branding
rightsto Finnish firm HMD Global and contract manufacturer Foxconn for the next 10 years.
Apollo Health and Lifestyle is planning to raise $135 million from World Bank arm International
Finance Corporation (IFC).This includes equity investment of around $68 million.
BHEL bagged order worth of Rs 1,600-crore from a joint venture company of NTPC and SAIL to set
up a coal-based thermal power project inOdisha.
Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) announced the commissioning of a 600 MW coal-based thermal
power plant in Madhya Pradesh.
BHEL has commissioned 500 MW thermalpower unit at Bokaro Thermal Power-AStation of Damodar
Valley Corporation (DVC) in Jharkhand.
Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd has commissioned the first 800 MW supercritical thermal unit in Raichur,
Karnataka
Bharat Heavy Electricals successfully commissioned 250 MW thermal unit in Maharashtra.
109 | P a g e

Japans Fukuoka prize 2016 A.R Rahman
Pope Francis Awards Medals Richard Gere, George Clooney, Salma Hayek
Nari Jagran Samman 2016 award Prime Minister Narendra Modis mother Heeraben
Aditi Krishna kumar Scholastic Asian Book Award
Limca Book Record Telangana governmentshouse-to-house survey
Springer Theses Award Arnab De
28th annual National Geographic Bee Rishi Nair
Competition
Harvard Business School Alumni Bharti Enterprises founder and Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal
Achievement Award
India Biodiversity Award 2016 Pakke Tiger Reserve of Arunachal Pradesh
2016 IAF Hall of Fame Award Udupi Ramachandra Rao
LPMIs Best Family Destination 2016 Kerala
award
Edgar A Poe Award Terrence McCoy,
Neela Banerjee,
Misha Euceph(Pakistani Journalist)
Royal Society Fellow Sriram Ramaswamy
Niryat Shree(46) and Niryat Bandhu Canara Bank Gold
awards(6) Bank of India Silver
Punjab National Bank Bronze
The Man With The Golden Shirt Pankaj Parakh
Best Indian Destination for Wildlife award Madhya Pradesh Tourism
Singapore NRF fellowship - Manvendra K Singh
SGD 3mn grant
2016 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year Revathi Balakrishnan
Greening Diplomacy Initiative Award American mission in India
Yug Kavi Siddhicharan Award Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling
Othmer Gold Medal for Entrepreneurial Mukesh Ambani
Leadership
European Materials Research Societys Nandini Bhandaru
Young Scientist Award
Man Booker International Prize South Korean Novelist Han Kangfor his Novel The
Vegetarian
US Prestigious National Medal of Science Rakesh K Jain
Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award Syamantak Payra
French Legion of Honour. JK Rowling
University of Houstons highest teaching
award Rupa Iyer
Distinguished Leadership in Teaching
Excellence Award
US top honors on the field of science, Indian American scientist named Rakesh K Jain and a
technology and innovation Pakistani American doctor named Humayun
National Florence Nightingale Awards 35 Nurses on May 12
Climbed Mount Everest for the seventh time US-based Nepali, Lhakpa Sherpa
Dag Hammarskjold Medal PeaceKeepers
Head Constable Shubhkaran Yadav
Rifleman Manish Malik
110 | P a g e
Havildar Amal Deka

Rakesh Kumar
Civilian
Gagan Punjabi
10 Millennial Leaders around the Globe Priyanka Chopra,

Malala Yousafzai, Kim Jong Un, Mark Zuckerberg, Prince
William, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Rafael Nadal, Sonita
Alizadeh and Mhairi Black.
Forbes - list of 40 of the most powerful people in the financial world
Uday Kotak, Chief of Kotak Mahindra 33rd R( Only one Indian)
Bank
Blackstone Groups CEO Stephen Firs Rank
Schwarzman
UN poster contest on N-disarmament
First Ivan Ciro Palomino Huamani
Second Michelle Li
Third Anjali Chandrashekar
CEAT Cricket Awards 2015-16
International Cricketer of the Year Joe Root
International Batsman of the Year Joe Root
International Bowler of the Year R Ashwin
Test Cricketer of the Year Kane Williamson
ODI Cricketer of the Year Martin Guptill
T20 Player of the Year Virat Kohli
Indian Cricketer of the Year Rohit Sharma
Domestic Cricketer of the Year Shreyas Iyer
Young Player of the Year Rishabh Pant
Special Award Ajinkya Rahane
Lifetime Achievement Award Dilip Vengsarkar
63rd National Film Awards
Best Feature Film Baahubali The Beginning
Best Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Bajirao Mastani
Best Actor Amitabh Bachchan for Piku
Best Actress Kangana Ranaut for Tanu Weds Manu Returns
Best Supporting Actor Samuthirakani for Visaaranai
Best Supporting Actress Tanvi Azmi, Bajirao Mastani
Best Hindi Film Dum Laga Ke Haisha
Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Neeraj Ghaywan, Masaan
Film Of A Director
Best Popular Film Providing Bajrangi Bhaijaan
Wholesome Entertainment
Best Choreography Remo DSouza, Deewani Mastani song in Bajirao Mastani
Best Female Playback Singer Monali Thakur, Moh Moh Ke Dhage
Best Cinematography Sudeep Chaterjee, Bajirao Mastani
Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Nanak Shah Fakir
Film on National Integration
Best Screenplay Writer (Original) Juhi Chaturvedi (Piku) and Himanshu Sharma (Tanu Weds Manu
Returns)
Best Screenplay Dialogues Juhi Chaturvedi (Piku) and Himanshu Sharma (Tanu Weds Manu
Returns)
Best Malayalam Film Pathemari
111 | P a g e
Best Film on Social Issue Niranayakam

Best Music Direction M Jayachandran for Song Kaathirunnu Kaathirunnu for the Ennu
Ninte Moideen
Best Music Direction- Background Ilaiyaraaja, Thaarai Thappattai
Score
Best Film on Environment Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal
Conservation/Preservation
Best Tamil Film Visaaranai
Best Telugu Film Kanche
Best Childrens Film Duronto
BAFTA TV Awards
Entertainment Programme Strictly Come Dancing
Drama Series Wolf Hall
Single Documentary My Son the Jihadi
Mini-series This Is England 90
Current Affairs Outbreak: The Truth About Ebola
Factual The Murder Detectives
News Coverage Channel 4 News: Paris Massacre
Live Event Big Blue Live
Female Performance in a Comedy Michaela Coel
Programme
Sport The Ashes
International Transparent
Male Performance in a Comedy Peter Kay
Programme
Single Drama Dont Take My Baby
Supporting Actor Tom Courtenay
Reality & Constructed Factual First Dates
Comedy and Comedy Entertainment Have I Got News for You
Programme
Specialist Factual Britains Forgotten Slave Owners
Soap & Continuing Drama EastEnders
Features The Great British Bake Off
Scripted Comedy Peter Kays Car Share
Entertainment Performance Leigh Francis
Leading Actress Suranne Jones
Leading Actor Mark Rylance
BAFTA TV Fellowship Recipients Ray Galton & Alan Simpson
Cannes Film Festival
Palme dOr Ken Loach for
Grand Prix Xavier Dolan
Jury Prize Andrea Arnold
Best Actress Jaclyn Jose
Best Actor Shahab Hosseini
Best Director Olivier Assayas
Best Screenplay Asghar Farhadi
Camera dOr Houda Benyamina
Queer Palm (Feature) Sbastien Lifshitz
Queer Palm (Short) Anna Cazenave-Cambet.
112 | P a g e

Mamata Banerjee Chief Minister of West Bengal
Jayalalithaa Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
SarbanandaSonowal Chief Minister of Assam
PinarayiVijayan Chief Minister of Kerala
KiranBedi Governor of Puducherry
B S Bassi UPSC member
RadhaBinod Barman Part-time Chairperson of the National Statistical Commission.
Kumar Rajesh Chandra Chief of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security
Atma Ram Nadkarni Additional Solicitor General
HindupurPradeepRao Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)
Ratan P Watal NitiAayogs Principal Adviser
ManzilSaini First woman SSP of Lucknow
K Sha Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Nuclear Power
Corporation of India Limited(NPCIL)
Justice MukulMudgal Deputy chairman of FIFA governance committee
GC Mitra Archaeological Survey of India technical core committee
chairman(Resigned)
Rakesh Kumar Mishra Director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology
(CCMB)
SudhirYadav Director General (DG) of Tihar
TinlianthangVaiphei Chief Justice of Tripura HC
Deepak Kumar Gupta Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh HC
Justice NavinSinha Chief Justice of Rajasthan HC
AR Karve Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval
Command
Sunil Lanba Chief of Naval Staff of India
Ashok Chawla NSE chairman
Hoda Directo of United India Insurance
K KRao Directo of Oriental Insurance
P Venkatramaiah Directo of National Insurance Company
Segar Sampath Kumar Directo of New India Assurance
Mahalingam Non-executive chairman of City Union Bank
SanjivMisra Non-Executive Chairman of Axis Bank
Sameer Chadha Partner and CEO of KPMGs offshore arm in India
Kishore Biyani Managing Director of Bharti Retail group
Vinod K Dasari Managing Director of Ashok Leyland
Sanjay Kaul Country manager for Apple India operations
Nitin Prasad Chairman of Shell India
Rajiv Bhalla Barcos managing director for India.
MayankAshar Cairn India MD and CEO (Resigned)
SudhakarRao USLs Independent Director(Steps down)
SankaranNaren Director on the Board of ICICI Prudential Asset Management
Company
MrugankParanjape Managing Director and CEO of Multi Commodity Exchange
(MCX)
SadhguruJaggiVasudev To lead a yoga session at the UN on June 21
BaciroDja Prime Minister of Guinea Bissau
Enda Kenny Prime Minister of Ireland
113 | P a g e
Michel Temer Interim Brazil president

BinaliYildirim Prime Minister of Turkey
Tsai Ing-wen President of Taiwan
Rodrigo Duterte 2016 Philippines Presidential Election winner
Sadiq Khan First Muslim mayor of London
HarmeetKaurDhillon Indian American Sikh woman elected to key Republican
Position
Manjit Singh Barack Obama Appoints Indian-American to Key
Administration Post
Philip Abraham Deputy Mayor of Loughton in U.K.
Patricia Espinosa Cantellano Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC)
Michel Platini UEFA President(Resigned)
FatmaSamoura FIFAs first female secretary general
Mary Robinson Special envoys for El Nino, climate
MachariaKamau
Markus Kattner Deputy Secretary General of FIFA(Dismissed)
Claire Furlong ICC General Manager: Strategic Communication
Anil Kumble Chairman of ICC Cricket Committee
(Newly Elected Members:
Rahul Dravid&MahelaJayawardene)
ShashankManohar Chairman of ICC
ShashankManohar BCCI President(Resigned)
Anurag Thakur President of BCCI
Mickey Arthur Pakistan cricket teams head coach
Matthew Fleming President of Marylebone Cricket Club
Sanjay Bangar Indias head coach for the teams tour to Zimbabwe
MuraliPillai Indian-origin elected to Singapore Parliament
A V S Ramesh Chandra Ambassador of India to Romania
SomnathGhosh Ambassador of India to the Republic of Tajikistan
A V S Ramesh Chandra Ambassador of India to Romania
R Madhavan Goodwill ambassador for LEPRA India
AbhinavBindra Rio Olympics goodwill ambassador
Rohit Sharma Brand Ambassador of Swiss luxury watch maker Hublot
Brett Lee Functional training system F45brand ambassador for Indian
Google acquired a Toronto-based business technology start-up Synergyse to scale training offerings
for Google Apps to its customers and customers users.
Alibaba backed E-commerce giant Snapdeal has acquired Targeting Mantra to enhance
personalization of shopping experience of customers..
Quikr India has acquired on-demand beauty service provider Salosa, owned by Beawel Tech Pvt.
Singapore Technologies Telemedia has acquired a 74 per cent stake in Tata Communications data
centre business in India and Singapore
Tech Mahindra buys UK fintech firm in deal valued at more than 112 million pounds
SCHEMES
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated an insurance scheme
Chandranna Bima Yojana for the working class people with an initial investment Rs.132 Cr.
5 Lakh would be paid if the Insurer worker met with an accidental fatal
114 | P a g e
5 Lakh for Permanent disability and Rs. 3 Lakh for Partial disability
Prime Minister launched Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana at Ballia to provide 5 crore Cooking gas
connections to beneficiaries in three years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Rs. 8,000 crore
scheme to provide 5 crore free LPG connections to Below Poverty Line (BPL) using the money
saved from 1.13 crore cooking gas users pledge on Give it Up compaign.
Union Government released the funds(16 Crore 79 Lakh Rupees) under various sections of Swachh
Bharat Mission to enhance the quality of Sanitation of Urban areas of Punjab state
The Union minister for Rural Development Minister Birender Singh gave his nod to relax the norms
in Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana to boost rural road connectivity for landlocked hilly
Arunachal Pradesh state.
Union government has released 9,367 crore to drought-hit States under MGNREGA in 2016-17.
Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti
initiated nine projects for rural sanitation projects under Namami Gange Programme for conservation
of river Ganga
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launched the Direct Benefit Transfer scheme for farmers and pledged
digging of at least one lakh bore wells to improve irrigation facilities
Telugu film actor Mahesh Babu has adopted a village in Andhra Pradeshs Guntur district village
Burripalemunder the Smart Village-Smart Ward programme
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah inaugurate the second phase of Pradhan
mantri Ujjwala Yojana at Dahod district of Gujarat - Rs 8,000 crore
Urban Development Minister M.Venkaiah Naidu launched a 15-day special Swachh Office Drive
for ensuring cleanliness at all Government offices across the country as an intensive thematic
campaign under Swachh Bharat Mission.
Maharashtra Ex-servicemens Corporation launched the Veer Yatra that aims to spice up a vacation
with on-locale narratives of real-life dare-devilryand heroism.
HP Chief Minister launched PEHAL to empower women for Raising Education Standards in Shimla
Theme: Raising Education Standards
He rejoiced for the identification of 100 primary schools across Shimla for implementing the scheme
called PRERNA.
Union Health Minister, J P Nadda launches Kayakalp Fortnight(20th May to 3rd June, 2016) at
AIIMS, New Delhi in order to set protocols for hygiene and sanitation at government health facilities.
Urban Development Ministry announced 13 cities as Smart Cities
13 Cities : Lucknow, Warangal , Panaji, Dharamsala, Chandigarh, Raipur, New Town Kolkata,
Bhagalpur, Port Blair, Imphal, Ranchi, Agartala and Faridabad
HRD Ministry is set to launch Shala Asmita Yojana.It would probably be the worlds largest student
tracking system for both private and government schools.
MoUs
MoU was inked between Department of Posts and United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) in
February this year for HeForShe stamp, as Union Cabinet apprised the joint issue of UN
Women HeForShe postage stamp.
Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the bilateral agreement signed
between India and Qatar to seeks active engagement and cooperation in field of IT and Telecom
sector.
Union government has given nod for renewal of agreement between the research institutions of
European Union member-countries and India for scientific and technological cooperation for another
5 years.
India and Japan are in close collaboration on several focus areas Science & Technology and also
agreed to exchange sportspersons, coaches, experts and administrators to improve the standard of the
game in both nations.
Ayush ministry will sign a pact with the World Health Organization (WHO) to spread the importance
115 | P a g e
of Ayurveda and Ayush across the world

India will start imposing capital gains tax on investments routed through Mauritius from April 2017
under a revised tax treaty
Textile Ministry has signed a pact with NDTV Ethnic Retail Ltd for popularizing India Handloom
textiles as a fashionable product for youth at Udyog Bhawan New Delhi
Indian ambassador to Slovenia Sarvajit Chakravarti, and Slovenian Finance Minister Dusan
Mramor on behalf of Slovenia have signed a protocol to amend an existing double taxation
avoidance treaty.
Telangana gov IT Minister K T Rama Rao has signed a MoU with US-based healthcare tech firm
Eclat Health Solutions, which will invest USD 15 million in the state to provide 1,000 jobs.
Canada, Iceland, India, Israel, New Zealand and the Peoples Republic of China singed pact on tax
information sharing in order deal with issues related to taxes.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved for signing of an
Inter- Governmental Agreement between India and Mauritius on cooperation in cooperatives and
related fields.
Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH Ajit M Sharan and Assistant Director General, Health Systems and
Innovations WHO Dr. Marie Kieny signed Project Collaboration Agreement for Cooperation on
promoting the quality, safety and effectiveness of service provision in traditional and complementary
medicine in Geneva
Minister of External Affairs and Bangladesh Department of Science and Technology inked
a 21st century nuclear agreement with Bangladesh to engage the bilateral neighbourhood relationship
between two nations. The core of the Agreement are Energy, Connectivity and Security
State of Victorias Swinburne University in Australian declared two agreements with India in the
area of medical technology to figure out major health challenges in India.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) which runs under the Space Department has signed
MoU/ Cooperative agreements for exploration and use of outer space with 37 countries in recent
times.
India and the US have formed a Brain Trust intended at deepening and strengthening cooperation
between the brightest in the scientific community of the worlds two largest democracies.
Union Cabinet gives ex-post facto approval to the MOU between India & Japan for power
development
Cabinet gives ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding between India and
Maldives for strengthening cooperation in the field of tourism
Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi apprised a MoU signed between Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) in New
Delhi on February this year.
COMMITTEES
Union government has set up a new panel under the chairmanship of S Ayyapan to prepare a draft
national policy on marine fishery after ascertaining the current status of exploitation of the resources.
Union Finance Ministry has set up a new committee to review the governments fiscal
roadmap headed by NK Singh and review the working of the related Fiscal Responsibility and
Budget Management Act that was enacted in 2003
Union government has appointed the 11-member committee led by Lt Gen D B Shekatkar(retd) to
relook defence expenditure.
Committee on Yoga Education in Universities submitted its report. It has recommended seven
programmes for implementation in universities.
Union government has set up a three-member committee, headed by Sanjay Mitra to frame a policy
framework for taxi aggregators and other transport operators.
116 | P a g e
The smallest microscopic engine ,invented by German Mechanical engineer Rudolf Diesel and
German Engineer Nicholas otto.
Scientists have developed Smallest Thermometer in the world using DNA structures that can fold and
unfold at specifically defined temperature functions.
Researchers have discovered three potentially habitable, Earth-like planets orbiting an ultracool
dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 that is nearly 40 light-years away in another star system.
Scientists claim to have developed the worlds first holographic flexible smartphone called
the HoloFlex that lets users interact with 3D videos and images without any headgear or glasses
Kepler space telescope helped NASAs discovery that results with 1284 new planets outside our solar
system, more than doubling the number of known exoplanets.
A driverless SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Florida then lands on ship at sea.It was the
second successful landing after similar attempts were made in last month.
China has successfully blasted off a Yaogan-30 remote-sensing satellite into orbit to carry out land
surveys and assist with disaster relief efforts from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in north western
Chinas Gobi desert.
NASA has successfully launched a 532,000 cubic metres sized super pressure balloon from New
Zealands South Island Wanaka Airport.
Indigenous technology demonstrator of reusable launch vehicle RLV-TD tested successfully from
Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. It is an Indias own space shuttle
Japan based Osaka University Scientists have used sunlight to powerfully convert seawater into
hydrogen peroxide(H2O2) that may be used in fuel cells to generate electricity.
Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu launched an application called Project Management and
Information System (PMIS) used for proper monitoring of all the Railway projects across the country
in Rail Bhawan ,New Delhi.
The Income Tax department has launched electronic grievance redressal portal called e-nivaran to
clear taxpayers grievances and ensure early resolution of their complaints in fast track route.
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar launched a web-based application on Integrated Waste
Management System (IWMS) for better management of waste also to provide an opportunity to all
the industries dealing in hazardous waste to apply online
Reliance Jio has launched digital wallet service called JioMoney for common people. With this users
can do mobile and DTH recharges, send/receive money, make bill payments, pay insurance and other
premiums etc.
Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha has launched Electronic Maintenance Management
System (e-MMS)Project, an automated military maintenance system which will ease the system by
keeping paper works and heavy logbooks away.
Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurated the e-Archive website and the e-Learning portal of WCD
Ministry - nipccd-earchive.wcd.nic.in and nipccd-elearning.wcd.nic.in
Shri Nitin Gadkari Launched initiatives for all Stakeholders to Use International Best Practises in
Road Building and Demanding stakeholders to make use of innovations and successful best practices
from round the world in engineering and construction of roads.
o ePACE - Acronym of E Projects Appraisal & Continuing Enhancements and it is an online
Integrated Management Information System
o INFRACON National Portal for Infrastructure Consultancy Firms and Key Personnel -
Connection between consultancy firms working in the road engineering and construction
sector and domain experts
o INAM PRO - Web-based application (www.inampro.nic.in) for Infrastructure and Material
Providers
FSSAI bans potassium bromate,cancer-causing chemical found in bread.
BrahMos supersonic cruise missile test-fired
117 | P a g e
DEFENCE
United States has activated a land-based $800 million missile defence station in Romania, which sees
as vital to defend itself and Europe from alleged rogue states.
US Navy tested worlds largest unmanned Surface Sea Hunter, As it pave the way for the first step
toward sending unmanned cargo vessels between countries
Israel has successfully tested a maritime missile interception system that can shoot down short-range
missiles. The missile also called Iron Dome of the Sea.
Australian military jointly with United States Military research team successfully blasted off a
hypersonic technology Scramjet Engine in the Australia.Researchers were tested a series of 10 trials
of the hypersonic technology at the worlds largest land testing range located at Woomera in
Australia
Indian Army is conducting a major military training exercise Chakravyuh-II to validate battle
readiness and operational effectiveness in Suratgarh Rajasthan.
Indigenously built Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile successfully test fired from the
launch complex of Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.This was 12th test of the interceptor missile.
India has successfully blasted off its indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile as part
of a user trial by the army from a launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur
in Odisha.
A team of six Indian Army mountaineers successfully climbed the summit of Mount Everest led by
seasoned climber Lt. Col. Ranveer Jamwal.
The Naval Ship (INS) Airavat of India arrived at Brunei and take part in the ADMM Plus (ASEAN
Defence Ministers Meeting Plus) Exercise on Maritime Security and Counter Terrorism.In a bid to
Indias Act East Policy and Indian Navys regular endeavour to enhance maritime security in the
Indo- Pacific regions
Three Southeast Asian nations namely Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines is set to conduct
coordinated maritime patrols to face the rising kidnappings and security challenges in the waters
bordering the three countries.
Indian Air Force (IAF) team successfully concluded their four-week Red Flag aerial combat
exercises at Alaska in the U.S.
Indian Navys first indigenous Scorpene-class stealth submarine Kalvari has been sailed out of
Mumbai Harbour for sea trials.
Goa Shipyard Limited has launched indigenously designed Indian Coast Guard ship ICGS Shaurya at
Vasco, It will be commissioned into service in early 2017
Indian Navy has launched Harbour Defence Systems at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam.
The Iconic Sea Harriers decommissioned from the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam after 30 years of
glorious service for the countrys various mission.
Indian Navy commissioned indigenously built Fast Attack Craft INS Tarmugli for deployment of
coastal patrol and surveillance operations along the East Coast of India. This is the first Follow-on
Water Jet Fast Attack Craft.
Indian Coast Guard Ship ARUSH Commissioned
Manohar Parrikar releases booklet on defence production works in 2 yrs.
Government to cancel all defence tenders bagged by Finmeccanica: Manohar Parrikar.
ENVIRONMENT
A rare and colourful bird Amur Falcon was spotted at the Umred Karhandla WildlifeSanctuary near
the Pench Tiger Reserve near Nagpur.
A stick insect bug over half a metre long discovered in southern China has been declared the
worlds longest insect.
The first global digital elevation model of Mercury has been released by the NASAs Messenger
118 | P a g e
Mission that provide the detail topography across the entire innermost planet.
NASAs Stratospheric Observatory for Infra-red Astronomy detects atomic oxygen in Martian
atmosphere for the first time since the last observation 40 years ago
Worlds first plant-eating marine reptile named Atopodentatus found which is unique strangely
toothed and had a bizarre hammerhead-shaped body.
J&K Wildlife Department has spotted eight Himalayan brown bears in Kargils Drass Sector, where
the 1999 war had bring about destruction with their habitats.
An active cyclonic Storm Roanu in the Bay of Bengal has hit the eastern coast of India.India sends
two ships Naval Off Shore Patrol (NOPV) INS Sunayna and one survey vessel INS Sutlej with 30-40
tonnes of relief material. It also battered the coast of southern Bangladesh that kills 23 people in
floods and rain-triggered landslides
SPORTS

2016 UEFA Champions League Real Madrid FC
International Sports expo(Pune) Rohit Sharma
Premier League title English football club Leicester city FC
2016 Asia Kabaddi Championship Cup Pakistan defeated India
World Snooker Championship Mark Selby defeated Ding Junhui
NBAs Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry
Bats for 51 hours straight - Guinness record Rwanda captain Eric Dusingizimana
The Europa League Football club Sevilla
IAAF World Challenge(China) Womens 4x100m relay team breaks national record
4th position
China Team - First
Uber Cup 2016 China - First
South Korea - Second
India Third
Asian Youth Championships tournament Kazakhstan First
(Kazakhstan) Uzbekistan - Second
India - Third
AnkushDahiya (60 Kg) Silver
AshishKulhirya (64kg) Silver
ReyalPuri (81kg) Silver
Manjeet Singh (+91kg) Bronze
Monaco Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton
Russian Grand Prix NicoRosberg
14th Fed Cup title(Ghuwati) MohunBagan
Thomas Cup badminton tournament(China) Denmark defeated Indonesia
Asian 6-Red Snooker title(Abu Dhabi) PankajAdvani
First in the world to hold both world and continental
titles at the same time
First English batsman to score 10,000 runs in test England Test captain Alastair Cook
matches
First Indian to feature in a top-tier league match in Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
Europe
2016 French Open Athletics Championship (Paris) Amit Kumar Saroha- gold medal in mens club throw
Asian Team Championship campaign(Taipei) Malaysia Gold
India - Silver
Archery World Cup(Shanghai, China) 1.Silver - Womens team comprising DeepikaKumari,
Bombayla Devi Laishram and LaxmiraniMajhi
119 | P a g e
2.Bronze - Deepika and Atanufrom

3.Bronze - Indian mens recurve team of Atanu Das,
JayantaTalukdar and Mangal Singh Champia
Fifth consecutive knockout win Vijender Singh
Formula Ones youngest race winner Max Verstappen(18)
ICC Test Team Rankings
1 Australia
2 India
3 Pakistan
4 England
5 New Zealand
Test bowlers ranking
Rank Bowler Batsman All Rounders
1 Stuart Broad Steve Smith R Ashwin
2 R. Ashwin Joe Root Shakib Al Hasan
3 James Anderson Kane Williamson Stuart Broad
4 Yasir Shah HashimAmla Ben Stokes
5 DayleSteyn Younus Khan Vernon Philander
IPL Session
Vivo-Indian Premier League title Sunrisers Hyderabad(Chinnaswamy Stadium in
Bangalore)
IPL Winner Award Team Name: Sunrisers Hyderabad
IPL Runner Up Team Name Royal Challengers Bangalore
Orange Cap Award Most Runs Scored : ViratKohli (RCB)
Purple Cap Award (Most Wickets) Bhuvneshwar Kumar (SRH)
Most Valuable Player ViratKohli (RCB)
Emerging Player of the Season MustafizurRahman (SRH)
ISSF Junior World Cup Suhl, Germany
Gold Mens 25m standard pistol Rituraj Singh,
ShivamShukla and Arjun Das
Gold Womens 50m Rifle
GaayathriNithyanadamSonikaandAyushiPodder
Gold Mens 25m Standard Pistol by Rituraj Singh
Bronze womens 50m rifle prone competition by
GaayathriNithyanadam
BWF rankings
Chen Long(China) First
K Srikanth Mens singles 12th
HS Prannoy Mens singles 21st
Ajay Jayaram Mens singles 25th
Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy Mens Doubles - 20th
SainaNehwal Womens Singles - 8th
PV Sindhu Womens Singles - 10th
JwalaGutta and AshwiniPonappa Womens Doubles 14th
2016 Mutua Madrid Open
Serbia Novak Djokovic Mens Singles
Netherlands Jean-JulienRojer / Romania Mens Doubles
HoriaTecu
Romania SimonaHalep Womens Singles
France Caroline Garcia / France Kristina Womens Doubles
Mladenovic
Rome title 2016 UK
120 | P a g e
Mens singles final United KingdomAndy Murray

Womens Signles final United StatesSerena Williams
Mens doubles finals United States Bob Bryan
United States Mike Bryan
Womens doubles finals Switzerland Martina Hingis India SaniaMirza
International Shooting Competition of Hannover - Germany
Men: 10m air rifle AbhinavBindra 3rd (Bronze)
10m air pistol HeenaSidhu - 2nd-(Silver)
Women: 10m air rifle ApurviChandela 11
England womens cricketer of the year award for England Cricketer Anya Shrubsole
the maiden time
Englands Test and One Day International England Cricketer Batsman Joe Root
Cricketer of the year award
England womens Cricket captain Charlotte Edwards retired
OBITUARY
Alan Young Actor US
William Schallert Former SAG president & Actor US
Susannah Mushatt Jones Worlds oldest living person US
John Berry Beastie Boys founding member US
SandorTarics Worlds Oldest Olympic champion US
Burt Kwouk Actor UK
Reg Grundy Eminent television producer and businessman Australia
Tony Cozier cricket commentator West Indies
Baba Hardev Singh Nirankari spiritual leader Canada
Morley Safer CBS News correspondent Canada
Andre Brahic Astrophysicist France
Mullah Akhtar Mansour Taliban Leader Afghanistan
KhurramZaki Human Rights Activist Pakistan
ChennamaneniRajeswaraRao Former Sircilla MLA India
Diwaliben Bhil Gujarati folk singer India
Deepak Shodhan Former Test cricketer India
NihalBitla Face of progeria campaign India
Suresh Chatwal Actor India
D JavareGowda Kannada writer India
RudraMadhab Ray Former LokSabha MP ( India
Kandhamal)
KC Mathew Veteran communist leader India
R G Jadhav Marathi literary critic India
BalrajMadhok Former Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) President India
Romesh Sharma Former Jammu and Kashmir Minister India
Praveen Rashtrapal RajyaSabha member of Gujarat India
K Anirudhan Member of Parliament India
(Thiruvananthapuram)
S.M. Seenivel MLA from Tiruparankundram constituency India
121 | P a g e
BOOKS & AUTHORS

Param Vir Diary authored by Manju Lodha
Novel named No Time to Pause authored by Pavithra Ramesh
Biography Shashi Kapoor the Householder, the Star authored by Aseem Chhabra
India vs Pakistan: Why Cant We Just Be Friends authored by Husain Haqqanito
Tagores Vision of the Contemporary World and Tagore and Russia
My Favourite Nature Stories and The World outside My Window are authored by Ruskin Bond
Making it Big: The inspiring Story of Nepal's first billionaire in his own words authored by Binod Chaudhary.
Book Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover Up authored by Rana Ayyub
IMPORTANT DAYS IN MAY 2016
May 1 2016
Remember Day:International Workers Day
Purpose:To pay tribute to workers sacrifices in achieving economic and social rights all over the world.
Theme:Celebrating the international labour movement.
May 3 2016
Remember Day:World Press Freedom Day
Purpose:To mark the international community that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are
fundamental human rights.
Organization:UN, UNESCO
Theme:Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms This Is Your Right.
Remember Day:World Asthma Day (First Tuesday in May)

Purpose:To improve asthma awareness and care around the world
Organization:WHO
Theme:Reduce The Burden Of Asthma
May 5 2016
Remember Day:International Midwives Day
Purpose:To commemorate and increase the awareness about the contribution of the midwives towards the
patients all over the world.
Organization:UNFPA
Theme: Women and Newborns- The Heart of Midwifery
May 8 2016
Remember Day:Mothers Day
Purpose:To show their appreciation towards mothers and mother figures worldwide.
Remember Day:World Red Cross day

Purpose:Anniversary of the birth of Henry Dunant (born 8 May 1828), the founder of International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Organization:ICRC
Theme:Together for Humanity.
May 10 2016
Remember Day:World Migratory Bird Day
Purpose:To highlight the need to protect migratory birds and their habitats
Organization:UN
122 | P a g e
Theme: Stop the illegal killing, taking and trade of migratory
May 11 2016
Remember Day:National Technology Day
Purpose:The anniversary of first of the five tests of Operation Shakti (Pokhran-II) nuclear test which was
held on 11 May 1998 in Pokhran, Rajasthan.
Organization:GOI
Theme:Technology enablers of Startup India
May 12 2016
Remember Day:International Nurses Day
Purpose:The anniversary of Florence Nightingales birth
Organization:ICN
Theme:Nurses: A Force for Change- Improving Health Systems Resilience
May 15 2016
Remember Day:International Day of Families
Purpose:An opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase knowledge of
the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families
Organization:UN
Theme: Families, healthy lives and sustainable future.
May 16 2016
Remember Day: National Dengue Day
Purpose: To mark the toll the deadly disease has been taking in terms of lives and to reaffirm nationwide
efforts to tackle the scourge by using both education and medical intervention.
Organization: GOI
May 17 2016
Remember Day:World Telecommunication and Information Society Day
Purpose:To mark the anniversary of the signature of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865
Organization:UN
Theme:Information and Communication Technology(ICT) entrepreneurship for social impact
Remember Day:The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

Purpose:To raise awareness of Laws affecting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and transgender violations and
generate interest in the rights
Organization:WHO
Remember Day:World Hypertension Day

Purpose:To increase the awareness of hypertension
Organization:WHO
Theme:Know your Numbers for the year
May 18 2016
Remember Day:World AIDS Vaccine Day
Purpose:To promoting the continued urgent need for a vaccine to prevent HIV infection and AIDS.
Organization:WHO
Remember Day:International Museum Day

Purpose:To provides the opportunity for museum professionals to meet the public and alert them as to the
challenges that museums face.
Organization:ICOM, UN
123 | P a g e
Theme:Museums and Cultural Landscapes
May 20 2016
Remember Day:World Metrology Day
Purpose:To promote the importance of measurement.
Organization:BIPM and OIML
Theme:Measurements in a Dynamic World.
May 21 2016
Remember Day:International Buddha Poornima Diwas 2016/UN Day of Vesak
Purpose:To commemorate the Buddha Birthday on the auspicious full moon day of the Monday.
Organization:UN
Remember Day:World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
Purpose:To provides us with an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity
Organization:UNESCO
May 21 2016
Remember Day:Anti-Terrorism Day
Purpose:25th Death Anniversary of former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi
Organization:GOI
May 22 2016
Remember Day:International Day for Biological Diversity
Purpose:For the promotion of biodiversity issues.
Organization:UN
Theme:Mainstreaming Biodiversity; Sustaining People and their Livelihoods.
May 23 2016
Remember Day:International day to end obstetric fistula
Purpose:To promotes action towards treating and preventing obstetric fistula, a condition that affects many
girls and women in developing countries.
Organization:UN, UNFPA
Theme:End fistula within a generation.
Remember Day:World Turtle Day

Purpose:To bring attention to, and increase knowledge of and respect for, turtles and tortoises, and
encourage human action to help them survive and thrive
May 25 2016
Remember Day:International Missing Childrens Day
Purpose:To encourage everyone to think about children who remain missing and to spread a message of
hope.
Organization:ICMEC and NCMEC
May 29 2016
Remember Day: International Day of UN Peacekeepers
Purpose: To pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in United Nations
peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication, and courage and to honor the
memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace
Organization: UN
Theme: Honouring Our Heroes
124 | P a g e
May 31 2016
Remember Day: World No Tobacco Day
Purpose: To draw attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and to negative health effects.
Organization: WHO
Theme: Get ready for plain packaging
Current Affairs June 2016

INDIAN AFFAIRS
Google, Tata Trusts launch `Internet Sathi in West Bengal to empower rural women to focus on training
women and larger communities in the state to learn and explore various uses and benefits of the Internet.
State run Bharat Heavy Electricals has commissioned all the 3 supercritical units of 660 MW each at the
1980 MW coal-based Lalitpur Super Thermal Power Project (STPP), in Uttar Pradesh.
The Maharashtra government has decided to celebrate the 21st day of every monthas Yoga Day across all
schools, colleges and universities in the State.
Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu flagged off Champaran Satyagrah Express train at a function in
Motihari, Bihar. This train will play between Bapudham, Motihari to Anand VIhar, Delhi.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal set up a high level committee headed by PWD Minister Satyendra Jain to look
into the issues pertaining with water bodies in the capital.
Information and Broadcasting Ministry has announced new Print Media Advertisement Policy for
Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity to Promote transparency and accountability in issuing of
advertisements in Print Media.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched Child Labour Tracking System (CLTS) in patna, in the view
to protect against the Child labour named as Child Labour Tracking System.
Sikkim to become the First state in India by having Open Government Data Portal for updating data
regarding Organic and agricultural and other activities in the portal.
Kashmiris celebrated annual Kheer Bhawani Festival on the eighth day of the lunar fortnight of
Jaishthamonth in the Hindu almanac.
Union Government initiated grid-connected wind energy projects targeted at producing1,000 MW clean
power that is organised by The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).
Union Cabinet approved civil aviation policy upon this India should stand the third largest position among
civil aviation market by 2022.
Andhra Pradesh is working on the Telephone Service which will operate on Internet Platform, in fact AP is
the first State to have obtained a telecom license and it can issue phone numbers starting with the 797 series
later this year.
Union HRD Minister Smriti Zubin Irani launched a new initiative Vidyanjali to involve volunteers into
co-scholastic activities of schools in New Delhi across 21 states in pilot basis.
Lt. Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi has launched a mobile App named HelpAge SOS App for to
provide one-click emergency services to senior citizens at Raj Nivas in Puducherry.
Review and planning meeting of Indo-EU Water4crops9 Million Euro project held in New Delhi.
Union Government Singed Agreement with International Seabed Authority for handling exploration and
other activities related to Poly metallic Sulphides over the Term of Contract of 15 years.
Rail Minister Suresh Prabhu has flagged off countrys first timetabled freight train, named Cargo Express,
from Delhi to Bengaluru which will have transit time of 70 hours on either side.
Centre gave its final approval for setting up of a Greenfield Electronic Parkwhich is a dedicated IT hub near
Bhubaneswar under Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) scheme of the Centre at a cost of Rs 205
crore.
Punjab Government had initiated a special fund named as Mukh Mantri Punjab Hepatitis C Relief Fund by
Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal with this Punjab became the first State in the Country to afford free
treatment to Hepatitis C affected Person.
125 | P a g e
Union Government allowed 100% FDI in Civil aviation, Defence and Food processing
Changes in Foreign Direct Investment
Sector Approved FDI

Defence 100%
Pharmaceuticals (Brownfield) 74%
Airports (Brownfield) 100%
Civil Aviation 100% (49% Automatic &
51% Govt Approval)
Cable Networks, DTH and Mobile TV 100%
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu inaugurated liberalized comprehensive Parcel leasing policy,
liberalized policy for Parcel cargo express trains, Social Media Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter for
grievance redressal, and flagged off first train service from Domestic Container Terminal, Okhla (Delhi) to
Whitefield (Bengaluru). Also announcement of Implementation of policy allowing Differently Abled
Persons to avail concession while travelling without escort.
Haryana state cabinet approved a proposal to upgrade Shri Krishna Government Ayurvedic College,
Kurukshetra as a university, which will bring the Countrys first AYUSH University. This is the first of its
kind in the country.
Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu tonight flagged off the
new superfast intercity express train between Vijayawada and Secunderabad with just one stop in less than
6 hours.
Andhra Pradesh village Mori to be developed as Smart Village. The Mori village in East Godavari
district is known for cashew-exporting to turn smart by mid-December 2016 using digital tools, real time
information and uninterrupted internet connectivity.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has released commemorative silver coin to mark the 300th Martyrdom
Day of Banda Singh Bahadur. Bahadur is regarded as the first sovereign ruler of Punjab.
Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC), along with India Post launched a postal cover
featuring Sikh general Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, to commemorate his 300th death anniversary.
Union Government approved the Mega auction of 2300 MHz Spectrum under the Initiative of Digital India
Programme to connect rural areas with high-speed internet networks. The cabinet also approved Rs 10000
crore funds for startups.
Andhra Pradesh Postal circle on behalf of the International Day of Yoga released the Information booklet
for public and stamps on yoga for Philatelists.
Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a 6000 crore for domain of textiles and
apparels in New Delhi.
The Union Cabinet has given it nod for the proposal of extending the deadline for implementing the Ujjwal
Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) by a year to March 31, 2017.
Maharashtra became the second State after West Bengal to award minority status to the Jewish community
in the country.
Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu flagged off a new train service between Danapur and Saharsa in
Bihar over video-conferencing in New Delhi targeting to connect every region of the country with the rail
network.
Union Government approved setting up of District Level Advisory and Monitoring Committees to promote
people centric planning and execution of new urban development schemes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the centers flagship Smart City mission in 20 cities across the
country from Pune, involving 83 projects at a cost of 1,770 crore in the country.
Union Defence Ministry gives nod for purchase of 145 Ultra-Light Howitzers guns from the US about USD
750 million, from the US and also approved bulk production of 18 Dhanush artillery guns, the first
acquisition of such weapon systems.
Nagaland Governor P B Acharya launched women helpline 181 at the District Hospital Dimapur in
Nagaland and also inaugurated Sakhi, a one stop Centre, envisioned to support women affected by violence.
126 | P a g e
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu along with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar initiated maiden
train between Sonepat Jind in Chandigarh having distance of 81 km.
India has become the 35th member of the Missile Technology Control Regime which will make Mutual
benefits in intensifying global non-proliferation norms and to enlighten in high end missile technology.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurated train service between Patna to Ara.
Union Government amended RBI Act -1934 regarding constitution of MPC into force so that statutory
basis of Monetary Policy Committee is made effective.
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh launched Crop Manager for Rice-
based Systems (CMRS) App for better crop and Nutrient management for Bihar farmers in a program
organised at ICAR-RCER in Patna.
First Meeting of National Committee on Ramayana Circuit & Krishna Circuit under Swadesh Darshan
Scheme held in Uttar Pradesh.
Microsoft & AICTE signed agreement to build app for HRD Ministrys SWAYAM platform for Online
Courses named SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Mind).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, jointly inaugurated the newly
renovated Duraiappah Stadium in Jaffna through video- conferencing from New Delhi.
High-Speed Spanish Talgo Train initiated the experimental Run in India between Bareilly and Moradabad
in Uttar Pradesh, which has speed of 115 km/hr.
Women and Child Development Minister, Maneka Sanjay Gandhi released Draft Trafficking of Persons
(Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2016.
India with the highest number of people in the world ensnared in slavery with 18.35 million according to
the Global Slavery Index report, which estimated that around 46 million enslaved globally, the report
Released by: Australia-based Human rights group Walk Free Foundation.
Prime Minister approves retirement age of doctors of Central Health Services to 65 years Delhi
Government has launched DVAT M SEWA mobile app through which city traders can register
themselves with the VAT department of the state government.
Union cabinet has given its approval for setting up the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) as a Public
Limited Company under the Department of Posts with 100% Government of India (GOI) equity share of
Total Expenditure incurred: Rs. 800 Crore.
Odisha becomes first state to give social welfare benefits to transgender community
Union cabinet gave its approval for the three agreements between India and Qatar.
Cabinet approved higher Minimum Support Price and bonus for pulses, oilseed, sesamum and bonus
amounts are: Rs. 425 per quintal for pulses, Rs. 100 per quintal for oilseed, Rs. 200 per quintal for
sesamum.
PM Narendra Modi released countrys first National Disaster Management Plan to make nation disaster
resilient and considerably reduce the loss of lives and assets.
India jointly consolidated Hague Code of Conduct in opposition to Ballistic Missile Proliferation which was
apprised by HCoC Central Contact which is situated in Vienna.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Dr Ashraf Ghani jointly inaugurated the Afghan
India Friendship Dam or Salma Dam that with the Capacity of 42 MW.
India and Singapore had the first dialogue between their defence ministers and they agreed to enhance the
scale and complexity of existing bilateral military interaction.
The State of Assam Assembly has passed Ease of Doing Business Bill, 2016 to make ease of doing
business and to attract fresh investment through an easy computerised clearance system across the state.
The Haryana government launched Asias First Gyps Vulture Reintroduction Programme at Jatayu
Conservation Breeding Centre, Pinjore of the state.
India and Qatar signed seven agreements to boost bilateral ties also discussed about bilateral ties with an
important Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member.
Himachal Pradesh to have a Rs 58-crore State Data Centre designed using green data centre concept, to
provide 101 people-concerned with service online through an integrated data base. This is the first state to
do so in the country.
On the eve of World Environment Day Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Rajelaunched a mobile app
127 | P a g e
RajVayu for sharing information about air quality index of Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur. Another app
Drishti for monitoring of pollution levels in industrial regions.
Chief Minister launched the Bihar Public Grievance Redressal Act enabling people to get their grievances
redressed within a specific time period in the State.
Former Union Minister and Congress party leader V Narayanasamy was sworn in as Puducherry Chief
Minister Along with Narayanasamy, five Congress legislators will be sworn-in as ministers.
The Delhi Government has taken a significant step towards approval of Solar Policy aims to form the
capital an Environment-friendly solar city through Rooftop solar System.
GOI and ADB sign $120 Million Loan Agreement to Modernize Irrigation and Improve Water
Management in Odisha.
According to a Global Renewables Report 2015 India being ranked among the top five nations in new
investments, and in the top four as regards creating jobs in the green energy sector. The list is topped by
China.
China has successfully launched a new civilian high-resolution mapping satellite along with two other
foreign satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in Shanxi of China.
The worlds longest and deepest rail tunnel has opened in Switzerland, named Gotthard Base Tunnel after.
The 57km twin-bore Gotthard base tunnel will deliver a high-speed rail link under the Swiss Alps between
northern and southern Europe.
Sweden raised its standard by acclaiming best country in World which is named in theGood Country 2015
index. While India positioned at the 70th position among 163 nations.
The three day long 15th edition of Asias largest annual security forum Shangri-La Dialogue was
inaugurated in Singapore to discuss various security issues in the Asia- Pacific region.India represented by
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
India has moved 13 positions to rank 2nd among 30 developing countries in 2016 on ease of doing business
and China is topped in the list.
2016 Global Retail Development Index (GRDI): Listed top 30 developing countries for retail investment
worldwide.
Indias largest lenders Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya, have been ranked as the 5th powerful women
in finance in the latest Forbes list of 100 most powerful people in the world. The Finanace list topped by
IMF chief Chirstine Lagarde. However in the list of The Worlds 100 Most Powerful Women, German
Chancellor Angela Merkel maintained in the top spot.
In 2016 Forbes list, Four Indian women newly joined including SBI Managing director Arundhati
Bhattacharya, ICICI Bank Managing director Chanda Kochhar, Ms. Mazumdar- Shaw and Ms. Bhartia.
The US government returned over 200 cultural artifacts valued over USD100 millionto India at a ceremony
in Washington attendedby PM Narendra Modi.
India ranked 141 in Global Peace Index, Iceland most peaceful nation. India jumped from 143rd during last
year to 141st position but the countrys performance has not been increased
World Bank has decreased its forecast for the global growth to 2.4% for the year 2016 and stated that world
economy is challenging opposing forward motion.
Thailand becomes first Asian country to eliminate mother to child HIV declares WHO.
The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund inked Memorandum of Understanding with Qatar
Investment Authority to encourage Infrastructure Investments in India for one year.
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry publicized that the proposed names for the newly
discovered elements are nihonium, moscovium,tennessine and oganesson, respectively
Norway announced a complete ban on deforestation, with this the first country to put azero deforestation
policy.
India to provide financial grand of Rs 48.84 million to Nepal for the construction of a college. Indian
Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae laid foundation stone of the building forKoteshwor Multiple Campus in
Kathmandu district.
128 | P a g e
China has blasted off a 23rd satellite in the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) from the Xichang
Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan Province, by a Long March-3C carrier rocket.The BeiDou Navigation
Satellite System which is being developed as an alternative to US GPS and also to support its global
navigation and positioning network.
Chinas first high orbit remote sensing satellite, Gaofen-4 became operational after six months in-orbit
testing. The Satellite said to be the worlds most sophisticated one.
India and Bangladesh initiated trans-shipment operations at Ashuganj Port.
Union Tourism minister Dr. Mahesh Sharma inaugurated the Ganges-Danube Cultural Festival of India at
Vigado Theatre in Budapest in Hungary.
Netaji Subhash Chandra Boses statue unveiled in Malaysia at the Indian cultural centre premises.
Food Safety Standards Authority of India has banned use of potassium bromate as a food additive following
a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) study that found its presence in bread causing cancer.
HP launches the worlds thinnest laptop, Spectre 13 with a thickness of 10.4mm, its thinner than both
the12-inch MacBook and 13-inch MacBook Air. It has been priced starting at 1,19,990 in India.
The International Astronomical Union has named the crater after Langtang which is also a popular trekking
site that was worst hit by the 2015 earthquake in Nepal.
Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari inaugurated two day international conference onYoga for Body and
Beyondin New Delhi.
A Yoga centre founded by Indian Mohan Singh Bhandari and his Chines wife Yinyanhas been selected by
Chinas Peking University to conduct research in the ancient Indian exercise form. This is first time a
Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Jinan of china inked the agreement to be sister cities that allows
for exchange of ideas and technology in the fields of education, sports, youth affairs, urban planning among
other areas.
India and Switzerland have signed an agreement to establish formal cooperation in the fields of skills
development and vocational and professional education and training.
The Colombian government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)rebels signed an
armistice and demilitarization agreement in Cuba.
The Himalayan Nation Nepal to suspend issuing labour permits to Nepalese nationals for Afghanistan,
Iraq, Syria and Libya.
Panama officially opened its revamped 80-kilometer long canal to far bigger cargo ships after nearly a
decade of expansion work aimed at boosting transit revenues and global trade. The expansion is estimated
to have cost USD 5.5 billion.
An archaeological site in Bogra Bangladesh, Mahasthangarh (3rd century BC site) has been declared as the
South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SARRC) cultural capital for the year 2016-17.
State-run Power giant BHEL has commissioned two units of 14 MW each at Salma Hydro Electric Project
in Afghanistan.
According to Human Capital Index, India ranked at 105th position globally among 130 countries and
topped by Finland.The Report Released by World Economic Forum, Geneva.
The International Monetary Fund cleared decks for the payment of USD 501 million for Pakistan taking the
total amount given to the country to USD 6.1 billion in the last few years.
The Environmental crime extended largely upto 26% from the previous record in 2014. Says The Rise of
Environmental Crime Report released by UNEP and INTERPOL.
Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Joo Hyunghwan, the Minister of Trade, Industry &
Energy, Korea launched an iniative called Korea Plus to promote and facilitate Korean Investments in
India.
Indias indigenous basic trainer aircraft, Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT
40) developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited made its inaugural flight in Bengaluru in the presence
of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar at the HAL Airport in Bengaluru.
Cochin Shipyard handed over the Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Aryaman to Indian Coast Guard which will be
operated from the Coast Guard Station at Kochi.
129 | P a g e
VISITS FROM INDIA & TO INDIA

Prime Minister visited USA & Mexico in the list of 5 Nations visit Highlights:
India-US inked 8 MoUs to bolster economic growth & sustainable development
PM Narendra Modi addresses US Congress
Indias membership of NSG dominates meet between PM Narendra Modi and US President Barack
Obama
India, US agree to initiate domestic processes to ratify Paris climate deal
UN chief welcomes Indo-US commitment to join Paris agreement
India, Mexico to elevate ties to strategic partnership
India-Mexico Joint Statement during the visit of Prime Minister to Mexico.
President Pranab Mukherjee made visit to three-nation tour to Ghana, Cote dIvoire and Namibia.
Pranab Mukherjee became the First Indian President to Visit Ghana and Cote dIvoire and became the
second Indian President to visit Namibia after a gap of 21 years.
Highlights of Three Nations Visit:
India and Ghana signed three bilateral agreements to tighten co-operation in various fields
Opened a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in the University of Ghana and conferred a Joint Business Forum to
highlight Brand India
Enhance scholarship in ITEC slots from 250 to 300 and ICCR scholarships from 16 to
40 and announced of 1 million USD for the India Ghana Kofi Annan Centre for IT excellence
Indian President has been conferred with the highest national honour of the Grande Croix Commandeur
by Cote dIvoire Country
The Agreements were approved between CII & CEPICI and Tata Motors & SUTRA for supply
of 500 buses.
EXIM Bank inaugurated representative office in Abidjan.
Indias EXIM Bank to provide loan of $176.3 million to Ivory Coast
India, Namibia signed two MoUs on capacity building for civil servants, centre of excellence in ICT.
Foreign secretary S. Jaishankar made an unannounced visit to China to gain support for Indias for
membership into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan visited St Petersburg, Russia to represent India at the St
Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). SPIEF is an annual international conference dedicated
to economic and business issues.
India and the UAE will constitute a joint panel of parliamentarians to enhance relations and simplify their
visits to promote cooperation to combat security issues in the region.
Vice President Hamid Ansari visited Morocco and Tunisia from June 1 to June 3to discuss the issues of
terrorism, UN Security Council expansion, investments in private sector and to strengthen Africa and
regional matters.
Prime Minister Narendra modi made a visit to Switzerland to ask support for Indias Membership in
Nuclear suppliers Groups and to raise the issues related to black money invested by Indians in Swiss Banks.
Thailand Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ochas is on three day maiden visit to India, upon which
both the sides are set to firm up cooperation to combat terrorism, and boost maritime security, defence ties
and trade.
Nepals Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa landed in New Delhi made a three day visit to India. This is
the fifth Visit to India by Nepal Minister.
Thailand Prime Minister Chan-o-cha made visit to India and arrived in New Delhi to enhance bilateral
cooperation in the fields of Trade and Investment, Defence, Security, Tourism between two nations. Also
Axis Bank of India and Kasikorn Bank of Thailand inked pact for trade and investment
PM Modi announced new Visa rules for Thailand tourists to facilitate double entry e- tourist visas in order
to attract more tourists.
130 | P a g e
BANKING & FINANCE
Reserve Bank of India announced Second Bi-Monthly Monetary policy for the year financial year 2016-
17 and keeping unchanged the Policy rates and Reserve ratios
Union Government and the World Bank has signed a 9.2 million US dollar grant agreement under the
World Bank-Global Environment Facility Programme.
Shanghai Based New Development Bank of the BRICS countries is set to issue its first Yuan
denominated bonds with plans to release more bonds in local currencies including in Indian Rupee.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has accorded a USD 1.5 billion loan to Sri Lanka with USD 168
million is transferred as the first Instalment with immediate effect to support the countrys economy.
Mumbai based Axis Bank has announce the launch of Indias first internationally-listed certified green
bond to finance climate change solutions around the world at London Stock Exchange (LSE).
SBI and Spains Caixa Bank have signed a MoU to fund Indo-Spanish Joint Ventures& local businesses.
Manila based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $100 million (around Rs 660 crore) loan
to strengthen a key irrigation system and improve water management in the Vennar sub-basin of
Cauvery Delta in Tamil Nadu.
The Department of Posts launched a logo and tagline design contest on the MyGov portal on June 10.
The best entry will be awarded Rs 50,000/. An expert panel will help shortlist 20 best entries which will
thereafter be put up for voting on the MyGov platform to choose the winner.
Market Watchdog Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has put in place astricter KYC (Know
Your Customer) norms and disclosure regime for Participatory Notes(P-Notes). This comes after
receiving recommendation from SIT on black money to ensure this route is not used for money
laundering.
Hyderabad based SKS Micro-finance has changed its name to Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd. It is the
only listed company on BSE in the Micro financing space in the country.
Pompano Beach-based Stonegate Bank is set to issue the first credit card that can be used in Cuba since
Washington and Havana normalized relations. The card will be a limited-edition MasterCard. Stonegate
will issue only 1,000 cards initially.
The Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the takeover by State Bank
of India (SBI) of several subsidiaries and BMB Bank to consolidate the countrys struggling public
sector banks.
Centre accorded a bill looking for to enhance the debt recovery laws and approved ex facto -The
Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, 2016.
Reserve Bank of India has granted in-principle nod to the common service centres (CSCs) as Bharat Bill
Payment Operating Unit to make bill payments at centres in rural bands.
Mumbai Based Reserve Bank of India has taken steps to simplify the registration process for new
Banking Financial Companies.Upon revised norms number of supporting
documents to be attached with Application form has been reduced from 45 to 7-8 documents.
The two day conference named Rajswa Gyansangam is Annual Conference of Tax Administrators-2016
concluded in New Delhi to mark a new height in the generation of innovative ideas and opened new
frontiers for the tax administrators.
Indias largest lender State Bank of India has been named in a Hall of Shame list of 158 banking and
financial institutions worldwide that have invested billions of dollars in enterprises making cluster
bombs.
Income Tax Department is set to block Permanent Account Number (PAN) of wilful defaulters and their
LPG subsidy and take measures to ensure that they are not sanctioned loans.
The Finance Ministry has announced new rules allowing for premature withdrawal of the Public
Provident Fund (PPF) account deposit scheme account has completed five years. A subscriber shall be
allowed premature closure of his account or account of a minor of whom he is the guardian on ground
that the amount is required for treatment of serious ailments or life-threatening diseases also for higher
education.
Switzerland based United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released the
131 | P a g e
World Investment Report stated that India is the fourth largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment in
Asia and ranked tenth Position in World. In Inflow of Indias FDI, Singapore and Mauritius majority
accounted for nearly 60% of total FDI.
World Bank released India Development Update report to earmark the Indian economy and its prospects
for the financial year 2016. India maintained 7.6 per cent growth rate in 2016-17 and it will be expected
that 7.7 per cent in 2017-18 and 7.8 per cent in 2018-19.
Thrissur based Kochi South Indian Bank Limited has announced the launch of its Remit2India Service a
secure online money transfer service for NRIs from Europe, Australia, UAE and Singapore.
Reserve Bank announced the cap under Market Stabilisation Scheme has been fixed at Rs 30,000 crore
for the current fiscal.
Union Government has decided to amend the Income Tax Rules to end the improbability over the
General Anti Avoidance rules as it is expected to start with effective from 01.04.16
Indias Central bank RBI has released Payment and Settlement Systems in India: Vision-2018 document
aims at building best of class payment and settlement systems for a Cash Less India and ensuring
access of mobile banking services to even basic phone users.
Asian Development Bank accorded $500 million to build bridge over Indias longest river bridge is in
Bihar having distance of 9.8 km road.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Participated in the First Annual General Meeting of Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank to discuss about the investment in Infrastructure and accorded the approval to establish
the Regional Office of AIIB in New Delhi.
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank approved first loans for projects in Four Countries such as
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Tajikstan. Total Loan Allocated: $509 Million, as Bangladesh
Loan Allocated: $165 million, Indonesia Loan Allocated: $216.5 million, Pakistan Loan Allocated:
$100 million, Tajikistan Loan Allocated: $27.5 million
Indias largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) and American multinational financial services major
MasterCard jointly to launch a distribution alliance with travel prepaid cards distributor Centrum.
Indias largest public sector lender State Bank of India has created IT innovations and startup fund and
have allotted Rs 200 crore for investment in promising startups. The fund would be covering up to Rs 3
crore for any India registered entity for their business promotion in India using information technology
for banking.
HDFC Standard Life and Max Life and Max Financial Services are entered into merger agreement that
will create the largest private player in Indias insurance sector. The proposed merger between the
companies will create an entity with assets worth over Rs 1 lakh crore.
FICCIs Economic Outlook survey said growth in 2016-17 is forecasted 7.6 % growth for the current
fiscal due to favorable monsoon.
BUSINESS
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India have launched an app named DND
Services that will help mobile users to manage unsolicited commercial communications to curb the pesky
call menace.
American multinational firm Johnson & Johnson would acquire personal-care products company Vogue
International for about $3.3 billion in all cash deal.
New Delhi based Energy and Resources Institute and a subsidiary of Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative
Limited Kisan Sanchar Limited (IKSL) inked a pact to work together in empowering farmers.
Indias fourth largest private sector general insurer HDFC ERGO General Insurance arm of mortgage
lender HDFC has acquired L&T General Insurance Co. Ltd in an all-cash agreement worth of Rs.551
crore.
Tata Trusts and Madhya Pradesh government jointly signed an agreement on implementing interventions
in healthcare areas like nutrition, mental health and cancer care in the state.
US based Walmart held the top in the Fortune 500 list for the fourth consecutive year released in 2016.
While Apple made the progress in the profit, with $53 billion jumped from No.5 to No. 3 in 2016.
New Delhi based Food Corporation of India (FCI) has entered into an agreement with Adani group for
132 | P a g e
construction of two silos to store wheat capacity of 75,000 tonnes, at an estimated cost of about Rs 80
crore.
Power major Tata Power Ltd late has agreed to acquire renewable energy company Welspun Renewables
Energy Pvt. Ltd. The acquisition is at an enterprise value of Rs. 9,249 crore.
American Software major Microsoft has announced that it is set to acquire professional social platform
LinkedIn for $196 per share. The deal would in all cash transaction valued at $26.2 billion. The deal would
be the largest in Microsofts history.
German engineering company Siemens AG has bagged an order worth 130 million euro (over Rs 978
crore) to set up a high voltage direct current (HVDC) link to connect power supply networks of India and
Bangladesh.
Cab Aggregator Uber has entered into an agreement with Tata group to help its drivers own Indica and
Indigo cars with less hassle. The pact will only be valid for Hyderabad city in a trial basis.
Information technology giant Microsoft acquired California-based IIT alumnus Start- up Wand Labs for an
undisclosed amount.
The move by the Microsoft is to strengthen companys build up companys position in the emerging era of
combining the power of human language with advanced machine intelligence.
Tata Power Renewable Energy, a wholly owned Tata Subsidiary has bagged 30 MW solar grid connected
photovoltaic project in Maharashtra under the National Solar Mission.
Microblogging major Twitter has announced to buy artificial intelligence startup Magic Pony to help it
enhance video and live services on its platform
Oil India Ltd, Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petro Resources Ltd agreed to buy a 23.9% stake in
Russian Company Rosnefts Vankor project.
Technology services provider Tech Mahindra Ltd has acquired UK-based BIO for 40 million pounds in an
all-cash deal to develop its digital group.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Green Economy Visionary Award Dr. R Seetharaman
National Award For Excellence In V.O.Chidambaranar Port

Cost Management
Peoples Choice Prize(Gold medal) Sudarsan Pattnaik
Olympic Order N Ramachandran from IOC
Regius Professorship in Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya
Manufacturing by Queen Elizabeth II
Russias Order of Friendship Ban Ki-moon
International Dublin Literary Award Akhil Sharma
National Excellence Awards 2016 for Tata Power Solar

rooftop solar power projects
Highest Civilian Award of Ivory Coast President Pranab Mukherjee
Pen Pinter Prize Margaret Atwood
Guinness BookRecord Karma Naach Dance by 3049 people in MP
Fair business practice award Karnataka Bank
Vivian Fonseca Scholar Award Shashank S Shah
Mohun Bagan Ratna Award Syed Nayeemuddin
FilmAT International Film Festival Kerala Tourism(4 Awards)
in Poland
Shanghai International Film Festival - Kannada film Thithi
best film award
Britains highest award for valour Risaldar Badlu Singh
133 | P a g e
Sepoy Chatta Singh

Naik Darwan Singh Negi
Rifleman Gabar Sing Negi
Lance-Daffadar Gobind Singh
Lance Naik Lala
G. D. Birla Award Prof.Sanjay Mittal, IIT-Kanpur
UN honour for Corporate Zubaida Bai
Sustainability Initiative
Honorary Fellowship by an Indian Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
students wing in the UK
Honoris Causa Doctor of Science Viswanathan Anand
degree
Queens Young Leaders Award Kartik Sawney and Neha Swain
Honorary professorship by the Shashi Kant Sharma

Nanjing Audit University in China
Great Immigrants: The Pride of America
Sunder Pichai CEO of Google
Hari Sreenivasan Anchor and Senior Correspondent, PBS News Hours
Vikram Malhotra Chairman of the Americas, McKinsey & Company
Bharati Mukherjee National Book critics circle Award winning author
17th International Film Academy Awards
Best Picture Award Bajrangi Bhaijaan
Best Direction Award Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Best Performance in a Leading role Ranveer Singh for Bajirao Mastani
(Male) Award
Best Performance in a Leading Role Deepika Padukone for Piku
(Female) Award
Best Performance in a Comic Role Deepak Dobriyal for Tanu Weds Manu Returns
Award

Surajit Kar Purkayastha Director General Of West Bengal Police
Navin Agarwal Chief of National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA)
Sree Ramakrishnan Speaker of Kerala Assembly
P Dhanapal and V Jayaraman Speaker of Tamil Nadu Assembly
Rama Mohan Rao Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu
V. Vaithilingam Speaker of the14th Puducherry legislative Assembly
Eknath Khadse Maharashtra Revenue Minister(Resigned)
Gopal Rai Delhi Transport Minister(Resigned)
Satyendra Jain Delhi Transport Minister
Suresh Chandra Union Law Secretary
NK Chari Managing Director of State Bank of Mysore
Dr. M Beena Managing Director of the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development
Corporation (KINFRA)
N S Vishwanathan Deputy governor of RBI
Brijesh Mehra Head of corporate banking at RBL
Shashi Arora CEO, MD of Airtel Payments Bank
CR Sasikumar Managing Director ofState Bank of Travancore
Niraj Mittal Institutional banking head of DBS Bank
134 | P a g e
Gunit Chadha Chief executive of Deutsche Bank Asia

Nikesh Arora Softbank President and COO(Resigned)
Ken Miyauchi SoftBank president
SK Roy Chairman of LIC(Resigned)
Mr. Sujoy Bose CEO of National Investment and Infrastructure Fund(NIFF)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni Brand ambassador of Exide Life Insurance
G Ashok Kumar Deputy Chief of Naval Staff
Justice Rakesh Ranjan Prasad Chief Justice of Manipur HC
Supriya Sahu DG of Doordarshan
Sameet Gupte CEO and Member of Board of Servion Global
Kulmeet Bawa Managing Director of Adobe Systems(South Asia)
Ashok Ganapathy Director of Airtel Business
Umang Bedi MD of Facebook India
Ulf Mark Schneider CEO of Nestle
Jayant Kapre President of United Biscuits(Resigned)
Naresh Goyal IATAs Board of Governors
Osamu Suzuki CEO of Suzuki Motors(Resigned)
Toshihiro Suzuki CEO of Suzuki Motors
Shravan Gupta MD of Emaar MG
Sanjay Malik India head of Nokia
Anupam Pahuja India Country Manager and MDPayPal
Takayuki Inaba Managing Director of NEC India
Vijay Mallya Chairman of Bayer CropScience
Yogi Deveshwar Non-executive chairman of ITC
Chetan Chauhan Chairman of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)
Aveek Sarkar Chief Editor of ABP Group of Publications(Resigned)
Rahul Johri CEO of BCCI
Anil Kumble Head Coach of Indian Cricket Team.
Anju Bobby George President of Kerala Sports Council
N Srinivasan President of the Tamil NaduCricket Association (TNCA)
Lalchand Rajput Afghanistan cricket coach
Per Gustaf Lodin Head of UN India-Pakistan military observers
Dr Shahid Rasool Director of Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia(CEMCA)
Nita Ambani Nominated as a member by the International Olympic Committee.
Narendra Kumar Yadav CMD of MTNL
G.Kalyana krishnan Chief Executive ofNuclear Fuel Complex (NFC)
Ranu Langthasa Chairperson of the NC Hills Autonomous Council(NCHAC)
Sunil Bharti Mittal Head of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
Peter Thomson President of 71st session of United Nations General Assembly(UNGA)
Pedro Pablo Kuczynski President of Peru
Rodrigo Duterte President of Philippines
Imad Khamis Prime minister of Syria
Virginia Raggi Mayor of Rome(First female)
Rose Gottemoeller Deputy secretary-general of NATO
Noor Huda Roslan and Nenney Judges of Malaysias Islamic Shariah High Court(First Female)
Shuhaidah Shamsuddin
Anne Hathaway UN Women Goodwill Ambassador
Kamala ShirinLakhdhir US Ambassador to Malaysia(Nominated)
135 | P a g e
DEFENCE NEWS
Three Indian naval ships reached Vladivostok in Russia on a four day visit as part of efforts to enhance
maritime cooperation between the navies of both countries.The ships representing Indian Navy namely
INS Sahyadri, Shakti and Kirch.
BrahMos Aerospace successfully demonstrated the integration of most daunting supersonic cruise missile
system BrahMos on Su-30MKI front-line strike fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) at Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL), in Nasik.
India, Japan and the US navies kicked off the 20th edition Malabar-16 Exercise, a naval exercise near
Okinawa Island near Japan. In the exercise Indian ships participating are from the Eastern Fleet and
include INS Sahyadri and INS Satpura, indigenously built guided missile stealth frigates, INS Shakti, and
INS Kirch.
Indian Coast Gaurd and their Korean Counterpart are taking part in a joint exercise codenamed Sahyog-
Hyeobleod-2016 is being scheduled in the Bay of Bengal in Chennai. These exercises are scheduled every
year alternately between the two countries.
Nato countries biggest ever joint military exercises Anaconda-16 was launched in Warsaw, Poland. This
Exercise is managed by Polands Lt Gen Marek Tomaszycki and around 31,000 Polish, US and other
troops are participating in the land, sea and air exercises.

The worlds first 3D-printed aircraft was kept on display in the Airbus booth at the International
Aerospace Exhibition in Berlin Germany.
NASAs Kepler Space Telescope discovered a Jupiter-like planet orbiting a system of two stars, making it
the largest such cosmic body ever found. The planet Kepler1647b, located in the constellation Cygnus,
which is 700 light-years away and about 4.4 billion years old, was discovered by astronomers from
NASAs Goddard Space Flight Centre and San Diego State University (SDSU) in in the US.
Russia has launched the Nuclear-powered icebreaker Ship named Arktika which is the largest and the most
powerful vessel of the typein the world.Russias the only country with such ice breakers.
American Scientists have grown a living bone in the lab to repair large defects in the head and face of
patient. This marks for the first time in modern medical history.
US Scientists has developed worlds first microchip called KiloCore that equipped with 1,000
processors and is thought to be the fastest chip designed in a university lab. Europes Ariane 5 rocket
launcher successfully took off with two telecoms satellites into space from KOUROU, in French Guiana,
one for an US based communications service provider and one for an Indonesian bank.The South Pole of
the Earth carbon dioxide levels exceeded 400 parts per million(ppm) for the first time in 4 million years.
An International Space Station team including an American, a Briton and a Russian has landed safely in
the Kazakhstan also the team reported feeling fine after spending 186 days in space since their launch in
2015.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) unveiled the iconic X-57 Hybrid Electric
Research Plane called as Maxwell aimed to demonstrate technology to reduce fuel use, emissions, and
noise.
Chinese supercomputer using domestic chip technology named Sunway TaihuLight with 93
petaflop/second speed was declared as the worlds fastes supercomputer.The system was publicized in the
TOP500 list of supercomputers released at the International Supercomputing Conference (ISC) in
Frankfurt, Germany.
Indian Space Research Organisation made a victory milestone by successfully launched20 satellites by
PSLV C-34 in a single mission including Two Indian Universities Student Satellites and Four Foreign
Countries.
Satellites:
CARTOSAT -2 INDIA 12 DOVE SATELLITES USA GHGSat-D CANADA
SkySat Gen2 USA M3MSat CANADA BIROS GERMANY
136 | P a g e
LAPAN-A3 INDONESIA SWAYAM College of Engineering, Pune, India

SATHYABAMASAT Sathyabama University
American Scientists with the help of NASAs Kepler Space Telescope, have discovered the youngest
fully formed exoplanet which is 5 to 10 million years old that make to understand how planets system
form.
Scientists have developed ultrathin photovoltaic cells using the semiconductor material, gallium
Arsenide.
University of Bristol scientists have revealed a new Bio-Ink for 3D printing using stem cells that allows
printing of living tissue called as Bio-Printing.
Scientists from Temperate Sericulture Research Institute of SKUAST, Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir has
successfully introduced Sericulture in Poyen Village of Kargil.
China has established countrys first dark sky reserve for astronomical observation to limit light
pollution and preserve sites for making astronomical observations in the Tibetan prefecture of Ngari,
bordering Nepal and India.
NASA Hubble telescope spots mysterious solitary dwarf galaxy UGC 4879. In fact Hubble Space
Telescope was launched jointly by NASA and ESA in 1990 in low Earth Orbit. It is the largest telescope
present in space.
California headquartered Aerospace Company SpaceX successfully deployed two satellites but the
Falcon 9 rocket that carried them into orbit then crashed into its drone ship while touching down in the
Atlantic Ocean from Cape Canaverals Complex 40 launch pad.
Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias and the University Scientists have discovered one of the most
symmetrical Einstein rings created by a galaxy located 10,000 million light years away that is hidden
behind a more massive galaxy.
SCHEMES LAUNCHED
AYUSH Minister Shripad Yesso Naik announced International Yoga Award Scheme with a view to
promote yoga and it will start giving the award from 2017 while inaugurating the National Health Editors
Conference with the theme of Yoga for Holistic Health Recent Researches in New Delhi.
Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal Launches Ujala Scheme in Goa and Vidyut Pravah & Urja Mobile
App on the side-lines of ongoing two day Conference of Power Ministers at Cansaulim in South Goa.
Assam Government decided to launch Maitree Ek Gyan Yatra Scheme to link Primary Schools to colleges
in Sivsagar District.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik initiated a new Scheme called as Kalinga Siksha Sathi Yojana to
afford education loan at 1% interest to students for pursuing higher studies.The CM set aside Rs. 500
Crore for this purpose
Railways launched the Optional Catering Scheme as well as Janani Sewa on test mode
Union Government initiated a step to launch e-Nivaran Scheme to deal with Tax related issues of the
public on test mode in Rajasva Gyan Sangam, held at New Delhi
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has come up with the Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed
Assets to further strengthen the lenders ability to deal with stressed assets and to put real assets back on
track valid for those projects that have started commercial operations and have outstanding loan cap of
over 500 crore rupees
The Finance Ministry launched the scheme that Non Resident Indians can open National Pension System
Accounts online if they bear Aadhaar Card or PAN Card.
MOUs SIGNED
Cabinet appraisal of MoU between ISRO and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) on cooperation in the field
of outer space.
South Delhi Municipal Corporation signed MoU with SECI to install solar panels around 10 MW on the
137 | P a g e
rooftops of 440 buildings and 10MW on the spare vacant land.

Andhra Pradesh government inked a MOU with a three nation consortium of China Huanqin Contracting
and Engineering Corporation, LEPL Ventures Private Limited and Isomeric Holdings to set up a gasbased
fertilizer project at Krishnapatanam with an investment of Rs 10,183 crore.
The Union Railways Ministry signed a MoU with Chandigarh-based PEC University of Technology to set
up Kalpana Chawla Chair on geospatial technology for her contribution to aerospace engineering.
India & USA Signs MoU To Enhance Cooperation on Energy Security, Clean Energy & Climate Change
Union Cabinet approves MoU between US and India to enhance cooperation in wildlife conservation also
the MoU seeks cooperation in the following areas: Wildlife Forensics and Conservation Genetics, Natural
World Heritage Conservation and Nature Interpretation and Conservation Awareness.
India and United States inked Memorandum of Understanding for exchange of information on terror.
India inked Memorandum of Understanding with United States to facilitate hassle free entry of Indians
into the United States at Selected airports i.e providing for immediate security clearances.
Cabinet approves signing of Air Services Agreement between India and Taiwan, also it clears ex-post
facto approval of the Memorandum of Understanding between India and Taiwan for cooperation in the
field of Agriculture and Allied Sector.
The Indian Inland Waterways Authority has signed an agreement with India Ports Global Private for a Rs
476-crore project to simplify connectivity and trade.The MoU will pave the for the implementation of
additional works on the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) in Myanmar that bolster
ties with Myanmar.
COMMITTEES IN THE NEWS
The U.N. General Assembly elected Israel will head one of the world bodys six permanent committees,
since joining the U.N. in 1949 this is first time that country is Chairing the committee.
The Union government had formed a selection committee headed by cabinet secretary
P.K. Sinha for shortlisting candidates for RBI governorship.
South African Indian-origin lawyer Yasmin Sooka has been named as the chairman of three member UN
commission (committee) to monitor the human rights situation in South Sudan.
The committee was constituted by the United Nations Human Right Council (UNHRC) also the other two
members of the committee are Kenneth R. Scott (US) and Godfrey M. Musila (Kenya).
SPORTS
Canadian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2016 European Grand Prix of F1 Nico Rosberg (Germany)
AIBA Womens World Championships Sonia Lather(57kg) Gold
First professional tennis player to earn $100 Novak Djokovic
million in prize money in French Open quarter-
finals
Queens title (London) Andy Murray 5th time
FIFA rankings 1.Argentina
2.Belgium
3.Colombia
Archery World Cup (Antalya) South Korea Gold
India Silver
Affiliation from Commonwealth Boxing Council Indian Boxing Council (IBC)
Josef Odlozil Memorial Athletics Meet(Czech Track and field athlete Tintu Luka - Silver
Republic)
US Open golf tournament title Dustin Johnson(US)
win the 100m in 9.88 seconds at Racers Grand Usain Bolt
Prix 2016
FINA women water polo world league (China) USA First
138 | P a g e
Spain Second
2016 Copa America Football tournament Chile beat Argentina
7thFIH Champions Trophy title Argentina defeated Netherland
(London)
First Indian captain to lead the team in three ODI MS Dhoni
series whitewashes
NHL Calder Memorial Trophy Artemi Panarin (Russia)
New national record, clocking 3:02.17 Indian mens 4x400m relay team
International Sprint and Relay Teams
Cup (Turkey)
Best womens player award in the Eurasian Blitz Harika Dronavalli (India)
chess tournament(Kazakhstan)
InternationalBoxing Associations (AIBA) Vikas Krishan (75kg) Bronze
World Qualifying Tournament
(Azerbaijan)
ISSF World Cup(Azerbaijan) Felipe Almeida Wu(Brazil) - Gold
Jitu Rai(India) Silver
Sanjeev Rajput(mens 50-metre rifle) Silver
Racketlon Competitions(Denmark) Navy Officer and Commodore Ashutosh Pednekar - first
Indian Gold medal
Indian mens hockey teamEnter Final for 1st Time in 36 Years at 36th Hero Champions Trophy Hockey
Gold medal Australia
Silver medal India
Bronze medal Germany
French Open 2016
Mens Singles Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
Womens Singles Garbine Muguruza (Spain)
Mens doubles Feliciano Lpez (Spain) / Marc Lpez (Spain)
Womens Doubles Caroline Garcia(France) / Kristina Mladenovic (France)
Martina Hingis(Switzerland)/
Mixed Doubles
Leander Paes (India)
Australian Open title 2016 Sydney
Mens Singles HansKristianVittinghus (Denmark)
Womens Singles : SainaNehwal (India)
Markus Fernaldi Gideon (Indonesia) and Kevin
Mens Doubles
SanjayaSukamuljo (Indonesia)
Womens Doubles BaoYixin (China) and Chen Qingchen (China)
Mixed Doubles Lu Kai (China) and Huang Yaqiong (China)
IITF Ranking
Soumyajit Ghosh 61st
Achanta Sharath Kamal 69th
Mouma Das 145th
Manika Batra 113rd
ICC Rankings for ODI Bowlers
Rank Bowlers Batsman
1 Sunil Narine (WI) AB De Villiers (RSA)
2 Trent Boult (NZ) Virat Kohli (IND)
3 Imran Tahir (RSA) Hasim Amla (RSA)
Highest-paid female athlete Serena Williams(USA)
Maria Sharapova(Russia)
Ronda Rousey(USA)
139 | P a g e
2016 Worlds 100 Highest-Paid Athletes Cristiano Ronaldo Soccer

Lionel Messi - Soccer
LeBron James Basketball
Oldest Olympic torch bearer(Macapa) Aida Gemanque 106yr
7thWorld Carrom Championship Host Birmingham
Hockey Junior World Cup 2016 Host India

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has Rao Inderjit Singh President
recognized the Paralympic Committee of India
(PCI)
Retirement from Test cricket Sri Lankan pace bowler Nuwan Kulasekara
Retirement from International Football Lionel Messi Announces
Banned for seven years West Indies all-rounder Kavon Fubler
Bannedfor two years by the International Tennis Maria Sharapova (Russia- Tennis player)
Federation.
Suspended from bowling in international cricket Sri Lanka Pacer Shaminda Eranga
Goa Cricket Officials BCCI Suspends officialsfor Financial Bungling
First day-night Test in India Indore India VsNewzealand
T20 Series India defeated Zimbabwe
Qualify for Rio Olympics Judoka Avtar Singh
Tennis star Rohan Bopanna
Boxer Mary Kom
Sprinter Dutee Chand
ArcherAtanu Das
SprinterSrabani Nanda
SprinterMohammad Anas
Long JumperAnkit Sharma
Official sponsor for the Indian contingent to Amul
the Rio Olympics 2016.
GROWTH PROJECTION
India's GDP Rate (NCAER) --- 7.7 per cent in 2016-17.

Indias GDP growth likely to be 7.7% this fiscal: Citigroup
GDP growth likely at 7.4% this fiscal: HSBC
IMF has declared the India's growth is projected to notch up to 7.5% in 2016-17.
India To Clock 7.4% GDP Growth This Fiscal, Says Stanchart.
Fitch, the global rating agency has maintained India's growth forecast for India at 7.5
% for this fiscal (2015-2016) and also sees higher growth around 7.7 % and 7.9 % over the next two
financial years.
World Bank retains 7.6% growth rate for India in 2016-17
Indian GDP growth to pick up to 7.8 per cent in 2016-17: Nomura
India`s GDP growth will be 8 percent in 2016-17: CII
Finmin expects GDP growth to improve to 8 pc in 2016-17
The Reserve Bank had retained its growth projection for 2016-17 at 7.6 percent.
ADB cuts India's growth forecast for 2016-17 to 7.4%
ICRA foresees 7.7% growth for India in 2016-17
ENVIRONMENT
Australian rodent named the 1st mammal to go extinct due to human-caused climate change.
National Aquarium in Baltimores announced its plan to create an Oceanside first sanctuary for Bottle nose
140 | P a g e
dolphins in North America after a long research.

Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has decided to implement Swachhta Mission in 10 Wildlife
Sanctuaries, Tiger reserves and National Parks and make visitors to use Jute bag.
The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP) in West Bengals Darjeeling will get a two-
year-old male snow leopard named Makalu from Dudley Zoological Gardens (DZG) in Britain.
Scientists discovered that bone tools were used for hunting, and even as poison arrow tips partly due to the
slender and short nature of the arrow heads, in eastern Africa over 13,000 years ago.
OBITUARY

Muhammad Ali Professional boxer US
Ann Morgan Guilbert TV actress US
Viktor Korchnoi Chess master Russia
Gordie Howe Ice hockey legend Canada
Donald Carr Cricket captain England
Ambar Gurung Veteran musician and Nepals national anthem Nepal
composer
Santokh Singh Grewal Journalist Singapore
MS Krishna Bhat Karnataka Bank former chairman India
Suryakant Jog Former Maharashtra DGP India
Xerxes Sapur Desai Founder of Titan Co Ltd India
KK Katyal Journalist India
Inder Malhotra Journalist India
Mudrarakshas Hindi novelist and critique India
Guda Anjaiah Telengana poet and lyricist India
Jeppiaar Educationalist India
Manohar Aich Body builder India
curator Prabir Mukherjee Former Cricket Association of Bengal pitch India
K.G. Subramanyan Artist India
Razak Khan Bollywood comedian India
Balu Anand Actor and Director India
Achyut Lahkar Actor India
Sulabha Deshpande Marathi and Hindi Film Actor India
Kavalam Narayana Panicker Malayalam theatre artist India
Manimala Devi Odia actress India
T S John Former minister(Kerala) India
Rajendra Dadu MLA of MP(Nepanagar assembly) India
Anjan Dutta Assam Pradesh Congress President India
Neil OBrien Former Lok Sabha and West Bengal Assembly India
member
Isak Chishi Swu Naga Insurgent Leader India
BOOKS IN THE NEWS

The President Pranab Mukherjee received the first copy of a book The Education President from Vice
President, Mohammad Hamid Ansari at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal released book titled The World in 2050- Striving for a More Just,
Prosperous and Harmonious Global Community penned by Harinder S. Kohli.
The book titled A Life in Diplomacy was in news that was written by former Indian diplomat
Maharajakrishna Rasgotra.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released a book named The Birds of Banni Grassland in New
141 | P a g e
Delhi. The book, which was presented to the Prime Minister by the Scientists of Gujarat Institute of Desert
Ecology (GUIDE).
A new book titled The Unseen Indira Gandhi authored by Dr KP Mathur was in the news as this was
released this month. The Book was published by Konark Publishers.
IMPORTANT DAYS IN JUNE 2016

June 1 2016
Remember Day:World Milk Day
Purpose :To publicize the activities related to the milk and milk industries all through the world.
Organization:Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Remember Day:Global Day of Parents

Purpose :To honours parents all over the world
Organization:UN General Assembly
June 4 2016
Remember Day:International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
Purpose :To acknowledge the pain ached by children all over the world who are the victims of physical,
mental and emotional abuse
Organization:UN
June 5 2016
Remember Day:World Environment Day
Purpose :To mark the significance of environment in our lives.
Organization:UN
Theme:Go Wild for Life
June 8 2016
Remember Day:World Oceans Day
Purpose :To remind everyone of the major role the oceans have in everyday life and to educate the public of
the impact of human actions on the ocean.
Organization:UN
Theme:Healthy oceans, healthy planet
June 12 2016
Remember Day:World Day against Child Labour
Purpose :To foster the worldwide movement against child labour across all the forms.
Organization:UN
Theme:End child labour in supply chains Its everyones business.
June 13 2016
Remember Day:Albinism Awareness Day
Purpose :To raise public awareness of albinism and preventing attacks and discrimination against persons
with albinism.
Organization:UN
June 14 2016
Remember Day:World Blood Donor
Purpose :To raise awareness of the problem and thank donors worldwide.
Organization:WHO
Theme:Blood connects us all
142 | P a g e
June 15 2016
Remember Day:World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
Purpose :To focus global attention on the problem of physical, emotional, and financial abuse of elders.
Organization:UN
June 16 2016
Remember Day:International Day of Family Remittances
Purpose :To recognise the contribution of migrant workers to their families and communities back home
Organization:IFAD
June 17 2016
Remember Day:World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
Purpose :To mark the urgent need to curb the desertification process.
Organization:UNCCD
Slogan:Protect Earth. Restore Land. Engage People.
June 19 2016
Remember Day:International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict
Purpose :To raise awareness of the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence
Organization:UN
June 20 2016
Remember Day:World Refugee Day
Purpose :To honor the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to
flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence.
Organization:UNHCR
June 21 2016
Remember Day:International Day of Yoga or Yoga Day
Purpose :To encourage the practice of Yoga & Meditation, creating awareness about Yoga & its benefits
and taking up it in ones day-to-day habits
Organization:UN
Remember Day:World Hydrographic Day
Purpose :To publicise the work of hydrographs and the importance of it that has been celebrated since 2005
Organization:International Hydrographic Organization
Theme:Hydrography the key to well-managed seas and waterways
June 23 2016
Remember Day:International Widows Day
Purpose :To make awareness on the troubles of widowed women in many countries.
Organization:UN
Remember Day:International Olympic Day
Purpose :For promotion of participation of societies in the sports all across the world, irrespective of
athletic, gender or age ability.
June 25 2016
Remember Day:The Seafarer Day
Purpose :To recognize that almost everything that we use in our daily lives has been directly or
indirectlyaffected by sea transport.
Organization:IMO
Theme:At Sea For All
143 | P a g e
June 26 2016
Remember Day:International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
Purpose :To strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug
abuse.
Organization:UNODC
Theme:Listen First
June 29 2016
Remember Day:National Statistics Day
Purpose :To mark the birth anniversary of renowned statistician Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis.
Organization:Ministry of Statistics Programme Implementation
Theme:Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Current Affairs July 2016

INDIAN AFFAIRS
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu launched Nivaran portal for employees Grievances redressal in
Rail Bhawan in New Delhi.
President Pranab Mukherjee Inaugurates Smart Model Village Pilot Project in New Delhi for
restructuring the rural infrastructure and redefining the rural economy.
Punjabs deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal Flagged off an intense rural patrolling
system, RRPRS Rapid Rural Police Response System, in order to ensure the safety of the rural
areas of Punjab, which comprises of around 12,000 villages.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has launched its official internet speed test app
called MySpeed. TRAIs My Speed App is free and measures the download and upload speed of
your internet connection, for both Wi-Fi and Cellular connectivity
Javadekar Inaugurates IIT Goa Temporary Campus HRD Minister inaugurates IIT Goa Campus.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the first broad gage train service from Agartala to Delhi
also laid foundation stone for Agartala-Akhaura international rail Project. The new Broad gauge train
named Tripura Sundari Express will ply weekly between Agartala and New Delhi.
Madhubabu Pension Scheme extended to 50 lakh beneficiaries with the latest addition of 3 lakh
peopleOdisha Govt
The Union Cabinet has given its in essence approval to setting up of a major port at Enayam
near Colachal in South Tamilnadu. (Chennai port trust, Kamarajar port trust, V.O.C Chidambaram
port trust)
Union government announced the formation of District Development Coordination and Monitoring
Committee (DDCMC) to be named Disha.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the Mission Harita Andhra
Pradesh, with the theme green cover for a happy living to increase the green cover in the state to 50
per cent by the year 2029.
Cochin Chamber Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and IIT Madras backed Myeasydocs jointly
launched the Aadhaar-based e-certificate of origin to prove the actual origin of their products to the
customers abroad. This is the first of its kind.
American storage and data management company NetApp has signed a MoU with Varanasi and
Karnal Municipal Corporation to develop Smart City Developments.
The two-day long meeting also first meeting of BRICS Employment Working Group(BEWG) meet
concluded in Hyderabad.
Rajasthan State Government Labour Department has introduced a new system of introducing
minimum wages to the part time workers under the jurisdiction of the Minimum Wages Act,
144 | P a g e
1948. As per this notification, it is compulsory to pay 50 percent of a day minimum wage to a person
who works less than four hours a day.
The Union Cabinet in its meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the chair approved the
introduction of a bill to rename High Courts named after cities they are located in, consequent to
cities name being changed. The High Courts (Alteration of Names) Bill, 2016 will facilitate the
changing of the names of Bombay High Court to Mumbai High Court and Madras High Court to
Chennai High Court respectively.
Namami Gange A cleaning spree of the Holy river Ganga is set out to action in various states
aiming to give a major boost to Namami Gange Programme Worth: Rs.1500 Crore, 231
projects inaugurated at over 100 locations in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West
Bengal, Haryana and Delhi.
Tourism Department of West Bengal plans to set up a tourist hub at Bhorer alo aka Gajoldoba. Total
estimated cost of the project is Rs.300 crore, of which Rs 200 crore would be spent to improve the
infrastructure.
Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh launched an online portal designed to monitor
nearly 645 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) of Rs.300 crore across the country.
Himachal Pradesh Gov and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and National Hydel
Power Corporation signed an MoU to establish first hydro engineering college in Bilaspur to boost
regional development.
Union government has sanctioned nearly Rs. 620 crores to Uttar Pradesh as assistance for the recent
drought situation in the state. The centre also set aside Rs. 80 crores for Rajasthan which was
affected by hailstorm and Rs. 15 crores to Manipur that was affected by earthquake.
Union government has exempted Strategic Forces Command upon providing information under
Right to Information Act -2005 without citing any reason for exempting.
Gujarats Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED) has selected the Ahmedabad-based e-
commerce major Infibeam as knowledge partner for its e-commerce training and development
programme.
Suresh Prabhu in the presence of Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh laid the foundation
stone of new railway station at Yurembam in Manipur with an Outlay of Rs.90 Core
The new government of Kerala is planning to boost up the tax revenue this year by imposing a fat
tax of 14.5 % on food such as burgers, pizzas, donuts, sandwiches and pasta, sold through branded
restaurants.
Union government has constituted a cyber-cell to check the online abuse and harassment of women
and children on social media platforms.
Kerala Government announced a Rs 12,000-crore rescue package for the state in view of the Gulf
crisis and recessionary trends in the state.
Auto Ingress, Manufacturing Company of automatic sensor doors has set up its first assembly unit at
Chennai (Maraimalai Nagar) with an investment of about Rs 12 crore.
Maharashtra Police Launches Four Apps To Strengthen Public Security System. The four
applications
Pratisaad Ask, Police Mitra, Vahanchoritakrar, A Railway helpline app.
Indian Revenue Department has slapped anti-dumping duty of up to USD 168.76 per tonne on import
of a chemical used in textile industry from five countries, including China and Iran, to protect
domestic manufacturers.
The imports of the chemical from the five countries (China, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia and
Taiwan) will attract anti-dumping duty in the range of USD 83.08 per tonne to USD 168.76 per
tonne.
Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda launched nationwide Intensified Diarrhoea Control
Fortnight (IDCF), in New Delhi. This drive focuses to make ORS available in the household when
needed at the time of diarrhoea.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the
disinvestment of 15% paid up equity of National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited
145 | P a g e
(NBCC) out of Government of Indias 90% shareholding that will make Rs.1,706 crore
approximately to the Government.
Cabinet approves the revised plan for Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project in Bhutan
Central Cabinet nods for renaming the Rajendra Central Agricultural University to Dr. Rajendra
Prasad Central Agricultural University.
Union Cabinet Ministry approved the extension of facilities to people from Minority communities
of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, namely Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and
Christians staying on Long Term Visa (LTV) in India.
The central Cabinet has formed a supreme Committee to select the new chairperson for the Unique
Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
The Supreme Court of India restored the Congress-led Nabam Tuki government in Arunachal
Pradesh spelled out by the Centre in January.
Famous Mumbai Square is renamed after Jyotirmoy Dey, A Journalist who has been shot dead in this
same square in 2011. J Dey Chowk Newly named square was unveiled by the Mumbai Mayor
Snehal Ambekar.
The Central Human Resource Development Ministry is now underwriting a scheme in order to
assist IIT Students to overcome their financial burden by providing them a Interest Free Loans. This
will help those students to pay their fees easily.
Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology and Law & Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad,
launched, a new website Transforming India in New Delhi.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched the new facilities of virtual and digital
classrooms in 32 ITIs across the state on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day.
The traditional annual Ramayana Month began in Kerala with temples and Hindu houses resonating
with the chanting of the epic Ramayana.
Pema Khandu was sworn in as the 10th Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh marking the
culmination of fast-paced political developments in the State. In the sidelines Chowna Mein was
sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister. The 37-year-old Pema who became the youngest Chief
Minister in the country
Union Commerce Ministry has launched an e-marketplace for online purchase of goods and services
by various central government ministries and departments that will help aggregate demand also lead
to lower prices, better choices and faster procurement.
Indias first multi-city marathon The Great India Run was flagged off by Sports Minister Vijay Goel,
Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju and former World Championship bronze medallist
Anju Bobby George at the at the Amar Jawan Jyoti India Gate in New Delhi.
Karnataka joins Andhra and Telangana, to tap NRIs for start-ups
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a live interactive programme named TalkToAK, to
make directly engaging with the Delhiites.
Integrated Criminal Justice System (ICJS) to be 1st launched in AP and TELEGANA
With focus to curb greenhouse emissions Central Railway Ministry adopted the idea of
installing solar panels in all railway buildings across India.
Following the authorization by the voice note of Rajya Shaba, the Regional Centre for Biotechnology
Bill, 2016 was passed by the parliament.
Lok Sabha passed the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, 2015, that seeks to check
generation of black money on July 27.The bill provides for confiscation of benami properties and
assets held in the name of another person or under a fictitious name to avoid taxation and conceal ill-
gotten wealth.
Parliament has passed the much talked about Compensatory Afforestation Fund bill, 2016 that seeks
for the disbursement of nearly Rs 41,000 crore, reserved for forest land and lying unexpended for
four years.
The Union Cabinet led by Shri Narendra Modi has afforded its approval for raising foreign
shareholding limit from 5% to 15% in Indian Stock Exchanges.
146 | P a g e
Union Cabinet chaired by the PM has approved the amendment in relevant clauses of the Central
Agricultural University Act (CAU), 1992. This amendment is proposed to include the State of
Nagaland under the jurisdiction of Central Agricultural University, Imphal.
Union Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval to the Bilateral
Investment Treaty (BIT) between India and Cambodia. The agreement is intended to promote and
protect investments from either country in other country that also increasing bilateral investment
flows.
Union Cabinet has given nod for the establishment of a new AIIMS at Bhatinda in Punjab under the
Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
The tax department inked seven one-sided advance pricing agreements (APAs) with taxpayers in the
various sectors of the Indian economy like banking, information technology and automotives in order
to minimize judicial proceedings by providing certainty in the domain of transfer pricing.
Indian Railway Ministry has originated an offer to introduce TRI-NETRA systems on locomotives in
order to enhance the vision of Locomotive Pilots in merciless weather conditions.
Election Commission of India has launched the SVEEP Portal in Hindi language along with two
other releases in the sidelines of the Conference of Chief Electoral Officers of States by the Chief
Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi.
For the well being of the Indian Medical Industry, two important bills namely The Indian Medical
Council (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and the Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2016 were passed by the
parliament. Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda introduced both the bills in the Lower House of
Parliament.
The newly amended bill aims at declaring ISM Dhanbad as an institute of national importance and to
integrate it with the IIT system and it would be called IIT (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad.
The union environment ministry revealed a shocking fact that almost all Indian glaciers, including
Gangotri, are melting at a rate of 5 to 20 meters per year owing to the worst global warming issues..
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) successfully commissioned the Teesta Low Dam
hydroelectric project stage-IV of third unit West Bengal.
With the desire of introducing in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, the Union cabinet
approved the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, 2015.
PM Narendra Modi Cabinet has given approval for the establishment of a new All India Institutes of
Medical Sciences AIIMS at Gorakhpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya
Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
The Union Cabinet chaired by Narendra Modi approved The Transgender Persons (Protection of
Rights) Bill 2016 . This Bill has evolved as a mechanism for the social, economic and educational
empowerment of transgender persons in India.
Giving a boost of modernizing port infrastructure Sagarmala programme, the Union
Cabinet approved incorporation of Sagarmala Development Co. (SDC) under the Companies Act,
2013.
Food Safety Regulator of India FSSAI announced draft guidelines for standards of instant
noodles fortified atta, fortified maida, durum wheat maida, quinoa, fortified rice, tapioca sago or
palm sago and pearl millet flour.
Under the Operation Muskan Railway Police from Mumbai city has traced 4,804 missing
children and reunited 4,386 of them with their family.
West Bengal government to set up a cyber-security centre to address the mounding threat of cyber-
crimes across the state.
New High Museum to come up at Rastrpati Bahvan in New Delhi, The project is expected to be
completed in two years.The Arts center will represent the story of the planning and construction
of Rashtrapati Bhavan, is expected to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina on
jointly inaugurated the Petrapole Integrated Check Post (ICP) through video-conferencing. Chief
Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee also participated from Kolkata in the video-conference.
147 | P a g e
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched the National Electoral Roll Purification
(NERP)- 2016 programme across the country to correct errors in electoral rolls and enrolment of all
eligible citizens, among other things.
New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has signed an agreement with National Environmental
Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to develop 12 sewage treatment plants (STP) in order to
develop and restructure the green area big and small parks.
Lok Sabha passed the National Institute of Technology, Science, Education and Research
(Amendment) (NITSER) Bill, 2016 to establish a National Institute of Technology in Andhra
Pradesh With an estimate of 226 crores.
Haryana has announced ban on 15 year old petrol vehicles and 10 year old diesel vehiclesto curb air
pollution from plying in NCR Region. The Ban will is effective in the National Capital Region that
consist of (NCR): Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonepat, and Jhajjar.
Kerala CM Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan launched the Indias first ever water Metro project in the city of
Kochi. This water metro project is a part of the ongoing Kochi Metro Rail Limited.
Newly Renamed Divyangjan (Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities) organised a
Motorcycle Rally named Ride 4 Accessibility was hit the road in Delhi.The Rally was flagged off
by Prakash Javadekar Union Minister- Human Resource Development and Science & Technology
Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has launched a pilot project of e-complaint
system on an trail basis in the concluding ceremony of 14th Maharashtra Police Duty Meet at SRPF
ground at Ramtekdi Pune.
Lok Sabha amended a bill providing for opening six new IITs, Under the Institutes of Technology
(Amendment) Bill 2016 on July 26. This bill enables the setting up of Indian Institute of Technology
in Palakkad, Goa, Dharward, Bhilai.,Jammu and Tirupati.
The Karnataka government has set up a dedicated Start-up Cell to fuel the implementation of the
initiatives under the Start up policy.
Indian Agriculture Ministry and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) jointly
inaugurated the second phase of the Feed the Future -India triangular training programme in New
Delhi.
Rajasthan state government aiming to raise the farmers income by double within six years, i.e by
2022.
The Union government issued notification for the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission
recommendations related to the hike a month after the union cabinet gave its nod for the same. The
move will benefit 4.8 million central government employees and 5.2 million pensioners will get the
increased by 2.57 times hike in basic pay payout from their August salaries.
On commemorating the first death anniversary of the former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the
Ministry of Defence has unveiled a life-size statue of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam at his burial site in
Peikarumbu, Rameswaram Island.
Lok Sabha passed the Lokpal and Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2016 which allows extension of the
time given to public servants, trustees and board members of NGOs receiving government funds of
more than Rs. 1 crore or foreign funding of more than Rs 10 lakh to declare their assets and those of
their spouses.
The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016 passed by the Lok Shaba for
the absolute prohibition of employment of children below the age of 14 but allowing minors to work
in family enterprises.
Central government has approved construction of over 2.4 lakh houses for the poor under the
The Odisha governments approved three projects after the State Level Single Window Clearance
Authority (SLSWCA).These three projects with an investment of Rs 874 croreand employment
potential of 630 persons.
Union government has approved a sum of Rs. 1601 crore for the skill development initiative named
Himayat Programme.
148 | P a g e
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh announced that centre is
mulling to set up National Research Centre for Banana at Goraul in Bihars Vaishali district.
PLACES IN NEWS
Mumbais Jawaharlal Nehru Port becomes the first port in the country to implement logistics data
tagging of containers. This is the first of its kind facility.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) Okayed a plan to set up a thermal power plant
at Ghatampur in the state of Uttar Pradesh. This plant is able to generate 1,980 mw thermal energy
and this project is figured to cost Rs 17,238 crore.
Union Railway Minister Flagged off Indias First ever Green Rail Corridor between Rameshwaram
Manamadurai in TN. The nations first Green Rail Corridor, a 114-km long Rameswaram-
Manamadurai extent in Tamil Nadu was inaugurated by Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu.
India in partnership with Nigerian government is planning to set up an apparel training centre in
Nigeria to support textiles industry of the West African country. This is a first of its kind centre in
Nigeria.
The maiden direct bus service between Pokhara (Nepal) and New Delhi (India) was launched
following the signing of a Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) during Prime Minister Narendra
Modis visit to Nepal in 2014.
Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan has launched SV.CO, ostensibly worlds firstd igital
student incubator, as a digital makeover of theStartup Village in Kochi.
As a First of its Kind move in India, Uttarakhand Government is going to set up an Industrial
Park completely and exclusively dedicated to the Women entrepreneurs.
Indias first Commercial Court and Commercial Disputes Resolution Centre inaugurated in
Chattisgarh
Worlds largest charkha by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
unveiled at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.
Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker BBL Butail today said that a National E-Vidhan Academy will
be set up in Tapovan in Dharamsala, where Himachal Pradesh is situated.
As part of Swachh Bharat Mission to clean and sanitize the entire country, the Ministry has
identified 10 such iconic places to start cleanliness drive as part of the pilot project under this
mission. These 10 places includes Taj Mahal, Vaishno Devi temple and Ajmer Sharif.
The Union government has set to extend support to the countrys first smart grid project to be set up
at Gurgaon in Haryana under UDAY, The state has been a performing state under the debt
restructuring programme for state-owned power distribution companies.
Madhya Pradesh is all set to become the first state to set up Happiness Department, with Chief
Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan saying it will work to ensure happiness in the lives of common
people on the lines of Bhutan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stones of an All India Medical Institute of
Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and a fertiliser plant in Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone for an MSME technology
centre under a World Bank-funded programme at Visakapatinam.
Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu launched the State governments prestigious Smart
Pulse socio-economic survey at his residence in Undavalli, Guntur district .
International Solar Alliance Cell and World Bank Signed Declaration for Promoting Solar Energy.
Indian-American Girl Sruthi Palaniappan Becomes Youngest Delegate At Democratic National
Convention which is a symposium of presidential nominating conventions held every four years.
Prime Minister signed $1 billion deal with United States for Four Poseidon- 8I Long range
Surveillance and antisubmarine warfare aircraft. The Four Poseidon aircraft built with radars and
149 | P a g e
weapons will be joined with the first eight such aircraft introduced by the Navy in 2013-15 under a
$2.1 billion deal.
India became the destination of largest number of stunted malnutrition to 48 million children in
world in terms of volume of the living population. India ranks at first position followed by Nigeria,
Pakistan and China in the hall of shame list
State owned Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) has supplied 60 broad gauge
passenger coaches (LHB type) to Bangladesh Railway (BR) upon a contract agreement of 120
coaches.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau created history by marching with tens of thousands of
people in Torontos Gay Pride parade, becoming the nations first sitting prime minister to
participate.
In order to revive the Indias jet engine project France has decided to invest 1 Billion Euros. This
project aims at installing Kaveri Indigenous gas turbines powering Tejas Fighters by 2020.
The Two Week long Indo-Thailand Military Exercise Maitree2016 is came to end at
Krabi, Thailand. The exercise had commenced on 15 July 2016.
Worlds largest international Biennial maritime exercise named RIMPAC (Rim of the
Pacific) 2016 kicked off in Pacific Ocean at Hawaii, United States.
The maiden meeting of BRICS Working Group meeting on Energy Saving and Energy
Efficiency held in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was apprised of a joint issue
of postage stamps between Department of India Posts and Portugal Post. Department of Posts and
Portugal Post will issue joint postage stamps on the theme of folk dances (Dandiya of Gujarat)
Indias biggest gas importer Petronet LNG Ltd is planning to set up Rs 5000 crore LNG import
terminal at Kutubdia islands in Bangladesh.
China has successfully completed Asias longest 16-km single tunnel that has double tracks for high-
speed trains in northwest Shaanxi province of the country.
India is the partner country for INNOPROM 2016, one of the largest annual international industrial
trade fairs of Russia. Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will led a delegation
which comprises of over 110 Indian companies.
A legislation, has been introduced to reform H-1B and L-1 Visa in the House of Representatives by a
bipartisan group of US lawmakers. The bill, if passed, will have huge effect on Indian firms.
VK Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs left for South Sudan leading the governments
Operation Sankat Mochan to evacuate over 600 Indians stranded in the war-trapped African country.
As a significant marking in Public Health Protection, India has been declared as YAWS
FREE country by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is stated that India is the First ever
country to become free from YAWS and declared it free from Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus
(MNTE).
The 5th Century ancient seat of learning, Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) has
been declared as a Heritage Site by UNESCO finally.
Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari has unveiled a stone statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Pethub
Monastery in the Ulaanbaatar that is seen as symbol of India-Mongolia cultural and spiritual
ties.by Indian Vice President Krishan Kant.
Four Indian women motorcyclists are campaigning against female foeticide and raising awareness by
taking a trip around Asia covering 10 nations and over 10,000km in about 40 days.
Psychologist Sarika Mehta, headed the team.
For the first time World Heritage Committee (WHC)announced the adding of three new Indian
heritage sites 1.Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP), Sikkim 2.Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda
University) Bihar 3.The Capitol Complex, Chandigarh.
The United Nations cultural agency UNESCO has named musician Kudsi Erguner, as an Artist for
Peace in recognition of his efforts to promote the universal values of music, his contribution to the
protection of musical heritage.
150 | P a g e
UNESCO listed Franco-Swiss architect Le Corbusiers work among its World Heritage Sites. His
works include the Indian city of Chandigarh which he planned in the 1950s.
India and Mexico are drafting out a new path in bilateral trade and investment ties with a focus on
areas like Renewable Energy, Telecom and Medical Devices. This decision was taken by the
bilateral High Level Group (HLG) on Trade, Investment and Economic Cooperation at the recent
meeting in Mexico.
A Yazidi temple is under construction in Armenian village, is set to bet the world largest Yazidi
Temple is expected to be completed next year.
Brazil is free of measles after no new cases of the disease the World Health Organisation announced.
The WHO is set to issue a certification for the same.
FOREIGN VISITS
PM Narendra Modi visited Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya highlights
Visit to Mozambique
3 agreements were inked and three announcements were made including gifting 100 ton medicines and
medical equipment
India has handed over 30 SUVs to Mozambique
He attended the Indian community reception in Maputo.
India, Mozambique agreed to cooperate to meet strategic, security challenges.
Under long-term agreement India will buy pulses from this African nation to meet its recurring shortfall
and contain prices of this commodity.
Visit to South Africa
MoU on Information and Communication technology (ICT).
Signed Programme of Cooperation in Arts and Culture.
MoU on Tourism.
MoU on Grass root innovation (Science and Technology)
Visit to Tanzania
He meets members of Indian diaspora in Dar es Salaam
Modi inspected the Guard of Honour at the Ceremonial Reception in Dar es Salaam
Visit to Kenya
India-Kenya signed 7 agreements
Modi received Guard of Honour during Ceremonial Reception at State House in Nairobi
Modi laid wreath at the Mausoleum of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, First President of Kenya in Nairobi
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari will pay a weeklong visit to Unites
States to at attracting billions of dollars in Foreign Direct Investment. This is his maiden visit to the US in
his capacity as Union Minister. The visit aimed at consolidation and expanding Indias relations with the US
by improving bilateral cooperation in infrastructure sector.
SUMMITS &CONFERENCES
The BRICS Policy Planning Dialogue concluded in Patna, Bihar ahead of the eighth BRICS
Summit to be held in Goa. The Goa Summit will be chaired by India.
The second Edition of BRICS Youth Summit concluded in Guwahati of Assam State that focused on
enhancing people-to-people contacts of BRICS member states viz. Brazil, Russia, India, China and
South Africa.
NATOs Summit in Warsaw concluded following two days of decisions to strengthen the Alliances
deterrence and defence, and plans to project stability in the wider neighbourhood.
The 11thedition of Asia-Europe Meeting Summit (ASEM11) or ASEM2016 began with World
leaders including from the leaders of 51 member countries and the representatives of European
Union and Asian held in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. Indian delegation is led by Vice
President Mohmmad Hamid Ansari .
151 | P a g e
A 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations Finance Ministers meet
have begun in the Laotian capital of Vientiane.
Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurates the second anti-drug Working Group meeting
of Heads of Drug Control Agencies of BRICS countries in New Delhi. The meeting is being
organized by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
In the annual meet of the New Development Banks board of directors held in Shanghai, financing
needs of the five BRICS countries used for Infrastructure was the at stage as the key matter.
RANKING &REPORTS
The Market Research Division of Ministry of Tourism has released report on Domestic and foreign
Tourist visits to States and Union Territories for the year 2015.
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) a New Delhi-based research and advocacy organization,
has released the 10 cleanest cities of the country in a survey conducted by this organization.
The top 5 places go to the following cities,
1. Alappuzha, Kerala.
2. Panaji, Goa
3. Mysuru, Karnataka.
4. Boobli, Andhra Pradesh
5. Aizawl, Mizoram.
India slips to third place on business optimism index: Grant Thornton International Business Report
(IBR).
India has played the important role on The efficiency of customs and Border management
clearance and improved the ranking to 35th position in World Banks Logistics Performance Index
India listed down to 75th place in terms of money held by its citizens with banks in Switzerland,
while the list is topped by UK as per the latest annual update released by Switzerlands central bank
SNB (Swiss National Bank).Steeping down into the bottom of the table, India ranked 91among the
rest of the countries in terms of their readiness for transition to a digitised economy and society. The
list is topped by Singapore. This readiness index has been released by the World Economic
Forum (Headquarter Geneva, Switzerland)
Indian companies rank among the best in the Asia Pacific region for corporate transparency, trust,
and access to top executives, according to new research released today by Institutional Investor. In
India, the most honoured companies in Institutional Investors All-Asia Executive Team rankings
2016 are
1. Motherson sumi Systems (Autos and Auto Parts),
2. Maruthi Suzuki India (Autos and Auto Parts),
3. HDFC Bank (Banks)
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that Indias Air passenger market in
India grew at the fastest pace in the world in 2015 and India topped the domestic air passenger
growth rankings.
o The top five airlines ranked by total scheduled passengers carried (domestic and
international) were:
1 American Airlines 146.5 million
2 Southwest Airlines 144.6 millions
3 Delta Airlines 138.8 millions
4 China souther Airlines 19.3 millions
5 Ryanair 101.4 millions
India ranks second on the global list of shark fishing nations as fishing of the species in the country
has progressed from being incidental to targeted fishing. The list is topped by Indonesia.
FORTUNE 500 2016: 7 Indian Companies among the 500 International Entries
Famous Business Magazine Fortune has released the top 500 lisitngs of the world biggest companies
for the year 2016.
152 | P a g e
The Fortune list for 2016 was released on July 21. The top runners of this listing are as follows,
1. Wal-Mart with revenue of $482,130
2. Exxon with revenue of Mobil$246,204
3. Apple with revenue of $233,715
Indian companies among the listings:-
Indian Oil Corp is ranked highest at 161st among Indian firms, at the same time another state-run firm
ONGC has moved out of the rankings for 2016. This time we have a new entry of famous Private gems and
jewellery major Rajesh Exports at 423rd position.
IISc top Indian institute in 2016 BRICS rankings:
According to the higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds, Bengaluru based IISC
secured Sixth Rank. Also the institute is the Indias top representative in the BRICS ranking list.
Top Indian universities
Rank Universities
6 Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
13 IIT, Bombay
India ranks 110 on the Sustainable Development Goal Index of the United Nations has released the
ranking of 149 nations assessed on where they stand with regard to achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals. The list is topped by Sweden.
India ranks fifth position in the exports of Fake goods globally, while china is No.1 in the list with a
huge 63 % share in the estimated half-a-trillion dollar worldwide imports of forged and pirated
goods. Listed by: OECD (Organisation Economic Cooperation and Development) and the European
Unions Intellectual Property Office
Ranking of Countries affected by global Trade in fake foods
1.US 2.Italy 3.France
Tamil Nadu and UP tops the list in Urban and Rural Internet Connectivity Index list respectively. It
is found that Tamil Nadu tops the report with around 21 million urban internet subscribers, which is
about 9% of the total 231 million urban internet subscriber of India.
Urban Internet Subscribers List:-
. The top five list as on March 2016 as follows:-
State No. of users in Million
Tamil Nadu 21
Maharashtra 19.7
Delhi 19.6
Rural Internet Connectivity:-
The top lists of the rural internet connectivity are:-
Andhra Pradesh with 9 million users.
Maharashtra with 9.7 million users.
UP with 11.2 million users.
BANKING& FINANCE
State Bank of India has signed agreements with the World Bank for $625 million to support grid
connected rooftop solar programme in the Country
Reliance Industries Limited went into partnership with banking major State Bank of
India have signed the shareholder for the payment Bank. Upon this Agreement that was signed by
RIL as promoter with a 70 per cent equity contribution and SBI as joint venture with a 30 per cent
equity contribution.
Axis Bank has signed an agreement with Life Insurance Corporation to distribute policies of the
countrys largest life insurer. This is the largest bancassurance partnership after the IRDAI allowed
banks to sell policies of more than one company.
The Income Tax Department has unearthed undisclosed income of Rs 43,000 crore from
investigations during the past two fiscal years according to the Union Revenue Secretary Hasmukh
Adhia.
153 | P a g e
Japanese electric and electronic manufacturing company OKI, completed the installations of 600 sets
of cash recycling ATMs of ATM-Recycler G7 kind to the State Bank of India. This is the second
large deployment of the cash recycling ATM in India.
Reserve Bank of India has imposed a whooping penalty of 27 crores on 13 private and public sectors
banks including PNB and Bank of Baroda following a major crackdown of FEMA regulations and
KYC lapses.
Union Cabinet has approved $318 million loan for Sri Lanka Railways to upgrade the countrys rail
communications system and rolling stock.
State Bank of India has donated Rs 1.15 crore for ophthalmic equipment for non-paying patients and
surgery instrument for an operation theatre to L V Prasad Eye Institute. According to SBI
Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya, the bank spends 1 per cent of its net profit towards corporate
social responsibility(CSR) activities every year
Indias Central Bank Reserve Bank of India mulling to set up a committee to study the use
of Blockchain technology. It will be used to reduce the use of paper currency. The Technology is
made by distributed database that maintains a continuously-growing list of data records secured
against tampering and revision.
Countrys largest lender State bank of India launched a social media banking platform for Facebook
and Twitter users, called SBI Mingle to help the customers with a host of banking services on their
social media accounts, at their own convenience.
Indias Largest Bank State Bank of Indias subsidiary arm SBI Card has launched a
premium credit card by the name ELITE with host of facilities targeting high networth customers.
HDFC bank launched a full-fledged digital banking service for small and medium enterprises
(SME). This will help the customers to utilize a complete set of services on their choice at anytime
and at anywhere in India.
In order to boost the fast growing Indian economy several schemes have been introduced by the
Central Government. One among that is the extension of 3% interest subvention on crop loans. As
per this scheme, now Farmers can avail loan up to 3 lakh rupees at 4 % rate of interest. The interest
subvention rate has slashed from 5% to 3% up to one year for loan amount upto 3lakh rupees.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI), sanctioned a semi closed wallet license to Yeldi Softcom. A semi-
closed wallet is a payment instrument that is accepted by a predefined set of merchants that have
been contracted specifically by the issuer of the semi-closed wallet.
Indias first insurance policy covering public liability to an atomic power plant operator has been
issued to Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited(NPCIL). The total premium of such policy
is Rs 100 crore for a risk cover of Rs 1,500 crore.
SIDBI(Small Industries Development Bank of India) entered into a partnership with YES Bank to
guarantee 75% of loans of up to Rs 15 crore extended to energy efficiency projects under the World
Bank initiative.
ICICI Securities has topped the Initial Public Offering (IPO) league table in the first half of 2016.
ICICI Securities is ICICI Banks investment banking arm. According to data provided
by Bloomberg, ICICI Securities has managed five IPOs to help rise around Rs 1,216 crore for
companies getting listed. The overall equity league table for the first half of 2016 is topped by US-
based Citibank, which has handled a total of six deals worth nearly Rs 7,000 crore.
A USD 290-million credit agreement signed by Centre, Bihar government and World Bank to help
improve livelihood opportunities for poor rural households across 300 blocks and 32 districts of the
eastern state.
Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) Ltd is planning to raise about Rs.3,000 crore by
issuing the first unrated Synthetic Indian Rupee (INR) Notes to overseas investors. It is the first
Indian public issuer of the Synthetic INR Notes. Our countrys largest private sector mortgage lender
HDFC, plans to raise Rs 3,000 crore through these synthetic bonds. These bonds will bear a fixed
coupon and will have a incumbency period of 3 years and 1 month.
The New Development Bank (NDB) of the BRICS countries is set to issue green bonds in Chinese
yuan to raise funds for clean energy and infrastructure projects. The bank plans to issue 3 billion
154 | P a g e
yuan worth of five-year bonds denominated in Chinese currency on July 18 also bond proceeds will
be used to finance green projects in BRICS Nations.
Paperless SIP (systematic investment plans) which allows mutual fund investors to make
transactions through various modes of payments has been unveiled by the leading Bombay Stock
Exchange (BSE).
On a first of its kind of move, IDFC Bank Ltd is going to acquire a Tamil Nadu based microfinance
institution (MFI) called Grama Vidiyal, A small unit financing scheme in rural villages of Tamil
Nadu.This Acquisition offers the bank access to 1.2 million households apart from adding 319 points
of presence in seven states Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Puducherry, Maharashtra, Gujarat and
Madhya Pradesh.
Guragon based Indias fastest developing air carrierVISTARA ties up with AXIS bank to release a
contactless Vistara credit card using the VISA platform.
In order to fortify and develop the important Irrigation and Drainage management system in the
Cauvery Delta of Tamil nadu, GOI AND ADB has signed a pact on July 14 which estimates
around $100 million (670 Crores approx.). This system is going to revitalize the mounds and hills of
the six major Irrigation systems in the Vennar system and also to renovate the existing Pumping
stations. The loan from ADBs ordinary capital resources has a 25-year term.
The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDB has chosen eight venture funds to invest in
start-ups as defined under the Start-up India Action Plan and will support them with a corpus amount
of Rs 428 crore.
Mumbai based Indian new generation lender IndusInd Bank has opened its IFSC Banking Unit (IBU)
at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) to meet the requirements of offshore
banking. It became the sixth bank to open an IBU at GIFT.
Dewan Housing Finance has launched a short-term Corporate Deposit Scheme, which offers interest
rates ranging from 7.55 % to 8.40 %, depending on the tenure.
A former Google engineer Paul Taylor launched speech recognition software is used in more than a
billion Android smartphones, that uses block chain technology to build a new operating system for
banks.
In a bid to make taxpayers hassle free the Income Tax department has widened the ATM-based
validation system for filing of online Returns by taxpayers. The department has included Axis Bank
to enhance the paperless regime of filing the annual Income Tax returns and the dept also launched
the bank account-based validation facility in this regard for those who have not availed the internet
banking facility.
Reserve Bank of India advised banks to exchange up to 20 pieces of soiled Indian currency notes
with a cap value of Rs 5,000through the counter without any processing fee in order to improve the
customer service.
In order to trace the Black and illegal Money, Special Investigation Team (SIT) has advocated for the
ban of cash transactions above 3 lakh rupees and also restrict the Money Holding Capacity to 15
Lakhs in order to curb the Black Money in the nation.
Reserve Bank has allowed foreign investors to up their stakes in Axis Bank and IDFC Bank to up to
74 per cent and 46 per cent, respectively under the Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS).
The Mumbai based BSE is planning to trade currency, metals and energy at its upcoming
international commodity exchange at the International Finance Tec-City (Gift City) which will
power the global growth story for the Indian Banking Financial Services (BFSI) sector in
Gandhinagar.
IndiaFirst Life Insurance announced a partnership with Nainital Bank for distribution of its products
and also to provide life insurance solutions to the customers of the bank and enhance our distribution
footprint in northern India. IndiaFirst Life Insurance is a joint venture between Bank of Baroda,
Andhra Bank and Legal and General (UK).
In order to boost lending and shore up economic growth, the government has provided Rs22,915
crore capital to 13 state-run banks. SBI gets 7575 crore out of the whole sum.
RBI is all set to monitor the issues related to the customer rights in the five broad areas of banking
155 | P a g e
soon. This step is adopted by the bankers bank to enhance the banking experience of the
customers. The five core areas to be monitored by the RBI are:-
Right to privacy,
Right to fair treatment & transparency,
Fair and honest dealing,
Right to suitability and
Right to grievance redress & compensation.
IRCTC and SBI join hands to promote UTS and E-Ticketing System to ease the Service for
Passengers
Kochi based Federal Bank have announced partnership with Reliance Jio Money for One-Click
payment service that will make payment ease for their customers.
HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company and Mumbai based Shamrao Vithal Co-operative (SVC)
Bank bancassurance tieup to offer wide range of non-life insurance produts to the customers of the
bank.
Indias largest Private Sector lender ICICI bank has conducted a coin exchange mela during Rath
Yatra festival at the RBI financial literacy camp in Puri. The mela was organised upon the suggestion
from RBIs S. P. Mohanty, General Manager, Issue Department of RBI. It was inaugurated by the
SP.Mohanty.
Mangalore based Karnataka Bank has started a programme to offer solar lights in the non-electrified
houses of students in rural zones. This is joint iniative of lender with the Manipal-based non-
governmental organisation Bharatiya Vikas Trust (BVT) under its corporate social
responsibility(CSR) route.
Global payments leader SWIFT, which already has over 70 other leading banks globally now signs
up with ICICI and Axis Bank, thereby become the first domestic leaders to enter the international
payment group.
Indias biggest lender SBI has announced that it is going serve as banking correspondents through
Indian Oil Corporation owned 6500 Kisan Seva Kendras. The KSK centres that offers access to
various agricultural inputs like diesel services to the farmers across the country.
State Bank ATMs are launched with a new payment system, which will allow the account holders to
transfer money using mobile phone number as a key identifier and this system is based on the instant
money transfer (IMT) platform.
Tata AIG General Insurance has launched an integrated travel product, for all Axis Bank customers
through the banks one stop solution called Happy Holidays Package. The Happy Holidays
Package offers multiple travel benefits to globe surfers such as aMulti-Currency Forex Card and can
be utilized up to 16 currencies.
Cabinet cleared changes in the GST Constitutional Amendment Bill, dropping 1 per cent
manufacturing tax and providing guarantee to compensate states for any revenue loss in the first five
years of roll out of the proposed indirect tax regime.
BUSINESS
Indias biggest Telecom Giant Bharti Airtel Business and GBI have entered into a strategic
partnership to increase Airtels direct reach to many new countries in the Middle East.
Mumbai based Zone Startups to launch empoWer to support women entrepreneurs who are building
technology ventures. Zone Startups India is supported by Department of Science and Technology.
Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright has publicly identified himself as Bitcoin creator Satoshi
Nakamoto. He has decided to make his identity known to stop the spread of misinformation about the
virtual currency. Craig Wright is the man previously known by the Satoshi Nakamoto.
Union government has signed pact with the Boeing Company to buy four maritime spy planes worth
about $1 billion, to bolster the Indian Navy.
Power major Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) announced the commissioning of a 600
MW coal-based thermal power plant in Madhya Pradesh..
156 | P a g e
Hyderabad based Hetero Healthcare has announced that the company will set up three units
in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Telangana to expand the business.
American Online cab aggregator Uber and chinas e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has announced a
global partnership for payment platform Alipay,
Reliance power is all set to setup a 3,000 MW LNG-based power plant in Bangladesh as its
Government of has granted in-principle approval for the first phase of Reliance Powers project
in the country.
Public Sector undertaking, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltdhas commissioned 500 MW thermal power
unit at Bokaro Thermal Power-AStation of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) in Jharkhand.
Union government has approved the proposal of Infosys to set up an IT/ITeS special economic
zone in Bengaluru. The board has also approved application of Unitech Realty Project.
New Delhi based E-commerce major Snapdeal in collaboration with UrbanClap inventory in its
Android mobile application to launch a personal services category to help consumers book
services ranging from beauty services at home to wedding photographers.
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority fixed the ceiling price of 54 drug formulations used
for treatment of cancer and other diseases it also fixed the retail price of 11 drugs.
Chennai-based FPL has partnered with America based Nokero Solar Equipment maker to launch off-
grid solar products and soon plans to manufacture in India.
The Supreme Court struck down the TRAI regulation making it mandatory for telecom companies to
compensate subscribers for call drops levied by the Telecom Regulator.
Vodafone M-Pesa, a digital wallet service from Vodafone that offers Money Transfer, Bill and
Utility Pay, has announced its partnership with Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to
offer easy-to-use digital option to pay electricity bills instantly.
Power major NTPC signed a joint venture agreement with state-owned miner Coal India to revive
plants of the Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL). Under this joint venture company will
take up the resumption of FCIL plants at Sindri in Bihar and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh by setting
up an ammonia urea plant at each location..
Tech giant Apple has opened a new development center in Hyderabad which will focus on
development of Maps for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. This move from the company
will make an investmentof $25 million and accelerate Maps development and create up to 4,000
jobs.
Bharat Heavy Electricals has successfully commissioned 250 MW thermal unit in Maharashtra. This
is the eighth coal-based unit commissioned by BHEL at Parli Power Station, in Maharashtra.
Washington based technology major Microsofts Finland mobile makers Nokia mobile device
business, has decided to sell branding rights to Finnish firm HMD Global and contract manufacturer
Foxconn. The deal size is about $350 million also Microsoft transaction is expected to close in H2 of
2016.
Chennai-based Apollo Hospitals arm Apollo Health and Lifestyle is planning to raise $135
million from World Bank arm International Finance Corporation (IFC).This includes equity
investment of around $68 million.
Worlds largest cement producer Lafarge Holcim has entered into an agreement with Nirma Ltd to
sell its entire 100% holding in cement maker Lafarge India for an enterprise value of $1.4 billion.
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. and Frances Safran Helicopter Engines is set to jointly establish a
helicopter engines maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) centre to service Indian and foreign
customers using Safrans aero engines.
British oil and gas major Cairn Energy limited has raised a $5.6 billion compensation demand from
the Indian government for a breach in an investment treaty arising out of the retrospective tax
demand of Rs. 29,047 crore.
Indias fifth-biggest carrier GoAir announced an agreement with European plane maker Airbus to
buy 72 A320neos in a deal worth about $7.7 billion.
BHEL has commissioned another 250 MW unit coal based using low quality coal (lignite) as the
primary fuel. This plant uses ecofriendly Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion (CFBC) technology,
157 | P a g e
that has been commissioned at Bhavnagar Energy Company (BECL) 2250 MW thermal power
project, located atPadva village in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat.
Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Bell Helicopter has signed an agreement to
manufacture helicopters under Make in India initiative in order to meet civil and military
requirements.
Hinduja Groups Ashok Leyland to set up a bus assembly plant in Kenya with an investment of Rs
70 crore as part of its global expansion plans. This plant will have an annual capacity of 1,200 buses.

Ivan Ciro Palomino Huamani - First
UN poster contest on N-Disarmament Michelle Li - Second
Anjali Chandrashekar - Third
2016 IAF Hall of Fame Award Udupi Ramachandra Rao
LPMIs Best Family Destination
Kerala
2016 award
Tata Consultancy Solutions
Annual rankings of top IT-BPM
Infosys
employers in the country for 2016
Cognizant Technological Solutions Ltd.
Team spirit award at NASAs Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management, Mumbai.
Prestigious global competition
BC Roy National Awards
2010- Awardees 2009-Awardees 2008-Awardees
Nikhil C. Munshi KH Sancheti Mammen Chandy
O.P. Kalra Atul Kumar Prof. Rajeshwar Dayal
Tejinder Singh Renu Saxena Rohit V. Bhatt
Subash Gupta Kanan A. Yelikar Neelam Mohan
Amrinder Jit Kanwar Kriplani Prof. Mohan Kameswaran
Rajendra Prasad G.V. Rao Harsha Jauhari
Glory Alexander Moti Lal Singh Gopal H. Badlani
C.N. Purandare Yash Gulati
C.V. Hari Narayan
H.S. Bhanushali
Creating 100 sand raths for new world
Sudarsan Pattnaik
recordat the Puri beach in Odisha
South African writer Lidudumalingani Mqombothi
2016 Caine Prize
For short story Memories We Lost
First Indian gymnast to clinch World
Dipa Karmakar
Class Gymnast award
UNESCO KALINGA PRIZE $40,000 Odisha Gov
Honored by Hyundai Motor India Shuttler Saina Nehwal
Woman in the World to Bag Bravery
Radhika Menon
Award at Sea
Gourmand World Cookbook Award Nimi Sunilkumar
AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award
Srinivasan K. Swamy
Best banking CEO in Asia Aditya Puri, HDFC Bank
World record for orchestrating the
largest state-wide plantation drive in Uttar Pradesh
24 hours
51st Jnanpith Award Dr. Raghuveer Chaudhari
FORBES Top Paid Celebrity 1.Taylor swift
158 | P a g e
2.One Direction
3.James Patterson
Indians among these 40 in the list are
1.Vineet and Anupama Nayar, founders of the Sampark
Forbes Heroes of Philanthropy List
Foundation,
2016
2.Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India,
3.Bain India CEO Amit Chandra and his wife Archana
Chandra,CEO of Jai Vakeel Foundation
Emirates
Skytrax World Airline Awards 2016
South Asian Diaspora award S R Nathan
BBC World News Komla Dumor
Didi Akinyelure, Nigeria
Award
Google Community Impact Award
Advay Ramesh, Chennai
from Asia
PATA awards 2016 Kerala Tourism
1.Composer-singer Bappi Lahiri.
2.Paran Bandyopadhyay and Jishu Sengupta best actor (male)
Mahayanak Samman 2016
awards while
3.Sohini Sarkar Best actor (female) award
Sangita Kalanidhi award Kanyakumari first woman violinist
Guiness World Record as the Oldest
Dakshayani 86 yr
Elephant Alive
Ramon Magsaysay Award 2016 T.M. Krishna and Bezwada Wilson
Bharat Gaurav award (Pride of India)
Milkha Singh
- East Bengal
Amlendu Tiwari
Balram Kawant
11th Navlekhan award
Om Naagar
Tasneem Khan
UNESCO Heritage List Khangchendzonga National Park Sikkim
National Tourism Awards 2014-2015
Madhya Pradeshfollowed by Gujarat and Karnataka Best state for comprehensive development of
respectively tourism
Rajasthans Sawai Madhopur railway station Best Tourist Friendly railway station award
Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Best Airport award
Telanganas Warangal Best Heritage City award
Monuments of Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh. Best maintained and disable-friendly monument
Taj Exotica, Salcette, Goa Best hotel award under the five star deluxe category
Fateh Prakash Palace in Udaipur, Coconut Lagoon at Best heritage hotel awards in three different
Kumarakom in Kottayam and Gajner Palace in categories
Bikaner.
The Lalit in New Delhi received an award under the Hotel providing best facilities for the differently-
category of abled guests.
Kerala Tourism in the Tourism Promotion and Most Innovative use of Information Technology
Publishing category social media/mobile app.
The Wayanad initiativeKerala Responsible Tourism category
Sargaalaya Arts and Crafts Village at Iringal, a small Kerala Tourism in the Rural Tourism project
but thriving village in KozhikodeKerala category
KeralaInvis Multimedia and social media managed Tourism Promotion and Publishing category
by Stark Communications
Turtle on the Beach, KovalamKerala Best hotel in the Five Star category
159 | P a g e
Coconut Lagoon, Kumarakom Best Heritage Hotel in Classic Category

Coconut Creek Farm and Homestay, Kumarakom Best Incredible India Bed and Breakfast
Kerala Establishment
Somatheeram Research Institute and Ayurveda Best Wellness Centre
Hospital Pvt Ltd, Thiruvananthapuram
Green Economy Visionary Award Dr. R Seetharaman
National Award For Excellence In V.O.Chidambaranar Port
Cost Management
Peoples Choice Prize(Gold medal) Sudarsan Pattnaik
Olympic Order N Ramachandran from IOC
Regius Professorship in Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya
Manufacturing by Queen Elizabeth II
Russias Order of Friendship Ban Ki-moon
International Dublin Literary Award Akhil Sharma
National Excellence Awards 2016 for Tata Power Solar

rooftop solar power projects
Highest Civilian Award of Ivory Coast President Pranab Mukherjee
Pen Pinter Prize Margaret Atwood
Guinness Book Record Karma Naach Dance by 3049 people in MP
Fair business practice award Karnataka Bank
Vivian Fonseca Scholar Award Shashank S Shah
Mohun Bagan Ratna Award Syed Nayeemuddin
FilmAT International Film Festival Kerala Tourism(4 Awards)
in Poland
Shanghai International Film Festival - Kannada film Thithi
best film award
Britains highest award for valour Risaldar Badlu Singh
Sepoy Chatta Singh
Naik Darwan Singh Negi
Rifleman Gabar Sing Negi
Lance-Daffadar Gobind Singh
Lance Naik Lala
G. D. Birla Award Prof.Sanjay Mittal, IIT-Kanpur
UN honour for Corporate Zubaida Bai
Sustainability Initiative
Honorary Fellowship by an Indian Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
students wing in the UK
Honoris Causa Doctor of Science Viswanathan Anand
degree
Queens Young Leaders Award Kartik Sawney and Neha Swain
Honorary professorship by the Shashi Kant Sharma

Nanjing Audit University in China
Great Immigrants: The Pride of America
Sunder Pichai CEO of Google
Hari Sreenivasan Anchor and Senior Correspondent, PBS News Hours
Vikram Malhotra Chairman of the Americas, McKinsey & Company
Bharati Mukherjee National Book critics circle Award winning author
17th International Film Academy Awards
Best Picture Award Bajrangi Bhaijaan
160 | P a g e
Best Direction Award Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Best Performance in a Leading role Ranveer Singh for Bajirao Mastani
(Male) Award
Best Performance in a Leading Role Deepika Padukone for Piku
(Female) Award
Best Performance in a Comic Role Deepak Dobriyal for Tanu Weds Manu Returns
Award

India-born Rajesh Agrawal Londons deputy mayor for business.
Ravi Shastri (resigned) InternationalCricket Councils cricket committee- media representative
For Telengana - Devendra Industry Body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (FICCI) has
Surana appointed new Chairpersons for its Telangana and AP State Councils.
For Andra Pradesh - M.
Prabhakar Rao
Indrajith coomaraswamy New Governor to its central bank CBSL ( Central Bank of Sri Lanka).
Mr N S Vishwanathan Reserve Bank of Indias Deputy Governor
Linda Burney First Indigenous woman elected to Australias lower house
Tejinder Kalra Indus towers- Chief Operating Officer.
Eminent Directorat ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), Department of Space, at
scientist Madhav Dhekane Vattiyoorkavu in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
R ThiruppathiVenkatasamy Accountant General(AG), economic and revenue sector audit, of Tamil
Nadu.
JuergenHase Reliance Group- CEO for its IoT Business.
Deepak Singhal. Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh
Vishal Kapoor IDFC Mutual Fund-- chief executive officer
S K Kohli Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA).
NCP leader Ramraje Naik Chairman of Maharashtra Legislative Council.
Nimbalkar
Srini Gopalan (Resigns) Bharti Airtels Consumer business director
Phiroz Vandrevala (resigned) Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced that its Non-
Executive Director
Kevin Turner (resigns) COO post at Microsoft
Ramesh Negi Delhis acting Chief Secretary
Sanjay Gupta Chairman and Managing Director of Konkan Railway Corporation Limited
(KRCL).
D Rajkumar &Utpal Bora Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Bharat Petroleum Corporation
Ltd (BPCL) and Oil India Ltd, respectively.
K V R Murthy chairman-cum-managing director of the Jute Corporation of India Limited
Tathagata Roy Acting Governor of Arunachal Pradesh. He is the Governor of Tripura.
Najma Heptullah and Gowdara Minority Affairs Minister and Minister of State for Heavy
Mallikarjunappa Industries respectively.
Siddeshwara (resigned)
Theresa May Britains new prime minister
An Indian-American Dean of University of North Texas College of Information in the U.S.
professor Dr. Kinshuk
IPS officer Ashok Patnaik the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the National Intelligence Grid
(NATGRID).
Raghu Reddy Xiaomi - online sales head for India
Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for a five-
year term.
161 | P a g e
C. Vijay Kumar HCL Technologies Ltd- president will take on additional responsibility
aschief operating officer.
Rudra Gaurav Shresth High Commissioner of India to the Kingdom of Swaziland
BJP leader in Punjab, Navjot Upper House-MP
Singh Sidhu( resigned)
Guruprasad Mohapatra new Chairman of the AAI Airport Authority of India.
Eminent Economist Mr. Paul Chief Economist of the World Bank
Romer
Sohini Rajola Regional Vice President-- Western Union
Former South Africa Managing Director of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019
pacer Steve Elworthy
Sarvita Sethi Vice-President Finance for India and South West Asia -- Coca-Cola
Ajay Bhushan Pandey Chief Executive Officer of Unique Identification Authority of India
(UIDAI).
BJP MP Ganesh Singh Singh Chairperson of the Joint Committee of Parliament examining the Land
Acquisition Bill.
Dr. Sanjiv Mishra Additional Director and Non-Executive (part time) of the Axis Bank control
board.
Mohandas Pai. National Stock Exchange of Indias 3 new public interest directors
Naved Masood
Dinesh Kanabar
Sanjiv Puri Chief Operating Officer, a newly created portfolio of ITC Limited.
Tetsuya Takano( resigned ) Ricoh India Chairman
Khadga Prasad Oli ( Nepals Prime Minister
resignation)
Sharad Pawar (to step down- Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president
within six months )
Ghanshyam Singh General Manager, Eastern Railway, Kolkata.
Dr Buddha Rashmi Mani, Director General of the National Museum
Sunil Munjal (Step Down) Joint managing director of Hero MotoCorp
Madhuri Dixit Brand ambassador for its consumer durable products- Intexechnologies
Michel Barnier EUs chief Brexit negotiator
Shambhu Singh Yadav Deputy Lokayukta of the Uttar Pradesh
Central government Reshuffle at the secretarial Level
Aruna Sharma Secretary of Ministry of Steel
Aruna Sundarajan Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information & Technology.
Bhanu Pratap Sharma Department of Personnel and Training as Secretary.
Department of Youth Affairs as Officer on Special Duty and will take charge
AK Dubey
as Secretary
M Sathiavathy Secretary in Ministry of Labour and Employment as Officer on Special Duty
Department of Land Resources as Officer on Special Duty. Singh will take
Dinesh Singh,
over as Secretary
Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
Amarjit Singh,
Rejuvenation,
Rakesh Srivastava, Secretary, National Commission for Backward Classes.
Latha Krishna Rao Secretary, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment
C K Mishra, Secretary Department of Health and Family Welfare,
NS Kang Secretary and Director General, National AIDS Control Organisation
Secretary, National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic & Semi-Nomadic
B K Prasad
Tribes.
Secretary Tariff Commission under Department of Industrial Policy and
Smita Chugh
Promotion
162 | P a g e
Secretary- Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration,

Rajeev Kapoor
Mussoorie
Amarjeet Sinha Secretary, Department of Rural Development
T Nanda Kumar (resigned) chairman of Gujarat-based National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)
Anurag Thakur Territorial Army Officer
Chief Justice Of Patna High Court
Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari
Satish Mathur Maharashtra DGP
A K Mital(extended)
Railway Board Chairman
Chief Secretary of Gujarat
Dr. J.N. Singh
R Seshasayee (resigns) Ashok Leyland non-exec vice chairman
Rani Nair CBDT Chairperson
Yuriko Koike Tokyo gets it first Woman Governor
Justice Dilip Babasaheb
CJ of Allahabad HC
Bhosale
Vishvas Vidu Sapkal High Commissioner of India to the Cook Islands
B N Reddy High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Cameroon
PrakashJavadekar Promoted to HRD Minister, Replaces SmritiIrani
SmritiIrani Textiles
ArunJaitley Loses Information & Broadcasting retains Finance Ministry, Corporate
Affairs
SadanandaGowda Statistics and Programme implementation
SS Ahluwalia MoS Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Parliamentary Affairs
Vijay Goel MoS Youth Affairs, Sports
RamdasAthawale Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry
M J Akbar Minister of State for External Affairs
Ananth Kumar Parliamentary Affairs Minister
Venkaiah Naidu I&B Minister
Ravi Shankar Prasad Law Minister
Anil Madhav Dave Environment Minister
Babul Supriyo Urban Development Minister
Nihal Chand, Ram Shankar 5 Ministers dropped from PM NarendraModis council of Ministers.
Katheria, SanwarLalJat,
Manuskhbhai D Vasva and M
K Kundariya
The entire list of the newly appointed ministers is listed below:-
S No. Ministers Name State Constituency

1 Mr. Ajay Tamta Uttarakhand Almora
2 Mr. Anil Madhav Dave Madhya Pradesh Rajya Shaba MP
3 Mr.Arjun Ram Meghwal Rajasthan Bikaner
4 Mr.Chottu Ram Chaudry Rajasthan Nagaur
5 Dr.SubhashBhamre Maharashtra Dhule
6 Mr.Faggan Singh Kulaste Madhya Pradesh Mandla
7 Mr.JasvantsinhSumanbhaiBhabhor Gujarat Dahod
8 Mrs. Krishna Raj Uttar Pradesh Shajahanpur
9 Mr.Mahendranathpandey Uttar Pradesh Chanduali
10 Mr.Manshuk L MMandaviya Gujarat Rajya Shaba
11 Mr. MJ Akbar Madhya Pradesh Rajya Shaba
12 Mr. PP Choudhary Rajasthan Pali
163 | P a g e
13 Mr.ParshottamRupala Gujarat BJPs Vice President

14 Mr.RajenGohain Assam Nowgong
15 Mr. RC Jigajinagi Karnataka Bijapur
16 Mr. SS Ahluwalia West Bengal Darjeeling
Mr. Vijay Goel Rajasthan Rajya Shaba
17
18 Mr.RamdasAthawale Maharashtra Leader of RPI Party
19 Mrs.Anupriya Patel Uttar Pradesh Leader of Apna Dal
E-travel agent Yatra has signed a deal to merger its business with the Nasdaq-listed Terrapin 3
Acquisition Corporation (TRTL).The deal values the travel Indian portal at $218 million (Rs 1,465
crore).
Oracle acquires Net suite for $9.3 Billion, indicating its growth in cloud computing business.
Google has acquired Paris-based Moodstocks, a startup that has developed machine learning
technology to bolster the image recognition features on smartphones.
SoftBank Group Corp., A Japanese internet and telecommunications conglomerate acquired the
global chip industry on July 18 with a whopping $32 billion deal to acquire ARM Holdings PLC, the
U.K.-based designer of the microprocessors that power more than 95% of the worlds smart phones.
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (ABFRL) is all set to acquire American fast fashion retailers Forever
21 in the Indian market for USD 26 million, which is around Rs 175.52 crore.
Verizon Communications Inc. and Yahoo! Inc. mutually declared that they have entered into a
formularized agreement under which Verizon will acquire Yahoos operating business for about
approximately $4.83 billion.
Myntra, a Flipkart Group company, acquired Jabong from Global Fashion Group (GFG) for$70
million.
SCHEMES
With a massive target of training 50 lakh apprentices, The Union Cabinet presided over by Mr.
Narendra Modi approved the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme. This scheme has a
disbursal of about 10,000 crores in order to achieve its vast target of training 50 lakh apprentices.
Meghalaya Governor V.Shanmuganathan inaugurated the launch of Pradhan Mantri Surakshit
Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) in the East Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya at a programme
organized by the office of the District Medical & Health Officer, East Khasi Hills District, under the
aegis of the National Health Mission
Cabinet approves Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) with an outlay of Rs.12000
crore to impart skilling to One Crore Indian population in the next four years.
.Government of India liberated Rs. 100 crore as its contribution to the Atal Pension Yojana
Scheme. .This additional contribution is offered to those who enrolled before march 31,2016 as 50%
of the user contribution with a cap value of Rs.1000.
Parliament was informed by Minister of State for Rural Development Ram Kripal Yadav that this
year over Rs. 28,000 crore has been released Union government to States under MGNREGA
Scheme to disburse last years accountabilities and for running the programme in the ongoing year.
M/O Tourism approves projects of Rs. 275 crore for development of Krishna & Heritage circuit of
State of Haryana, Rajasthan & Gujarat under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme.
Tourism Ministry has sanctioned 25 projects under the Swadesh Darshan scheme worth Rs. 2048
Crore to 21 States and Union Territories. 21 States and Union Territories include Jammu and
Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Kerala, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana,
Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal
Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura.
164 | P a g e
An insurance Scheme for the cattle breeders has been announced by the BJP led Haryana
Government named Jokhim Prabandhan Aur Pashudhan Bima Yojana. The Scheme is the result of
recommendations made in Swaminathan Report.
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is set to launch the facility of
travel insurance for passengers from September.This can be availed at a premium of Re 1.
The scheme offers compensation
i. In the event of death or permanent total disability upto Rs 10 lakh
ii. For permanent partial disability Rs 7.5 lakh
iii.For hospitalisation expenses Rs 2 lakh
o North Eastern state Manipur has joined the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) scheme. It is
the 14th state to join the UDAY.. The state will get benefit of around Rs 263 crore upon joining and
can improve the state efficiency of the Discoms. The state also the first in Northern states to join in
Scheme.
Government of India made a pact of Allowing four Public Sector Insurers in PMFBY (Pradhan
Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana). Along with the existing 11 private sector Insurers now Government
allowed Four PSUs namely LIC(life Insurance Corporation of India), General Insurance
Corporation of India, National Insurance Co. ltd, Oriental Insurance Co. ltd. to increase the
agricultural insurance cover to a great extent.
Union Finance Ministry has launched the fourth Tranche of Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB) for
resident individuals and institutional investors. It will be open for investment from July 18 to 22.The
issue price of the 4th tranche has been fixed at Rs. 3119 per gram of gold based on average of last
week prices of physical gold.
The investment in SGB is also eligible investment for Statutory Liquidity Ratio of Banks. The SGB
is eligible to be converted into Demat form and can be used as collaterals for availing loans.
MoUs
Bihar government signed a MoU with Bangkok-based Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC)
to implement the Roadmap for Disaster Risk Reduction in Bihar (2015-30). The move will help
reduce disaster risk management in the state.
Akilesh Yadav led Uttar Pradesh Government signed an Memorandum of Understanding with
Netherland in order to set up a new Skill Development Centre for Famers of UP. This MoU ensures
procedure about how modern techniques can be also used for better production of sugarcane, potato,
dairy development and flowers apart from getting information of food processing.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) which was signed between India and the State Secretariat for Education,
Research and Innovation of the Switzerland Confederation for cooperation in skill development.
The Union Cabinet approved signing of the Air Services agreement between India and
Mozambique. This Agreement intends as a move to regulate and advance air connectivity between
the two countries.
The Union Cabinet sanctioned a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and
Tunisia. This MoU is signed between both the countries both the countries for toning up bilateral
cooperation in the field of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Digital
Economy.
As a platform to promote Afghan products and to boost trade relations between both nations, a
conference named Made in Afghanistan was held in New Delhi.Made in Afghanistan: Harnessing
the Economic Potential was the theme of this neighboring conference.
Cabinet nods for the approval of MoU between India and Mauritius in the field of rural development
and poverty alleviation
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved signing of a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Tanzania in the field of Traditional
Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy.
165 | P a g e
A (MoU) has been signed between the Karnataka Region Economic and Trade Organization
(KRETO) and Sanya People Municipal Government of China in order to nurture the trade
between Sanya City and Karnataka.
An agreement was signed with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), India to build the
1,320MW coal-fired power plant at Rampal of Bagerhat, near the Sundarbans mangrove forest.
An agreement was signed between Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and US Secretary of Energy Dr
Ernest Moniz in Washington. According to this agreement, the two countries agreed to enhance
institutional and technical cooperation in specific areas such as assessment and unconventional
hydrocarbon reserves in India both onshore and offshore; new technologies in development of
second generation bio-fuel and development of Petroleum storage.
India and Japan have entered into a social security agreement and benefit thousands of Indian and
Japanese professionals and skilled workers working in the both the countries. The Agreement will
come into force on 1 October.
Chennai based Apollo Hospitals has signed a MoU with William Osler Health System aims to
positively impact the health and wellness of the patients they serve.
Bhubaneswar based National Aluminium Company has signed an MoU with Bhabha Atomic
Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, for research and development cooperation in the fields of mutual
interest.
Indian AYUSH Ministry has inked Pact with World Health Organisation for promotion the systems
Indian medicines that encompasses Yoga and Ayurveda, Worldwide.
A two-year statement of intent (SOI) signed between NITI AAYOG and tech giant Intel India to set
up the first 10 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs).
Indian Government signed a deal with Thyssennkrupp marine systems, Germany in Mumbai to
retrofit the anti-ship American Harpoon Missiles (AHM) on two shishumar class submarines namely
Ins Shankush and INS Shalki at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai.
COMMITTEES
Government has constituted a four-member committee to examine the desirability and feasibility of
having a new financial year. This Four-Member committee, headed by former Chief Economic
Adviser Shankar Acharya.
Union government set up a high-level committee headed by Chief Economic Adviser Arvind
Subramanian to consider a reasonable increase in minimum support price (MSP) for pulses and
bonus for farmers.
A committee has been constituted to gear up the guidelines for the desiltation (clearing odd the silts)
of the river Ganga by the Union Ministry of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and
Ganga Rejuvenation. The committee will work under the chairmanship of Madhav Chitale (Expert
Member, NGRBA)
Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted a seven-member expert committee for
exploring the other possible alternatives to pellet guns can be lethal, when sensitive parts like eyes
are hit. The Committee will be headed by Joint Secretary in the MHA T V S N Prasad.
In order to study regulatory issues relating to financial technology and digital banking in India, the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) set up an inter-regulatory working group. This idea is executed as
suggested by the sub-committee of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC). This
enacting group is chaired by Sudarshan Sen, Executive Director of RBI, and also comprises of 12
members.
China launched its second Shijian-16 series satellite for space research and experiments that was
carried by a Long March-4B rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China.
166 | P a g e
National University of Singapore Scientists, including Indian origin have designed and built the
worlds lightest electric paraglider trike, that can take off and land with wheels. It operates on battery
also can reach 6 Km. It is named Delta.
Scientists have developed a non-invasive method which can kill cancer cells in twohours, an advance
that may considerably help people with inoperable tumours, as well as young children stricken with
the deadly disease.
Worlds largest and sensitive radio telescope, FAST (Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical
Telescope) Has been installed in Pingtang county, South west China. The final Installation finished
on 3rd july,2016. As the name indicates, it will have a diameter of 500 metres.
Indias first elevated taxiway will be set up in Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. This
new infrastructure add-on will get the help the Airport operator to cut down on the time taken by an
aircraft to reach a runway and lead to fewer delays.
West Bengal Tourism Department has launched a mobile app based on the theme of Experience
Bengal aiming to attract the tourists across the world
Indias Oil Ministry and the US Geological Department has jointly discovered the highly enriched
accumulations of natural gas hydrate Reserve in the Bay of Bengal. This is the first of its kind in the
Indian Ocean.
A new species of tarantula has been identified near the home town of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the
late Nobel literature laureate. The newly researched Kankuamos marquezi is named for both
Garcia Marquez and the indigenous Kankuamo group who live in the area of Caribbean Colombia
where the writer was born.
China has inducted its largest indigenously-built transport aircraft Y-20, that allows the worlds
largest force to transport cargo and troops over long distances in diverse weather conditions.
An international team of astronomers have announced the discovery of a strange planet in a faraway
solar system that contains not just only one sun, but three. The distant planet, named HD 131399Ab,
by far the widest known orbit within a multi-star system. The discovery is published online by the
journal Science.
The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) on Saturday signed an agreement
with IIT-Bombay and Madras to establish a binodal Centre of Propulsion Technology (CoPT) at
the two institutions.
Pharmacy Major Sun Pharma introduced anti-cancer product named Gemcitabine InfuSMART, used
in treatment of cancer, in Europe to build a meaningful and differentiating presence in global
oncology therapy
Bengaluru based start-up Cooey Technologies has released Indias first IOT Glucometer that
wirelessly syncs data with a smartphone by combining user-centric design and smart technology.
Astronomers has discovered a new dwarf planet dubbed 2015 RR245 in the icy realms of space
beyond Neptune. The system is 120 times farther from the Sun than the Earth at its farthest orbital
point.
Spanish-made Talgo is the fastest train in the country by clocking a speed of 180 km/hr
by covering 84 km in 38 minutes in a trial conducted by Railways on Mathura-Palwal route,
surpassing the record of Gatimaan Express whose speed is 160 km/hr.
Boston Scientific Company has launched its first integrated facility in India to develop and sell
minimally invasive technologies also to train physicians in using them.
Couple of Chinese made trains running at world-record speeds in opposite direction scrossed each
other on parallel tracks, in the latest feat achieved by China in high-speed rail network. The two
trains Golden Phoenix and Dolphin Blue travelling at 420 km per hour crossed on lines between
Zhengzhou in the central Henan Province and Xuzhou in the eastern Jiangsu Province.
SpaceX rocket blasted off from Florida to direct a cargo ship to the International Space Station, then
returned around and landed itself at the launch site.
NASA announced that 40 years ago spacecraft of it named Viking 1 landed on the surface of Mars
that had a view of the Red Planet (Mars). The 90-day operation of the NASA was pushed into a six-
year mission, paving the way for later Mars rovers like Opportunity and Curiosity.
167 | P a g e
China brings out an amphibious aircraft cum seaplane which is the largest of its kind in the world,
used for marine rescues and to prevent forest fires. This double character airplane
named AG600 merely about the size of a Boeing 737 and its built to plane built to take off and land
on water.
Solar Impulse 2, the first plane powered by renewable energy has completed the first round world
trip. The solar-powered plane finally arrived at Al-Bateen Executive Airport located in Abu Dhabi,
where it had started its journey 505 days ago.
Digital Attic a new masterpiece in the field of Data Storage revealed by a Scientist in Washington.
DEFENCE
Indias majestic aircraft carrier, INS Viraat akaGrand Old Lady of Indian Navy set sail for one last
time from Mumbai to Kochi which will be decommissioned later this year. The 750-feet long giant
served the Indian Navy with distinction for almost three decades. The ship holds the Guinness
Record for being the oldest serving warship.
The first squadron of indigenously designed and manufactured Light Combat
Aircraft(LCA) Tejas was inducted into Indian Air Force (IAF).
The Indian Navy launched the last of the series of the Water Jet Fast Attack Craft(WJFAC) ship at a
ceremony in Kolkata.
India successfully blasted off twice a medium-range surface-to-air ballistic missile, developed in
collaboration with Israel, from launch pad 3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea
in Balasore district off the coast of Odisha.
The Chinese navy conducted combat drills near its southern island province of Hainan and the
Paracel islands in the South China Sea.
Indian Navy launched a dedicated base for its Special Operation Forces MARCOS (Marine
Commandos) named INS Karna was commissioned in Visakhapatnamby Chief of Naval Staff
Admiral Sunil Lanba.
DRDO successfully test fired the purely indigenous 155 mm x 52 caliber Advanced Towed Artillery
Gun System (ATAGS), which the Indian Army is all set to get the much needed weapon for user
trials by early 2017.
Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri, Shakti and Kirch under the Command of the Flag Officer Commanding
Eastern Fleet, Rear Admiral S V Bhokare, YSM, NM have made a visit at Port Kelang on a four day
visit.
ENVIRONMENT
The Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) has been declared as the critically endangered according
to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This change means that both species
of orangutan now face an exceptionally high risk of extinction in the wild.
The Environment Ministry of the central government has allowed companies located in Special
Economic Zones (SEZs) to import solid plastic waste. As per this pact now SEZ units can import
plastic or mixed plastic waste prepared to a specification
SPORTS
Paralympic Committee of India Recognised by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Fifth-wicket stand in Twenty 20 cricket of 150 Proteas Opener HasimAmla
in 92 balls for the Trinbago Knight Riders West Indies All-rounder Dwayne Bravo
Austrian Grand Prix Title 2016 Lewis Hamilton
2016 British Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton
Hungarian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton
IWAS World Games(Prague, Czech Republic) NiranjanMukundan - 8 medals
168 | P a g e
Spanish Grand Prix Wrestling championship ErdenebatBekhbayar of Mongolia Gold(57kg)

(Madri) SandeepTomar Silver (74 kg)
NarsinghYadav Bronze(57 kg)
Fide Womens Grand Prix trophy(Chendu, HarikaDronavalli
China)
oldest player to score a Test century for 82 years MisbahulHaq Pakistan
Euro 2016 football championship Portugal
EurAsia Hockey Cup 2016 Indian Junior Mens Team
WBO Asia Pacific title(New Delhi) Vijender Singh
FIFA rankings Argentina- 1st
Belgium 2nd
Columia 3rd
India 152nd
73rd Senior National Squash DipikaPallikalKarthik
Championship(Mumbai)
First Indian to clinch the most desired Mr World RohitKhandelwal
title
First Indian captain to score double century ViratKohli
outside India
World of digital gaming with the Sachin Tendulkar
proposed launch of his official game
named Sachin Saga.
1st Indian to set world record in Junior Athletics Neeraj Chopra
Championship
Junior World Cup in Porpetto, Italy ManavadityaRathore - bronze medal
First clay court singles title by defeating Feliciano Lopez
Netherlands Robin Haase
100m hurdles world record of 12.20 seconds at Kendra Harrison
the London Diamond League meeting
Second Rio Olympics-bound athlete to fail a Inderjit Singh
dope test after wrestler NarsinghYadav
ICC Hall of fame MuttiahMuralitharan
Arthur Morris
Karen Rolton
George Lohmann
International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Russia
ban on the weightlifters to compete in the Rio
Olympics.
10th Davis Cup RohanBopanna
Canada open Grand Prix badminton 2016
Mens Single Title B SaiPraneeth
Mens Doubles Title Manu Attri andSumeethreddy
Wimbledon 2016 Championships
Mens Singles Andy Murray (Britain)
Womens Singles Serena Williams (US)
Mens Doubles PierreHugues Herbert (France) and Nicolas Mahut
(France)
Womens Doubles Serena Williams (US) and Venus Williams (US)
Mixed Doubles Henri Kontinen (Finland) and Heather Watson (UK)
National record with a massive 59.87m throw at Javeline thrower Annu Rani
the 56th National inter-state Senior Athletics
Championships
169 | P a g e
Olympians Association of India (OAI) Shiva Keshavan (luge),VirenRasquinha

(hockey),MalavShroff (sailing),AdilleSumariwalla
(athletics),AshwiniNachappa (athletics),SainaNehwal
(badminton),HakimuddinHabibulla (swimming) and MC
Mary Kom (boxing)
Badminton World Federation Rankings SainaNehwal - 5th
NozomiOkuhara 6th
P V Sindhu 10th
JwalaGutta and AshwiniPonappa 20th
Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy 23rd
Pranaav Jerry Chopra and AkshayDewalkar 29th
PSA World Squash Rankings JoshnaChinappa -10th
Dipika 19th
Rio Olympics Qualifiers NirmalaSheoran Athlete
SajanPrakash and ShivaniKataria Swimmers
PR Sreejesh Mens hockey team captain
SushilaChanu - Womens hockey team captain
RenjithMaheswar - Jumper
Dharambir Singh- 200 meter race(First Indian)
Jinson Johnson - 800 Meters race
AnirbanLahiri - Golf
Shiv Shankar Prasad Chawrasia - Golf
Aditi Ashok- Golf
Ritu Rani - Womens hockey team captain(dropped)
Official nutritional partner for Rio-Olympics HERBALIFE teams up with IOA
ICC Test Ranking RavichandranAshwin All Rounder
First Australia
Second India
Third Pakistan
MRF ICC Test rankings Pakistani Wrist spinner Yasir Shah has reached the
number one spot
Dhyanchand Hockey Ground in Rajkot Recognised by the International Hockey Federation
(FIH).
39th Associate Member of the International Saudi Arabia
Cricket Council (ICC)
Kabaddi World Cup 2016 In October India
New record by diving from 25 000 feet without Luke Aikins
parachute
OBITUARY

Alvin Toffler Writer USA
Michael Cimino Director USA
Elie Wiesel Jewish writer, professor, political activist USA
Noel Neill First actress to play the role Lois Lane on USA
the Adventures of Superman television series
James Alan McPherson Writer USA
Michel Rocard Former French Prime Minister & Socialist France

Abdul SattarEdhi Philanthropist Pakistan
Dominique Arnaud Cyclist France
170 | P a g e
Neelamraju Ganga PrasadaRao Father of Hybrid Sorghum India

Mahasweta Devi Bengali writer India
Banaras gharana Table Player India
ArundhatiGhose was Former Indias ambassador to the UN India
AmalDutta Footballer India
Om PrakashSonik aka Omi Music director India
Romesh Chandra Former President of World Peace Council India
R C Dhere Maharathi Writer India
Joe Antic Hockey Player India
Mohammed Shahid Hockey Player India
Mubarak Begum Singer India
S.H.Raza Artist India
RajjatBarjatya MD and CEO of Rajshri Media India
BOOKS & AUTHORS
The book named Ringside with Vijender, which was published online was in the news as Beijing
Olympics bronze medallist pugilist Vijender Singhs move to turn Pro featured in the book. The
book authored by senior journalist Rudraneil Sengupta.
Bollywoods star Shah Rukh Khan launched tennis star Sania Mirzas the autobiography, Ace
Against Odds, in Hyderabad.
The biography titled Who moved my interest rate? Mr. Subbarao penned about his five years at the
countrys central bank, between 2008 and 2013.
A book titled Courage & Commitment: An Autobiography by Margaret Alva was in news. Alva
pensher forty-year career under four Prime Ministers.
Book titled The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable, was in the news that
has explains information about climate change. The book was writer Amitav Ghoshs latest one.
The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee received a copy of a book Indias Most Powerful
Women at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The book has been written by Mrs. Prem Ahluwalia.
JK Rowlings eighth Harry Potter story,Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been released in
bookstores across the globe. The script is written by Jack Thorne, from an original story JK Rowling.
IMPORTANT DAYS
July 1 2016
Remember Day:National Doctors Day
Purpose :To recognize the contributions of physicians to individual lives and communities
Organization:GOI
July 11 2016
Remember Day:World population day
Purpose :To increase peoples awareness on various population issues such as the importance of family
planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health and human rights
Organization:UNDP
Theme::Investing in teenage girls
July 12 2016
Remember Day:Malala Day
Purpose :To raise awareness and to help girls get their right to education. Malala Yousafzai is a global
symbol of every girls right to an education.
Organization:UN
171 | P a g e
July 15 2016
Remember Day:World Youth Skills Day
Purpose :To highlight the fundamental rights of the youth.
Organization:UN, UNESCO, ILO
Theme:Skills Development to Improve Youth Employment
July 18 2016
Remember Day:Nelson Mandela International Day
Purpose :To remembers Mandelas achievements in working towards conflict resolution, democracy,
human rights, peace, and reconciliation.
Organization:UN
July 26 2016
Remember Day:Kargil Vijay Diwas
Purpose :To honour the Kargil Wars Heroes in the Kargil Dras sector in New Delhi.
Organization:GOI
July 28 2016
Remember Day:World Hepatitis Day
Purpose :To mark the awareness of hepatitis and to boost prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the
decease.
Organization:WHO
Theme:Prevent Hepatitis: Its up to you
Remember Day:World Nature Conservation Day

Purpose :To increase the awareness about and protecting the natural resources
July 29 2016
Remember Day:International Tiger Day
Purpose :To promote the protection and expansion of the endangered wild tigers habitats and to gain
support through awareness
July 30 2016
Remember Day:International Day of Friendship
Purpose :To promote the role that friendship plays in also making peace in many cultures
Organization:UN
Remember Day:World Day against Trafficking in Persons

Purpose :To raise awareness around human trafficking. The Day is witnessed across the world.
Organization:UN
Current Affairs August 2016
INDIAN AFFAIRS
Bihar government-led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has lifted the Ban on the toddy (palm wine)
consumption and selling in the state.
Lok Shaba has passed two bills favoring the National Eligibility cum Entrance Exam
(NEET) examination, for its constitutional status as promulgated by the government of India, which
is to be mandated from next academic year.
172 | P a g e
Lok Shaba passes The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016 for the betterment of
transgender which attempts to define a transgender person and also to prohibit the discrimination
against the transgender.
Lok shaba passed The National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research
(Amendment) Bill, 2016to establish the renowned National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Andhra
Pradesh.
The Odisha government has initiated the process of recruiting transgender people as prison
wardens in order to impart a social boom in their abandoned life style.
A month-long Swachh Bharat special campaign with the theme of Freedom from Open Defecation
is being organized by The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (Cabinet Minister Narendra
Singh Tomar) throughout this August.
Arunachal Pradeshs ninth Chief Minister Pema Khandu expanded his Cabinet by including 10
ministers. Upon the move the state governor Tathagata Roy administered the oath of office and
secrecy to the newly appointed ministers.
The Rajya Sabha passed a bill to amend the Constitution that would facilitate thestraitening of the
Goods and Services Tax (GST) backing the governments assurance that the tax rates would be kept
as low as possible. It is noted that The Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014 was approved
by the Upper House with 203 votes in favor and none against and a rare affableness was witnessed
among the ruling and the opposition parties of the central Government.
The Union Cabinet led by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the Motor Vehicle
(Amendment) Bill 2016. In the present Motor Vehicle Act, there are 223 Sections out of which the
Bill aims to amend 68 sections whereas Chapter 10 has been deleted and a Chapter 11 is being
replaced with new provisions in order to simplify third party insurance claims and settlement
process.
The Union Cabinet has given nod for making suitable amendments in the Central List of OBCs to
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana upon recommendations by the National Commission for Backward
Classes (NCBC). The amendment done by way of inclusion/correction/deletion of
castes/communities applicable. The Commission in its series of recommendation gave 35 changes in
respect of Andhra Pradesh and 86 New Entries in respect of Telangana.
Gujarat High Court has quashed governments ordinance to offer 10 % quota for the economically
backward among upper castes in education and admission.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik opened 100 multi-purpose shelter houses to the people of
Odisha for use during natural calamities like floods and cyclones.
A start-up in the online legal documentation business, LegalDesk announced the launch of an
electronic signing feature called eSignDesk a platform takes digital signatures to the masses
beyond companies and corporates.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje laid the foundation of 14 projects worth Rs 2,229 Crore
to make the Jaipur city as a Wonder City within next two years.
State government of Himachal Pradesh has come up with a target of planting over one crore
saplings this year to increase green cover in the state. It is the first state to earn carbon credit.
The Parliament passed a bill to amend debt recovery laws and make them more time-bound and
effective in yet another step to address the problem of rising bad loans on August 9.
In Lok Sabha Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya proposed and passed the Employees
Compensation (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The Bill amends the Employees Compensation Act, 1923.
Lok shaba passes bill to include Nagaland under Central Agricultural University of Imphal, the
Central Agricultural University (Amendment) Bill, 2016 that provides for bringing the northeastern
state of Nagaland under the jurisdiction of Imphal-based Central Agriculture University in
neighboring Manipur was passed by the Lok Sabha.
The Lok Sabha on passed the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill on August 10. This bill will
help unlock value of VSNL land, boost textile and marble sector.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin dedicated Kudankulam Nuclear
Power Projects (KKNPP) first unit to the country today. Both the leaders, along with Tamil Nadu
173 | P a g e
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa spoke through video conferencing and jointly inaugurated the Unit-I of
the plant.
The Lok Sabha passed the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016. It creates the way for employers
in the textile sector to avail of the income tax benefit on additional employment provided the
employee. This applies for the employee who has worked for 150 days and not 240 days as mandated
earlier.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its ex-post facto approval
for amendments to the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 by introducing the Maternity Benefit
(Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Parliament. The amendments include increasing maternity leave from 12
weeks to 26 weeks for two surviving children and 12 weeks for more than two children, 12 weeks
maternity leave to a Commissioning mother and Adopting mother.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
gave its nod for a proposal of R&D project for development of Advanced Ultra Super Critical
(AUSC) Technology for thermal power projects with an estimated cost of Rs 1,554 crore
After Odisha State Cabinet has given nod for the Odisha Official Language Rules- 2016, to frame
rules for proper implementation of the Odisha Official Language Act-1954 that came the came to the
force with immediate effect.
Nagaland has announced the decision to conducts polls to Urban Local Bodies (ULB) by
granting 33% women reservation. It was announced by the chief Minister TR Zeliang on the state
level Watershed Conference held in Kohima.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) headed by Shri M. Venkaiah
Naidu approved construction of 37,013 houses for the urban poor in Karnataka and Haryana with
central assistance of Rs 569 crore.
From the next fiscal, the 92-year-old practice of presenting a separate Rail Budget is set to come to
an end as the Finance Ministry accepted to Railway Minister Suresh Prabhus proposal for merging it
with the General Budget.
Assam Assembly passed the Assam Amusements and Betting Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2016. This bill
will reduce the service charge of cinema tickets with an aim to give a fillip to the local film industry
but, government raised the entertainment tax on cinema tickets by up to ten percentile points
70th Independence Day August 15, 2016,-----Marking the Independence Day, Nehru Yuva Kendra
Sangathan organized a candle-light TIRANGA MARCH in 100 prominent District Headquarters
of several States/ UTs.
A week-long Colors of Independence campaign has been launched by the Jute Corporation of
India JCI marking the 70th Independence Day of India.
Goa Tourism presents an exclusive bike rally called Freedom Ride, which held on 15 August
2016. The Rally will be very enjoyable and give bikers an experience of Goa while
exploring its treasures packed with churches, rivers, beaches, temples, villages and much more.
Independence Day Film Festival unveiled by M Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi
Union Urban Development Minister, M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the Independence Day Film
Festival in Delhis Siri Fort Auditorium.
M Venkaiah Naidu Unveils Tiranga Yatra Indian Independence Day Theme Song
As part of Independent Day celebrations, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar inaugurated Bharat
Parv festival at India Gate lawns and the inauguration ceremony of the festival, which will conclude
on August 18, is also attended by Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Mahesh Sharma.
A commemorative postage stamp on Tourism in Indiaon the occasion of 70th Independence Day has
been released by the Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha.
On the occasion of the 70th Indian Independence Day, a total of 948 central and state forces police
personnel were awarded gallantry and other service medals.
Havildar Hangpan Dada honored with Ashok Chakra posthumously
Among the above stated award distributing ceremony, Telangana State has received the highest
number of gallantry medals for police personnel in the country on the eve of Independence Day and
it is noted that it was the only State unit to secure the Presidents police medal for gallantry (PPMG).
174 | P a g e
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces 20% hike in freedom fighters pension
On a final breath, Odia will be used as the official language in all transactions of the Odisha
government from August 16, 2016. According to the amendment of the Orissa Official Language Act
1954, all government letters, files will be carried in Odia language.
The renewed relationship between Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and the National Democratic
Alliance (NDA) was evident once again, when the Bihar assembly ratified the Constitution
amendment bill needed to roll out the proposed goods and services tax (GST).
The Jharkhand Assembly passed the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill and became the third state
to ratify the bill after Assam and Bihar on august 17.
India and Bangladesh jointly set to produce a documentary on the 1971 War of Independence of
Bangladesh to mark the 100th birth anniversary of its Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman in 2020.
AIR- Radio Service (Akashvani Maitree):
It is decided after the meeting that All India Radio would be launch service for Bangladesh and
The Quota bound Gujarat comes with another news that its High Court partly quashed a government
ordinance abolishing all NRI quota in colleges offering medical courses offered in the state.
The central government has allowed online authentication using Aadhar for new mobile
connections. The guidelines for Aadhaar Electronic-Know Your Customer e-KYC, were issued to
make the online process of application and authentication faster and simpler for subscribers.
In response to an appeal by the African nation for help to deal with severe drought caused by El Nino
phenomenon, India has provided an aid of USD one million to Zimbabwe.
Gujarat state Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has approved to implement the 7th pay
commission recommendations at a meeting in Gandhinagar.
Mental Health Care Bill, a bill which seeks to decriminalise suicide and provide better healthcare for
people suffering from mental illness was passed by the Rajya Sabha.
Maharashtra government has launched the Quit India Movement 2 against various social ills, the
launch is in line with commemorating the Platinum Jubilee anniversary of the Quit India Movement
at the historic August Kranti Maidan inMumbai
India Bangladesh signed a short-term route agreement to allow transport of petroleum goods
from Assam to Tripura through Bangladesh due to the heavy monsoon damaged roads and made the
transportation between the two states difficult.
Maharashtra government has launched the countrys first comprehensive Crime Criminal Tracking
Network System CCTNS) on the eve off of the 70th Independence Day in Mumbai. The System was
unveiled by the state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on launching he also pledged good
governance in the state.
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) have approved a wage hike along with a hike in
Market Development Assistance.
The Union Woman and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi inaugurated The Animal Birth
Control Centre at Kedarpuram Uttarakhand. The centre was developed at a cost about 1.5 crore.
Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) is set launch a service in which commuters will be able to pay
bus fares using their metro smart card from October. The Service will run on a trial mode on this
ambitious project.
The famous Sreekrishna temple in Guruvayur has been included in the Union Tourism Ministrys
Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality Augmentation Drive(PRASAD).
India has pledged financial aid worth Nepali Rs 39.97 million for the construction of a new building
and a hostel facility at a Sanskrit school in eastern Nepal.
A study conducted by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India has found that child
sex ratio i.e number of girls per 1,000 boys is all set to fall drastically to a little over 800 by 2021
census. In India, the Child Sex Ratio is defined as the number of females per thousand males in the
age group 06 years in a human population.
175 | P a g e
The worlds largest bloc of Muslim countries Organisation of Islamic Cooperation have expressed
concern over alleged human rights violations in Kashmir. The valley has seen month long clashes
between Protesters and police.
Maharashtra government has enacted a stringent law Maharashtra Protection of Internal Security
Act to deal with the challenges of terrorism, insurgency, communalism and caste violence.
MPISA -Maharashtra Protection of Internal Security Act
The Chhattisgarh and Gujarat state Assembly passed the Goods and Service Tax (GST) Constitution
Amendment Bill, becoming the fifth and sixth state to pass the bill respectively. These states ratify
GST bill after Himachal Pradesh.
The Indian Air Force is set to build new Aerospace Museum in New Delhi, focusing to showcase and
to create awareness in general public about Indias rich Aerospace heritage.
Indias Food Regulator FSSAI organised a function commemorate 10 years of the enactment of Food
Safety and Standard Act (FSSAI Act) on August 23rd 2016 in New Delhi.
The Odisha state cabinet headed by chief minister Naveen Patnaik approved the Odisha startup
policy to promote entrepreneurship among youths. The policy envisages ushering in an innovative
start-up ecosystem through creation of world class incubation centres, funding and supporting
incentives structure at par with other states.
Indian Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu
commissioned a new railway line between Nandyala and Yerraguntla in the presence of Union Urban
Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu. This railway line described as the dream of (late Prime
Minister) PV Narasimha Rao.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for
introduction of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016 on August 24, 2016.
After Goa and Delhi, Telangana has become the third state to inaugurate south Indias first
Childrens Court was inaugurated in Hyderabad.
The President is on a three-day visit to West Bengal which he concluded on 24 August 2016.
President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated a mega food park at Murshidabad and to attend the
convocation of Management Development Institute in Murshidabad at Jangipur.
The Madhya Pradesh and Delhi Assembly ratified the Goods and Service Tax (GST) Constitution
Amendment Bill, With this MP and Delhi became the seventh and eighth State to ratify the historic
tax amendment bill. The AAP led Delhi become the third non-BJP-ruled state and overall the
eighth to clear the proposed tax regime after Bihar and Himachal to ratify the bill.
Union Labour Ministry signed Memorandam of understanding (MoUs) with companies such as job
portals Indeed, First Job and HT Shine to enhance the quality and reach of its employment generation
services.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval to
proposal for dissolution of Central Inland Water Transport Corporation Limited (CIWTC).
Jharkhand became the first state in the country to have implemented Public Fund Management
System (PFMS).
The Ministry of Home Affairs had constituted a Committee under Shri Madhukar Gupta, Retd.
Home Secretary for strengthening border protection and addressing the issue of gaps and
vulnerability in border fencing along Indo-Pakistan Border.
An Expert committee of seven-members under the chairmanship of Shri T V S N Prasad, Joint
Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs for exploring the other possible alternatives to Pellet Guns as
Non-lethal Weapons submitted its report to the Union Home Secretary Shri Rajiv Mehrishi here
today
The Minister of Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu signed a deal with popular comic book series
Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) to bring out a comic book on the Swachh Bharat Mission
A MoU was signed between Goa Government and Google India to promote digital literacy, develop
internet safety education for students, and promote android development and
makegovernment websites mobile friendly.
176 | P a g e
Goa becomes the 15 th state to sign the legislation, the Goa CM Laxmikant Parsekar underlined that
it would help sectors like service and tourism, bringing in more revenue.
Gujarat becomes first state to distribute 2 crore LED bulbs under UJALA scheme
Indian President Pranab Mukherjee night re-promulgated an Ordinance to amend the Enemy
Property Act Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants Act of 1971 pending ratification by Rajya Sabha.
Newly elected Puducherry chief minister V Narayanasamy, who holds the finance portfolio,
presented a tax-free Rs 6,665 crore budget for the financial year 2016-17.
BJP led Maharashtra and Haryana government has ratified the Tax reform bound GST Constitution
(122nd) Amendment Bill 2016 in a move that makes tenth and eleventh states to pass the bill after a
debate in their respective State Assemblies.
Union Human Resource Development MinisterPrakash Javdekar formally launched IIT
Dharwad chapter in Dharwad in Karnataka. Indian Institute of Technology Dharwad (IIT Dharwad)
is an autonomous premier engineering and technology university located in Dharwad.
Indian Navy has set-up a high level committee to find out the extent of Scorpene submarine data leak
and the damage to the Navy. The committee will be headed by Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Admiral
Ashok Kumar
West Bengal Legislative Assembly (WBLA) passed a resolution in favor of changing the name of the
state from West Bengal to Bangla. The resolution was passed during the special session of the House
which was convened exclusively for the purpose of changing the name of the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of SAUNI Saurashtra Narmada
Avataran for Irrigation Project at Sanosara village near Dhroll in Gujarats Jamnagar district. Under
the project, nearly 10 dams and reservoirs of Rajkot, Jamnagar and Morbi, would be filled up with
the water of Narmada River.
Myanmar President Htin Kyaw visit to India
Following the invitation of Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw
and his wife Daw Su Su Lwin made a State Visit made to India.
Four pacts signed :-
India and Myanmar signed four pacts in the field of infrastructure development and for the
cooperation in renewable energy. They are as follows,
1. Agreement I Construction of 69 bridges on the Tamu-Kalewa section of the trilateral
highway connecting India, Myanmar and Thailand.
2. Agreement II Upgrading the Kalewa-Yargi section of the trilateral highway.
3. Agreement III Cooperation in the field of renewable energy,
4. Agreement IV cooperation in the field of traditional medicines.
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda launched the Mera Aspataal (my hospital)
initiative. This move seeks to empower the patients by seeking their views on quality of experience
in a public healthcare facility.
The Haryana Vidhan Shabha has unanimously passed the Haryana Sports Council Bill, 2016 to
constitute statutory sports councils at state, district, block and municipal levels. The Bill was tabled
by the state Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Anil Vij. The bill was passed after a long debate that
also seen adjournment of house.
The Telangana and Mizoram State Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution of Constitutional
Amendment Bill on 30 August 2016.
On the 55th All India Wheat & Barley Research Workers meet which concluded in Hissar Haryana.
Agriculture scientists revealed that eight varieties of wheat and one of barley have been identified
across the country.
The government is all set to announce an Rs 2,000 crore package for displaced people
of Pakistan occupied Kashmir living in India amid Prime Minister Narendra Modis approaches to
people of PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan.
Indias first Electropreneur Park is inaugurated by the Minister for Electronics and Information
Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad at Delhi University.
177 | P a g e
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has unveiled a detailed plan for the Mumbai-Nagpur Super
Communication Expressway, a 706-km link that seeks to connect 24 districts and improve access
from rural communities in the east to commercial hubs in the west.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley suggested creation of a task force of experts and officials to deliberate
on the challenges in international arbitration in the BRICS countries and put in place institutional
mechanisms to establish arbitral centers in these nations.
Gujarat government is planning to set up Indias first textile university at Surat with an investment of
about Rs 800 crore. The ultimate aim of the university is to provide all kind of support including
technology, research and development (R&D), skilled manpower.
The 22nd edition of the Delhi Book Fair has kick started to promote literacy and higher education
among children and the youth at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.
The seventh edition of the Mountain Echoes Literary Festival 2016 Kicked off in the capital city of
the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan Thimbu on 26 August 2016.
Nagaland Assembly ratifies GST bill & Nagaland welcomes Childrens film festival. The state of
Nagaland also welcomes Childrens Film Society of India (CFSI), has been organised in Nagaland.
Titled CFSI Film Bonanza commenced on August 23. The Festival will last for a week.
Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has launched an online
complaint box named POCSO e-Box for reporting child sexual abuse in New Delhi on 26 August
2016.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis unveiled the State government plans to transform
1,000 villages with the help of corporate sector, and the civil society over the next few years.
PLACES IN NEWS
The Tamil Nadu State Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution asking the union government
to rename it as the High Court of Tamil Nadu. The Decision from the state is against the centre, as it
proposed High court of Chennai is been passed by the assembly.
The UP Police launched Operation Vishwas in Lucknow following a slew of rape cases, including
the horrific Bulandshahr gangrape, on 5 August. The month-long operation will run in 10cities
including Lucknow.
Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister, Prakash Javadekar inaugurated the Indian
Institute of Technology transit campus in Jammu. In the inauguration function the Minister
earmarked Rs 100 crore for NIT, Srinagar under a special plan this year to facilitate research and
development.
Union Minister of Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) Prakash
Javadekar inaugurated Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Raipur at the campus of Chhattisgarh -
Government Engineering College. The IIT Bhilai is the first IIT in Chhattisgarh and 23rd in India. It
is being mentored by IIT Hyderabad.
The12-day long Krishna Pushkaralu festival that comes once in every 12 years, begins at the Krishna
River in Vijayawada, The twin Telugu states made all the Precautionary measures to avoid any
mishap.
A first-of-its-kind, Initiative for a touch and feel garden for the visually impaired people in the
country was inaugurated in the premises of Calicut University.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal inaugurated the Punjabs first Sewa Kendra in order to
provide efficient and transparent governance to the people at their doorsteps, where people will be
able to avail 243 services under one roof.
Akhilesh Yadav led cabinet meeting of Uttar Pradesh government approved a Metro Rail project for
Allahabad on August 17. This metro trainWork is already underway on the Metro Rail in Lucknow
and the Detailed Project Report for Varanasi and Kanpur have already been approved Akhilesh
Yadav.
Vasundhara Raje led BJP government in the Rajasthan becomes the first state in the country to give
nod to sewage and waste water policy. This is the first of its kind policy.
178 | P a g e
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated the India International Footwear Fair (IIFF) on August 5
in New Delhi. The quantum of business generated from the fair was Rs 1,200 crore. However, we
expect business to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore to be generated this year.
Assam has become the first state to ratify Constitution Amendment Bill related to the Goods and
Services Tax (GST), following its passage by both houses of Parliament.
The Two day long first technology meet under the targets of the ambitious Hydrocarbon Vision
2030 for Northeast India started in Guwahati Assam.
The four day long Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF) Summit 2016 conducted in Bali,
Indonesia with cream of experts to collectively develop regional solutions to critical terrorism
financing issues and risks.
A three-member Parliamentary delegation attended the first SAARC Young Parliamentarians
Conference (YPC) on `Peace and Harmony for Development which held from August 16 to 18 in
Islamabad, Pakisthan.
In recognizing the Indian development, World Economic Forum(WEF), will host its
annual India Economic Summit at New Delhi on October 6-7. This summit is expected to attend by
over 500 business and political leaders including top policymakers and CEOs.
AAI to host a Global Conference on Aluminum in Bubhaneshwar in February, 2017.
The first National Conference of Investigation Agencies was held on 12-13 August, 2016, at Vigyan
Bhawan in New Delhi. It is jointly organized by the Bureau of Police Research and Development
(BPR&D) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India.
The 7th meeting of SAARC Immigration Authorities was held in Islamabad, Pakistanon August 2.
The meeting was chaired by Pakistans Director General Immigration and Passports Usman A.
Bajwa.
The two-day meeting of the BRICS Womens Parliamentarian Forum was begun in Jaipur on August
20, in which 42 delegates from member countries participated.
A two-day conference of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Finance
Ministers has been kicked off in Islamabad.
Union minister of state for home Shri Kiren Rijiju inaugurates the BRICS meeting on Disaster Risk
Reduction in Udaipur.
India hosted the three-day(August 29-31,2016) Eighth meeting of SAARCSTAT and delegates from
SAARC Member States and other international organizations viz., FAO, PARIS 21, and ADB
attended the Meet.Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation, Shri. D.V. Sadananda
Gowda inaugurated the 8th Meeting of Heads of SAARC Statistical Organizations (SAARCSTAT) in
New Delhi. The theme of this Meeting is Trade Statistics Merchandise & Services.
East Asian nation China in the Qinghai province has commissioned its first solar thermal power plant
with the capacity of 10 megawatt which is the third such power plant in the world has been
commissioned
The first Asian Science and Technology (S&T) Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR
2016-DRR) was organised by United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Regional Office
for Asia and Pacific (UNISDR AP)held at Bangkok in Thailand.
The 19th Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit will be held in
Islamabad on 9 and 10 November.
The Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-VI) was held from 27
to 28 August 2016 in Nairobi, Kenya. The Office of the Special Advider on Africa (OSAA) is
currently working closely with all the other TICAD co-organizers and the Government of Kenya
towards a successful organization of the momentous TICAD-VI Summit.
179 | P a g e
INTEANTAIONAL AFFAIRS
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe committed to provide $30 billion as public and private support
for infrastructure development, education and healthcare expansion in the African Continent.
The United States and India signed LEMOA(Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement)
governing the use of each others land, air and naval bases for repair and resupply. This is considered
as a step toward building defense ties in order to counter the growing maritime assertiveness of
China.
Turkey has launched a major military intervention in Syria as a part of Operation Euphrates, sending
tanks and warplanes across the border in a coordinated campaign with Syrian opposition fighters,
who seized an Islamic State-held village in the area in the first hours of fighting.
With a new study published in the Lancet Psychiatry journal declared a proposal that would remove
the decades-old assignment, World Health Organization is making the move to declassify
transgender identity as a mental disorder on its international list of medical conditions. A study led
by the National Institute of Psychiatry in Mexico suggested that transgender people struggled to
access health care services due to this classification.
Nepal Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda is all set to become the Prime Minister of
Nepal for the second time as he filed his nomination.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe unveiled a new economic stimulus package worth more
than $275 billion in order to get the conking economy back to form.
Keralas classical Indian dance Kaathakali has been performed by troupe (group of dancers) that
wooed the audience during its performances in different cities of Egypt for the first time.
Worlds longest hunger strike ended on August 9 when Irom Chanu Sharmila ended her 16-year-long
fast. Manipurs Iron Lady Irom Chanu Sharmila was on a hunger strike for 5757 days and was
being force-fed through a nasal tube to keep her alive at a prison-turned-hospital in Imphal.
Russian President Vladimir after meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Saint Petersburg
has agreed to work toward restoring full relations with Turkey and also added that rebuilding trade
ties will be time consuming.
Brazil launched the first public immunization programme in the Americas against dengue fever,
where 500,000 people to be injected with the worlds first authorized vaccine against the disease.
The 430-metre long and six metre wide Glass Bridge set to be the worlds longest and highest glass
bridge will open to visitors in Hunan province of China. Besides it set 10 world records spanning its
design and construction.
United Kingdom Ministers approved the second phase of the worlds biggest offshore wind farm.
Hornsea Project Two will include 300 turbines spread across 300 square miles, 55 miles off the cost
of England in the North Sea.
RANKING & REPORTS
World Population to hit 9.9 Billion in 2050, PRB report says

Rate of Growth :-
As per the expected rate of growth, the expected population of the top populous countries in 2050 as
follows:-
1. India 1,708 Million (1,329 in 2016)
2. China 1,344 Million (1,378 in 2016)
3. US 398 Million (324 in 2016)
According to Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, (CIMA), India ranks third in the
world in implementing robotic automation in their core business processes.CIMA is an UK based
organization that conducted the global survey across European, African and Asian countries.
Forbes comes up with a list of Americas top wealth advisors with 200 members altogether manage
USD 675 billion with four Indian-origin persons as a part of the list.
180 | P a g e
1 Conn.-based Jeff Erdmann of Merrill

2 Manhattan-based Morgan Stanleys Brian Pfeifler
3 UBS Christopher Errico.
Verisk Maplecroft has released a list of countries for the business opportunities based on the civil
unrest and peace prevalence in the countries called the Civil Unrest Index.
Rank Country Civil Unrest Status
1 Syria Extreme Civil Unrest
2 Yemen Extreme Civil Unrest
3 Libya Extreme Civil Unrest
4 India Extreme Civil Unrest
According to the latest Bloomberg Misery Index which combines the inflation and unemployment
rates in 74 countries, Singapore is the second happiest place in the world. The is topped Thailand
followed by Singapore
India became the largest, most popular general reference work on the Internet, and among the top 10
most-visited sites in the world.
Forbes has released its first ever list of the 100 richest people in the technology field. This list is as
usually dominated by Americans with Microsoft founder Bill Gates at the top. Two Indian tech
tycoons, Wipro chairman Azim Premji and HCL co-founder Shiv Nadar bagged their spots in this
prestigious list.
The 100 Richest Tech Billionaires In The World 2016 list has been topped by Microsoft founder
Bill Gates with an estimated fortune of USD 78 billion. Azim Premji ranks 13th on the list with a
networth of USD 16 billion and Shiv Nadar comes in on the 17th spot with USD 11.6 billion of net
worth. The list is topped by Bill Gates.
According to the rankings released by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual
Property Organization (WIPO), India climbed 15 spots, from 81 last year, to 66 in the Global
Innovation Index (GII) and maintained the top spot in the Central and South Asia regions. The list is
topped by Switzerland. India, 66th is the top-ranked economy in Central and Southern Asia.
The Global Liveability Ranking, released by The Economist declared Australias Melbourne city as
the worlds most liveable city for the sixth consecutive year.
The W20: The 20 Wealthiest Countries in the World report by Johannesburg-based The New
World Wealth, India is ranked 7th among the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of private
wealth held by individuals. The list is topped by USA.
According to a report made by ASSOCHAM, India is home to the third largest number of
technology-driven start-ups in the world, following the US and the UK occupying the top two
positions.
Forbes magazine ranked out the worlds highest paid actresses and Hunger games star Jennifer
Lawrence has topped the list for the second time in a row. Indian star Deepika Padukone is also
among the top 10 highest-paid actresses in the world.
Rank Actress Earning in Million $

1 Jennifer Lawrence 46
2 Mellissa Mccarthy 33
3 Scarlett Johansson 25
BANKING & FINANCE
SBI unveiled a new cheaper home loan scheme for defense and other government employees. New
Housing Loans:-
SBI Privilege Home Loan government employees,
SBI Shaurya Home Loan defence personnel.
The government employees are relaxed with installment tenure extending up to 75 years of age and
lower EMI burden post retirement and 0.05 percent concession over the home loan interest.
181 | P a g e
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked to grand loans to Women Self-Help Group (SHG)up to Rs 3
lakh at 7 per cent interest rate per annum. The Revised Scheme comes from RBI after it god
approval from Rural Development Ministry.
The Finance Ministry led by Arun Jaitley has set up a committee to consider incentives such as cash
back schemes and tax rebates for promoting card and digital payments in a step towards discouraging
cash transactions.
Mangaluru based Karnataka Bank has come up with a mobile application named KBL-
SMARTz built on the unified payments interface (UPI) platform of the National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI).
The World Bank has announced a funding of Rs 980 crore to dredge the Brahmaputra as an initiative
to develop waterways to Bangladesh and to other South East Asian countries which is give fillip to
trade and industry in the Area.
Market Watchdog Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has lined up wide-ranging
relaxations to its norms for REITs and InvITs and an easier set of listing rules for startups. SEBI will
consider these regulations in its board meeting next month.
Qatar based Doha Bank has opened a branch, the Keralas Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan
inaugurated the branch at Lulu International Shopping Mall in Edapally.
Reserve Bank of India predicts India to clock at 7.6 per cent in 2016-17 in the wake of near-term
growth outlook for India seems brighter than last fiscal.
Mumbai based National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) with 26 Bharat Bill Payment
Operating Units (BBPOUs) launched the pilot project for Bharat Bill Payment System(BBPS).
Indian non-banking financial institution PTC India Financial Services (PFS) has tied up with banks
to provide loans to companies working on renewable energy (RE) Generation.
Bangalore based Canara Bank has launched Unified Payment Interface [UPI] App named
empower, at its board of directors meet held at Bengaluru.
Mumbai based private sector bank Yes Bank has launched Yes Pay, a digital wallet which does not
require that both the transacting parties be registered on it.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned a loan of Rs
204.67 crore under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) for rural infrastructure in
Haryana.
Raghuram Rajan released the consolidated norms of On-Tap Licensing process to enact reform in the
Banking Industry
Tata Capita Housing Limited announced a Comprehensive Housing finance scheme called Prapti
with an attractive 4% interest rate for people earning less than Rs 6 lakh a year. The Scheme
categorizes two group upon their annual income.viz
1.People earning Rs 3 lakh to Rs 6 lakh a year are recognised as low income group
2.People earning less than Rs 3 lakh are considered as economically weaker segment.
Indias largest private sector bank, ICICI Bank reduces its Marginal Cost Lending Rate by 0.05% to
8.90 from previously 8.95%.
Markets Watchdog SEBI unveiled its first phase of its new enterprise portal to offer timely
dissemination of information to all its stakeholders be it internal or external.
Vadodara headquartered Public Sector lender Bank of Baroda has entered into partnership with a
fintech start-up Fisdom for personal wealth management services. The lender also entered into pact
with six other fintech companies.
Indias largest private banking lendor, ICICI banks teamsup with US based Apollo India Credit
Opportunity Management LLC to launch an asset reconstruction company (ARC).
Reserve Bank of India slapped penalty of five lakh each on two cooperative banks based in
Chhattisgarh under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. The two banks namely,
1.Zila Sahakari Kendriya Bank Maryadit, Raipur
2.Raipur Urban Mercantile Cooperative Bank Limited
The Reserve Bank of India has launched a website sachet.rbi.org.in in a bid to curb illegal and
182 | P a g e
unauthorized pooling of funds by unscrupulous firms. It was launched by RBI Governor Raghuram
Rajan.
Reserve Bank has constituted a panel to study the various facets of household finance in India and to
benchmark Indias position visav is both in other major world markets and advanced economies. The
panel headed by Financial Economics Professor Tarun Ramadorai at Oxford University.
In a pilot basis, Corporation bank has launched group credit life insurance scheme in Mangalore on
August 4. This move attributes to increase the insurance cover of the growing population and also
strengthen its borrowing community.
The Union government have come with the notification that tabled in the Lok Sabhaintends 4 per
cent inflation with the tolerance of 2 percent () for the next five years till March 31, 2021
Mumbai based Private sector lender Axis Bankhas announced tie up with the Mobile recharging
platform Freecharge and also said the bank is ready with Unified Payments Interface (UPI) app. The
Application powered by UPI architecture called Axis Pay App can be used by any other banks
customer also would make the transactions easier.
Japan has recorded the largest current account surplus in the first half of 2016 that quantify the
international trade of goods, services and investments in and out marked a surplus of 10.63 trillion
yen ($104 billion) in the duration which is up 31.3 per cent from a year earlier.
As expected The Reserve of India (RBI) in its third bi-monthly monetary policy review kept the repo
rate unchanged at 6.50 per cent citing upside risk to March 2017 inflation target.
The boards of HDFC and Max Financials groups have given their nod to merge their respective life
insurance entities. This will pave the way for more consolidation in the life insurance space.
Market Regulator SEBI has stated that Ponzi schemes do not fall under the regulatory purview of
SEBI, such schemes were banned under the Prize Chit and Money Circulation (Banning) Act,
1978 and the State government concerned is the enforcement agency and responsible to protect
investors.
The Union Government has announced that the Non-Performing Assets (NPA) of commercial banks
have increased by around 4% in the from March 2015 to March 2016.
The National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rural
Infrastructure Development fund of Rs 26.06 crore to the state of Punjab also upon this the total
grand stood at Rs 7,826.17 crore so far.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launched an online finance facilitation portal for the micro, small and
medium enterpris (MSMEs) to facilitate ease of doing business at New Delhi.
RBI has come up with a Draft Circular for public comments on Limited Liability for customers in
case of frauds in Internet Banking and Card transactions. RBI has also proposed zero liability on the
customer if the loss is reported within three working days even if the cause is not directly linked to
deficiency on the part of the lender and the fault lies elsewhere in the system.
Limited Liability of a Customer:
Time taken to report the fraudulent transaction from Customers liability ( )
the date of receiving the communication
Within 3 working days Zero liability
Within 4 7 working days of receiving the The transaction value or 5
-,
communication whichever is lower
Beyond 7 working days of receiving the As per banks Board approved
communication policy
Indias largest public sector bank, State bank of India (SBI) and Korea Development Bank
(KDB) have signed an MOU to develop business synergies in the domains of corporate finance,
project finance and asset finance.
Syndicate Bank has adopted a large scale transformation program called Project Ananya that
focuses on improved customer service and offering latest indigital banking services.
183 | P a g e
Mumbai based Bombay Stock Exchange has got approval from the Corporate Affairs Ministry to
establish BSE International Exchange and BSE International Clearing Corporation at Gujarat
International Finance Tec-city (GIFT).
Mumbai based Private sector lender Kodak Mahindra Bank has tied up with the E- Commerce
Market Place Flipkart by expanding the Banks in-app shop, mStorewhich was used to book air
tickets, hotels and bus tickets.
Kochi Based leading private sector Lender South Indian Bank and Indias Largest lenderState Bank
of India has joined hands for their co-branded credit card for the South Indian Bank customers.
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) ties up with Union Bank of India to launch an USSD
based *99# mobile application for their customers.
Hyderabad based Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority(IRDAI) has imposed Rs 35
lakh fine on Bharti Axa General Insurance Co Ltd for violation related with an inspection finding
during December 2012 to March 2013.
The first National Association of Software and Services (Nasscom) warehouse has launched
at Rushikonda, Visakhapatnam. It is the 9th warehouse of NASSCOM.
Times of India Groups Times Internet in cooperation with Mortgage lender HDFC launched co-
branded debit cards. It will have a daily shopping limit of Rs 2.75 lakh and an ATM withdrawal
limit of Rs 1 lakh.
Insurance regulator PFRDA has substantially lowered the minimum annual contribution to Rs
1,000 to keep the account active in order to encourage more people to join the National Pension
System.
A joint-venture between S&P Dow Jones Indices and BSE, Asia Index launched a new index to
measure the performance of Collateralized Borrowing and Lending Obligation (CBLO) rate one of
most liquid rates in India.
Mumbai based Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed penalties on four cooperative banks for
violation of various norms. This 4 cooperative banks are
1.Cooperative City Bank, Guwahati Rs 5 lakh
2.Indapur Urban Cooperative Bank, Indapur Rs 2 lakh
3.Shri Dadasaheb Gajmal Cooperative Bank, Pachora Rs 1 lakh
4.Model Cooperative Urban Bank, Hyderabad Rs 1 lakh
Kerala based private sector lender, Federal Bank has tied up with MMTC for distribution of Indian
Gold Coins (IGC), the first-Ever national gold offering by the government.
Federal Bank announced its partnership with Chillr, a mobile banking application, to provide
cashless transactions. Chillr, Indias first and only multi-bank mobile application, allows users to
connect seamlessly with multiple bank accounts and manage all their banking needs on a single
platform, making money transfer between bank accounts easier, faster and safer than sending a text
message.
India Post Payments Bank has come into existence after it received certificate of incorporation from
the Registrar of Companies, setting the stage for the new bank to begin operations in 2017. The India
Post Payments Bank has received the Certificate of Incorporation from the Registrar of Companies,
Ministry of Corporate Affairs yesterday under the Companies Act 2013.
Leading Indian private banks namely HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and ICICI Bank along with their
Chinese peers China Construction Bank Corp (CCB), Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
(ICBC) and Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) occupy the top six slots among global banks on key
return ratios, namely return on equity (RoE) and return on assets (RoA).
In an attempt to create global size bank, the board of State Bank of India approved scheme of merger
of five associate banks and Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) with itself while protecting the interest o
the existing staff.
Indias largest Private Sector lender ICICI Bank has launched a payment service using a smartphone
keyboard named iMobile SmartKeys to make mobile payments easier. This solution was developed
by one of the winners of the banks app developing competition ICICI Appathon.
184 | P a g e
Andhra Bank government jointly with Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services has launched a three-
in-one online investment and trading platform christened AB eTrade which integrates savings
and demat accounts with online trading.
The government has selected four investment banks namely Nomura, SBI Caps, ICICI Securities and
IDBI Capital for the proposed share sale in HUDCO Housing & Urban Development Corporation
Limited. Also the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), the nodal
agency under the finance ministry that co-ordinates government disinvestment programme has
selected these four investment banks for the proposed share sale in HUDCO.
Indias foreign exchange reserves surged by USD 73.2 million to touch a life-time high of USD
365.82 billion in the week ended. It was surged by USD 253.6 million to touch USD 365.75 billion.
Mumbai based container port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port has signed an agreement with State Bank of
India and Development Bank of Singapore for External Commercial Borrowing to the tune of USD
400 Million under External Commercial Borrowings. It the first Major Port to finalize the terms of
ECB.
Indias premier container port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust has signed a pact with State Bank of
India and Singapores DBS for a loan of Rs 2,600 crore), to double its annual capacity.
Mahindra Asset Management Company has announced the launch of open ended scheme Mahindra
Mutual Fund Kar Bachat Yojana to generate long-term capital appreciation through a diversified
portfolio of equity and equity related securities.The Kar Bachat Yojana comes with a three year lock-
in period. The New Fund Offer would close on October 7 and will reopen for continuous sale and
repurchase from October 19, 2016.
Pune based motorcycle finance firm Bajaj Finance Limited has joined hands with India Post to
facilitate purchase of vehicles in Karnataka.
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has permitted foreign investment
through automatic route in other financial services, that are comes under regulators like Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) and State bank of India (SBI) and Pension Fund Regulatory and Development
Authority (PFRDA) or government agencies. At present regulations on Non-Banking Finance
Companies (NBFCs) stipulate that 100 per cent FDI through automatic route permitted for only 18
specified NBFC activities such as merchant banking, under writing, portfolio management services.
In the next move to clamp down on black money in the economy, the government is set to ban cash
transactions over Rs 3 lakh. The Rs 3 lakh-limit is aimed to ensure that transactions are made
using credit or debit cards, cheques or drafts which can be easily tracked.
American multinational banking firm Goldman Sachs says Indian economy is likely to grow 7.9 per
cent in this year 2016-17,growth in the current fiscal driven by better monsoon, government pay
hike, key reforms and FDI inflows.
Mumbai based retail payments organisation National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has
announced that customers of 21 banks can use Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for sending and
collecting money via a smart phone using a Virtual Payment Address (VPA) soon.
Private sector lender IndusInd Bank has tied up with IBM to use its Cloud commerce solutions to
transform customer engagements and enhance its cross-sell platforms.
BUSINESS
American Business Software maker Oracle India has joined with Indias largest lender State bank of
India to corporate citizenship collaboration and unveiled the D-Change programme to support
education and learning, womens empowerment and rural skills development.
Drug pricing regulator -National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has revised the ceiling
prices of drugs used for cancer, HIV, bacterial infections, anxiety and cardiac conditions by25% in
average under Drugs (Price Control) Amendment Order, 2016.
China has set up a state-owned aircraft engine maker with registered capital of 50 billion yuan ($7.5
billion). It is considered as the next step in the latest effort to develop home-grown, high-tech
businesses to compete in international markets.
185 | P a g e
The second 1,000 MW unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu
was connected to the grid for power supply.
E-rickshaws and E-cards are not required to get permission to ply on the roads as per the notification
issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Forbes has released a list of 100 The Worlds Most Innovative Companies. These 100 companies
ranked on the list are based on their creative disruption, potential for innovation and investor interest.
The List is topped by TESLA MOTORS INC. USA and Asian Paints is the highest-ranked Indian
company on the list, featuring on the list for the fourth time in a row.
Mumbai-based automobile maker Mahindra and Mahindra Limited has launched DiGiSENSE, an
integrated technology platform that connects cars, trucks, tractors and construction equipments for
cloud computing.
Snapdeal Owned e-commerce website Freecharge entered into partnership with Gurgaon based
payment gateway solution provider PayUbiz to tab online business.
Alibaba and Ant Financial Services made an agreement with AXA Insurance to engage in a global
strategic partnership to explore opportunities to distribute AXA Insurance products and services
through Alibabas global e-commerce platform.
State run Power major Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited has successfully commissioned 500 MW
thermal power unit in Marwa Power Station in Chhattisgarh. This is the second unit in the plant.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has entered into a Bilateral Advance Pricing Agreement
(APA) with the Indian subsidiary of a Japanese trading company. This is the first APA agreement
with a Japanese entity with rollback provision.
American tech majors IBM and Apple jointly launched a global development hub calledGarage for
iOS apps in Bengaluru to work with their Design locations in Atlanta, Chicago, Cupertino in the US
and Toronto in Canada.
Gujarat Industries Power Company (GIPCL) has signed pact with the Solar Energy Corporation of
India by power purchase agreements (PPAs) mode for solar power projects in Gujarat.
The medium 20-tonne transport aircraft that have been planned to replace the An-32s to be jointly
developed by India and Russia, seems uncertain as the delay persists.
The first-ever pizza vending Machine has been installed on the campus of Xavier University (XU) in
Ohio, USA that can hold seventy 12-inch pizzas and dispense in just three minutes.
State run Power major NTPC has entered into a collaboration with Australias Commonwealth
Scientific and Industrial Research in low emission technologies.
India imposed anti-dumping duty on certain hot-rolled steel products from six nations including
China and South Korea with an aim to guard domestic players from cheap imports. An anti-dumping
duty of USD 474-557 per tonne was imposed on hot-rolled flat products of alloy or non-alloy steel
import from China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Brazil and Indonesia.
American photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers Indian subsidiary First Solar Power India announced the
commercial operation of 80 MW and 50 MW as part of the 260 MW project portfolio solar power
plants in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Hindustan Copper Limited inaugurates Indias first facility as the first facility in India to produce
Nickel metal of LME grade from primary resource in Indian Copper Complex, Ghatsila, and
Jharkhand. It is the only unit in India to produce nickel metal of (London Metal Exchange) LME
grade.
Cab aggregator Ola has launched Ola Rentals which will simplify intra city travel with affordable
hourly packages on Ola Lux, Ola Prime Sedan & SUV vehicles as well as OLA mini.
Netherlands based IKEA who designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture appliances and home
accessories worldwide has laid the foundation in Hyderabad for its first store in India.
Dehradun based Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) has launched Rs 100-crore start-up
fund on its Diamond Jubilee year. The company started operations back in 1956. The initiative,
named ONGC Start-up which also in tune with governments flagship programme Start-up India to
foster, nurture and incubate new ideas related to oil and gas sector.
186 | P a g e
Pune based Primove Engineering Private Limited Commissioned Indias first Bio-CNG plant which
will use agricultural residue to generate CNG which in-turn can be an alternate fuel to the
Automobiles that run CNG.
State-run General Insurance Corporation of India in association with non-life insurance companies
unveiled the Nuclear Suppliers Insurance Policy (NSIP). It is first of its kind in India. The policy
was launched by Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman Sekhar Basu in Mumbai.
According to the study conducted by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry Indias exports are
better placed in terms of product diversification as the top ten export products account for 58 per
cent of the total export items accounted. India placed 19th place in the list of exporters with
merchandise exportsvalued at $262 billion.
The 100 MW project was commissioned using domestically manufactured cells and modules, thus
fitting in with the governments Make in India mission, and makes a huge addition to Tata Power
Solars PV portfolio in India.
Larsen & Toubro to be the implementation partner to make Nagpur as Smart city. It is the countrys
first large-scale integrated smart city. L&Ts business unit Smart World and Communication will
execute the project that entails laying of 1200 km of optical fiber network.
Reliance Brands, a part of Reliance Industries Group declared a long-term master franchise
agreement with Amsterdam-based fashion brand Scotch & Soda.
Chinese E-commerce giant Alibaba Group launched a book donation drive named Mission Million
Books in India, inviting people to donate textbooks and educational material to empower those who
are underprivileged. The initiative will last till September 16.
Gurugram-based companys e-commerce website AskMe has shut down and is in the process of
which resulted its 4000 odd staff in jobless.
State run PSU Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and Tech giant Microsoft India signed a memorandum
of understanding (MoU) to provide telecom & IT solutions for big businesses to leverage the domain
capability and strategic position in the Industry to garner more business.
Indias largest state-owned natural gas processing and distribution company GAIL Ltd signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with California-based Bloom Energy for developing natural
gas-based fuel cell power generation. The MoU was inked between GAIL chairman and managing
director B C Tripathi and Bloom Energy chief executive K R Sridhar.
Kolkata based Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) for promoting renewable
energy.

All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Award
West Bengal
2015
2016 PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grant Anita Gopalan
Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award Shubha Mudgal
Guinness World Record Om Swaroop Gowda, Karnataka
Topped in cleanliness ranking
Nellore Railway Station
South Central Railway zone
Guinness World Record for Most Robots Dancing
China Beer festival
Simultaneously
Goa Film Festival
N Chandra
Lifetime Achievement Award
2016 TCA Awards The People vs OJ Simpson
Maximum number of INSA Medals for Young Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Scientists
Prestigious ICMR Young Biomedical Scientist Dr Prashant Murumkar
Fellowship Award 2016-17
187 | P a g e
Honoured at UN M S Subbulakshmi
5 Medals for Young Scientists award 2016 Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Indian Council of Medicinal Research (ICMR)
Dr Prashant Murumkar
International Fellowship Award
First IEI-IEEE award G Satheesh Reddy
Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award at the Busan Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami
International Film Festival
FICCI award Telangana Aarogyasri Healthcare Trust
International Photography Hall of Fame Steve Jobs Apple Co-founder
Olympic Order IOA President - N. Ramachandran
Chevalier de lOrdre des Arts et Lettres Actor Kamal Haasan
Most Enterprising CEO in Electronics Sector SK Sharma Chairman, MD & CEO of BEL
Coat sold for 4.31 crores Guinness World record Prime Minister Narendra Modi Suit
Texas Womens Hall of Fame Dr Renu Khator First Indian
Tamil Ratna Award A.R. Rahman
25th Vyas Sammam award Sunita Jain
Lifetime achievement award Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma
Tamil Nadu Gov Award on Independence Day
A P J Abdul Kalam award Scientist P Shanmugam
Kalpana Chawla Award Jayanthi
Chief Ministers Best Practices Award Thanjavur District Collector N Subbaiyan and
Superintendent of Police Mayilvahanan.
Best Corporation Award Dindigul Corporation
Pattukottai Municipality (First Prize), Perambalur
Best Municipality
Municipality (second prize.)
The State Youth Award K Masha Nazeem in the womens category and P
Ruban Santhosh took in Mens
Tamil Nadu Municipal Administration and Rural
Award for solid waste management in rural areas Development Minister S P Velumani and Rural
Development, Principal Secretary, Hansraj Verma.
Indian Film Festival Melbourne 2016
Best Actor (Male) Nawazuddin Siddiqui for Raman Raghav 2.0
Best Actor (Female) Sonam Kapoor for Neerja
Best Indie Film Thithi
Best Film Award Kapoor & Sons
Diversity Award for Contribution in Indian Fawad Khan
Cinema
Indian Film Festival Excellence in Cinema
Rishi Kapoor
Award(lifetime achievement award)
Best Director ShakunBatra
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ranta 2016
Ms. P.V. Sindhu Badminton
Ms. Dipa Karmakar Gymnastics
Shri Jitu Rai Shooting
Ms. Sakshi Malik Wrestling
Dronacharya Awards 2016
Shri Nagapuri Ramesh Athletics
Shri Sagar Mal Dhayal Boxing
Shri Raj Kumar Sharma Cricket
Shri Bishweshwar Nandi Gymnastics
Shri S. Pradeep Kumar Swimming (Lifetime)
Shri Mahabir Singh Wrestling (Lifetime)
188 | P a g e
Arjuna Awards 2016

Shri Rajat Chauhan Archery
Ms. Lalita Babar Athletics
Shri Sourav Kothari Billiards & Snooker
Shri Shiva Thapa Boxing
Shri Ajinkya Rahane Cricket
Shri Subrata Paul Football
Ms. Rani Hockey
Shri Raghunath V.R. Hockey
Shri Gurpreet Singh Shooting
Ms. Apurvi Chandela Shooting
Shri Soumyajit Ghosh Table Tennis
Ms. Vinesh Wrestling
Shri Amit Kumar Wrestling
Shri Sandeep Singh Mann Para-Athletics
Shri Virender Singh Wrestling (Deaf)
Dhyan Chand Award 2015
Ms. Satti Geetha Athletics
Shri Sylvanus Dung Dung Hockey
Shri Rajendra Pralhad Shelke Rowing
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy Punjabi University, Patiala
Certificate of Honour
Sanskrit Prof. (Dr.) Janaki Prasad Dwivedi
Shri R.Venkatraman
Shri Viswanatha Gopala Krishna
Shri Jiya Lal Kamboj
Dr. Bhavendra Jha
Prof. Priyatam Chandra Shastri
Prof. Gurupad K.Hegde
Prof. S.T. Nagaraja
Shri Sanatan Mishra
Shri Sristi Lakshmi Prasannanjaneya Sarma
Prof. (Mrs.) Laxmi Sharma
Prof. Biswanath Bhattacharya
Prof. Ramnarayan Das
Dr. Ramshanker Awasthi
Shri Hridaya Ranjan Sharma
Sanskrit (International) Mr. Fernando Tola
Arabic Shri Abdul Musabbir Bhuiya
Shri Sayyad Asad Raza Hussaini
Shri Badr-E-Jamal Islahi
Persian Hkm. Syed Ghulam Mehdi Raz
Chowdhry Wahhaj Ahmad Ashraf
Moulvi H. Rehman Qabli
Pali Smt. Bela Bhattacharya
Prakrit Dr. Damodar Shastri
Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman
Sanskrit Dr. Mahanand Jha
Dr. Sundar Narayan Jha
Dr. G.S.V Dattatreya Murthy
Dr. Vishwanath Dhital
189 | P a g e
Dr. Shankar Rajaraman

Arabic Dr. Md. Qutbuddin
Persian Dr. Haseen Uz Zaman
Pali Dr. Ujjwal Kumar
Prakrit Dr. Yogesh Kumar Jain

Yousef Chahed New PM of Tunisia
Nita Ambani First Indian woman to be elected as IOC member
Bardish Chagger Canadas 1st Woman House Leader
Shri Vishvas Vidu Sapkal High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Kiribati
Sharmila Tagore, Arundhati Nag Members of Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC)
and Ira Bhaskar
Punit Misra Chief Executive Officer-- Zee Entertainment Enterprises
SN Subrahmanyan Larsen & Toubro chief
Mukesh Mehta President of bullion and jewellers body IJBA
Amit Chandra Non-Executive director of Tata Sons Board
Ashok Kumar Pradhan Chief General Manager of State Bank of Travancore
Usain Bolt Digicel Caribbean Ltd-- Chief Speed Officer (CSO)
Rattan Kapur New President of Automotive Component Manufacturers Association
of India (ACMA)
Lt Gen Bipin Rawat VCOAS of the Indian Army
Anandiben Patel (resigns) Gujarat chief minister
Air Marshal S Neelakantan. Southern Naval Command Chief
Justice Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale CJ of Allahabad HC
Dilip Rath Additional charge as the Chairman of NDDB National Dairy
Development Board
Ashish Vohra Reliance Life- CEO
Lt Gen P.M Hariz General Officer Commanding in Chief of Southern Command
Anant Maheshwari President of Microsoft India
Bhaskar Khulbe PM Narendra Modis Secretary
Angela Ruggiero Chair person for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) athletes
commission
Deepak Iyer Mondelez India managing director
Markandey Katju BCCI appointed to interact with Lodha Panel
Mr. D.K. Gayen East Central Railway gets its new General Manager
V.S. Achuthanandan Chairman of fourth Kerala Administrative Reforms Commission
Sudhansu Mani General Manager of ICF, Chennai
Abu Musab al-Barnawi Boko Haram new leader
Mr. Deepak Premnarayen TATA International Limited --NonExecutive Director
Vinao Rai (steps down) IDFC bank board
Anand Sinha IDFC Board as an independent director.
Rajesh Mokashi Credit Analysis and Research Ltd (CARE Ratings) MD & CEO
Michael Jopp. Mercedes Benz India as vice president, sales and marketing
190 | P a g e
Manish Tandon CSS corporarion- Chief Executive Officer

Ravindra Prabhakar Marathe CEO- Bank of Maharashtra.
P Kumaran Ambassador to the State of Qatar
PV Sindhu Brand ambassadorCRPF &honorary rank of Commandant
DeepikaPadukone Vistaras New Brand Ambassador
DeepikaPadukone Indian Psychiatric Societys new Brand Ambassador
Sakshi Malik Haryanas BetiBachao, BetiPadhao Campaign Brand Ambassador
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) on August 31 2016 announced that to acquire TEN Sports
Network its subsidiaries for $385 million from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEE).It was
announced by CEO of Sony Pictures Networks India NP Singh.
Mahindra Inter trade Ltd., a part of the Mahindra Partners Division of the $17.8 billion Mahindra
Group, and MSTC Ltd. (a Government of India enterprise) signed a formal joint venture agreement
to set-up Indias first-of-its-kind Greenfield auto shredding and recycling capability.
The US tech major Apple has announced the purchase of US based machine-learning startup Turi for
a reported $200m to boost artificial intelligence.
American technology major Intel Corporation has announced that it has acquired California-
based deep learning start-up Nervana Systems. The deal size but according to a Re/Code report, the
software giant is paying more than $400 million.
Tech Giant Microsofts Xbox Acquires seattle based Live Streaming Platform Beam
The Pune-based Tata AutoComp Systems, the Tata group-promoted auto component firm, is set to
acquire TitanX, a global engine-cooling solutions firm that caters to commercial vehicle
manufacturers.
MoUs
Andhra Pradesh government has inked a MoU with Japans Agriculture Ministry and Foresty and
Fisheries Dept to develop food chain value.
Rajasthan Govt. ties up with ITEC Dubai for the promotion of Tourism Sector in the State.
Chennai based Fifth Generation Technologies has entered into an agreement with Anna University,
Chennai, for conducting research to study about the remaining life of critical equipment that are
working in high temperature environments.
A MoU was signed between National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and Indian Oil Corporation
(IOC). This MoU helps in the establishment of STP in Mathura which will provide treated water for
industrial use.
The Union Railways Ministry, Gujarat state government and Surat Municipal Corporation went into
tri-party agreement to develop Surat station under the Public Private Partnership model.
The Ministry of Railways and the Chhattisgarh government have signed an agreement to form a joint
venture as said in the Union Railway Budget 2016 announcement.
Telangana Irrigation Department signed a MoU with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of
the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to avail Water Resources Information System
(TWRI) online with ISROs Bhuvan geo-platform to monitor the depth and quantity in all water
sources.
The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with IIT
Kanpur for developing tools for strengthening cybersecurity and advising the stock exchange on
current and future cyber related issues.
Mumbai based Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and SreeChitraTirunal Institute for Medical
Sciences& Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram mutually agreed to develop Deep Brain
Stimulator (DBS) by singing MoU in this regard.
191 | P a g e
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing
and ratification of an agreement between India and Croatia on Economic Cooperation.
Sri Lanka and China has entered into a tripartite agreement to go ahead with construction of a mega
multi-billion dollar port city project that initially began construction in September 2014 in capital
Colombo. The tripartite agreement was signed between Sri Lankas Urban Development Authority,
the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development and the China Harbour Engineering Company.
Moving a step closer to set up a portal to host all the data related to energy sector in the
country, NITI Aayog inked a pact with US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
India and Germany signed an agreement that aims to foster conditions that will help create and
improve workplace-based vocational training in Indias industrial clusters in order to deepen the
collaboration on skill development.
The Maharashtra State government, Civil Aviation Ministry and Airports Authority of India signed
a tri-partite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 23-August-2016 at Mumbai.
The Union cabinet approved an MoU with Myanmar for cooperation in the field of traditional
systems of medicine
The Union Cabinet led by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing
of an Agreement and the Protocol between the India and Cyprus for the Avoidance of Double
Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income.
Cabinet approves an agreement between India and Fiji in the field of Air Service to any point in the
island nation.
Union Cabinet approves an MoU between India and South Africa in the field of Grassroots
Innovation, as per this MoU, both countries will jointly organise various programmes such
as forums, seminars, workshops, and training on matters related to innovation.
Maharashtra and Telegana joins hand for three inter-state Irrigation Projects in Godavari River
Central Tool Room and Training Centre (CTTC), Bhubaneswar, has signed an agreement with ISRO
for technology transfer and a contract for supply of spacecraft component.
SCHEMES
Nitish Kumar-led Bihar Government is agreed to implement the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima
Yojana on an experimental basis in Kharif season with immediate effect.
Union Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Uma Bharti and
Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu launched Smart Ganga City Scheme in 10 cities
located along Ganga to set up Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and improve drainage.
Union Health Minister J P Nadda inaugurated the Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for
Treatment (AMRIT) outlet at Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi. It is the tenth AMRIT outlet centre.
The countrys first AMRIT outlet opened at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
Maharashtra renovated and re launched girl child development scheme as Majhi Kanya Bhagyashri
in order to achieve its objective of improving the skewed girl child ratio in the state.
Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar adopted Donja Village of Maharashtra under Sansad Adarsh Gram
Yojna
IIT-Kanpur has adopted five villages to restrict the flow of sewage into the river under the Namami
Gange programme . It will be done by the institutes civil engineering department
Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu Unveils Swachh Survekshan-2017 for 500
cities. He also launched Asli Tarakki campaign highlighting the need for construction of toilets.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched phase-1 of a flagship project of Telangana government
called Mission Bhagiratha, which is aimed at providing piped drinking water to every household in
the state.
Odisha State Government has launched a new scheme for elderly weavers in the state to mark the
National Handlooms Day. Named as Baristha Bunakar Sahayata Yojana, the scheme is aimed
at providing financial assistance to the elderly weavers in the state. Under this scheme the state
192 | P a g e
government would provide Rs 500 pension to the weavers, on the occasion of National Handloom
Day.
Odisha Cabinet accords in-principle approval to implementation of Kalinga Siksha Sathi Yojna that
will provide education loans at interest of just 1 percent per annum to the poor students.
Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar has approved a proposal of the State Transport department to
implement a new NCR Taxi Scheme 2016 in 13 districts of the state falling in the National Capital
Region.
Madhya Pradesh and Union territory Puducherry joined Centres Power deft revitalizing power
discoms UDAY scheme that will save the state Rs 17,515 crore and for the UT it is expected to be
around Rs.72 crore. With this Puducherry is the first union territory to formally join the scheme.
Also this marks the number of states/UT that have joined UDAY goes up to 16.
The Union Cabinet led by Narendra Modi approved the introduction of pension and post-retirement
medical schemes for the 22,000 existing employees of Food Corporation of India (FCI) as per the
guidelines of Department of Public Enterprise.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced a bunch of development projects and
schemes regarding the seven resolves adopted by his government for the next five years. On the
70th Independence Day, Nitish Kumar announcedthe launch of Student Credit Card scheme from
October 2 and this scheme promises Rs. four lakh interest free loan to students for pursuing higher
education.
Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma
Bharti launched various Projects on the Bank of Ganga worth Rs. 560 crore under Namami Gange
programme at Ganga Barrage in Kanpur.
COMMITTEES
Centre has constituted a high-level committee to examine enhancement of Constant Daily

Allowance that benefits retired employees with 100 per cent disability. The Committee would also
look into the fitment formula on revision of pension. The Committee chaired by Finance Secretary
and Secretary (Expenditure), and will have members from Secretaries of Home Affairs, Defence,
Posts, Health & Family Welfare, Personnel & Training and Chairman, Railway Board.
Union government has formed a committee to monitor and coordinate the development of
technology for indigenous manufacturing of electric and hybrid vehicles.
Union government is mulling to constitute a committee to review e-commerce rules on foreign direct
investment norms. The committee will be headed by the NITI Aayog CEO, Amitabh Kant, it will
have representatives from four states including Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Centre has constituted a National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF) to develop the pan-India
road map for trade facilitation. The Committee comprises inter ministerial body and will be headed
by Cabinet Secretary of India Pradeep Kumar Sinha on trade facilitation that will facilitate domestic
co-ordination and implementation of TFA provisions.
Central Board of Direct Taxes CBDT has constituted a new committee to review the existing
media policy for communicating the activities of the board and the income tax department to the
public. The nine-member committee has been created under Central Board of Direct Taxes member
Gopal Mukherjee and mandated to draft new set of guidelines for regulating the interaction of the
department with journalists and media organizations.
Rajya Sabha named 10 of its members to the Joint Committee of Parliament that will study on the
Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The members of the panel was chosen by a voice vote.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched a web portal of the Home department at the
Secretariat in Bhubaneswar.
193 | P a g e
American multinational technology company Yahoo has come up with the new online abuse detector
for detecting and eventually curbing rampant online abuse.
Union Communication Minster launches Twitter Sewa to address the Comman Man complaints and
needs and concerns of common man and other stake-holders in the telecom and postal sectors.
Chinas Sichuan University to perform worlds first genetic editing trial on humans aiming to cure
lung cancer. The university oncologists will inject cell that are modified using
the CRISPR (Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-Cas9 gene-editing technique
into the humans to perform the trial.
Indias first military heritage website, colours of glory.org was launched by Glory Foundation at
Chennai. A veteran of the 1971 Indo Pak war, city based Captain D.P.Ramachandran who is also the
executive trustee of the foundation declared the war heroes of South India held great significance to
the history of India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the new PMO app at a function organised by MyGov in
New Delhi and the app would correspond to the website of the Prime Ministers Office (PMO).
NASAs solar-powered Juno mission has successfully executed first of 36 orbital flybys of Jupiter
our solar systems most massive planet passing 4,200 kilometres above the planets clouds.
MIT scientists have discovered a new green and less expensive method to produce metals without
causing air pollution
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully tested its own scramjet engines from Satish
Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
Tech giant Microsoft has announced a new dedicated web form for reporting hate speech on its
hosted consumer services and a separate online form for petitions to reconsider and reinstate content.
State Health and Family Welfare Minister Kaul Singh Thakur mobile application for availing
ambulance services with the launch of 108 Mobile App.
Shri Ananth Kumar Stresses Upon The Need For Affordable Medicines; Launches Pharma Sahi
Daam Mobile App
China successfully launched the first satellite for mobile telecommunication named the Tiantong-
01 satellite at Southwestern Chinas Xichang Satellite Launch Center, with the Long March-3B
carrier rocket.
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research run CSIR-Central Food Technological
Research Institute Mysuru jointly with Bengaluru based Oleome Biosolutions and M/s Dairy
Classic Ice Creams Pvt. Ltd., has developed Nutrice Cream.
Japan researchers found a tremor known as an S wave microseism, using seismic equipment on land
and on the seafloor that usually detects the Earths crust crumbling during earthquakes.
Astronomers have found a galaxy as big as the Milky Way that consists almost entirely of dark
matter accounts 99.99 percent of the stuff in this galaxy that cant be seen.
Union Government unveils Indias first e-Market place for Online selling of goods and services by
Govt. Departments.
For the first time, Indian researchers have found that mice and rats exposed to endosulfan suffer
from DNA damage and genomic instability and impaired DNA damage response.
China launched a new high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar imaging satellite Gaofen-3 which
provides accurate pictures of earth with ability to photograph detailed scenarios of its specific areas.
Union Minister of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences, Harsh Vardhan
Launched I Feel Safe- A mobile application aimed at helping women ensure their safety in the
national capital was launched at Delhi University on August 10.
A team of Scientists form the Pune-based National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) have succeeded
in isolating cancer stem cells that cause skin cancer. The study results were published in the Journal
of Investigative Dermatology.
Googles video chatting app dubbed Duo, represents Googles response to other popular video
calling options, including Apples FaceTime, Microsofts Skype and Facebooks Messenger app.
China launched the worlds first quantum satellite, which will help it establish hack-proof
communications between space and the ground, which is the latest advance in an ambitious space
194 | P a g e
programme. Quantum communication encryption is a unique method of encoding the content of a

message.
Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal launched the process of tariff-based reverse auction in the
transmission sector and also inaugurated a portal for electronic bidding for transmission projects. The
Minister also launched Tarang mobile App, e-Trans and DEEP (Discovery of Efficient
Electricity Price) e-bidding web portals developed by Rural Electrification Corp which reverse
auction is being introduced in transmission sector on the lines of coal sector in order to facilitate
better price discovery in such projects.
The Indian Council of Historical Research will document stories and legends relating to villages and
towns across India into an encyclopedia.
Union Ministry of Mines launches web portal for star rating of major mineral mines which will
prompt miners to quickly adopt sustainable practices for a higher rating.
Scientists at the Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI) Bhavanagar, Gujarat
cracked the complete degrade three industrial dyes methyl orange, methylene blue and reactive
black-5 in the presence of sunlight.
Intel has unveiled a Virtual Reality headset to take on Oculus, HTC and Microsoft. This headset,
called Project Alloy, will offer mixed reality bridging the gap between VR headsets such as the
Oculus Rift and AR headsets such as the Microsoft Holo Lens, which projects holographic data onto
the wearers field of vision.
For the first time researchers were able to decode and predict the brain activity patterns of word
meanings within sentences which will help brain injury and stroke patients communicate better.
Chinese scientists have discovered a small molecule, XMU-MP-1 that can regenerate tissue. It can
promote repair and regeneration in the liver, intestines and skin.
For the first time scientists have developed laser from fluorescent jellyfish proteins that were grown
in bacteria.
An online library for persons with visual disabilities Sugamya Pustakalaya was launched by Ravi
Shankar Prasad, Minister for Law & Justice and Electronics & Information Technology at a function
organized by Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, on 24 Aug. 16 in New
Delhi.
China has launched its first Tibetan-language search engine which will serve as a unified portal for
all the Tibetan-language websites in China.
Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal launched a mobile app, Kisan Suvidha (farmers
service), in the state. The app developed by the Union governmentsagriculture department will
provide basic information on weather updates, crop prices and expert advice.
Astronomers have discovered an Earth-like planet that orbiting the star closest to our sun using
instruments such as the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) and the High Accuracy
Radial velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS).
Singapore based NuTonomy announced the first autonomous vehicles available for public hire in
Singapore starting on 25 August 2016.
DEFENCE
China has held its first comprehensive nuclear security emergency drill Code-named as Fengbao-
2016 to expand the nuclear power generation.
China has successfully tested its largest solid-fuel motor that can be used in heavy space rockets for
future deep space missions in the northwest city of Xian.
North Korea blasted off a ballistic Missile for the first time that landed in Japanese-controlled waters
posing a grave threat to the Japan. The tested ballistic missile was launched off the Norths east coast
that landed in Japan Sea after travelling about 1,000km.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman A S Kiran Kumar inaugurated the C Band
Polari metric Doppler Weather Radar to be installed in the southern states at the Vikram Sarabahi
Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. This is the first of its kind.
195 | P a g e
ENVIRONMENT
According to the study published in the journal BioScience, many mammoth animals will go extinct
by 2100.
Owing to a battering typhoon Nida people in the the region large areas of southern China are on
emergency alert in order to reduce the damage to life and properties in case of any natural hit.
Typhoon Nida brought Hong Kong to halt with high winds and rains and many schools, businesses
and transport services remained shut.
One of the worlds largest one-horned rhino horns was found in central Assams Nagaon treasury
during the ongoing verification of the horns in Assam.
The World Risk Report 2016, published by the UNU Institute for Environment and Human Security
(UNU-EHS) and Bundnis Entwicklung Hilft, analyses the role that infrastructure plays in shaping a
countrys disaster risk. India has been ranked 77th on the World Risk Index, topped by Island state of
Vanuatu.
US Government has created the worlds largest marine protected area by expanding an existing
ocean reserve off Hawaii to cover 582,578 square miles that will provide critical protections for more
than 7,000 marine species.
Legal protection has been provided to wild animals against hunting and commercial exploitation
under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
16 rare frog species and 3 snake species found in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered an ancient camping site dating 8500 BC in
Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, indicating humans were camping in thearea 10,500 years ago. The
site was found at an altitude of 14,000 feet on the way from Saser La to Ladakh in Nubra valley the
ASI team had a section work over there.
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has developed a simple, user friendly, quick and cost effective kit
for onsite determination of Cr (VI), which meets IS10500 as well as EPA criterion.
The worlds largest aircraft Airlander 10 has embarked on its maiden flight to the skies and applause
from crowds gathered at an airfield in Cardington England. The Aircraft was developed by United
Kingdom maker Hybrid Air Vehicles. Its successful flight comes 85 years after another airship the
ill-fated R101 took off in October 1930 from the same airfield before crashing in France.
Machli tigress known popularly as the Queen of Ranthambore perhaps Indias most iconic big cat
and the face of the countrys tiger conservation programme, died at Ranthambore National Park in
Rajasthan.
A Venus-like exoplanet GJ 1132b, located 39 light-years from Earth may have atmosphere with
oxygen but not life, even though it is being baked to a temperature of around 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a major finding, scientists have discovered a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, including a very complete
skull, vertebrae, ribs, hips and jaw bones, which they estimate to be about 20 per cent of the
dinosaur.
Scientists from have discovered Gymnothorax indicus, a new species of eel (a snake-like fish) in the
northern Bay of Bengal region along the West Bengal coast. It was discovered after it was collected
in a trawl net by fishermen in northern Bay of Bengal, about 70 km off the coast.
A team of scientists from Fauna and Flora International spotted a new group of critically endangered
primates in Vietnam. The Delacours langur also called Delacours lutung, black and white with a
full face of whiskers, is indigenous to Vietnam. It is named after French-American ornithologist Jean
Thodore Delacour.
SPORTS

2016 German Grand Prix of F1 Lewis Hamilton
Belgian Grand Prix 2016 title Nico Rosberg
196 | P a g e
Season 4 Pro Kabbadi League Patna Pirates defeating Jaipur Pink Panthers.
Coach of Cricket Australia Darren Lehman
World Karate Champion(Australia) VivekTeja
MRF Formula 1600 category VikashAnand
Bronze upgrade to silver for London Olympic Wrestler YogeshwarDutt
ICC bowler rankings First - England Speedster James Anderson
th
20 Commonwealth Chess championship Abhijeet Gupta
PSG Trophy in Basketball ONGC team beat the Tamil Nadu
64th Nehru Trophy KarichalChundan
Honorary life membership of the Marylebone VirenderSehwag
Cricket Club
Hilton Asian Tour Golfer of the Month for July, Thongchai Jaidee
2016
Gold medal in the 100-metre dash Mann Kaur from Chandigarh -100 year old
at the American Masters Games in Vancouver
Canada
ATP title 2016(Mexico)
Mens doubles pair DivijSharan and Purav Raja defeated Israeli-British pair
of Jonathan Erlich and Ken Skupski
Mens Singles Ivo Karlovi defeated SpainsFelicianoLpez,
Australian Open Crowns 2016
Mens Australian Open 2016 Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (Qatar) defeated Campbell
Grayson (New Zealand)
Womens Australian Open 2016 DipikaPallikalKarthik (India) defeated MayarHany
(Egypt)
Rio 2016 Olympics will be granded with 500 India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA)
gms Sovereign Gold Bonds and silver
Indian Railways announces cash awards for its The gold Medalist 1 crore
athlete who wins medal at Rio Olympics The silver medallist Rs 75 lakh
Bronze winner Rs 50 lakh.
Athletes who manages a top-8 finish Rs 30 lakh
For mere participation Rs 5 lakh.
IOA announces cash award for winning athlete 50 lakh - gold medal
in Rio Olympics Rs 30 lakh silver
Rs 20 lakh bronze
271 Russian athletes to compete in Rio Games 120 athlete, finally 118 athlete went for Rio Olympics
2016 Rogers Cup
Men singles Novak Djokovic defeated K. Nishikori
Women Singless S. Halep defeated M. Keys
Men Doubles I. Dodig and M. Melo defeated J. Murray and B. Soares
Women Doubles E. Makarova and E. Vesnina defeated S. Halep and M.
Niculescu
ICC Rankings
1 India
2 Pakistan
3 Australia
4 England
5 New Zealand
ICC Test rankings
Batsman Bowler
Position Nationality Name Name Nationality
1 Australia Steve Smith Dale Steyn South Africa
197 | P a g e
2 England Joe Root James Anderson England

3 New Zealand Kane Williamson Ravi Ashwin India
4 South Africa Hashim Amla Stuart Broad England
5 Pakisthan Younus Khan Rangana herath Sri Lanka
BWF Rankings
Rank Name
1 Carolina MARIN
2 Li Xuerui
3 Nozomi OKUHARA
4 Wang Yihan
5 Ratchanok INTANON
6 Wang Shixian
7 Tai Tzu Ying
8 Sung Ji Hyun
9 Saina NEHWAL
10 Pusarla V. Sindhu
Rio Medal Tally-2016
Country G S B Total
United States(1) 46 37 38 121
Great Britain(2) 27 23 17 67
China (3) 26 18 26 70
Russia (4) 19 18 19 56
Germany (5) 17 10 15 42
India (67) 0 1 1 2
Indias first medal at the Rio Olympics Sakshi Malik
bronze in the 58kg category
First Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal Pusarla Venkata Sindhu
in the Women Singles badminton Event
Dipa Karmakar First Indian to qualify for the apparatus finals of
artistic Gymnastics at the Rio 2016 Olympics
Womens doublestitle at Connecticut Open in the U.S Sania Mirza with Monica Niculescu of Romania
82nd All India Railway athletic Championship Western Railway
Task force formed by PM Modi To make various suggestions to the roadmap for the
next three quadrennial Games 2020 (Tokyo), 2024
and 2028
Indian Men Hockey Team slipped to sixth First Australia, Fifth Brazil
Retire from illustrious international career after Tillakaratne Dilshan
ongoing ODI series against Australia
Chairman of a five-member National Rifle AbhinavBindra
Association of India review committee to probe
the shooters dejected show in the Rio Games
Banned four-year by Court of Arbitration for NarsinghYadav
Sports following an appeal by WADA
Four South African cricketers have been banned for PumelelaMatshikwe, EthyMbhalati,
allegedly involving in fixing the matches GoolamBodi and Jean Symes
Banned a four-year by Court of Arbitration for NarsinghYadav
Sports following an appeal by WADA
Asian Tennis Tour 2016 Hos Bhutan
ISL 2016 Opening Ceremony Host - Guwahati
Kabaddi World Cup Host Gujarat
198 | P a g e
OBITUARY

Braj B Kachru Indian-American Professor USA
Gloria DeHaven Actor and singer USA
AhemdZewail Father of Femto Chemistry USA
Arthur Hiller Director and former Academy president USA
Joyce Carol Childrens author and champion of USA
multiculturalism
George Curry Journalist and publisher USA
Gene Wilder Star of comedy classics USA
SellapanRamanathan Former Singapore President Singapore
JooHavelange Former FIFA President Brazil
Chris Amon F1 legend New zealand
Bernard Farrelly Surfing champion Australia
Ignacio Padilla writer Mexico
Hanif Mohammad Former Cricket batsman Pakistan
Mahim Bora Assam litterateur India
JibanMaitra Politician Wes Bengal India
SankethKashi Kannada comedy actor India
Vietnam Veedu Sundaram Tamil Script writer and director India
KalikhoPul Former Arunachal Pradesh CM India
TKV Desikachar Son of Indian yoga master T India
Krishnamacharya
BarendraKrushna Dhal Odishas legendary Journalist and Columnist India
PanchuArunachalam Tamil writer and filmmaker India
Jyothi Lakshmi Tamil and Telugu actress India
SudhanshuBhusan Mishra Odisha chief secretary India
Pramukh Swami Founder of Akshardham temples and a saint of India
the Swaminarayan sect
Na Muthukumar Tamil lyricist-poet-columnist India
B P Kesri Passed Educationalist - Jharkhand India
T A Razzaq Malayalam scriptwriter India
ChartiLalGoel First Speaker of Delhi Assembly India
Gurdial Singh Punjabi writer India
GobindTej Odia filmmaker, actor and director India
Subrata Banerjee Bengals International cricket umpire India
K KSreedharan Nair Journalist and former editor of Malayalam India
daily Mathrubhumi
A R Kidwai Former Governor of Bihar, West Bengal and India
Haryana
Mohammad Shafi Qureshi Former Governor of Madhya Pradesh India
Dinanath Pathy Eminent painter, writer and art historian India
BOOKS & AUTHORS
A book titled Grassroots Innovation was released which was authored by professor Anil K Gupta of
IIM Ahmedabad.
Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul released a book titled Uttarakhand: Fifteen Years of
Development which is narrating the states journey since its inception in 2000. The book was edited
199 | P a g e
by former state chief secretary R S Tolia, takes stock of the achievements made and shortcomings in
the area of development of the state since its inception.
The banker-turned-writer Chetan Bhagat, announced the title of his upcoming fiction One Indian Girl
through his twitter handle which was accompanied with a link to a video teaser.
A book titled The Ocean of Churn: How the Indian Ocean Shaped Human History has hit the news
as it is released on 10 August 2016. It is a first-of-its-kind attempt by the author.
IMPORTANT DAYS IN AUGUST 2016

Aug 1 to Aug 7 2016
Remember Day: World Breast Feeeding week
Purpose :To support women to combine breastfeeding and work
Organization:WABA, WHO and UNICEF
Theme: on raising awareness of the links between breastfeeding and the Sustainable Development Goals
Aug 6 2016
Remember Day: Hiroshima Day &Anti Nuclear Day
Purpose :To marks the day when worlds first atom bomb dropped over the city of Hiroshima.
Organization:Japan
Aug 7 2016
Remember Day: Handloom Day
Purpose :To commemorate the celebration of aesthetics and indigenous talent.
Organization:India
Aug 8 2016
Remember Day: Quit India Movement
Purpose :74th anniversary of Quit India Movement, which was launched by the father of nation,
Mahatma Gandhi.
Organization: India
Aug 9 2016
Remember Day: International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples
Purpose :To promote and protect the rights of the world's indigenous population.
Organization:UN
Theme: Indigenous Peoples Right to Education
Remember Day: Nagasaki Day

Purpose :To remember the day whenAtomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki
Organization:Japan
Theme:
Aug 10 2016
Remember Day: World Bio-Fuel Day
Purpose :To create awareness about non fossil-fuels (Green Fuels).
Organization:NGO
Aug 11 2016
Remember Day: National Daughters Day
Purpose :To celebrate womens contribution to family
Organization:India
Aug 12 2016
Remember Day: International Youth Day
200 | P a g e
Purpose :To promote ways to engage them in becoming more actively involved in making positive
contributions to the globe.
Organization:UN
Theme: The Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty and Achieving Sustainable Consumption and Production.
Remember Day: World Elephant Day

Purpose :To create awareness of the urgent plight of African and Asian elephants.
Organization:Elephant Reintroduction Foundation
Aug 13 2016
Remember Day: Organ Donation Day
Purpose :To motivate normal human beings to donate the organs
Organization:India
Aug 14 2016
Remember Day: Pakistans Independence Day
Organization:Pakistan
Aug 15 2016
Remember Day: Indias Independence Day
Organization:India
Aug 19 2016
Remember Day: World Photography Day
Purpose:To celebratethe177-year-old journey of photography since 2010
Remember Day: World Humanitarian Day

Purpose:To recognize humanitarian personnel and those who have lost their lives working
for humanitarian causes and honors the workers who made promotion of the humanitarian
cause.
Organization:UN
Theme:One Humanity
Aug 20 2016
Remember Day: Sadbahavana Divas or Harmony Day
Purpose:To commemorate the 72ndbirth anniversary of the formerPrime Minister of India named Rajiv
Gandhi.
Organization: India
Remember Day: World Mosquito Day

Purpose:A commemoration of British doctor Sir Ronald Ross's discovery in 1897 that female mosquitoes
transmit malaria between humans
Aug 23 2016
Remember Day: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
Purpose: To memorialize the transatlantic slave trade.
Organization:UNESCO
Aug 29 2016
Remember Day: International Day against Nuclear Tests
Purpose:To commemorate the decision by Kazakhstans President Nursultan Nazarbayev to shut the
Semipalatinsk Test Site down on August 29, 1991.
Organization: UN
201 | P a g e
Remember Day: National Sports Day

Purpose:To marks the birthday of the hockey player Dhyan Chand
Organization: India
Aug 30 2016
Remember Day: International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
Purpose:To draw attention to the fate of individuals imprisoned at places and under poor conditions
unknown to their relatives and/or legal representatives
Organization:UN
Remember Day: Small Industry Day

Purpose: to present requirements to industry representatives for weapons or vehicles.
Organization: India
Current Affairs September 2016
INDIAN AFFAIRS
The Goods and Services Passage and Implementaion:

With Tripura becoming the 23rd state to ratify the goods and services tax (GST) bill, the legislation has got
presidential assent. The approval from 16 states has come far ahead of the Centres targeted deadline of
rolling out the new taxation system from April 1, 2017.
The constitutional 122 nd amendment bill was first ratified by Assam State Assembly.
As on date 22 states are ratified the GST bill Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Himachal
Pradesh ,Gujarat , Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Nagaland, Maharashtra, Haryana, Sikkim , Mizoram,
Telangana , Goa , Odisha, Rajasthan, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh , Meghalaya,
Punjaband Tripura.
First State Ratified the Bill: Assam
First Union Territory Signed: New Delhi
President -Assent
Indian President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to the GST constitution amendment bill .
The enactment of the bill sets the stage for setting up of the all-powerful GST councila
representative body comprising state finance ministers and the Union finance ministerwhich will
finalize the design of GST.
The council will decide on contentious issues such as the tax rates and sharing of administrative
control between the centre and the states, as well as the revenue threshold for traders below which they
will be exempt from GST.
The States and the Centre are working overtime and talking to stakeholders to draft theCentral GST,
State GST and Integrated GST laws, which are to be passed in the winter session of Parliament.
The CGST and IGST will be drafted on the basis of the model GST law. The States will draft their
respective GST (SGST) laws with minor variation, incorporating State-based exemptions. The IGST
law would deal with inter-State movement of goods and services
THE GST COUNCIL:
Union Finance Minister Chairperson
Revenue Secretary- Hasmukh Adhia Ex Offcio Secretary
Arun Goyal -- Additional Secretary
The Union Minister of State,in-charge of Revenue of finance Member
The Minister In-charge of finance or taxation or any other Minister nominated by each State
Government Members
Goods and Service Tax (GST) Council hold its first meeting in the national capital.
The Central Government has proposed that small traders, having annual turnover of up to 20 to 25 lakh
rupees, could be exempted from the GST, but state Governments have demanded that the limit be kept at 10
lakh rupees.
202 | P a g e
The Ministry of Defence, Government of India has sanctioned the construction of a National War
Memorial and National War Museum in New Delhi. The National War Memorial will honour the
memory of all soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the
nation.
The Allahabad High Court has imposed a fine of Rs 1 Crore on Uttar Pradesh government in a land
acquisition matter of Loni, Ghaziabad.
Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi launched Shramdaan movement as part of Swachh Bharatand
Swachh Puducherry initiative at Seliamedu village in Bahoor.
Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress has been granted national party status by the
Election Commission of India. The party becomes the seventh national political party in India.
Union Minister of Railways, Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, launched and dedicated a number of services
to the nation during a function held at Rail Bhawan as a part of fulfilment of Budget Announcements
2016-17.
Various Services,
Liberalized station to station special freight rates policy
Policy providing sub quota of 33 % to women within reserved categories for the allotment in
catering units.
Policy giving preference to local domicile holders for commercial licenses at stations.
New system of allocating vacant berths after final charting to wayside stations.
Launch of the new Train at a Glance and new Time Table effective from 1st October 2016.
The 10 Humsafar Express trains and 7 Antyodaya express trains will run between various
cities announced.The 3 Tejas trains and The three UDAY Trains also announced.
CM & Union Petroleum Minister launch Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in J&K
CSIRs Platinum Jubilee Celebrations kicked off by PM Narendra Modi. During the event, Prime
Minister Modi released seven new plant varieties developed at CSIR laboratories and also interacted
with farmers of five states through video conferencing
Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh inaugurates Krishi Unnati Mela in Mathura
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurated six major Railway projects in Kerala including the
dedication of the newly-built 9.6-km long Tiruvalla-Chengannur double line which would ease the
heavy rail traffic congestion in the Ernakulam-Kottayam-Kayamkulam section.
The Spice Route Culinary Festival held in Kochi from September 23 to 26, 2016 .This festival was
organised by the Tourism Department in association with the UNESCO and the the Union Tourism
Ministry.
The Second meeting of High Level Group of Eminent Experts from South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries held on September 22-23, 2016 in New Delhi.
Rajasthan became the first state to adopt centres Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP) in all
its urban local bodies (ULB). Almost 5 lakh conventional street lights were replaced with LED street
lights across the state.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the day long INDOSAN India Sanitation Conference, which is
meant for taking stock of the progress made under the Swachh Bharat mission. 19 States and the
Union Territory of Chandigarh were rewarded with performance incentive for promoting urban
reforms under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) during 2015-16.
Rs.400 cr was earmarked for reform incentive during 2015-16. 23 States/UTs applied to the Ministry
of Urban Development. After verification of claims States/UT scoring 70% marks were identified for
giving reform incentive. Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir and A & N Islands could not qualify.
Indian Army carried out surgical strikes on terror launch pads across LoC
The West Bengal Chief Minister Ms.Mamata Banerjee has decided to install monorail from Budge in
South 24-Parganas to Ruby Connector in Kolkata at a cost of 4,216 crore rupees.
The Centre would launch Progress Panchayat, an outreach campaign to create awareness about its
programmes for the welfare of religious minorities and remove theirfear and misconceptions about
the NDA government.
203 | P a g e
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal approved the inclusion of Gosai/Goswami, Yadav/Aahir
and Rabari Communities in the list of Backward Classes of the state on the recommendations of the
state Backward Classes Commission
The government approved signing of an MoU with Singapore in order to give boost to innovation,
creativity and technological advancement in both countries.
The Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-
post facto approval for the Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY). This scheme was launched on
14th July, 2003 and Varistha Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY) 2014 launched on 14th August, 2014.
Parliamentary panel led by Veerappa Moily to examine merger of budgets. Besides the budget, the
panel has also selected to review the disinvestment policy, banking sector in the country, Reserve
Bank of Indias emerging role and its framework
The Indira Gandhi International Airport had become Asia-Pacifics only and one of the worlds few
airports to achieve a carbon neutral status.
BRICS Labour & Employment Ministerial Meeting held in New Delhi. Ministers would deliberate
to adopt the BRICS Labour & Employment Ministerial Declaration. The Two day Meeting dedicated
sessions on key thematic areas, Employment Generation, Social Security and Inclusive Development
Including Formalization.
Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communication of the Telangana government
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the ISROs Development & Educational
Communication Unit (DECU) to improve services of its educational channel Mana TV.
Narendra Modi unveils a special package worth Rs. 200 crore for sporting activities in J&K.
Goa is all set to host three-day bird festival from November 11 to 13, in the view of attracting
audiences from both national and international.
The Postal Department released a commemorative stamp to honor the Mother Teresas
canonization in Mumbai. Union Minister of State for Communications Manoj Sinha released the
stamp at a function organised at Divine Child High School in Mumbai. The commemoratives
Vaswanis design represents the classic pose of Saint Terasa.
The Adi community dwelling in the Arunachal Pradesh has celebrated their annual socio-religious
festival Solung with traditional gaiety. The CM Pema Khandu took part in the celebration and also
announced the sanction of Rs 600 crore which would be equally spread to all the 60 Assembly
constituencies of the state to carry out development works.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh cleared the file for use of Pelargonic Acid Vanillyl Amide
(PAVA) also called Nonivamide as an alternative to the pellet guns. The recommended chilli-filled
grenade which will be used in the rarest of rare cases. A seven member committee headed by Joint
Secretary in the Home Ministry
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the Bharat Ratna Dr A P J Abdul Kalam
Learning Resource Centre in NIT, Silchar and start up centre in NIT Silchar under the start up India
campaign launched by Prime Minister. The world class library is established with the help
of University of Illinois, USA.
The Central Government launched the biggest Leprosy case detection campaign in India.32 crore
people, across 19 states and union territories, will be screened under the campaign.The objective is to
detect the disease early so that those affected can be saved from physical deformity.
Himachal Pradesh cabinet decided to amend the Hydropower Policy 2006 in respect to transfer of
shares by Himachalis to non-Himachalis. So that now Himachalis can sell or transfer 49% equity
shares to non-Himachalis at any stage after allotment of projects upto 2 MW capacity and full
disinvestment after two years of commissioning of the projects.
People across western Odisha People are celebrating Nuakhai the agrarian festival of the region
with religious fervor and devotion.
Centre launches National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI)for nurturing
ideas & innovation into start ups worth $15 Mn(INR 100 Cr) programme to support startups in India.
Vasundhara Raje lead Rajasthan government signed MoU with an educational institutes, which will
adopt 50 Adarsh and Utkarsh Vidyalayas in the state for developing education sector infrastructure.
204 | P a g e
United Nations, has included Sanskrit, the most ancient and traditional language of India into its
charter. A charter binds the assembly of nations. The charter being translated into the Sanskrit
language is the first of its kind attempt to make it to such an important international document.
Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched the Gas4India campaign, aimed at promoting
the use of natural gas in the country and aim towards a gas-based economy.The campaign includes
social engagement via Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn, and its official blogsite, as well as
hyper local, offline events to directly connect with consumers through discussions, workshops and
cultural events.
Government launches dedicated pan-India Urja Mitra Helpline 14401 launched by Department of
Telecom (DoT) to provide theinformation about outages from power distribution companies to
customers.In future consumers can also get the information through the Urja mobile app.
Bihar School Examination Board(BSEB) become the first state board in India to link students
examination forms with their Aadhaar numbers to avoid duplication and facilitate easy access to
documents announced by BSEB chairman Anand Kishor.
Railways to implement Flexi Fare system in Rajdhani, Shatabdi & Duronto trainsunder the new
flexi fare system, usually which is followed by airlines, the base fare of tickets will increase with
the rising demand. The new fare structure will, however, not be applicable to 1 AC and executive
class coaches.
Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu formally launched his new political front Awaaz-e-
Punjabin Chandigarh.
The Central government agreed to provide special assistance for five years along with full funding of
the Pollavaram irrigation project and tax concessions to Andhra Pradesh announced by Finance
Minister Arun Jaitely.
Sikkim has been awarded the cleanest state in the list depend on the condition of sanitation in rural
areas of 26 states in which Prime Minister Narendra Modis home state Gujarat is ranked 14th and
Jharkhand comes last.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani dedicated 2 mbps downloadand 512 kbps upload digital
connectivity through BSNL to 6,000 villages in Gujarat.
Union Government launched a new service integration of DigiLocker with Driving Licenses (DL)
& Vehicle Registration Certificates (RC) in New Delhi.
The 5-day Youth Voters Festival held in Nagaland under the directives of the Election Commission
of India (ECI).
The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry sanctioned Rs.359.52 for the welfare of dalits as part
of its special assistance scheme under the scheme of Special Central Assistance (SCA) to Scheduled
Class Sub Plan(SCSP) for the year 2016-17, the amount of Rs.359 crore has been released to 18
states.
Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma declared that there would be a complete ban on use of polythene
in all national monuments and tourist destinations to carry forward the Swachh Bharat Mission, the
government chose the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi from 2nd October.The ban would be
applicable to the protected zone or 100-m radius of the monuments.
All women PCR(Police Control Room) Vans flagged off by Delhi Police commissioner Alok
Kumar Verma in five primary areas Vigyan Bhawan, Jesus & Mary College, Khan Market Metro
Station, American Centre at Kasturba Gandhi Marg, and Moti Lal Nehru Marg .
The Department of Post (DoP) has launched a toll free helpline number 1924 that will allow users
across the country to register their grievances.
Union Cabinet, chaired by the PM Narendra Modi, has approved the creation of the Higher
Education Financing Agency (HEFA) to give a major push for creation of high quality infrastructure
in premier educational institutionswith an authorised capital of Rs.2,000 crore and the Government
equity would be Rs.1,000 crore.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs led by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has
approved the proposal for initiation of the Third Phase of Technical Education Quality Improvement
Programme (TEQIP).
205 | P a g e
Haryana government approved a Rs 143 crore project for re-construction of Jawahar Lal Nehru
(JLN) Canal system to achieve the goal of Har Khet Ko Pani (water to every field).
India offers additional developmental assistance of one billion dollars to Afghanistan.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched a website to provide information on the celebration
of 350th Prakash Utsav of the Sikh guru in 2017. The website has been developed by tourism
department. Guru Nanak Gurpurab, also known as Guru Nanaks Prakash Utsav and Guru Nanak
Jayanti, celebrates the birth of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar launches re-designed website of Department of Defence
Production (DDP) which is more user friendly, universally accessible and less vulnerable to cyber-
attacks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the water supply and irrigation projects worth of Rs 4800
crore under the Gujarat Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojna at Limkheda in Dahod district, Gujarat on his 66th
birthday anniversary celebrations.
Indian Railways marked the Swachh Paryavaran Diwas (Clean Environment Day) by launching
the SwachhtaSaptah (Cleanliness Week). The programme was launched by Union Railway Minister
Suresh Prabhu in New Delhi.
A petition asked Centre to take steps to declare Hindi as Indias national language. This was
withdrawn from Delhi High Court after it declared that the constitution did not provide for a national
language.
This judicial innovation, formalised by a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in the Rajiv
Gandhi killers case in December 2015, helped get rid of death penalty and addressed the genuine
concerns of the society. A three-judge Bench led by Justice J. Chelameswar observed the judgment
The Union Cabinet decided to merge the Railway budget with the General budget and agreed in-
principle to advance the date of its presentation in Parliament from the usual February end.
Cabinet approves provision of submarine optical fiber cable connctivity between Chennai and
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the proposal of Ministry of Shipping to enact Admiralty
(Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill 2016 and to repeal five archaic admiralty
statutes.
Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa announced the Amma Two-Wheeler Service Training Centre across
the state.
The Department of Pharmaceuticals in association under the project title Pradhan Mantri Jan
Aushadhi Yojana (PMJAY) ensured the availability of generic medicines at affordable prices for all
by with Central Pharma Public Sector Undertakings.
Lutyens Delhis iconic Race Course Road, where the Prime Ministers residence is located, would
be known as Lok Kalyan Marg.A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting of the New
Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), presided by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. A notification
would be issued to complete the process of renaming the road.
The Gujarat High Court rejected the governments notification granting 10 percent quota for
Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti released Rs
315 crore to Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation for building toilets under Swachh Bharat
campaign (Gramin) during 2016-17 along Ganga river. Till date 14,500 toilets have been constructed
under this scheme
PLACES IN NEWS
The Guinness World Records has declared Majuli in Assam as the largest river island in the world.
The beautiful river island is situated on the Brahmaputra River. It has toppled Marajo in Brazil to
clinch the record. Mjuli or Majoli is the world biggest river island in the world in the Brahmaputra
River, Assam, India.
The Rajasthan High Court launched the e-stamp facility in its Jodhpur and Jaipurbenches
simultaneously. Rajasthan has become the fourth state in the country to provide the facility.
206 | P a g e
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari laid
foundation stone of Patanjali Mega food park in Mihan
The Much Awaited Spanish made Talgo train has successfully completed its speed trial in less
than 12 hours between national capital Delhi and financial capital Mumbai which is four hours less
than the fastest Rajdhani Express.
An agriculture museum inaugurated at Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV) in
Raipur. Chhattisgarh Governor Balramji Das Tandon, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan
Singh, Chief Minister Raman Singh and state agriculture minister Brijmohan Agrawalhave
participated at the inauguration ceremony.
Arunachal Pradeshs first Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Store inaugurated by MoS Shri Mansukh
Mandaviyaat Naharlagun, Itanagar.
Keralites all over the world celebrated the auspicious 10-day-long harvest festival of the state. It was
being celebrated by people of all religions in the Malayalam month of Chingam every year.
Andhra Pradesh became the second state in the country after Gujarat to achieve 100 per cent
electrification of households by the latest report. JM Financials published the report based on a
national-level survey on electrification in various states.
Puducherry Governor Kiran Bedi launched Coastal Clean Up as part of the 31nd International
Coastal Clean Up Day. The drive was being carried out in all coastal pockets in Puducherry.
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced a district status for Dadri, the biggest sub-
division in the state.Now number of districts in the State rised to 22 from 21.It is the biggest sub-
division in the state.
Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region Jitendra Singhinaugurated the e-
VMS (e-Visitor Management System) at the Krishnapatnam port in Nellore as part of the Ease of
Doing Business initiatives.
Three Guinness World Records were created at Samajik Adhikarita Shivir and Scheme of Assistance
to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fittings of Aids/Appliances (ADIP) Camp in Navsari, Gujarat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis 66th birthday was marked by these three world records set at events
held at Navsari.
Kohima police recovered two bombs of the World War II era from PR Hill Colony.The bombs of the
World War II era that lasted from 1939 to 1945.
Airports Authority of India(AAI) has given its approval to a proposed site for the Pune International
Airport at Purandar in Pune announced by Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.
A grand spiritual gathering that happens once in 12 years and is referred to as theKumbh Mela of
the Himalayas had begun in Ladakhs biggest monastery, Hemis, to commemorate the millennial
birth anniversary of the scholar saint Naropa.
The Jamaat-e-Islami party figure Mir Quasem Ali, at Kashimpur Central Jail on the outskirts of the
capital Dhaka has been executed for war crimes including murder, confinement, torture and
incitement to religious hatred during the war which he committed in 1971.
Sri Lanka has been certified as malaria-free island country by World Health Organisation (WHO),
the island nation is the second in the WHO South-East Asia Region to eliminate malaria after
Maldives.
Worlds longest bullet train network length of 2000kms established by China Railway. Construction
of the line started in December 2012. The line has 9 stations and trains run at a speed of up to 300
kph.
The Surgeons at John Radcliffe Hospital in the UK used Robot to remove a membrane and restore
sight of Bill Beaver for the first time. He is 70.The Preceyes surgical robot was developed by
a Dutch company, a spin-out of Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands.
China completes the worlds highest bridge standing 1,850 feet above the ground. This Bridge was
named Beipan River, the waterway it crosses, the incredible structure has a 720-metre-wide span
207 | P a g e
(2,363 feet) and is a part of the Hangrui Highway, a 3,405-kilometre-long (2,115 miles) national
motorway linking Hangzhou city in southern China with Ruili city on the China-Myanmar border.
India had complained to the World Trade Organization about support given to therenewable energy
industry in eight U.S. states.
The Indian government declared that the country wasfree from the contagious avian influenza
(H5N1), also known as bird flu.The Department of Animal Husbandryunder the Agriculture
Ministry reported to theWorld Organization for Animal Health. However, the ministry stressed the
need for continued surveillance.
US President Obama designated the first marine national monument in the Atlantic Ocean, protecting
fragile deep-sea ecosystems off the coast of New England as theNortheast Canyons and Seamounts
Marine National Monument.
Worlds largest permanent shiplift designed by Chinese and German engineers on ChinasThree
Gorges Dam began its trial. It is the largest and most sophisticated shiplift in the world.The worlds
biggest water project is located in central Chinas Hubei province .
The 10-week long festival Confluence: Festival of India was inaugurated by Union Tourism and
Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma in Sydney to showcase the countrys rich and diverse culture was
kicked off in iconic Sydney Opera House .
The European Union Agency for Railways launched a Safety Alert IT tool(SAIT) at the Inno Trans
fair in Berlin in an effort to increase transparency in rail safety incident.
India, the US and Afghanistan have reaffirmed their shared interests in combating terrorism and
advancing peace and security in the region.
India business, culture festival held in Chinese city Yangzhou
UNSC adopts a resolution to reinforce the objectives of a major treaty banning nuclear testamid
growing nuclear threat posed by the Democratic People s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan had moved out of the Saarc summit in Pakistan in November,
citing an unsuitable environment for the annual gathering of South Asian leaders.
Pakistans lower house of Parliament has passed a landmark bill giving its small Hindu minority the
right to register marriages, the last major hurdle on the way to enacting a law aimed at protecting
womens rights
Colombias center-right government and the Marxist FARC(Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia) rebel group signed a peace deal on Monday to end a half-century war that killed a quarter
of a million people
China for the first time had deployed a robot to maintain security at one of its busiest airports in
Guangdong Province. The Anbot, a security robot hired for its first job at the Shenzhen airport where
it was making round-the-clock patrols through the departure hall in Terminal 3, state-run.
India and China hold a high level dialogue, where they discussed ways to enhance security and
cooperation to combat terror as officials from the two sides exchanged information on policies and
legislation to deal with terrorism at the first high-level dialogue and they reached important
consensus in Beijing, China.
SAARC have released an operation plan running through to 2025 on September 27, 2016. SASEC
OP (operational plan) is the programs first comprehensive long-term plan to promote greater
economic cooperation among members.
A 26-year-old woman Kate McWilliams from UK become the worlds youngest ever commercial
airline captain of easy jet. She first became interested in planes after attending an air show at
age four.
Cuba, Russia signed Agreement on Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation
FOREIGN VISITS
PM Visit to Vietnam and China
India and Vietnam signed 12 agreements, signalling a strong upward push in their strategic ties in the
field of defence, IT, space, double taxation and sharing white shipping information.
208 | P a g e
India grants $500 million to Vietnam to bolster defence ties andIt is noted that the Prime Minister
also announced a grant of $5 million for the establishment of a Software Park in the
Telecommunications University in Nha Trang.PM Modi presented with a hand-painted oil-
painting of himself by a Chinese painter and Chinese translations of ancient Indian texts including
Bhagavad Gita and essays of Swami Vivekananda.
Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Sri Lanka and Canada Visit:
Sri Lanka Visit September 26-27
During the visit, a meeting of the India-Sri Lanka Business Forum was held which was attended
by the Commerce and Industry Minister and Mr Malik Samarawickrama, Minister of
Development Strategies and International Trade of Sri Lanka.
India will invest up to $2 billion in Sri Lanka over the next four years in a range of sectors
including real estate, energy and infrastructure.
Canada Visit September 29 - 30:
The Minister attended 3rd Annual Ministerial Dialogue held on 29th September 2016 at Toronto, Canada.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi Arrives in India for Three-Day Visit
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on a three-day visit to India and to hold talks with Prime
Minister Narendra Modi with an aim to step up engagement in areas of security, counter-terrorism
and trade. It is noted thatIndia and Egypt have a strong economic relationship.
PM Modi & Egyptian President signed maritime transport agreement and India and Egypt decided to
step up their overall defence and security cooperation to tackle the twin challenges of terrorism and
radicalisation besides enhancing economic and trade engagements thereby signalling a major shift in
ties.
Nepal PM Prachanda On a three day visit to India
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachandaarrived in New Delhi for a three-day state visit to
India. The major agreements sealed between the Indian and Nepali delegations included upgrade of road
network in Nepal and two line of credit agreements between Nepal and the Exim Bank.
India, Nepal sign three agreements including improvement of road network
India and Nepal signed three agreements including improvement of road network to cement ties
between the two neighbors.
The two countries signed MoU for project management consultancy services for up gradation and
improvement of road infrastructure in Terai area of Nepal.
India also gave 750 million dollar line of credit for post earthquake reconstruction of the Himalayan
nation.
Nepal PM visited Jhakri town to inspect Nathpa-Jhakri hydro-power project
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda is visited Jhakri town in Shimla district
of Himachal Pradesh to inspect Asias biggest underground Nathpa-Jhakri hydro-power project.The
project has a power generation capacity of 1500 megawatt.
Shri Radha Mohan Singh Concluded 3 Days Israel Visit
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Radha Mohan Singh concluded his three
day Israel Visit. The Union Minister led a four member official delegation to Israel to
deepen bilateral engagement in agriculture.

A two-day international conference on empowering handloom and Khadi held in Vadodara. This two
day conference is organised by Consortium of Green Fashion (CGF) in association with the
department of clothing, textiles of Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU) of Baroda.
209 | P a g e
The 18th edition of World Congress of Criminology would be held in India from December 15-19
in Sonipat, Haryana.Theme : Urbanization, Globalization, Development and Crime: Opportunities
and Challenges of the XXI Century.
The two-day BRICS Convention on Tourism was flagged off on September 1 in Khajuraho Madhya
Pradesh. The BRICS nations were represented by the Minister of Tourism, South Africa Mr. D.A.
Hanekom and delegations from Russia and China.
The Environment Ministers of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries
meeting held on September 16, in Goa to strengthen mutual cooperation.
The sixth meeting of BRICS High Representatives responsible for security held at New Delhi. Shri
Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser, Government of the Republic of India presided over the
meeting.
India hosted the sixth Brics meeting on Agriculture and Agrarian Development and deliberate on
priority areas of cooperation between the five countries of the bloc. The two-day conference started
with an official-level meeting to be followed by ministerial meeting the next day.
5th BIRAC Innovators Meet kick started with the theme Biotech Innovation Ecosystem
Strategizing the Next Leapin New Delhi. The event was attended by Chief Guest Honble Union
Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhanand Guest of Honour,
Honble Minister of State (MoS), Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri YS Chowdary.
The Union government was organised a two-day BRICS Wellness workshop in Bengaluru. The
workshop to be held at Hotel Shangrila will be attended by delegates from Brazil, Russia, India,
China and South Africa (BRICS) to explore areas of mutual co-operation.
Two days India US economic summit began in New Delhi on September 14 to provide a valuable
opportunity to assess developments across India-US trade relationship, economy and society. The
summit is hosted by the chambers of North India council.
The three-day Investment Summit (IITIS) 2016 is an initiative of the Ministry of Tourism,
Government of India in association with Tourism Finance Corporation of India (TFCI) and
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley inaugurated the summit
in New Delhi.
The three day International Seafood Show held to discuss the challenges and strategies for the Indian
fishing industry which is on the road to achieving USD 10 billion exports by
2020 in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
The third Northeast Connectivity Summit held at the Pragya Bhavan at Agartala, Tripura to discuss
connectivity of the landlocked Northeast region that is surrounded by several foreign nations.
The 2016 G20 Hangzhou summit was the eleventh meeting of the Group of Twenty (G20). It was
held on 45 September 2016 in the city of Hangzhou. It was the first ever G20 summit to be hosted
in China and the second Asian country after 2010 G20 Seoul summit was hosted in South Korea.It is
noted that Barack Obama and Xi Jinping announced the ratification of the Paris Agreement of
the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference by their countries. After they did it, it is 26
countries which have ratified the agreement so far; the United States and China represent
respectively 18 percent and 20 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions.
4th ASEAN-India Summit and the 11th East Asia Summit held in Vientiane, Laos PDR with the
invitation of H.E. Mr. Thongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister of Lao PDR. The Summits was attended
by Heads of State/Government of the 10 ASEAN and 18 East Asia Summit Participating Countries
respectively. In the margins, Prime Minister will also hold bilateral meetings with several leaders.
The 6th Edition of IUCN World Conservation Congress 2016 held in the Hawaiian capital, Honolulu
is hosted by the State of Hawaii with the support of the Department of State of the USA.
The 2016 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Congress will focus on the
theme Planet at the Crossroads.
17th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM summit) held in Venezuela. Vice President Hamid Ansari held
talks with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on a host of issues of mutual interest.
The US government had decided to become a partner country for the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat
Global Summit, which was prepared to be held in January 2017.
210 | P a g e
UN organized first-ever summit on movement of 65.3 million refugees and migrants. Global leaders
gathered for the first of two high-profile days of meetings on the issues of migration and refugees at
the U.N. headquarters in New York. This meeting attempted to forge a global response to the plight
of the 65.3 million people forcibly displaced worldwide.
The two-day meeting is arranged by the Indian Petroleum Companies to deliberate the need for an
LPG-enabled household and use of traditional cooking fuels in Bhubaneswar.
Tea Board of India and The United Planters Association of Southern India (Upasi) were jointly
conducted the India international Tea convention at Ooty in Nilgiris.The highlight of the convention
would be the business session in which around 500 delegatesfrom around the world were expected to
participate. There would be a special focus on south Indian teas. The tea that won the12th edition of
golden leaf awards held in Dubai was featured at the event.
Sri Lankan Prime minister Ranil Wickremsinghe inaugurated the five day long 69th session of
WHO (World Health Organisation) Regional committee meeting at Colombo on 5 September
2016.In the Regional meeting all the 11 countries of South East Asia including Indias Health and
Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda took part in the event.
Shri J P Nadda led the yoga session at the 69th session of the WHO Regional Committee of South-
East Asia Region at Colombo, Sri lanka.Nadda was accompanied by Health Ministers of several
nations in the Yoga session and more than a hundred participants.
Sri Lanka worked with The South-East Asia Region of the World Health Organization (WHO-
SEARO). It is the first of WHOs six regional outfits. WHO SEARO provided leadership on health
matters and relevant policy options and technical support.
Union Minister for Chemicals and Petrochemicals Anant Kumar has inaugurated INDIA-CHEM
2016 International Conference in Mumbai. The 3-day 9th Biennial International Exhibition and
Conference begun in Mumbai includes 23 countries, 282 exhibitors alone. The Largest event of
chemicals and petrochemicals industry in India in its 9 st rd edition, i.e. India Chem 2016, would be
organized from 1 3 September 2016, jointly byDepartment of Chemicals and Petrochemicals,
Government of India and FICCI.
The Odisha government in association with International Labor Organization(ILO) organised a two-
day national conference on laborin Bhubaneswar.Union minister of state for labour and
employment Bandaru Dattatreya and ministers and chairpersons of labour welfare boards of 29
states attended the conference.
First International Sikh Conclave started in Bihar, ahead of 350th birth anniversary celebration of
Guru Gobind Singh. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced that the state government was
organised this conclave ahead of the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh,
the 10th Sikh guru, in Patna Sahib.
The IoT(Internet Of Things) India Congress 2016 is Indias first completely integrated IoT platform
hosted in Benglore that aims to bring together the key stakeholders across the value chain and
verticals to collaborate, ideate and share a common road map for IoT implementation.
RANKINGS & REPORTS
India has secured the 39th rank, climbing 16 places from last year, on the annual Global
Competitiveness Index prepared by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The list is topped by
Switzerland.
Mandi in Himachal Pradesh is the cleanest district in the hilly areas of rural India whereas
Sindhudurg in Maharashtra is the cleanest among districts situated in the plains; according to
Swachh Survekshan or the Cleanliness Index for Rural India released by rural development
minister Narendra Tomar.
The World Bank has recently released a Logistics Performance Index (LPI) 2016 report titled
Connecting to Complete 2016. The Logistics Performance Index Report is published by World
Bank every two years. India has now been ranked 35 amongst 160 countries compared to rank of 54
in LPI 2014. The list is topped by Germany.
211 | P a g e
According to the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), almost 50 million children throughout
the world have been uprooted from their homes by war, violence or persecution. Around 28
million children around the globe have been driven from their homes byviolent conflict, with nearly
as many abandoning their homes in search of a better life.
The National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have
maintained their spots among the top 15 varsities in the world, according to Quacquarelli Symonds
(QS) global university rankings for 2016/2017. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology emerged top in this years global rankings, while Stanford University overtook Harvard
University to take second place. In Indian Insitutions Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Bombay
placed on the top with the rank of 219.
India has slipped by 10 positions to 112th, as it fared badly across categories including legal
system and regulation, according to the Economic Freedom of the World: 2016 Annual Report. Hong
Kong and Singapore, once again, occupy the top two positions. Next comes New Zealand and
Switzerland, two countries almost always in the top five.
For the first time in the history, 31 Indian institutes have found a place in the Times Higher
Education World University Rankings 2016-17. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore is
Indias top institution in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2016-17
list. The Overall list is topped by University of Oxford in the UK.
The City of Kolkata has entered into the top 100 in the sixth annual Mastercard Global Destinations
Cities Index. Five Indian cities have made it to the top 100 destination cities for 2016.Mumbai,
Chennai, Delhi and Pune are the four other cities in the list. Kolkata ranks 62nd in the index.
According to the study, Bangkok is projected to receive 21.47 million international overnight visitors
in 2016.
A new index developed to assess each countrys achievement on a range of health indicators
ranks India at 143 in a list of 188 countries. This first global analysis to assess countries on
sustainable development goal (SDG) health performance was launched at a special event at the UN
General Assembly. The Health Index 2016 is topped by Iceland.
The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of Singapore declared Maharashtra as ranked highest
according to a broad measure of Ease of Doing Business (EDB) in Indian states. It is noted that the
new index has given 21 major states entirely different ranks when compared with the World Banks
Ease of Doing Business Index.
According to the latest RBI Report,Andhra Pradesh had emerged on the top among all other states
in attracting industrial investments in 2015-16, pushing the previous years topper Maharashtra to
the third spot. Andhra Pradesh attracted an investment of Rs.21,914crore out of the Rs.1,38,700
crore gross investments across India, the state government officially released, quoting a report by the
Reserve Bank of India was 8.1 per cent.
State Bank of India (SBI) chief Arundhati Bhattacharya, ICICI Bank CEO and MD Chanda Kochhar
and Axis Bank CEO Shikha Sharma entered the list of 50 most powerful women based outside the
United States by Fortune magazine. Banco Santander group executive chairman Ana Botn repeats as
No. 1, in a time of economic and political volatility for all.
Priyanka Chopra has become the first Indian star to enter theForbes list of highest paid television
actresses in the world. Colombian-American actress Sofia Vergara topped Forbes magazines annual
list of best paid television actresses for the fifth year in a row, earning $43 million.
Indias 100 Richest People : Forbes
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani has topped Forbess annual list of Indias
100 richest tycoons with a net worth of $22.7 billion. The combined net worth of Indias 100
wealthiest is $381 billion, a rise of 10 percent from $345 billion in 2015. In the Womens list Savitri
Jindal ranked 19 th with an earnings of $5.3Bn
Fortune has released its Fortune 51 Most Powerful Women Rankings. PepsiCo CEO and chairman
Indra Nooyi is the only Indian-origin woman in Fortunes 51 Most Powerful Women list that is
topped by Mary Barra, CEO and chairman of General Motors. The list comprises of22 CEOs of
major companies and many more corner office contenders in all industries. Nine newcomers and one
return. Over $1.1 trillion in market capitalization.
212 | P a g e
BANKING & FINANCE
Eventhough the Finance Ministry is still optimistic of close to 8 per cent growth this fiscal,
the Central Statistics Office on Wednesday said the countrys GDP grew at 7.1 percent in the first
quarter.
The Canadian Province of British Columbia becomes the first foreign governmententity to issue
a Masala bond, choosing London, the global home for Masala bonds, for its listing.Initial price
guidance for the benchmark-sized offering with a tenor of three years and four months is 6.68-6.73
percent.
Govt Notifies Constitution Of Monetary Policy Committee Under RBI Act
The appointments committee of the cabinet approved the names of Chetan Ghate, a professor at
Indian Statistical Institute, Pami Dua, director at Delhi School of Economics (DSE); and Ravindra
Dholakia, professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad,
The Government has decided to raise the Employees Provident Fund ( EPF) investment in Exchange
Traded Funds from present 5 per cent to 10 per cent.
Interest rates on small savings schemes have been reduced marginally by 0.1 percent for the October-
December quarter of 2016-17, leading to lower returns on Public Provident Fund, Kisan Vikas Patra,
Sukanya Samriddhi Account, among others.
Karnataka Bank has inked a memorandum of understanding(MoU) with Birla Sun Life Asset
Management Company for distribution of mutual fund products.
Maharashtra based DCB Bank launched its Unified Payment Interface (UPI) application. The UPI
interface was billed as a revolutionary of sorts in digital banking by the NCPI.
ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund was appointed by the government to manage the second CPSE
exchange traded fund (ETF) comprising stocks of PSUs in the current fiscal with an estimated corpus
of Rs.6,000 crore. The appointment criteria and evaluation process comprises both technical and
financial parameters. The competitors were Reliance, HDFC SBI, UTI, Kotak and Birla Sunlife.
The RBI has given approval toRs 26,000-crore cash credit limit (CCL) for purchasing paddy in poll-
bound Punjab. The state government will seek approval of the Centre by sending the RBIs approval
letter for the release of funds for the purchase of paddy
The first meeting of the GST Council, the tax department today came out with three draft rules and
their formats relating to registration, invoice and payments which would be finalised by week-end.
The World Trade Organization lowered its global trade forecast, warning that anti-
globalisation rhetoric and Brexit were pushing trade growth to its slowest pace since the financial
crisis. The WTO announced that global trade was now estimated to expand by just 1.7 percent this
year, compared to its April projection of 2.8 percent.
According to New World Wealth, Indias financial capital Mumbai, home to 45,000 millionaires and
28 billionaires, is the wealthiest city in the country with total wealth of $820 billion.
DCB Bank, an emerging new-generation private sector bank, announced the launch of mVisa, a
mobile based payment solution that will make payments at retail outlets much easier.Now Customers
can pay now through their smartphones by scanning the unique Quick Response (QR) code at the
retail outlet.
MobiKwik, fin-tech player has launched one-step offline payments with Bubble Pin.The pin is a
combination of numbers and alphabets. Bubble pin also makes the transaction more secure as no
phone number is required to be shared.
ICICI Bank has announced the deployment of Software Robotics for business processes across
various functions of the bank. The bank said that the software robots have reduced the response time
to customers by up to 60% and have increased accuracy to 100%.
Reserve Bank has allowed foreign investors to buy up to 100 per cent in Crompton Greaves
Consumer Electricals Ltd. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs)/Registered Foreign Portfolios
Investors (RFPIs) can now invest up to 100 per cent of the paid up capital of Crompton Greaves
Consumer Electricals Limited under the Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS).
213 | P a g e
HDFC ERGO, a leading Private sector non-life insurer has implemented Weather Based Crop
Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) in Assam, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh.
World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kimand New Development Bank President K.V.
Kamath signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) to strengthen their cooperation in
addressing global infrastructure needs in Washington D.C on Sept. 9, 2016.
Electricity generator Tata Power and ICICI Venture grouped together to take over stressed power
assets in India. Tata Power holds a 26 per cent stake and ICICI Ventures holds 74 per cent stake in
Resurgent Power Ventures.
BSE Ltd, Indias second-biggest stock exchange filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in order to
list its shares on larger rival National Stock Exchange (NSE). Earlier BSE filed draft papers with
markets regulator Sebi to raise an estimated Rs 1,200 crore to Rs 1,300 crore through initial public
offering (IPO).
FreeCharge partnership with Axis Bank and launched Unified Payments Interface (UPI) that allows
instant transactions from a smartphone using a virtual payment address (VPA)
e-nivaran(electronic resolution) for online redressal of taxpayers grievances launched
by CBDT(Central Board of Direct Taxes). Taxpayers can register complaints related todelay in
refunds, filing of e-returns, Tax Deducted at Source (TDS), PAN issues, and those pertaining to their
Assessing Officer (AO).
India is among the 10 richest countries in the world with total individual wealth of USD 5,600
billion India is among the top prospective markets for luxury brands worldwide according to the
study by New World Wealth, India, along with Sri Lanka, Vietnam, mauritius and China, offered
strong opportunity for growth in luxury and wealth management space.
Private sector Bank, Axis has tied up with Banaras Hindu University (BHU) to offer specialised
banking courses.The partnership will offer courses like Masters in Commerce (MCom), Master of
Financial Management (MFM), Master of Financial Management (Risk & Insurance) MFM RI,
Master of Foreign Trade (MFT).
The National Highways Authority (NHAI) reported that the State Bank of India,Punjab National
Bank, IDFC Bank and the digital wallet PayTM would also start issuing the tags, which were
required for electronic toll collection.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced Indias foreign exchange reserves went up to$371.27
billion as on September 9. According to data released by the RBI, the reserves stood at $371.27
billion as on September 9, as against $367.76 billion as on Sep 2.
Tata AIG General Insurance Company Limited had joined hands with mobile payments
company Paytm to provide health insurance to cab and auto drivers.
Federal Bank, Kochi-based Private Sector Bank has launched its second Federal Skill Academy at
Coimbatore, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) initiatives. The first one being
inaugurated last year at Ernakulam.
Infrastructure Development Finance Company(IDFC) Limited has issued commercial Papers of
Rs.700 crore. The company issued Commercial Papers for an aggregate amount of Rs 700 crore on
September 12, 2016 having maturity date ofSeptember 29, 2016.
BSE Sensex collaborate with Twitter to provide live updates of S&P to its investors.. It is the first
collaboration in Asia between a stock exchange and a social networking site.
Moodys reported that the reform process was slow and gradual with muted private investment and
NPAs posing a challenge and announced that it could upgrade Indias rating in 1-2 years if it was
convinced that reforms were tangible.Moodys, which has a Baa3 rating with a positive outlook,
reported evidence of policymakers working towards a faster fiscal consolidation, reducing the debt-
GDP ratio and addressing infrastructure and monsoon volatility challenges would determine an
upgrade.
ICICI Prudential Life Insurance IPO opens. ICICI Bank owns 68 percent of the company and
decided to sell 12.65% stake though this IPO.At the upper end of the price band, IPO would raise
over Rs 6000 Cr. Britains Prudential PLC, which owns nearly 26% of the company, was not selling
any of its stake in the IPO.
214 | P a g e
Multilateral funding agency Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a loan of $631
million or Rs.4228.9 crore (at Tuesdays exchange rate) for building Indias first coastal industrial
corridor between Visakhapatnam and Chennai.
World Bank will invest nearly 1,000 crore rupees in Assam for the betterment of the inland
waterways. The amount will be utilised to develop inland waterways including ghats.
Public sector lender Vijaya Bank had launched e-deposit facility to facilitate term deposits by
customers in its bid to ramp up deposit base of the bank. E-deposit would facilitate the
existing Vijaya Bank customers to open term deposit accounts through e-banking facility. The three
innovative information technology products had launched VPAYQWIK, Vijaya *99# and V-
eConnect+.
Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB) has launched an application, Kotak Now that would allow new
customers to open an account. It is an end-to-end application wherein a customer will be able to
open a bank account within 10 minutes.
Public sector lender Andhra Bank announced that it had entered into agreements with private
insurers Cigna TTK and Reliance General Insurance to provide health and general insurance services
to its customers.
HDFC, Airtel and State Bank of India named in the Top 50 valued brands by the The third annual
BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable Indian Brands report released by WPP and Kantar Millward Brown.
The list is topped by Moratge lender HDFC.
Mobile payments and loans start-up ftcash in association with ICICI Bank is the first fintech start-
up to launch Unified Payment Interface (UPI) to provide flexibility to our 5,000-plus merchants to
accept electronic payments at a lower cost and better convenience.
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority(IRDAI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh and
another penalty of Rs 5 lakh has been imposed on SBI Life Insurance. For violations of various
norms, including guidelines on accepting business from a corporate agent after the expiry of licence.
It had done 621 policies after expiry of licence
Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and Chairperson of Samruddhi Cooperative
Bank Kanchan Gadkari launched the Banks first-ever RuPay Card in central India.
BUSINESS
Digital payments platform, MobiKwik andSamagra, an NGO serving urban poor launchedM-
Gullak in Pune to promote the habit of savings among Urban Poor.
Tech giant Microsoft is setting up a cyber security centre in the heart of New Delhi to arm
governments and private agencies with all-round intelligence on cyber attacks within India.
South Koreas LG Electronics Inc is partnering with Amazon.com Inc on smart-home services,
enabling the Amazon services such as the Alexa virtual assistant on some of the electronics makers
devices.
Infosys , a global leader in consulting, technology and next-generation services, announced the
launch of Skava Commerce, a modern, mobile-first and modular e-commerce platform that delivers
engaging omni-channel experiences.
HCL and IBM have entered a 15-year partnership for automation and development and operations.
This partnership will enable the both companies to focus their technical teams on native cloud and
cognitive solutions, as well as industry-specific opportunities.
Tech giants Microsoft and Adobe announced a major partnership to promote the use of each others
cloud-computing tools among their mutual customers.
Sun Pharma signs deal with ICGEB to develop Indias first dengue vaccine
Facebook, Amazon, Google, IBM and Microsoft have joined hands to announce a historic
partnership on AI and machine learning.
BHEL has commissioned the fourth and last unit of the 440 MW Teesta Low Dam Hydro Electric
Project (HEP) Stage-IV in West Bengal.
215 | P a g e
US based tech giants Microsoft, Google and Sales force have officially adopted the EU-US Privacy
Shield framework which enables these majors to receive personal data from the European Union
(EU) in agreement with the new standards.
BankBazaar.com, Indias leading financial marketplace, had launched the worlds first multi-brand,
paperless e-KYC platform for instant loan approval
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has been conferred the prestigious membership of the Asia-
Pacific Aerospace Quality Group (APAQG) under the category Full Member with voting
rights. India, the seventh nation to join the APAQG under TRHE International Aerospace Quality
Group (IAQG).
Adani Green Energy Ltd is connected the 648 mega watt (MW) solar power plant to 400 KW
substation of Tantransco at Kamuthi in Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu.

Ramon Magsaysay award T.M.Krishna, Bezwada Wilson
Entertainer of the Year award by CNBC Irrfan Khan
UN Womens Advocate for Gender Equality and Rajinikanth Dhanush
Womens Empowerment in India
Moscow sand art show Gold medal Sudarsan Pattnaik
UNESCO Confucius Prize for literacy 2016 Jan Sikshan Sansthan (JSS), Malappuram
Lifetime Achievement Oscar Award 2016 Jackie Chan
37th edition of prestigious Sarala Award Dr Hrushikesh Mallick
Heritage Heroes Award by IUCN Bibhuti Lakhar
J.C. Daniel Award 2016 K.G. George
Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Jharana Das
Miss Japan Priyanka Yoshikawa, Indo Japanese
Pangkor Dialogue Award 2016 Nagaland CM T R Zeliang
MM Bennetts Award for historical fiction Into the Hidden Valley by Stuart Blackburn
Youngest female with beard UK Sikh Harnaam Kaur
45th Skoch Merit Award and Skoch Smart Jharkhand
Governance Gold Award
Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH)
Young Professional of the Year Malisha Patel
Woman entrepreneur award Revati Puranik
Business leader of the year Bhavesh Patel
Lifetime Achievement awards Marvin Odum, former Shell USA president, Richard
Huebner, former president Houston Minority
Supplier Development and Dr John
Mendelsohn, former president M D Anderson
Global Agriculture Leadership award 2016 Odisha
Best Horticulture State award Haryana
US Tamil Ratna Award Subramanian Swamy
Golden Lion at Venice festival Philippine revenge drama :The Woman Who Left
Fellows of Nature South Asia Short Story Award Meghna Pant
Historic Ice Limbo Skating Record Nagpur Girl Shristi sharma

prestigious Lemelson-MIT Prize worth $500,000 Ramesh Raskar
Humanitarian Award at 2016 British Academy Ewan McGregor

Britannia Awards
216 | P a g e
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan mascot Kunwar Bai

Humanitarian award by a Jewish human rights Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
organisation
2015 National Humanities Medal Abraham Verghese
Marconi Society honour Dinesh Bharadia
Skoch Group Award Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank
Arjuna Award Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma
Priyadarshini Global Awardees 2016 ISRO, Katrina Kaif and Juhi Chawla
Mohanan Suvarna Mudra Award Dr M Leelavathi
2016 humanitarian of the year by Aung San Suu Kyi
Harvard Foundation
Lifetime Achievement Award: Asian Achievers Narendra Babubhai Patel
Awards
Guinness World Record Holder for Most Public Abhishek Bachan
Appearances Made By A Film Star In 12 Hours.
Banga Bibhushan award Lata Mangeshkar
Nano-scale Canadian University of Waterloo
2015-Better Performing Project Award won Himachal Pradesh
Green Apple Awards ISKCONs Govardhan Eco Village
Indias official entry to Oscars 2017 Tamil film Visaranai
Lalit Arpan Samman Shubha Mudgal
Clinton Global Citizen Award Adi Godrej
Right Livelihood Award 2016 Russian activist Svetlana Gannushkina
Egypts feminist leader Mozn Hassan
Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet
MacArthur Fellowship Two Indian-American scientists
Manu Prakash and Subhash Khot 23 scientists
Sri Lankan-American Ahilan Arulanantham is the
third South Asian
First Jesse Owens Olympic Spirit Award Muhammad Ali
Best Reader Engagement The Hindu
Chevalier de lOrdre National de la Legion Biocon MD Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
dHonneur
Miss United Continents Jeslyn Santos Winner
Lopamudra Raut - Runner
Lata Mangeshkar Award for Lifetime Achievement Uttam Singh
FIFA Diversity Award Slum Soccer
Worlds Largest LEGO Sculpture - UK Replica of the Londons iconic Tower Bridge
Worlds oldest wooden pagoda China
Moorti Devi Award For Anantajivanam Prof. Kalakaluri Enoch
Best Tourist Friendly Airport Tirupati Airport
BRICS Film Festival
Rishi Kapoor Honoured at BRICS Film Festival
Best Film award Raam Reddys Kannada film Thithi
Best director award Jianqi Huo from China for Xuan Zang
Worlds largest LEGO ship Jubilee Seaways - Denmark

M.S. Subbulakshmi Award
Vocalists Girija Devi, Kishori Amonkar, Aruna Sairam and
Vishaka Hari
Dancers Yamini Krishnamurthy, Vyjayantimala Bali
Pandavani exponent Teejan Bai
217 | P a g e
68th Annual Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards

Outstanding Drama Series Game of Thrones (HBO)
Outstanding Comedy Series Veep (HBO)
Outstanding Mini- Series or Movie The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime
Story (FX)
Outstanding TV Movie Sherlock: The Abominable Bride
(Masterpiece) (PBS)
Outstanding Variety Talk Series Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series Key & Peele (Comedy Central)
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Julia Louis- Dreyfus, Veep
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Outstanding Actor in a Mini- Series or Movie Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O. J. Simpson:
American Crime Story
Outstanding Actress in a Mini- Series or Movie Sarah Paulson, The People v. O. J. Simpson:
American Crime Story
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Louie Anderson, Baskets
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Sterling K. Brown, The People v. O. J. Simpson:
Movie American Crime Story
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Mini- Series or Regina King, American Crime
Movie
Outstanding Reality Competition Program The Voice (NBC)
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, Master of
None (Parents)
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Game of
Thrones (Battle of the Bastards)
Outstanding Writing for a Mini- Series or Movie D.V. DeVincentis, The People v. O. J. Simpson:
American Crime Story (Marcia, Marcia, Marcia)
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special Patton Oswalt, Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Jill Soloway, Transparent (Man on the Land)
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Miguel Sapochnik, Game of Thrones (Battle of the
Bastards)
Outstanding Directing for a Mini- Series or Movie Susanne Bier, The Night Manager
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special Thomas Kail and Alex Rudzinski, Grease: Live

Vidyasagar Rao Additional charge of the stateTamil Nadu (Konijeti Rosaiahs Departs
)
Om Prakash Kohli Additional charge of Madhya Pradesh ( Ram Naresh Yadav Departs)
Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa (sacked) Arunachal Pradesh Governor
V. Shanmuganathan Arunachal Pradesh Governor
Sushil Muhnot (Sacked) Bank of Maharashtras Chairman and Managing Director
Ravindra Marathe-Appointed Bank of Maharashtras Chairman and Managing Director
PV Bharathi Canara Bank Executive Director
Mallikarjuna Rao Syndicate Bank Executive Director
Atul Kumar Goel Executive Director in Union Bank of India
218 | P a g e
VK Sharma LIC chairman

Dilip Mandal MD & CEO of IDBI AMC(Asset Management Company)
R Subramania Kumar ED Of Indian Overseas Bank
Anuradha Rao MD, CEO of SBI Mutual Fund
OP Singh New Director General of CISF
Vinod Sivappa President of UPASI
Riyadh Mathew Chairman of PTI
Shakti Sinha Head of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library
Ashok Chawla Chancellor at Teri university
K K Aggarwal New National President of the Indian Medical Association.
Anil Khanna Honorary Life President of the All India Tennis Association
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Distinguished Scientist
Project R S Sundar
Mukund Chaudhari (elevated) Chairman and Managing Director of MOIL
Rio medallist Sakshi Malik Wrestling Director of Rohtak University
Shri J Satyanarayana Part-time Chairman of UIDAI
C.K Asnani UCIL Chairman
Anoop K Sharma CMD of Shipping Corporation
Sunny Verghese Board member of Business Commission
Narayana Murthy Director of Research Centre Imarat
Former Home Minister Parliamentary panel on home affairs
Chidambaram
Mukul Roy Chairperson of the Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture.
Sudip Bandyopadhyay Chairperson of the Committee on Railways.
Virender Kumar Par.Committee on Energy
Somaiya Par.Committee on Labour.
Lt Gen Surinder Singh General Officer Western Command
Alka Sirohi UPSC Chairman
Ravi Reddy Head of the International Society of Blood Transfusion ISBT
Anandi Ramalingam First woman director of Bharat Electronics Limited(BEL)
Mohan M Shantanagoudar Chief Justice of Kerala High Court
Girish Chandra Gupta J. Chief Justice of Calcutta
Satish Kumar Agnihotri J Chief Justice of Sikkim
Tinlianthang Vaiphei J Chief Justice of Tripura
Rakesh Ranjan Prasad J Chief Justice of Manipur
Vijay Kelkar President of Indian Statistical Institute.
Madhusudan Sahoo Bankruptcy board chief of India
Sanjiv Singh New Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd
Arun Goyal Additional Secretary of GST Council
Ajay Singh Boxing Federation of India President
Bakytzhan Sagintayev Prime Minister of Kazakhstan
Michel Temer Brazils New President
The Indians named Trisha Shetty , For the UN Young Leaders for Sustainable Development Goals
Ankit Kawatra , Karan Jerath
Abid Qureshi Obama nominates First Muslim-American Judge to federal judiciary
Bangladeshs Junaid Ahmad World Bank Head In India
Jim Yong Kim Second term of World Bank President
Alibabas Chairman Jack Ma Adviser to UN trade body
Satbir Singh Ambassador of India to the Peoples Democratic Republic of Algeria
Sevala Naik High Commissioner of India to the Cayman Islands
Anurag Srivastava Ambassador of India to the Republic of Djibouti
Natvaj Sarna Indian Ambassador to US
219 | P a g e
Monika Kapil Mohta Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Sweden.

Vishvas Vidu Sapkal High Commissioner of India to the Kingdom of Tong
Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha Next High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom
Deep Kumar Upadhyay Nepals Envoy To India
Jeffrey De Laurentis USs -first Cuban Ambassador in 55 years
Nicholas Hopton UK-first ambassador to Iran in five years
Shri Jawed Ashraf, IFS New High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Singapore.
Ajei Gopal CEO of US company ANSYS
Jubilant FoodWorks CEO Ajay Kaul resigns
K K Pahuja ISSDA president
Anand Chandrasekaran Facebook Messenger platform
Hiroshi Nakagawa Chairman of Isuzu Motors India
Mohit Kampani CEO of Aditya Birla Retail
Shilip Kumar President of its India business of Henkel
Sachin Tendulkar Brand ambassador for anti- liquor & anti-drug campaign - Kerala
Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting Brand ambassador of Tasmania
Vidya Balan Brand ambassador of Samajwadi Pension Yojana
Nawazuddin Siddiqui Brand ambassador of UP farmers scheme
Young Yazidi UN Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking
Virat Kohli Brand ambassador- Punjab National Bank
Sambhajiraje Bhosale Tourism Brand Ambassador of Maharashtra
John Abraham Arunachal Pradesh Tourisms brand ambassador

Intel has acquired California based Movidius, a computer vison firm that has worked with DJI,
Google and Lenovo to give 3D vision to devices.
HP Inc. agreed to buy Samsung Electronics Companys printer business for $1.05 billion. This
transaction is expected to close within 12 months.
Aircel to be Merged with Reliance Communications to create the countrys 4th-biggest mobile phone
operator. The merged entity will also rope in a third partner by diluting about 25% equity to raise
around Rs 6,000 crore.
Quikr has acquired the largest and highest quality players in beauty services Staygandfor
an undisclosed sum announced on September 13,2016. It was the Quikrs 8thacquisition in 2016.
German based chemical company Bayer announced to acquire the U.S basedMonsanto for $66
billion including debt. The deal will be the largest ever involving a German buyer, beating Daimlers
tie-up with Chrysler in 1998
Ashok Leyland Board has approved a proposal to merge Hinduja Foundries Ltd (HFL)with
itself. HFL has an accumulated loss of about Rs.1,100 crore and debt of Rs.512 crore.
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) arm APO acquire the Australian firm APB from
Glencore Coal Queensland Pty Limited for AUD 19.25 million
Apple has bought Hyderabad-based machine learning and big data start-up Tuplejump. This is the
Apples first acquisition in India and fourth machine learning acquisition in a year.
SCHEMES
The central Government has notified National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme to offer financial
incentives to employers for the first time. The Scheme has an outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore with a target
of 50 Lakh apprentices to be trained by 2019-20.
The government has approved projects worth about Rs 450 crore under Swadesh Darshan scheme for
five states, including Uttar Pradesh. This scheme was launched with an objective to develop 13
220 | P a g e
theme-based tourist circuits in the country and the approval for five was given in a meeting of the
central sanctioning and monitoring committee (CSMC).
As part of his three-day visit to Kerala, Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari inaugurated the
fourth phase of the Vidyadhanam project, piloted by Prof. K. V. Thomas Vidyadhanam Trust at
St.Teresas College. The project offers financial incentive and scholarship to Government and aided
school students, but also encourages cultivation of life skills, such as thrift and financial inclusion.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the Biju Kanya Ratna Yojana (BKRY) and
inaugurated 1,000 anganwadi buildings here as part of the celebration marking birth centenary of
legendary Biju Patnaik.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti launched the CM Scooty Scheme for college
girls. The scheme was launched in Srinagar and flagged off with the Chief Minister taking a ride on
pillion seat of a scooter
Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik declared all registered construction workers above60 years of
age will get pension of Rs 300 per month while workers above 80 years of age will get pension of Rs
500 per month. The rule requiring a construction worker to be registered for a minimum of five
years to benefit from the pension scheme has also been waived...
Government has adopted a comprehensive and integrated coastal security schemeto strengthen the
countrys coastal network, was stated by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh after commissioning
Coast Guard ship Sarathi in Goa in the presence of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Model guidelines were issued for states in order to protect consumers from Ponzi frauds, to
regulate direct selling and multi-level marketing businesses while prohibiting pyramid structures as
well as money circulation schemes. Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan released
the Direct Selling Guidelines 2016 framework and has been sent to the states and Union Territories
for adoption.
Chief Minister Raman SinghStart-up Chhattisgarh by announcing a number of sops and tax
exemptions to attract budding entrepreneurs and investors to the state.
Free bus rides for Haryana girl school students announced by Haryana Transport minister Krishan Lal
Panwar. Free travel facility also extended to girl students on the state roadways buses
The Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee (CSMC) chaired by Union Tourism
Secretary Shri Vinod Zutshi for the Swadesh Darshan Scheme has approved projects of worth Rs.
500 Crore for Jammu and Kashmir.
The Ludhiana District Administration has started the Selfie with my Shauchalya campaign to make
the Swachh Bharat Mission successful and encourage people to use clean toilets.Under the initiative,
beneficiaries of toilets provided by the Punjab government andBharti Foundation had been urged to
click a selfie with their toilets.
Government planned to double the number of schemes under DBT to 147 by March and had launched
pilots for paying subsidy on food, kerosene and fertiliser directly via bank accounts of
beneficiaries. Benefits and subsidies in as many as 74 schemes of 17 government
departmentsand ministries were paid directly to beneficiaries under DBT. Government planned to
extend DBT to 147 schemes by March 2017.
Central Government has announced 27 new Smart Cities from the 63 cities. The announcement was
made by Union Minister Shri Venkaiah Naidu in New Delhi.
27 New Cities :
The Golden Temple city of Amritsar topped the list of 27 new smart cities and eight other cities of
pilgrim and tourism importance that made to the third list of smart cities are ; Ujjain, Tirupati, Agra,
Nashik, Madurai, Thanjavur, Ajmer and Varanasi. With this the number of cities selected under
Smart City Mission for financing implementation of smart city plans has gone up to 60.
The new 27 smart cities have proposed an investment of Rs.66,883 cr under smart city plans including
Rs.42,524 cr under Area Based Development.
Railways to introduce Yatri Mitra Sewa to book wheelchair cum porter services. This service could be
booked on IRCTC e-ticketing website and 139 or through a mobile. The responsibility of providing
the Yatri Mitra Sewa has been entrusted with IRCTC.
221 | P a g e
The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval to enhancement of Pension for Freedom
Fighters and for the spouses, eligible daughters and dependent parents of deceased Freedom
Fighters, under the Swatantrata Sainik Samman Pension Scheme (SSSPS), 1980.The revised scale of
pension has taken effect from 15.O8.2016.
The rural housing scheme Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY), started by former Prime MinisterRajiv
Gandhi, has been restructured and renamed as Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana(PMAY), which would
be launched next month.
Tamil Nadu government had allotted Rs.204 crore towards the implementation of enhanced gold
scheme under a marriage assistance programme.
Shri J P Nadda, Minister of Health and Family Welfare going to launch Mission Parivar Vikas
in 145 districts for intensive and improved family planning services to reach the replacement level
fertility goals of 2.1 by 2025
Jayalalitha lead government issued orders to set up Amma Free Wi-Fi zones in 50 places across the
Tamil Nadu. In the first phase, 50 schools will be covered at a cost of Rs 10 crore.
MoUs
Gujarat government signed an MoU with the Ministry of Civil Aviation under the Regional
Connectivity Scheme
HP government signs MoU with Singapore Government for a Smart Township Project
Chhattisgarh Govt. inked a MoU with Ministry of Civil Aviation to boost regional air connectivity.
Jagdalpur, Ambikapur, Raigarh and Bilaspur will get connected to state Raipur through air services.
The Union Cabinet approved the signing and ratification of an extradition treaty between India and
Afghanistan.It is noted that Indiaand Afghanistan will soon sign an extradition treaty to hand over
each others wanted terrorists and other criminals with the Union Cabinet today giving its nod for the
pact.
The Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing of
the Technical Arrangement between India and Switzerland on the identification and return of Swiss
and Indian Nationals and its implementation.The conclusion of the BTA has been linked to the visa
free agreement for holders of diplomatic passports as a package deal.
The Union Cabinet approved extension of a contract between the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the
International Seabed Authority for exploration of Polymetallic Nodules upto 2022.
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Kenya on cooperation in the field of National Housing
Policy
India and South Africa have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for promoting bilateral
cooperation in the field of Information and Communication Technologies.
Cabinet apprised of the MoU between India and Mozambique on cooperation in the field of Youth
Affairs.
The Union Cabinet allowed the government to offer deeper concessions on tariffs while trading with
APTA countries comprising Bangladesh, China, India, Lao PDR, Republic of Korea, and Sri Lanka.
Union Water Resources Ministry signs MoU with Agriculture Ministry to take up organic farmingto
encourage farmers of over 5,000 villages along the Ganga to take up organic farming.
Chief Minister of Goa Laxmikant Parsekar and Telangana IT minister K T Rama Raosigned an
memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work together in IT development. ii. It is mutual
cooperation between both this two States
The Cabinet gave approval for signing and ratification of an agreement between India and Samoa for
exchange of information to curb tax evasion.
Chandigarh Administration Secretary K K Jindal and Director of French Development Agency
(AFD), Nicolas Fornage are signed a memorandum of understanding (MoUs) on Chandigarh Smart
City Project and Technical Cooperation in the field of Sustainable Urban Mobility during an Indo-
French workshop.
The union cabinet signed an agreement with Chile to expand the India- Chile Preferential Trade
Agreement (PTA) which was approved in April under which 86 per cent of Indias exports to Chile
222 | P a g e
will get concession .It is a step towards tapping the Latin American and Caribbean Nations (LAC)
market.
India and Greece have signed an MoU for Air Services Agreement (ASA) under the open sky
policy that proposes to allow unlimited points of call for domestic airlines in the European nation.
According to Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey, this is the first MoU with a country under the
provisions of the new civil aviation policy.
India and Canada have agreed to combat climate change through innovation and deployment of low-
carbon solutions according to provisions of the 2015 Paris Agreement under the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
India and Mauritius on September 13 explored greater collaboration in the area of defence and
security even as discussions on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Partnership Agreement
(CECPA) between the two countries restarted.
US And Israel Sign MoU For Largest-Ever Military Aidin the US State Department Treaty held in
Washington attended by US National Security Advisor Susan Rice and Israeli Ambassador to the US
Ron Dermer.
India and Sri Lanka Signed MoU to support livelihood of the fishing and farming communities by
providing them equipment worth USD 2 million in the countrys southern Hambantota district.
The 193 countries of the United Nations (UN) had signed a landmark declaration to rid the world of
drug-resistant infections or Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) or superbugs.
Afghanistan and second-biggest militant group Hekmatyars Hizb-e Islami Gulbuddin signed the
peace deal agreement to seek a peaceful resolution through political dialogue and negotiation at a
press conference in Kabul.
Rajasthans education department has partnered with US-based technology firm Cisco to promote
digital learning across the state using virtual digital room solutions.
An agreement was signed between the University of Tasmania (UTAS) and M S Swaminathan
Research Foundation in Chennai for a USD 2 million project supported by the Australia-India
Strategic Research Fund.
Gionee mobile phones signed an MoU(Memorandum Of Understanding) with theHaryana state
government to set up its phone manufacturing hub in Haryana with an initial investment of Rs 500
crore.
Praj Industries, a Pune-based global process solutions leader, was partnered withIndian Oil
Corporation, Indias flagship National Oil Company, for setting up multiple second Generations (2G)
bio-ethanol plants based on indigenously developed technology.
Telangana unveils four IT sectoral policies & Telangana government, Cisco ink pact for tech
initiatives to create more employment opportunities.
Indian Oil Corp and GAIL signed MoU for taking equity stake in upcoming Dhamra LNG
terminalfor taking equity in the 5 MMTPA capacity LNG Receiving, Storage and Regasification
Terminal being set up at Dhamra Port, Odisha
With its objective of providing safe, environment friendly and economical mode of transportation
through National Waterway-1 (NW-1), the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI),Ministry of
Shipping signed a contract with DST, Germany to design vessels, especially suited to navigate
the 1620 km stretch of NW-1.
India and France signed the 7.87 billion deal for Rafale fighter jets, equipped with latest missiles
and weapon system besides multiple India-specific modifications that will give the IAF cutting edge
capability over arch rival Pakistan.
Government of India and the AfDB signed MoU to host the next annual meetings of the African
Development Bank (AfDB) Group at Mahatma Gandhi Convention Centre, Ahmedabad from May
22 to May 26, 2017.
COMMITTEES
The Central Government has constituted an expert committee of four members to study the silt in the
river. The Centre will send a team to Bihar to study silt in river the river. Member of Ganga Flood
Control commission A .K. Sinha has been made Chairman of the committee.
223 | P a g e
The 22-member panel formed to look into 7th Pay Commission anomalies.The panel will be headed
by DoPT(Department of Personnel and Training) secretary.
The Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) Arvind Subramanian -led panel asked the Centre to
immediately announce higher minimum support price (MSP) of gram (chana) to for Rs.4,000 a
quintal rabi 2016 and Rs.6,000 a quintal for both urad and tur for kharif season 2017.
Centre to set up a committee to deal with complaints regarding Waqf properties. The Committee to
be set up at Central level will be headed by a retired Supreme Court Judge or retired High Court
Chief Justice.
For the 100th birthday of Deendayal Upadhyay, Prime Minister Narendra Modi constituted two
committees for Commemoration of the centenary of BJPs ideologue. Modi headed the 149 member
National Committee while Home Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the 23 member Executive
Committee.
The Government appointed three members on the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), who
along with RBI nominees to review with a view to contain retail inflation at the targeted level of 4
per cent.The named three academics Indian Statistical Institute professor Chetan Ghate, Delhi
School of Economics director PamiDua andRavindra H Dholakia of IIM-Ahmedabad as members
on interest-rate setting Monetary Policy Committee.
Indo-Mauritius defence co-operation got another fillip with the delivery of first fast patrol vessel,
Mcgs Victory, designed and built in-house by Goa Shipyard Ltd for Mauritius Coast Guard GSL.
The ship was handed over by R Adm. ShekharMital, NM (Retd), CMD, Goa Shipyard Ltd, to K.
Jhugroo, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mauritius Police Force, Government of Mauritius, in the
distinguished presence of senior officials from Mauritius and India.
The PSLV C35 Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, carrying three satellites from India, three from
Algeria, and one each from Canada and the US, lifted off from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh and the
launch was 100 per cent successful.
The worlds first child with genes from three people was born to a Jordanian couple. The baby was
delivered in Mexico as there are no laws in the country that could block the revolutionary technique.
An unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket busted out on the launch pad during a trail destroying a
satellite that Facebook scheduled to use to beam high-speed internet to Africa at SpaceXs Cape
Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40 resulting in loss of the vehicle in Florida.
Worlds first Driverless minibuses began taking passengers in the eastern French city of Lyon after
a year-long experiment. Two electric minibuses with a capacity of 15 passengers each are now
operating a 10-minute route with five stops in the city centre at an average speed of 6 miles (10km)
per hour.
Scientists have for the first time discovered tiny magnetic particles from air pollution lodged in
human brains which could be a possible cause of Alzheimers disease.
Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) successfully conducts test flight of Light Utility Helicopter
The Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO successfully placed INSAT-3DR, an advanced
weather satellite in the GSLV-F05 rocket into the intended orbit from the Satish Dhawan Space
Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. GSLV-F05 is the tenth flight of Indias Geosynchronous
Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), launching INSAT-3DR, an advanced weather satellite, weighing
2211 kg into a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO).
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) Lab that was given the in-
principle approval by the Union Cabinet to come up in Maharashtras Hingolidistrict. It would be
third one in the world and the first one outside the United States. The total worth of the project
is 1200-1300 Crore.
NASA set to launch of its first ever mission to collect dust from an asteroid that may have delivered
life-giving materials to Earth billions of years ago. This $800 million solar-powered spacecraft
224 | P a g e
mission will travel for two years on a journey to Bennu, a near-Earth asteroid about the size of a
small mountain.
Uttar Pradesh became the first state in the country to launch the ambitious Twitter Seva project,
when in one go 122 Twitter handles were unveiled in the state capital.
Regional News Units Facebook page Chhattisgarh Newsonair was officially released by Raman
Singh
Researchers from MIT and Georgia Tech had built a device that could see through
paper and distinguish ink from blank paper to determine what is written on the sheets.
Telemedicine app VISIT launches doctor on call service. VISIT is a platform that connects patients
with practitioners anytime, anywhere through smartphone or computer. The telemedicine app was
launched earlier this year by four BITS Pilani graduates Anurag Prasad, Vaibhav Singh, Chetan
Anand and ShashvatTripathi.
Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning departments Hindi website was launched
by Himachal Pradesh TCP Minister Sudhir Sharma. Himachal Pradesh become Indias first state to
provide all TCP department services online.
Uber launches first driverless car service in the Steel City, Pittsburgh, USA.& Uber partners NSDC,
Maruti to skill 1 million by 2018.
A team of researchers at Jadavpur University developed a green energy from raw fish scales that
possess a piezoelectric property. The study was published in the journal Applied Physics Letters.
Public Broadcaster Prasar Bharati would launch a website and mobile app for All India Radios
Balochi service to reach out to the people who speak the language across the globe. The Balochi
website and mobile app would be launched by PrasarBharati Chairperson A Surya Prakash.
China launched Tiangong-2 its space lab, which is part of an ambitious plan, stretched along
several phases, to establish a manned space station around 2022.
Aarambh Initiative has launched the countrys first-ever hotline to curb child pornography.
After studying Saturn, its rings and moons for more than 12 years, NASAs Cassinispacecraft had
entered the final year of its epic voyage during which it would make the closest-ever observations of
the planet.
HRD Minister Praksh Javadekar launched PARAM-ISHAN supercomputer at IIT, Guwahati.
PARAM-ISHAN has power of 250 Teraflops and three hundred tera bites capacity.
American Scientists including those of Indian origin had successfully grown three-dimensional (3D)
lungs in the lab, using stem cells.
The government had developed a scientific tool based on a UN model which would usesatellite
imagery and on-ground assessments to measure direct and indirect damages besides the opportunity
cost lost due to disasters.
Amsterdams iconic canals might soon see the worlds first driverless boats, doing everything
from moving people and goods to providing pop-up bridges and cleaning up thousands of dumped
bicycles. The first prototypes of the so-called Roboat would launch next year.
Google has launched its messaging app Allo, which likes WhatsApp and Facebook
Messenger.Google also launched a new mobile application called Google Trips that serves as a trip
planner and travel guide for anyone
Chinas online marketing giant Alibaba planned to launch the worlds first e-commerce satellite next
year to provide people with the best vegetables after analyzing agricultural cultivation and harvesting
data.
China commissioned the worlds largest radio telescope which can search for more strange object,
help in better understanding the origin of the universe and boost global hunt for extraterrestrial life.
Scientists Teleport Particle Of Light Over Six Kilometres, Set Record
DEFENCE
The Coast Guard was prepared an air enclave to step up aerial surveillance of Karnataka coast for
helping in search and rescue operations and also to check maritime crimes in Mangaluru.
225 | P a g e
The Indian Army has set up Army Design Bureau (ADB) with an aim to indigenize procurements
and reduce dependence on imports. ADB will be part of the governments Make in India initiative
and integrate various stake holders in its long-term requirements.
A permanent facility of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) named Prakampana-the
first Joint Disaster Management Exercise was inaugurated in Visakhapatinam. This program is aimed
at synchronising the resources and efforts of all agencies involved in such exercises.
The Government has given its approval for operation of helicopter services in the State of Jammu
and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh on a pilot basis in 10 sectors, as per the stipulation that the most
inaccessible destination points should be chosen.
Indo-US defence co-operation, a joint military training exercise, YudhAbhyas 2016 was prepared
to be conducted in Uttarakhand from September 14 to 27.The exercise inChaubattia was being
conducted by the headquarter Central Command. This is the 12th edition of the exercise hosted
alternately by both countries.
India Kazakhstan Joint Exercise, PRABAL DOSTYK-16 is being conducted in Karaganda region
of Kazakhstan and will conclude on 17 Sep 2016 to enhance interoperability while undertaking
Counter Terrorism & Counter Insurgency Operations in rural & semi-urban environment under the
umbrella of United Nations.
Chinese and Russian naval forces began joint naval exercises in the South China Sea, This added a
new twist to ongoing tensions over Chinese island-building in the region. The 8 day exercises would
highlight marine corps units in live-fire drills, sea crossingand island landing operations and island
defense and offense exercises was reported from Chinas official Xinhua News Agency.
8th edition of India-Russia Joint Military Exercise Indra-2016 Begins in Vladivostok, Russia for
Counter-Terrorism Operations in semi mountainous and jungle terrain under United Nations
Mandate.
The two Cold War enemies Russia and Pakistan joined together for their first-ever joint military
exercise called Friendship 2016 to strengthen and developing military cooperation with Pakistan
in Pakistan in at the bases of Rattu.
Disaster Relief Exercise Ex SAHAYATA was inaugurated by Air Marshal RK Dhir AVSM VM
ADC Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South Western Air Command at IAF headquarters in
Gandhinagar, Gujarat on September 14, 2016.
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) handed over the Water Jet Fast Attack
Craft (WJFAC), TIHAYU to Indian Navy. TIHAYU is the second ship of the Follow-on Series
of WJFACs while INS Tarmugli is the first ship of the same series.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikarcommissioned the 105
metre vessel ICGS Sarathi into the force in Goa. The vessel, which would be commissioned in the
presence of Coast Guard Director General Rajendra Singh, is the third vessel of the Sarathi Class
vessels being designed and built indigenously by Vasco-based Goa Shipyard Limited.
The Indian Navy launched an advanced indigenously built guided-missile destroyer, Mormugao,
in financial capital of the country (Mumbai). Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, who was present
when the vessel was released into the Arabian Sea, announced that the stealth destroyer was at par
with the best vessels in the world.
India successfully test fired a new surface-to-air missile Barak-8, from a defense base in
its eastern sate of Odisha, was reported by state-run broadcaster All India Radio (AIR). The missile
was successfully launched. from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) launch pad at Chandipur in
Balasore district.
The Indian Air Force had successfully fired recently acquired long range air-to-air MICA missile on
a maneuvering target from Mirage-2000 Upgrade combat aircraft. A Defence Ministry release
announced that the missile achieved a direct hit on a target which was much smaller than an actual
aircraft and flying at a low altitude.
226 | P a g e
ENVIRONMENT
A team of Scientists led by the University of Wollongongs (UOW) Professor Allen Nutman have
discovered the worlds oldest fossils which is about 3.7 billion years old. The discovery which
further dates back with the previous record by 220 million yearsand captures the earliest history of
our planet.
According to the WHO Report on Ambient Air Pollution 2016Turkmenistan has the highest rate of
deaths per capita due to ambient air pollution in the WHOs classification. India alone accounting for
over 75 per cent of the casualties caused by cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer. The three
Indian cities, New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, are in the list of 11 most-polluted mega cities, the
most for any country.China has only 2 cities in the top 10 list.
Scientists and wildlife conservationists were seeing red over the threat posed to Gangetic river
dolphins by the National Waterways project. The animal was protected under Schedule I of the
Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and was a declared endangered speciesUnionGovernment of
India signed a15-year contract with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for exploration
of polymetallic sulphides (PMS) in Indian Ocean.
New lizard species named as Cyrtodactylus Varadgirii discovered in Mumbai.
The Karnataka State Wildlife Board, chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has decided to declare
Ankasamudra tank in Hagari Bommanahalli taluk as a bird conservation reserve. The
A tiny fish species discovered near Hawaii has been named after President Obama. This maroon and
gold animal was found 300 feet deep in the coral reef off Kure Atoll in June. Its a very special fish
because as far as we know, it is the only fish species, so far, that is endemic to
the Papahnaumokukea Marine National Monument.
The worlds largest gorillas are included in the IUCN Red list. It was announced at theInternational
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) global conference in Honolulu. Gorillas
population decline of more than 70% in 20 years. Just 5,000 Eastern gorillas left on Earth
and Chimpanzees and bonobos are listed as endangered.
West Bengal has reported the highest number of dengue deaths in the country. The State has 23
dengue-related deaths with 5,639 people affected by it from January to August 31
Scientific Researchers have identified a new species of extinct reptiles that lived 212 million
years ago in US. The fossils of the reptile named Vivaron haydeni was found in Ghost Ranch of New
Mexico during an excavation in 2009, co-led by Sterling Nesbitt, who was at University of Texas at
Austin in the US during the research.
Invasive Giant African Land Snail(GALS)(Scientific name Achatina fulica) was sighted at Goa
University campus.GALS is listed as one of the worlds 100 most invasive species by the
international union of conservation of nature and natural resources(IUCN).
Indias first inter State river interlinking project Ken-Betwa project was approved by the National
Board for Wildlife (NBWL) with an Outlay of Rs.10,000 crore.This project will irrigate not only
Bundelkhand region but also submerge about 10% of the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
Sikkim Daughter Makes a Scientific Breakthrough Nishma Dahal Discovers a New Pika Species in
Himalayan.
SPORTS

Italian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton
Singapore Grand Prix Nico Rosberg
Quadrangular one-day series India A
Honorary life member of the Marylebone Cricket Zaheer Khan
Club
Bangladesh batting guru Thilan Samaraweera
ITF events 2016 Sriram Balajifrom India defeated Seong Chan
Hong of Korea
227 | P a g e
Asian Karting Championship Shahan Ali Mohsin First Indian

Record in the Womens Hammer Throw at the 65th Minakshi of CISF
All India Police Athletics Championship in
Hyderabad.
6 Red Snooker World Championship Pankaj Advani - bronze medal
Durand Cup Football Title Army Green beat Neroca FC
Manager of Pakistan team Wasim Bari
World Martial Arts Mastership 2016 Sushmita Rai - bronze
MCC Murugappa Gold Cup Hockey Tournament Indian Railways Team defeated
champion Indian Oil Corporation
2016 Calcutta Football League East Bengal
1st World Deaf Shooting Championships - Kazan, Priyesha Deshmukh - Bronze
Russia
FIBA Asia Challenge India 7th
ITF womens doubles title Ankita Raina with Emily Webley
defeating Hanyu Guo and Xinyu Jiang of China
ICC Test Championship mace Received by Pakistan Test captain MisbahulHaq
Obaidullah Khan Heritage Cup Hockey Tournament BPCL defeated Railway
U-19 Asian Junior Individual squash championship - Velavan Senthilkumar
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
13th leg of the womens Professional Golf Tour Vani Kapoor
30th World Amateur Team Championship (WATC) 1.Australia
2.US
Indians finished 31st
India made a historic win in the 500th test match against New Zealand
at Kanpur
Second fastest bowler to claim 200 Test wickets Ravichandran Ashwin
BRICS football tournament logo Union Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Vijay
Goel unveiled logo in Goa
2016 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship Gaurav Gill -4th time
Belgium Open , Belgium Mens singles title
Sathiyan Gnanasekaran defeated Nuytinck Cedric
International Thailand Open ChavviKohli defeated Thai fencer
Polish Open 2016
Mens Single Rituparna Das
Womens Single Rasika Raje
Womens doubles Sanjana Santosh and Arathi Sara Sunil defeating
Natalya Voytsekh and Yelyzaveta Zharka1
ITTF Junior and Cadet Open TT Championships

Junior Boys singles Manav Thakkar, Varuni Jaiswal and Ishhita Gupta
Junior Boys doubles Ananth Devarajan and Manav Thakkar combined to
outwit Taipeis LaiChi-Chien and Tai Ming-Wei.
Brazil Open Grand
Mens Double title Sikki Reddy and Pranaav Jerry Chopra defeated the
Canadian pair of Toby Ng and Rachel Honderich
Mens Single Title Anand Pawar defeated Zulfadli Zulkiffli of

Malaysia
6th Asian Championship - Taoyuan, Taiwan
Silver L Budha Chandra Singh (56Kg), Praveen Kumar
(48Kg), Rajinder Singh (90Kg), K Arunpama Devi
228 | P a g e
(60Kg).
Bronze Y Santhoi Devi (52Kg), Pooja Kadian (65Kg),
Vishakha Malik (70Kg), Rajani Deori (75Kg).
2016 US Open
Mens Singles
Winner Stan Wawrinka, Runner Novak Djokovic
Womens Singles
Winner Angelique Kerber Runner Karolina Pliskova
Mens Doubles
Winner Jamie Murray, Bruno Soares Runner Garreno busta, Garcia-lopez
Womens Doubles
Winner Mattek-sands, Lucia Safarova Runner Caroline Garcia, Kristina Madenovic
Mixed Doubles
Winner Laura Siegemund Croatia Mate Pavi Runner Coco Vandeweghe United States Rajeev
Ram
Track Asia Cup 2016 - Indoor Cycling Velodrome at IG Sports Complex
Hong Kong (18) 11 Gold 4 Silver and 3 bronze.
India 16 medals) 5 gold 4 Silver and 7 bronze
Rio Paralympics 2016 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from September 7 to 18, 2016
Top 3 1.China
2.Great Britain
3.Ukraine
Ankur Dhama Indias first blind athlete
T42 high jump event Mariyappan Thangavelu - gold,
Varun Bhati- bronze
29th spot in Womens Individual Recurve event Pooja Khanna
First Indian women to win medal Deepa Malik Silver
Mens javelin throw F46 event Devendra Jhajharia Gold
Iranian Para-cyclist has died at the last day Golbarnezhad
ISSF Junior World Cup 2016 1.RUSSIA 25
2.INDIA - 24
3.NORWAY 5
WTA Toray Pan Pacific Open
Womens Single title Caroline Wozniacki beat Japans Naomi
Osaka
Womens Double Title Indias Sania Mirza with Czech partner Barbora
Strycova defeating Chinese pair of Chen Liang and
Zhaoxuan Yang.
St Petersburg Open 2016
Mens Single A. Zverev defeated S. Wawrinka
Menss Double D. Inglot / H. Kontinen defeated A. Begemann / L.
Paes
70th Senior National Aquatic Championship
Overall championships Karnataka followed by Maharashtra
Swimming
Womens championship Maharashtra
Mens championship Railways
Diving championships
Mens championships Services team
womens championship Railways
water polo events
229 | P a g e
Mens category Railways

womens championship Kerala
Banned for 10 months by USOC US swimmer Ryan Lochte
First Indian woman cricketer for honorary life Anjum Chopra
membership of the MCC
ICC ODI rankings for batsmen Virat Kohli - second spot
Rohit Sharma Seventh Spot
Joe Root - Top five for the first time.
ICC ODI Ranking Australia , New Zealand followed by India
1.AB de Villiers
2.ViratKohli
7.Rohit Sharma
8.ShikharDhawan
FIFA mens rankings 1.Argentina
2.Belgium
3.Germany
142 .India
BWF ranking Kidambi Srikanth Top 10
Saina 5
Sindhu 8
Ajay Jayaram - 27
H S Prannoy -31 and
B Sai Praneeth 35
Professional Squash Association (PSA) rankings Joshna Chinappa - 10th
Deepika Pallikal remained at 19th
Rs 75 lakh cash reward Maharashtra Gov Lalita Babar
Rs 50 lakh cash reward - Maharashtra Gov Ayonika Paul, Prarthana Thombare,
Dattu Bhonkanal, Devraj Walmiki and Kavita Raut.
Banned for 10 months by USOC US swimmer Ryan Lochte
Indias selection panel chairman MSK Prasad
Captain of the India Cricket team MS Dhoni
Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra Retirement from shooting after 2016 Summer
Games
Ritu Rani Retires from international hockey
Chief coach of the national Tennis team Massimo Costantini
2026 Asian Games Host : Japan
OBITUARY

Len Maddocks Wicketkeeper & Batsman Australia
Islam Karimov Former President Uzbekistan
Vera Caslavska Gymnast Republic of Czech
Carlo Azeglio Ciampi Former President Italy
Lindsay Tuckett Worlds oldest cricketer South Africa
Shimon Peres Former President Israel
Syed Shamsul Haq Eminent litterateur Bangladesh
Max Walker Former cricketer Australia
Jon Raymond Polito Actor and voice artist USA
Jerry Heller Former N.W.A Manager USA
Hugh OBrian Legend of Wyatt Earp USA
Edward Albee Playwrighter USA
230 | P a g e
Curtis Hanson Filmmaker USA

Arnold Palmer Golfer USA
Herschell Gordon Lewis Horror filmmaker USA
Sharad Rao Veteran trade union leader India
Nalinidhar Bhattacharya Assamese Eminent Poet India
Former union minister and senior BJP leader,
Arif Baig India
Madhya Pradesh
Sachin Kheda Television journalist, Haryana India
Ramsewak Shrivastava Veteran journalist, New Delhi India
Ayub Khan Former Union Minister and Captain, Rajasthan India
Narottam Mohanty First ever football referee, Odisha India
Swapan Mukherjee Senior CPI-ML (Liberation) leader, Chandigarh India
Reoti Saran Sharma Eminent Hindi and Urdu writer, New Delhi India
Chairman of FCAT and Retd Justice of Delhi High
SK Mahajan India
Court
K Madhavan Freedom fighter and communist leader, Kerala India
Vaishnavacharya Goswami Founder of Shrimad Vallabh Acharya Research
India
Indirabetiji Academy
Yuvraj Singh Veteran socialist leader and former MP of Bihar India
BOOKS & AUTHORS

AB de Villiers to share his life in AB: The Autobiography which was released by Pan Macmillan
across the UK, Australia, New Zealand and India.
The biography of Bollywoodactor and politician Shatrughan Sinha titled Anything but
Khamosh was launched inNepal. The book on Sinha written by journalist Bharti Pradhanhighlights
life and struggle of the actor-turned BJP MP in the field of film as well politics.
13th-century Mayan document The Grolier Codex is one of the rarest books in the world. The
document was founded in a cave in Mexico in the 1960s by Josue Saenz.
A Jamaican cricketer Chris Gayle has penned down his life story in an autobiography called Six
Machine. His autobiography was published by Viking Penguin UK.The book was unveiled
by Anurag Singh Thakur, President of the BCCI and Virendar Sehwag at a gala event in Delhi.
A book titled Shanti ki Talaash mein Zindagi written by author and journalist Radhika Nagrath
released by Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul in Dehradun. Shanti ki Talaash mein Zindagi was
written in Hindi language by Radhika Nagrath.
The Consul General of Malaysia in India EldeenHusaini Muhammad Hashim released the translated
version of Sai CharitraGranth, a book on the life of Sai Baba.Sri Sai Gurucharitra is a biography on
the life of Sai Baba of Shirdi, written by hisdevotee Ganpatrao Dattatreya Sahasra-buddhe, better
known as Das Ganu Maharajto divine consciousness, would lead the disciple through the jungle of
spiritual training
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region
(DoNER) Dr Jitendra Singh released the NEC Coffee Table Book, 2016 North Eastern Council: A
Story of Sagacity and Success. This book describes the achievements of the NEC engaged in all
round development of the North-Eastern Region (NER).
The book Citizen and Society written by Vice President Shri Mohd Hamid Ansari released by
President Pranab Mukherjee at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
IMPORTANT DAYS
Sep 5 2016
Remember Day: Natioanl Teachers Day
231 | P a g e
Purpose : To commemorates the birthday of India's first Vice President and second President Dr Sarvepalli
Radhakrishnan
Organization: GOI
Remember Day: International Day of Charity

Purpose : To promote charitable efforts made to alleviate poverty across the world.
Organization: UN
Sep 1-7 2016

Remember Day:. National Nutrition Week
Purpose : To spread the word regarding the importance of nutrition for every child and how this not only
affects the health and development of the child
Organization: GOI
Theme: Poshak Aahar, Desh ka Aadhar
Sep 8 2016
Remember Day: 50th World Literacy Day
Purpose : To highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies.
Theme: Reading the Past, Writing the Future
Sep 10 2016
Remember Day: World Suicide Prevention Day
Purpose : To provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides, with various activities around
the world.
Organization: UN
Sep 12 2016
Remember Day: South-South Cooperation
Purpose : To mark the importance of South-South Cooperation
Organization: UN
Sep 14 2016
Remember Day: Hindi Diwas
Purpose : To pay tribute to the official language of India as Hindi was adopted as the official language of
Constituent assembly on September 14, 1949.
Organization: India
Sep 16 2016
Remember Day: International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
Purpose : To commemorates the date of the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the
Ozone Layer in 1987
Organization: UN
Theme: Ozone and climate: Restored by a world united
Sep 21 2016
Remember Day: World Peace Day
Purpose : To strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.
Theme: The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace.
Remember Day: World Alzheimers Day

Purpose : To raise awareness about Alzheimer's and dementia.
232 | P a g e

Theme: Remember Me
Sep 25 2016
Remember Day: World Rivers Day
Purpose : To highlights the many values of rivers and strives to increase public awareness while
encouraging the improved stewardship of rivers around the world.
Remember Day: World Pharmacists Day

Purpose : To encourages the worlds pharmacists and promote the role of the pharmacist in improving
health in every corner of the world.
Organization: International Pharmaceutical Federation
Theme: Pharmacists: Caring for you
Sep 26 2016
Remember Day: World Environmental Health Day
Purpose : To disseminates knowledge about environmental health among people
Organization: IFEH Council
Theme: Tobacco Control a response to the global tobacco pandemic
Remember Day: International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapon
Purpose : To highlight the need to eliminate nuclear weapons
Organization: UN
Sep 27 2016
Remember Day: World Tourism Day
Purpose : To foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its
social, cultural, political and economic value.
Organization: UN, WTO(World Tourism Organization)
Theme: Tourism for All promoting universal accessibility
Sep 28 2016
Remember Day: World Rabies Day
Purpose : To mark the anniversary of the death of Louis Pasteur who, with the collaboration of his
colleagues, developed the first efficacious rabies vaccine.
Theme: Rabies: Educate. Vaccinate. Eliminate
Remember Day: 109th birth anniversary of revolutionary socialist Shaheed Bhagat Singh
Organization: GOI
Sep 29 2016
Remember Day: World Heart Day
Purpose : To inform people around the globe that heart disease and stroke are the worlds leading causes of
death, claiming 17.3 million lives each year.
Organization: WHF, WHO
Theme: Light Your Heart, Empower Your Life'.
Remember Day: World Maritime day
Purpose : To focuse on the importance of shipping safety, maritime security and the marine environment.
Organization: IMO
Theme: Shipping: indispensable to the world.
233 | P a g e
Sep 30 2016
Remember Day: International Translation Day
Purpose : To show solidarity of the worldwide translation community in an effort to promote the translation
profession in different countries
Organization: FIT
Theme: Translation and Interpreting: Connecting Worlds.
Current Affairs October 2016

INDIAN AFFAIRS
The Haryana state government was launching its e-kharid portal for procurement of paddy in the
upcoming procurement season starting this month.
Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani inaugurated a 34-ft long Lamp of Humanity in Ahmedabad, as part of
the Vibrant Navratri celebrations. The lamp is made up of stainless steel34-feet long and has a
diameter of 15.8 feet, with the authorities claiming that the initiative has already entered
the Guinness Book of World Records, as the worlds biggest lamp.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu flagged off an all-women Mt Gorichen
expedition.This would be the first all women team attempting to summit the second highest peak of
the state, which is considered as a technical peak and only seasoned climbers can make it to the top
(6,488 m).
The Supreme Court charged a cost of Rs.25,000 on Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jainfor failing
to file an affidavit naming the officials allegedly not cooperating in checking the menace of dengue
and chikun gunya in the national capital.
Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016 has come into force from October 2 in the state. This new
Act has strict provisions. As per one of the provision, every adult of a family would be pretended to
be aware of the offence if alcohol is consumed, manufactured, sold or distributed in premises one
occupies.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated a number of new projects in Ganjam district,
Odisha. He opened an OPD centre in Sheragada hospital and a panchyat building.He also
inaugurated the new urban water supply project for the Hinjili Notified Area Council(NAC) area
readied at an estimated cost of Rs 6.14-crore.
The Cabinet approved amendments to the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014 in a
meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The bill makes antiretroviral treatment a legal
right of HIV/AIDS patients.
The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has constituted
a high-level technical team, headed by Central Water Commission (CWC) Chairman GS Jha, to visit
the Cauvery basin area and assess the ground.
Social networking site Facebook is collaborating with the Election Commission of India in five
states going to polls next year to run a voter registration drive aimed at encouraging youth to
participate in the democratic exercise. The five states are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and
Uttarakhand for the first time in the country to run a voter registration drive.
The Union government has accepted the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission on Modified
Assured Career Progression (MACP) for Central employees which would ensure one minimum
promotion for every 10 years till 30 years of service.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated 100 urban piped drinking water supply projects
Indian mountaineer Arjun Vajpai scaled worlds sixth highest mountain Cho Oyu. The mountain is
located on the China-Nepal border at an altitude of 8188 meters above the sea level.
The Union Minister of Human Resource and Development, Prakash Javadekar inaugurated the Green
building and Shatabdi Krishi Bhawan at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in the wake of holding a
review meeting VCs of Central Universities.
234 | P a g e
Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu flagging-off the first freight train in New Delhi which
featured a newly-developed guard van, which uses solar power to run fans and lights at Delhi
Safdarjung Railway Station.
Not only men, but women can also be prosecuted under the Protection of Women
against Domestic Violence (DV) Act. The Supreme Court had struck down the words adult male
from the pertinent provision in the DV Act to lay down that a woman could also file a complaint
against another woman, accusing her of domestic violence.
Maharashtra government has allocated 40.68 hectare land in Hingloi to Department of Atomic
Energy(DAE) for LIGO India Project. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave
Observatory (LIGO) project that was given the in-principle approval by the Cabinet planned to
construct in Hingoli district
The Centre had approved projects worth Rs.350 crore for developing infrastructure at heritage sites
Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu, Minister of Urban Development inaugurated a two day conference on
Heritage Cities. The conference was being jointly organised by Ministry of Urban Development and
Indian Heritage Cities Network (IHCN).
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated first Model Skill Development
Centre Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra at Panjabari, Guwahati.
The government would completely seal the India-Pakistan border by December 2018, was
announced by Union home minister Rajnath Singh as part of an extensive plan to monitor the
countrys frontier security.
The National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) had been reconstituted with P S Raghavan, former
Ambassador to Russia, as its head. The NSAB deals with internal and external security, foreign
affairs, defence, science and technology and economic affairs and normally meets at least once in a
month.
India would have 100 % electrification for all by May 1, 2017 was the announcement made by the
Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal. He has the confident that 100 per cent electrification in
rural, Left-Wing Extremism(LWE) districts and dense forests would be achieved by May 1, 2017, a
year ahead of the schedule Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
India, through its company Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), has performed exceedingly
well in terms of vastly improving access to LED lighting while reducing their cost drastically.
Supreme Court has widened the scope of the Domestic Violence Act by ordering deletion of the
words adult male from it, paving the way for prosecution of women and even non-adults for
subjecting a woman relative to violence and harassment.The apex court has ordered striking down of
the two words from section 2(q) of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005,
which deals with respondents who can be sued and prosecuted under the Act for harassing a married
woman in her matrimonial home.
India donated Rs.9.3 million (ZAR 2 million) to the Nelson Mandela Foundation to help it in its
welfare work for the people of South Africa.
The Union Government is commemorate the birth centenary of social activist and former RSS
leader Nanaji Deshmukh from October 11, 2016 to October 11, 2017. It was announced by the Union
Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma during inaugural programmeorganised on the eve of the birth
centenary celebrations.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
has approved the construction of a new link between Sahibganj bypass in Jharkhand to Manihari
bypass in Bihar, including a four-lane bridge on river Ganga. A highway project worth Rs 1,955
crore for construction of a road link between Sahibganj in Jharkhand to Manihari in Bihar, including
a bridge on the Ganges, received Cabinet clearance.
Raising the slogan Haryana ek Haryanvi ek, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar urged people of
the state to help eradicate casteism from the society for the development of the state.
The Centre has brought final draft of the National Water Framework Bill, 2016, that stresses
managing water at basin-level and right measurement of States contribution to river system to
resolve conflicts.
235 | P a g e
The Centre government decided to utilise the vast network of post offices across the country to
sell subsidised pulses to ensure that there is no shortage of the item during this festival season.
A decision to this effect was taken by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on prices of essential
commodities, headed by Consumer Affairs Secretary Hem Pande.
The Bharatiya Janata Party in Arunachal Pradesh officially became a part of the Peoples Party of
Arunachal government with the induction of senior BJP MLA TamiyoTaga in the council of
ministers. Arunachal Pradesh is the 14th State under a coalition government.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) released new standards on fortification
on food. The guidelines are meant to regulate the fortification of food, especially packaged food,
with essential micronutrients to counter risingmal nutrition in the country.
Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (Independent charge) for Culture and Tourism chaired
the First Meeting of the Re-constituted Central Advisory Board on Culture (CABC) in new Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Vadodara to inaugurate the international terminal at Harni
airport on October 22 016.Harni is only the second green building airport in country. He would
also attend a programme to distribute man-made limbs and other implements to more than 8000
Divyangs (disabled persons) in the city.
The triple talaq was a highly misused custom and it should be scrapped to protect the rights of
Muslim women said by Lalitha Kumaramangalam, Chairperson of National Commission of Women
(NCW).
The City Corporation has launched the Swacch Bharat Swacch Vidyalaya campaign in60 elementary
and middle schools.
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated three state-run mega hydro power of 1,752 MW capacity
in Himachal Pradesh during his day-long maiden visit to the state.He dedicated the 520 Megawatt
generation capacity third phase of Parbati hydro power project, 412 Megawatt Rampur project and
800 Megawatt Kol Dam power project to the nation.
After visiting Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Punjab
Agricultural University in Ludhiana and he launched two schemes-National SC/ST Hub and Zero
Defect Zero Effect scheme.
Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh submitted a 13-point memorandum to Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on October 18, 2016 at Mandi, Himachal Pradesh
Indias second eco-friendly airport in Vadodara is all set to open its doors to passengers.The facility
has also been rated by Green Ratings of International Habitat Assessment, the highest national rating
for green buildings considered by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
In a major setback to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States, the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal on sharing
of Krishna waters (Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II) has made it clear that it would not take a
relook into allocation of water among the riparian States but would take up distribution of water
allocation to combined AP to Telangana and residuary AP States.
Activist Irom Sharmila formed a new political party named Peoples Resurgence and Justice
Alliance (PRJA) ahead of the Assembly polls in Manipur in 2017.
Supreme Court has appointed an independent auditor to monitor the financial transactions of BCCI
and set a threshold beyond which the board will have to take permission from the Lodha Panel.
The Central Government has proposed a four-slab rate structure for the Goods & Services Tax,
ranging from zero to 26 per cent, at a meeting of the GST Council.
The Ministry of Shipping ratified the Capital Dredging Project for Ro Pax Ferry Services between
Gogha & Dahej, in Gulf of Cambay in Gujarat. The Ministry released Rs.58.50 Crore as first
installment of grant-inaid to Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB). The total project cost is estimated to
be Rs.234 Crore and of which 50% would be funded byCentre Government under the Sagarmala
programme.
Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched a logo of a Cell for the IPR
Promotion and Management (CIPAM).
PM Modi launched #Sandesh2Soldiers campaign through which people can send their Diwali
greetings and messages to soldiers guarding the nations frontiers to boost their morale.
236 | P a g e
Centre is planning to fast-track four projects in Indus river basin to increase irrigation area in Jammu
and Kashmir by nearly 2.05 lakh acres. PM Modi had chaired a meeting to review the 56-year-old
Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)last month.
The first meeting of National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF) was held in New Delhi. The
meeting was chaired by Cabinet Secretary P.K.Sinha.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley released first instalment of special assistance of Rs 1,093.34 crore out
of Rs.2000 crore to Jammu & Kashmir for repair and permanent restoration of damaged public
buildings such as such as schools, colleges, hospitals, bus stations under Prime Minister
Reconstruction Plan which was announced on November 7, 2015
Govt to invest Rs.1 Lakh Crore to boost road, Inland, Water Transport in Assam to improve
connectivity.
Election Commission of India (ECI) unveiled three IT based Systems Samadhan, Suvidha, and
Sugam to make the election process smooth, effective and transparent.
The Centre has changed the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 enabling service voters, including
armed forces personnel, to cast their vote in elections through e-postal ballot.
The Supreme Court gave the final decision that it wouldnot re-examine its1995 verdict on
Hindutva at this stage as it is not the reference for hearing electoral malpractice issues. The 1995
judgment defined Hindutva as a way of life and not a religion. SC mentioned it that it wasnt keen
to revisit the debate about philosophy of Hinduism but made it clear religion shouldnt be used in
elections.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launched the SMS alert service for quarterly Tax Deducted at
Source (TDS) for salaried class and also be sent to deductors who have either failed to deposit taxes
deducted to e-file their TDS returns by the due date.
Akshat Prakash, student of Delhi Public School(DPS) has launched an initiative Bagit challenge to
involve schools in the national mission towards cleanliness. Prakash from Indirapuram, Ghaziabad.
The Union Cabinet has cleared 2 percent hike in dearness allowance (DA). The hike will be effective
from July 2016.Ahead of Diwali, this move is likely to bring some cheers to around 50 lakh
employeesworking with the central government as well as 58 lakh more pensioners.
The Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the
establishment and operationalization of a National Academic Depository (NAD), which is aimed at
bringing another dimension and enhancement of the vision of Digital India.
The pensioners identity cards given to retired employees would have national emblem as the Home
Ministry has cleared a proposal in this regard. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and
Pensions has been considering a proposal of issuing identity cards to all the pensioners.
Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav announced to remove upper age limit for widows and divorced
women who are all applying for government jobs. The age limit for government exam is-in general
the maximum age limit for Non-Gazetted Posts is 28 years and for Gazetted Posts upper age limit is
26 years.
The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has laid the foundation stone of National Institute of
Archaeology at Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh
Union Cabinet given its ex-post facto approval on October 27, 2016 to formation of the Indian
Institute of Science Education & Research (IISER) at Berhampur in Odisha under the Societies
Registration Act, 1860.
First Workshop on the use of International Household Survey Network Toolkitwas inagurated
by D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation in New Delhi.
He also launched the new Website of the Ministry.
The Delhi government has announced a three-tier air treatment system to deal with rising air
pollution in city. It includes setting up of wind purification units, mist fountains and virtual chimney
at five major traffic intersections on trial basis.
The Union Government has ratified a fund of Rs.100crore for various road development works in
Vijayapura District under Central Road Fund was announced by Union Minister for Drinking Water
and Sanitation Ramesh Jigajng.
237 | P a g e
The Inter-State Council has been reconstituted by PM Narendra Modi to facilitate coordination
between states and the centre.The new list excludes Smriti Irani, D.V. Sadananda Gowda and HRD
Minister Prakash Javadekar is included in the list. The standing committee of the Inter State Council
was also reconstituted. It was Chaired by the Home Minister, this committee has SushmaSwaraj,
Jaitley, Naidu, and Gadkari, along with chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Chattisgarh,
Tripura, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
PLACES IN NEWS
Abhaneri festival would be held at the Abhaneri village in Dausa district, Rajsthan to promote rural
tourism in the area for two days.The festival would witness artistes
performing ShehnaiVaadan, puppet show, Behrupia, Raavanhatha, among others at Chand
Baori and Harshat Mata temple.
A major step was taken towards ensuring safety of bridges in the country, when the Minister of Road
Transport & Highways and Shipping Shri Nitin Gadkari formally launched the Indian Bridge
Management System (IBMS) in New Delhi.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared Nagpur as the first digital district of India
in Mumbai. All 776 gram panchayats in Nagpur district have been digitally transformed.
Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi in the presence of Chief Minister V
Narayansamy declared Velrampet lake and surrounding area as open defecation free.
The Union Cabinet here approved mini Ratna public sector undertaking HLL Lifecare to sub-lease
its land for setting up the countrys first medical devices manufacturing park in Chennai.
Madhya Pradeshs diamond mineral block had been auctioned. The block was believed to have a
precious stone deposit worth Rs 106 crore .This is the first diamond mineral block of the country
which has gone under the hammer. Hatupur Diamond mineral block was successfully auctioned at
Panna district in the Madhya Pradesh.
The five-day long Durga Puja was celebrated by the Hindu community throughout the state
of Nagaland. The Puja celebration began with Sasthi Puja, followed by Mahasaptami, Mahaashtami,
Mahanavami, and the Bijaya Dashami, when the celebration would culminate.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched the Mumbai Centre for International
Arbitration (MCIA), spread over 7,000 square feet at Nariman Point in south Mumbai.
Telangana, carved out of Andhra Pradesh, came into existence on June 2, 2014 as the 29th state of
India with 10 districts.The state government carried out the biggest administrative reform,
creating 21 new districts. The total number of districts in the state went up to 31 from 10.
The Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of an Indian Institute of Management school in
Jammu among other approvals that were cleared. The announcement of the establishment of an IIM
in Jammu comes as part of PM Narendra Modis development package for Jammu and Kashmir. The
project will involve a cost of Rs.61.90 crore in temporary campus for the initial four years from 2016
to 2020.
Petroleum and Natural Gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the National Seismic
Programme(NSP) at Taranga in Baleswar district of Odisha. The NSP aimed to undertake a fresh
appraisal in all sedimentary basins across India, especially where no/scanty data is available, to have
a better understanding of the hydrocarbon potential of India.
Odisha celebrated Kumar Purnima festival. It is celebrated on the last day of the Ashwin month,
the Kumar Purnima festival is the occasion to observe the birthday of Lord Kartikeswara, the son of
Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
Suresh Prabhu inaugurated and dedicated the Okha-Kanalus and Porbandar-Wansjaliya Sections in
Gujarat of Western Railways as Green Corridor Sections.
Arunachal Pradesh is one of the land of tribes. The festivals here are abound with zest and life
based on aspects related to nature and agriculture. Dance is the soul of all the festivals here;
performed with pride and belief.
First Happiness Junction of India was inaugurated in Bihars Sonepur railway station of the East
238 | P a g e
Central Railway (ECR) by Sonepur Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Manoj Kumar Aggarwal.
The Uttarakhand High Court ordered a complete ban on the sale of whitener in the state following
the death of a teenager from sniffing an excess of it for a kick in the district.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced that the state government has decided to
observe 2017 as the Garib KalyanVarsh, with schemes to be spread next year for the poor.
After Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh became Open Defecation Free (ODF) state said by Chief Minister
Virbhadra Singh on October 29, 2016. The hill state of Himachal has become the first large state has
successfully achieved a total rural sanitation coverage of 100 per cent in the state in its all 12
districts.
Haryana become the first state to give the benefit of 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) to its
employees with effect from January 1, 2017 said by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.After
Haryana, Odisha Government announces to implement recommendations of 7th Pay Commission for
its employees from January next year
Railway Minister launches a new train service between AnandVihar to Ballia in Uttar
Pradesh through video-conferencing in New Delhi.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the function to mark the 50th anniversary of the
establishment of the High Court of Delhi. The theme of the Golden Jubilee Celeberations has been
fixed as Justice for all
Indias first Design Yatra launched by the Institute of Indian Interior Designer(IIID) in Kerala to
spread awareness and take designs to the masses, Indias first Design Yatra,launched by the
Institute of Indian Interior Designers(IIID)
FOREIGN VISITS
Vice President Hamid Ansaris five-day tour of Nigeria and Mali

Vice President Hamid Ansari had a five-day tour of Nigeria and Mali in order to further strengthen
Indias bilateral engagements with these two West African nations.
Nigeria Visit 26-29, 2016 :
It is estimated that the Indian investments have exceeded USD 10 billion so far, and another USD 5
billion are committed. Indian investments are in diverse sectors such as communications, power,
pharmaceuticals, healthcare, automotive sector and oil, among others.
Mali Visit 29-30 September 2016 :
After Nigeria, Mr. Ansari then went to Mali, the first high-level visit by any Indian leader. Two
MoUs were also signed between India and Mali, one on standards and the other on cultural
exchange.
Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong visit to India An Overview
During the visit, Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong was hosted for lunch by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and the two leaders hold bilateral talks to explore ways to bolster ties
between the two countries.
Besides that, two more MOUs will be exchanged on cooperation on
Establishment of a North East Skills Centre in Assam between the Assam Government and the
Institute of Technical Education Education Services, and
Cooperation in skills development between the National Skill Development Corporation and
Singapores Institute of Technical Education Education Services.
India and Singapore signed three agreements, including two in the area of skill development,
following delegation-level talks headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Singapore PM Lee
Hsien Loong.
One memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Singapores Institute of Technical
Education (ITE) Education Services (ITEES) and Indias National Skill Development Corporation on
collaboration in technical and vocational education and training.
239 | P a g e
Another MoU was signed between the Assam government and ITEES Singapore also on
collaboration in technical and vocational education and training.
A third MoU was signed in the field of industrial property cooperation.
Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe 3 Day visit to India
Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe would arrive in New Delhi for a three-day visit to
India. During his stay, he would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discuss issues of mutual
interest. The visiting dignitary would also call on President Pranab Mukherjee.
Both the sides had decided to conclude an enhanced bilateral economic partnership by the end of this
year to allow the free flow of services, investments and technology, in addition to the existing Free
Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two nations.
FM Arun Jaitley embarks on 7-day official visit to Canada,US
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley embark a 7-day official(October 3 to October 10) visit to Canada and
the US to attend the annual meetings of World Bank and IMF and hold talks with global investors.
He is accompanied by Dr. Urijit Patel, Governor RBI, Mr. Shaktikanta Das, Secretary Economic
Affairs, Dr. Arvind Subramanian, Chief Economic Advisor and other officials.
In Canada, he met top official and review progress made in the proposed Comprehensive Economic
partnership agreement (CEPA) and Foreign Investment and Protection Agreement (FIPA).
USA - four-day official visit
Arun Jaitley along with Shri Shaktikanta Das, Secretary (EA) participated in the 2016 IMF-World
Bank Annual Meetings Plenary on October 7, 2016 at the historic DAR Constitution Hall,
Washington DC. He has said that 80% of the 240 million new accounts opened under the Pradhan
Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana are now functional with cash balances.
Jaitley, who is on an official visit to the US, chaired the Commonwealth Finance Ministers meeting
at the IMF headquarters.
BRICS contingent reserve arrangement (CRA) is now operational in India to deal with anyshort-
term balance of payments pressures the groupings member nations face. CRA was established
in 2015 by BRICS member nations Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa .
Aung San Suu Kyi to embark on three day-visit to India
Aung San Suu Kyi is a Burmese statesperson, politician, diplomat and author who serves as the First and
incumbent State Counsellor and Leader of the National League for Democracy.
She is also the first woman to serve as Minister of Foreign Affairs ofMyanmar, the Minister of the
Presidents Office, the Minister of Electric Power and Energy, and the Minister of
Education in President Htin Kyaws Cabinet, and from 2012 to 2016 was a Pyithu
Hluttaw MP for Kawhmu Township.
India and Myanmar have agreed for close security coordination in border areas keeping in view
the sensitivity of each others strategic interests.
The two countries also agreed to enhance engagement in several areas including agriculture,
power, and renewable energy and the two sides will also work to develop a mutually beneficial
arrangement for trade in pulses.
As a part of efforts to improve ties between India and Myanmar, the two countries signed 3 MoUs
in the presence of Narendra Modi and Aung San Suu Kyi.
India and Myanmar signed three MoUs for cooperation in insurance, power and banking sectors
Vice President Hamid Ansari five-day visit to Hungary, Algeria
Vice President Hamid Ansari was on a five-day visit to Hungary and Algeria, where he raised the matter of
cross-border terrorism and a host of other bilateral issues. Hungary is a parliamentary constitutional
republic in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the
north, Romania to the east, Serbia to the south, Croatia to the southwest, Slovenia to the west, Austria to the
northwest, and Ukraine to the northeast.
Hungary is a member of the European Union, NATO, the OECD, the Visegrd Group, and
the Schengen Area.
The official language is Hungarian, which is the most widely spoken non-Indo-European language in
Europe.
240 | P a g e
The countrys capital and largest city is Budapest and Currency is Hungarian forint
India and Hungary also signed two MoUs, including one on water management, during the three-day
trip to the central European country.
New Zealand PM John Key visit to India An Overview
John Phillip Key is the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand, in office since 2008. He has led the New
Zealand National Party since 2006.
Indias entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is among the gamut of issues that are expected
to figure during the meeting.
India and New Zealand have signed three agreements in the areas of double taxation avoidance, food
security and sports.
A MoU was signed between the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of India andSport New
Zealand on cooperation in the field of youth affairs and sports.
Rajanath Singh 3 days visit to Bahrain
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has announced that India and Bahrain, both the countries, are
vulnerable to the sufferings of terrorism during his bilateral meeting with Interior Minister of Bahrain Lt.
General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa in capital Manama. Singh stated that the terrorism should be
dealt in a comprehensive manner. Segmented and partial approaches as adopted by some of the countries
have been failed in countering terrorism.
Pakistan officially postponed the SAARC Summit to be held here next month after India along with
four other member states of the regional grouping decided against attending the meet.
India formally joined the Paris Climate Change Agreement. It is been done by submitting
its instrument of ratification at UN headquarters in New York on the birth anniversary of Mahatma
Gandhi.The language of the agreement was negotiated by representatives of 195 countries at the 21st
Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC in Paris and adopted by consensus on 12 December 2015.
India accounts for about 4.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
European Union ministers approved the ratification of the Paris Agreement at a historic meeting of
the Environment Council in Brussels.The 28 EU member nations together account for close to 12 per
cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Colombian voters appeared to have shocked their government by blasting away its hopes for
a historic peace deal with communist FARC rebels near-complete referendum results showed. With
votes more than 99 per cent of vote polling stations counted, 50.2 per cent opposed the accord while
49.8 per cent supported it a difference of less than 63000 votes out of 13 million ballots.
Chinas yuan joined the International Monetary Funds basket of reserve currencies in a significant
event for the governments campaign for recognition as a global economic power. The yuan joined
the dollar, euro, yen and pound in the IMFs special drawing rights(SDR) basket, which determined
currencies that countries could receive as part of IMF loans.
With the passage of a new law, which was aimed at combating climate change, Francehas become
the first country in the world to completely ban disposable plastic cups, plates and other utensils.
India protested against the blocking of its latest bid to have Jaish-i-Muhammad chief Masood
Azhar put on a United Nations terror blacklist following a deadly attack on an Indian air force base.
President Barack Obama had lifted US economic sanctions on Myanmar, terminating an emergency
order that deemed the policies of the former military government a threat to US national security.
The moderate Islamist Party of Justice and Development had won Moroccos national elections,
despite frustration with its handling of the economy in its five years leading the government and a
challenge from a party close to the royal palace.
The Russian and Turkish leaders had agreed to intensify military and intelligence contacts after a
meeting in Istanbul. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir
Putin assented on the need for aid to get to the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has now included Aiyoh and Aiyah in its latest addition
241 | P a g e
this September. The OED does four updates every year.

Beijing rapped Washington for its interventions in Asia, as tensions grow between the two powers
over territorial disputes in the South China Sea and to handle increasingly erratic North Korea.
Speaking at the 7th annual Xiangshan regional defence forum in Beijing, Chang Wanguan, Chinas
defence minister, levied thinly veiled criticism at recent US involvement in Asias trouble spots.
Israel suspended cooperation with the UNESCO, a day after the U.N. cultural agency adopted a draft
resolution on the Temple Mount and Western Wall.
The Maldives announced that it would leave the Commonwealth, weeks after the organisation
warned it could be suspended because of its lack of progress in promoting therule of law and
democracy.
Bangladesh, China agreed to elevate their ties to strategic partnership. They have agreed to enhance
the alignment of the development strategies of the two countries, fully tap the potentials of
cooperation in various areas, work on the Belt and Road Initiative so as to realize sustainable
development and common prosperity of the two countries
Brazil has opened the first sanctuary with Guida and Maia in in the central Brazilian state of Mato
Grosso for elephants to provide a home for an estimated 50 circus animals from across the
region.The first phase of the project will host up to six animals.
Pakistan warned appropriate action if India violated the Indus Water Treaty and it was closely
monitoring the situation, amid reports that New Delhi might revisit the key water sharing accord.
BIMSTEC Leaders Retreated 2016 Outcome commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms.
The BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation) countries have expressed commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations.
Kuwaits Emir Sabah bin Ahmed al-Sabah announced the dissolution of parliament and early
elections on Nov. 26. This came hours after an appearance on Al-Rai Television by parliament
speaker Marzouk al-Ghanim calling for such elections to take place.
India and Algeria have reiterated their resolve to fight against the terrorism which has become a
serious threat to global peace and security. During the separate meetings with President of the
National Peoples Assembly MohamedLarbi Ould Khalifa and President of Council of
Nation Abdelkader Bensalah in Algiers.
A Saudi Arabian Prince Turki bin Saud al-Kabir was executed in October 2016 for shooting a
man, Adel al-Mohaimeed, dead. He Prince shot the man during a noisy fight three years ago in the
capital Riyadh.
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) decided to enforce a complete ban on
Indian TV and radio contents from October 21, 2016.The ban extends to all Indian content on cable
and radio being aired in Pakistan.
Iraqs Parliament passes law to ban the sale, import and production of alcohol in the country
under Article 14. It was also passed by MPs in Baghdad. It was announced by a veteran Christian
MP, Yonadam Kanna.
The government of Kyrgyzstan resigned after the presidents party quit the ruling coalition, inducing
fears the Central Asian country could plunge into instability.
Gambia has announced that it will withdraw from the International Criminal Court, the third African
country to declare its departure. The announcement came after similar decisions this month by South
Africa and Burundi.
Mr. Y.K. Sinha, High Commissioner of India inaugurated the Rabindranath Tagore Memorial
Library and Resource Centre in Sri Palee College at Horana in Sri Lanka on October 28, 2016. It is
renovated by the Government of India at a total cost of SLR 38 million.
Some 300 million children live with outdoor air so polluted it can cause serious physical damage,
including affecting their developing brains ,a study was released by the United Nations.
A UN General Assembly committee voted to launch negotiations on a new treaty banning nuclear
weapons despite strong opposition from the worlds nuclear powers. A declaration presented
by Austria, Ireland, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa and Brazilwas adopted by a vote of 123 to
242 | P a g e
38, with 16 abstentions following weeks of lobbying by the nuclear powers for no votes.
Diwali was respected for the first time at the United Nations, with the world bodys imposing
headquarters here lit up especially on the occasion of the Indian festival of lights.
The 4th Meeting of BRICS Education Ministers Conference held in New Delhi to promote education
cooperation and people to people exchanges among the BRICS countries.
Union Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma inaugurated the 5th International Buddhist
Conclave in Varanasi-Sarnath. Buddhism originated in India, from where it spread through much
of Asia, where after it declined in India during the middle ages.
President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the first edition of World Sustainable Development
Summit (WSDS) in New Delhi. It is organised by TERI with emphasis on the need to limit the rise
of climate change.Theme: Beyond 2015: People, Planet and Progress
Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling was conferred with the Sustainable Development
Leadership Award by President Pranab Mukherjee in recognition of his leadership in making the
northeastern state the first and only organic state in the country.
In order to minimise the risk of loss of life and damage to property during natural calamity
like earthquake, tsunami and floods, India would be hosting going to host the Asian Ministerial
Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) next month in collaboration with the United
Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).
2016 World Economic Forum (WEF) India Economic Summit held in New Delhi
The India Economic Summit of the World Economic Forum (WEF) was held in partnership with the
Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi with the theme The Great Transformation: Shaping
New Models.
The 20th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Heads of Defence Universities / Colleges / Institutions
Meet (HDUCIM) held in New Delhi.The meeting was hosted by the National Defence
College (NDC), New Delhi under the aegis of Ministry of Defence.
PM Modi inaugurated the conference that will be held in New Delhi on November 3-5 in
collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). India will host
the Asian ministerial conference for disaster risk reduction next month which will focus on
partnership with governments and stakeholders to imbibe the practices in the regions development
narrative.
A high level delegation of Indian officials and industry leaders led by Secretary in the Department of
Heavy Industry, Mr Girish Shankar with Czech Republic officials attended the 4th meeting of Indo-
Czech joint working group at Brno, Czech Republic.
Haji Syed Salman Chishty of Dargah Ajmer Sharif is addressed at the ICYF-DCs Third Islamic
Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers opening in Istanbul on October 4, 2016.It is the first time,
indian addressed at the conference of the Organisation of Islamic Countries Islamic Conference
Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYF-DC). Theme : Empowering Youth for Peace,
Solidarity and Development
4th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting was held at Jaipur,
Rajasthan on 8 October, 2016 to strengthen the collaboration amongst the BRICS countries in the
areas of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI). Theme Building, Responsive Inclusive and
Collective Solutions.
The first BRICS Trade Fair and Exhibition began in New Delhi, ahead of the BRICS ahead of the
BRICS summit in Goa, the first BRICS Trade Fair and Exhibition begins in Delhi. The fair will be
a platform for the BRICS countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to exhibit state-
of-the-art technologies and advances made in industrial development.
The 2nd Meeting of Heads of Export Credit Agencies of BRICS (BRICS ECAs) was held at New
Delhi , as part of a series of events being organised under the chairmanship of India
of BRICS Forum.
243 | P a g e
The Minister of Women & Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurated Women of
India Festival 2016 of organic products by women at Dilli Haat at INA, New Delhi. It
promotes women entrepreneurs from across India. Participants from the remotest areas of the country
will travel to Delhi for the entire duration of the festival and sell their unique products in the capital.
Textiles Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated the India International Silk Fair in New Delhi to promote
production and marketing silk across the country. India International Silk Fair showcasing wide
range of silk & silk blended products will give an insight on Indias silk industry to overseas buyers.
17th India-Russia Annual Summit held in Goa
The year 2017 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the
two countries. India and Russia have finalised a general framework agreement for unit 5 and 6 of
Kudankulam nuclear plant.
The most strategically important decision is the inter-governmental agreement for the purchase of S-
400 Triumf long-range air defence missile system which has the capability to destroy incoming
hostile aircraft, missiles and even drones at ranges of up to400 km.
India and Russia on October 15 signed 16 agreements across multiple sectors following delegation-
level talks co-chairedd by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in
Goa.
Among the agreements signed were,
Procurement of the S-400 air defence system and construction of four Admiral Grigorovich-class
(Project 11356) guided-missile stealth frigate in India.
Another agreement was signed to set up a joint venture to manufacture 200 Kamov 226T helicopters.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed for setting up an investment fund of $1 billion.
Agreements were also signed for developing smart cities in Andhra Pradesh and Haryana, and for
developing transport logistics systems for such cities.
Another important agreement was signed for the joint study of a gas pipeline to India from Russia.
8th BRICS Summit held in Goa

Member countries -Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The summit held from 15 to 16 October 2016 at the Taj Exotica hotel in Benaulim, Goa, India. India will
hold the chair of the BRICS from February 2016 to December 2016.
The BRICS Rating Agency will be formed based on market-oriented principles to strengthen the
global governance architecture.
Theme of the Event: Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions.
The BRICS Summit 2016 adopted the Goa Declaration which unanimously hit out at the growing
threat of terrorism, among other issues. India was the host nation of the 8th Summit and the 9th will
be organised by China
Narendra Modi added that the most serious direct threat to regional security was terrorism,
whose mothership was a country in Indias neighbourhood
On the New Development Bank, which completed a year, Modi said BRICS nations agreed that it
should continue to focus on infrastructure, technology and renewable energy sectors.
He further added that in order to further bridge the gap in the global financial architecture, we
agreed to fast track the setting up of a BRICS Rating Agency.
BRICS-BIMSTEC Summit :The first ever BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach summit held in Goa under
the chairmanship of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Jaipur Sufi festival held at the Diggi palace in Jaipur from October 14-16, 2016. It is organised
annually by the Foundation of SAARC Writers And Literature (FOSWAL), in association with
the Rajasthan government.
The Indian Silk Export Promotion Council organized 5th India International Silk Fair at Pragati
Maidan, New Delhi. The Fair showcased the world renowned Indian silk products like scarves,
shawls, carpets, home furnishings, etc. in different patterns of designs and colours.
The three-day Air Force Commanders Conference held at Air force Headquarters, New Delhi. The
Air Force Commanders briefed the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha on various
issues relating to operational capability, maintenance and HR. Future plans for enhancing IAFs
244 | P a g e
capability were also discussed.

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the 28th Accountants General
Conference in New Delhi.The founding drafters of our Constitution had envisaged a prominent role
for public audit in our countrys governance and accountability framework.
Indian Railways organizes Conference on Heritage Rail Tourism jointly with Asia Pacific Heritage
& Rail Tourism Organisation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Bhopal, where he inaugurated the newly built war
memorial- Shaurya Samarakand address a meeting of ex-servicemen at Lal Pared ground.
Three day long Global Conference to Make India the Centre for Arbitration held in New Delhi. The
three day long conference titled, National Initiative on Strengthening Arbitration and Enforcement
in India from October 21st to 23rd, 2016 is being launched by the Government and Judiciary as a
major initiative to change the face of dispute resolution in India.
The 22nd meeting of the Western Zonal Council was held in Mumbai, Maharashtra.The meeting was
held under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh.The meeting was attended
by the Chief Ministers and Ministers of these States and Administrators of Union Territories as well
as senior officers of Central and State Governments.
The 19th World Peace Conference was inaugurated by Maharashtra Governor ChVidyasagar Rao at
Nashik in Maharashtra on October 24, 2016 to strengthen people to search truth and utilise education
for development of the society.
The 64th Meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) was held under the
Chairmanship of Union Human Resource Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar.It was held at New Delhi.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated First National Tribal Carnival-2016 in New Delhi. The four day long
carnival has been organised by Ministry of Tribal Affairs to promote a sense of inclusiveness
amongst the tribals.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG)
held a 6th joint Experts Meeting on Corruption in Paris, France. The meeting was chaired jointly by
the FATF President, Mr. Juan Manuel Vega-Serrano (Spain) and the G20 ACWG Co-Chair, Mr.
Creon Butler (United Kingdom).
More than 100 students and entrepreneurs from Indian and Chinese businesses took part in the 5th
edition of the India-China Cooperation Forum in Shanghai to boost bilateral trade and increase
investments in crucial sectors.
India and Russia would hold detailed discussions on deeper military cooperations, specifically on
joint production of fifth generation fighter aircraft, upgradation of Su-30 MKI planes and firming up
the contract for the S400 Triumf air defence system.
Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, the Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment attended the 23rd
Rehabilitation International World Congress at Edinburgh, Scotland, being held from 25-27 October,
2016. The Theme of the Congress is, Create a More Inclusive World.
RANKING & REPORTS
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal released the Assam Human Development Report 2014
and the Vision and Strategic Architecture Document on SDGs, namely, Assam 2030: Our Dream,
Our Commitment
Indias Right to Information (RTI) Act, that was passed in the year 2005, is widely is
ranked as 4th best in the world. Mexico has topped the rankings, followed by Serbia and Slovenia.
India scored a total of 128 out of 150 points.
Interbrand100 most Valuable Brands :
Microsoft Corp., Toyota Motor Corp., IBM Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Amazon.com Inc.,
Mercedes-Benz and General Electric Co. were also on the Top 10 list, according to Interbrands 2016
Best Global Brands report.The combined value of the top 100 brands stood at $1,796.3 billion, up
4.8% from 2015.
India has been ranked No. 19 in a 28-nation survey of biomedical investment attractiveness of
245 | P a g e
countries, with an overall score of59 out of 100.The US, UK and Switzerland lead, with the US at
No. 1 with a score of 86.
Indian biosimilars market may reach USD 40 bn by 2030: Report
Forbes Richest American List Five Indians featured in the List
Five Indian-Americans are among the 400 richest people in the US, according to a Forbes list. This
list is topped by Microsofts co-founder Bill Gates for the 23rd year in a row.
5 Indians in the list :
1.Symphony Technology founder Romesh Wadhwani,
2.Co-founders of outsourcing firm Syntel Bharat & Neerja Desai,
3.Airline veteran Rakesh Gangwal,
4.Entrepreneur John Kapoor and
5.Silicon Valley angel investor Kavitark Ram Shriram
India ranked 97th out of 118 countries on the International Food Policy Research Institutes
(IFPRI) Global Hunger Index (GHI) in 2016.
The new Global Tuberculosis Report 2016 released by the World Health Organisation. New data
published by WHO in its 2016 Global Tuberculosis Report show that countries need to move much
faster to prevent, detect, and treat the disease if they are to meet global targets.
WHO updated the estimate of incidence that is, the number of new tuberculosis cases in a year
from 1.7 million cases to 2.8 million in 2015.
The most important structural reform by the Modi government, S&P Global Ratings released the
report that the passage of the indirect tax law gives it additional conviction of India clocking 8 per
cent growth in the next few years.
Indias investments in US government bonds reached 123.7 billion dollars, making it the 12 largest
holder of American bonds. While Chinas exposure(first) to US bonds stood at 1.22 trillion dollars,
and Japans exposure(second) stood at 1.15 trillion dollars.
India is expected to become the second largest coal producer and US as the worlds biggest coal
producer after China by 2020 according to BMI research.
Union Minister for Steel Birender Singh stated that India would become the second biggest steel
manufacturer in the world by year-end Currently, China is the largest steel manufacturing country
followed by Japan and produces five times more steel than India.
India is at the second position among countries with the highest increase in their contribution to high-
quality scientific research, according to a new report which shows that the growth of research in the
country is only behind Chinas.
Finland is rated the mostsafe country while El Salvador was named as the least safe and secure
country in the world in the Global Travel and Tourism Report 2016. In the rankings India has been
Rated 13 th least country in the world released by the World Economic Forum.
According to the 2016 Global Power City Index (GPCI) report, London has topped for the fifth
consecutive year with Mumbai ranked 39th on the list of the worlds leading global cities for
business, innovation and culture. New York experienced no significant change in its ratings,
retaining its No. 2 slot.
According to New World Wealth, Indias financial hub Mumbai has been named among top 15 cities
globally in terms of total wealth held, while London topped the list. Total wealth held worldwide
amounts to $185 trillion (as of June 2016). Globally, there are 13,300,000 millionaires and 1,940
billionaires in total.
As per the forecast by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), India will become the
third largest aviation market in the world displacing the UK by 2026. It is expected to be the source
of more than half the new passengers over the next 20 years. China will displace the US as the
worlds largest aviation market around 2029. India will displace the UK for third place in 2026,
while Indonesia enters the top ten at the expense of Italy.
According to the data given by the Registrar General of India (RGI), Jammu and Kashmirhas
surpassed Kerala as the state with the highest life expectancy in India for all ages, barring life
expectancy at birth.
246 | P a g e
The World Giving Index (WGI) released by the Charity Aid Foundation (CAF) reported that Indias
overall position (percentage of population) in global generosity jumped
to 91 in 2015 from106 in 2014. Myanmar tops the world with 70 per centoverall generosity,
where 63 % people helped strangers, 91 % people donated money and 55 % people volunteered time.
India is ranked 130 out of 190 countries in World Bank Groups annual report on the ease of doing
business, Doing Business 2017: Equal Opportunity for All. India has moved up only one rank on the
World Banks ease of doing business ranking this year while in the 2016 edition, India had been
downgraded to 131 from 130.The list is topped by New Zealand.
India has climbed 21 spots to rank 87th on the World Economic Forums Global Gender Gap Report
2016 while in 2015, it was ranked 108th. With this jump in ranking, India has now overtaken China
which is ranked 99th out of 144 countries.Iceland tops the latest rankings followed by Finland,
Norway and Sweden.
Indias school education system was indicated as under-performing in terms of quality in female
literacy in comparison with neighbouring countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.The
ratio of women who completed five years of primary schooling in India and were literate was 48 per
cent, much less than 92 percent in Nepal, 74 per cent in Pakistan and 54 per cent in Bangladesh.
India ranks 133 in Global Youth Development Index compiled by Commonwealth Secretariat. The
ranking is topped by Germany. One in five young people in the world today live in India, which
makes it one of the most youthful countries on the planet.
According to UN refugee agency United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 2016
has been the deadliest year for migrants with a total of 3,740 people have died since January in the
Mediterranean sea in the boat journey to Europe.
India has emerged as the third largest startup base and such ventures are poised to grow 2.2 times to
reach 10,500 by 2020. According to Indian Startup Ecosystem Maturing 2016 report by
Nasscom-ZINNOV, India is in the third position just behind US and UK.
Indias bio-pharma major Biocon Ltd has been ranked among the worlds top 10 employers in the
biotechnology industry by an international science magazine.
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have jointly topped the ease of doing business ranking in the list
prepared by the World Bank and the Indian governments department of industrial policy and
promotion for 2016. Gujarat has slipped to the third position in the list and Chhattisgarh, Madhya
Pradesh and Haryana occupied the fourth, fifth and sixth slots in the index based on the degree of
implementation of the governments 340-point Business Reform Action Plan.
In the latest Forbes Fab 40 2016 list of the biggest sports brands in the world, Dhoni is slated at No
10th spot in the top 10 athletes and he remains the most valued Indian athlete in 2016. The list is
topped by tennis legend and 17-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer.
According to NITI Aayogs index on reforms in the farm sector, Maharashtra has been adjudged the
most farmer friendly state in the country followed by Gujarat and Rajasthan. Top 5 states :
Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajsthan, MP and Haryana and the bottom 5 states : Puducherry, Delhi, J & K,
Lakshwadeep and Meghalaya
RGI releases Census 2011 data on Disabled Population in the age-group 5-19 by their Attendance
Status in Educational Institutions and type of Disability. The study unveiled that there were
about 65.7 lakh disabled population in age-group 5-19 at Census 2011 in India out of which 40.2
lakh (61.2%) are attending educational institutions, 8.0 lakh (12.1%) attended educational institutions
earlier and 17.5 lakh(26.7%) never attended any educational institutions.
BANKING & FINANCE
SBI announced the launch of a special financing scheme Hope Loans, under which customers could
avail credit facility at lower rates.
Black money worth Rs.65,250 crore disclosed under Income Declaration Scheme: Arun Jaitley
Kotak Mahindra Bank has acquired Karnataka-focused BSS Microfinance for Rs 139.2 crore.
RBI Governor Urjit Patel cuts interest rates, bats for growth in first monetary policy
247 | P a g e
In order to ease the inflation, the Reserve Bank of India cut policy rate (repo rate) by 25 basis points
to 6.25% from 6.5%.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised projections for Indias economic growthby 0.2
percentage points to 7.6 per cent for 2016-17 and 2017-18.
SBI has announced its entry into Myanmar by opening a branch in the Yangon, former capital city of
Myanmar. The Yangon branch is the 54th foreign branch of the SBI.
According to the World Bank Indias GDP Growth Would Be 7.6% This Year, 7.7% In 2017.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the Report of the Internal Working Group (IWG) on
Rationalisation of Branch Authorisation Policy. The Group is chaired by Lily Vadera, Chief General
Manager, and Department of Banking Regulation.
Union Finance Ministry constituted a Public Debt Management Cell (PDMC). The cell was created
to streamline government borrowings and better cash management with the overall objective of
deepening bond markets.
Financial services company MasterCard rolled out Selfie Pay app in Europe .This app will use facial
biometrics for payment authentication. It will supports both selfies and fingerprint
biometrics, offering users a choice of authenticating a mobile payment at the point of purchase.
The Reserve Bank of India issued separate operating guidelines for payments banks and small
finance banks in view of their differentiated nature of business and focus on financial inclusion. As
per the guidelines, PBs could accept deposit only up to Rs.1 lakh. Small Finance Banks would have
to follow norms relating to minimum balance, inoperative accounts, nominations, and cheques/drafts.
PBs would have to maintain a minimum investment to the extent of not less than 75 per cent of
demand deposit balances as on three working days prior to that day, in Government
securities/Treasury Bills with maturity up to one year that were recognised by RBI as eligible
securities for maintenance of Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR).
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had asserted that adoption of GST (Goods and Services) tax
would boost Indias medium-term growth. Indias GDP growth is projected at 7.6 per cent in
both 2016/17 fiscal year (ending in March 2017) and 2017/18 fiscal year, up 0.1 percentage point
relative to the April 2016 World Economic Outlook, a survey conducted and published by the IMF.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed a ban on unauthorised trading
tips through social media platforms like SMS, WhatsApp and Facebook
The Government came out with another set of draft rules, including for liquidation of insolvent
corporate persons, under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
ICICI Bank has successfully executed transactions in international trade finance and remittances
using blockchain technology in partnership with Emirates NBD.
Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) has renewed its corporate agency tie-up with United India Insurance
Company (UIIC). Customers can buy the entire gamut of UIIC products at any of the 1,896 branches
of the bank across the country.
Foreign lender Standard Chartered Bank announced a tie-up with Uber under which its credit
cardholders, across six countries, will get a cash-back of up to 25 per cent for hailing cabs from the
app.
Securities and Exchange Board of India, SEBI has banned 21 entities in a case related totax
evasion and illegal gains through misuse of stock exchange mechanism. Sebi in an interim order
dated June 1 had barred Dhyana Finstock and 75 other entities, including the above 21, from the
market for using the securities system to artificially bump up volume and price of the scrip to provide
illegitimate gains to preferential allottees.
According to a data released by the RBI shows that India banking system reported total deposits
of Rs100 lakh crore for the first time ever in September. Demand deposits crossing R10 lakh
crore and time deposits crossing the Rs 90 lakh crore mark, the month saw the highest-ever monthly
rise of Rs 5.32 lakh crore more than the total deposits in the banking sector 20 years back.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the launch of a new initiative
Catalyst: Inclusive Cashless Payment Partnership. The multi-stakeholder partnership is designed to
scale up digital payments systems in India which will act as a catalyst in the increase of cashless
248 | P a g e
payments in select locations.

RBI has launched the survey to seek quantitative information on order books, inventories and
capacity utilisation of companies in the manufacturing sector, a key input for monetary policy
formulation.
Insurance Regulator IRDAI has imposed a penalty of Rs 6 lakh on Shriram Life Insurance for
casual approach towards certain norms, among other violations.
Andhra Pradesh government signed an agreement with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
to promote innovation in financial services in their respective markets.
The Union Government has signed $650 million loan agreement with the World Bank for
construction of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC)-III project. EDFC is 1,840 km
long and extends from Ludhiana in Punjab to Kolkata in West Bengal as a series of projects with
three sections.
The Finance Ministry announced the sixth tranche of sovereign gold bonds. Applications for the
bonds will be accepted from October 24 to November 2 and the bonds will be issued on November
17
Mortgage lender HDFC has raised Rs.500 crore through rupee-denominated bonds from overseas
investors. With reference to the earlier letter dated October 12, 2016, informing about the opening of
the fourth issue of rupee-denominated bonds to overseas investors, aggregating an amount up to
Rs.500 crore.
Banks in India will either replace or ask users to change the security codes of as many as3.2 million
debit cards because several victims have reported unauthorised usage from locations in China.
SBI has declared Silchar as its 5th zone in North East after Guwahati, Shillong, Dibrugarh and
Jorhat, which will cater to the banking needs of the people of Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur along
with the Barak Valley.
World Bank president Jim Yong Kim announced USD 2 billion loans for Bangladesh to help
Bangladesh to fight climate change. The USD 2 billion for climate change is in addition to USD 1
billion pledged by world Bank to end childhood stunted growth.
The RBI relaxed foreign investment norms in financial services firms, start-ups and in investments
by foreign regulated capital investors.Foreign Venture Capital Investors (FVCIs) can invest in Indian
start-ups without prior permission of the RBI.
The Reserve Bank of India has allowed banks to approve extension of external commercial
borrowings on their own provided the debt is unpaid and has not defaulted before.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development(NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 19,702 crore
loan to National Water Development Agency (NWDA) for 50 irrigation projects. The loan is
sanctioned under Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF), announced by Finance Minister ArunJaitley
during the Budget 2016-17.
About$2.5 billion were made to the three lenders as part of the first tranche of the repayment
schedule. The $13-billion sale of Essar Oil to Russias Roseneft has helped lenders, including ICICI
Bank, Axis bank and StanChart, recover a combined $2.5 billion in part payment of their exposure to
the Essar Group.
BSE has introduced a paperless SIP(Systematic Investment Plan) facility for mutual fund (MF)
investors. It will extremely cut the registration time and also allow subscribers to transact through
different payment modes including net banking.
The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) notified 100 per cent foreign direct
investment in other financial services carried out by Non-Banking Finance companies(NBFCs)
to attract foreign capital into India
HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company has entered into a tie-up with Maruti Insurance Broking
Pvt Ltd (MIBL) to offer motor insurance to buyers of Maruti Suzuki cars.
State-run trading firm MMTC has tied up with seven banks, including ICICI and HDFC Bank, to sell
government minted Indian Gold Coin. The coins are currently available at all MMTC outlets across
India along with select branches of seven banks Indian Overseas Bank, Vijaya Bank, Federal Bank,
Yes Bank, Andhra Bank, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank.
249 | P a g e
YES Bank has tied up with ToneTag, a Mobile payment solutions start-up to integrate and deploy
sound based contactless payments on its mobile wallet YES Pay.
The British subsidiary of ICICI Bank, ICICI Bank UK Plc. announced the launch of online money
transfer services to facilitate transaction from any bank accounts in Sweden, Norway and Denmark to
any recipient account based in India. The service called Money2India Europe verifies the
credentials of the customers over video call from Money2India Europe website.
The Goods and Services Network (GSTN) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) for sharing of foreign exchange realisation and
Import Export code data.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued rules permitting these to raise External Commercial
Borrowings (ECBs) per start-up was capped at $3 million per financial year to support financing for
start-ups
Indias forex reserves rose by USD 1 billion to USD 367.14 billion. In the reporting week, Foreign
Currency Assets (FCAs), a major component of the overall reserves, increased by USD 1.015 billion
to USD 341.923 billion.
The State Bank of India announced a cut of 0.15% in its benchmark lending rate under a new system
of calculation, signalling a further implement in borrowing costs ahead of the busy season.
BUSINESS
Oil India (OIL) has signed Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Houston (USA) to
collaborate in the fields of Improved Oil Recovery & Enhanced Oil Recovery for production
enhancement from matured fields, seismic interpretation & reservoir characterisation studies,
improvement of drilling and well intervention practices and unconventional hydrocarbon studies.
The BJP-led Centre had integrated 250 mandis in 10 states in the first phase of its
ambitious electronic national agriculture market (e-NAM), established to provide
transparent and profitable trade facilities to farmers and buyers.
OPEC agreed on modest oil output cuts in the first such deal since 2008, with the groups leader
Saudi Arabia softening its stopped the flow on arch-rival Iran amid mounting pressure from low oil
prices. The OPEC is an intergovernmental organization of 14 oil-exporting developing nations that
coordinates and unifies the petroleum policies of its member countries.
Dassault Aviation of France had entered into a partnership with Reliance group to execute offsets for
the recently concluded deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets.This is the largest offset contract to be executed
by any defence company in India till date. As per the contract, Dassault Aviation prepared to
invest 50 % of its revenue, up toRs.300 billion ($4.51 billion), in the Indian defence industry to boost
technological innovation and capacity building.
Indian pharmaceuticals sector seeked major support from the Japanese market, Commerce
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the share of India in the Japanese drug market.The
demand for generic medicines in Japan and Indias capability to meet this demand can prove a win-
win for both countries
Indias biggest-ever spectrum auction ended with the Centre garnering Rs.65,789 crore in
revenue. An upfront payment of Rs.32,000 to be received by the government in the current year is
the highest in four years. Still the figure fell short of the budgetary target of Rs.64,000 crore for the
current financial year.
Indian Oil Corporation(IOC) has announced a start-up scheme with a corpus amount of Rs.30 crore.
Doordarshan and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) had entered into an agreement
for transmission of four Gyan Darshan educational channels. Gyan Darshan ran successfully till June
2, 2014, but was shut down by ISRO to facilitate its migration from INSAT 3C to GSAT-10.
Revenue department has extended anti-dumping duty on import of certain Chinese products, used
in garment, footwear and toys manufacturing, for another five years.The anti-dumping duty on
narrow woven fabrics hook and loop velcro tapes would be charged at the rate of USD 1.87 per
kilogram.
250 | P a g e
India based airlines IndiGo has introduced child-free zones on all of its flights. According to this
rows 1 to 4 and 11 to 14are designated quiet zones so that business travelers can do their work
without interruption.
New Delhi based BHEL is commissioned another 660 MW coal-based supercritical thermal power
unit in Uttar Pradesh. It has added 4,300 MW of power generation capacity in the state of Uttar
Pradesh in December 2015
Ministry of Commerce & Industry to provide easy access to the public with regard to Indias export,
import and balance of trade data in an analytical format, over time and space, Commerce & Industry
Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman launched a new enhanced Dashboard on Foreign Trade Data.
The Centre would invest Rs.15,000 crore to increase the capacity of Panipatrefineryfrom 15 million
tonnes (MT) to 25 MT to create jobs was the announcement made by Dharmendra Pradhan, Union
Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Indian Oil Corp (IOC) planned to construct the nations longest LPG pipeline(1,987 kilometer) from
Gujarat coast to Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh to supply to growing demand for cooking gas in
the country.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,
has approved the mechanism for revision of ethanol price for supply to Public Sector Oil Marketing
Companies (OMCs)
India has received the first parcel of Iranian oil to partly fill its strategic storage in southern
India, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd, which imported the very large crude
carrier (VLCC).MRPL shipped in 2 million barrels of Iranian oil in the very large crude carrier Dino.
Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications Ltd. (RCom) has signed a non-binding term sheet with
Canadian Brookfield Infrastructure Group (Brookfield) to sell a majority 51 per cent stake of its
nationwide tower assets and related infrastructure for Rs. 11,000 crores. It is one of the largest FDI
in infrastructure sector.
TCS is Indias most valuable company with a market capitalization of Rs.4.66 trillion, followed by
Reliance Industries Ltd, HDFC Bank Ltd and ITC Ltd at Rs.3.49 trillion, Rs.3.21 trillion and Rs.2.90
trillion.Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd (ONGC) beat Indias second largest software exporter, Infosys
Ltd to become the fifth most valuable company in India by market capitalization.
Government has formally granted a licence to BP, Europes third-biggest oil company, to set
up 3,500 petrol pumps in India.It is a UK-based firm.BP granted licence to market Motor
Spirit (petrol) and High Speed Diesel (diesel) another milestone for BP in India.
The Hinduja flagship Ashok Leyland has launched its first locally designed, engineered and
produced battery electric bus series Circuit. A zero-emission, non-polluting vehicle created
specifically for Indian road and passenger conditions, the bus has a seating capacity ranging from 35
to 65.
In a deal reportedly worth close to $2 billion, India is set to acquire a second Akula2 nuclear-
powered attack submarine from Russia. The lease deal for the second nuclear submarine was
finalised at a summit-level meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
Azure Power Global Limited become the first Indian solar company to be listed on NYSE after it
announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 3,409,091 equity shares at the New York Stock
Exchange (NYSE).
US based Microsoft has set up a cyber-cyber security engagement centre (CSEC) in New Delhi to
work with partners in identifying and responding to cyber threats in India.
Former HCL Technologies Ltd chief executive officer (CEO) Anant Gupta launched a Rs.100 crore
investment fund TECHCELX to invest in start-ups focused on digital technologies such as machine
learning, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and analytics.
After eight years of harnessing olive saplings brought from Israel, Rajasthan is all set to launch next
month its own brand olive oil, which it claims, will be the countrys first indigenously-produced
brand. The state would be launching its olive oil under the brand Raj Olive Oil at the Global
Rajasthan Agri-tech Meet (GRAM) was announced by state Agriculture Minister PrabhuLal Saini.
251 | P a g e
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India recommended a large sum of penalty ofRs.3, 050
crore on top three telcos Airtel, Vodafone and Idea, for violating their license agreement and denial
of interconnection to new player Reliance Jio.
The Cofounder launches itself as Indias first startup magazine that will help boost the
entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country through its stories. The Cofounder, founded by Adhish
Verma and Arunraj Rajendran, is the first startup magazine that will talk about real stories behind the
early stage startups and entrepreneurs.
Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla pledged an investment of Rs. 20,000 crore for
the state of MP in sectors like retail, telecom and cement.
Kolkata-based Srei launched iQuippo, a digital marketplace for construction equipment machinery
and services.The construction equipment market is envisaged to grow to Rs.50,000 crore by 2020.
Reliance Industries Ltd has received the delivery of worlds first very large ethane carrying
ships Very Large Ethane Carriers (VLECs) from Samsung Heavy Industries shipyards in Korea.
RIL inaugurated its very first two VLECs named Ethane Crystal and Ethane Emeraldwhich are the
first in a series of six VLECs ordered by RIL in 2014.

Cleanest Iconic Place award Rani Ki Vav , Gujarat
Global Champion of Digital Literacy Award K T Rama Rao
Mrs India Earth 2016 Prineet Grewal
SiGNS 2016 award
for Best Short Fiction. Randu Kurippukal (Two Notes, 2015), a Malayalam
short film directed by Gireesh Kumar K.
Best documentary Bengali entry Tender is the Sight helmed by Torsha
Bannerjee and Vanishing Glaciers, a production in
Kashmiri by Raja Shabir Khan.
2016 International Prize in Statistics British statistician Sir David Cox
Chevalier de lOrdre National du Mrite Elephant researcher Prajna Chowta
P L Roy Award SJVN Chairman and Managing Director
R.N. Misra
2016 Google Science Fair prize Indian Origin South African Kiara Nirghin
International Astronautical Federation (IAF) U.R. Rao
Hall of Fame
2016 John F Richards Prize Nayanjot Lahiri
Vayalar Award Malayalam Novelist U K Kumaran
UN climate award for clean energy project Swayam Shikshan Prayog
Paul Harris Award Indian-origin South African AB Moosa
first Platinum rated green airport terminal building in Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airports (IGIA)
India Terminal 3 (T3)
24th Ekalabya Award Srabani Nanda
Special soldier medals ITBP canines, horses Workhorse Thubderbolt and female dog Sophia
Guinness Record Telangana festival of Bathukamma
Outstanding Celebrity Woman of the Year award Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
India Building Congress (IBC) Award for Excellence Chandigarh International Airports limited (CHIAL)
UK Theatre Awards Veteran actor Ian McKellen
Prestigious award by the Ugandan government Former CM of Uttarakhand
Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank
V Krishnamurthy Award for Excellence RA Mashelkar
252 | P a g e
Powerful Women List Priyanka Chopra

Oprah Winfrey
Jennifer Lopez
28th Jimmy George award PR. Sreejesh
International automation award Satish Pathak
Sri Maharshi Valimiki Jayanti Award KarnatakaF ormer Minister Veeranna
IAFP Young scientist scholarship award Kirtiraj Kundlik Gaikwad
2016 Golden Foot award Gianluigi Buffon
Mathrubhumi Literary Award C Radhakrishnan
Indias oldest working journalist Lalbiakthanga Pachuau from Mizoram
Mangalore international airport Best in Southern region
ET Panache Trendsetter Award 2016 Sonam Kapoor
Seven Star Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Award IRCTCs Maharajas Express
44th annual Chaplin Award Robert De Niro
Worlds tallest Lego structure Dubais Burj Khalifa
Sustainable Manufacturing Award Tata Steel
State Bank of Patiala Special award for excellence in MSME lending
Wildlife Photographer Award, 2016 Nayan Khanolkar
Honorary citizenship on His Holiness the Dalai Milan city council
Lama
Lifetime Achievement Award From SJAM Sunil Manohar Gavaskar
2nd European Golden Shoe Luis Suarez
First ever non stop flight Air India flies Delhi-San Francisco
World Banks Award of Excellence for best Almatti dam , Karnataka
utilisation of funds
Dr B C Roy award Randeep Guleria
CS Yadav
Guinness World Record for most career goals Edson Arantes do Nascimento or Pel
Mr. Asia 2016 G. Balakrishna
Asia-Pacific Broadcast Union (ABU) Prizes 2016 AIR Allahabad Programme
Diary of a Tiger((Ek Baagh ki Diary)
)
2016 Wildscreen National Geographic Roar Talent Malaika Vaz
Bursary Award
First American To Win Man Booker Prize Paul Beatty for The Sellout
Limca Book of Records PVC Pipes maker Finolex
Yash Bharti award to 54 people UP Gov Dr Naresh Trehan, historian Irfan Habib and
personalities from entertainment world like Sudhir
Misra, Anurag Kashyap and Vishal Bhardwaj
EU human rights prize Nadia Murad and Lamiya Aji Bashar
Swachhatadoot SuvarnaLokhande, Sangeeta Awhale & Chiatali
Rathod from Maharashtra
CAM International Film Festival Daughters of Mother India First
European Golden Boy prize Renato Sanches
Nobel Prize 2016
Physics David J. Thouless, F. Duncan M. Haldane and J.
Michael Kosterlitz
Chemistry Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir J. Fraser Stoddart and
Bernard L. Feringa
Physiology or Medicine Yoshinori Ohsumi
Literature Bob Dylan
Peace Juan Manuel Santos
253 | P a g e
Economic s Oliver Hart and Bengt Holmstrm

Michel Aoun Lebanons president
Abdelilah Benkirane Morocco PM
Mariano Rajoy Spanish Prime Minister (re elected)
Kersti Kaljulaid New President of Estonia
Antonio Guterres Secretary General for UN
P. S. Raman World Free Zones Orgnisation (World FZO) Regional Representative
for SAARC countries
Somesh Sharma INS President
Dipanjan Basu Chief Financial Officer of Myntra
S Sivakumar Full time member of 21st Law Commission
Dr. Vinaya Manchaiah Class of Jerger Future Leaders of Audiology.
Anoyara Khatun International Child Rights Activist
Vinod Sawhny (steps down) Reliance Communications CEO
Ashish Vohra CEO of Reliance Nippon Life Insurance
Rajeev Sharma Power Finance CMD
Jawhar Sircar (resigns) Prasar Bharati CEO
Sushil Chandra Chairman of CBDT
Justice Mohanty CJ of Jharkhand HC
B.V.R Mohan Reddy Honorary consul of Germany
Rajeev Rishi IBA Chairman
Rafeeque Ahmed as President South India Chamber of Commerce and Industry(SICCI)
Lieutenant General AK Sharma. Command of the White Knight Corps (16 Corps)
Vazand and Shami Chakrabarti UK shadow cabinet
O. Panneerselvam Tamil Nadu CM J. Jayalalithaas portfolios
G Mahalingam Whole Time Member of markets regulator SEBI.
Raghunathan Elected National President Of AIMO
Ajay Kumar Bhalla New Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
Rajeev Misra Head of Softbanks S100 billion tech fund,
James Parker President of global sales Tata Communications
Roopa Ganguly, Ganeshan Rajya Sabha MP
Sanjay Singh Member Secretary, Law Commission
BCCI President Anurag Thakur ICCs Finance and Commercial Affairs committee
Charles Scharf Visa CEO(Resigned)
Alfred Kelly Visa CEO
Saina Nehwal IOCs Athletes Commission
S.P Yadav President of Urology Society of India
Wrestler Geeta Phogat DSP in Haryana Police
Tariq Hameed Karras LS Speaker PDP MP(Resigned)
Morinari Watanabe President of International Gymnastics Federation
Head Amit Singhal Joins Paytm Board of Directors
Bilal Nazki Chairperson of Jammu &Kashmir Human Rights Comission.
Ratan Tata replaces Cyrus Mistry Tata Sons chairman
Sanjay Baweja Flipkart CFO(resigns)
Sunil Bharti Mittal First Indian to be Elected Chairman of GSMA
Jason McCracken New CEO of International Hockey Federation (FIH)
Borje Ekholm Ericssons Boards new President and CEO
254 | P a g e
Karnal Singh Chief of Enforcement Directorate

SalimGangadharan replace d Executive Chairman of South Indian Bank
Amitabha Guha
Asha Kharga Joins Axis Bank
Parvez Ahmed J&K Bank Chairman & CEO
Anantha krishna Non - Executive Chairman Karnataka Bank (retires)
World Bank First adviser to tackle LGBTI discrimination
Kristalina Georgieva Chief executive officer of World Bank
Ashok Chawla Non- Executive Chairman Of Yes Bank
Arundhati Bhattacharya (1 year SBI chief
extension)
Deep Kumar Upadhyayas Nepals envoy to India (re - appointed)
Amandeep Singh Ambassador/PR of India to the UN Conference on Disarmament,
Geneva
Ravindra Ambassador of India to the Republic of Guinea
Luo Zhaohui China envoy to India
Renu Pall appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Austria
Navdeep Singh Suri Envoy to UAE for India
Dr. Ajay M. Gondane High Commissioner of India to Australia
M. Sevala Naik High Commissioner of India to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas
P V Sindhu and K Srikanth Brand ambassadors of Bank of Baroda
Amrit Lugun Ambassador of India to the State of Eritrea
D. Bala Venkatesh Varma Ambassador of India to Spain
K J Yesudas Brand ambassador of Haritha Keralam project
Madhukar Jetley UP Ambassador of Indian Diaspora Council (IDC)
Sri Lankan cricket skipper Brand ambassador of the Stairs School Football League (SSFL)
Jayasuriya
P V Sindhu New Brand Ambassador Of Vizag Steel.
Virat Kohli Brand Ambassador of Valvoline
NBA Player Yao Ming Chinese Ambassador to Mars
Sunil Gavaskar Stroke Ambassador for India
Comic book character Honorary ambassador for the empowerment of women and girls,
despite frustration from both inside and outside the world organisation
Sexualised woman.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday gave its nod to the acquisition of 11 per
cent stake in Russias Vankor oil fields by ONGC Videsh Ltd(OVL) from Rosneft Oil Company for
$930 million, which will take its overall stake in the project to 26 per cent.
One of the largest startups Freshdesk has announced to acquire a social chat platformChatimity to
developed artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbot technology at an undisclosed amount.
Wipro Ltd will spend $500 million to buy Appirio Inc., an Indianapolis, US-based cloud services
firm. Appirio helps companies move applications to hosted servers offered by Amazon, Google and
Salesforce.com.
HCL Technologies announced to acquire Butler America Aerospace for USD 85 million to
strengthening its position in the aerospace and defence engineering services space.
Mahindra & Mahindra has acquired UK-based two-wheeler maker BSA Company for Rs 28 crore.
This acquisition will enable CLPL acquire/obtain license of brand and utilise the same for selling,
marketing, distributing motorcycles globally
Telecommunications giant AT&T agreed to buy Time Warner for about $85.4 billionto expand
beyond its wireless and Internet service into programming.
255 | P a g e
American technology giant, IBM has acquired home-grown Sanovi Technologies to support its cloud
offerings for an undisclosed sum. Bangalore based Sanovi provides hybrid cloud recovery, cloud
migration and business continuity software for enterprise data centers and cloud infrastructure.
The countrys largest pharma company Sun Pharma acquired 100 per cent equity in the US-based
eye care specialist Ocular Technologies for a front payment of $40 million.
SCHEMES
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched Student credit card scheme for the students passing
Class 12th exam on Oct 2, 2016. It will fecilaitate to get an interest free loan of Rs four lakh for
pursuing higher studies.
Jharkhand became the first state in the country to implement Direct Benefit Transfer(DBT)
in Kerosene. The scheme would be implemented in four identified districts of the state from 1st of
October 2017. These districts are Chatra, Hazaribagh, Khunti and Jamtara.
Maharashtra became 17th State to join UDAY: an overall net benefit of Rs. 9725 crores to accrue to
the State
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan decided to launch a scheme-Lalima
Abhiyan to make Madhya Pradesh anaemia-free. It will be effective from November 1, 2016.
A new study brought in first conclusive evidence of the role played by Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)
in reducing socioeconomic disparities existing in maternal care. The JSY was launched in 2005 as
part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to improve maternal and neonatal health by
promotion of institutional deliveries (childbirth in hospitals).
UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav launched the portal of Samajwadi Smartphone Scheme under
which smartphones will be distributed to people in the state ahead of Assembly election.
Devendra Fadnavis lead Maharashtra government decided to extend fee waiver to students for
professional and higher education courses, including medical and engineering. Before SC/ST
students had 100 per cent fee waiver while OBC students had 50 per cent concession. Now it is
extended to all students with income limit of Rs 6 lakhs and who have secured more than 60 per cent
marks at the time of admission. Those with income limit upto Rs 2.5 lakhs will have no condition
Under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, Andhra
Pradesh has released Rs.99.62 crore to AP-Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development
Corporation Limited (AP-UFIDC) for the year 2016-17.
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the presence of CM Devendra Fadnavis launched
the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) in Maharashtra to provide free LPG connections.
The 'Farm Tourism' scheme launched by Haryana Tourism Minister Rambilas Sharma to attract people to
villages. Under this scheme, farm owners can host tourists under holiday packages.
Maharashtra government launched Kaushalya Setu, its skill development programme for students. The state
will play a leading role in fulfilling PM Narendra Modis Skill India Mission-2020.
The Election Commission of India hold the first ever International Conference on Voter Education in New
Delhi. The topic of the Conference is Voter Education for Inclusive, Informed and Ethical Participation.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation took a major step today towards making flying a reality for the small town
common man. The Civil Aviation Minister Shri P Ashok Gajapathi Raju launched the Ministrys much
awaited Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) in New Delhi. This first-of-its-
kind scheme globally will create affordable yet economically viable and profitable flights on regional
routes so that flying becomes affordable to the common man even in small towns.
PM launched several schemes including Urja Ganga gas pipeline project in Varanasi. Urja Ganga,
1500 km long gas pipeline project which costing Rs 51,000 crore to provide piped cooking gas to
residents of Varanasi within two years.
The Ministry of Science and Technology has started two new initiatives namely Biotech-KISAN
(Krishi Innovation Science Application Network)and Cattle Genomics.Under the scheme, fellowship
will be given to women farmers for training and education in the farm practice.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik announced a new scheme Madhubabu Aain Sahayata Sibirto provide
legal assistance to the deprived sections of the society at the grassroots level in all its 6,812 gram
256 | P a g e
panchayats across the state. The scheme was named after great Odia lawyer, Madhubabu Aain
Sahayata Sibir
UP CM AkhileshYadav inaugurated dedicated power supply for at least 18 hours to every nook and
corner of the state
The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi has given its approval to New Productivity Linked
Reward(PLR) Scheme for all Major Port Trusts and Dock Labour Board employees/workers for the
years 2015-16 to 2017-18.
MoUs
Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of Puducherry and Airports Authority of India signed MoU
to Promote Regional Connectivity Scheme
The Union Cabinet gave its approval for the signing of Memorandum of Understanding(MoU)
between India and African-Asian Rural Development Organisation (AARDO) for capacity building
programmes in the rural development sector.
The Union Cabinet gave its approval for the signing of MoU between India and European Union in
the field of water resources.
The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh met the visiting Minister for Justice and Police of Swiss
Confederation, Ms. Simonetta Sommarug in New Delhi on October 6, 2016. The two sides signed
three agreements including :
1.Mutual Visa Exemption Agreement for Holders of Diplomatic Passports,
2.Technical Arrangements on Identification and Return of Illegal Migrants and Arrangement for
Dependent Person of Diplomatic, Consular, Technical and
3.Administrative Staff of Diplomatic and Consular Mission to Perform Gainful Employment.
Arunachal Pradesh government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with theNational Institute
of Electronics and Information Technology for skill development of local people in presence of
Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu in New Delhi.
According to World Bank, India accounted for the largest number of people living below
international poverty line in 2013, with 30 per cent of its population under the $1.90-a-day poverty
measure.
Arunachal inks MoU with AP Ruchi Soya Industries for development of Oil Palm in the state
Cabinet approved MoU between Exim Bank on General Cooperation with NDB, along with other
Development Financial Institutions of BRICS nations to enhance trade and economic
relations among the BRICS countries. There was no financial implication involved with signing of
the MoU.
Cabinet apprised of the MoU between India and Qatar on cooperation in the field of Youth and
Sports. The MoU would help in expanding knowledge and expertise in the areas of sports science,
sports medicine and coaching techniques. This would result in improvement in performance of our
sports persons in international tournaments and strengthening of bilateral relations between India and
Qatar.
Cabinet approved MoU between India and Hungary on cooperation in the field of water management
The Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its
approval for signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and the Russian
Federation on Expansion of Bilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation.
Ministry of Railways signed MoU with Government of Odisha for cost sharing of two new railway
line projects. The Mou was signed in the presence of Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhakar
Prabhu and Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik.
India and Russia signed a pact to set up 25 integrated infrastructure centers for irradiation treatment
of perishable food items. At least 7 centers will be set up in Maharashtra.
The Economic Development Board of Andhra Pradesh signed a pact with Russias JSC United
Shipping Corporation for setting up a ship-building unit in the state.
Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and FieldFresh Foods, a joint venture between Bharti
257 | P a g e
Enterprises & Del Monte Pacific Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to
carry out a corn productivity research programme.
An apex society of entities in the Hydrocarbon sector, PetroFed signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with TERI(The Energy and Resources Institute) to undertake study
onClimate Change Risks: Preparedness for Oil and Gas Sector.in the presence of Sh. Dharmendra
Pradhan, Minister of State (I/C), Petroleum & Natural Gas and Sh. K.D. Tripathi, Secretary in New
Delhi.
Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari announced that India
and Germany would work on projects, worth Rs.1 lakh crore, for improving rail connectivity of
Indian ports, being implemented by the Indian Port Rail Corporation Ltd(IPRCL).
Transportation app Uber has signed MoU with Ministry of Electronics and ITs CSCs(Common
Services Centres) for skilling drivers on its platform.
Railways & Urban Development Ministries signs MoU to redevelop stations under smart city
plans. According to this MoU , initially 10 cities could be taken up for the proposed redevelopment
with the involvement of public sector construction company NBCC (India) Ltd.
Infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has signed MoU with the Maharashtra government for
Nagpur smart city project.
The Indo-Italian Joint Committee established under the Scientific and Technological Cooperation
Agreement re-launch cooperation in the sectors of science, technology and innovation. The original
agreement was signed between Italy and India in 2003.
Negotiators from nearly 200 nations have clinched a historic deal to phase down emissions of
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) potent greenhouse gases used in air conditioners and refrigerators. The
agreement a major expansion of the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which eliminated the use of the ozone-
depleting chlorofluorocarbons was finalized during a United Nations meeting in Kigali, Rwanda.The
deal, received with a round of applause in the early hours of Saturday, has delivered on most of the
promises made by the member countries last week, getting the world on track to avoid almost 0.5C
warming by 2100.
Indian pharmaceutical major Cipla has signed a memorandum of agreement for South Africas first
biosimilars manufacturing facility to be set up at a cost of nearly $91 million.
Mizoram government and Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) inked a Memorandum
of Cooperation called Record of Discussionson Capacity enhancement for sustainable Agriculture
and Irrigation Development in Mizoram on October 26, 2016.
India has notified the revised double tax avoidance agreement with South Korea on October 26,
2016. It will effect from April 1, 2017. It provides for reduction in withholding tax rates to 10 per
cent on royalties or fees for technical services from 15 per cent and to 10 per cent on interest income
from 15 per cent.
Cabinet approves the new Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit between India and Bhutan
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing and
ratification of an agreement between India and Estonia on the transfer of sentenced persons.
Canada and EU sign a long-delayed landmark trade deal at a summit in Brussels
India and Russia have given nod for the proposal to double the range of the BrahMos, worlds first
supersonic cruise missile at the 16th Russia-India intergovernmental commission on military
cooperation meeting.
MOU signed between India and Palestine for setting up of Palestine-India Techno Park in Ramallah.
COMITTEES
Mata Prasad committee appointed by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission has suggested
an overhaul in transmission planning to facilitate transfer of power on economic principles.
The Saraswati river based on traditional stories existed a government-constituted expert committee
has found. Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti stated that the government would take
action on the report, which according to her, cannot be challenged. Professor K S Valdiya, who led
the panel, explained that they had reached a conclusion that river Saraswati existed, it flowed.It
258 | P a g e
originated in the Himalayas and met gulf at the western sea.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has appointed a three-member panel to look
into National Spot Exchange (NSEL) scam. The initial probe in the case had revealed that some
brokers involved in the NSELs Rs 5,574 crore payments crisis had mis-sold products.
Capital Markets Regulator, SEBI has re-constituted its committee which advises the regulator on
issues related to disclosure requirements and accounting practices for various entities in the securities
market. The 17-member Committee on Disclosures and Accounting Standards will continue to be
chaired by Tata Sons Director (Finance) Ishaat Hussain.
Telecom Ministry has formed a committee to look into the regulator TRAIs recommendation of
a Rs.3,050 crore penalty on top three telcos Airtel, Vodafone and Idea.
The Central Government had appointed the committee under the Chairmanship of Justice L
Narasimha Reddy, retired Chief Justice of Patna High Court to look into the anomalies, if any,
arising out of implementation of OROP.
The Centre has constituted a four-member Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India(IBBI) under
the Chairmanship of Madhusudan Sahoo.
Surgeons using robots to conduct keyhole surgery would now be given the sense of touch thanks to
a game-changing innovation. The Hero Surg robot is a major breakthrough to current technology,
which now limits robotic surgery to the sense of sight, and mean slaparoscopic or keyhole/micro
surgery would be safer and more accurate than ever before by reducing trauma and lowering risk of
blood loss and infection.
Medtronic Plc would bring to market the worlds first artificial pancreas, after U.S. regulators cleared
the device for diabetics to automatically monitor blood sugar and supply insulin, replicating what a
healthy version of the organ does on its own.
Toyota Motor Corp unveiled a doe-eyed palm-sized robot named Kirobo Mini designed as a
synthetic baby companion in Japan as number of childless couple grows
Kirobo Mini. It is equipped with artificial intelligence and a camera so it can recognise the face of
the person speaking to it and respond.
Election Commission has launched a mobile application for more transparency and effective
monitoring of the ongoing revision of voters list before the 2017 Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.
Indias latest communication satellite GSAT-18 was successfully launched from Kourou, Guiana.
The spacecraft and launch service cost about US$153 million.
Researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have developed the smallest transistor reported to date,
breaking a major size barrier with a gate only one nanometre long.The laws of physics had set a 5-
nanometre threshold on the size of transistor gates among conventional semiconductors, about one-
quarter the size of high-end 20-nanometre-gate transistors now on the market.
A researcher from Punes Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) has
successfully produced a stable, high-efficiency, all-inorganic perovskite nanocrystal solar cells.
NASAs Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has detected Great Balls of Fire (GBF), a
mysterious super-hot blobs of gas seen near a dying star. These plasma balls were moving so fast
through space that it would take only 30 minutes for them to travel from Earth to the moon. The
observations suggest that these balls of fire had been appearing every 8.5 years for at least the last
four centuries.
The glaciological research lab inaugurated by M. Rajeevan, Secretary to the Ministry of Earth
Sciences at Himansh in the Spiti Valley on October 10, 2016. It was located at an altitude of nearly
13,500 feet.
A new high-tech material named polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) or electroactive bandage developed
by NASA that uses electricity to promote healing of injured wounds.
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Kolkata had
used human hair to produce cost-effective, metal-free cathodes for use in solar cells.
259 | P a g e
Self-powered UV photodetector charges energy storage devices developed by IISc researchers

The central mines ministry launched a satellite-based illegal mining detection system, which will
receive tip offs in the form of pictures taken from a mobile phone, automatically generate
complaints to state authorities and publish the outcome of a probe in a mobile application.
Indian Immunological Ltd (IIL), a subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has
unveiled a vaccine to fight against tapeworms in pigs. It is the first in the world to fight tapeworms in
pigs
The Indian Coast Guard Ships Aryaman and Atulya, the eighteenth and nineteenth in the series of
twenty Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs), designed and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, were
commissioned at Kochi by Financial Advisor to Defence Services Shri Sunil Kumar Kohli.
The Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), a Supreme Court-appointed pollution
watchdog, launched a mobile app HawaBadlo, aiming to improve air quality with public
participation.
China successfully launched a spacecraft carrying two astronauts, in its longest-ever manned space
mission.This team would later join its experimental space lab orbiting the Earth as the country
moved a step closer to establish its permanent space station by2022.
A group of students from the Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur is developing drones using
indigenous hardware and software. The drones being developed under the institutesAerial Robotics
Kharagpur (ARK) initiative and funded by the Sponsored Research & Industrial Consultancy
(SRIC) facility of the Institute.
Positive Shift International launched the skill development digital platform UNO Learn to offer
skill development courses from industry experts and universities.It will offer500+ courses now.
Scientists have developed a new world-first optical sensor that could quickly detect vitamin B12
deficiency, a condition linked to an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimers disease. The device
would enable the tracking of vitamin B12 levels in high-risk patients and early intervention to top
up vitamin B12 levels when low and help overcome the limitations of current testing methods
which are time-consuming and costly.
Scientists from Delhis National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have developed a novel way of
producing electricity from water at room temperature without using any power or chemicals. A team
led by Dr. R.K. Kotnala used nanoporous magnesium ferrite to split water into hydronium (H3O)
and hydroxide (OH) ions and used silver and zinc as electrodes to make a cell that produces
electricity.
Microsoft have developed the firsttechnology that recognises the words in a conversation as well as
humans do.A team of researchers and engineers in Microsoft Artificial Intelligence and Research
created a speech recognition system that makes the same or fewer errors than professional
transcriptionists.
Qualcomm announces the worlds first 5G Modem, called the Snapdragon X50.The chip could
theoretically support download speeds on your smartphone of up to 5 gigabits per second.
Mothers milk from the marsupials known as Tasmanian devils could help the global fight against
increasingly deadly superbugs which resist antibiotics was identified by Australian researchers.
Superbugs are bacteria which cannot be treated by current antibiotics and other drugs, with a recent
British study saying they could kill up to 10 million people globally by 2050.
Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Rani Gaidinliu was commissioned into the Indian Coast Guard here by
Director-General of Coast Guard Rajendra Singh.The vessel is named after freedom fighter and
famous Naga spiritual and political leader Rani Gaidinliu, who belonged to the Heraka cult of
Manipur.
Scientists from University of Oklahoma have discovered the oldest known planet-forming disk a
45 million-year-old ring of gas and dust that orbits around a young star, from which planets can form
as the material collides and aggregates.
Chinas space lab Tiangong-2 orbiting the Earth with two astronauts on board has successfully
launched a micro-satellite which weighs 47 kilograms and is the size of a printer.
The Indian Space Research Organization started a series of ground and aerial tests linked to the
260 | P a g e
critical Moon landing of Chandrayaan-2 at Challakere in Chitradurga district. This Place is 400
km far away from Bengaluru.
A new species of millipede found lurking in the unexplored dark marble caves of Sequoia National
Park in California. This new species of millipede has been named Illacmetobini.
Researchers from University of Idaho unveiled that the Uranus might have two tiny, previously
undiscovered moons orbiting near two of the planets rings.
The Employees Online (EO) App launched by Dr.Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State
(Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel,
Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space.
The landing module of the Russian spaceship Soyuz MS-01 successfully placed in the steppes of
Kazakhstan with three crew members on board was stated by Russian Mission Control Centre.
DEFENCE
India and Indonesia commenced their second coordinated patrol and bilateral maritime exercise in
the Andaman Sea.
Sixteen countries are slated to participate in the 5th Physical Agility and Combat Efficiency System
military exercises began on October 18, 2016 in Lahore. The countries will take part in the six-day
drills aimed at enhancing physical and military capabilities of troops.
The Indian and Chinese armies held Second Joint Exercise Sino India Cooperation 2016, as a
sequel to the first Joint Exercise held in the area of Border Personnel Meeting Hut at Chushul
Garrison of Eastern Ladakh, along with Chinese troops of Moldo Garrison under the provisions
of Border Defense Cooperation Agreement, 2013.
Vice Admiral SN Ghormade, NM takes over as Director General of Naval Operations on October 21,
2016. He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 Jan 1984.
US Navy has commissioned its largest, most expensive and technologically advanced
destroyer, Zumwalt. The 610-foot-long ship, commissioned in Baltimore also has an advanced power
plant and weapon systems.
India is finally close to operationalizing its long-awaited nuclear weapons triad the capability to
launch nukes from land, air and sea. India has recently become a nuclear triad with INS Arihant,
which has been officially commissioned as of August 2016. INS Arihant will either carry 12 K-15
missiles with a range of 750 km or 4 K-4 missiles with an extended range of 3500 km.
The Indian Navy commissioned the newest Car Nicobar-class fast attack craft INS Tihayu at the
Eastern Naval Command. INS Tihayu, specifically built for meeting needs of extended coastal and
offshore surveillance and patrol, has a length of 49.9 metres and maximum breadth of 7.5
meters. Named after an island in Nicobar, the vessel has an endurance of 2,000 nautical miles at 12
to 14 knots of economical speed.
Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Rani Gaidinliu was commissioned into the Indian Coast Guard here by
Director-General of Coast Guard Rajendra Singh.The vessel is named after freedom fighter and
famous Nagaspiritual and political leader Rani Gaidinliu, who belonged to the Heraka cult of
Manipur.
The fourth meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Commission began in New Delhi was setting the tone
for the minister-level meeting scheduled.
India Army team has won a gold medal at Exercise Cambrian Patrol which was organised by the
British Army in Wales.The Indian Army team presented a tradition khukri as a memento to the
British Army.
The fourth edition of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Military Exercise MITRA SHAKTI 2016 is being
conducted at Sinha Regimental Centre in Ambepussa, Sri Lanka from October 24 to November 6
Rear Admiral Vennam Srinivas took charge as the Flag Officer Submarines on October 24, 2016. He
will replace Rear Admiral Sanjay Mahindru.
INS Viraat, the worlds oldest aircraft carrier, was accorded a grand send-off from the port city in
Kochi, after over five decades of its service to the Navy.
261 | P a g e
A 14-day India-Nepal joined military exercise, named Surya Kiran IX, began at Pithoragarh. The
exercise would end on February 21. The aim of this exercise is to conduct battalion level joint
training with special importance on Counter Terrorism in mountainous terrain.
ENVIRONMENT
Tamil Nadu accounts for the highest number of species with 410, followed by Kerala with 357
and Maharashtra with 278 in a recent Publication by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI).Scientists of
the BSI have listed at least 37 species of Black plum Syzyguim (Jamun), 10 varieties of Musa
(banana), along with 274 species of orchids, which are found only in the country.
Mexicos Colima volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the country and Central America has
erupted, spewing a large plume of ash and thick black smoke into the sky and forcing the evacuation
of two nearby villages.
Scientists have discovered a bunch of ancient Roman and Ottoman coins from the ruins of an old
castle in Japan. Since 2013, archaeologists from Uruma Board of Education in Japan have been
excavating the Katsuren castle a UNESCO world heritage site located in Okinawa.
Nearly Sixty red-crowned cranes were hatched this year in Chinas Zhalong National Nature
Reserve in Heilongjiang Province, the worlds largest captive breeding centre for endangered birds.
Australian Scientists have discovered a new species of green treefrog named Litoria bella, or the
Cape York Graceful with distinctive orange hands and feet and iridescent purpleinner thighs.
A new species of fish named Scomber Indicus in Kerala waters by a team of CMFRI (Central Marine
Fisheries Research Institute)scientists led by E M Abdussamad
At least six people have been killed after Typhoon Chaba battered South Korea with strong winds
and heavy rain. The southern cities of Busan and Ulsan were worst affected, as well as the resort
island of Jeju.
Brazilian scientists announced the discovery largest dinosaurever found in South Americas biggest
country.Researchers announced their discovery after analysing fossilised bones of the giant, long-
necked herbivore, which faded in a storage cupboard for 60 years.
The Supreme Court stayed the commercial release of the genetically modified (GM) variety of
mustard till October 17 following a petition as this could have severe consequences on the
environment and human health
A new termite species, Glyptotermes Chiraharitae, has been discovered at Kakkayam in the Malabar
Wildlife Sanctuary. The species are named Chiraharitae, after the tropical evergreen forests of the
Western Ghats, where the termite was spotted.
Floridians along the Atlantic coast were coping with rising water as Hurricane Matthew drenched the
state with rain and as strong winds pushed waves over beaches.
Scientists had discovered a major group of organisms contributing to climate change, the second
major breakthrough in 12 months towards mapping the tree of life.
Taking the lead on tackling climate change, India will eliminate the use of HFC-23, a greenhouse gas
that harms the ozone layer, by 2030.
Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake situated in North America. Fresh water is naturally
occurring water on Earths surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, icebergs,
bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground
streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and
other total dissolved solids.
The magnificent Kashmiri Red Stag or Hangul could finally get some protection with
the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) all set to declare it
a critically endangered species.
Typhoon Sarika battered wide areas of the countrys main island of Luzon, killed at least two people
and isolated hundreds of villages due to floods, cutting off communication lines, felling down
trees and electric posts as well as inflicting heavy damage on farms was reported by the National
262 | P a g e
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council(NDRRMC)

According to data provided by the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), under the United
States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), the month of September 2016 was
the hottest September on record.
The Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has made it mandatory for all automobile
manufacturers to provide emission and noise pollution details for every vehicle they produce
by April 2017.
Delhis air quality worsened on last two days with the six stations that monitor particulate
matter(PM) 2.5 and 10 falling in the very poor category. The overall levels of PM 2.5 (particulate
matter with diameter less than 2.5 micrometres) and PM 10 (particulate matter with diameter less
than 10 micrometres), were settled at 120.8 and 248 micrograms per cubic metre, as per System of
Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).
A protein-enriched rice variety has been developed by the Indira Gandhi Krishi
Vishwavidyalay (IGKV) here and researchers hope it would serve as a boon for malnourished
population, especially children, in the tribal-dominated Chhattisgarh.
Smooth-coated otter was sighted for the first timein the mangrove forest near the Krishna wildlife
sanctuary (KWS) in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh.
Typhoon Haima made a landfall in south Chinas Guangdong Province triggering sudden downpours
in several cities. At least five counties and cities in Guangdong experienced heavy rain fall on
October 22, 2016
The World Bank and other global development lenders and other financial institutions must help
countries such as India to finance the shift of their coal production to more efficient technologies so
they can meet their COP21 commitments said by Benjamin Sporton, World Coal Association Chief
Executive
Globally averaged concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached 400 parts per
million for the first time in 2015 and increased again to new records in 2016 due to the very powerful
El Nio event.
Delegates from 24 countries and the European Union have agreed that the Ross Sea in
Antarctica will become the worlds largest Marine Protected Area (MPA). This is the first large scale
MPA on the high seas.
US scientists say they have shocked upon an economically practical and highly efficient way of
converting a greenhouse gas largely reasoned for global warming into an environmentally friendly
fuel a development that could increase the renewable energy industry.
A fishing cat (Prionailurusviverrinus) was identified walking through the moderately dense
mangrove surrounding the Gilalakalandi harbour near Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Scientists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) have developed a new arhar (pigeon-
pea) variety that matures in 120 days, gives the same 20 quintal-per-hectare yields of normal 160-
180 day plants and is, moreover, amenable to mechanical combine harvesting.
Two-thirds of wild animals may go extinct by 2020, warnsreport by the Living Planet assessment by
the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
Bangladesh has introduced temporary ban on catching Hilsa Fish in an effort to save the hugely
popular fish.Before Bangladesh government banned fishermen from catching young hilsa at certain
times of the year.
SPORTS
Sports Sector got the Infrastructure Status Now eligible for obtaining long term financial
support from banks and other financial institutions
First Indian woman javelin thrower to cross the 60m Annu Rani
mark at the 56th Open National Athletics
Championships
Under-18 Asia Cup hockey trophy in Dhaka India defeating Bangladesh
263 | P a g e
IFSC Para Climbing Cup, UK Manikandan Kumar - Gold

First Indian to complete Worlds toughest race, Kieren Dsouza
Spartathlon
5th Asian Beach Games Vietnam
Top 3 : Vietnam , Thailand and China
India at 16th place with 24 medals(2 Gold, 4 Silver , 18
Bronze)
Womens 52kg Kurash category Pinky Balhara - Bronze medal
Mens middleweight Muay Harish Banghel - Silver
Womens single, Long Ho Quyen, Vovinam event Deepa Gawale - silver medal
Kabbadi India defeated Thailand - Gold
Russian Open badminton 2016
Mens singles Zulfadli Zulkiffli Siril Verma
Womens singles Gadde Ruthvika Shivani Evgeniya Kosetskaya
Mens doubles Vladimir Ivanov/ Ivan Abramov K./Zinchenko A.
Sozonov
Womens doubles Anastasia Chervyakova/ Olga Kosetskaya E./Polikarpova
Morozova K.
Mixed doubles Pranaav Jerry Chopra /N. Sikki Ivanov V./Sorokina V.
Reddy
2016 China Open
Mens Singles Andy Murray Grigor Dimitrov
Womens Singles Agnieszka Radwaska Johanna Konta
Mens Doubles Pablo Carreo Busta / Rafael Jack Sock / Bernard
Nadal Tomic,
Womens Doubles Bethanie Mattek-Sands / Lucie Caroline Garcia / France
afov Kristina Mladenovic
2016 Chinese Taipei Open
Mens Single Sourabh Varma Daren Liew
Womens Single Ayumi Mine Saena Kawakami
Mens Double Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Hung Ling /Chen Chi-Lin
Ardianto Wang
Womens Double Yuki Fukushima /Japansayaka Shiho Tanaka /
Hirota Japankoharu Yonemoto
Mixed Chun Man Tang/Hong Ryota Taohata/Koharu
Kongying Suet Yonemoto
ISSF World Cup 2016, Italy
50m pistol event Jitu Rai - Silver
Mens 10m air pistol event Jitu Rai 6th
International Shooting Sport Federation Jitu Rai defeated Serbias Damir Mikec
(ISSF) Champions Trophy
Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings
1 Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 12.900 points
2 Andy Murray (Scotland) 10.485
3 Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) 5.820
2016 TAFISA World Games, Indonesia India won 4 medals
Naveen Kumar clinched bronze medal in 90
Kg category.Three gold medals were won by three women
martial arts players from Thane. Aarti
Chaudhari (29), Vishruti Waghmare (16) and Siddhi
Jadhav (10) won the gold medals in JeetKune-do, a form of
martial arts.
264 | P a g e
First gold in Wushu after 30 years Yengkhom Jason (52 Kg category)

First female Indian golfer to record 3 Aditi Ashok
consecutive top 10 European Tour finishes
Kabaddi World Cup 2016, Ahmedabad Pakistan not partipated
India beat Iran
U-16 World Chess Championship, Russia Aakanksha Hagawane
2016 FIFA U-17 Womens World Cup North Korea
2016 NCC National Games Punjab Directorate
WBC Asia welterweight title, New Delhi Neeraj Goyat out punched Australias Ben Kite
Indias first ever senior international roller Dhanush Babu, Vikram Ingale and Nikhilesh Tabhane
skating medal in the Asian Championship in
China.
Asian billiards 2016 Siddharth Parikh
Korea Open 2016 Gaganjeet Bhullar
BRICS U-17 Football Tourney, Goa Brazil defeated South Africa
Asian Champions Trophy India beat Pakistan (Mens)
India beat South Korea(Womens)
World Railway Shooting Championship Western Railways Team
Cup, France
IWF World Weightlifting cships IWF Youth (Boys & Girls) won silver and a bronze
medal in the 56kg weight category
2016 Japan Grandprix Nico Roseberg
2016 Malaysian Grand Prix Daniel Ricciardo
2016 United States Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton
World No.1 status for second successive Sania Mirza
year
FIFA Rankings Top 3:
Argentina,Germany and Brazil
India 137
ICC Test rankings: India backed to No 1 after beating New Zealand at Eden
Garden
2.Pakistan
3.Australia
4.England
First Indian Test Captain to Score Two Virat Kohli
Double Centuries
ICC Test Championship mace Virat Kohli
ICC Test rankings for bowlers Ravichandran Ashwin First
50 ODI wickets in Indias 900th One Day Amit Mishra
International match
Fifth Indian to cross 9000 runs, breaks MS Dhoni
Sachin Tendulkars record of 195 sixes in
ODIs
Englishman to reach 10,000 Test runs Alastair Cook
World number 1 women bowler Jhulan Goswami

Hoogeveen International chess tournament Abhijeet Gupta
First player ever to win the title twice in a row in the FIDE
Open that concluded at the Dutch hamlet.
First team to play 900 ODIs India
2024 Olympics Italy withdrawn its bid to stage the 2024 Games in Rome
U-17 World Cup host cities Kochi, Navi Mumbai, Goa,Guwahati
265 | P a g e
and New Delhi

First Bionic Olympics Host Switzerland
First-ever womens World T20 2020, host by Australia
Duck Boats Goa To boost tourist football
World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Indian Boxing Council Inducted
2016 world cup mascot Zabivaka(Russia)
Two-year doping ban has been reduced to Maria Sharapova
15 months following her appeal to the Court
of Arbitration for Sport.
Suspended for two matches following a Surender Kumar
deliberate foul during the game against
Malaysia.
Former Formula One driver would retire Mark Webber
from professional racing
Retired from athletics Jessica Ennis-Hill
Retirement after 2017 world championships Usain Bolt
in London
OBITUARY

Andrzej Wajda Film director Poland
Bhumibol Adulyadej King Thailand
Kigeli V King Rwanda
Vladimir Zeldin Actor Russia
Shahlyla Baloch Womens football team striker Pakistan
Former president of the National Indian Congress &
Mewa Ramgobin South Africa
South African Struggle
Dario Fo Satirical dramatist Italy
Junko Tabei First woman to climb Everest Japan
Lucia Perillo Author USA
Tom Hayden Anti-war activist USA
Aaron Pryor Former boxing champion USA
Prince Mikasa Worlds Oldest Royal Japan
Carlos Alberto Footballer Brazil
Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Former ruler
Qatar
al-Thani
Pen Sovann First post-Khmer Rouge prime minister Cambodia
Painter, sculptor and veteran of the contemporary
Yusuf Arakkal India
art, Bengaluru
Heisnam Kanhailal Theater legend, Manipur India
Ram Ekbal Singh Veteran socialist leader and freedom fighter, Bihar India
Parmeshwar Godrej Philantropist, Business Women, Mumbai India
Mohammad Shafi Bhat Former MP, Srinagar India
Dayanand Anan Writer and litterateur, Uttarakhand India
Jhanwar Lal Harsh Freedom fighter, Rajasthan India
N Kumar Coal India Limited Director , New Delhi India
Tilak Hazarika Journalist India
Mehar Mittal Comedian, Punjab India
Ashwini Ekbote Dancer, Mahasrahtra India
266 | P a g e
Chandrakant Kenkre Freedom fighter India

Raj Begum Nightingale of Kashmir India
Rajpati Devi Congress MLA from Gauriganj India
Shashikala Kakodkar First woman CM of Goa India
Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay Actor, West Bengal India
Prodyut Burman Former India football goalkeeper India
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Minister for Information and Broadcasting M. Venkaiah Naidu along with Minister for Railways
Shri Suresh Prabhu and Shri Tarun Vijay, Former Member of Parliament released the book titled
Modis Midas Touch in Foreign Policy in New Delhi on October 4, 2016. The book has been
authored by Ambassador Surendra Kumar.
After a long gap of 20 years of her Booker win, Arundhati Roy has announced her next novel, The
Ministry of Utmost Happiness which was prepared tor elease inJune 2017.
The photo-biography on Mahatma Gandhi titled Mahatma Gandhis Life in Colour launched by
Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharmain New Delhi. Another book titled Untouchability No
More was also released by Mahesh Sharma.
Former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi authors e-book on RTI. The 81-page e-
book named RTI Act- Authentic Interpretation of The Statute has been uploaded
on www.Satyamevajayate.info
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a series of works dedicated to the philosophy of Pandit Deendayal
Upadhyay in New Delhi on October 9 2016.
Twinkle Khanna, who after a stint as an actress, has established herself as an interior designer, author and
popular columnist, on Wednesday announced her second book titled The Legend Of Lakshmi Prasad.
The Book titled The Sleepwalkers Dream authored by Dhrubajyoti Borah, President of Asam
Sahitya Sabha. The book narrates the journey of a group of militants towards an elusive freedom and
an uncertain future.
The book on Cricket Player Virat Kohli titled Driven: The Virat Kohli Story was published in the
presence of Coach Raj Kumar Sharma, Virender Sehwag, Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble, Ravi Shastri,
Ashish Nehra, Ajay Jadeja, Karthik Murali, Hari Gidwani and Anjum Chopra in New Delhi. The
book was authored by senior journalist Vijay Lokapally and published by Bloomsbury India.
BJP President Amit Shah released the book Andhere se UjalekiAur authored by Union Finance
Minister ArunJaitley. The book is a compilation of blogs and articles
IMPORTANT DAYS
Oct 1 2016
Remember Day: International Day of Older Persons
Purpose : To drawing attention to and challenging negative stereotypes and misconceptions about older
persons and ageing.
Organization: UN
Theme: Take A Stand Against Ageism
Remember Day: World Vegetarian Day

Purpose : To brings awareness to the ethical, environmental, health, and humanitarian benefits of a
vegetarian lifestyle
Organization: International Vegetarian Union
Oct 2 2016
Remember Day: International Day of Non-Violence
Purpose : To mark the 147th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
267 | P a g e
Organization: UN, GOI
Oct 3 2016
Remember Day: World Habitat Day (First Monday of October)
Purpose : To reflect on the state of our cities and towns and the basic human right to adequate shelter.
Organization: UN
Theme: Housing at the Centre
Oct 4 2016
Remember Day: World Animal Day
Purpose : To raising the status of animals in order to improve welfare standards around the globe.
Oct 4 to 10 2016
Remember Day: World Space Week
Purpose :To recognition of two important dates in space history: the launch of the first human-made Earth
satellite, Sputnik 1, on October 4, 1957; and the signing of the Outer Space Treaty on October 10, 1967.
Organization: World Space Week Association (WSWA)
Theme: Remote sensing: Enabling Our Future
Oct 5 2016
Remember Day: World Teachers Day
Purpose : To commemorates teacher organizations worldwide.
Organization: UN, UNSECO
Theme: Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status
Oct 7 2016
Remember Day: World Smile Day(First Friday of October)
Purpose : To bring a smile of the faces of people around the world
Oct 8 2016
Remember Day: 84th Air Force Day
Purpose : To increase the awareness about the importance of Indian air force
Oct 9 2016
Remember Day: World Post day
Purpose : To commemorating the date for the establishment of Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1874 in
Bern, Switzerland.
Organization: UN, UPU
Theme: Innovation, Integration and Inclusion
Oct 10 2016
Remember Day: World Day Against the Death Penalty
Purpose : To raising awareness around the application of the death penalty for terrorism-related offences, to
reduce its use.
Organization: UN
Theme: Terrorsim
Remember Day: World Mental Health Day
Purpose : To bring attention to mental illness and its major effects on peoples' life worldwide
Organization: World Federation for Mental Health, WHO
Theme: Dignity in Mental Health Psychological & Mental Health First Aid for All.
Oct 11 2016
Remember Day: International Day of the Girl Child
268 | P a g e
Purpose : To supports more opportunity for girls and increases awareness of gender inequality faced by
girls worldwide based upon their gender
Organization: UN
Theme: : Girls Progress = Goals Progress: A Global Girl Data Movement
Oct 13 2016
Remember Day: World Sight Day
Purpose : To focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment
Organization: Sight First Campaign of Lions Club International Foundation & WHO
Theme: Stronger Together
Remember Day: International Day for Disaster Reduction

Purpose : To promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction.
Organization: UNISDR
Theme: Live To Tell: Raising Awareness, Reducing Mortality
Oct 14 2016
Remember Day: International standards day
Purpose : To increase awareness of the role that standards play in the global economy.
Organization: IEC, ISO and ITU
Theme: Standards Build Trust
Oct 15 2016
Remember Day: International Day of Rural Women
Purpose : To recognizes rural womens importance in enhancing agricultural and rural development
worldwide.
Organization: UN
Theme: Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too
Remember Day: World Students Day

Purpose : To mark the importance of India's former President and great scientist APJ Abdul Kalam
Organization: UN
Oct 15-21 2016
Remember Day: Safe Motherhood Week
Purpose : To bring down the Mother Mortality Rate MMR and Infant Mortality Rate or IMR.
Organization: Uttar Pradesh
Oct 16 2016
Remember Day: World Food Day
Purpose : To heighten public awareness about the interconnection of agriculture, food security and world
hunger
Organization: UN, Food and Agriculture Organization
Theme: Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too.
Oct 17 2016
Remember Day: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
Purpose : To promotes people's awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution worldwide,
particularly in developing countries.
Organization: UN
Theme: Moving from humiliation and exclusion to participation: Ending poverty in all its forms.
Oct 20 2016
Remember Day: World Statistics Day
269 | P a g e
Purpose : To recognize the achievements the global statistics systems at both national and international
levels
Organization: United Nations Statistical Commission
Theme: Better Data, Better Lives
Remember Day: World Osteoporosis Day

Purpose : To raise global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis
and metabolic bone disease.
Organization: IOF
Theme: Love Your Bones Protect your Future
Oct 21 2016
Remember Day: Police Commemoration Day
Purpose : To honors the memory of Indian police personnel killed by Chinese soldiers in 1959.
Organization: GOI
Oct 24 2016
Remember Day: United Nations Day
Purpose : To highlight concrete actions people can take to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Organization: UN
Theme: Freedom First
Remember Day: World Development Information Day

Purpose : To draw attention of worldwide public opinion to development problems and the need to
strengthen international cooperation to solve them.
Organization: UN
Remember Day: World Polio Day

Purpose : To commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, the developer of a vaccine against polio.
Organization: WHO
Remember Day: 55th raising day of Indo Tibetan Border Police

Organization: ITBP
Oct 27 2016
Remember Day: World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
Purpose : To raise of awareness of the significance of and preservation risks recorded sound and
audiovisual documents
Theme: Its Your Story Dont Lose It
Oct 28 2016
Remember Day: National Ayurveda Day
Purpose : To marks birth date of Lord Dhanvantari, which occurs before two days before Diwali on
Dhanteras
Organization: GOI
Theme: Ayurveda for Prevention and Control of Diabetes.
Oct 29 2016
Remember Day: International Internet Day
Purpose : To remember the event of the sending of the first message, first electronic message which was
transferred from one computer to another in 1969
270 | P a g e
Remember Day: World Stroke Day

Purpose : To raise awareness of the prevention and treatment of the condition, and ensure better care and
support for survivors
Organization: WSO
Theme: Face the Facts: Stroke is Treatable with the tagline of: Livescan improve with better awareness,
access, and action.
Oct 31 2016
Remember Day: Rashtriya Ekta Diwas(National Unity Day)
Purpose : To commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Organization: GOI
Theme: Integration of India
Remember Day: World Savings Day or World Thrift Day

Purpose : To promote the savings all over the World.
Organization: International Savings Bank Congress
Theme: Grabbing Hold of Your Financial Future
Remember Day: World Cities Day

Purpose : To promote international communitys interest in global urbanization, push forward cooperation
among countries
Organization: UN
Theme: Inclusive Cities, Shared Development
Oct 31 to Nov 5 2016

Remember Day: Vigilance Awareness week
Purpose : To promote probity in public life and to achieve a corruption free society
Organization: Central Vigilance Commission, GOI
Theme: Public participation in promoting integrity and eradicating Corruption
Current Affairs November 2016

INDIAN AFFAIRS
President Pranab Mukherjee has given his consent to payment of a 2 per cent dearness
allowance (DA) to central government employees. The move would benefit about 50.68 lakh
employees and 54.24 lakh pensioners. The DA would result in an annual burden of Rs.5,622.10
crore.
Online platform Nyaaya India Grid for Learning, launched by INGEGNO, is an education
marketplace andIdentity Access Management (IAM) platform in India, that aims at creating a
continuous synchronised teaching and learning experience for educators, institutions and schools.
AfterOperation Calm down in South Kashmir, Army is now aiming on another operationSchool
Chalo, under which it identifies areas and provides students with free coaching and make them
participate in extra-curricular activities.
Odisha Signs Agreement to Set Up 4 More STPI Centres & Odisha To Get Gems & Jewellery
Industrial Park. The agreement was signed to set up STPI centres at Angul, Jajpur, Jeypore in
Koraput and Sambalpur. After this proposal Odisha would have the highest number of such centre in
the country.
The three day Buddha Mahotsava celebration kicked off in Arunachal Pradesh on November 4 2016
with vibrant cultural display from Monpa, Sajolang(Miji) Aka, Sartang, Bugun and Sherdukpen
tribes of the region at Buddha Park, Bomdila.
271 | P a g e
National Green Tribunal(NGT) given its approval for the week-long annual Baliyatra festival from
November 14 at the designated ground if the same was not located on Mahanadi riverbed as was
alleged in the original application (OA).
The 5 Day National Conference on Tropical Parasitology held in Puducherry. Over 200
representatives from India and abroad will attend a five day national meet on tropical parasitology
began on November 2, 2016 in Puducherry and evolve strategies to improve the perspective on the
drug resistance scenario in parasitic diseases
The three day Indian Languages Festival (ILF) Samanvay, focusing on the themes of Language as
Public action commenced with the noted Gandhian Ela Bhat in New Delhi on November 5 2016.
Andhra Pradesh tops World Banks energy-saving rankings. The ranking of the states were released
in the World Banks study report titled Indias State Level Energy Efficiency Implementation
Readiness.Andhra Pradesh topped with overall score of 42.01 followed
by Rajasthan (41.89), Karnataka (39.34) and Maharashtra (39.29).Kerala, Gujarat, Delhi (UT),
Punjab, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh are the other states in the top ten ranking in that order.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee distributed 43,000 bicycles to class eleventh
students of state-run, aided and sponsored schools under Sabuj Sathi at Jamboni in West
Midnapore.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal implemented the state governments programme
of Aware and Care by flagging off 100 Information Education Communication (IEC) mobile vans.
The National Food Security Act, which implemented an act to subsidise food grain for about 810
million people, now covers the whole country, more than three years after it was formally
notified. Kerala and Tamil Nadu have also rolled out the NFSA from November. With this, now the
Act has been implemented in all the States and Union Territories was announced by Food Minister
Ram Vilas Paswan.
The GST Council approved a four-tier GST tax structure of 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%, with lower
rates for essential items and the highest for luxury and de-merits goods that would also attract an
additional cess. The lowest rate of 5% would be for common use items while there would be
two standard rates of 12% and 18% under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime targetted to be
rolled out from April 1, 2017.
Maharashtra become First state to launch Cyber Police Stations in each Districts
The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu launched Jana Chaitanya
Yatra in Andhra Pradesh to highlight the welfare and developmental initiatives of the government.
Google has associated with Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI) for 360 degree virtual tour of 280-
odd monuments across the country.
The Indian government and three state-run firms would jointly prepared an equity fund of up to $2
billion for renewable energy companies to help New Delhi meet its clean energy goals.
I & B Ministry prepared promotional funds for Indias entry to Oscars ,other festivals.The
announcement was made at the press conference of 47th edition of International Film Festival of
India (IFFI).The financial support would be provided to the filmmakers to promote their films at
international film festivals across the world.
The Delhi government has launched the Yamuna riverfront Project at the second annual Yamuna
Aarti event aarti at the Dhai Pusta, in Sonia Vihar in the presence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
on November 1, 2016to beautify the riverfront in the next one-and-a-half years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Haryanas year-long golden jubilee celebrations of Haryana
in Gurugram. PM Modi kicked-off Haryanas Swarna Jayanti celebrations from Gurugrams Tau
Devi Lal stadium on November 1, 2016.
The Income Tax department announced that the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act,
2016 (BTP Amendment Act), came into force from 1st November 2016 in order to give more teeth to
the authorities to curb benami transactions.
Centre notified the rules for Real Estate Act, that seeks to regulate the housing sector besides
bringing transparency and ensuring timely completion of projects.
272 | P a g e
Government has decided to fix the minimum wage at Rs 350 per day for unskilled agricultural labour
in C-class towns in central sphere.It was announced by Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya. It will
effective from November 1, 2016.
The Centre is working on formulation of a national policy to speak about the emerging challengeof
alcohol dependency in the country, especially among youth.
International Forum on Adopting an ICT Perspective to Education and Learning held in New Delhi
Southern state of Kerala became the third state overall and the largest state so far to be declared Open
Defecation Free (ODF) under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM- Gramin). The state Kerala also
declared as drought-hit state.
The government has established a committee to review fire safety measures at various Central
government hospitals and directed it to submit a report within 15 days.
Shri Prakash Javadekar, Union Human Resource Development Minister, inaugurated the worlds
largest digital national building initiative Smart India Hackathon 2017 by handing over a torch to
technology students over the country. The Hackathon will have nearly 500 problem statements in all
which will be published on http://mygov.in.
A notification has been issued by the centre to extend the Armed Forces Special Powers Act
(AFSPA) in three districts of Arunachal Pradesh.
The Uttarakhand High Court ordered all hill stations and glaciers in the state to be declared as eco-
sensitive within three months as well as put a ban on any kind of construction within 25 km radius of
the glaciers.
Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labor and Employment
launched the Kahin-Bhi-Kabhi-Bhi medical facilities for The Employees
StateInsurance Corporation (ESIC) beneficiaries of Delhi and Inaugurated the 6 bedded Day Care
Unit of ESI Dispensary on November 8 at Dwarka.
Indian Navy is considering to select candidates into the 10+2 B Tech cadet scheme through JEE
(Main) ranks, instead of class 12th.
The Centre on November 10, 2016, announced the construction of a 12-km-long elevated railway
corridor inside Guwahati, worth Rs 5,000 crore, as a part of the smart city project.
A Friendship Motor Car Rally between India, Myanmar and Thailand (IMT) was flagged off by the
Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Chemical Fertilizers Mansukh Lal
Mandaviya from India Lawns in New Delhi.
A high-level Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by the Union Finance Minister ArunJaitley,
recommended to impose heavy fine and ban on celebrities who endorse products making unrealistic
and unreliable claims.
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal launched Safe City Project in Ludhiana which
cost Rs 80 crore. He also inaugurated an indoor stadium, built along the Pakhowal road at a cost of
Rs 85 crore.
A five-judge Constitution Bench led by Justice Anil R. Dave ruled that Punjab Termination of
Agreements Act 2004 was invalid and that Punjab was bound to share the water of Ravi-Beas river
with Haryana and complete the construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal for water
sharing.
The government of Kerala launched four projects under Nava Kerala Mission for comprehensive
development in the fields of health, education, housing and sanitation.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa announced increasing motherhood leave period for women
government employees from six to nine months, the state government issued an order to implement
it.
The government approved the policy to blacklist defence companieswhich are involved in corruption
and wrongdoing related to arms purchase.The government has decided to impose heavy fine on the
blacklisted companies instead of blanket blacklisting, and complete banning would be the last option
with no other choice left.
273 | P a g e
The one-day ban on NDTVs Hindi channel, widely condemned, has been put on hold by
Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu. The decision comes after the Supreme
Court agreed to hear NDTVs application for a stay on the ban.
To protect the 968 glaciers of Uttarakhand spread in the area of 2,857 kma division bench of The
Uttarakhand High Court comprising Justices Rajiv Sharma and Alok Singhimposed a complete ban
on any type of construction within 2 km radius of major lakes of the State and also on any
construction within 25 km from the edges of all glaciers in the State.
The Indian Army successfully completed the task of laying an irrigation pipeline for the villagers
in Demchok region of Eastern Ladakh. The project was undertaken under the Mahatma
Gandhi0020National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for the purpose of linking the village
with a hot spring.
Janwaar is a sleepy little village in rural Bundelkhand, and is one of 57 hamlets located in the
moderate zone of the Panna National Tiger.
The Centre has planned to open Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Kendra in every to offer skill training
to the people and make them employable.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to be the mascot of Incredible India campaign with the
tourism ministry finally deciding to do away with plans to rope in any Bollywood stars,
including Amitabh Bachchan, for the role which was lying vacant after ouster of Aamir Khan earlier
this year.
E-Court software launched by Home Minister to enable speedy disposal of Appeals/Complaints
After the confirmation of existence of the mythical SaraswatiRiver in Indias North-West, scientists
at the Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur claim they have found evidence of another lost
Indian river.
The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, inaugurated the Rail Vikas Shivir at Surajkund
(Faridabad, Haryana) through video conferencing on November 18, 2016.
India and the UK have signed 3 Bilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) on November 18,
2016, to have a smooth taxation system between the two and reduce differences arising between the
two due to transfer pricing issues. With these 3 agreements, India and the UK have signed five
bilateral APAs till date and some more would be concluded in the near future.
A revised Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion
(DTAA) with respect to taxes on income, along with its protocol, was signed between India and
Cyprus on November 18, 2016 in Nicosia (Cyprus).
The Global Citizen Festival has been organized on November 19, 2016, at the MMRDA grounds in
suburban Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai. Global Citizen Festival, which is a charitable
event, is one of the biggest international music events to be held in the India.
Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik announced that The
Government has approved the establishment of National Institute of Sowa Rigpa at Leh (Jammu &
Kashmir). Sowa Rigpa (Amchi) is commonly known as The Tibetan system of Medicine.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, visited Ghazipur district in eastern Uttar Pradesh on November 14,
2016 launched several rail projects.During his visit, the Prime Minister laid the foundation of a rail-
road bridge over the Ganga that will connect Mau with Tadighat and also the doubling of the
Ghazipur city-Ballia Rail section.
Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu laid foundation stone of a railway doubling
project, 16 limited height subways and dedicated the newly doubled Mansa-Bathinda rail line to the
nation on November 13, 2016 in Punjab with an outlay of Rs 1251.25 crore.
Gujarat Government inaugurated 52 generic medicine stores across the state on November 14, 2016.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani inaugurated one of the generic stores named as Deendayal Pradhan
Mantri Jan Aushadhi Store inside Civil Hospital premises.
Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar after a meeting with the Rajasthan Education Minister, on
November 14, 2016 informed about the decision of the Government to reintroduce compulsory class
X board examination for Central Board of Secondary Education(CBSE) schools from the 2017-18
academic year which was scrapped 6 years ago.
274 | P a g e
Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on November 15, 2016 inaugurated a Kiosk
System, which is a touch screen portable device that runs with power supply and provides all the
necessary information relating to Lohit District.
Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti launched the Jhelum-Tawi Flood Recovery
project on November 14, 2016, for which World Bank has funded an amount of US $250
million (Rs. 1,600 crore).
The Bhartiya Janata Party led NDA Government announced to present the Union budget on February
1 while the Budget session is likely to begin in January 2017.
Anirood Jugnauth, Prime Minister of the Republic of Maritius inaugurated Ayur Herbarium
project in North Goa on November 16, 2016 at the property of Sandu Pharmaceuticals Ltd at Saligao
village, 10 kms from North Goa.
The government on November 15, 2016 decided to declare a 5 year ban on a Non-Governmental
Organisation (NGO), Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), promoted by controversial Islamic
preacher Zakir Naik under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for its alleged terror activities.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar launched Har Ghar Bijli Lagataar (uninterrupted power supply to each
home) scheme and promised free electricity connection to each household in the state in the next two
years. Around 40 lakh above poverty line (APL) households would be provided free power
connection under the schemes. The below poverty line (BPL) households are covered under other
schemes.
TANGEDCO has decided that the 45-year-old Ennore Thermal Power Station in Tamil Nadu will
shut down forever when the coal stock is exhausted on November 16, 2016. Ennore thermal plant
comprises two 60 mw units and three 110 mw units, which were commissioned between 1970 and
1975.
Government approved the cancellation of Gitanjali Gems special economic zone (SEZ) project in
Maharashtra on November 18 2016.The decision was taken by the Board of Approval (BoA), headed
by Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia.
With the growing use of Aadhaar in transactions related to services like Banking, Government
Welfare Schemes, etc., the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), launched a revamped
version of its Toll-free helpline number: 1947, to help residents get quick access to information about
Aadhaar.
Supreme Court has ordered the search engines Google, Yahoo and Microsoft on November 17, 2016,
to delete the advertisements, hosted by them, related to pre-natal sex
determination in India within 36 hours. For this a bench of two Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava
Roy has directed the Centre of India to appoint a nodal agency to monitor the websites.
The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition filed by Tamil Nadu government to review the judgment
of the Apex Court that banned Jallikattu in 2014. Jallikattu is a bull taming sport played in Tamil
Nadu on Mattu Pongal day as a part of Pongal celebrations i.e. harvest festival.
The Supreme Court on, November 17, 2016, regulated that a child who is adopted by a Hindu
widow would not have any rights on the property of the womans expired husband and could only
lay claim over the property inherited by his mother. As per the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance
Act, the court said.
ICICI Banks Adopted Akodara Village in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat has become the first
Digital Village in India.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has been nominated by the Central
Government to head the sub-committee of Chief Ministers of five States constituted to deal with the
situation arising out of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination notes. Chief Ministers Sivaraj Singh
Chauhan (Madhya Pradesh), Nitish Kumar (Bihar), NarayanaSwamy (Puducherry)
and ManikSirkar (Tripura) will be the other members.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister AkhileshYadav has inaugurated Indias first and Asias longest bicycle
highway between Agra and Etawah in UP.
275 | P a g e
10 day long festival named Losar festival has begun in Ladakh region of J&K to mark the beginning
of New Year in this Himalayan region. Losar is Tibetan word for new year and this festival is an
important social and religious celebration in Ladakh.
As many as 78 schemes including JhanDhan and MGNREGA being implemented by 17 ministries
and departments are covered under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.
Manipur Chief Minister O. Ibobi Singh flagged off World War II Vintage Jeep Rally from Koirengei
Old Air Field as a part of the Manipur Sangai Festival on November 27, 2016.
Telangana village renamed Kavithapuram after CMs daughter, TRS MP KalvakuntlaKavitha.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of United Nations Commission on International Trade Law
(UNCITRAL), UN organised the two day conference Global Standards for Rule-based Commerce
at VigyanBhavan in New Delhi from November 28, 2016.
In the Ongoing Winter Session Union Finance Minister ArunJaitly has introduced a bill in the
LokSabha to amend the Income Tax rules levying a tax of 60 per cent on undisclosed income or
unaccounted credits in the bank accounts. The amended bill introduced comes with a new Pradhan
MantriGarib Kalyan Yojana, 2016 (PMGKY) which allows people to deposit money in
their accounts till April 1, 2017.
Association for Promoting Social Action (APSA), a Bengaluru based NGO, haslaunched a 16-day
campaign Every8Minutes to create awareness against child trafficking and missing children in the
city.
Son irrespective of his marital status has no legal right in parents house, can stay at their mercy:
Delhi high Court
The Supreme Court on November 30, 2016, made it mandatory for cinema halls to play National
anthem before screening of a film in theatres across the country.
Mumbai poetry festival to feature 51 poets from 5 countries. It was the culmination of a two-year-
long Indo-German literary exchange project to address the issues of identity politics.
Pune-based company, Finkick Adventures is organizing the Indias First Underwater Festival at the
Finkick Adventures SCUBA Diving Center, Divisional Sports Complex, Rahim Shaikh Road,
Yerawada, Pune on November 27, 2016.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Humsafar train between Gorakhpur and Delhi`s
AnandVihar terminus from Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh on November 27, 2016.This train will run
between this two station thrice in a week. Humsafar train will have several new features,
including LED screen display, vending machines for tea, coffee and milk, hot, refrigerated pantry
and ports for charging electronic devices such as mobiles and laptops.
The Government of Jharkhand headed by Chief Minister Raghubar Das has introduced a bill
named Jharkhand NiziNiyozanAbhikaran and GhareluKamgar (viniyam) vidheyak 2016 (Jharkhand
private employment agency and domestic employee bill) against placement agencies to control those
agencies from exploiting people in the name of giving employment outside the state.
Indian Railways and IRCTC have included transgender as third gender in the option alongside
male and female in ticket reservation and cancellation forms both online and offline.
A special counter-terror unit of NSG commandos conducted a three-hour-long mock drillat a Delhi
Metro station located on the airport express line on November 19, 2016. The mock drill was
named intervention of rail coaches and countering of terrorist elements.
The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016 was introduced by Health Minister J P Nadda in the
LokSabha on November 21, 2016 to ban commercial surrogacy to protect women from exploitation
and ensure the rights of the child born through surrogacy.
The Indore-Patna Express train derailed in Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh early morning
about 3.10am on November 21, 2016.It is one of Indias worst train accidents in six years with nearly
146 people killed and more than 200 injured when 14 coaches of the express train derailed
near Pukhrayan,about 100 km from Kanpur.In 2010, a passenger train crashed into a freight train in
Bengal, killing 146
The income-tax (I-T) department department has signed a contract with L&T Infotech Ltd
to launch Project Insight in May 2017 from May 2017.The project will be rolled out in three phases.
276 | P a g e
Prime Minister of Portuguese, Antonio Costa will be the Chief Guest at the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya
Divas (PBD) Convention which will be held in Bengaluru from January 7 to 9, 2017. The vice
president of the Republic of Suriname, Michael AshwinSatyandre Adhin, will be the Special Guest at
the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) which will be held on January 7, 2017 in Bengaluru.
The Supreme Court on November 21, 2016, directed the Central Government to frame model rules
related to administration, selection and appointments of members, infrastructure etc. for all consumer
courts constituted under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 within 4 months.
Government is setting up Higher Education Financing Agency(HEFA) to provide funds for creating
infrastructure and promoting research facilities in the Centrally-aided institutions of higher learning.
It was announced by Dr.MahendraNath Pandey. The Center will provide equity of Rs.1000Cr for
establishing HEFA.
Haryana Government mandates Fitting Auto-Dipper in 4-Wheeled motor Vehiclesaccording to
the Rule 106 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
PM Modi lead Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) gave its nod to buy 12 upgraded Dornier
surveillance aircraft for Indian Navy at a cost of about Rs 2,500 crore on November 23, 2016.
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N Chandrababu Naidu has launched the Smart Water
Distribution Monitoring web portal on November 23, 2016, which will enable the people to track
the status of drinking water in the nearby water tanks.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on
November 23, 2016, gave approval for opening of JawaharNavodayaVidyalaya (JNV) in each of
the 62 uncovered districts for which an amount of Rs.2,871 crore has been allocated.
The Union Defence Ministry released new policy Guidelines of the Ministry of Defence for
penalties in business dealings with entities on November 21, 2016, to relook at the list of the
companies that are banned from doing business in India.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the introduction
of Merchant Shipping Bill, 2016 in the Parliament on November 23, 2016 in New Delhi. The
Merchant Shipping Bill, 2016 is a revised version of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 and will
abolish the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 as well as The Coasting Vessels Act, 1838.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Punjab on November 25, 2016 to attend a function marking
the 350th birthanniversary of tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh ji at Sri Anandpur Sahib in Rupanagar
district.
A study was conducted by Swiss researchers on the impact of climate change in the Himalayas.The
study analyzed the Himalayan Glaciers and their possible future impact on lives of the people in
States across the region. The study was conducted on 129 hydro projects from India.
Shri Narendra Kumar Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Culture released a Commemorative Non-
Circulation Coin of Rs.500 and a Circulation Coin of Rs.10 on November 25, 2016, to mark a year-
long celebration of 500th Anniversary of Shri Krishna ChaitanyaMahaprabhus Coming to
Vrindavan .
Indian Railways all set to launch Tri-Netra(Terrain Imaging for diesel drivers infrared, enhanced
optical and radar assisted system) to check collisions between tracks.
The Supreme Court on November 25, 2016, banned the sale of firecrackers in Delhi and the NCR
region.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 51st Annual Conference of Directors General and
Inspectors General of Police of States and UTs and Heads of Central Police Organisations at the
SardarVallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad.
Chief Justice of High Court of Jammu and Kashmir, N Paul Vasanthakumar inaugurated the full-
fledged Bench of the AFT at the Sunjuwan Military Station in Jammu Kashmir on November 25,
2016.
PLACES IN NEWS
Chinese Buddhist pilgrim and scholar XuanZang stayed in Vijayawada to study Buddhist scriptures
277 | P a g e
Minister of Railways Shri Suresh PrabhakarPrabhu has inaugurated the International Conference on
Decarbonisation of Indian Railways Mission Electrification in New Delhi on November 3, 2016. It
was organised by Institution of Railways Electrical Engineer (IREE) in partnership with
ASSOCHAM India
The Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) runs the World Wide Web and
has begun its 7days annual general meeting in Hyderabad. This is the second time India host the
meeting after 2008.
The 10th Command Level Navy Coast Guard (COMNAVGUARD) meeting was held
in Visakhapatnam on November 2, 2016 to discuss inter-operatability issues
between Navy and Coast Guard.
First LNG Fuelled Bus in the Country launched by Shri DharmendraPrdhan in Kerela.
A three-day international event of Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet (GRAM) was conferred at the
Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Center (JECC) at Sitapura in Jaipur from 9 to 11 November 2016
to highlight the best global practices and technologies suitable for farmers.
The three day Buddha Mahotsava celebration kicked off in Arunachal Pradesh on November 4 2016
with vibrant cultural display from Monpa, Sajolang(Miji) Aka, Sartang, Bugun and Sherdukpen
tribes of the region at Buddha Park, Bomdila.
The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inugurated the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations
i.e. 60th Anniversary of Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Limited (ECGC) on
November 8, 2016 in New Delhi.
PM Modi visited Goa to lay foundation stone for two projects: Greenfield airport in North
Goa and Tuem Electronic city. The PM Modi also visited Pune on November 13, 2016 to inaugurate
the International Conference and Exhibition on Sugarcane Value Chain Vision 2025
Sugar organised by Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI) at Manjari.
The mineral-rich Chhattisgarh state has become the first state in the country to conduct e-auction of
minor mineral. The Bharda dolomite mine having an estimated reserve of about 1.5 million
tonnes and spread across 3.80 hectare area in Bilaspur district of Chhatisgarh was e-auctioned by the
State Government.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma inaugurated the four day Cherry Blossom Festival in
Shillong, Meghalaya. This is aimed to attract tourists to this hill state in autumn to witness cherry
blossoms blooming at every corner of the Shillong.
Thiruvananthapuram has been termed as the countrys breast cancer capital the Kerala Chapter of
Indian Radiological and Imaging Association (IRIA) Conference. The city holds a record high of 40
per lakh of population.It is noted that 50 per cent of breast cancer is occurring in the age group of
under 50 years.
Maharashtra has become the first state to adopt Fly Ash Utilisation Policy announced
by Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on November 15, 2016. This policy would paving way for
prosperity by generating wealth from waste, and environment protection.
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, AkhileshYadav launched a state-wide integrated emergency
service UP-100 in Lucknow on November 19, 2016. The UP-100 is the official name for Uttar
Pradesh Police Emergency Management System which was previously called dial 100 project.
The 10-day-festival Sangai Festival 2016 inaugurated by Manipur CM OkramIbobi Singh on
November 21. It will continue till November 30 2016 with the theme of Destination Manipur.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister AkhileshYadav on November 21, 2016, inaugurated the six-lane
Greenfield Agra-Lucknow Expressway at Bangarmau in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh in presence
of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. The Lucknow-Agra Expressway is Indias longest
expressway, with a length of 302-km and its construction has been completed in 23 months.
The Palampur Assembly Constituency in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh has adopted E-Vidhan
system and became the first e-assembly constituency of the country which, making the House
Business paperless.
Garotribals People of Meghalaya celebrated the harvest festival of Wangala to marks the end of a
period of toil for farmers wanting a good output from their fields. This festival is also known as
278 | P a g e
Annual 100-drum Festival.

The second edition of Windmill Festival Indias First International Childrens Festival is
scheduled to be held on January 14th and 15th, 2017 at Reliance Jio Garden, BKC in Mumbai. The
festival is a joint initiative of Event Capital and Tribe Asia.
Anurag Bhushan unveiled Mahatma Gandhi statue in Dubai. Consulate General of India, Dubai
preferred to install the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, at its premises, and
celebrate the 141st Birth Anniversary of Sardar Vallabhai Patel, popularly known as the Iron Man of
India.
India and China have agreed to maintain the pace of their high-level exchanges in counter- terrorism
and other fields.
The Paris agreement on climate change entered into force, marking the first time that governments
have agreed legally binding limits to global temperature rise.The aim of more than two decades of
often complex international negotiations on combating climate change was hailed by nations and
observers around the world.
Freedom of the Press Report 2016 is release by the US based NGO. The report says, only 13 percent
of the worlds population enjoys a free press,which means places where coverage of political news is
robust, the safety of journalists is guaranteed, state intrusion in media affairs is minimal, and the
press is not subject to onerous legal or economic pressures. Theme: The Battle for the Dominant
Message.
RCEP is the proposed big-regional Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between 16 Asia-Pacific
countries including India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and other 10 countries.
The Australian government announced 19 grants worth $6,30,000 dollars for several projects in the
field of education, science, sports, arts and culture. Sri Lankan government has decided to obtain10
diesel engines from RITES India ltd under credit line facility provided by Indian government.
Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull has ratified the Paris climate change agreement, on 10
November 2016 to curb carbon emissions and reduce the risk of dangerous climate change.
China once again blocked Indias effort to join NSG in a meeting in Seoul on November 4 2016. Out
of 48 members of NSG 47 supported India except China.China wants India to sign the non-Nuclear
Proliferation Treaty (NPT) first before joining the NSG.
Colombias government and its largest rebel group signed a new, modified peace accord on 12
November 2016. The accord is a modification of the agreement signed between President Juan
Manuel Santos and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) inked on 26 September
2016, which was however rejected by the voters in a referendum on 2 October 2016.
Colombo Declaration adopted at the High Level Meeting of Interior Ministers of the Indian Ocean
Region to Counter Drug Trafficking in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
India has pledged to contribute about USD 10.95 million to the United Nation (UN) for the year
2017 for the development activities across several UN bodies.
Pakistan become the 104th country to ratify the Paris Agreement on Climate Change after Australia.
China adopted a new Cyber security Law, which Human Rights Watch (HRW) told that a regressive
measure that strengthens censorship, surveillance, and other controls over the Internet.
India and Sri Lanka have consented to prepare a Joint Working Group on Fisheries (JWG) and
a hotline between their Coast Guards to speak about the long-standing issue of fishermen from Tamil
Nadu being arrested.
The twenty-second session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), the twelfth session of the Conference of the
Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 12), and the first session of
the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 1)
were held in Bab Ighli, Marrakesh, Morocco from 7-18 November 2016. About 200 countries,
including India, adopted a work plan, on November 18, 2016, for the implementation of Paris climate
agreement by 2018 at the UN summit.Britain on November 17, 2016, ratified the Paris agreement on
279 | P a g e
climate change. Foreign Secretary of Paris, Boris Johnson signed the Paris Agreement at the UN
Summit, in Morocco.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced in an online press conference on November 19,
2016, that the Zika Virus occurrence will no longer poses a world public health emergency.
Australia announced an online program for its pre-schools to learn foreign languages, including
Hindi from 2017. In order to teach foreign languages in Australia a program named Early Learning
Languages Australia (ELLA), was launched in the 2015-16, with five languages namely Chinese
(Mandarin), Japanese, Indonesian, French and Arabic. These were taught to the children using seven
apps.
A Festival of India began in Oman from November 15, 2016 to March 24, 2017 to showcase the
countrys diverse culture. The festival was scheduled to be held in four cities namely Muscat, Sur,
Sohar and Salalah
The United States,has announced two financial projects worth USD 95 million in India to bring more
energy-efficient appliances to rural sector in India, as part of its efforts to continue the global
transition to zero-and-low carbon energy sources.
UAEs first UNESCOs World Heritage site Al Ain Oasis was opened by Shaikh Tahnoun Bin
Mohammad Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Rulers Representative in the Eastern Region.
Pakistans Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated a trade route linking south-western Gwadar
port to Kashgar city in China as part of $46 billion project to jumpstart economic growth in the South
Asian country on November 14, 2016.
Russias President Vladimir Putin, has signed an executive order announcing Russias withdrawal
from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. This means crimes committed by Russian
citizens will no longer fall under the jurisdiction of the ICC.
Oxford Dictionaries has named post-truth as its 2016 international word of the year
ii. The adjective, post-truth, is defined as- relations to circumstances in which facts are judged to be
less important than emotion and public opinion.
56 years old NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson became the oldest female astronaut to travel to space
at 3:20 pm on November 17, 2016.This will be the third ISS mission for Whitson.
India is not inclined to automatically grant the coveted Market Economy Status (MES) to China
under World Trade Organisation (WTO) norms in December 2016. Under WTO norms, once a
country gets MES status, exports from it are to be accepted at the production costs and selling price
as the benchmark. Prior to this status, country is considered as a Non Market Economy (NME).
World Economic Forum reports-Indias Ranks 102th among 136 economies in terms of enabling
cross border trade. The list is topped by Singapore.
An international benchmarking study, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study
(TIMSS) released a report on November 29, 2016 that, Singapore students are the worlds best
in Mathematics and Science.
A chartered plane, The British Aerospace 146 carrying 77 people, including a top Brazilian football
team, crashed on its approach to the city of Medellin in Colombia late night on November 28, 2016.
Nepals government registered the new Constitution amendment bill in Parliament on November 29,
2016, aimed at carving out a new state in southern Nepal to meet the demands of
agitating Madhesis and other ethnic groups whose protests for bigger federal state last year left more
than 50 people dead.
In a meeting on November 24, 2016, the World Health Organisation (WHO) settled a long standing
dispute and battle between India and the European Union (EU) about labeling of drugs by clarifying
that counterfeit will now be used by member States with respect to protection of Intellectual
Property Rights (IPR). This decision to drop the term counterfeit and retain falsified to describe
medicines of inferior quality was taken by a WHOs technical working group on draft to find a
perfect definitions of substandard/spurious /falsely-labelled/falsified/counterfeit (SSFFC) medical
products.
Zimbabwe launches bond notes currency in bid to ease cash crunch. Currency hold its value against
the U.S. dollar.
280 | P a g e
Aniruddha Roy Chowdhurys first Bollywood movie Pink has been invited to screened at United
Nations(UN) headquartes in New York, US announced by Bollywood superstar Amitabh
Bachchan who plays a lawyer role in the film.
China has launched a 712-km quantum communication line, on November 20, 2016.
This quantum communication line is the worlds longest secure telecommunications network, with
ultra-high security which makes it impossible to tap, intercept or crack the information transmitted
through them.
Swiss Parliament have rejected a plan to force their government to accelerate the countrys exit from
nuclear energy after it received a majority from Swiss council of states.
Worlds first Bollywood theme park was inaugurated in Dubai on 17 November 2016. The name of
the park is Bollywood Parks, and it is a part of Dubai Parks and Resorts (DPR) which is the largest
integrated theme park resort of Dubai.
India to Become Associate Member State of European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)to
make India an Associate Member State of the research organization.
The 2017 Energy Club of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will be chaired
by Turkey which is the first non-SCO country to do so.
FOREIGN VISITS
President Pranab Mukherjee 3-day state visit to Nepal
The visit is first by an Indian Head of State in 18 years. The Presidents visit is seen as an extension
of intensive engagement by India with Nepal, which adopted its democratic Constitution last year.
The Kathmandu University conferred an Honorary Doctorate on the President of India.
He also announced that from 2017 onwards, Nepali students will have the opportunity to pursue
graduate and post-graduate courses in Indian Institutes of Technology on a regular basis.
British Prime Minister Theresa May Visit to India:
British Prime Minister Theresa May arrived in Delhi on a three-day visit (November 6-8, 2016)
aimed at enhancing Indo-UK ties in the key areas of trade, investment, defense and security.
May and PM Modi witnessed the signing of the two Memorandums of Understanding one
on intellectual property (IP) and another for bilateral cooperation on raising ease of doing business.
India and the United Kingdom have agreed to enhance defence ties with a view to expanding military
trade and industrial collaboration.
Prime Ministers 3 Days Visit To Japan Overview
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Visited Japan from November 10 to 12, 2016 to attend the Annual
India-Japan Bilateral Summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo to strengthen the
bilateral ties between the two states.
During the visit Prime Minister Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe inked a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of civil nuclear deal and nine other agreements in
various fields.
Modi also attended an India-Japan Business Leaders Forum and addressed a formal meeting
organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Japanese Business Federation.
Israeli President, Reuven Rivlins, Six days Visit to India
Israeli president Reuven Rivlin visited Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs
Minister SushmaSwarajalong with several sites of co-operation and joint projects between the two
nations.
The Israeli leader paid a visit to Chandigarh and Karnal as part of his plan to highlight agri-
cooperation.
In Chandigarh, he inaugurated Agro Tech 2016 along with President Mukherjee and in Karnal he
visited the Centre of Excellence of Indo-Israeli Agricultural Project.
Mr.Rivlins visit focuses on agriculture cooperation between the two countries. He was accompanied
by Michael Mirilashvili, chairman of Watergen, one of the most important futuristic companies of
Israel that specialises in optimal use of water resource.
281 | P a g e
India and Israel on November 15, 2016 inked pact to intensify its already strong defence
partnership to combat radicalisation and extremism and act tough against terror networks and states
supporting terrorism.
The two countries also agreed to deepen their cooperation in a variety of areas including trade and
investment, agriculture, water resources and cyber crime
India is Israels largest buyer of military hardware and the Israel has been supplying various weapons
systems, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles over the last few years.
India and Israel have inked two agreements in the field of water resources management and
agriculture. The agreements were signed in New Delhi on November 15, 2016.
The two nations also signed agreement to enhance their cooperation against the growing threat of
terrorism and radicalization.
12th International Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition to be held in New Delhi. The 3 day
International Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition PETROTECH-2016 inaugurated by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
The 5th IEF-IGU Ministerial Gas Forum to be held in New Delhi on 6 December 2016.It is
supported by GAIL (India) Limited and the Natural Gas Society of India with the Theme: Gas for
Growth; improving economic prosperity and living standards.
PM Modi inaugurates Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction in New Delhiand
called on the world community to work united on disaster risk reduction.
International Conference on Brucellosis 2016 and the 69th meeting of the International Society on
Brucellosis was inaugurated in New Delhi from November 17 to 19, 2016. The three day conference
was organized by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) in collaboration with Indian Council for
agriculture Research (ICAR).
President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the 36th India International Trade Fair (IITF) at Pragati
Maidan in New Delhi on November 14, 2016. The theme of this years IITF is Digital India. South
Korea is the Partner Country for this years fair, while Belarus is the Focus Country.
Similarly, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand is the Partner States and Haryana the Focus State.
About 500 corporate heads gathered at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on November 17, 2016,
for a conference to discuss on topic business with a purpose in order to inculcate the sense of
giving back to society.
The 3rd World Internet Conference began in Chinas Wuzhen on November 16, 2016 and the event
will continue till November 18, 2016. The theme of this years conference is Innovation-driven
Internet Development for the Benefit of All Building a Community of Common Future in
Cyberspace.
The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee launched the National Student Startup Policy at
the second Visitors Conference on November 16, 2016 at Rashtrapati Bhavan New Delhi.
The fifth edition of International Tourism Mart began in Imphal on November 23, 2016. The three-
day event organized in the capital of Manipur was inaugurated by Chief Minister of the
state, OkramIbobi Singh, and will be held between November 23 25 2016.
2016 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit or the APEC Economic Leaders Week
which started on 14 November 2016 came to an end on 20 November 2016 in Lima, Peru. The theme
of the meet was Quality growth and human development.
51st Annual Conference of Directors General and Inspectors General of Police 2016 began in
Hyderabad.The 3-day national conference began on November 25 and will continue till November
27, 2016.This is the third time that the conference is being organized outside Delhi.
282 | P a g e
RANKINGS & REPORTS
According to the latest Grant Thornton International Business Report, India was ranked second on
the optimism index during the third quarter. India improved its ranking by one spot in a global index
of business optimism, with policy reforms and Goods and Services tax (GST) expected to become a
reality soon. Indonesia topped the list.
World Bank released a report titled South Asias Turn: Policies to Boost Competitiveness and
Create the Next Export Powerhouse. The report that suggested a set of policy actions in four
sectors agribusiness, apparel, electronics and automotive suggested India to adopt right set of
productivity-enhancing policies and necessary steps to improve its ports and logistics and frame
policies to reduce farm subsidies to emerge as an export powerhouse.
17 Indian families among Forbes Asias 50 Richest Families, Ambani Family top among Indian. The
17 entries from India have a combined wealth of $153.61 billion. Lee family of South Korea, topped
the list for the second year in a row. Its combined wealth grew to $29.6 billion, up from $26.6 billion
last year. The family owns Samsung group. Among Indian the top place is occupied by Ambani
family. Overall Ambani family is at number 3 with Net Worth of 25.8 billion.
A report was released by Resonance on 2017 Worlds Best City Brands at World Travel Market in
London on November 8, 2016.According to the report London ranked first in the Resonance
Consultancy 2017 Worlds Best City Brands Report.
HDFC Banks Managing Director, Aditya Puri, has been ranked 36th in the US magazine
Fortunes Top 50 Business Persons List for 2016. He is the only Indian among three persons of
Indian origin in the global rankings list. However, Facebooks Mark Zuckerburg leads the list
with top ranking.
India has been ranked 20th on Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2017 according
to Germanwatch and Climate Action Network Europe Publication.
National Geographic Traveler magazine announced its annual Best of the World list in 3 categories
such as Cities, Nature, or Culture.
India has been ranked 138th in global rank Index 2016 with a score of 2.69 while it has been
ranked 26th in the Regional Rank Index 2016.India is among 9 countries in the region which falls
within the least connected countries LCC in the ranking.It was ranked 135th in the global rank Index
2015 with a score of 2.50
According to the QS Graduate Employability Ranking for 2017, IIT Kharagpur has been ranked as
the top institution in the country for the second successive year. The IITKharagpur has been placed
at the highest position among Indian Institutions with a rank ranging between 81-90, from a list of
300 Universities from all over the world. The list is topped by the Stanford University of USA.
The Financial Capital of India, Mumbai has been ranked among the Worlds top Tourists
destinations for 2017.The Booking.com analyzed the top 300 destinations based on growth in
search and bookings to find the most upcoming places to visit in 2017.
According to the report of commercial Real-estate agent Cushman & Wakefield, New Delhis Khan
Market has moved by down 2 spots on its global retail ranking to become the worlds 28th most
expensive retail location globally.
The 7th Global Wealth Report, issued by the Credit Suisse Research Institute says that global
wealth has risen by 1.4% i.e. USD 3.5 trillion to USD 256 trillion. However in India the household
wealth has decreased by 0.8% i.e $26 billion to $3,099 billion in 2016.Japan registered the highest
increase in global wealth among all countries, USD 3.9 trillion increase was registered by Japan.
While the United Kingdom registered biggest loss in global wealth of USD 1.5 trillion.
BANKING & FINANCE
Economic think-tank NCAER has pegged Indias GDP growth at 7.6% for 2016-17,following a pick-
up in rural demand and positive signals on the manufacturing front.
283 | P a g e
USAID and RBL Bank Announce $75 million in Loan Guarantee for clean energy
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Mumbai-based RBL Bank announced
a new loan portfolio guarantee that will facilitate up to $75 million for lending to small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) operating in off-grid, solar rooftops, and energy efficiency sectors.
Indias gross-value increased growth is expected to quicken to 7.6% this year from 7.2% in 2015-16,
driven by sustained support from public capex spending was reported by DBS.
YES BANK, Countrys 5th largest private sector lender has launched its YES MOBILE 2.0 mobile
Banking app with multiple industry first features, and extensive support for Banking transactions on
Apple and Android based Smart Watches.
Reserve Bank of India has given an approval to British payments company Earthport for outbound
cross-border payment services to banks in India. The company is already into facilitating the inbound
payments into the country.
Five new banks have joined the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) bandwagon, thereby taking the
total number of banks using UPI to 26. It include public sector lenders, State Bank of India,
Allahabad Bank and Bank of Baroda and two private banks HDFC Bank and IDFC Bank.
SEBI granted in-principle approval to BSE fo global exchange.
Top stock exchange Bombay Stock Exchange(BSE) has decided to impose transaction charge in a
phase manner from this month on trades done in currency futures and options contracts. The
exchange has increased the transaction charge to Rs.12 per Rs.1 crore of returnon both active and
passive trades done on its currency future contracts. Earlier, Rs.10 per crore transaction fee was
imposed on such contracts.
State Bank of India has slashed its home loan rate to a six-year low to 9.10%. Under
this scheme woman borrowers will be able to get home loans at 9.10% while other borrowers will be
able to get loans at 9.15%.
ICICI Bank has launched home loan overdraft facility for salaried customers against their home
loans. Under the ICICI Bank Home Overdraftscheme a salaried customer can avail loans from Rs 5
lakh to Rs. 1 crore for personal needs against his/her property.
US-based ATM manufacturer NCR Corporation has bagged the single largest order from SBI to
install over 7,000 cash-vending machines said by SBI Deputy Managing Director and Chief
Information Officer Mrutyunjay Mahapatra. It is the single largest ATM order in the country and it
will worth Rs 334 crore.
The RBI has opened a second office of the Banking Ombudsman in New Delhi, taking into account
the significant increase of the banking network. The first office of the banking ombudsman at RBI,
New Delhi, would have jurisdiction over Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir. The second office would
have jurisdiction over Haryana(except Panchkula, Yamuna Nagar and Ambala districts)
and Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar districts of Uttar Pradesh.
With high level frauds involving industrialists such as Vijay Mallya loan default case revealed,
the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has now made it compulsory for the public sector banks to
report to it all such matters involving funds over Rs.1 crore.
Kumbakonam based City Union Bank has introduced a robot on pilot basis to improve customer
service. The robot is named CUB-LAKSHMI. The robot has been introduced in Thyagaraya Nagar
branch of Chennai.
Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited,(TAFE) the worlds third largest tractor maker, with the
cooperation and support of the Rajasthan government, has set up a Centre of Excellence JFarm
Rajasthan and a Custom Hiring Centre in six zones in Rajasthan at a total outlay of Rs.970 crore.
Swiss based Molinari Rail AG has entered into a strategic agreement with government of India to
design, manufacture and deliver the auxiliary power units (APUs) for 1,000 diesel locomotives to be
built in India for Indian Railways.
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Limited, subsidiary of the Company, Ujjivan Financial Services Ltd has
been issued licence (the licence no. MUM 122) from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on November
11, 2016 to set up Small Finance Bank.
284 | P a g e
Indias first small finance bank Capital Small Finance Bank Ltd, has commenced operations with 10
branches from November 12 2016 in Jalandhar, Punjab. The bank ceases to exist with effect from
April 24, 2016.
With the banning of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 note, Government has further announced that depositing
cash above 2.5 lakh rupees in any account between 10 November to 30 December 2016 will be
subjected to tax with a 200 percent penalty in case of income mismatch. Also new denomination of
Rs. 50 has been introduced by the Reserve Bank of India that can be withdrawn from ATMs from
November 11, 2016.At Present, the lowest denomination note a customer can get at an ATM is Rs.
100.
Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the nation on November 8 2016, made a
historical announcement that the Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 currency notes currently in use will no longer
be legal tender from midnight 8th November 2016 that is these notes will not be accepted for any
kind of transactions from midnight onwards.
Standard Chartered Bank launched Unified Payments Interface (UPI) solution for its corporate and
financial institutional and commercial banking customers.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued clarifications on hedging of currency for external
commercial borrowings (ECBs) in a notification on its website. The ECB borrower will be required
to cover both principal as well as coupon payments through the hedges done, starting from the day of
borrowing.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $48 millionloan deal on
7 November 2016 to help Assam improve its electricity power distribution system.
Public Sector lender UCO Bank told that it would raise Rs.271 crore from
Life Insurance Corporation of India in preferential allotment of equal shares at Rs.37.74 apiece.
Indias third largest private sector bank Axis Bank has announced its partnership with Flipkart to
launch Axis Bank Buzz Credit Card.
Construction major HCCs Rs.5, 000-crore debt recast has become the first case to get approval from
a high-level panel organize under Reserve Bank of Indias new Scheme for Sustainable Structuring
of Stressed Assets (S4A).
Life Insurance Corp., has been the countrys most attractive brand in the banking and financial
services segment for the third year.
Union Bank of India has launched a New loan scheme to support and promote start-ups at its 98th
Foundation Day celebrations. Under this new scheme, the bank will provide the finance up to Rs.5
crore with no processing fee.
Worlds oldest central bank, Central Bank of Sweden is taking step to launch a national digital
currency e-krona to solve the problem of a dramatic drop in the domestic use of cash. The digital
currency may be introduced within two years. Sweden become the first major country to give
consumers direct access to virtual money issued by a central bank.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modis demonetisation scheme was effective from November 8,
2016. This move will have adverse impact on farmers as a large number of them do not have
accounts in any other bank.
Federal Bank has received Reserve Bank of India (RBI)s permission to open its first international
branch at the Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a 3 year loan program of $12 billion for Egypt,
which is the largest such package in the record of Middle East nation. The loan will help Egypt to
restore investors confidence and help revive the African nations economy by boosting Egypts
foreign currency inflows, which declined since the 2011 Arab Spring uprising.
A new Rs 500 notes was rolled out first by State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Bhopal.Some
branches like SBI Main branch in Delhi have started distribution of Rs 500 notes.
Global payments & technology company Mastercard launched Masterpass QR in India on November
16, 2016. Masterpass QR is a quick response (QR) mobile payments solution to help mobile banking
users to safely pay for face-to-face purchases using their smartphones or feature phones without the
need to carry Cash or Card.
285 | P a g e
Mahasrashtra based Yes Bank has partnered with Crownit, amerchant discovery and privileges
platform to launch a digitised meal vouchers. It is the app based digital meal wallet and it can be
linked with a Meal Debit MasterCard to enables employees to avail unlimited food, beverage &
grocery redemption options, both online and offline.
Federal Bank has tied up with Oxigen to expand the banks e-collection facility to the about 3 lakh-
retail outlets of Oxigen. The agreement was exchanged between Chief Operating Officer, Federal
Bank, Shalini Warrier, and Pramod Saxena, Founder and Chairman of Oxigen, in the New Delhi on
November 17, 2016.
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (KAT) Zone of Bank of Baroda (BoB)organised an
online Light up a Smile Campaign at the SOS Children Village at Bengaluruto bring smiles on the
faces of more than 150 children residing in the village.
Canara Bank has introduced mobile ATM to lower the burden of the people due to the
demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes. The mobile ATM van has started its services at Kolar
district and in Bangalore rural district.
Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan announced that people can get cash at
select petrol pumps with SBI machines by swiping their debit cards from November 18 2016.
Public banks have seen an increase of almost Rs. 80,000 Crore in gross non-performing assets
(NPAs) in the three months ended September 2016. This works out to an increase of Rs.79,977 crore
on quarter on quarter basis.
The Mahindra Group and IBM joined together to develop blockchain solution. It is the first
projects of its kind in India outside of banking industry. ICICI Bank executes Indias first banking
transactions on blockchain in partnership with Emirates NBD in October, 2016.
To encourage people to deposit valid currency notes in banks, RBI on November 29, 2016 allowed
bank customers to withdraw the deposits made in current legal tender notes of Rs. 500 and Rs. 2000
beyond the current withdrawal limits of Rs. 24,000 per week. For current accounts, the withdrawal
limit is Rs 50,000 a week for small traders.
Mumbai based ICICI Bank announced to transform 100 villages into ICICI Digital Villages in 100
days to enable villagers go in cash less banking and payments transactions.
American Morgan Stanley has lowered its growth forecast for FY17 to 7.3% from 7.7% earlier on
account of currency replacement programme. As global growth accelerates to 3.4% in 2017 from 3%
in 2016, Morgan Stanley expect Indias exports to support overall recovery in 2017 after being a drag
in 2016.
As per the latest data released by Oxford Economics, Delhi has dislodged Mumbai as the economic
capital of India.
Maharashtra based RBL Bank has tied up with non banking finance company Bajaj Finance to
launch a series of co-branded credit cards for Indian customers.
After Ujjivan Small Finance Bank got final license from RBI for its set up in November, Utkarsh
Micro Finance has also received final license from RBI to start operations as Small Finance Bank
(SFB). It is one of the 10 entities that got in-principle approval to set up Small Finance Bank in
September last year.
HSBC has rolled out Unified Payments Interface(UPI) solution for corporates in India. This UPI
offering will provide improved collection solution to corporates, enabling them to drive sales through
increased digitization of flows.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA) has lowered Indias economic growth estimates by 30 basis
points to 7.1 per cent for the current fiscal after the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.
Earlier, BofA had estimated GDP growth at 7.4 per cent for 2016-17 and 7.6 per cent for 2017-18.
The Reserve Bank of India increasing the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) for incremental deposits
between September 16 and November 11 to 100% while the current CRR is 4%, effective from
November 25, 2016.The RBI move will require all excess deposits that banks in India are getting
estimated to be about Rs 3.25 lakh crore by Friday.
286 | P a g e
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board set up two advisory panels headed by Mohandas Pai
and UdayKotak. Four-member Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) constituted under
the Chairmanship of MS Sahoo on October 1, 2016.
Indias largest ride-hailing service Ola cabs has tied up with lenders like State Bank of India (SBI)
and Punjab National Bank (PNB)to set up mobile ATM in the cab to help people withdraw cash
easily.
Centrum Direct launched CentrumPay payment Solution to Help Foreigners from Cash Crunch.
Telangana government joined hands with Mumbai based IDFC Bank to enable cashless transactions
and to solve the change problem.
Leading stock exchange BSE has opened its regional investor service centre in Shimla on November
19, 2016 to expand its operations and conform to SEBIs directives.
The RBI has planned to open Islamic window in conventional banks with Gradual introduction of
Sharia-compliant (interest-free banking) in the country.Islamic or Sharia banking is a finance system
based on the principles of not charging interest, which is prohibited under Islam. Conventional Bank
on the other hand earn their money by charging interest and fees for services.
Due to increasing bad loans in the banking sector, 16 Public sector banks in India out of 22 skipped
paying dividends in 2015-16 to the government. The government of India received Rs 1,444.6
crore as dividend from PSB. This amount is 67% less than that the government received in the
previous fiscal which was Rs 4,336.22 crore.
Canadas export credit agency Export Development Canada (EDC) sanctioned the first-ever masala
loan of Rs. 340 crore($50 million) to Indian firm Infrastructure Leasing & Financial
Services(IL&FS). This is the first lending of EDC in Indian Rupees. In a masalaloan the borrower
saves on the hedging cost because the repayment is in rupees.
Airtel Payments Bank Ltd (Airtel Bank), a subsidiary of the countrys largest telecom operator Bharti
Airtel, started its first pilot banking services in Rajasthan from November 23, 2016.
NABARD has sanctioned Rs. 21,000 crores to the District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) to
help farmers in Rabi agricultural seasons. The DCCBs will disburse loans to farmers through the
network of Primary AgriculturalCooperative Societies (PACS). Government has chosen DCCB for
loan disbursal because 40% of the small-scale farmers go to co-operative banks.
Bruneis largest bank Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam Berhad has signed a deal with Indias Ramco
Systems to integrate its business processes across HR and enterprise resource planning functions
with Ramco Systems Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).
The Reserve Bank of India on November 23, 2016 declared to increase the limit of the Prepaid
Payment Instruments (PPIs) from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 per month and Rs. 50,000 for Merchant
Bank to facilitate digital transactions.
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board (IBBI) of India on 23 November 2016 notified three sets of
regulations directing the eligibility criteria of becoming a professional member of an Insolvency
Professional Agency or for registering with the IBBI as an Insolvency Professional Agency. The
regulation is applicable to
1.Insolvency Professionals,
2.Insolvency Agencies and
3.Model Bye-Laws and Governing Board of Insolvency Professional Agencies..
According to National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), 30 private and foreign banks were
joined the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to allows money transfer between any two bank
accounts by using a mobile phone.
Maharashtra based YES Bank, announced a partnership with Gujarat State Road Transport
Corporation (GSRTC) on November 24, 2016 to digitise payment of bus tickets for Gujarat People.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on November 23, 2016, has relaxed the rules
for angel funds in order to boost more investment for new start-ups in the country. Angel investors
are financiers who put money in new companies at the early stage of start-up of companies, mostly in
exchange for convertible debt or ownership equity. The market regulator has raised the total number
of angel investors to invest in a start-ups to 200 from 49 and reduced the minimum investment
287 | P a g e
amount to Rs. 25 lakh from the previous Rs. 50 lakhs.

Indias largest microfinance providers ESAF selected FIS as the banks technology partner to
launch ESAFs small finance bank. The Small Finance Bank was created to serve micro- and small-
credit needs for women in parts of India
Kerala based South Indian Bank has launched contactless debit card which is based on Near Field
Communication (NFC) technology on November 2, 2016.
Public sector bank Canara Bank has signed a corporate agency agreement Bajaj Allianz General
Insurance for the distribution of Bajaj Allianzs general insurance products through its branches.
INOX Leisure, multiplex chain in India has parterned with State Bank of India(SBI) to enable cash
withdrawal of Rs 2000 at their multiplex. The initiative has been taken to reduce the loads on ATMs
and banks for cash withdrawal and ease the process of cash withdrawal and support the
demonetization move of government.
BUSINESS
India among worlds top 3 countries for launching new start-up swith the total venture
investment in start-ups in 10 years is estimated at Rs 1,11,700 crore, India has emerged as one of the
top three global countries in terms of the number of start-ups founded.
The Central Government has fined Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and its partners BP and
Niko nearly slapped a nearly Rs.10,000 crores for pumping out gas that flowed to the Krishna
Godavari-D6 Block from an adjoining field owned by ONGC.
Google Capital the companys venture arm that focuses on growth-stage companies as opposed to
earlier-stage startups is now CapitalG. The domain name looks to have been acquired a few
weeks ago. The domain was owned by anorganization called GDiapersback in 2014 and then it
moved to privacy. It transferred from Go Daddy to Mark Monitor.
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) provided Guidelines for transparent bidding
process for implementation of Scheme for setting up of 1000 MW Wind Power Projectconnected
to inter-state transmission system (ISTS).
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) launched Startup Mentorship Circle in Mumbai to mentor
startups, connect them to the global marketplace and their think-tanks for them to scale up and
succeed in an exponential way on November 5, 2016
Global drug maker Abbott is setting up an innovation and development center (I&D) in Mumbai to
develope new drug formulations, new indications, dosing, packaging and other differentiated
offerings.
The plant one and only in the country and the first titanium project of India being established by
Saraf Group in Ganjam district of Odisha started its test production, , would be ready for
inauguration in the next few months.
Central Government has canceled the three licenses of over 11,000 NGOs under the Foreign
Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) for failing to apply for their renewal within the deadline.
Centre has levied anti-dumping duty on imports of steel wire rods from China to protect domestic
manufacturers from cheap in-bound shipments.
The Tata group decreased in ranking on Indias most attractive brands index, which has been topped
by South Korean consumer electronics maker LG. Tata, which was at number 4 in 2015 and
number 5 in 2014, is ranked at number 7 in Indias Most Attractive Brands 2016 study, carried out
by Trust Research Advisory (TRA) and based on primary research conducted on close to 3,000
consumers across 16 cities.
Russias state atomic energy corporation Rosatom has invited India to join in developing next-
generation nuclear reactors and to participate in itsfast neutron reactor, also known simply as a fast
reactor, is a type in which nuclear fission chain reaction is sustained by fast neutrons.
NHPC, Indias largest hydropower generation company announced that it has approved its 50
Megawatt (MW) wind power project (WPP) in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The project consists of 25 Wind
288 | P a g e
Turbine Generators each of 2 MW capacity, which has been successively linked with grid in the
month of October, 2016.
The surprising announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to ban all Rs. 500 and
Rs.1000 currency note for any kind of transaction, made many e-commerce sites to halt their cash on
delivery services.
Twitter India, along with website India Spend, launched #Breathe service to enable users to get real-
time information about the pollution levels in their areas with a tweet.
Apollo tyres will start a manufacturing facility at Sri City in Andhra Pradesh with an investment
of Rs.525 crore. The plant will have a capacity to roll out 5 lakh tyres per month which can be
extended up to 30 lakh in future.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu announced a joint venture project worth 5000 crore with Assam
government for the construction of four elevated railway tracks between Kamakhya and New
Guwahati.
Infrastructure Company Adani Enterprises Ltd announced that it commissioned Indias largest
tracker-based solar power plant at Bhatinda in Punjab.The 100 megawatt plantis also the largest solar
project in Punjab.
The Ministry of Commerce had imposed anti-dumping investigation on import of low ash met coke
from Australia and China last year. The imposition of anti dumping duty resulted in an increase in
the cost of finished steel by Rs.700 to Rs.1500 per tonne.
Ministry of Steel is planning to set up Steel Research & Technology Mission of India (SRTMI), to
enable joint collaborative research projects in the iron & steel sector in India to enhance the R&D
investments in the iron and steel industry to the international levels.
Iran has exceeded Saudi Arabia to become Indias top crude oil supplier.Till 2010-11 Saudi Arabia,
was the largest supplier of crude oil in India while Iran was the Indias second biggest supplier of
crude oil.
Drug major Sun Pharma signed tri-party agreement between Indian Council of Medical Research,
Government of Madhya Pradesh and Foundation for Disease Elimination and Control of India
(FDEC- India) to launch the malaria-free India demonstration project in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh.
Reliance group partnered with Cisco Jasper for a new venture named UNLIMIT to provide Internet
of Things (IoT) services to customers across India. Unlimit is designed solely for enterprise
customers in India, for providing them IoT services.
Japanese carmaker, Suzuki Motor Corporation is to set up an industrial training institute Japan-India
Institute for Manufacturing (JIM) at Mehsana district, Gujarat to cooperate on the human resource
development in the manufacturing sector.
An Online Portal Hind-Iran portal (hindirantrade.org) for facilitating trade between India and Iran
was launched by Dr. Inder Jit Singh, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce in the presence
of H.E. Mr. Gholamreza Ansari, Ambassador of Islamic Republic of Iran, Mr. Khaleel Rahim and
other Directors of STC.
BBC World Service will launch 11 new language services as part of its biggest expansion since the
1940s, due to the funding boost. The new languages will be Afaan Oromo, Amharic, Gujarati, Igbo,
Korean, Marathi, Pidgin, Punjabi, Telugu, Tigrinya, and Yoruba.
Vodafone Indias enterprise arm, Vodafone Business Services (VBS) has joined hands with Google
Cloud to offer G Suite to corporate customers. The new tie-up follows a partnership with technology
major Microsoft for enterprise-grade productivity and collaboration services.
Reliance Communications international calling service Reliance Global Call launched an app RGC
India. It will allows international calling at Rs 1.4 a minute. This app will enables direct-dialing of
international contacts, without the need to enter toll-free number or PIN numbers.
According to the data of the Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, under
the Commerce and Industry Ministry, 272 products includes Sangli raisins, Banaras metal repousse
craft and Beed custard apple have been registered so far as geographical indications since September
2003 to enjoys the specific reputation. Under Geographical Indication (GI) law, a product is
identified as a good or an item manufactured or produced in a particular region. It is a legal right
289 | P a g e
under which the GI holder can prohibit others from using the same name.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), headed by the Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, on 15 November 2016, approved the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for rabi crops of 2016-
17. Rabi crop are those which are sown in winter season. Owing to this approval Minimum Support
Price (MSP) of Wheat has been increased by Rs 100, to Rs 1,625 per quintal for the 2016-17 from Rs
1,525 per quintal as in 2015-16. (Increase of 6.6%).
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurates the 55,000-tonne per annum (TPA) ferro-chrome
plant set up by Tata Steel at a cost of Rs 542 crore in its Gopalpur Industrial Park in Ganjam district.
The telecoms tower provider Indus Towers planned to invest Rs 100 crore in India to set up 500 new
sites within a year. Out of 500 sites, 100 sites are already setup in 50 by the company.
Union government lead by PM Narendra Modi has approved six proposals from four developers to
set up new special economic zones (SEZs) IT and biotechnology across Telangana, Haryana and
Karnataka.
The government has proposed to revisit the existing National Steel Policy, the work on which is at
conceptual stage said by Minister of State for Steel Vishnu DeoSai on November 28, 2016.
Mobiwiki launched mobile app MobiKwik Lite to make life easier for small business
holders which will work on basic Internet connection.
Government removed excise duty on goods for manufacturing of POS (Point of Sale) machines that
are in great demand as merchants are being compelled to use them in the wake of currency
crisis. POS machines will be exempted from 12.5 per cent excise duty and 4 per cent SAD (Special
Additional Duty) till March 31, 2017.
According to the new GST law, E-commerce giants Flipkart and Snapdeal will have to deduct 2%
TCS(Tax Collected at Source) while making payments to their suppliers and deposited TCS amount
with the government.
Himachal Pradesh State Industries Minister MukeshAgnihotri announced that Himachal Pradesh has
emerged as a hub of drug manufacturing units and meets 35 % of Pharma products demands in Asia.
The announcement was made at the 45th conference of the Federation of Corrugated Box
Manufacturers of India at Zirakpur.
An announcement has been made by the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), to
elect India as the vice chair for the year 2018 and chair for the year 2019 of Kimberly Process
(KP) Certificate Scheme.The announcement was made at the KP Plenary Meeting which was
recently held in Dubai.
Google with the help of its cultural arm Google Arts & Culture launched a virtual artwork and
exhibition on November 19, 2016, showcasing the achievements of the Indian women in the country.
Women in India: Unheard Stories, is a special project consisting of about 50 artworks and virtual
exhibitions on the life of Indian women in history from past 2,500 years and from 26 cultural
institutions across the country with more than 1,800 artworks, photographs and videos, captures the
stories of Indias unsung heroines ranging from goddesses to leaders, artists and doctors.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu commissioned a 5 MW solar power plant on
the Polavaram right canal bund at Gollagudem village in West Godavari district. The plant was set
up at a cost of Rs 37.58 crore in 37 acres. It will produce 8.06 million units of power annually.
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has announced the launch of
self-regulation code of conduct for the e-pharmacy sector.
China has confirmed its decision to import rice from 17 registered mills in India to ensure market
access to Indian products in China. China will import both basmati and non-basmati rice from the
mills located in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
BHEL commissioned a second unit of the 493 MW steam turbine-based captive power plant (CPP)
for Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on November 23, 2016 at Hazira in Gujarat.
Talcher Thermal Power Station of NTPC on November 23, 2016 generated 11.496 Million Units of
electricity at 104.13% capacity utilization which is the highest single day generation among all
power stations. The station had topped the national ranking for Highest Capacity Utilization which
has an installed capacity of 460 MW, four units of 60 MW and two units of 110 MW each.
290 | P a g e
Government of India has imposed a safeguard duty on import of certain steel products effective from
effect from November 23, 2016 till May 22, 2019.
Europes largest manufacturer of home appliances, BSH Household Appliances Grouphas opened
Indias first technology centre at Adugodi in Bengaluru on November 25, 2016.
Google announced the seven Indian startups that will join the third edition of Launchpad
Accelerator programme at Google Headquarters in Silicon Valley, California.The seven Indian
startups selected to be a part of the programme includes Flyrobe, HashLearn, Rentomojo,
KaptureCRM, Curofy, Happy Adda Studios, and Playment.

Mother Teresa International Award Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan
UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs andInternational
Cooperation
2016 Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Amitav Ghosh
Award
Book of the Year - biography Sachin Tendulkars autobiography Playing it my
way
Esquire Magazine International Woman of the Year Award: Actress
Deepika Padukone
International Man of the Year: Bollywoods Ranveer
Singh
Humanitarian of the Year: Omar Samra
Athlete of the Year: Qatari high-jumper Mutaz
Barshim,
Esquires Man of the Year: founder of the Mara
Group, Ashish J Thakkar.
International Peace Award Sri Sri Ravishankar
First World Sanskrit Award 2015 Maha Chakri Sirindhorn(Thailand Princess)
World Sanskrit Award 2014 George Cardona(USA)
Interfaith Leadership Award Frank Islam
Bhatt First Book Prize 2016 Akshaya Mukul
Presidential Medals of Freedom 21 outstanding actors, musicians, athletes and
innovators in USA
International Press Freedom Award Malini Subramaniam
Performance Award at 16 Asia Pacific Screen Award Manoj Bajpayee
Indian Army to be honored by Bangladesh 1,668 martyrs from India
UNESCO Salon Competition Toonzs film Magical Piano
Businesswoman of the Year in Australia Uppma Virdi
Worlds Highest-Paid Woman in Music for 2016 Top 3:
Forbes 1.Taylor Swift
2.Adele
3.Madonna
e-governance award Haryana
International Prize for Water Saudi Arabia Eight scientists
German Green Talent award Shamik Chowdhury
Golden Globes lifetime award Meryl Streep
Ramnath Goenka Awards for Excellence in 28 categories
Journalism 2016
2016 Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award S Nihal Singh
291 | P a g e
First Malayalam film to enter Rs 100cr club Pulimurugan

Kalidas Samman Madhya Pradesh Prof Raj Bisaria
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Awards 31 students
Golden Peacock Award for corporate governance Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).
Goldsmiths Prize Mike McCormack
ATPs the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award Roger Federer for 12th time
Google Indias doodle competition Anvita Prashant Telang
MAMI Film Fest The Guest - the Large Short Films category
Global Citizen Award Imtiaz Sooliman
Journalist Of The Year Hadi Abdullah from Syria
Lifetime Achievement 2016 by the Karnataka Marta Jakimowicz
Lalithakala Academy
Uttarakhand Ratna Award Former CM ND Tiwari
2016 London Evening Standard Theatre Awards Best Actor - Ralph Fiennes
2016 Poet Laureate award Gulzar
Best Airline in the World 2016 Air New Zealand
2016 Sumitra Charat Ram Award for lifetime Pandit Hari Prasad Chourasia
achievement
worlds youngest self-made billionaire Stripes co-founder, John Collison
3rd annual Asia Corporate Excellence and 1.TCS - Industry Champions in the Leadership
Sustainability Awards (ACES) category.
2.Vedanta - Top Companies to Work For in Asia
2016 FT Business Book Award Sebastian Mallaby
AIBAs Legends Award M C Mary Kom
AIBAs Best Boxer' award Vikas Krishan
ICCs Hall of Fame Australias former womens captain Karen Rolton
BBCs list of 100 most influential women 2016 Sunny Leone
Infosys Prize 2016
Engineering and Computer Science Prof. V. Kumaran
Humanities Prof. Sunil Amrith
Life Sciences Dr. Gagandeep Kang
Mathematical Science Prof. Akshay Venkatesh
Physical Sciences Dr. Anil Bhardwaj
Social Sciences Prof. Kaivan Munshi
17th annual Latin Grammy Awards
Record of the Year Carlos Vives & Shakira for La Bicicleta
Album of the Year Juan Gabriel, Los Do 2
Song of the Year La Bicicleta, Andrs Castro, Shakira & Carlos
Vives, songwriters (Carlos Vives & Shakira).
Best New Artist Manuel Medrano
Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album Jesse & Joy, Un Besito Ms
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Juan Gabriel, Los Duo 2
Best Urban Fusion/Performance Yandel, Encantadora
Best Urban Music Album J Balvin, Energia
Best Urban Song Encantadora, Egbert Rosa Cintrn, Farruko,
Eduardo A. Vargas Berrios & Yandel, songwriters
(Yandel)
Best Rock Album Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, La Salvacin De Solo Y
Juan
Best Pop/Rock Album Julieta Venegas, Algo Sucede
Best Rock Song La Tormenta, Flavio Cianciarulo, songwriter (Los
Fabulosos Cadillacs)
292 | P a g e
Best Alternative Music Album Illya Kuryaki & The Valderramas, L.H.O.N.
Best Alternative Song Vez Primera, Carla Morrison, songwriter (Carla
Morrison)
Best Salsa Album India, Intensamente India Con Canciones De Juan
Gabriel
Best Cumbia/Vallenato Album Fonseca, Homenaje (A La Msica De Diomedes
Daz)
Best Contemporary Tropical Album Guaco, Guaco Histrico 2
Best Traditional Tropical Album La Sonora Santanera, La Sonora Santanera En Su 60
Aniversario
Best Tropical Fusion Album Gente De Zona, Visualzate
Best Tropical Song Vine A Buscarte, Omar Alfano, Fonseca & Yadam
Gonzlez Crdenas, songwriters (Fonseca)
Best Singer-Songwriter Album Manuel Medrano, Manuel Medrano
Best Banda Album Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizrraga, Races
Best Tejano Album Michael Salgado, Por Cielo Y Tierra
Best Norteo Album Los Tigres Del Norte, Desde El Azteca
Best Regional Song Atad, Erika Ender, Manu Moreno & Mnica
Vlez, songwriters (Los Tigres Del Norte)

Umaro Sissoco Embalo Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau
Saad Hariri Prime minister of Lebanon
Kim Byong-Joon Prime Minister of South Korea
Donald Trump President of USA
Boyko Borisov Prime Minister of Bulgarian(Resigned)
Susan Kiefel Chief Justice of Australia (First Women)
Kamala Harris First Indian-American US Senator
Dr. Seema Verma Second Indian-American to be Nominated to top Administration post
Aniruddha Rajput UNs top body of legal experts member
General Qamar Javed Bajwa Pakistan Army chief
Sarabjit Singh Marwah Canadas first Sikh Senator
Guy Ryder Director-General of International Labour Organization (ILO)
Meng Hongwei President of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
Narinder Batra President of International Hockey Federation(FIH)
Mariamma Koshy New president of Hockey India
Debbie Hockley President of New Zealand Cricket Board
Avinash RaiKhanna NHRC member
Saptarshi Roy Director of NTPC
IOSCO panels heads Parmod Kumar Nagpal and Amarjeet Singh
FICCI president Pankaj R Patel
Yudhvir Singh Malik Chairman of NHAI (National Highways Authority of India)
N V Srinivasan Indo-American Chamber of Commerce President
Upma Chowdhary First Woman Director Of LBSNAA
Praveen Kumar Sharma MD and CEO of CERSAI
Lt Gen SatishDua Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC)
General J S Sandhu 46th Corps Commander of Chinar Corps
women commandos has been
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
inducted for the first time
293 | P a g e
Major General AK Bhatt Director General of Military Operations (DGMO)

Chief Of Northern Command Devraj Anbu
George Yeo Nalanda University Chancellor(Resigned)
Siby Sebastian CEO Of SBM Bank (Mauritius), India
Ratnesh Kumar MD & CEO of Bank of Baroda Capital Markets
M Rajeshwar Rao Executive Director of RBI
S Gopakumar MD Of GIC Housing Finance
R. Subramania Kumar MD and CEO of Indian Overseas Bank
Amresh Acharya Group President and head of Global Indian Banking of YES Bank
Gautam Kumra McKinsey & Companys India managing director
Chairman of the Fund Trustee and Advisory Commission (FTAC),
Vinod Rai
Kerela
Mahesh Bhalla Chief Mentor Of StartupsClub India
Cyrus Mistry Tata Steel chairman(resigned)
Ishaat Hussai Chairman of TCS
Harish Bhat Tata Sons Chairman
Parminder Singh Twitter India MD(resigned)
Pankaj Dubey CEO of Eicher Polaris
Rishi Jaitly Twitter India head(resigned)
Vani Venkatesh CEO of Bharti Airtel Retail
Pawan Goenka MD of Mahindra and Mahindra
Anand Mahindra Executive Chairman of Mahindra and Mahindra
Rishi Jaitly CEO of Times Global Partners
Ajit Narayanan CTO of Myntra
Ireena Vittal Independent director of Cipla
B. Nagabhushana Reddy Ambassador of India to the Republic of Chad
Sanjiv Arora Ambassador of India to Lebanon
Nikki Haley US Ambassador to UN
B Nagabhushana Reddy Ambassador of India to the Republic of Benin
BishwadipDey Ambassador of India to the Commonwealth of Dominica
R Ashwin Brand ambassador of Equitas SFB
Actor Ranveer Indian Ambassador For Switzerland Tourism
Bindheswar Pathak Swachh Rail Mission
Rahul Dravid Brand Ambassador For T20 World Cup For Blind

Indias largest direct-to-home (DTH) player, Dish TV and Videocon d2h (Vd2h) have decided to
merge operations to form the single largest pay TV operator with 27.6 million net subscribers.
Tesla bought German automation firm Grohmann
South Korean company Samsung Electronics to acquire auto-systems maker Harman International
Industries for USD 8 billion. It would be the Samsungs biggest ever acquisition.
Facebook has acquired FacioMetrics, an emotion detection start-up, to help its artificial intelligence
(AI) research into building facial gesture controls. FacioMetrics developed an app
called Intraface that can detect seven different emotions in peoples faces.
India based Bharti Airtel Ltd (Airtel) has completed the merger with Bangladesh based Robi Axiata
Ltd (Robi Axiata) of Axiata Group Berhad (Axiata).Now it will operate under the Robi Axiata brand
in Bangladesh. After Merger, it will be the second largest mobile operator in Bangladesh with around
32.2 million customers.
Oracle signed an agreement to acquire US-based Dynamic Network Services Inc, or Dyn. Oracle has
not disclosed the deal amount.
An Indian classified advertising platform Quikr announced to acquire an online home rental solutions
294 | P a g e
provider, Grabhouse in an all-stock deal giving investors Sequoia Capital and Kalaari Capital stake
in Quikr to strengthen its own service.
The largest drug firm of India, Sun Pharma, has entered into an agreement with Russian pharma
company JSC Biosintez to acquire 85.1 percent equity stake in the Russian firm for $60 million.
PepsiCo Inc. announced to acquire probiotic and kombucha beverage maker KeVitaInc on November
22, 2016. PepsiCo was paying $200 million to KeVitaInc expand its health and wellness offerings.
Reliance group has entered into a deal with Zee group to sell its 100% stake in TV channels and
sell 49% stake in radio business to Zee group. The total deal will cost Rs 1890.4 crore($283
million) to Zee group.
SCHEMES
Central Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA)
to provide free health check-ups to pregnant women at government health centers and hospitals.
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has given its approval for implementation of Price
Support Scheme(PSS) for procurement of Groundnut in Gujarat during the Kharif season 2016-17
Prime Minister Narendra Modis launched the Saur SujalaYojana in Chhattisgarh in order to provide
solar powered irrigation pumps to farmers at a subsidized price. Chhattisgarh was the first state to
implement the Saur Sujal Yojana .Under the scheme, solar powered irrigation pumps of 3HP and
5HP capacity worth Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh respectively would be distributed to the farmers
by March 31, 2019
The Himachal Pradesh cabinet approved Mukhya Mantri Shikshak Samman Yojana in a meeting
chaired by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. The scheme applied to Trained Graduate Teachers
(TGT), Post Graduate Teachers (PGT), Headmasters and Principals.
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship launched the Pradhan Mantri YUVA
Yojana, MSDEs flagship scheme on entrepreneurship education and training, marking the 2nd
Foundation Day of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The scheme spans over
five years (2016-17 to 2020-21) with a project cost of Rs. 499.94 crore, and will provide
entrepreneurship education and training to over 7 lakh students in 5 years through 3050 Institutes.
The number of rural households were distributed with free LPG connections under the Pradhan
Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) has crossed the 1 crore.
Chhattisgarh has become the first state in the country to adopt a resolution of supporting the
demonetization of high-value currency notes decision of the central government.
The government, on November 17, 2016, approved a scheme to construct 1 crorehouses in next 3
years from 2016-17 to 2018-19 under Housing for All by 2022.To pursue the objective of Housing
for All by 2022, the Union Cabinet approved re-structuring of the former rural housing scheme
Indira Awaas Yojana into Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) all over the
country.
Indian Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar inaugurated projects worth Rs 6 crore at his adopted village
of Puttamrajuvari Kandriga in Andhra Pradesh. On this occasion he was adopted Gollapalli villagein
the same state under Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana .It would be developed with an amount of Rs 3.05
crore
Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani distributed PAHCHAN identity cards to artisans
of Gujarat belonging to Jamnagar, Naroda, Surendranagar, Amreli and Kalol at Ahmedabad Haat,
Vastrapur, Ahmedabad, Gujarat on November 19, 2016. The cards will enable the artisans to take the
benefit of any government scheme.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch Pradhan MantriGrameenAwas Yojna, an ambitious
housing scheme for rural poor, in Agra. Pradhan MantriGrameenAwasYojna which was previously
known as Housing For All, was launched on June 25, 2016 with an aim of constructing about 2 crore
houses across the nation to provide affordable housing to all Indian citizen below poverty line by the
year 2022
Haryana government launched a Voluntary Disclosure Scheme (VDS) 2016 and Surcharge Waiver
295 | P a g e
Scheme 2016 on November 19, 2016.This scheme shall remain in operation from November 20 to
December 31, 2016. VSD Scheme for declaring tampered or defective meters for all categories of
consumers having sanctioned load up to five KW
Rajasthan Govt to launch Annapurna rasoi programme to provide cheap food to weaker sections.
Motto of Annapurna rasoi: Food to All and Respect to All
MoUs
Assam govt inks MoU with Civil Aviation Ministry for Regional Connectivity Scheme
India and Venezuela sign deals to increase oil production worth $1.45 billion
India, Sweden agree to enhance collaboration in energy sector
Ministry of HUPA and Common Services Centre e-Governance Services India Limited of the
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology signed Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) for enabling online submission of applications under PMAY(Pradhan MantriAwasYojana)
Latvia has become the first country in the Baltic Sea area to sign a Memorandum of Understanding
to link up with Chinas One Belt and One Road (OBOR) Initiative.
US based LinkedIn has signed an agreement with Ministry of Human Resource Development to
create more job opportunities in India.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Indian Army and Corporation Bank
on the Defence Salary Package.
NSDA Signs MoU with British Council to Collaborate for Joint Research in Skills Sector
BSE Institute Ltd (BIL) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Telangana
Academy for Skill and Knowledge (TASK) at the ongoing CII Global Skill Summit, in Telangana, to
set up a center of excellence for financial education centre in the state.
Indias branded network of hotels, Yatra has ratified a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) to systematize and promote accommodation
in Uttarakhand and develop tourism infrastructure.
Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi to establish a Joint Advanced Technology
Centre (JATC).
India and Britain signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs)on intellectual property rights (IPR)
and ease of doing business following delegation-level talks led by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi
and Theresa May.
Maharashtra government signed an agreement with Canada to implement a joint action plan
on urban infrastructure development in the State.
India, Bhutan sign new bilateral trade agreement. The first Agreement on Trade and Commerce
between Bhutan and India was signed in 1972.
The framework agreement of International Solar Alliance (ISA) was opened for signatures on
November 15, 2016, at the 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP 22) to the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), at Marrakech, in Morocco. Over 20 countries became
the signatories to it soon after the process started, including India, France and Brazil. ISA was
launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi jointly with French President Francois Hollande at
CoP21 in Paris in November 2015.
Telangana IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan and Microsoft India (R&D) Managing Director Anil
Bhansali signed an MoU with Microsoft Corporation India to explore cloud, machine learning and
mobile-based solutions in the state aimed to promote the states effort to incorporate Information and
Communication Technology (ICT).
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a $500 million loan
to build Indias longest river bridge, a 9.8 km long road bridge across the Ganges River to improve
transport connectivity between North and South Bihar for a better link between the State Capital,
Patna, and the surrounding areas.
296 | P a g e
National Institute of Technology (NIT) Agartala has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), North Eastern Electric Power Corporation
Ltd (NEEPCO) and iBuild.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between India and Switzerland for a joint
project on energy efficiency of buildings in November 2011, for duration of five years.
Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Ltd (CMPDI) the consultancy arm of Coal India Ltd has
signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mumbai based SBI Capital Markets to increase
their market share in the rapidly growing consultancy area.
Arunachal Pradesh and Thailand signs MoU to promote cooperation and collaboration.
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas sign
MoU to boost to skill initiatives in the Hydrocarbon Sector
India & Switzerland Sign Joint Declaration for the implementation of Automatic Exchange of
Information (AEOI). From now India will be possible to receive the financial information of
accounts held by Indian residents in Switzerland for 2018 and subsequent years from September
2019onwards.
Japan and South Korea signed a controversial agreement to share defence intelligence on North
Korea. In 2012 both counties were signed an intelligence-sharing deal, but Seoul backtracked at the
time itself.
The worlds largest online homestay marketplace Airbnb signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with the Self-Employed Womens Association of India (SEWA) to promote tourism in rural
areas. This initiative will begin in Gujarat and later expand to other states.
COMMITTEES
Anil Madhav Dave, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has constituted a five-
member team for conservation and management of Loktak Lake in Manipur.
The Supreme Court constitute the committee headed by former Delhi High Court judge
Justice Kailash Gambhir to verify the availability of night shelters. Four month has given to this
committee to submit its report regarding night shelters.
The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the constitution of Special Committee for Inter-Linking
of Rivers in compliance with Supreme Court judgment 2012. The committee will be responsible for
the monitoring of the precious Inter-linking of River Projects to be carried out under National
Perspective Plan 1980 of Government of India.
The government has formed an inter-ministerial committee on November 17, 2016, to solve
the queries of NRIs, tourists from abroad and foreign missionsover demonetization issue.
A Special Task Force has been formed by The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to speed up the process
of recalibration of Automated Teller Machines (ATM) to dispense the new denomination notes. The
Task Force headed by S.S Mundra,Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will work to
speed up work on ATMs to dispense higher denomination notes.
The Central Government has formed a committee on November 22, 2016, comprising Additional
Secretaries, Joint Secretaries and Directors to know about the status of implementation of its recent
decision of scrapping 500 and 1000 rupees currency notes.
Center to form Committee to Develop Digital Payment Platform for Government-Citizen
Transactions. The Committee of Officers, headed by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, will identify
and operationalise the user-friendly digital payment options in all sectors of the economy, as early as
possible
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY India has failed on being the destination for the worlds largest
telescope. There was a lot of expectation that the giant Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) would get
housed at a remote high- altitude site in the cold desert of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir.
China has developed a high-speed, intelligent unmanned sea vessel which could be used for a host of
applications including submarine detection. According to Xinhua, the SeaFly-01completed a test
at Nanhu Lake in Wuhan. The 10.25-meter-long vessel could acquire a maximum speed of 45 knots.
297 | P a g e
Magnetospheric Multiscale mission (MMS) has set the Guinness World Record for highest altitude
fix of a GPS signal at 70,000 kilometres above the surface of the Earth by NASA ( National
Aeronautics and Space Administration).
Chinas powerful new heavy-lift rocket glided on its first flight bringing the nation one step closer to
building its own space station in Earth orbit. The rocket is particularly wider at five meters in
diameter and capable of a payload of 25 tons in low earth orbit, more than double Chinas previous
rockets payload.
Japan launches next-generation geostationary meteorological satellite Himawari-9 to further improve
weather services in the Asia-Pacific region.
TRAI,has made it mandatory for all the Broadband providers to at least give a minimum speed
of 512Kbps after users consumed their initial data quota.
Recovering marine oil spills might soon become simple, efficient and cost-effective, thanks to a
compound (gelator) developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and
Research (IISER). A team headed by Dr. Kana M. Sureshan from the School of Chemistry used
glucose as a starting material and through several chemical reactions produced compounds
(gelators) that selectively congeal oil, including crude oil, from an oil-water mixture.
NASA completes construction of largest space telescope James Webb Space Telescope one that
is 100 times powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope.
China, has taken a step forward to incease its charisma in space research segment by launching an X-
Ray Pulsar Navigation satellite into space which is designed to identify signs of pulsar ray. Named as
XPNAV-1, this all-new powerful asteroid will carry out in-orbit researchers by means of pulsar
detectors to reveal new technologies for space mapping.
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda launched a mobile app No More Tension to
manage the stress level and released a magazine Healthy India Initiative/Swastha Bharat-
ekpehal on November 9, 2016 in New Delhi.
The Maharashtra government along with the State Child Rights Protection Commission launched
CHIRAG mobile application on November 9 2016 to enable the submission of complaints related
to violation of child rights.
The Indian Space Research Organsiation (ISRO) Chairman A S Kiran Kumar, on November 11,
2016, revealed that ISRO has started to conduct the test for its second moon mission, Chandrayaan-
II at its center in Challakere, Karnataka.
The Sub1 Reloaded robot successfully solved the famous puzzle Rubiks Cube in the fastest ever
time of 0.637 seconds in just 21 moves at the Electronica trade fair in Munich on November 9, 2016.
Archaeologists in India are planning to use exclusively high-end scanning lasers on airborne
platforms to conduct survey of the archaeological evidence, flora and fauna in the Rajgir hills, Bihar
under the Rajgir Archaeological Survey Project (RASP).
A team of researchers headed by Dr.Jinyao Tang of the Department of Chemistry, the University of
Hong Kong, has developed the worlds first light-seeking synthetic Nano robot.
Delhi has become the first state in the country to launch Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
vaccination as a public health programme for preventing cervical cancer among young girls. As part
of the programme, girls aged between 11-13 years would be vaccinatedfree of
cost at Delhi State Cancer Institute (DSCI) through its setups in east and west Delhi.
Scientists have indicated the presence of water on Psyche, the largest metallic asteroid in our solar
system and the target of a proposed NASA mission.
Facebooks Connectivity Lab set a world record transmitting at nearly 20 Gbps for 13.2
kilometers with MMW (Milli Meter Wave) technology. This will be used as a terrestrial backhaul
network to support access solutions such as Terragraph and Project ARIES.
A group of researchers from Hyderabad have identified Helicobacter pullorum bacterium in
chicken that may be source of transmission of the multidrug resistance pathogen to humans.
According to the American Space Agency NASA, November 14, 2016, moon will be the biggest and
brightest it has been in the 68 years.This moon will be a rare supermoon making an appearance
early morning just before dawn.
298 | P a g e
China has topped in the list of the worlds fastest supercomputers for the eight consecutive years for
its Sunway TaihuLight.TaihuLight is capable to perform 93 million billion calculations per
second(petaflop/s).
Doctors of Netherlands have performed the first-ever brain implant on a 58-year-old
woman paralysed by disease named Lou Gehrigs. The implantation has enabled her to communicate
in day-to-day life with the help of a speech computer.
Taiwanese electronics multinational company Acer launched its lightest, thinnest and the most
portable laptop Swift 7 in Indian market.Acer Swift 7 is the thinnest laptop in the World till now.
The Acer SWIFT 7, priced at Rs 99,999, will be available for purchase from 18th November via
exclusive Acer stores and other multi brand outlets and will also be available on e-commerce
outlet Flipkarts.
Google launched a new app called PhotoScan which has been designed to scan and digitise old
printed photos. The app detects edges, straightens the image, rotates it to the correct orientation, and
removes glare.Then the final image is stored at a specified location.
Scientists genetically modifies photosynthesis process, increase crop yield by 15%
Scientists in Israel has developed the worlds first water-wave laser, that generates laser radiation
through the interaction between light and water waves.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) chairman R K Chaturvedi has launched its
digital portal named ParinamManjusha to provide easier access to academic documents online.
US space agency NASA will work with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Space Agency Mars Hope
spacecraft which will reach the Mars in 2021 under an umbrella agreement said by Dr Gale Allen,
NASAs Deputy Chief Scientist on November 27, 2016.
NASA has successfully launched the A next generation US advanced weather satellites GOES-
R from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, US on November 20, 2016.
Researchers from University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston,Texas in collaboration
with Southwest University in Chongqing, China, and the University of Leuven in Belgium created a
tool for studying the Zika virus.. The tool named Zika Replicon System creates a versions of the
Zika virus that are stripped of genes (Simpler form of Zika virus) that make them less infectious from
the original virus, so that researchers can work safely.
China has successfully launched its 4th data satellite, Tianlian I-04, on November 22, 2016.
to provide a global network that will provide data relay, measurement and control services for Chinas
manned spacecraft, space labs and space stations as well as nations Earth-orbiting resources
satellites.
NASA Scientists are developing a variety of food bars for the astronauts in the Orion spacecraft so
that they can eat breakfast during their travel beyond the Moon to explore deep space destinations.
Civil Aviation Minister Ashok GajpathiRaju has launched the AirSewa portal and mobile app on
November 25, 2016 in New Delhito offer convenient and hassle-free air travel experience to people.
A team of researchers from Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic have developed
an artificial human lung. The team was lead by scientist MiroslavJicha. The lung model has been
developed using series of latest technologies including 3D Printing.
DEFENCE
India and Bangladesh defence cooperation, a joint military training exercise SAMPRITI 2016 is
being started at Tangail in Dhaka, Bangladesh from 05 to 18 November 2016.
China displayed its Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter in public for the first time on the function of
opening the countrys biggest meeting of aircraft makers and buyers with a show of its military
power.
Pakistan conducted military exercise Raad ul Barq (Strike of Thunder) in an area located
in Punjab province, bordering India. It was a joint exercise carried out jointly by Pakistan Army and
Air Force to reflect the preparedness of their armed forces to respond to any threat to its national
299 | P a g e
security.
The sixth annual joint training exercise Hand in Hand 2016 between Indian and Chinais being
hosted by India.The India-China Joint Training Exercise between the Indian Army and the Peoples
Liberation Army of China began in Pune on November 15 and will end on be November 27.
An all-women crew of the Indian Navy was set off in the Indian Navy Sailing Vessel Mhadei for the
Cape 2 Rio Yacht Race 2017 on November 9, 2016. The vessel was flagged off from Goa to Cape
Town, South Africa by Rear Admiral Monty Khanna, Commandant Naval War College on 09 Nov
16 in a ceremony held at the Boat Pool of INS Mandovi, Goa.
Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) developed by DRDO named Rustom-2 completed its
first flight on 15 November 2016 in Challakere, Chitradurga district, Karnataka.The drone can be
used by Indian Army, Navy and Air Force to keep an eye on enemy territory and carry a variety of
cameras and radar for surveillance.
The Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar will hand over Four Naval Systems developed by
DRDO to the Indian Navy at a function on November 18, 2016 in New Delhi. Chief of the Naval
Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba will formally take over the systems from the Defence Minister.
The Four naval Systems include:
1.ABHAY Compact Hull Mounted SONAR for Shallow Water Crafts,
2.HUMSA UG Upgrade for the HUMSA SONAR System,
3.NACS Near-field Acoustic Characterisation System, and
4.AIDSS Advanced Indigenous Distress SONAR System for submarines.
India conducted Twin Trail of nuclear capable Prithvi-IImedium-range ballistic missiles, back-to-
back in quick succession, as part of training exercise, from a defence testcenter Chandipur in
Odisha.Both the medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) have a strike range of around 350 km
and a tendency to carry about 500 kg to 1,000 kg of weapons. The Prithvi missile project have three
variantsfor use by the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.
Prithvi I: Indian Army
Prithvi II: Indian Air Force
Prithvi III: Indian Navy
Defence Minister ManoharParrikar commissioned INS Chennai, the third indigenously built guided
missile destroyer in Kolkata class on November 21, 2016.
Scientists from the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) and the University of La Laguna (ULL)
have discovered a new super Earth planet GJ 536 b with a mass around 5.4 times that of the Earth.
The Strategic Forces of Command (SFC) of the armed force successfully test-fired Agni-I missile.
The missile was test fired at at 10.08 a.m. on 22 November 2016 from launch pad-4 of the Integrated
Test Range (ITR) at
Abdul Kalam Island (Wheeler Island) Odisha coast. The missile took 10 minutes to reach its targeted
destination in Bay of Bengal.
Indian Navy launched the seventh ship of the LCU MK IV project, LCU-L57 on 24 November 2016
at a ceremony at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE), Kolkata.
ENVIRONMENT
A new variety of rice seed that is light green in colour was discovered in Chhattisgarh(Rice Bowl of
India) said by A K Sarawgi, head of department of genetics and breeding in Indira Gandhi
Agriculture University
The year 2015 made history, with exhausted temperature records, intense heatwaves, unusual
rainfall, destructing drought and unusual tropical cyclone activity, according to the World
Meteorological Organization. That record-breaking trend has continued in 2016.
India NGT Defined Environmental Emergency For 5 States; Limits PM 10 & 2.5 Marks. The
Tribunal has also issued directives to Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on
measures to be undertaken when air pollution crosses severe levels.
The President of Mauritius, Ameenah Gurib Fakim, inaugurated a Genetic Garden of naturally
300 | P a g e
occurring Salt-Tolerant Plants called halophytes at the coastal town of Vedaranyam in Tamil
Nadu on November 18, 2016 through video-conference. The garden set up by the M S Swaminathan
Research Foundation (MSSRF).
According to researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK and the Global Carbon
Project, Indias carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels increased by 5.2 per cent .This was
published in the journal Earth System Science Data. China, the biggest emitter of CO2 emissions
decrease by 0.7 per cent in 2015, USs CO2 emission is decrease by 1.7 per cent in 2016 and
The EUs CO2 emissions went up 1.4 per cent in 2015, in contrast with longer term decreases.
A powerful earthquake hit New Zealand early morning on November 14, 2016, that triggered
landslides and a small tsunami, cracked apart roads and homes, caused some damage to buildings.
The USGS estimated the magnitude of the earthquake to be 7.8.
A research fellow from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Xu
Guanghui discovered new species of fish in China. The new fish is named as eltopleurus nitidus
sp. This was published by Science Bulletin on November 14.
Chinas weather department issued first blue alert warning of snow in northern part of the country.
The rain and snow are forecast to last more than 40 hours, with a blizzard possible for the western
and northern areas of the city.
Australian Scientists revealed that Great Barrier Reef suffered its worst coral die-off ever
recorded. The report stated that warm seas around Australias Great Barrier Reef in less accessible
north have lost two-thirds of a 700-km (435 miles) stretch of coral in the past nine months.
An earthquake of magnitude 6.9rocked the Fukushima region of Japan on 22 November 2016 at
about 5:59 a.m.(local time). The metrological agency of Japan had first estimated the magnitude of
earthquake to be 7.3 but later lowered it to 6.9 on Richter scale.
Egypt Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient Egyptian city and 15 graveyard that belongs 5300
BC announced by antiquities minister Mahmoud Afifi.
Two natural disasters including a powerful hurricane and an offshore earthquake hit the Central
America simultaneously on November 24, 2016 in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica.
SPORTS

Formula One championship Nico Rosberg
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton
Mexican Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton
Brazilian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton
Delhi Half Marathon Champion : Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya
Men winners : G Lakshmanan
Women winners: Monika Athare
World Boxing Organization welterweight Filipino star Manny Pacquiao
title
Asian Federation Cup Air Force Club, Iraq
Asian Aquatic Championship, Sri-Lanka Bastab Tapan Bordoloi 5 gold
Bahrain International Challenge Pratul Joshi
Asian Tour title, Philippines SSP Chawrasia(India) defeat Nicholas Fung(Malaysia)
2016 Champions Showdown Viswanathan Anand win over Hikaru Nakamurain
2016 National Women Premier Chess Padmini Rout 3rd time
Championship
World record in free style swimming Mritul(9km in 3 hours)
National Shooting Championship Manavjit Singh Sandhu - Gold
Aiba Youth World Boxing Championship, Sachin Singh Gold
Russia
ATP World Tour Finals Andy Murray(Britain) defeated Novak Djokovic(Serbia)
Indonesia Open 2016 Gaganjeet Bhullar defeats Jeev Milkha
301 | P a g e
Hero womens Professional Golf Tour title, Smriti Mehra

Uttar Pradesh
Asian Champions Trophy title, Singapore Indian womens hockey team defeated China
2016 WTA Elite Singles Trophy, China Czech Republics Petra Kvitova defeated Ukrainian Elina
Svitolina
Fastest hundred in Indian FC cricket Young Rishabh from Delhi
First Arab professional golfer Maha Haddioui
World Boxing Council(WBC) Ranking Neeraj Goyat 35th
ATP Rankings Andy Murray first
BWF Badminton rankings Carolina Marin(Spain) 1st
Ratchanok Intanon(Thailand) 2nd
P.V Sindhu (India) 9th
Saina Nehwal (India) 11th
Six Indian male shuttlers in Top 50
Badminton World Federation(BWF) 1.Kidambi Srikanth (12
2.Ajay Jayaram (19)
3.H. S. Prannoy (25)
4.B. Sai Praneeth (36)
5.Sameer Verma (43)
6.Sourabh Varma (45)
8th Sanda World Cup, China Indian wushu team - four silver and one bronze
Surjit trophy Mumbais Western Railways womens team
defeating Haryana XI 4-2
7th World Carrom Championship, UK Indias womens carrom team defeated Sri Lanka
Ladies European Tour Aditi Ashok
title
Qatar Ladies Open Aditi Ashok defeated Nanna Koerstz
Asian Para-Badminton Championships, Suhas LY defeating Harry Susanto
China
Davis cup 2016 Argentina defeated Croatia
Asian Youth Karate Championships, New Hashim Mansoor Gold
Delhi
32nd National Junior Athletics Tejaswin Shankar - National senior record in high jump with
Championships an effort of 2.26m
World Kick Boxing Championship of Tajamul Islam Gold
Under- Eight Players
Five bilateral ODI series India win against New Zealand
First batsman to amass 1200 runs or more in Bairstow from England
Tests in 2016
First bowler to complete 50 wickets in two Ravichandran Ashwin
consecutive years
ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen Steve Smith - First
Virat Kohli - Third
Four Nations Hockey tournament India beat Malaysia
IBSF World Snooker Championship Soheil Vahedi Gold
, Qatar Andrew Pagett - Silver
Pankaj Advani - Bronze
Indian cricket team new member Nuzhat Parveen
2016 NBA D-League Draft Palpreet Singh
8-year ban imposed By NADA Dharambir Singh(sprinter)
World Cup top-scorer announced retirement Miroslav Klose
302 | P a g e
South Africa spinner announces retirement Robin Peterson

from cricket
13th World Robot Olympiad(WRO), High Voltage from India (Gurugram)
Greater Noida
2019 Under-20 World Cup India
2018 Invictus Games Sydney
T20 Cricket World Cup for the Blind India
Commonwealth Wrestling Championships
Mens Freestyle 57kg Sandeep Tomar (Gold)
Mens Freestyle 70kg Amit Dhankhar (Gold), Vinod (Silver)
Mens Freestyle 97kg Satyawart (Gold), Roubaljeet (Silver)
Female Wrestling 48kg RituPhogat (Gold), Priyanka (Silver)
Female Wrestling 55kg: Lalita (Gold), Diyanshi (Silver)
Female Wrestling 58kg: Mannu (Gold), Somali (Silver)
Female Wrestling 60kg: Sarita (Silver), Manish (Bronze)
Female Wrestling 63kg: Reshma (Gold), Gargi (Silver)
Female Wrestling 69kg: Pinki (Gold), Kavita (Silver)
Female Wrestling 75kg : Jyoti (Silver), Nikki (Bronze).
Greco-Roman 66kg: Manish (Gold), Ravinder (Silver)
Greco-Roman 75kg: Gurpreet (Gold), Dinesh (Silver)
Greco-Roman 80kg: Harpreet Singh (Gold), Ravinder Khatri (Silver)
Greco-Roman 85kg: Prabhpal (Gold), Yashpal (Silver)
Greco-Roman 130kg: Naveen (Gold), Manvir (Silver)
China Open Super Series 2016
Womens Singles Indias PV Sindhu Chinas Sun Yu
Women's Doubles South Korea pair Chang Ye - na China pair Li Yinhui and
and Lee So hee Huang Dongping
Mens Singles Denmarks Jan . Jrgensen Malaysias I Z Zainuddin
Mens Doubles Chinese pair of Chai B and Hong Indonesian pair of M F
W Gideon and K S
Sukamuljo
Mixed Doubles Indonesian pair Tontowi Ahmad South Korean pair of
and Liliyana Natsir Choi S-g and Chae Y- j
2016 Hong Kong Super Series
Mens Single Ng Ka Long (Thailand) Sameer Verma(India)
Womens Single Tai Tzu-ying(Taiwan) P.V. Sindhu(India)
Mens Double Takeshi Kamura & Keigo Mathias Boe & Carsten
Sonoda (Japan) Mogensen(Denmark)
Womens Double Kamilla Rytter Juhl & Huang Dongping & Li
Christinna Pedersen(Denmark) Yinhui(China)
Mixed Doubles Tontowi Ahmad & Liliyana Praveen Jordan & Debby
Natsir(Indonesia) Susanto(Indonesia)
2016 BNP Paribas Open
Mens Single A. Murray J. Isner
Mens Double H. Kontinen / J. Peers P. Herbert / N. Mahut
OBITUARY

Tammy Grimes Actress & Singer USA
General Janet Reno First female Attorney USA
Robert Vaughn Actor USA
303 | P a g e
Heart surgeon who performed the first implantation

Dr. Denton Cooley USA
of a total artificial heart
Fritz Weaver Actor USA
Fidel Castro Revolutionary leader Cuba
Silvio Gazzaniga Football World Cup trophy designer Italy
Perico Fernandez Former world boxing champion Spain
Leonard Cohen Singer-Songwriter Canada
Yawar Hayat Khan TV producer Pakistan
Hassan Sadpara Mountaineer Pakistan
Pandit Amaradeva Music Legend Sri Lanka
Aircraft designer and co-creator of the MiG-29
Ivan Mikoyan Russia
fighter jet
Mota Singh First-ever ethnic minority judge UK
Yu Xu First Female J-10 Pilot of China China
William Trevor Novelist Iran
M Balamurali Krishna Carnatic music exponent India
Former CM of Uttar Pradesh & Governor of
Ram Naresh Yadav India
Madhya Pradesh
Kanubhai Gandhiji kin, ex-NASA scientist India
Mangat Ram Sharma Former J&K Deputy CM India
Hridyesh Mehrotra Hindi Writer, Uttar Pradesh India
Jayawantiben Mehta Former Union minister of state, Maharashtra India
Janardhan Negi Geophysicist, Telangana India
Lulu Mohapatra Political Leader. Odisha India
Pravin Maniar RSS Leader India
Lt Gen S KSinha Former J-K Governor India
Dr VivekiRai Hindi & Bhojpuri writer India
Pranab Choudhury Former ICRA CEO India
Prof MGK Menon Eminent physicist and ex-ISRO chief India
K. Subaash Tamil Film Director India
Dileep Padgaonkar Former Editor of Times of India India
Bhikari Charan Mohanty Eminent freedom fighter India
Anand Yadav Passes Marathi Litterateure India
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Vice President M. Hamid Ansari Releases the book An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in
India authored by Dr. Shashi Tharoor.
Actor Shah Rukh Khan launched his biography SRK- 25 Years of a Life by Samar Khan at an
event in Mumbai.
Back To The Roots, A definitive Guide To Grassroots & Football Development- launched by,
ShajiPrabhakaran.
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee will receive the first copy of book CHARAIVETI,
CHARAIVETI from the Vice President of India, Mohd Hamid Ansari who will formally release it at
a function to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Writer and former actress Twinkle Khanna launched her second book The Legend of Lakshmi
Prasad in the presence of Shabana Azmi, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in Mumbai
Penguin India has acquired SunitaNarains Conflicts of Interest: My Journey through Indias Green
Movement, a personal account of one of Indias foremost environmentalist experts. The book
includes an environmental manifesto in which Narain lays out a blueprint for the direction India
must take, if it is to deal with the exigencies of climate change and environmental degradation.
An autobiography of NaliniSriharan, titled Rajiv Gandhi assasin, hidden truths, Priyanka meeting
Nalini was released on November 24, 2016 by MDMK founder Vaiko in Chennai in the presence of
304 | P a g e
various pro-Tamil leaders including VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan.The book has been compiled
and penned by journalist and writer Pa Ekalaivan.
IMPORTANT DAYS
31 October to 6 November, 2016.
Remember Day: Global Media and Information Literacy Week
Purpose : To share the latest research, projects and new ideas from a diverse range of stakeholders.
Theme: Media and Information Literacy: New Paradigms for Intercultural Dialogue.
Nov 1 2016
Remember Day: No Tobacco Day
Purpose : To reduce prevalence of tobacco or nicotine use in Punjab in order to reduce prevalence of non-
communicable diseases.
Organization: Punjab Government
Remember Day: World Vegan Day

Purpose : To raises awareness about animal rights and advocates the widespread adoption of a vegan
lifestyle.
Nov 2 2016
Remember Day: International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
Purpose : To end Impunity for crimes against journalists
Organization: UN
Nov 5 2016
Remember Day: First World Tsunami Awareness Day
Purpose : To raise tsunami awareness and share innovative approaches to risk reduction.
Organization: UN, UNISDR
Theme: Effective Education and Evacuation Drills
Nov 6 2016
Remember Day: International Day for Preventing Exploitation of Environment in War and Armed Conflict
Purpose : To educate people about the damaging effects of war and armed conflict on the environment.
Organization: UN
Nov 7 2016
Remember Day: National Cancer Awareness Day
Purpose : To save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about cancer
Organization: GOI
Remember Day: The 128th anniversary of Sir CV Raman

Organization: GOI
Nov 8 2016
Remember Day: International Day Of Radiology
Purpose : To marks the importance of radiology in diagnosis of severe diseases like cancer.
Organization: ESR, RSNA and ACR
Theme: Breast Imaging
305 | P a g e
Nov 10 2016
Remember Day: World Science Day for Peace and Development
Purpose : To mark the importance of science for the benefit of the society and to ensure that citizens are
aware of developments in science.
Theme: Celebrating Science Centres and Science Museums
Nov 11 2016
Remember Day: National Education day
Purpose : To commemorate the birth anniversary of freedom fighter and independent Indias first Education
Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
Organization: GOI
Nov 12 2016
Remember Day: World Pneumonia Day
Purpose : To generate awareness about the killer disease pneumonia.
Organization: IVAC, WHO
Theme: Keep the Promise, Stop Pneumonia Now
Remember Day: Public Service Broadcasting Day

Purpose : To remember the day when Mahatma Gandhi visited the studio of All India Radio, Delhi for the
first and last time
Organization: GOI
Nov 13 2016
Remember Day: World Kindness Day
Purpose : To encourages individuals to overlook boundaries, race and religion.
Nov 14 2016
Remember Day: Childrens Day
Purpose : To marks the birth date of the first Indian Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Organization: GOI
Remember Day: World Diabetes Day

Purpose : To raise awareness about diabetes
Organization: WHO, IDF
Theme: Eyes on Diabetes
Nov 16 2016
Remember Day: International Day for Tolerance
Purpose : To generate public awareness of the dangers of intolerance.
Remember Day: National Press Day(Golden Jubilee celebration of Press Council of India)
Purpose : To mark the day on which the Press Council of India started functioning
Organization: GOI
Nov 17 2016
Remember Day: World Philosophy Day (Third Thursday of November)
Purpose :To promote human thought, new ideas and critical thinking to confront todays challenges.
306 | P a g e
Nov 20 2016
Remember Day: Universal Childrens Day
Purpose : : To promote awareness in the society for international togetherness, awareness among children
worldwide, and improving childrens welfare.
Organization: UN
Theme: Stop Violence against the Children
Nov 21 2016
Remember Day: World Television Day
Purpose : To give recognition of the increasing impact television has had on decision-making by bringing
various conflicts and threats to peace and security to the worlds attention
Organization: UN
Remember Day: World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims(Third Sunday of November)
Purpose : To remember millions who were killed or injured in road crashes.
Organization: UN
Theme: Vital post-crash actions: Medical Care, Investigation, Justice!.
Nov 25 2016
Remember Day: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
Purpose : To raise awareness of the fact that women around the world
Organization: UN
Nov 26 2016
Remember Day: Constitution Day(Samvidhan Diva)
Purpose : To honor our Constitution and its promulgation.
Organization: GOI
Remember Day: National Milk day - 95th birth anniversary of Verghese Kurien
Purpose : To mark birth anniversary Father of the White Revolution Dr.Verghese Kurien
Organization: GOI
Nov 28 2016
Remember Day: 68th Raising Day of National Cadet Corps (NCC)
Organization: GOI
Nov 29 2016
Remember Day: International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
Purpose : To mark the anniversary of resolution 181.
Organization: UN
Current Affairs December 2016
INDIAN AFFAIRS
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the negotiating
position adopted by the Government of India at the 28th Meeting of Parties(MoP) to the Montreal
Protocol of the Vienna Convention for Protection of Ozone Layer that took place during 6-14
October, 2016, in Kigali, Rwanda. The negotiations at Kigali were aimed at including Hydrofluoro
Carbons (HFCs) in the list of chemicals under the Montreal Protocol to regulate their production and
consumption and phase them down over a period of time with financial assistance from the
307 | P a g e
Multilateral Fund created under the Montreal Protocol.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has approved a Central
Assistance of Rs. 2000 crore for 36,384 displaced families from Pakistan occupied areas of Jammu
&Kashmir (POJK) and Chhamb based on an announcement of Prime Ministers Development
Package for Jammu & Kashmir-2015 in November, 2015.
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the liberalisation,
simplification and rationalisation of the countrys visa regime to stimulate economic growth and ease
travel for foreigners.
The Union Cabinet approved inclusion of 15 new castes and modification in 13 other castes in the
Central list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs).The National Commission of Backward Classes
(NCBC) had recommended a total of 28 changes in respect of 8 states Assam, Bihar, Himachal
Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand.
The Union Cabinet has approved the Mumbai Urban Transport Project Phase-III.The estimated cost
of project is Rs.8679 crore with completion cost of Rs.10947 crore. The project is expected to be
completed in the next five years during 13th Five Year Plan period.
The Cabinet Committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 7, 2016, gave the
approval for the development of the Phase-I of the Rs 11,420 crore Pune metro rail project. The
project will cover a length of 31.254 km and consist of two corridors.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 7, 2016 gave the
approval to the reforms to boost employment generation and exports in the Made-ups Sector to
improve competitiveness and generate large scale dirct and indirect jobs in the textile sector through
labour reforms employing upto 11 lakh persons over the next three years in the made-ups sector.
The government approved provision of additional subsidy of 10 per cent to be given for made-
up garments through the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS).
The Cabinet also increased government funding for provident funds of new employees to boost
hiring.
The Pradhan Mantri Paridhan Rozgar Protsahan Yojana (PMPRPY) scheme has been extended in the
made-ups sector that will require additional 3.67 per cent share of employers contribution along with
earlier 8.33 per cent of the employers contribution for the first three years to every employee.
Government also simplified labour laws by increasing permissible overtime up to 100 hours per
quarter in made-up manufacturing sector.
The opening ceremony of the Uttar Pradesh governments Lucknow Metro Service was held
at Transport Nagar Metro depot, near Amausi airport in Lucknow. The trial run of the metro was
flagged off up to 8.5 km stretch Charbagh station by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his
father Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar launched a campaignVittiya
Saksharata Abhiyan (VISAKA) in New Delhi with all Higher Education Institutions at National
Informatics Centre (NIC) to make people aware about the cashless economic system.
To carry out the search operations for black money centre has clarified the exemption limits for
seizure of gold jewellery and ornaments. A reference to instruction No.1916 is also invited by the
Finance Ministry which provides that during the search operations, no seizure of gold jewellery and
ornaments to the extent of 500 grams per married lady, 250 grams per unmarried lady and 100 grams
per male member of the family shall be made.
Indian Railways has taken steps to make railway travel bookings digital and asked the State Bank of
India and ICICI Bank among others to provide around 15,000 point of sale (PoS) machines at
reservation counters.
Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan launched the Customer Awareness
Campaigns at Auto Care Centre, a flagship HPCL Retail Outlet at Niti Marg, New Delhi and also
at BPCL Outlet at Moti Bagh, New Delhi to promote digital transactions.
The Finance Ministry made it mandatory on December 5, 2016 for all Government Departments to
make Electronic Payments to suppliers, contractors or institutions if the order value exceeds Rs
5,000, to give a boost to Digital Payment System. To attain the goal of complete digitization of
308 | P a g e
government payments, the ministry has lowered the amount for making such payments from Rs
10,000 to Rs 5,000.
To encourage digital payments for day to day financial transactions without fear in the villages, the
NITI Aayog has taken an initiative to transfer Rs.5 lakh to each district to implement the move aimed
to give a boost to cashless digital payment systems across districts, talukas and panchayats.
Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar has given administrative approval for
implementation of the Rs 50-crore National Hydrology Project to be set up in the state with 100 per
cent assistance from the Centre.
The Haryana government made an official announcement on December 5, 2016 to ban carrying of
arms at wedding functions. The ban was imposed under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure
Code and as per an official release firing in the air is also an offence, which is punishable by six
months imprisonment.
Railway Ministry has come up with a decison to implement Aadhaar-based ticketing system for
senior citizens.The programme will be implemented in a two-phased manner.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched AP Purse mobile app in Vijayawada
to promote digital transaction among people. The application has 13 mobile banking and 10 mobile
wallet options. The application can be used to pay bills and carry out cashless transactions.
A training program has been organized by Election Commission of India on Election Management
of SAARC Countries, at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management
(IIIDEM) under the sponsorship of Union Ministry of External Affairs, Government of Indiato
conduct free, fair, peaceful and inclusive elections in the country.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on launched Haritha Keralam Mission
in Thiruvananthapuram on December 8, 2016 to clear and remove waste from all the water bodies in
the state, ensure disposal of solid waste and removal of waste water and measures to increase the area
of land under cultivation.
The Lifeline Express, worlds first hospital train was equipped with two new coaches in addition to
the existing five on December 8, 2016. The new coaches were inaugurated by the Union health
minister JP Nadda and railways minister Suresh Prabhu.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu launched a website of National Rail Plan, 2030 (NRP-
2030) on December 8, 2016 Rail Bhawan, New Delhi to develop the Indian Railways in terms of
service in travelling and freight across the country. The website is available for access
at http://www.nationalrailplan.in.
To promote digital transaction in the country, Union Government announced various incentives on
December 8, 2016, in New Delhi which will be effective from January 1, 2017.Following 11
incentive measures were announced by the Finance Minister Which includes discount of 0.75 % on
petrol and diesel by the petroleum companies and various other measures.
Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar flagged
off a special train, Gita Jayanti train from Kurukshetra Railway Station as a part of Gita Mahotsav
which is being held in the state.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on December 7, 2016 announced its
decision to ban the use of newspapers for wrapping or packing of food items. Printing inks used in
newspaper contains bioactive materials, harmful colors and other hazardous items that may affect the
health of common people.
The Hazrat Nizamuddin-Visakhapatnam train is renamed as Vizag Steel Samta Express to promote
its brand Vizag Steel which was flagged off at Nizamuddin station by Mr. Prabhu and Mr. Singh in
the presence of RINL Chairman-cum-Managing Director P. Madhusudan. The Samata Express or
Samta Express is a Super Fast Express train plying between Visakhapatnamand Hazrat Nizamuddin
near New Delhi.
The Ministry of Electronics and IT, led by Shri Ravishankar Prasad, launched a campaign, Digi
Dhan Abhiyan, on December 9, 2016, to promote awareness about cashless transactions. As a part
of the campaign, the IT Minister also launched a free to air TV Channel named DigiShala that will
educate the rural people about digital payment by demonstrating the various payment mode such as
UPI, USSD, Aadhar Enabled Payment System, E-Wallets, Card, etc.
309 | P a g e
The Rajasthan High Court on December 9, 2016, cancelled the Rajasthan Special Backward Classes
(SBC) reservation Act 2015 that allowed for 5% quota to Gujjars and five other communities of the
state.
The First India-China Think-Tanks Forum which started on December 9, 2016, concluded in New
Delhi on December 10, 2016. The forum was based on the theme Towards a Closer India-China
Developmental Partnership.
The 2016 India International Science festival (IISF) was organized at CSIR-National Physical
Laboratory (NPL) Campus in New Delhi from December 7 -11 by the Department of Biotechnology
and Ministry of Science & Technology. The theme of the festival was Science for the masses.
In order to promote Digital Transaction after demonetization of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 currency note,
the Indian Railways has started to give free accidental insurance coverto the passengers who booked
their tickets through online mode, from December 10, 2016. The move was implemented after,
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced a free accident insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh for
passengers who buy railway tickets online, to promote the cashless transaction.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched Narmada Seva Yatra at
Amarkantak on December 11, 2016. The five months long Yatra which will continue till May 11,
2017 aims to turn the Narmada river pollution free.
President Pranab Mukherjee on the occasion of his 81st birthday on December 11, 2016 inaugurated
a museum for vintage tapestries and carpets in the Marble Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav led Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved the recommendations of
the Seventh Pay Commission on December 13, 2016.The pay hike will be applicable from January 1,
2017.
The Union Cabinet on December 14, 2016, gave its ex-post facto approval to Indias approach
to Climate Change Negotiations at the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), held in Marrakesh, Morocco on November 7-
18, 2016.
Cabinet Approves Replacing Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 by the Major Port Authorities Bill,
2016. The number of sections in the new Bill has been reduced to 65 from 134 by eliminating
overlapping and obsolete Sections compared to the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, which aims at securing and enhancing the rights
and entitlements of disabled persons was passed with amendments in the Rajya Sabha on December
14, 2016. The Bill states that any individuals suffering from at least 40 per cent of a disability will be
defined as Person with Disability and will be entitled to get the benefits like reservations in education
and employment, preference in government schemes and others.The 1995 Act provided only 3 per
cent reservation for the disabled in higher education institutions and government jobs, 1% each for
the physically, visually and hearing-impaired persons but the 2014 Bill has raised the limit to 5 per
cent by adding 1 per cent each for mental illnesses and multiple disabilities.
A ban was imposed by the National Green Tribunal on December 14, 2016 on the procurement, sale
and use of glass powder coated manja and other dangerous strings for flying kites.
Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal, on December 14, 2016, inaugurated a solar battery
station and a community development centre at Bindhakata Tengapukhuri village in Dibrugarh.
Centre sanctions Rs 30 crore for 21 states and union territories under the Solar Cities Development
Programme.
The Government announced that it has extended the facility of e-Tourist Visa for citizens of 161
countries. The number of foreign tourist arrivals on e-Tourist Visa (e-TV) during January to
November 2016 was 9,17,446, registering a growth of 168.5 per cent over same period of 2015.
The Supreme Court on December 15, 2016, passed an order to ban all liquor shops on national as
well as state highways across the country as a measure to control the road mishaps that takes place
every year.
Cabinet Approves 100% Disinvestment of Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd based in New Delhi. At
present, the Centre owns 51 percent stake in Pawan Hans, which was incorporated in 1985. Pawan
Hans is a joint venture between the Central government and state-owned ONGC, having a fleet size
of 46 helicopters.
310 | P a g e
The Gujarat government on December 15, 2016, approved an order to ban hookah bars across the
state. The decision was taken at a meeting of the State Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Vijay
Rupani.The state was informed that the penalty for running the bar would be imprisonment of 1-3
years and fine between Rs Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 50,000.
Gujarat government on December 15, 2016, proposed an order to take more strict action against
bootleggers, tipplers and unscrupulous officials who help criminals in escaping from situations of
raids on liquor dens in the prohibited area.
Indian Railways new train, Humsafar Express, was flagged off from Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar
Pradesh by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu via video conferencing in Rail Bhawan, New Delhi on
December 16, 2016.
In a move to boost Swachh Bharat mission started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central
government has planned to deploy around 600 young professionals in each district of India. The
professionals will be called Zila Swachh Bharat Preraks (ZSBPs).
Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh inaugurated two new districts Pherzawl and Noney on
December 16, 2016.Now, the total number of district is 11.
The Union Environment minister, Anil Madhav Dave, on December 16, 2016, announced the
notification of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2016. As per the rules, it will
be mandatory for all pet shop owners to register themselves with the State Animal Welfare Board of
the respective State Government. Such a registration will only happen after inspection by the
representatives of State Board, a veterinary practitioner and a representative of Society for
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The Supreme Court on December 16, 2016, passed an order that stated that the state governments
can impose property tax on mobile towers as the tax was not on the use of the plant and machinery
but on the land and building.
The Union government has decided to launch a toll-free number 1955 in order to take a feedback
from the telecom subscribers on call drop issue. The code has been allotted for Interactive Voice
Response System (IVRS) on call drops.
Centre has announced Rs 207 crore project for protection and development of worlds biggest river
island Majuli, located along river Brahmaputra in Assam.
Union Cabinet Approves Ordinance to amend Payment of Wages Act, 1936to empower states and
enable industries to pay wages by cheque or by direct credit into bank accounts of workers earning
up to Rs. 18,000 a month, without taking their explicit consent.
The cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) gave its approval for doubling of Rajpura-
Bhatinda railway line at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,251.25 crore.
The Union Cabinet on December 21, approved the sale of part of surplus and vacant land of
87.70 acres at Pimpri in Pune, Maharashtra to meet Rs. 821.17 crore net liabilities of Hindustan
Antibiotics Ltd (HAL).
Hindustan Antibiotics Limited, based in Pimpri, India, is the first public sector drug manufacturing
companies set up by the Government of India. It was the first company in India to launch a
recombinant DNA product, rHU-Erythropoietin in 1993.
The elite counter-terror force, National Security guard (NSG) may participate in the Republic
Day celebrations on January 26, 2017 at Rajpath for the first time in the history.
The union government will soon set up a toll-free number 10588 to provide relevant information and
guidance directly to the pregnant women.
Vijay Rupani lead Gujarat government announced Aerospace and Defence Policy-2016 on December
21, 2016.
CBSEs governing body has unanimously approved a proposal on December 20, 2016, to make
Board exams for Class X compulsory for all CBSE schools from the academic session 2017-18.
Currently, it is optional for CBSE students to choose either the Board exam or a school-based
examination.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis while addressing the concluding-session of Kunbi
Mahotsav at Shahapur in the Thane district of the state on December 20, announced that a separate
ministry would be created for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) which would be headed by
311 | P a g e
an independent minister.
To promote cashless transaction in the state, the Haryana government on December 21, 2016,
issued petro cards to drivers working with the state government for cashless payments of fuel. The
government has shortlisted two companies for this purpose: Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat
Petroleum.
The Ministry of Textiles has planned to set up a BunkarMitra-Handloom Helpline Centre where
professional experts would solve the queries of the weavers.
Indo Tibetan Border Police to procure local yaks and ponies to sustain troops at Indo-China Frontier
In an attempt to seek the favour of the backward castes ahead of Assembly polls in 2017, the Uttar
Pradesh state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister AkhileshYadav passed a resolution to include 17
sub-castes of Other Backward Castes (OBCs) into the Scheduled Castes (SC) category.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council headed by Finance Minister ArunJaitley, approved the
primary drafts of Central GST and State GST laws on December 23 at the 7th meeting of GST
Council in New Delhi.Under GST, the states and the Centre will collect identical rates of taxes on
goods and services. For instance, if 18 percent is the GST rate on a good, the states and the Centre
will get 9 percent each called the CGST and SGST rates.
President Pranab Mukherjee on December 22 approved re-promulgation of The Enemy Property
(Amendment) Fifth Ordinance for the fifth time in a year but at the same time expressed his
displeasure to the centre over using this route repeatedly for promulgating law.
A new set of rules were announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on December 23,
2016, to streamline, liberalise and ease the process of issue of passport to benefit the citizens of India
applying for a passport.The total number of Annexes prescribed in the Passport Rule, 1980, has been
reduced to 9 from the present 15.
Performance on Health Outcomes index has been launched by the government think-tank NITI
Aayog along with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on December 23, 2016 to encourage states
to take transformative action in the Health sector. The index will rank the states on the basis of their
performance on measurable health indicators.
The state government of Karnataka has removed restrictions on allowing women to work in night
shifts in all sectors in a move to provide equal opportunities for women in all sectors.The Shops and
Commercial Establishments Act, 1961 and the Factories Act 1948 have been amended to make
provision for women to work in night shift.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on December 23 launched a live customer service resolution
platform, Twitter Seva, to provide speedy resolution to visa and passport queries of the customers.
Chhattisgarh CM dedicates countrys first cashless bazaar to people in Raipur. This Smart bazaar
consist of nearly Over 900 shops which are providing the facilities of cashless payments using POS,
UPI and other digital systems to its customers.
The 12-foot-tall stone statue of renowned Tamil poet and philosopher-saint Thiruvalluvar was
inaugurated at Mela Bhawan premises in Haridwar, Uttarakhand by Chief minister Harish Rawat on
December 19, 2016.
The Madras High Court on December 19, 2016 declared a ban on all unauthorised Sharia
courts functioning on premises of mosques in Tamil Nadu, to safeguard the interests of a large
number of innocent Muslims whose fate was being decided by such illegal Sharia courts and councils
in the state.
The ninth edition of World Confluence of Humanity, Power and Spirituality,organised
by ASSOCHAM in association with Srei Foundation and Times Foundation was held in New Delhi
from December 16- December 17, 2016. The theme of the convention was Sach Bharat: Spirituality
at Work
To conform with the concept of Skill India Campaign, and make India the Skill Capital of the
World, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid down the foundation stone of the first ever Indian
Institute of Skills at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh on December 19, 2016, which would empower the
youths to be more employable and self-sustainable.
The Prime Minister also announced the launch of 31 Pradhan MantriKaushalKendras (PMKKs)
and KaushalPradarshini (Skill Exhibition) for the youth of Uttar Pradesh.
312 | P a g e
The Centre has planned to set up a single, permanent Tribunal to adjudicate all Inter-State River
Water Disputes, subsuming existing tribunals, to resolve grievances of states in a speedy manner.
The Center is planning to merge Cyber Appellate Tribunal (CyAT) with the Telecom Disputes
Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to avoid identical functions.
Union Environment Ministry has approved Rs. 40 crore proposal of Puducherry government, to treat
water from Ousterilake, a major water body in puducherry, and supply it to meet the water
requirements in Puducherry and Oulgaret Municipal limits.
The Supreme Court rejected the Jammu and Kashmir High Courts claim that the states sovereignty
cannot be challenged or altered, stating that the state has no vestige of sovereignty outside the
Constitution of India.
Himachal Pradesh has become the sixth state in the country to achieve 100 percent Aadhar
saturation based on population data collected till 2015 in the state. The Aadhar number was
generated for 72, 52,880 residents in the state. An official of IT department informed on December
17, 2016.The five states which already have achieved 100 percent Aadhar saturation are Delhi,
Telangana, Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh.
After launching free-to-air channel DigiShala and CashlessIndia website, the government is now
set to launch a Cash Mukt Bharat AbhiyanHelpine number to educate people about digital
transactions. A nationwide toll-free helpline number 14444 will be launched soon to educate people
and provide support related to cashless mode of transactions.
The three-day Judima Festival begin at Haflong in Assam on December 18, 2016.The festival seeks
to establish the only hill station of Assam, Haflong into the tourism map of the Northeast.
AYUSH Ministry headed by ShripadYassoNaik has launched SwasthyaRakshan Program to promote
health and health education in villages.
Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh inaugurated the states first Cyber Crime Police Station was
inaugurated at the state police headquarters, Shimla.
The Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan launched a mobile App Smart Consumer and
an Online Consumer Mediation Centre (OCMC) to provide speedy redressal of consumer
grievances in New Delhi on the occasion of National Consumer Day on December 24, 2016. He also
launched the Microsite based on the theme Digitally Safe Consumer Campaign to help consumers for
being vigilant and not falling prey to cyber frauds.
The Supreme Court on December 9, 2016, modified its order of November 30 to exempt physically
handicapped persons from standing up in cinema halls when the national anthem is played before
film screenings.
The Supreme Court given its approval to the Centres Graded Response Action Plan to tackle
different levels of pollution in Delhi-NCR. A bench headed by Chief Justice T S
Thakur and Justice A K Sikri & Justice S A Bobde has also directed the Central Pollution Control
Board (CPCB) to upgrade its existing infrastructure and set up additional monitoring stations in
Delhi-NCR within six months.
The Supreme Court has ruled that horse racing as such is not animal cruelty. A Bench of
Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, issued a notice to the Rajasthan government on a
petition challenging a High Court order banning Tonga Races in the State, observing that Horse
racing as such is not cruelty, but tonga races on metal roads are.
The Delhi High Court on December 1, 2016 agreed with pharmaceutical companies to set aside the
ban on 344 fixed dose combination (FDC) drugs like Corex cough syrup, Vicks Action 500 extra
and DCold. The FDC is banned under Section 26A (Power to Prohibit Manufacture of Drugs and
Cosmetics in Public Interest) of Drugs and Cosmetics Act,
The Allahabad high court on December 7, 2016, passed an order, over the Islamic practice of
divorcing a woman by saying the word talaq three successive times, that it is completely
unconstitutional and violates the rights of Muslim Women.
Uttarakhand High Court on December 8, 2016 directed the State Government to impose complete
ban on liquor in three districts namely, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, where Chardham is
located, from next financial year to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living in the
society.
313 | P a g e
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the Nation on December 31, 2016, on the New
Years Eve, In his address to the nation, PM Modi also made a series of announcements aimed at the
welfare of the entire Citizen of the Country with main focus on the senior citizens, farmers, rural
housing, women and small entrepreneurs to lighten the burden of demonetization.
Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani launched Indias first laser technology-based advanced AVMS
RTO check-post and also laid foundation stones of various developmental works worth Rs 30 crore
at Shamlaji of Aravalli district in Gujarat.
China announced a plan to ban all ivory trade and processing activities by the end of 2017, to prevent
the mass killing and threat of extinction of African elephants.
The Centre released Rs 1,982 crore for the multipurpose Polavaram irrigation project in Andhra
Pradesh .The funding is being done through NABARD, which has now started funding irrigation
projects. NABARD sanctioned the long term irrigation fund under Prime Minister Krishi Sinchayee
Yojana. Mr Jaitley also handed over cheques for Rs 463 crore rupees to Gujarat and Rs 756 crore
rupees to Maharashtra for state projects.
Centre releases special stamp on freedom fighters & Hardayal Municipal Heritage Public Library
The registration fees for Hindus and other minority community people from three neighboring
countries comprising Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, to register as Indian citizens have been
reduced drastically to Rs 100 from Rs 15,000.
The State Government of Odisha has decided to launch a new malaria control programme, Durgama
Anchalare Malaria Nirakaran (DAMAN), to control malaria in inaccessible areas, with a total
spending of 120 crore rupees for five years.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Char Dham Mahamarg Vikas
Pariyojna in Uttarakhands Dehradun on December 27, 2016. The Prime Minister also addressed a
public rally at the citys Parade Ground.The total cost of the project is estimated to be Rs. 12000. The
entire project is likely to be completed by 2018.
Gujarat government lead by Vijay Rupani introduced the Biotechnology Policy-2016 to establish
Gujarat as a preferred destination for manufacturing of biotechnology products.
Ministry of Shipping Inaugurates Sagarmala Development Companys office in New Delhi to
promote port-led development.
The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) gave its approval for the Ken-Betwa inter-linking of rivers
(ILR) project which will benefit Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in terms of meeting irrigation,
drinking water and electricity needs of people across six districts in the two states. The project
worth Rs 9,000 crore had got the Union Cabinet clearance in July 2014 but work could not begin
since it required clearance from the NBWL who were opposing the project citing its impact on tiger
reserve and wildlife sanctuaries.
The Cabinet on December 28, approved promulgation of an ordinance to make possession of a large
number of scrapped banknotes a penal offence beyond March 31, imposing a penalty and a possible
jail term.As per the ordinance holding of old Rs. 1,000 and 500 notes in excess of 10 notes after
March 31st will attract suitable monetary fine along with a jail term of up to 4 years in certain cases.
However, the detail of the penal provision is still awaited.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
December 28, 2016, approved a Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely Road Connectivity Project for
Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Affected Areas to improve the rural road connectivity in the worst
LWE affected districts from security angle.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on December 28, gave its ex
post facto approval to the proposal of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy for ratification of
the International Solar Alliances (ISA) Framework Agreement by India.
The Centre has approved the re-designation of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project
Implementation Trust Fund as National Industrial Corridor Development & Implementation Trust
(NICDIT).
The Ministry of Urban Development has approved the Annual Action Plan of Delhi for 2016-
17 under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. It has
approved an investment of Rs 266 crore for improving water supply and sewerage networks.
314 | P a g e
The State Government of Maharashtra on December 27, 2016, decided to create a new ministry for
welfare of Vimukta Jati and Nomadic Tribes (VJNT) OBCs and Special Backward classes.
The Kerala State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) under chairmanship of CM Pinarayi Vijayan held a
meeting on December 27 to decide over a proposal of using antlers of spotted deer and sambar for
Ayurveda medicines.
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, laid the foundation stone for Film Television and
Liberal Arts Institute on December 27 in Lucknow. A token amount of Rs 10 crore has been allotted
by the state government for the institute and 14 acres has been allotted for the institute under Awadh
Vihar Yojna near Lucknow Haat on Shaheed Path.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development is setting up a new Regional Institute of Education
(NIE) at Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. HRD Minister, Shri Prakash Javadekar laid down the foundation
stone on December 27 jointly with Shri. M. Venkaiah Naidu, the Union Urban Development
Minister.
The Union Government launched an initiative, Swachh Swasth Sarvatra, on December 29, 2016, to
strengthen health centers in open defecation-free blocks. The initiative was launched by the Union
Health Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and Human
Resource Development.
Bihar government approved an overall reservation of 50% in both, subordinate and superior judicial
services, in the state after consulting with Bihar Public Service Commission and Patna High Court.
The State Government of Andhra Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian
Railways on December 30, 2016, for setting up a Joint Venture for taking up major Rail Projects in
the state.
The Centre has sanctioned Rs. 200 crores to the Tirupur Dyeing Industry in Tamil Nadu on
December 28, 2016, which was on the verge of closure due to severe financial crisis as a result of
their huge investments in the first ever Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) projects in the country.
The Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) of IAF at Tuting, which had been abandoned after the 1962-
India-China war has once again become operational.
A Committee appointed by the Government has suggested the Union Government to set up
a Financial Data Management Centre (FDMC) for managing the repository of financial regulatory
data to ensure stability in the economy. The head of the Committee, Ajay Tyagi (additional secretary
in finance ministry), submitted the report and a draft bill titled The Financial Data Management
Centre Bill 2016 in this regard.
Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti launched School Management
Information System (SMIS) on December 30, 2016, to provide a complete database of all
the government schools spread across the state.
The President of India Pranab Mukherjee approved the promulgation of the Specified Bank
Notes (Cessation of Liabilities) Ordinance, 2016 on 30th December, 2016. According to the
Ordinance, holding of old 1,000 and 500 rupee notes after 31st of March 2017 will considered as an
offence and attract a fine of Rs. 10,000 or 5 times the cash held, whichever is higher. Also not more
than 10 notes of demonetized currency can be held after December 30.
Madhya Pradesh has plan to develop 1,100 climate-smart villages n a period of next 6 years to
prepare farmers to manage the climate change risks timely and ensure good productivity said by state
Farmer Welfare & Agriculture Development Department Principal Secretary Dr Rajesh Rajora
PLACES IN NEWS
Himachal Pradesh, Governor Acharya Devvrat has directed the Raj Bhawan staff in Shimla to adopt
cashless system or cheque in all kind of payments to ensure that all transactions are made online.
The 10-day long Hornbill Festival began at the Naga Heritage village Kisama on December 1, 2016,
which is coinciding with the Statehood Day of Nagaland to revive, protect and preserve the richness
and uniqueness of the Naga heritage.
Dhasai village in Thane district of Maharashtra has become the first cashless villagein the state on
December 2, 2016.
315 | P a g e
The 10-days Tripitak Sutrapath Mahotasava has begin at Bodhgaya in Bihar on December 2, 2016. It
will end on December 11, 2016.
In order to promote eco-tourism in Uttar Pradesh and to declare it as an international bird watching
destination, UP Eco-tourism has organized a three-day international festival on birds from 2nd to 4th
December 2016 at the National Chambal Sanctuary in the Bah tehsil, Agra.
Hailakandi has become the first district in Assam to pay wages to Tea Garden Workersthrough
individual bank accounts before the December 15 deadline set by the state government for cashless
transactions to the plantation workers.
President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the first ever International Gita
Mahotsav at The Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra, Haryana on December 6, 2016.
Larsen & Turbo (L&T) has bagged a contract from Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) to make Sardar
Patel Cricket Stadium of Gujarat the worlds biggest cricket stadium in terms of seating capacity.
Melbourne Cricket Ground has a seating capacity of 100,024 people while the renovated Sardar Patel
Stadium will have 1,10,000 seats as against 54,000seats.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan on December 10, 2016, inaugurated the
programme to distribute Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojna claim worth 4 thousand 416 crore
rupees to 20 lakh 46 thousand farmers of the state from Ujjain district.
Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti flagged off fortnightly special train Vaadi ki sair (Tour of
the Valley) on December 11, 2016, for children that will run between Banihal to Baramulla.
The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, attended a programme organized by
the Banaskantha Cooperative Milk Producers Union (Banas Dairy) at Deesa in Gujarat on December
10, 2016 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee year of the Dairy.
The Punjab government launched first of its kind, amphibious bus project Harike Cruise at the
Harike wetland near Amritsar on December 12, 2016, almost after two years of announcing the launch.
Assam government has initiated a project on December 14, 2016, to make river island Majuli the
countrys first ever Carbon Neutral district by 2020.The project titled Sustainable Action for Climate
Resilient Development in Majuli.
Serendipity, Indias first interdisciplinary arts festival, kicked off in the capital of Goa, Panaji on
December 16, 2016.
Haryana on December 14, 2016 adopted the Mahila Police Volunteer initiative which is a joint
initiative with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. It became the first state to adopt the scheme in
two of its districts namely Karnal and Mahindergarh.
Sahaj International School will be the first residential transgender school in the country. The school to
be inaugurated with 10 transgenders by transgender rights activist and artist Kalki Subramaniam
in Kochi on December 30, 2016
The Thal Favang Kut festival of Mizoram, which marks the completion of weeding of the farmland
by cultivators in the state, was held in Aizawl with enthusiasm and fervor from December 15-17, 2016
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah formally launched the state's first air ambulance H130
helicopters at HAL Airport in Bengaluru on December 16, 2016.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stone for Pt Mohan Malviya Cancer Centre and a 150-
bed ESIC super speciality hospital in his LokSabha constituency, Varanasi on December 22, 201Prime
Minister Narendra Modi was on a-day-long visit to Maharashtra on December 24, 2016, where he laid
the foundation stone of Shiv Smarak, the grand memorial of Maratha warrior
king Chhatrapati ShivajiMaharaj in the Arabian Sea off Mumbai coast.The Shivaji memorial is
proposed to be build on around 15-hectare Island with as high as 192 metres tall statue of the iconic
Maratha king.PM also laid the foundation stone of Mumbai Metro Projects & Pune Metro Rail Project.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) in
Mumbai.
The Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), a Central Government Public Sector
Undertaking, is setting up Indias first 2G (Second Generation) ethanol bio-refinery at
village Tarkhanwala in Bathinda, Punjab.
Sikkim has emerges as the Indias first fully organic state by converting around 75,000 hectares of
316 | P a g e
agricultural land into sustainable cultivation.

Mori village under Sakhinetipalli mandal in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh placed on
Indias digital map by transforming completely into a Smart Digital Village said by Andhra Pradesh
CM Chandrababu Naidu. Mori has bagged the Swachh Village award recently at the national level.
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has launched 25 bio-diesel buses on
December 25, to reduce pollution level emitted by diesel buses. 25 luxury multi-axle Scania
buses were flagged off by the state Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy at the KSRTC depot.
In order to promote cashless economy, the state government of Haryana organized the countrys
first Digi Dhan Mela in the Gurugram, Haryana on December 26, 2016 post demonitization. The
centre has planned to organise as many as 100 such melas throughout the country up to April 14, 2017
for educating the people.
Haryana Government has decided to set up a pilot corridor for an innovative concept of Caterpillar
Train that will fly over citys traffic, in Gurgaon city. The concept of Caterpillar Train, also known
as C-Train, was co-developed by an Indian Railways engineer Ashwani Kumar Upadhyaya along
with Emil Jacob, both PhD scholars at MIT, for which they won a global award at the MIT in the
United States earlier in 2016 for this innovative idea.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated the Digital Investigation, Training and
Analysis Centre (DIATC) on December 28 at a function at Gurugram to boost the state polices
capabilities to solve cyber crime cases.
FOREIGN VISITS
Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Abdullah on His Two Day Visit to India
Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani arrived in New Delhi on
December 2, 2016 on a two day visit to India to hold discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of common interest.
During the visit, India and Qatar signed 5 agreements
1. Visa-free travel between the two countries that allows holders of diplomatic, special and official
passports.
2. Cyberspace-technical cooperation in cyber space and combating cyber crime was signed between the
Ministry of Home Affairs of India and the Ministry of Interior of Qatar.
3. Investment-A MoU was also signed between Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy
of Qatar and Confederation of Indian Industry.
4. The MoU will provide a framework for project experts for Indian companies in Qatar, including
participation in infrastructure projects in Qatar undertaken for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
5. Another MoU was signed for encouraging greater collaboration and exchange in the field of national
ports management.
Manohar Parikar Arrived Bangladesh on Two-Day Visit for Defence Ties
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on November 30, 2016 arrived in Dhaka on a two-day visit
to Bangladesh to meet the top civil and military leadership to strengthen defence ties between the
two countries.
Parrikars Visit aimed to deepen security ties and Boost up a Defence Cooperation Agreement that is
likely to be signed when Hasina visits India in December.
President of Indonesia, Joko Widodoi Visit India
This was the first visit of President Joko Widodo to India after coming to power in October 2014.
India and Indonesia signed three agreements in various areas to enhance strategic partnership.
i.MoU on Youth Affairs and Sports Cooperation.
ii.MoU on Standardization Cooperation.
iii.Joint Communiqu on on Ilegal and Unauthorised Fishing.
To improve direct connectivity between India and Indonesia, Indonesian airlines Garuda Indonesia,
commenced direct flights from Jakarta to Mumbai on December 12, 2016.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on 3 Day Visit to Mauritius
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was on a three days visit to Mauritius from December 10 to
317 | P a g e
December 12, 2016 to strengthen close political and bilateral strategic ties between the two countries.
During the visit Defence Minister will commission a fast patrol vessel, CGS Victory,for the Coast
Guard of Mauritius and hand over two upgraded Cheetah helicopters to the local police of the
country.
Parrikar will also board INS Darshak which is a hydrographic survey ship of the Indian navy and at
present is in Mauritian waters.
Kyrgyzstan Presidents Almazbek Sharshenovich Atambayev 4-day visit to India
This was Atambayevs first visit to India after being appointed as the President.India and Kyrgyzstan signs
six Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs)
1. Cooperation in the field of Tourism
2. Cooperation in the field of Youth exchange
3. Cooperation in the field of Youth development
4. Cooperation between the Foreign Service Institute and the Diplomatic Academy of the Kyrgyz
Republic for exchange of information on training programmes of diplomats.
5. Cooperation in the field of Agriculture and Food Industry
6. Cooperation in the field of Broadcasting and exchange of audiovisual programmes.
Tajikistan Presidents 5 Day Visit to India
President of Tajikistan EmomaliRahmon was on a five-day visit to India from December 14-18, 2016.
4 agreements signed between India and Tajikistan
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on cooperation in the exchange of financial
intelligence related to money laundering, related crimes and financing of terrorism.
The two sides signed a protocol amending avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal
evasion.
Another MoU was signed regarding cooperation on broadcasting in exchange of audio-visual
programmes.The two sides also signed a document on bilateral investment treaty.
China and Pakistan launched the direct rail & sea freight service between Kunming and Karachi as a
part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project (CPEC) which was launched in 2015. The first
cargo train loaded with 500 tonnes of commodities left Kunming, capital of Yunnan, an inland
province in south-west China departed for Karachi
British scientists gave green signal to the use of three-parent baby fertility treatments, thus becoming
the first in the world to officially introduce the procedures.
64 year old Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn has become the king of Thailand, on December 1,
2016, 50 days after the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. He will succeed his father, King
Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned for 70 years, from 1946, through 10 military coups and dozens of
prime ministers, until his death Oct. 13 at 88.
Emirates on December 1, 2016, launched the worlds shortest scheduled service on an Airbus A380,
flying it from Dubai to Doha within 80 minutes and 70 minutes in return journey.
The South American nations has suspended Venezuela on December 2, 2016 from the Mercosur trade
bloc for violating the blocs democratic principles and failing to meet its basic standards.
India on December 7, 2016, has pledged to contribute USD 1.25 million to the United Nations Relief
and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), PK-661 flight which was carrying 48 passengers including 5
crew member and one ground engineer, crashed on the way to Islamabad from Chitral on December 7,
2016.
The worlds longest rail tunnel, Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT), began operating on regular basis in
Switzerland, on December 11, 2016, to provide service to the passengers.The 57 km GBT took 17
years to build at a cost of over 12 billion Swiss francs ($11.8 billion, 11.2 billion euros).
India is looking forward to provide Tsunami Early Warning-System to South China Sea (SCS)
countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Philippines as a part of a soft-diplomacy effort. The warning
318 | P a g e
system has been developed by the scientists at Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services
(INCOIS) and uses mathematical modelling to estimate if an earthquake, in Indias oceanic
neighbourhood, will result in a tsunami.
India will contribute $500,000 to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for the year
2016-17 announced by Indian diplomat Anjani Kumar a counsellor at Indias UN Mission at the
pledging session held at UN. 29 countries promised contributions totalling $273 million to the CERF
and till now 50 countries provided its fund to CREF
The Marvelous City or Rio de Janeiro officially entered into the UNs list of world heritage
sites while UNESCO status was announced in 2012 in recognition of its soaring granite cliffs, urban
rainforest and beaches.
Labour Minister of Qatar, Issa bin Saad al-Jafali al-Nuaimi on December 13, 2016, formally
announced the end of its controversial kafala system, which was the biggest ever labour reform in
Qatar.
The World Bank has paused the Indus Waters Treaty processes initiated by India and Pakistan to allow
the two countries to consider alternative ways to resolve their disagreements.It was announced
by Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon.
Navy of China has seized an Underwater drone of US Navy on 15 December 2016 from northwest
of Subic Bay which is an extension of South China Sea. The unmanned underwater vehicle
(UUV) drone that the Chinese Navy has seized had to return to USNS Bowditch (an oceanographic
survey ship). But before that it was seized.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has given one year extension to the Peacekeeping
mission of South Sudan. The UN adopted Resolution 2326 (2016) unanimously.
A political term Brexit, YouTuber, glam-ma, tombstoning and rag-doll are among the 500 new
words added in the Oxford English Dictionary which is updated four times a year in March, June,
September and December.
President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani on December 19, 2016, unveiled a landmark bill of
rights, guaranteeing freedom of speech, protest, fair trials and privacy for the citizens of the nation.
The United Nations Security Council on December 19, 2016, unanimously approved a resolution to
deploy UN observers to the Syrian city of Aleppo. The observers would be carrying out adequate,
neutral monitoring and direct observation on evacuations from eastern Aleppo and the safety of
civilians who remain in the Syrian city.
Hong Kong has decided to withdraw visa-free facility for Indians. Indians can enter with a valid
passport for a period up to 14 days without a visa.
The government of Japan approved a 1.4 percent increase in military spending on December 22, 2016
in order to counter the military power of North Korea and China. With this the total military budget of
Japan has now reached a record level of $43.6 billion or 5.13 trillion Japanese Yen for the year starting
April 1.
The worlds first solar panel road was inaugurated in a small town of Normandy village of
France. The 1-km (0.6 mile) project was funded by the French Ministry of the Environment to test
whether solar panels can be implemented effectively at a large scale.
Frances airspace regulator, General Directorate for Civil Aviation, has approved the plan to
launch drone delivery program, making France the worlds first national postal service to use drones
regularly.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on December 23, 2016 informed that a prototype vaccine
for Ebola may be up to 100 percent effective in protecting against the deadly virus. The new vaccine
was initially developed in Canada by public health authorities before being taken over by
pharmaceutical giant Merck.
India has been ranked 4th in the Global Wind Power Installed Capacity index after China, USA and
Germany with cumulative installed wind power generation capacity of 28,279 MW in 2016.
India has signed an Open Skies Agreement with six countries at the International Civil Aviation
Negotiations (ICAN), 2016 which were held in Nassau, Bahamas from December 5-9, 2016. Open
Skies Agreement was signed with Jamaica, Guyana, Czech Republic, Finland, Spain and Sri Lanka to
319 | P a g e
allows unlimited number of flights to six metro airports namely Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata,
Bengaluru and Chennai.
As per a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) survey of 33 countries, the
developing African nation is developing a deadly lifestyle disease owing to modern city life and bad
habits.
The five day India-Nepal Folk Crafts Festival (INCF-2016) begins in Kathmandu, Nepal on December
19, 2016 to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries.
The British Library is set to digitize 4,000 early printed Bengali books amounting to more than
800,000 pages as a part of a project under the UK India Year of Culture plans for 2017.
A 2,700-square-meter skating space has recently opened at the Grand Palais in Paris, France. It is
the worlds largest non-permanent indoor ice rink.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on December 23, 2016, passed a resolution
demanding Israel to stop building settlements on occupied Palestinian territory.It states that Israeli
settlements have no legal validity and are dangerously imperiling the viability of the two-state
solution.
China on December 25, 2016, passed a new law to levy environment tax on polluters, especially on
heavy industries.The environment tax law was adopted by the legislature, the National Peoples
Congress (NPC) standing committee at a meeting in Beijing. The law will be implemented on January
1, 2018.
A Russian plane on its way to Syria with 92 people onboard, including members of the world-famous
Russian army choir, crashed into the Black Sea on December 25, minutes after taking off. The Tu-
154 plane crashed shortly after taking off from the southern city of Adler, south of the Black Sea resort
city of Sochi. The plane was conducting a routine flight to Russias Hmeimim airbase outside the
coastal Syrian city of Latakia.
As per the report of Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations 2008-2015 released
by Congressional Research Service (CRS), India has emerged as the second largest purchaser of
arms among developing nations after Saudi Arabia.
China has started the operations of the longest east-west high-speed railway, which connects eastern
coast to the less-developed southwestern part of the country.It is one of the worlds longest high-speed
railways. The Shanghai-Kunming line is 2,252 km in length with the maximum speed of 330 kmph
and traverses the five provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan and cuts travel time
from Shanghai to Kunming from 34 to 11 hours.
In an effort to ease the process of securing Indian Visas for Bangladesh visitors, the High Commission
of India will now allow all Bangladesh travelers with confirmed air, train or bus travel tickets to
submit their tourist visa applications directly without prior appointments from January 1, 2017.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the Chinese-Assisted 340 MegaWatt Chashma-III
nuclear power plant in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on December 29, 2016
The Beipanjiang Bridge of China is now open for public travel. The height of the bridge is 1,854
feet(565 metres) above the sea level. It overtook the Si Du River Bridge of Hubei to become the
worlds highest bridge.
The Colombias Congress headed by President Juan Manuel Santos, in an historical move, passed a
law on December 28 to grant amnesty to FARC rebels as part of the countrys peace deal.
France Government has raised a terror tax on property insurance policies after a series of terror
attacks in 2015 and 2016. The French government requires insurers to help finance a fund for victims
of the extremist attacks that have recently hit the country.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced plans to expel 35 US diplomats from the country in a tit-
for-tat response to a similar act by United States of America. President Barack Obama earlier had
ordered to expel 35 Russian diplomats, suspecting case spies and sanctioned two Russian intelligence
agency believing them to be involved in cyber hacking and alleging Moscow to interfere with the US
presidential election.
320 | P a g e
The 6th Heart of Asia Ministerial Conference was jointly inaugurated by the Prime
Minister Narendra Modiand Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Amritsar, Punjab on December 4,
2016.The theme for this years conference is Addressing Challenges, Achieving Prosperity.
The 7th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) has been organized at Science City, Kolkata from
December 1 to December 4, 2016 by the World Ayurveda Foundation with support of Ministry of
AYUSH, and the State Government of West Bengal.
Two days meet of The India-UK Conference on Ease of Doing Business began at New Delhi on 8
December 2016. The conference will allow India to learn from the UK as UK ranks 7th in Doing
Business Report, 2017 while India ranks 130th in the same ranking.
The 28th State Information Ministers Conference (SIMCON), 2016, was organised by the Ministry
of Information & Broadcasting from December 9 to December 10, 2016 at Vigyan Bhawan, New
Delhi. The two day conference was chaired by Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Shri M.
Venkaiah Naidu.Theme: Reform, Perform & Transform A New Dimension of Communication.
The Sixth Ministerial Conference on Heart of Asia- Istanbul process of Afghanistan adopted
the Amritsar declaration, on December 4, 2016, which puts focus on the concerned countries to
address terrorism and enhancing regional economic cooperation.
The BRICS countries Heads of Revenue held a meeting in Mumbai aimed to discuss the potential
areas of cooperation and exchange opinions and views based on their existing commitment to
openness, solidarity, equality, mutual understanding, inclusiveness and mutually beneficial
cooperation.
PETROTECH-2016,
PETROTECH-2016, the 12th International Oil & Gas Conference & Exhibition was held at
Pragati Maidan in New Delhi from December 4 to 7, 2016.Theme of the
conference: Hydrocarbons to fuel the future Choices & Challenges.
The three Firms IOCL, BPCL and HPCL signed a pact to build Indias biggest oil refinery and
mega petrochemical complex at a cost of $30 billion on the west coast of India in the State of
Maharashtra.The total capacity of the project will be 60-million tonne a year.
MoU signed between OIL and Technology Incubation Centre, IIT Guwahati, will serve as an
incubator for mentoring start-ups set up under OIL Start-Up Initiative.
Several MoUs were inked in the confeerrence which includes MoU between ONGC and IIT
Mumbai. Under this MoU, IIT, Mumbai would support ONGCs Start-Up Initiative,ONGC
launched a Rs. 100 crore start up fund on its diamond Jubilee year. This MoU aims at working
on the problems of ONGCs Start Up Initiative related to the energy sector and for enhancing
the operational capabilities of ONGC.
Kailash Satyarthi Childrens Foundation organized a Laureates and Leaders Summit for Children at
the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi which was inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee and
launched a campaign named 100 Million for 100 Million involving participation of about 5000
children.Aim of the campaign to deploy 100 million youth and children each for 100 million
underprivileged children across the world to end child labour, child slavery, violence against
children.
Sixth Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development Held in New
Delhi. Theme of the conference: Emerging Urban Forms Policy Responses
and Government Structures.
The two-day 6th BRICS Health Ministers Meet was held in New Delhi.The meeting was attended by
the health delegates of BRICS nation-Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa along with other
Senior Officers of representative department.
The fifth edition of the Global Conference on Cyber Space (GCSS) to be hosted by India in 2017.
The 77th Indian History Congress was inaugurated by President Pranab
Mukherjee at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala on December 29, 2016 at the Kerala University Golden
Jubilee Auditorium at Kariavattom campus.
The Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the 24thNational
321 | P a g e
Childrens Science Congress (NCSC) at Vidyapratisthans Institute of Information Technology in

Baramati, Pune on December 27, 2016.
The four-day World Bhojpuri Conference began in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on December 29, 2016
and will continue till January 1, 2017. High Commissioner of Mauritius to India, Jagdishwar
Goburdhun informed that participants from over 18 countries are participating in the conference.
The 27th meeting of the Southern Zonal Council was chaired by the Union Home
Minister Shri Rajnath Singh at Thiruvananthapuram on December 28, 2016
RANKING & REPORTS
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has become the first Indian institute to be placed in the top 15
universities among top 300 universities in the latest Times Higher Educations (THE) BRICS and
Emerging Economies University Rankings 2017.
Hindi language has been listed at the 10th position in the Power Language Index Ranking by The
World Economic Forum (WEF). English was placed at the 1st position and Mandarin at 2nd position
followed by French
According to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), 2016,released by a Sydney-based think-tank,
Institute for Economics & Peace, India has been ranked 7th among top 10 countries which were most
impacted by terrorism in 2015.The 2016 index features top 50 countries ranked by the global
terrorism index. The Index places Iraq at the top.
The latest 2016 Empathy Global Index lists nine Indian companies at the bottom 10 among 170
companies of the world.The list of Least Empathetic Companies of India. However the global list is
topped by Facebook.
1.Bharat Petroleum 6.Larsen & Toubro
2.Sun Pharma 7.Indian Oil
3.ICICI Bank 11.State Bank of India
5.Bharti Airtel, 13.Reliance Industries
24.Aditya Birla
Group
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has won the Online Readers Poll for TIME Person of the Year 2016,
beating off other world leaders like US President-elect Donald Trump, incumbent US leader Barack
Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Flipkart founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal have been chosen for the 2016 Asian of the
Year by Straits Times of Singapore as part of a group called the The Disruptors.
US President elect Donald Trump was chosen as the TIMEs Person of the Year 2016on December 7,
2016, for his outstanding victory in the US election.
Google parent Company, Alphabet has been named as the Company Of The Year by Fortune
magazine in its annual Blue Ribbon ranking.
Michael Jordan, former basketball player, has been named as the highest-paid athlete of all times by
Forbes, with $1.7 billion total wealth.
According to the Social Development Report (SDR) 2016, in India, 45 percent of Persons with
Disability (PWD) are illiterate. The theme of the report for 2016 is Disabilities Rights Perspectives
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has been named among the top 100 global thinker by
the US based Foreign Policy magazine.Swaraj was named in the Global Thinkers of 2016 Listunder
the Decision-makers category along with the Democratic nominee for US President Hillary Clinton,
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US Attorney General
Loretta Lynch among others.
India has emerged as the tops most country in Asia for innovation while third biggest country
globally according to a research done by Capgemini Consultings Digital Transformation Institute in
collaboration with Fahrenheit 212 and in partnership with Brian Solis of Altimeter.
Indian Origin Apoorva Mehta, Vivek Ramaswamy Listed In Forbes List Of US Richest
Entrepreneurs Under 40. The list is topped by Zuckerberg, whose Facebook shares and net worth is
322 | P a g e
now worth USD 50 billion.

Gujarat-born activist, Jayaben Desai on BBCs most influential women of the past 70 years list.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi ranked 9th on the Forbes list of 74 Most Powerful People in the
World. Forbes said that Indias populist prime minister is hugely popular in his country of 1.3 billion
people. Alphabets Larry Page Ranked Top in Forbes Most Powerful CEO
ForbesTop 5 Most Popular People List
Rank Name Country
1 Vladimir Putin Russia
2 Donald Trump United States
3 Angela Merkel Germany
4 Xi Jinping China
5 Pope Francis Roman Catholic Church
As per a survey conducted by Amazon India the national capital, Delhi, has emerged as the most
well-read city in India for the fourth consecutive year followed by Bengaluru and Mumbai taking the
second and third spot, respectively.
According to the Global Wage Report 2016-17 released by the International Labour Organisation
(ILO), India is among one of the Worlds worst gender gaps in wages.The report showed that men
earned more than women in similar jobs, with the gap exceeding 30 percent. Women are paid 33%
less than men in hourly wages in India.Among the major economies, Singapore had among
the lowest, at 3 per cent while South Korea fared worse than India, with a gap of 37 per cent.
Based on the 2016 Forbes India Celebrity 100 list released by Forbes, Salman Khan has bagged the
top position in the coveted list leaving behind Shah Rukh Khan at second place. Player Virat
Kohli was placed third.
Top 5 Celebrity in the list
Rank Name Earning
1 Salman Khan 270.33
2 Shah Rukh 221.75
Khan
3 Virat Kohli 134.44
4 Akshay Kumar 203.03
5 M.S Dhoni 122.48
According to latest released annual report of the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the tribal
population in India lags behind other social groups on various social parameters such as child
mortality and infant mortality and womens health, education, poverty etc.As per the report a vast
majority of tribal population is engaged in agricultural labour and women face higher incidence
of Anaemia when compared to other social groups.The community also had the highest child
mortality and infant mortality rates, when compared to other social groups.
BANKING & FINANCE
Private sector lender Yes Bank has launched a new digital transaction service through mobile
phones named SIMsePAY, that allows any account holder to do money transfers, pay utility bills and
other mobile banking services, without the need for smart phones or internet. The service is based on
a sim-sleeve technology, in association with Taisys Technologies, who holds global patent for the
same, and has implemented the same successfully in other countries including Kenya and China.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the merger of Bharatiya Mahila Bank Ltd
(BMBL) with the countrys largest lender State Bank of India. The SBI board in August confirmed
the merger of Bharatiya Mahila Bank Ltd (BMBL) and that of five associate lenders with itself.
Maharashtra based private sector lender RBL Bank has launched Aadhaar Payment Bridge System
(APBS) on November 30, 2016, for small ticket micro-finance loan disbursements. According to
bank Head Rajeev Ahuja, it is the first bank to launch the APBS on its platform to implement the
323 | P a g e
governments idea of digital banking.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Indian economy has grown at the rate of 7.3% in the second
quarter of 2016-2017, which is up from the 7.1% recorded in the previous three months. The GDP
was 7.6% in the second quarter of last fiscal.
According to a United NNations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacifics
(ESCAP) year-end Report, Indias economy is slowly gaining momentum and is projected to grow
by 7.6 per cent in 2017.
Kochi based Federal Bank has tied up with Spice Digital for cash management services through the
banks e-collection facility.
Aditya Birla Financial Services Group (ABFSG) launched new insurance arm under Aditya Birla
Health Insurance (ABHICL) to be the most preferred customer partner by 2020
The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has been decided to extend the time for deployment of Aadhaar-
enabled devices till June 30, 2017. The time was extended by six months because of the rate of
deployment of acceptance infrastructure has slowed down owing to the mismatch between demand
and supply of such Aadhaar-enabled devices.
Private sector lender DCB Bank launched its own mobile and tab based digital wallet Cippy
Wallet app on December 2, 2016 in New Delhi to encourage consumers to experience cash free
purchases from the mobile phone for day-to-day needs. The app offers a Split-Bill feature which
anables any payment made using Cippy Wallet or other modes such as card or cash can be easily
split between users to share it with friends and family with a single click on the mobile phone.
The Reserve Bank of India made an announcement on December 4, 2016 that it will shortly issue
new Rs 50 and Rs 20 notes bearing the signature of new Governor Urjit Patel, however, existing
banknotes of both denominations will continue to be legal tender. The year 2016 will be printed on
the reverse of the banknotes.
In order to manage the extra liquidity from the system after the demonetisation, government and
the Reserve Bank of India has sharply raised the Market Stabilisation Scheme (MSS) ceiling to Rs. 6
lakh crore from Rs. 30,000 crore on December 2, 2016.
The Central Government is planning for the speedy implementation of Public Financial Management
System (PFMS) in the country. There are about Rs.1-1.5 lakh crore of idle funds lying with the
government.
India has achieved the status of being a safe and dynamic investment destination in the world after it
crossed the $ 300 billion Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) between April 2000 and September 2016.
33% of the FDI came through the Mauritius route, because the investors wanted to take advantage of
Indias double taxation avoidance treaty with the island nation.
Indias largest public sector trading body MMTC(Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation ) tie-up
with the State Bank of India (SBI) to sell government-minted Indian Gold Coin(24 Karat)which will
be available in denominations of 5gm, 10gm and 20 gm bar.
Maharashtra based Yes Bank has partnered with Indias smartest cab service Ola to set up mobile
ATMs across 30 locations across 10 cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune,
Kolkata, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Jaipur.
The Reserve Bank of India, on December 1, 2016, authorised the Receivables Exchange of India
(RXIL), promoted by SIDBI and NSE, to launch the countrys first trade receivables exchange
platform, TReDS, for MSMEs, buyers and financiers.
Life insurance provider HDFC Life has launched two micro-insurance scheme named Jeevan
Suraksha and Credit Suraksha to provide financial security to its customers
AP government with Tata Trusts has launched a health insurance scheme, Swatha Kutumbam in
Vijayawada which became Indias first constituency to have health insurance for all people include
new born for a year from December 1, 2016 to November 30, 2017. Under this insurance scheme
every individual has to pay Rs 1 per day or Rs 120 per month per family as premium.
The RBI Governor Urjit Patel led six-member MonetaryPolicy Committee (MPC) on December 7,
2016, announced the fifth bi-monthly monetary policy statement of 2016-2017.
Major highlights of the RBI Monetary Policy Statement
324 | P a g e
1.Repo rate remained unchanged at 6.25%

2.Reverse Repo at 5.75%
3.Cash reserve ratio or CRR unchanged at 4%
4.Due to demonetization, the central bank has lowered the GDP growth forecast from 7.6 per cent to
7.1 per cent for the current fiscal.Inflation target remains 5 percent for March 2017 with risks tilted to
the upside.
In order to boost small value online transactions, the RBI relaxed norms for 2-factor authentication
for payments up to Rs. 2,000 on December 7, 2016.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has relaxed the Additional Factor Authentication(AFA) norms for
online transactions up to Rs. 2,000 to save time transaction time of customers and also promote
governments digital payment program.
Indian e-commerce website Paytm launched its toll-free number 180018001234 to enable
transaction through mobile phones without an internet connection on December 7, 2016.
100 banks have joined the National Financial Switch (NFS) network as direct members established
ATM networks, now NFS network comprise of 745 members said by Maharashtra based National
Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on December 7, 2016
BSEs INDIAINx has signed an agreement with largest Rupee-Dollar (INR-USD) market Dubai
Gold and Commodity Exchange (DGCX) on December 6, 2016 to reach out to the global traders in a
wide range of products including the trading in INR-USD contract.
The Women and Child Development Ministry has tied up with India Post and State Bank of India to
offer more payment options to buyers and simplify shipping of products bought from Mahila E-
haat.
Stockholders of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi and First Gulf Bank on December 7, 2016,
approved to merge into the biggest bank of all Gulf Countries with an asset of $ 178 billion.
An online insurance broking portal Coverfox.com has inked an partnership with Uber in India to
facilitate car insurance solutions for the latters driver partners on December 8, 2016
To promote digital transaction in rural areas of the country, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD) made an announcement on December 8, 2016 to provide monetary support
of Rs 228 Crore to the responsible banks to install PoS Machines and EMV based Debit Cards for
Farmers.
Civil rights activist Viola Desmond has emerged as the first Canadian Woman to be featured on the
nations $ 10 Currency note.
Government on December 9, 2016, informed the Parliament about its decision to print plastic
currency notes for which the process of procurement of material has been initiated.
The Reserve Bank of India made an announcement on December 9, 2016 that the currency notes
worth over Rs 4.27 lakh crore have been issued to public through banks and ATMs after the
demonetisation Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes. The Apex Court also announced that
about Rs.11.85 lakh crore demonetized notes have already been returned in the banking system.
Kolkata based United Bank of India has adopted Patunagar and Sachindranagar Colony in the state of
Tripura to implement schemes in the line of digital India program.UBI will make necessary steps to
change the villages into truly cashless villages.
LIC Mutual Fund Asset Management Company announced its readiness on Unified Payment
Interface (UPI) in partnership with Standard Chartered Bank as mode of payment for its investors to
invest in its schemes.
Yes Bank has tied-up with e-grocer Grofers to deliver cash at doorstep, allowing customers to get
cash of up to Rs 2,000 when they order grocery online.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has signed an emergency order to ban countrys largest
banknote 100 bolivars banknote to be taken out of circulation in the next 72 hour.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) lowered the 2016 growth estimate for India to 7 per cent from
the previous 7.4 per cent on December 13, 2016, due to demonetisation, weak investment and
agricultural slowdown. However, Indias growth forecast for 2017 remained unchanged at 7.8 per
cent.
325 | P a g e
India on December 13, 2016, signed a Grant Agreement of USD 5.19 million with International Bank
for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) for Additional Financing for Financing Energy
Efficiency at MSMEs Project- Programmatic Framework for Energy Efficiency.
India and ASEAN have set a target of trading at 100 billion dollar to be achieved by 2020 while
current trading between India and ASEAN is 57 billion dollars.
The Electronics and IT Ministry, on December 16, 2016, informed that electronic transactions for
availing government service increased by 33 per cent in 2016, crossing over Rs. 1000 crore.
To encourage digital transactions, the Reserve Bank has directed the banks to cut MDR charges on
payments made through debit card. The Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for debit card payments,
including for payments made to government, will be capped at 0.25 per cent for transactions up to Rs
1,000 and 0.5 per cent between Rs 1,000-2,000. The existing MDR cap is 0.75 per cent for
transactions up to Rs 2,000 and 1 per cent for over Rs 2,000. However, there is no RBI cap on MDR
on credit card payments. RBI has also asked banks and prepaid payment instrument issuers not to
levy any charges for transactions up to Rs 1,000 using Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), USSD-
based *99# and Unified Payment Interface (UPI) systems from January 1 to March 31,
2017.However, these measures will not apply to ATM transactions.
RBI on December 15, 2016, imposed restrictions on withdrawal & deposit if more than Rs 2 lakh has
been deposited after November 9 in an account which has a balance of over Rs 5 lakh.
As per a RBI notification, withdrawal or transfer of funds will not be permitted in accounts without
giving PAN number or submission of Form 60 for those persons who do not have PAN.
The Reserve Bank of India on December 19, 2016, announced that it is issuing a new batch of Rs
500 notes in Mahatma Gandhi (New) series with the inset letter R in both the number panels bearing
the signature of Dr Urjit R Patel Governor, Reserve Bank of India, with the year of printing 2016.
Bank of Baroda has become the first Indian company to sign up as a National Supporter for the FIFA
U-17 World Cup India 2017, which will be held from 6 to 28 October 2017. This will be the first
time that India will be hosting FIFA international football competition. FIFA U-17 World Cup India
2017 will see participation from 24 countries including India and matches will be played at six
different venues.
The New Development Bank, jointly found by the BRICS countries approved USD 75 million (525
million yuan) loan for a solar power project in Shanghai, China on December 20, 2016.
The Union Government on December 19, 2016, decided to provide additional grace period of 60
days to farmers, whose crop loan dues fall between November 1 and December 31, 2016. This
decision was taken in view of constraints faced by the farming community in repayment of loans due
to demonetization of high value notes.
The Finance Ministry on December 21, 2016 directed the state-owned banks to reduce fees on
payments made through Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) and Unified Payments Interface
(UPI) in order to further promote digital and card payments.
The Reserve Bank of India imposed penalty on five foreign banks on December 21, 2016, for
violating the instructions of RBI on reporting requirements of the Foreign Exchange Management
Act, 1999 (FEMA). The bank including Deutsche Bank has been imposed a fine of Rs. 20,000 while
other banks including Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of America, Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi and
The Royal Bank of Scotland have been fined Rs. 10,000 each.
ICICI Bank has launched a mobile application, eazypay, for merchants, which includes all modes of
payments, including digital wallets, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), QR code, and credit & debit
cards. The app is first of its kind that introduces an all-in-one acceptance platform for merchants.
Public sector Allahabad Bank has merged its wholly owned subsidiary All Bank
Finance(ABFL) with itself on December 23, 2016. The merger was finalized at the Board of
Directors meeting who gave the in-principle approval for merger of loss making AllBank Finance
with the bank.
Indias central banking institution, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has opened its 17th banking
ombudsman office in Dehradun, Uttarakhand on December 23, 2016.It is the third such office in
North India after Kanpur and Chandigarh. RBI also announced that ombudsman office opens
in Ranchi, Jharkhand on the same day. With this, the total number of RBI ombudsman offices have
326 | P a g e
increased to 18 in India.
Indias public sector banking giant State Bank of India(SBI) has adopted a village Shirki in
Maharashtra to make the entire village will turn cashless within 30 days said by SBI deputy
managing director and CIO MrutyunjayMahapatra.
The domestic rating agency ICRA has forecasted Indias gross value added (GVA) growth to be
at 6.6 per cent in 2016-17. This is because the economic activity would take more time to normalise
due to the governments move to demonetise high-value notes.
According to a report published in Forbes magazine, India has overtaken United Kingdom in terms
of the size of the economy, first time in 150 years. With this major shift in world economy, India has
now become the fifth largest country in terms of the size of the economy after the United States,
China, Japan and Germany.
Privat Bank, Ukraines largest private bank, was nationalized by the Government of Ukriane on
December 18, after being declared insolvent by the National Bank of Ukraine.
Weeks after demonetization of high currency notes in India, Pakistans Senate on December 19,
2016, passed a resolution to withdraw high denomination Rs 5,000 currency notes to curb the flow
of black money in the country.
No political party can accept donations in Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes: FM ArunJaitley
Retirement fund body, Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on December 19, 2016,
reduced interest rate on employee provident fund (EPF) deposits to 8.65 per cent for 2016-17 from
the current 8.8 per cent.
YES Bank, Ola tie up to provide cash at your doorstep. Customers can swipe their debit cards to
withdraw an amount of up to Rs.2,000 per card. Customers no need to book the cab ride to avail this
service.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has opposed the view of Digital Payment Committee to
establish a separate entity to regulate payments and settlements. In September, the Centre had set up
an 11-member committee on Digital Payments headed by Finance Secretary RatanWatal, and
including the RBIs former deputy governor H.R. Khan and Executive Director Chandan Sinha as its
members.
The State Bank of India (SBI), countrys largest lender, has launched its mobile wallet
application State Bank MobiCash in partnership with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on
December 17, 2016.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on December 16, 2016, announced that the Foreign exchange
reserves of India has declined by 887.2 million dollars to 362.987 billion dollars in a week from
December 9 due to fall in foreign currency assets.
The insurance regulator IRDAI has approved the R3 application and granted certificate of
registration to five global reinsurers to opens shops in India. The R3 is the final approval from the
regulator to begin branch operations.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has taken a relief providing decision for the Non-Resident Indian
and Indian Citizens who were staying abroad since November 9 to December 31post demonetization
decision. As per the decision, the Indian Citizens can exchange their demonetized notes up to RBI
March 31, 2017 while the Non Resident Indian (NRIs) citizens can avail this facility up to June 30,
2017. The bank informed that there would not be any limit for Indian residents while for the NRIs
the maximum limit would be Rs 25,000 as per the FEMA regulations 2015.
The Central government had infused a sum of Rs 25,000 crore in 19 PSBs during FY 2015-16.In this
Rs. 22,915 crore was allocated to 13 PSBs on July 19, 2016.
Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank Launches Bank Sakhi Scheme to ensure greater participation in
financial inclusion in rural areas, the Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank (KVGB) has come out with an
innovative method of employing women in villages to promote and popularize cashless transaction.
Pune based public sector lender Bank of Maharashtra, has adopted the village of Malangaon,
in Sangli district, Maharashtra, with the help of District Collector and several government officials to
make it a completely cashless village.
The Government of India announced the first set of Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi-Dhan Vyapar
Yojana awards at the Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on December 25. A total of 15000 winners were
327 | P a g e
selected under 4 broad categories (USSD, UPI, AEPS, RuPay) from the 8 crore digital
transactions that took place between 9th November 2016 to 21st December 2016.
Social Networking Service Twitter and Mumbai based ICICI Bank announced a partnership to
enable customers with direct online response to their queries and feedback in real-time. With this
ICICI Bank become the first bank in India to implement the Twitter based customer
serives @ICICIBank_Care.
The Nedumkayam tribal colony in Malappuram district of Kerala has become the first fully-digital
tribal colony in the country. The district collector, Amit Meena on December 27 officially declared
the colony as the first digital and cashless colony at a function held in the colony.
Jaipur-based Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC), Au Financiers (India), received final
approval of the Reserve Bank of India on December 27 to start operations as Small Finance Bank in
India.
MobiKwik, a mobile wallet firm has received an in-principle approval from the RBI on December 28
to set up a Bharat Bill Payments Operating Unit (BBPOU). The company will now be integrated
in Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), a bill payment system by National Payments Corporation of
India (NPCI), to offer interoperable and accessible bill payment service to customers through a
network of agents.
Reserve Bank of India has issued notification allowed foreign portfolio investors to transact in non-
convertible debentures/bonds issued by Indian companies either directly or in any manner as per the
prevalent/approved market practice.
Kerala headquartered South Indian Bank has launched a full-fledged NRI-focused mobile banking
application called SIB Mirror+ across major mobile platforms. SIB Mirror+ enables the customers to
perform almost all banking transactions from their smart phones.
To further provide some relief to people hit by demonetisation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on
December 28 gave borrowers another 30 days in addition to 60 days for repayment of housing, car,
farm and other loans worth up to Rs 1 crore. So, borrowers together get 90 days to get relief from
getting the account classified under non-performing asset (NPA) category.
World Bank has approved a USD 235 million credit for the Bihar Rural Roads Project to upport the
construction of about 2,500 km of rural roads in Bihar under the Mukhiya Mantri Gram Sampark
Yojana (MMGSY). The fund is allocated from the International Development Association (IDA)
with a maturity of 25 years, including a 5-year grace period.
Vadodara based Bank of Baroda signed Memorandum of Understanding(MoU)
with Heritage Foods Ltd (HFL) to provide dairy loans to farmers through the lenders branches
across the country on December 29, 2016.
State Bank of India and real estate portal magicbricks.com on 29 December 2016 entered into a tie-
up. According to the tie-up the projects of those 500 real estate builders whose projects are approved
and rated by State Bank of India, will be available for buyer on the portal of magicbricks.com.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has signed two new unilateral advance pricing
agreements (APAs) with Indian taxpayers on 29 December 2016. With this the total number of APAs
entered into by CBDT has increased two 117. This includes 110 unilateral APAs and 7 bilateral
APAs.
Central Government has invited the views of general public and stakeholders on the report on the
Report of the Financial Redressal Agency latest by 31st January 2017.The concept of Financial
Redressal Agency (FRA) was introduced in the Budget Speech of 2015-16 by Shri Arun Jaitley from
the recommendations of the Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission (FSLRC)of 2013.
The role defined for FRA is to address the grievances of retail consumers against all Financial
Service Providers (FSPs).
Delhis per capita income 3 times national average and highest among all states. The per capita
income of New Delhi is Rs 2,80,142 during 2015-16. The figure is approximately 3 times the
national average per capita income for 2015-16 which stands at Rs 93,293 during 2015-16 as per the
official statement.
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has informed that post demonetization, the
usage of RuPay Card has been increased to over 2.1 million from 3 lakh per day, at the PoS
328 | P a g e
terminals, which is seven times more since the announcement of the demonitization.
Private sector lender Lakshmi Vilas Bank has launched Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) to
raise over Rs. 599.88 Crore by issuing 4.25 crore shares in domestic or international markets.
Indian state-owned banking and financial services company Bank of Baroda has launched an
agricultural investment credit for the farmers in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan on December 31, 2016 to
help the farmers in doubling their income by the year 2022
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the period of enhanced Prepaid Payment Instruments
(PPI) limit of Rs 20,000 to meet the needs of people to perform digital payments.
The Reserve Bank of India has relaxed the daily ATM withdrawal limit to Rs 4500 from the limit of
Rs 2500. The new limit would be applicable from January 1, 2017. However, the weekly
withdrawal limit of Rs 24,000 remains unchanged.
The Centre on December 30 announced that it has extended the last date for availing the Direct Tax
Dispute Resolution Scheme to January 31, 2017 from the earlier deadline of December 31, 2016. The
scheme aims to settle the retrospective tax disputes with the Government.
BUSINESS
New Delhi based BHEL has commissioned the first unit of the 430 MW Pulichintala Hydroelectric
project (HEP) on December 1, 2016 in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh on the river Krishna.
Indian online transportation network company Ola has partnered Hindustan Petroleum Corporation
(HPCL) and Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) to accept payment through Ola Money in petrol
pumps.
India has come up with its first online flea market, Yappily Bangalore based start-up Yappily was co-
founded by Rohit Kumar, Kamonasish Aayush Mazumdar and Rashmi Ranjan Padhy in 2016.
Netherland based KPMG and US based Microsoft announced a strategic Internet of Things (IoT)
Advisory partnership to accelerate the digital transformation of large and mid-market enterprises in
the country on December 5, 2016
An electronic commerce company Amazon launched its startup programme Launchpad in India to
support Indian startups and scale up their business. Launchpad will help startups launch, market, and
distribute their products to Amazon customers across India and around the world via a dedicated
store.
The drugs technical advisory board has recently recommended one-time licensing for manufacture
and sales of drugs, with a condition that there should be at least one annual inspection and in cases
where risk is high, more inspection should be conducted.
To protect Domestic Steel Industry from cheaper imports, the government on December 4, 2016
extended the Minimum Import Price (MIP) on 19 products further for two months, till February 4,
2017. The MIP ranges between USD $643-$752 per tonne.The 19 products include semi-finished
products of iron or non-alloyed steel, flat-rolled products of different widths, bars and rods.
Pakistan has removed an undeclared ban on import of ginned cotton from India.
ii. Earlier from November 23, The Department of Plant Protection (DPP) of the Ministry of National
Food Security and Research had banned the cotton imports from India through Wagah and Karachi
port as the shipments did not fulfil phyto- sanitary conditions.
In order to enhance cooperation in education sector between India and Egypt, Center has decided to
set up a center of Excellence in Information Technology at the Al-Azhar University which is the
oldest and most prestigious University of Egypt.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, has partnered with the
US Technology Giant Intel on December 8, 2016, to conduct research on water and air quality
monitoring.
The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC Russia, on
December 10, 2016, reached a mutual agreement on their first deal since 2001, to jointly restrict oil
production to control the excess global availability of the oil and thus boost oil prices. It is the first
time in 15 years that a global pact has been struck.
329 | P a g e
Akhilesh Yadav lead Uttar Pradesh Government has tied up with Tata Trusts to acquire digital
platforms to strengthen the public distribution system (PDS) in the state.
Under the Agreement, Tata Trusts have installed electronic Point of Sale devices(ePOS) in various
urban region shops of Lucknow, to ensure operation of an Aadhaar-enabled Public Distribution
System (AePDS) at fair price.
The government on December 8, 2016, scrapped the 10 percent import duty on wheatdue to
the rising domestic prices and shortage in the buffer stocks arising out of the consecutive drought in
the years 2014 and 2015.
ONGC is setting up a new basin in Agartala which would be completed by the end of the year 2017
to increase focus on exploration of oil and gas in the North-East region.
The Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) has recommended imposing
definitive anti-dumping duty on China for imports of steel tubes and pipes from the country.
US Technology giant Microsoft has launched its first full-scale Cybersecurity Engagement Centre
(CSEC) in Delhi.
Indian e-commerce website Paytm has announced partnership with National Highways Authority of
India (NHAI) to enable cashless payments at all national and city toll plazas.
Vodafone India launched Vodafone M Pesa Pay to enable merchants and retailers to receive
payments from their customers on December 13, 2016. It will also enable to M Pesa customers. M
Pesa Pay replaces the need for point of sale (PoS) machine.
Noted television journalist and talk show host Arnab Goswami announced the launch of his 'new
venture' called Republic, on December 15, 2016, a month after resigning as editor-in-chief of
Times Now.
Central PSUs, National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco) and NTPC Limited signed a MoU in
New Delhi on December 16, 2017, to set up a 2400 MW (8x300 MW) power plant at Gajmara in
Dhenkanal district, Odisha.
To increase the digital inclusion in India, Paytm, a digital wallet, has announced a campaign, Each
one, teach one, under which consumers and merchants across the country with Paytm knowledge
will be required to teach others to use Paytm.
The Government on December 21, 2016, approved the cadre review and formation of the Indian
Enterprise Development Service (IEDS) in the Office of the Development Commissioner, Ministry
of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
Union government plans to launch its second centre of excellence for sericulture in Bengaluru.The
first such centre was set up in Ranchi, Jharkhand, The Central Silk Board has set up the centre to
boost the silk industry.
Gujarat based Indian dairy cooperative comapnay, Amul to set up its Centralised Milk Processing
Plant at Sankrail Food Park in Howrah, West Bengal with an outlay of Rs.200 Cr.
India has imposed minimum import price (MIP) on imports of certain iron and steel
products. The country has also imposed anti-dumping duties on certain steel products to guard
domestic players from cheap imports.
Japan has dragged India to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against certain measures taken by
New Delhi on imports of iron and steel products.
India has agreed to give Nepal additional 240 MW of electricity. An agreement has been signed
between Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and state-owned NTPC VidyutVyapar Nigam (NVVN).
Google India in collaboration with Ministry of Consumer Affairs has announced a
nationwide Digitally Safe Consumer campaign to raise awareness about online safety and protect
the interest of the consumers against online fraud. Besides, Google would conduct Digital Literacy,
Safety & Security workshops with the help of partner agencies to provide training and information
on online safety tools.
To make essential drugs more affordable for the public, prices of over 50 essential drugs has been
lowered by NPPA, leading to a price cut in the range of 5 per cent to 44 per cent. The National
Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) under Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers has also fixed
the retail prices of 29 formulations.
330 | P a g e
The Government has revised North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIP),
2007 to stipulate mandatory disbursal of subsidies to all industrial units in northeast through Direct
Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism by Chief Controller of Accounts (Industry).
Iran has finalized an agreement with Airbus to acquire 100 jetliners. The timing of the first delivery
of the Airbus A321 is expected to arrive before the January 20.
US based Amazon India launched the wallet Amazon Pay Balance in a bid to increase cashless
orders and it is limited to Amazon-based transactions.
Indias largest LNG importer Petronet has signed an MoU with Petrobangla on December 30, 2016,
to set up $950 million liquefied natural gas import project of 7.5 million tonnes a year in Bangladesh.
The U.S. e-commerce giant, Amazon has been awarded a patent for launching a giant flying
warehouse that would acts as a launch pad for drones to deliver items within minutes.
Digital payments platform, Paytm, has launched a 100 member Merchant Helpdesk to educate
merchants across India on digital literacy. The E-Commerce Company has also announced that it will
invest Rs 50 crore towards educating merchants.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh on December 27 announced that the Centre has cancelled the licences
of nearly 20,000 NGOs since 2015 for violating various provisions of Foreign Contribution
Regulation Act (FCRA).
Indias second largest coal mining company Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (Bhel) on December
29 informed that it has successfully commissioned second 600 MW coal-based thermal power
plant in Telangana. The first unit of the project was commissioned in March 2016.
The central government removed the minimum export price (MEP) of potato from December 29,
2016. MEP of USD 360 per tonne on potato had imposed to increase domestic availability and cool
prices in July 2016
Chinese major e-commerce entity, Alibaba is to set up its first Indian office at Bandra-Kurla
Complex (BKC) in Mumbai, to take the advantage of the growing e-commerce market in the city.
Inter-ministerial body Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approved six investment
proposals out of 17 Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) proposals. It includes Sanofi Synthelabo India,
Star Den Media Services and Idea Cellular Infrastructure Services, envisaging foreign investment of
Rs 1,200 crore.
Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Pvt Ltd was introduced Aadhar enabled payment system in its
booths and Safal retail stores. The new payment system was commissioned in association with CSC
e-Governance Service India Ltd under the aegis of Department of Electronics and Information
Technology (Deity).

UNESCOs Intangible Cultural Heritage List Cubas rumba dance
Belgian beer
Yoga
2nd ICCR Distinguished Indologist Award Chinese Professor Yu Long Yu
Forbes Asias Businessman Of The Year In 2016 Cheng Wei
Humanitarian award at 12th Annual UNICEF Katy Perry
Snowflake Ball
AFC Developing Member Association of the Year All India Football Federation (AIFF)
Award
Best Cities Award at C40 Mayors Summit Kolkata
IAAF Athletics Awards 2016 Men:Usain Bolt (Jamaica)
Women: Almaz Ayana (Ethiopia)
Miss Supranational 2016 Srinidhi Shetty
Gangadhar National Award 2015 Leeladhar Jagoori
Best Bank for SME Lending award 2016 Vijaya Bank
331 | P a g e
Best MSME Bank Award 2016 The Corporation Bank

CII National Quality Award Bharat Earth Movers Limited Ltd (BEML) Ltd
2016 Turner prize UK Helen Marten
Hollywood Independent Documentary Award Indian filmmaker Onir for Raising the Bar
French Highest Civilian Award US Secretary of State John Kerry
Ballon dOr 2016 Cristiano Ronaldo (4th time)
BWF Most Improved Player award PV Sindhu
BWF Male Player of the Year award Lee Chong Wei from Malaysia
BWF Female Player of the Year award Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi from Japan
Carbon Neutral Status Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA),
Hyderabad
Best unproduced script of 2016 Madonnas biopic Blond Ambition
Highest Ever Wave 19-metre-high (62.3 ft) wave in the North Atlantic
Ocean
SIES- Kanchi Seer Award Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis,
UK-based scholar John Ralston Marr, ISRO
chairman A S Kiran Kumar and Hari Katha exponent
Kamala Murthy
First Indian University to be accredited with QS 4- VIT University, Vellore
star rating
Digital India Silver Award Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation(CCMC) ,
Tamil Nadu
Global Agriculture Leadership Award 2016 Tata Sons interim Chairman Ratan Tata
Oscar Nominee A R Rahman for sports biopic Pele: Birth of a
Legend
Lampara peace prize or Catholic Nobel Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos
BBC Sports Personality of the Year Andy Murray (Third time)
Miss World 2016 Stephanie Del Valle from Puerto Rico
IPI-India Award 2016 The Week and Varun Bhatt
Web Ratna Category Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
2016 Sahitya Akademi Award
Novles Nasira Sharma: Hindi novel Paarijat
Jerry Pinto: English novel Em and the Big Hoom
Gita Upadhyay: Nepali novel Janmabhumi Mero
Swadesh
Boluwaru Mohammad Kunhi: Kannada novel
Swatantryada Ota
Edwin JF Dsouza: Konkani novel Kale Bhangar.
Poetry Jnan Pujari (Assamese), Anju (Bodo), Kamal Vora
(Gujarati), Prabha Varma (Malayalam), Sitanath
Acharya (Sanskrit), Gobinda Chandra Majhi
(Santali), Nand Javeri (Sindhi) and Papini Svasankar
(Telugu).
Short Stories Chhatrapal (Dongri language), Shyam Darihare
(Maithili), Moirangthem Rajen (Manipuri), Asaram
Lomate (Marathi), Paramamita Satpathy (Odia),
Bulaki Sharma (Rajasthani) and Vannadhasan
(Tamil).
Books on Criticism Aziz Hajini (Kashmiri) and Nizam Siddiqui (Urdu)
Essay Nrisinghaprasad Bhaduri (Bengali)
Play Swarajbir (Punjabi)
332 | P a g e
ICC Awards 2016

ICC Cricketer of the Year (Sir Garfield Sobers
Ravichandran Ashwin (India).
Trophy)
ICC Test Cricketer of the Year Ravichandran Ashwin (India).
ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year Quinton de Kock (South Africa).
ICC Womens ODI Cricketer of the Year Suzie Bates (New Zealand)
ICC Womens T20I Cricketer of the Year Suzie Bates (New Zealand)
ICC T20I Performance of the Year Carlos Brathwaite (West Indies )
ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)
ICC Associate/Affiliate Cricketer of the Year Mohammad Shahzad (Afghanistan)
ICC Spirit of Cricket Award Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan)
ICC Umpire of the Year (David Shepherd Trophy) Marais Erasmus
Maksym Radziwill
2016 SASTRA-Ramanujan award
Kaisa Matomaki
Jnanpith Award Shankha Ghosh
Power & Energy Personas Award Shri K M Singh, NHPC
2016 Bharatiya Jnanpith Navlekhan Award Shraddha and Ghyansham Kumar Devansh
Guinness World Records Andhra Pradesh state dance Kuchipudi
Honorary doctorate by Maulana Azad National
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan
Urdu University, Hyderabad
26th Bihari Puraskar Satya Narayan
Best Player of the Year 2016 Cristiano Ronaldo
Knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II Shankar Balasubramanian

Matteo Renzi(Resigned) Prime Minister of Itlay
Paolo Gentiloni Prime Minister of Itlay
John Key(Resigned) Prime Minister of New Zealand
Bill English Prime Minister of New Zealand
Bernard Cazeneuve Prime Minister of France
Shavkat Mirziyoyev President of Uzbekistan
Alexander Van Der Bellen President of Austria
Nana Akufo-Addo President of Ghana
Queen Elizabeth II (Step Down) Queen of the United Kingdom
Kate Middleton Queen of the United Kingdom
Grindeanu Romanias new prime minister
Justice Mian Saqib Nisar 25th Chief Justice of Pakistan
Shaikh Rafik Mohammed Major General of Kyrgyzstan
Dr Barbara Jatta First ever female director of Vatican Museums
Sultan Muhammad V 15th king of Malaysia
Amina Mohammed (Nigeria) UN Deputy Secretary-General
USs advisory council Indra Nooyi
Savita Vaidhyanathan Mayor of Californian city
Vijay Sazawal Civil Nuclear Trade Advisory Committee member
Rafia Qaseem Baig First Pak woman to join Bomb Disposal Unit
Justice TS Thakur 44th Chief Justice of India
Lt. Gen Bipin Rawat Chief of Army Staff
B.S. Dhanoa Chief of Air Staff
333 | P a g e
Rajiv Jain Chief of Intelligence Bureau (IB)

Anil Dhasmana Chief of the countrys external intelligence agency RAW
BS Bhullar Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
Chitra Ramkrishna(Resigned) MD & CEO of National Stock Exchange of India (NSE)
J Ravichandran MD & CEO of National Stock Exchange of India (NSE)
Rakesh Asthana Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) Director
O. Panneerselvam Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Central Board of Direct Taxes(CBDT)
Rajendra Kumar
Member
Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Indian Institute
Sunil Arora
of Corporate Affairs (IICA)
Akshaykumar M Kale President of 90th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan
Veena Mankar Non-Executive Chairperson of IDFC Bank
V G Kannan Indian Banks Association (IBA) chief
VK Sharma Chairman of LIC
Non-executive Chairman and Independent Director of Vistaar
C B Bhave
Financial Services
Praveen Mahajan AITA(All India Tennis Association) President
Akbar Ebrahim President of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI)
Adwaita Gadanayak Director of National Gallery of Modern Art
Sunil Taldar CEO & Director of Airtel DTH arm
Amar Abrol Managing Director of AirAsia India
James Quincey CEO of Coca-Cola
Rahil Ansari Head of Audi India
Cyrus Mistry (Removed) Director of Tata Industries
Pulkit Trivedi Industry Director of Facebook India
Deepak Agarwal CEO of Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA)
Girija Vaidyanathan Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu
Najeeb Jung Lieutenant Governor of Delhi
Anil Baijal Lieutenant Governor of Delhi
Nusli Wadia (Removed) Tata Motors Board of Directors
Actor Mithun Chakraborty(resigns) Rajya Sabha MP
Viral V. Acharya Fourth Deputy Governor of RBI
Soli Sorabjee (re-elected)- India International Centre (IIC) president
SP Vaid Jammu and Kashmir Police Chief
Suresh Kalmadi Declines IOAs Life Time Presidency Proposal
Arunachal CM Pema Khandu Suspended from PPA Party
Salman Khan Ambassador of BMCs Swachh Bharat Mission
Priyanka Chopra (Jackie Chan, UNICEF global ambassador
Orlando Bloom and David Beckham )
Priyanka Chopra Brand ambassador for Assam tourism
PV Sindhu Brand ambassador of APIS India
Virat Kohli Brand ambassador of American Tourister
Akshay Kumar Tata Motors- Brand Ambassador For Commerical Vehicles
Ranveer Singh Ambassador of Thums Up campaign
Bengaluru based Strides Shasun Ltd has announced to acquire the US-based Perrigos APIs
manufacturing facility in Ambernath, Maharashtra for Rs 100 crore.
334 | P a g e
Mahindra Agri Solutions Ltd (MASL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company acquired
Netherlands-based OFD Holding BV for 5 million euros.
Berlin-based Delivery Hero signed an agreement on December 10, 2016 to acquire
competitor Foodpanda for an undisclosed amount.
Tata Steel has announced an agreement on December 23, 2016 to acquire 100 % equity shares of the
Brahmani River Pellets Limited (BRPL) from Aryan Mining and Trading Corporation Private
Limited (AMTC) and other companies associated with the Moorgate Industries Group (MIG).
The virtual reality company of Facebook, Oculus has acquired eye-tracking software company The
Eye Tribe for an undisclosed amount on December 29, 2016
SCHEMES
The Government of Goa is set to launch its ambitious scheme Goa Yuva Sanchar Yojana on
December 5, 2016, providing Limited Free Talktime and Internet Data to the youth in the state to
comply with the central governments Digital India initiative.
Virbhadra Singh lead Himachal Pradesh government signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Government of India for operational and financial turnaround of the DISCOM under
the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY). HP has become the 18th state to join UDAY, a
central scheme for revival of debt stressed power distribution companies, availing a net benefit of
about Rs 823 crore.
Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, Kiran Bedi on December 11, 2016 announced the decision about
the selection of Thimmanaicken Palayam village in the Manaveli Assembly constituency
under Model Village Scheme.
Scheme Lucky Grahak Yojna Digi Dhan Vyapar Yojna (Merchants)
Eligible This will include all forms of transactions viz. UPI, USSD, AEPS and RuPay
Platform Cards but will for the time being exclude transactions through Private Credit Cards
and Digital Wallets.
Daily Prize Daily reward of Rs 1000 will be

given to 15,000 lucky consumers for
a period of 100 days.
Weekly Prize weekly prizes worth Rs 1 lakh, Rs Under the scheme, merchants will get
10,000 and Rs. 5000 weekly prizes worth Rs. 50,000, Rs
5,000 and Rs. 2,500
Mega Prize 3 Mega Prizes for consumers 3 Mega Prizes for merchants worth Rs 50
worth Rs 1 cr, 50 lakh, 25 lakh for lakhs, 25 lakh, 12 lakh for digital
digital transactions conducted transactions conducted
between 8th November, 2016 to between 8th November, 2016 to 13th April,
13th April, 2017 to be announced 2017 to be announced on 14th April, 2017.
on 14th April, 2017.
This scheme is applicable for those This scheme is applicable for those
who make use of the said platform merchants who make digital transaction at
to carry out their transactions. merchant establishments.
The National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) shall be the implementing agency for this
scheme. The estimated expenditure on the first phase of the scheme, up to 14th April 2017, is likely
to be 340 Crores. The Government will simultaneously carry out a review for
further implementation.
The government on December 16, 2017, announced a second income disclosure scheme named The
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana to give another chance to tax evaders to come clean after paying
50% tax on depositing junk currencies in bank account which will start from December 17 and will run
till March 31, 2017. The scheme will allow people to deposit money in their accounts by paying 50 per
335 | P a g e
centof the total amount. Out of the 50% tax paid, 30 per cent will be used as tax, 10 per cent as penalty
and 33 per cent of the taxed amount that is 10 per cent as Garib Kalyan Cess.The scheme is a part of
the Taxation Laws (Second Amendment) Bill, 2016, passed by the Parliament on November 29 to
amend the income tax laws to provide more strict penal tax after demonetization announced on
November 8.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on December 22, launched BijuSishuSurakshya Yojana for
care and protection of HIV positive orphan children in the state.
Important aspects of the scheme. Under the scheme, the children would get financial support from the
stategovernment for their studies till higher secondary along with Rs. 20,000 reward after passing higher
secondary.
Odisha government added 25 lakh new beneficiaries under the Mamata Yojana and electronically
transferred Rs 1,100 crore to the bank accounts of these beneficiaries. This has become the
largest Direct Benefit Transfer programme in the country aimed at pregnant and expectant mothers.
The Centre has decided to step down the usual practice of annually sanctioning the action plans under
the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and has given a one go
clearance for the scheduled plans for the remaining three years of the five-year scheme.
The state government of Assam on December 25 launched an ambitious health insurance scheme Atal-
Amrit Abhiyan which will provide coverage against several critical illnesses. The scheme was launched
by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at a function in Guwahati, to mark the 92nd birthday of
former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.The total financial outlay of the scheme is around Rs 200
crore and would entitle the poor to receive coverage of Rs. 2 Lakh annually.
The State Cabinet of Odisha on December 24 named the Mega Lift Irrigation Scheme worth Rs. 7,600
crore, after the noted freedom fighter and social reformer Parbati Giri as a mark of respect for her
immense contribution to the freedom movement and service to the poor and needy.
The three-phase campaign Nagar Uday Abhiyan has been launched in all 378 urban bodies of Madhya
Pradesh on December 25, the birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
According to data released by the Ministry for Petroleum & Natural Gas on December 29, 2016,
Government has achieved its target of providing 1.5 crore free LPG connections under the Pradhan
Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) to the BPL households in less than 8 months
MoUs
India and Bhutan has signed an agreement for bilateral technical cooperation in infrastructure
engineering.Under the MoU, CPWD will assist Bhutan in green and sustainable construction of
infrastructure in Thimpu.
The state Government of Haryana signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Andhra Pradeshon
December 29 to assist the state in compiling a centralised databaseof its population to ensure efficient
and effective implementation of welfare programmes.
Indian Army has inked an agreement with IIT Gandhinagar to set up a research and development (R&D)
cell at the IIT campus to identify problems and possible solutions for the Indian Army.
India and Singapore signed a Third Protocol on December 30, 2016, for amending the Double Taxation
Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion
with respect to taxes on income.
India and Vietnam signed a Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement (N-Pact) in New Delhi on December
9, 2016, in the presence of Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and President of Vietnams National
Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) signed a MoU with Indian Council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR) on December 1, 2016, for cooperation in the area of zoonoses, anti-microbial
resistance, nutrition and pesticide residues.
In order to further boost to its growing defence ties with Vietnam, India has agreed to train the southeast
nations Sukhoi-30 fighter pilots.
The Union Cabinet on December 7, 2016, approved MoU between India and Vietnam on Cooperation in
336 | P a g e
the field of IT.

Unoin Cabinet approved MoU between India and Afghanistan on Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of
Outer Space
Union Cabinet approved MoU between India and UK to support Ease of Doing Business in India
Government announced the Zero Effect Zero Defect (ZED)certification scheme which will guide and
assist MSMEs across the country in Make in India sectors through quality control cells and rate them
after carrying out assessment of their products.
Bangalore-based space tech firm TeamIndus on December 1, 2016 signed a verified commercial launch
contract with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for its mission to land a spacecraft on the
moon.
India and United States (US) has signed a deal to buy 145 M-777 Ultra-Light Howitzers worth $750
million (Rs 5,000 crore) under the Foreign Military Sales programme that will be deployed in high-
altitude areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, bordering China.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on December 14, 2016, approved
the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
and United States Geological Survey (USGS) that was signed on July 9, 2016 at Bengaluru, for
cooperation in the exchange and use of U.S. Land Remote Sensing Satellite Data.
Cabinet Approves Signing MoU between India and Kyrgyzstan to Strengthen cooperation in Tourism.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto
approval of the MoUs signed between the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and
College of Banking and Financial Studies (CBFS), Oman in 2008 and 2011 as well as the renewal of
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Cabinet Approves Signing Revised Air Services Agreement between India and Nigeria. The revised
Agreement with strengthen the civil aviation relations between India and Nigeria and has the potential
to encourage greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
The European Union has signed an agreement with the Malian government on December 11, 2016, to
enable the return of strucked Malian migrants who have reached Europes shores and whose asylum
requests have been refused.
The European Union (EU) and Cuba signed a deal in Brussels on December 12, 2016, to normalize
relations, change interaction on human rights issues and increase already existing business ties between
Europe and Cuba. Cuba was the only Latin American country that had no dialogue and cooperation
deal with the 28-nation EU covering issues such as trade, human rights and migration.
Google and the government of Cuba signed a deal on December 12, 2016, that will enable Cuba to have
faster access to internet content from the US technology giant. Google had no direct data link to the
Cuba island.
The 5th India-Arab Partnership Conference was held on December 14-15 2016 in in Muscat,
Oman.Theme of the conference: Partnership towards innovation and cooperation in IT.
COMITTEES
Committee headed by Ratan P. Watal submitted its report to Finance Minster to boost Digital
Payment. The committee has recommended to bridge the gaps between those are digitally active and
those are not, by promoting competition, open access & interoperability in payments.
Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has constituted a committee under the chairmanship
of Ajit Mohan of Hotstar to fight against the problem of online piracy and develop suitable business
standards and best practices for the digital entertainment industry.
Government forms high-level task force on Indus Water Treaty headed by Nripendra Mishra with
Pakistan The Centre has reconstituted a committee that was tasked with assisting the Krishna River
Management Board (KRMB). The new committee will be headed by A.K. Bajaj, former chairman of the
Central Water Commission.
Central government has formed a high level committee under the Ministry of Law and Justice to make
arbitration a preferred mode for settlement of commercial disputes and review the present system of
arbitration mechanism in India and make it strong. The 10 member committee headed by Justice BN
337 | P a g e
Srikrishna.
Indian Space Research Organisations (ISRO) Shillong-based North-Eastern Space Applications

Centre (NE-SAC) has tested Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVS) to map various problems and
disasters ranging from measuring diseased paddy fields to damage caused by frequent landslides in
the north eastern region of the country.
On November 30, 2016, the periodic table got larger after four new elements were officially named
and added to the chart, including nihonium which is the first ever element to be discovered by
Japanese scientists. Newly included elements are: nihonium, moscovium, tennessine and oganesson.
The Russian Space Agency reported that Unmanned cargo spacecraft Progress MS-04, which was
delivering 2.6 tonnes of supplies to the International Space Station crashed shortly after takeoff on
December 1, 2016 due to a malfunction.
A mobile application, Stanpan Suraksha, developed by an NGO Breastfeeding Promotion Network of
India (BPNI) to promote breast feeding and check on inappropriate promotion of baby food items,
was launched by Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram on December 2, 2016 in New Delhi.
Russian Scientists have developed a unique, low-cost method of producing high-quality nuclear
fuel by using electricity. Main type of fuel required by Nuclear Power Reactors is the uranium oxide
pellet composition. It is produced from a powder by granulation, pressing, and sintering with proper
control over the quality and size of the pellets.
Tasmania-based Womens Legal Service in collaboration with TRS Law
Offices, India has launched a website, www.Girlsgottaknow.in, for women in India to educate them
about their legal rights.
A study published in the journal PNAS revealed that American scientists of US National Institute of
Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, for the first time have successfully tracked human thought
by imaging rapidly fluctuating brain activity.
Search engine giant Google has launched a personal safety app Trusted Contacts to give your
nearest location to your selected contacts.
According to a report published in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Researchers from
the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Delhi have found a
novel route to discover new drug targets and potential drugs for parasites that cause several diseases
such as Loa loa nematode (roundworm) and Schistosoma mansoni platyhelminths (flatworm).
The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launched the Remote Sensing
Satellite, Resourcesat-2AonDecember 7, 2016 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in
Andhra Pradesh.
A team of researchers at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, have
discovered that bismuth semi-metal in bulk form becomes a superconductor when the temperature is
lowered to 530 microKelvin (about -273 degree C).
General Dalbir Singh, Chief of the Army Staff, launched a mobile app called Veterans Outreach
App on December 6, 2016, at Manekshaw Centre, to connect with all Army veterans, and create an
interactive mechanism
Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Ravi Shankar Prasad, launched
a TV channel named DigiShala on December 9, 2016 to promote cashless transaction in rural
areas. Apart from the channel, the government also initiated Digi Dhan Abhiyan to achieve the
objective of educating, enabling and informing citizens about cashless economy.
Researchers from University of Illinois, US have discovered the presence of hot atomic hydrogen (H)
atoms in the second-highest layer of Earths atmosphere known as thermosphere.
Japans space agency, JAXA, on December 9, 2016, successfully launched a spacecraft for
the International Space Station (ISS), carrying a large magnetic space junk collector to divert the
space junk toward Earths atmosphere. JAXA designed the space junk collector with the help of
a fishnet company.
338 | P a g e
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the mobile applications ArisingKerala and
Whistle Now on the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day.
Scientists have created a nanoceramic material which will be used to produce safer and economical
nuclear reactors. This can be used at higher temperatures and radiation fields, producing energy
efficiently and the material becomes tougher under radiation.
China launched a new weather satellite, Fengyun-4 satellite, in the geostationary orbit, on December
11, 2016, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest Chinas Sichuan Province . Long
March-3B carrier rocket took the satellite into orbit. 14 weather satellites have been launched by
China till now, seven of which are still in orbit.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed a contract with a consortium of six companies on
December 9, 2016, to build two navigation satellite jointly with private firms by March 2017. The
contract was signed between M. Annadurai, Director of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), and the
consortium lead Alpha Design Technologies P Ltd.
Scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), identified a specific protein
called CD36 which is responsible for spreading cancer. CD36 is found in the cell membranes
of tumour cells and are dependent on fatty acids.
German scientists have detected ammonia in the upper troposphere layers for the first time above
India and China.
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N Chandababu Naidu launched the website of the Andhra Pradesh
Economic Development Board (AP-EDB).The website, apedb.gov.in will provide the information
about the policies of various sectors of the state, help to track the areas of investment in Andhra
Pradesh and enable investor to determine various investment opportunities available in the state.
China on December 15, 2016, launched its first fully-owned satellite ground station abroad near the
North Pole. The facility, located in Sweden about 200 kms north of the Arctic Circle, would
allow China to collect satellite data anywhere on Earth at speeds that was fastest in the world.
Eight mini-satellites were launched by NASA on December 15, 2016 to measure the surface wind
deep in the heart of hurricanes. The $157 million Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System
(CYGNSS), is meant to improve hurricane forecasting.
A team of researchers from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have developed a
safe and effective vaccine for Chikungunya fever made from an insect-specific virus.
According to a new study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, scientists for the first time
have discovered a huge jet stream of molten iron deep within the Earths core, around 1,860 miles
(3,000km) below the surface.
Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on December 20, 2016, launched
the tri-lingual website www.haj.gov.in relating to Haj matters. The website is in Hindi, Urdu and
English languages.The website www.haj.gov.in is a one stop facility to provide all necessary
information relating to Haj management in one place. It provides link for the prospective applicants
to enable them to apply online for Haj.
A global carbon dioxide monitoring satellite, TanSat, was launched by China on December 22, 2016,
to understand climate change in the country. The 620-kg satellite TanSat was put into orbit by Long
March-2D rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest Chinas Gobi Desert.
US-based scientists for the first time have witnessed at the sub-micrometer scale, the birth of
crystals that come up together to form atmospheric ice clouds in the laboratory. The researchers
replicated the stages of ice formation in the lab to show what happens moment by moment.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu launched google map toilet locator on
December 22, 2016 to help people find access to clean public restrooms in New Delhi.
He also released the Government of India calendar 2017 with the theme of this calendar is Mera
Desh Badal Raha Hai, Aag eBadh Raha Hai and the annual report on Print Media Press in India
2015-16.
UK-based researchers have found that stem cells harvested from pregnant womans amniotic
fluid can be used to strengthen weak bones.
Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and
339 | P a g e
Mines, PiyushGoyal launched a web portal Coal Mitra on December 21, in New Delhi for
allowing flexibility in utilization of domestic Coal.
Japans space agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched a solid
fuel rocket named Epsilon-2 on December 20, 2016 from the Uchinoura Space Centre in southern
Japan.
The Aadhaar Payment App is all set to launch on December 25, 2016 to eliminate the fee payments
for service providers like card companies such as Mastercard, Visa etc. The app was developed
by IDFC Bank along with UIDAI and National Payments Corporation of India(NPCI).
Scientists from Imperial College London, UK have identified materials that can
withstand temperatures of nearly 4,000 degrees Celsius. The two materials, Tantalum carbide
(TaC) and hafnium carbide (HfC) are refractory ceramics, meaning they are extraordinarily resistant
to heat.
Scientists from the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, at Toronto, Canada have developed
the very first functional pacemaker cells using human stem cells as per the findings published in the
Nature Biotechnology, the scientists generated sinoatrial node (SAN) cardiomyocytes, the biological
pacemaker from human pluripotent cells.
A free instant messaging service for work and business environments, Flock has launched worlds
first chat operating system FlockOS by BhavinTurakhia, Flock CEO on December 20, 2016.
China on December 20, 2016, commissioned its first seven-tonne helicopter, to mark a new
development in the Chinas helicopter industry, the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).
Scientists from US based Harvard Universitys John A Paulson School of Engineering and Applied
Sciences (SEAS) have developed the worlds smallest radio receiver using atomic-scale defects
in pink diamonds. The study was published in the journal Physical Review Applied.
Power Ministry to Launch GARV-II Mobile App to Monitor electrification Programme in six lakh
Villages.
Telecom Ministry to Launch Portal Tarang Sanchar to test Towers radiation Level
Bengaluru-based TeamIndus has announced an agreement to carry Japanese team Hakutos robotic
rover in the Google Lunar XPRIZE, to the moon aboard TeamInduss spacecraft in late 2017.
A research team of astronomers from Australia, South Africa, and Europe has discovered one of the
universes biggest super clusters of galaxies, Vela super cluster, near the Milky Way. It was
undetected for long as it was hidden by stars and dust in the Milky Way. The Vela is massive and is
at a distance of 840 million light-years from Earth. It is estimated to carry 100,000 galaxies with
trillions of stars.
China successfully tested the Fifth Generation twin-engine radar-evading stealth fighter, FC-31
Gyrfalcon, on December 23, 2016. FC-31 Gyrfalcon, an upgraded version of the J-31 stealth fighter,
made its maiden flight in the northeastern city of Shenyang.
Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has launched an Integrated Voice Response System
(IVRS) system in Delhi, Mumbai, Punjab, UP, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Goa. It will be
extended to others states.Subscribers will receive an IVRS call from the short code 1955.
China successfully launched two High-Resolution Remote Sensing Satellites on December 28, 2016
from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in Shanxi Province to get commercial images.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched UPI based mobile payment application called BHIM
(Bharat Interface for Money). BHIM a rebranded version of UPI (Unified Payment Interface) and
USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data), at the Digi Dhan Mela event in Talkatora
stadium in New Delhi.
DEFENCE
British and Indian Navy Exercise KONKAN-2016 begin at Mumbai.

US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter along with Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar finalised
the Major Defence Partner status to India.
The 9th edition of the annual bilateral maritime exercise between Indian Navy and Russian
340 | P a g e
Navy, INDRA NAVY, started off in the Bay of Bengal on December 14 and will continue till 21
December 2016.
The Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India T S Thakur informed that Indian Air Force
(IAF) officers do not carry beard.
Seventh edition of India and Maldives bilateral Exercise EKUVERIN began at Kadhdhoo, Laamu
Atoll, Maldives on December 15, 2016.
The Pakistan Army successfully test-fired an enhanced version of an indigenously-designed cruise
missile Babur. The missile is named after the first Mughal emperor and founder of Mughal dynasty.
It incorporates advanced aerodynamics and avionics that can hit targets at 700 kms both at land and
sea with high accuracy.
India and Russia have agreed to undertake joint technical development work to extend the range
of Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles beyond the range of current 300 km. The agreement was
reached after India joined the Missile Technology Control Regime MTCR in June as a full member.
The eighth and the last ship of LCU MK IV project, an amphibious ship, was launched at a ceremony
at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE), Kolkata.
The Defence Ministry led by Manohar Parrikar approved four defence proposals worth over Rs 7,000
crore in a meeting on December 23, 2016. The Defence Acquisition Council approved purchasing six
multi-mission maritime aircraft for the Indian Coast Guard to keep an eye on the 7,500 km-long
coastline worth Rs 5,500 crore. The DAC also gave its approval to purchase one more C-17
Globemaster Mk-III aircraft from the US manufacturer Boeing at an undisclosed price. This will add
to the existing inventory of 10 aircraft that New Delhi purchased at a price of $4.1 billion.
Nepal has announced to hold its first ever joint military exercise with China on February 10, 2017 to
begin a new level of bilateral military engagement with China. The focus of the military exercise,
named Pratikar-1, will be on training Nepali forces in dealing with hostage scenarios involving
international terror groups.
US President Barack Obama has signed a $618 billion defence policy bill for 2017 on December 23,
2016, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to enhance security cooperation with India. The National Defence
Authorization Act (NDAA), which was passed by both the House and the Senate with veto-proof
majorities earlier in December.
Telanganas Warangal police have set world record by conducting the largest self-defence class at a
single venue earlier this week said by Warangal police commissioner G SudheerBabu. In this
class 21,276 college girls, working women and some from foreign countries were took
part at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
India successfully test-fired its long range subsonic cruise missile, Nirbhay, from the launch complex
3 of Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, Odisha coast at 11: 56 hours on December 21,
2016. The state-of-the-art surface-to-surface missile is developed by the DRDO which is capable of
carrying conventional and nuclear warheads and has a range of more than 1000 km with a weight of
about 1500 kg and has a length of 6 metres.
The Defence and Research Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully tested an indigenous
Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) from an Indian Air Force aircraft on December 24,
2016. Weight: 120 kg, Range: 100km & Project Outlay: Rs.56.58 Cr
India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable, Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), the Agni
V, on December 26, from Dr Abdul Kalam island, formerly known as Wheeler Island, off the coast
of Odisha.The Agni V is Indias indigenously developed intercontinental surface-to-surface nuclear
capable ballistic missile with a range of 5,500 to 5,800 km.
The Cochin Shipyard delivered ICGS AYUSH, the 20th Fast Patrol Vessel, to the Indian Coast
Guard.
ENVIRONMENT
Cyclone Nada passed off peacefully through the Karaikal coast of Puducherry at 5 am on December
2, 2016.
341 | P a g e
Scientists from the University of Waterloo in Canada, and colleagues found evidence of early
pollution caused by the combustion of copper in the now dry riverbed in the Wadi Faynan region of
southern Jordan contaminated about 7,000 years ago by Neolithic humans who may have been
producing copper metals from ores.
A release issued by the culture ministry states that an ancient camping site has been found near Saser
La in the Nubra Valley, Ladakh at an altitude of about 4,200 metresthat was used by pre-historic man
and belonged to circa 8500 BCE.
To better understand the science of fog formation over New Delhi, the Ministry of Earth Sciences
inaugurated the Winter Fog observational Campaign at the New Delhi Airport.
A strong 6.5 magnitude earthquake hits Aceh province on Indonesias Sumatra island on December
7, 2016 said by the US Geological Survey(USGS).
The central zonal bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Rajasthan government to
cancel allotments of salt pans in Sambhar Salt Lake that fall within the wetland and run against to the
order of Wetland Rules, 2010.
Cyclone Vardah Hits Tamil Nadu, Kills Seven People.
US Scientists have discovered a Mutated fish in the east coast of the US, which has evolved to be
8,000 times more resilient to toxic waste. The small striped mud minnow, or killifish, is known for
living in heavily polluted estuaries such as New Jerseys Newark Bay and Virginias Elizabeth River.
The Desert National Park (DNP) in Jaisalmer has records the successful birth of 11 Great Indian
Bustards or Godawn which is the state bird of Rajasthan. Rajasthan government has started Project
Godawan for its conservation.
National Green Tribunal (NGT) passed an order on December 20, 2016, directing the countrys
aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), to issue instructions to all airlines,
whose aircraft empties toilet tanks on air, to pay Rs 50,000 as environmental compensation.
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology headed by RajyaSabha MP Renuka
Choudhary, submitted its report recently to Parliament. The committee was formed after a series of
devastating forest fires and the prolonged one that charred 4,000 hectares of forest land across 13
districts of Uttarakhand.
Super Typhoon Nock-ten made landfall on the eastern province of Philippines on Christmas
Day. Known in the Philippine as Nina, Nock-Ten hit the coast near Catanduanes island at 18:30
local time with wind speed up to 255km/h (158mph). But there are no reports of damage or
casualties yet.
According to a World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature report published on December 19, 2016,
scientists have discovered 163 new species in the Greater Mekong.
A 60,000 square kilometres dead zone was founded in the Bay of Bengal by Researchers from the
Council of Scientific and Industrial Researchs National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in Goa.
The worlds first cloned goat with superfine Cashmere wool was born in north Chinas Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Scientists at the OSUs Hatfield Marine Science Center have discovered the source of a strange
sound recorded near the Mariana Trench. The metallic sound has been dubbed as Western Pacific
Biotwang.
According to a study published in the journal Nature Communications, birds with larger
brain better adjust in the fluctuating and harsh climate for finding food, shelter and protection from
predators than the ones with smaller brains.
SPORTS

Magnus Carlsen of Norway defeated
World Chess Championship 2016, USA
Russian challenger Sergey Karjakin
First Indian to Win Medal at Mr. Olympia Amateur Iqbal Sayed
Event, Hong Kong
342 | P a g e
World record in the 100 meter swimming South African swimmer Chad le Clos
womens Hockey Junior World Cup 2016, Chile Argentin defeated Netherlands
2016 IBSF World Billiards Peter Gilchrist of Singapore defeated Sourav Kothari
11th World Billiards Championship, Bengaluru Pankaj Advani beats Singapores Peter Gilchrist
Vijender Singh defeated former world champion
WBO-Asia Pacific Super Middleweight Title
Tanzanias Francis Cheka
BBC Sports Personality of the Year Andy Murray
Shiva Thapa won Gold
1st Elite Senior Mens Nationals Championship,
Guwahati -60kg
Ghuwati
Manoj Kumar also won a Gold medal in 69 Kg
2016 Hero Indian Super League, Kochi Atletico de Kolkata defeated Kerala Blasters 5-4
2016 FIH Junior Hockey World Cup, Lucknow India beat Belgium
Men: Andy Murray of Great Britain
2016 ITF World Champions
Women: Angelique Kerber of Germany
ICC Womens Team of the Year Smriti Mandhana (First Indian)
ICC ODI and T20I Player of Year New Zealand cricketer Suzannah Wilson
Asian Tour Title 2016 Mukesh Kumar(oldest golfer)
Womens Twenty20 Asia Cup, Bangkok India defeated Pakistan
Cricketer Completes 4,000 Test Runs and 1,000 run
Virat Kohli
in 2016
BWF World Ranking PV Sindhu 7th
Highest score by an Aussie captain Steven Smith(equal Ricky Pontings record)
Goalkeeping Mentor of Indian Junior Hockey Team PR Sreejesh
Retirement from racing Nico Roseberg
Retirement from football Alvaro Dominguez Soto (Spain)
Davis Cup match 2016 Host : Pakistan
First ever Day and Night Ashes Host: Australia
2017 Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Championships Host: Sochi, Russia(loses)
Test captain of South Africa Faf du Plessis
Olympic Sports list Cheerleading and the martial art of muaythai
Top 3:
ICC Test Championship Ranking
India, Australia and Pakistan
AIBA grant full membership Boxing Federation of India(BFI)
Kids Golf World Championship, Malaysia Arjun Bhati
4th Womens U-18 Hockey Asia Cup
India defeated South Korea
Bangkok
Top 3:
FIFA 2016 Rank
Argentina, Brazil and Germany
Asian Luge Championship ,Japan Shiva Keshavan
2016 AIFF Player of the Year Jeje Lalpekhlua
Asia Cup under-19 title, Srilanka. India defeated Sri Lanka
National title in 6-red Snooker Pankaj Advani
Top 3:
Virat Kohli (India)
Lords Cricket Ground 20 best players of 2016 list
Jonny Bairstow (England)
Ravichandran Ashwin (India)
ICC accreditatio for conducting International cricket
Shaheed Vijay Singh Parthik(SVSP) Sports
matches between full time member countries of the
Stadium in Greater Noida
game.
2016 Mubadala World Tennis Championship ,Abu
Rafal Nadal Defeats David Gsoffin
Dhabi
343 | P a g e
Worlds Best Playmaker for the year 2016 Lionel Messi

ITF Hong Kong F4 Futures title Yuki Bhambri defeated Shintaro Imai
Captain of Cricket Australias ODI team of the year. Virat Kohli
Scored 359 runs not out during Ranji Samit Gohel
Trophy quarter-final against Odisha
National Games 2022 Host: Meghalaya
First Pakistan batsman to score a double century in a
Azhar Ali
Test
Mens 50M Rifle Prone event at the National
Pruthviraj Ayachi
Shooting Championship in Pune.
National weightlifting championships Sivalingam Sathish Kumar -Gold
Western Asia Youth Chess Championship , UAE Kush Bhagat 3 Gold
Indian tennis player Somdev Kishore
Serbian professional tennis player Ana Ivanovic
Retirement Announcement
Professional road and track racing cyclist Sir Bradley
Wiggins
OBITUARY

Sammy Lee First Asian-American Man to Win Olympic Gold USA
Rashaan Salaam Former NFL player USA
John Glenn Astronaut USA
Bernard Fox Actor USA
Thomas Schelling Economist USA
Dr Henry Heimlich Creator of the technique to save choking victims USA
Zsa Zsa Gabor Hungarian-American actress and socialite USA
Walter Swinburn Legendary Horse Trainer UK
J Jayalalithaa Tamil Nadu Chief Minister India
Cho Ramaswamy Journalist, political analyst and comedian India
Former Madhya Pradesh Bhai Mahavir India
governor
Former Hockey Umpire Phulel Singh Sujlana India
Shriram Gojamgunde Marathi film maker India
Makkal Pavalar Inkulab Tamil Poet India
Bekal Utsahi Poet and former Congress Rajya Sabha MP India
Saumitra Chaudhuri Economist India
Jagannatha Varma Malayalam Actor India
Andrei Gennadyevich Karlov Russias ambassador to Turkey Russia
Surendra Prasad Tarun Bihar Politicain India

Piers Sellers NASA astronaut USA
Dinanath Bhargava Co-Artist of national emblem India
Chetan Ramarao Kannada Actor India
William Christopher Actor USA
Imtiaz Ahmed First Test Team Member Pakistan
Balasaheb Vikhe Patil Former Minister, Maharashtra India
Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Former PM Sri Lanka
Vera Rubin Astronaut USA
Carrie Fisher Actor & Writer USA
Sunderlal Patwa Former Madhya Pradesh CM India
344 | P a g e
BOOKS & AUTHORS
The biography of Dipa Karmakar who is the first Indian female gymnast ever to compete in the
Olympics to be written by Vimal Mohan, Digvijay Singh Deo and her coach Bishweshwar Nandi. The
book titled Dipa Karmakar: The Small Wonder which will be published by Fingerprint! in August
2017.
President Pranab Mukherjee Releases Three Books Based on Rashtrapati Bhavan
i. President Pranab Mukherjee released three books at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on the occasion
of his 81st birthday.The three books include: Life at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Indradhanush-2 and
Rashtrapati Bhavan From Raj to Swaraj.
Ravindra Kumar, the first IAS officer as well as the first Seafarer of India, to climb the Mount Everest
has written a motivational book for students, which was released by the Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha on
December 12, 2016 in New Delhi. The book titled Many Everests: An Inspiring Journey of
Transforming Dream into Reality is penned by Ravindra Kumar, a 2011 batch IAS officer.
The book titled Courts of India Past to Present released by the Supreme Court of India.
The book is a comprehensive history of courts and judicial system in India. It was authored
by the Editorial Board comprises members of both the Bench and the Bar.
Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment released the first issue of
a National Newspaper SaanjhiSaanjh, dedicated to Senior Citizen, in the National Capital on
December 19, 2016. The Newspaper is edited by Ms. J.V Manisha Bajaj, Secretary, Harikrit, an NGO
for elderly people.
Gujarat based dairy cooperative company Amul launched the updated edition of Amuls India
3.0 covering topical grounds and popular incidents from the contemporary context and the book takes
on fifty years of Indias history. The book has written by Santosh Desai, Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi
Tharoor, Jug Suraiya, Indrajit Hazra, Jai Arjun Singh, Naresh Fernandes, Agnello Dias, Arnab Goswami
and Karan Johar.
IMPORTANT DAYS
Dec 1 2016
Remember Day: World AIDS Day
Purpose : To raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection
Organization:UN, WHO
Theme: Hands up for #HIVprevention
Remember Day: 51st Raising Day of BSF

Purpose : GOI
Dec 2 2016
Remember Day: International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
Purpose : To raise awareness of the atrocities of modern slavery.
Organization: UN
Remember Day: National Pollution Control

Purpose : To spread awareness among people and industries about paying attention towards the need of
adhere to Pollution Control Acts.
Organization: GOI
Dec 3 2016
Remember Day: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Purpose : To enable governments and organizations to implement measures to improve the life of disabled
persons all over the world.
Organization: GOI
345 | P a g e
Theme: Achieving 17 Goals for the Future We Want
Dec 4 2016
Remember Day: Navy Day
Purpose : To celebrate the magnificence, achievements and role of the naval force to the country.
Organization: GOI
Dec 5 2016
Remember Day: International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development
Purpose : To show volunteers contributions at the international, national and local levels in order to get the
Millennium Development Goals
Organization: UN
Theme: Global Applause give volunteers a hand.
Remember Day: World Soil Day

Purpose : To celebrate the importance of soil as a critical component of the natural system
Organization: FAO
Theme: Soils and pulses, a symbiosis for life
Dec 7 2016
Remember Day: International Civil Aviation Day
Purpose : To promote safety, efficiency of air transport
Organization: UN
Theme: Working together to ensure no country is left behind
Dec 8 2016
Remember Day: Plastic Free Day
Organization: Kerala Gov
Dec 9 2016
Remember Day: International Anti-Corruption
Purpose : To engage the general public to effectively fight against corruption and fraud in communities
Organization:UN
Theme: United against corruption for development, peace and security
Dec 10 2016
Remember Day: Human Rights Day
Purpose : To improve the physical, social, cultural and spiritual well being and welfare of the vulnerable
group of people globally
Organization: UN
Theme: Stand up for someones rights today!
Dec 11 2016
Remember Day: International Mountain Day
Purpose : To create awareness about the importance of mountains to life.
Organization: UN, FAO
Theme: Mountain Cultures: Celebrating diversity and strengthening identity
Dec 12 2016
Remember Day: Universal Health Coverage Day
Purpose : To promote the human right to health
Organization: WHO
346 | P a g e
Dec 14 2016
Remember Day: World Energy Conservation Day
Purpose : To highlight the importance of energy consumption and its use in our day-to-day life.
Dec 16 2016
Remember Day: Vijay Diwas
Purpose ; 45th Anniversary of the win of the Indian Army in the Indo-Pak war on December 16, 1971.
Organization: GOI
Dec 18 2016
Remember Day: International Migrants Day
Purpose : To recognizes and celebrates the rights of migrants around the world.
Organization: UN
Dec 20 2016
Remember Day: International Human Solidarity Day
Purpose : To remind people on the importance of solidarity in working towards eradicating poverty.
Organization: UN
Dec 22 2016
Remember Day: National Mathematics Day
Purpose : To mark the birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan.
Organization: GOI
Dec 23 2016
Remember Day: Kisan Diwas (Farmers Day)
Purpose : To celebrate the birth anniversary of the fifth prime minister and kisan leader,Ch. Charan Singh
Organization: India
Dec 24 2016
Remember Day: National Consumer Day
Purpose : To promote the basic rights of all consumers
Organization: GOI
Dec 25 2016
Remember Day: Good Governance Day
Purpose : To honor Prime Minister Vajpayee by fostering awareness among the Indian people of
accountability in government.
Organization: GOI
April 14 2017
Remember Day: Water Day(Birthday of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar)
Purpose : To commemorate the great contribution of the Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar towards the country
Organization: GOI
347 | P a g e
AffairsCloud Important Page Links
Current Affairs Sections

Current Affairs
Current Affairs 2017
Current Affairs Today
Current Affairs PDF
Current Affairs Quiz
Current Affairs Mock Test
Study Materials PDF
General Awareness Sections

General Knowledge
GK Questions
General Awareness
General Studies
Subject-Wise Question Sections

Reasoning Questions
Quantitative Aptitude Questions
English Questions
Computer Awareness Questions
Banking Awareness Questions
Insurance Awareness Questions
IT Officer Questions
Study Notes Sections

General Aptitude
Reasoning
English Notes
Insurance Notes
Computer Awareness
Banking Awareness
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR EXAMS!!!
Suggestions are welcomed; Contact us any time at Affairscloud@gmail.com &

AffairsCloud1@gmail.com
348 | P a g e

Current Affairs 2016 PDF Capsule by Affairscloud

Transféré par

Informations du document

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Current Affairs 2016 PDF Capsule by Affairscloud

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

AC Current Affairs

Hello Dear AC Aspirants,

Here we are providing best AC Current Affairs Booster 2016

Kindly Check Other Capsules

Afffairscloud Exam Capsule

Current Affairs January 2016 .................................................................................................... 3

Current Affairs January 2016

Uttarakhand(267cr) for 2015-16.

Solar PV Power Projects - Rs 30,000 crore

2 Pune Maharashtra 12 NDMC New Delhi

Conference of Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) on Afghan Peace and Reconciliation

rights to India and China.

BANKING & FINANCE

Ltd for an undisclosed amount.

chromite and iron ore.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Name of the Awards Name of the Persons

Peoples Choice Award Priyanka Chopra

Neerja Bhanot Award Subhashini Vasanth

Energising India Mathews K Mathew

Best Film Bajirao Mastani

Saina Nehwal Badminton star

Honored by ISSF Abhinav Singh Bindra

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Ronaldinho appointed as Brand Ambassador of Nagjee International Club Football Tournament

Department of Telecommunications has designated J.S. Deepak as its Secretary succeedor of

Justice R MLodha panel submits report to SC for reforms in BCCI

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Atomic number 113, 115, 117 and 118

Puducherry Lt Governor AK Singh launches MITRA(Mobile Initiated Tracking and Rescue

Name of the Sport Events Name of the Winners

Joe Root (Eng) 888

Novak Djokovic of Serbia ahead of Andy Murray of

Sania and Martina

Queen Elizabeth Commemoration Cup Queens Turf

West Indies Chanderpaul(all form)

Name of the person Profession Country

T.N. Gopakumar Journalist India

BOOKS & AUTHORS

IMPORTANT DAYS IN JANUARY 2016

Remember Day: National Tourism Day

Current Affairs February 2016

launched the Team Swachh clinics in partnership with BCCI

Prabhus Era: Rail Budget 2016-17

Union Budget 2016 17

Enhancing of Dairy Farming Rs 850 crore

Banking Rs 25,000 crore towards recapitalization of PSBs

WHO declared the Zika virus outbreak as an International Emergency.

BANKING & FINANCE

Corporation) have sanctioned 90Crores to APCRDA.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Name of the Awards Name of the Persons

Academician Gennady Krasnikov Russia

IBA Banking Technology Award Karnataka Bank Ltd

Global Teacher Award Robin Chaurasia (Top 10)

Best Documentary Short Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy for A Girl In the River:

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Name of the person Name of the Post

HarinderSidhu Australian High Commissioner to India

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) had inked Memorandum of Agreement

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021 World Aquatics Championships Fukuoka