IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS JUNE 2016 CAPSULE

Awards and Honours

• Anand Honoured with "Honoris Causa"
o Five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand was conferred the “Honoris Causa”
Doctor of Science by Indian Institute Of Technology (IIT) during its 49th
convocation ceremony in Kanpur.
o He was bestowed with the degree by NITI aayog chairman Arvind Panagariya in
Kanpur.
o Viswanathan Anand became India's first grandmaster in 1988.
o He was also the first recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
• BET Awards Winners 2016
o The BET Awards celebrate African Americans & other minorities in music, acting &
other fields of entertainment.
o Beyonce took home a total of 4 awards including Best female R&B/pop artist.
o Bryson Tiller was named best male R&B/pop artist.
o Other winners included Nicki Minaj (best female hip-hop artist) & Kirk Franklin
(best gospel).
• 2 Indians Win Queen's Young Leader Award
o Kartik Sawhney, 21 & Neha Swain,28 from India are among 60 others who won the
Queen's Young Leaders award 2016 in UK.
o They won the award for their exceptional work in transforming the lives of others &
making a lasting difference in their communities.
o Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust presents the award to recognise young
people from across the 53 countries of the Commonwealth.
• IIFA Awards 2016 Begins
o The 2016 IIFA Awards known as the 17th International Indian Film Academy Awards
honouring the best Hindi films of 2015.
o The event was held in Madrid, Spain.
o Deepika Padukone & Ranveer Singh bagged the Best Actor (Female) & Best Actor
(Male) trophy for Piku & Bajirao Mastani respectively.
o Sanjay Leela Bhansali won the Best Director for Bajirao Mastani
o Bajrangi Bhaijaan was named the Best Film.
• Manipur Woman Activist Wins Global Award
o Social activist Urmila Chanam awarded 'Voices of Our Future' award by World Pulse.
o It is a social networking platform connecting women with a vision to amplify
women’s voices to improve the lives of millions around the world.
o Chanam from Manipur was among three from across the world who received the
award.
o The other two recipients are Sadaf Kashif from Pakistan & Carolyn Seaman from
Nigeria.
• Indian bags UN honour
o Indian social entrepreneur Zubaida Bai has been named among 10 “champions &
pioneers” by UN Chief Ban Ki-moon.
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She is founder of ‘AYZH’, a for-profit social venture providing health & livelihood
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solutions to impoverished women.
o UN Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, supports
companies to align with principles of human rights, environment & anti-corruption.
• GD Birla award for IIT Kanpur professor
o IIT-Kanpur professor Sanjay Mittal has been awarded the 25th GD Birla Award for
Scientific Research for the year 2015.
o This is an annual scientific award given to Indian scientist below the age of 50, living
& working in India for their outstanding scientific research.
o It was established 1991 by the K. K. Birla Foundation in the honour of philanthropist
Ghanshyam Das Birla.
• Thithi Bag Awards at Shanghai Film Fest
o Kannada film Thithi has bagged the top awards at the ongoing 19th Shanghai
International Film Festival.
o Thithi won the Best Film & Best Script Writers in the Asia New Talent Awards at the
festival in Shanghai.
o Thithi is a light-hearted story about three generations of men reacting to the death of
the family's 101-yr-old patriarch.
o The film's cast were non-professional actors from Indian villages.
• Ivory Coast Honours President Mukherjee
o President Pranab Mukherjee was awarded the highest national award of Ivory Coast,
the 'National Grand Crois'.
o The President also held bilateral talks with his Ivory Coast counterpart Alassane
Ouattara.
o Both countries also signed Headquarters agreement for re-establishment of Exim
bank regional head quarters in the Ivory Coast.
o President Mukherjee is on a three nation visit to Africa.
• Sridevi to Receive Award at IIFA
o Bollywood actress Sridevi to receive outstanding achievement award at International
Indian Film Academy (IIFA) gala in Madrid held from June 23 to 26 .
o She has worked in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam & Kannada films.
o She made her Bollywood debut as a child artist with the 1975 movie “Julie”.
o In her career spanning over 40 years, she has given various memorable
performances in films.
• AAI Wins Award for Solar Power Projects
o The Airports Authority of India has been conferred the National Award for Best
Performing Central PSU for Roof Top Solar Power initiatives.
o The award was received by Shri A.K.Misra, ED on behalf of AAI.
o It has installed 4.8 megawatt peak power (MWp) rooftop solar plants at 13 airports.
o The solar energy generation so far is 51 Lakhs units from the completed solar power
plants at various airports.
• Russia Honours UN Secretary-General
o Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree awarding the Order of Friendship
to United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
o He was awarded for strengthening peace, friendship & cooperation between peoples.
o Ban first took office as the UN chief on Jan. 1, 2007 & he was re-elected for another
five-year term.
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The order was set up in 1994 & is awarded for outstanding accomplishments.
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• Indian-Origin Professor in UK Awarded
o Eminent Indian-origin professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya has been awarded the
prestigious Regius Professorship by Queen Elizabeth II.
o He was awarded for his outstanding contribution in manufacturing.
o Through his career, he has advised the UK govt on manufacturing, innovation &
technology.
o Regius Professorships falls under the Royal Prerogative, with each appointment
being approved by the Queen.
• Parashar Kulkarni bags Short Story Prize
o Parashar Kulkarni has become the first Indian author to win the Commonwealth
short story prize, beating almost 4,000 entries.
o He is working as assistant professor in social sciences at Yale NUS College Singapore.
o The winning story Cow & Company is a narrative set in India in the 1990s about four
men who go in search of a cow to feature in an advertisement for chewing gum.
• Pope Honors Clooney, Gere & Salma Hayek
o Pope Francis honoured Hollywood actors Richard Gere, George Clooney & Salma
Hayek with the Olive Medal of Peace to promote the Scholas Occurrentes foundation.
o They have agreed to work as ambassadors for the foundation's art projects.
o Scholas Occurrentes is a foundation that links 400,000 schools & educational
networks from various cultures & religions in 82 countries.
• CEAT Cricket Awards 2016 Presented
o Star India batsman Virat Kohli was named CEAT T20 Player of the Year.
o Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement
Award.
o England batsman Joe Root was named as the Ceat International Cricketer of the Year
& International Batsman of the Year.
o R Ashwin won the CEAT International Bowler of the Year.
o Rohit Sharma was named as the Indian Cricketer of the Year.
• Rahman Conferred with Fukuoka Prize 2016
o Indian music composer A.R. Rahman was awarded Japan's Fukuoka prize 2016.
o He was conferred with the award for his outstanding contribution towards creating
& showcasing South Asian traditional fusion music.
o The Fukuoka Prize is an award established by the city of Fukuoka & the Yokatopia
Foundation.
o It honours the outstanding work of individuals or organizations in preserving Asian
culture.

Business and Economy

• India up 19 Rank in Logistic Performance
o India has jumped 19 places in the latest World Bank ranking in the global logistics
performance.
o The World Bank in its latest once in two-year Logistics Performance Index (LPI)
ranked India 35th as against the 54th spot it occupied in the previous 2014.
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Germany tops the ranking, followed by Luxembourg & Sweden.
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Logistics organises the movement of goods through a network of activities & services
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• EESL Signs MoU with TERI
o Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) entered into a strategic partnership with
The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI) for two years.
o As per MoU ,both organizations have decided to work jointly for the achievement of
common goals & objectives related to energy efficiency.
o The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister of Power, Coal & New &
Renewable Energy Shri Piyush Goyal.
• BSE Gets Shareholders Nod for IPO
o BSE's shareholders have approval the proposed initial public offer (IPO) of the stock
exchange through an offer for sale (OFS).
o Approval of initial public offering of equity shares of BSE was passed unanimously.
o A maximum of 30 per cent of BSE's equity can be diluted through the OFS.
o BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) earlier this year had received Sebi's approval to list
on capital markets.
• SBI to Raise Over Rs 10000 Crore
o SBI will raise long-term capital of up to $1.5 billion or over Rs 10,000 crore by
issuing bonds in US dollar or other convertible currency.
o The Executive Committee of the Central Board in its meeting has approved to raise
long term funds up to $1,500 million.
o The fund raising will take place through a public offer & or private placement during
2016-17.
• India Ranks 105th on Human Capital Index
o India was ranked low at 105th out of the total 130 countries included in the index on
a worldwide Human Capital Index.
o The index was topped by Finland, Pakistan ranks lower at 118th place.
o Human Capital Index measures countries’ ability to nurture, develop and deploy
talent for economic growth.
o The index was released by Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF)
• Tata Comm Sells Neotel for $428 m
o Tata Communications has sold its South African telecom arm Neotel to Liquid
Telecom & Royal Bafokeng Holdings for an enterprise value of $428 million or
₹2,904 crore.
o Tata Communications holds a 68 per cent stake in the company.
o The move is part of Tata Communications’ game plan to reduce its debt of nearly $1.5
billion.
o Tata Communications had acquired the Neotel stake in 2006.
• Jan Dhan Deposits up 118 per cent
o The average deposit per account under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
(PMJDY) increased 118% from Rs 795 in Sept 2014 to Rs 1,735 in May 2016.
o PMJDY accounts increased from 53 million in Sept 2014 to 219 million in May 2016
o The proportion of accounts with no money declined from 76% in 2014 to 25.7% in
2016.
o PMJDY deposits increased from Rs 4,273 cr in Sept 2014 to Rs 38,048 cr in May
2016.
• VW Reaches $14.7 B Emissions Settlement
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Volkswagen will settle its emissions scandal case for $14.7 billion, the largest payout
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by an automaker to consumers in U.S. history.
o Volkswagen would repair or buy back polluting vehicles & pay each owner as much as
USD 10,000 under a USD 14.7 billion deal.
o The scandal erupted in Sept when it was learned that the German automaker had
fitted many of its cars with software to fool emissions tests.
• UK Loses its Top AAA Credit Rating
o The UK has lost its top AAA credit rating from ratings agency S&P following the
country's Brexit vote last week.
o S&P downgraded the nation by two notches, from "AAA" to "AA.
o S&P said the referendum result to leave the EU could lead to a deterioration of the
UK's economic performance.
o A rating downgrade can affect how much it costs govts to borrow money in the
international financial markets.
• Banks Deposits Double During 2010-2015
o Deposits with commercial banks almost doubled during 2010-2015 to Rs 89.22 lakh
cr
o Their credit rose twofold to Rs 68.78 lakh cr during the same period.
o The western region witnessed the highest deposit at Rs 26.85 lakh cr witnessed in
2015 as against Rs 14.49 lakh cr in 2010.
o Deposits by the banks in north east were the lowest
o The data was based on RBI first edition of statistical publication.
• British Pound Falls to 30-yr Low
o The pound tumbled to the lowest level in almost 31 years on economic & political
uncertainty after Britain voted to leave the European Union,
o The pound dropped almost four percent to $1.3160 against the US dollar, the lowest
level since September 1985.
o Banking, airline & property shares were worst hit .
o Britain's June 23 vote to abandon the EU wiped $2.1 trillion off international equity
values.
• SIDBI Disburses Rs 3337 crore in 2015-16
o SIDBI has disbursed Rs 3337.20 cr out of Rs 3783 cr sanctioned during 2015-16
through its wholly-owned subsidiary MUDRA to fund the small enterprises.
o MUDRA (Micro Units Development and Refinancing Agency encourages
development of micro units.
o To help startups, SIDBI created a Rs 2,000-crore India Aspiration Fund to be
utilised as a Fund of Funds for making investments in Venture Capital Funds.
• India Needs $1.5 trillion for Infra
o India needs over $1.5 trillion in investment in the next 10 years to bridge
infrastructure gap.
o The government intends to connect seven hundred thousand villages with roads by
2019.
o This was said by Shri. Arun Jaitely while addressing a seminar on Infrastructure &
Global Economic Growth organised by China sponsored AIIB.
o In terms of highway construction this year alone govt target is 10,000 kms.
• Suzlon Commissions Wind Project
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Wind turbine maker Suzlon Group has announced the completion & commissioning
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of its 4.20 MW maiden wind project for Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.
o The project is located at Nakhatrana, Kutch.
o The project will help in offsetting 9,000 tonnes CO2 emissions annually.
o Gujarat's total wind installations stood at 4,038 MW, out of which 1,842 MW has
been contributed by Suzlon.
• China-backed AIIB Approves First Loans
o The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved its first four loans.
o The four loans total $509 million, with three of them co-financed with with the ADB
& World Bank.
o Supported projects include a $165 million loan to bring power to rural Bangladesh,
$216.5 million to improve Indonesian slums, $100 million to highway in Pakistan &
$27.5 million to upgrade a road in Tajikistan.
• Moody's Lowers Outlook for UK
o Ratings agency Moody’s has lowered the outlook for the UK’s credit rating from
stable to negative.
o Moody’s said Britain’s creditworthiness was now at greater risk after voting to leave
the European Union.
o Britain’s vote to leave the EU has sparked widespread turmoil & uncertainty &
wiping more than $2tn of value from markets.
o S&P has also warned Britain’s “AAA” credit rating was now at risk.
• RBI Unveils Framework on Payments system
o RBI has released its much awaited The ‘Payment and Settlement Systems in India:
Vision-2018’ document.
o It aims at building best of class payment & settlement systems for a ‘less-cash’ India
& ensuring access of mobile banking services to even basic phone users.
o The current vision document is focussing on improving the infrastructure &
regulations in the country to reduce cash transactions.
• Vodafone plans to file for India IPO
o Vodafone Group is likely to file a draft prospectus for the IPO of its Indian business
in August.
o The listing is expected in the fourth quarter in a deal seen raising as much as $2.5
billion.
o Vodafone has hired Bank of America Corp, India's Kotak Investment Banking, UBS
AG as global coordinators for the IPO.
o It is set to be India's biggest stock market listing since 2010.
• Indo-Swiss MoU in skill development
o India & Switzerland signed an MoU to establish formal cooperation in the fields of
skills development, vocational & professional education & training.
o The MoU was signed by Switzerland’s State Secretary Mauro Dell’ Ambrogio and
Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy.
o This MoU will institutionalise cooperation between the 2 countries in the field of skill
development.
• Tata ordered to pay NTT DoCoMo $1.2B
o Tata Sons Ltd. has been ordered to pay NTT DoCoMo Inc $1.2 billion to buy
DoCoMo's stake in a joint venture, by international arbitration court.
o The award was for Tata Sons' breach of their shareholders' agreement.
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In 2009, NTT Docomo acquired a 26.5% stake in Tata Teleservices Limited for
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around 127.4 billion rupees. In April 2014, it announced plans to exit the venture.
• InMobi to pay $950K fine
o Federal Trade Commission charged InMobi of deceptively tracking the locations of
hundreds of millions of consumers – including children.
o FTC is an independent US agency.
o InMobi to pay $950,000 in civil penalties & implement a comprehensive privacy
program to settle the charges.
o In addition, it will be required to delete all the information it has collected from
children.
• RCom gets nod to launch 4G services
o Reliance Communications' CDMA devices that have 4G SIM will now be able to
access the 4G services as company has received approval from Department of
Telecom.
o RCom has got the approval in 12 out of 22 circles & is expecting approval in
remaining circles within 45 days.
o RCom is shutting down its CDMA services & has offered subscribers to move to Jio's
4G LTE network since May.
• Tesla to acquire Solarcity for $2.8B
o Tesla Motors Inc offered to buy solar panel installation firm SolarCity Corp in a stock
deal worth about $2.8 billion.
o Elon Musk who is the chairman of SolarCity, CEO of Tesla & largest shareholder of
both companies, described the deal as a "no brainer".
o SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive & CTO Peter Rive are Elon Musk's cousins.
o SolarCity has about $6.24 billion in liabilities, including debt.
• Tech Mahindra acquires 'The BIO Agency'
o Tech Mahindra Ltd (TechM) has acquired UK-based digital transformation firm The
BIO Agency Ltd for around £40 million.
o The acquisition will augment Tech Mahindra’s digital portfolio, enabling it to offer
digital strategy, service design & customer experience services.
o Mahindra Group's IT arm had last month bought UK-based financial services
company 'Target Group' for around £112 million.
• Cabinet passes MoU between India-Germany
o Cabinet has approved MoU with Steinbeis GmbH Co. KG, Germany for technology
transfer and resourcing in manufacturing, including sub-sectors of Capital Goods.
o Steinbeis GmbH is leading German organization for applied industrial research in
Europe.
o It will act as a Technology Resource Partner for implementing identified projects in
manufacturing.
• IWAI inks pact with IPGPL
o Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has entered into an agreement with
India Ports Global Private Limited (IPGPL) for Rs 476-crore Kaladan Multimodal
Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) in Myanmar.
o This will facilitate connectivity between the mainland and the North-East through
maritime shipping, inland waterways & roads of Myanmar.
o This project will be completed by April 2019.
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• Tata Power wins 30 MW solar project
o Tata Power Renewable Energy has won 30MW solar grid connected photovoltaic
project in Maharashtra.
o This move is in line with the Govt. set target of 100 GW from solar energy by 2017..
o Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, launched in January 2010, is a major
initiative of the Govt..
o It aims to establish India as a global leader in solar energy by creating favourable
policy conditions.
• BASF to acquire Chemetall for $3.2 bn
o Chemical firm BASF India signed an agreement to acquire Germany's speciality
chemicals firm Chemetall for $3.2 billion.
o Chemetall has 2,500 employees globally & 21 production sites in more than 20
countries.
o Chemicals manufactured by Chemetall are used in automotive, aerospace, coil and
metal forming.
o The transaction is expected to be closed by the end of this year.
• India ranks 10th in FDI inflows: UNCTAD
o As per the recently released 2016 World Investment Report, India’s FDI inflows have
increased to $44 billion in 2015 as compared to 35 billion dollars in 2014.
o Top 10 Countries are: United States, Hong Kong, China, Ireland, Netherlands,
Switzerland, Singapore, Brazil, Canada & India.
o US with $380 billion FDI inflows tops the list while China with $136 billion in 2015
is ranked 3rd.
• IRDA nod for Electronic Policies
o IRDA has made it mandatory for life insurance companies to issue an electronic
insurance policy for any individual who takes a sum assured of Rs 10 lakh & above or
pays annual premium of Rs 10,000 & above.
o For health policies of Rs 5 lakh & above or annual premium of Rs 5,000 & above are
required to be offered in e-format.
o Issuance of e-insurance policies will come into effect from Oct 1, 2016.
• BoI Sells 18% Stake to Dai-ichi Life
o Bank of India (BoI) has sold 18% stake in Star Union Dai-ichi Life Insurance
Company to its Japanese partner for Rs 540 crore.
o Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company's share will go up to 44%.
o BoI share will come down to 30% while Union Bank will continue to hold 26%.
o The stake sale comes in the backdrop of new FDI norms whereby foreign insurers
can up their stake to 49 % from the earlier cap of 26 %.
• Instagram garners 500 million Users
o Instagram, the photo sharing app has announced that it has more than 500 million
users, including 300 million who connect daily to the app.
o More than half a billion people on the planet are using Instagram.
o Every day,95 million photos & videos receive 4.2 billion likes as every user signs in to
the app for a daily average of 21 min.
o Instagram was created in 2010 &was acquired by Facebook in 2012.
• Twitter Buys Magic Pony Technology
o Twitter Inc has acquired London-based Magic Pony Technology.

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Magic Pony is a machine-learning startup that specializes in working with images, to
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deliver better video & picture content.
o It specializes in creating algorithms that can understand pictures.
o The acquisition is Twitter's third in the machine-learning space in three years. It has
acquired Whetlab in 2014 & Madbits in 2015.
• SBI in 'Hall of Shame' of Banks
o SBI has been named in a 'Hall of Shame' list of 158 banking & financial institutions
globally that have invested billions of dollars in companies making cluster bombs.
o The list includes global giants like JP Morgan,Barclays & Credit Suisse that invested
over USD 28 billion in seven producers of cluster munitions between June 2012 &
April 2016.
o The maximum number of 74 banks are from the US.
• SIB Launch Remit2India Service
o South Indian Bank has announced the launch of its Remit2India service.
o It is a secure online money transfer service for NRIs.
o The new arrangement facilitates faster, cost-effective remittance from the US to SIB
accounts in India.
o Currently, South Indian Bank’s facility is available for remittances from Europe,
Australia, UAE & Singapore.
• India, South Korea Launch Korea Plus
o India & South Korea has launched a platform to promote & facilitate investments
from the S.Korea.
o The platform Korea Plus was launched by Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman & her South Korean counterpart Joo Hyunghwan.
o The mandate of Korea Plus covers supporting Korean enterprises entering the Indian
market for the first time & looking into issues faced in doing business in India.
• HDFC, Max to Merge Life Insurance Arms
o Max Financial Services & Max Life have entered into an agreement for a merger with
HDFC Life.
o Max Life will first merge with Max Financial Services which in turn will merge with
HDFC Life.
o Their joint venture partners, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance of Japan &Standard Life of
UK have also given nod.
o The merger would create the largest private sector life insurance company in the
country.
• SBI Rolls out ₹200-cr Start-up Fund
o India's largest public sector lender SBI has created a dedicated IT innovations and
startup fund.
o The IT Innovation Start-up Fund will have corpus of Rs 200cr.
o This fund shall consider assistance of up to Rs 3 crore to an Indian registered
company for promoting their business innovations using IT for banking & related
technology.
o The bank has also formed a mentoring team to assist startups.
• SBI & its associates to merge: Cabinet
o The Union Cabinet today gave an in-principle approval to a proposal for the merger
of five associate banks with State Bank of India (SBI).
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oSBI has five associate banks - State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of
Travancore, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Mysore and State Bank of
Hyderabad
o SBI had first merged State Bank of Saurashtra in 2008 and State Bank of Indore in
2010.
• Microsoft to Buy LinkedIn for $26bn
o Microsoft has struck a landmark deal to acquire LinkedIn for $26.2bn.
o The deal will help Microsoft boost sales of its business and email software.
o LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking service, founded in Dec 14, 2002.
o Jeff Weiner will stay on as CEO of LinkedIn and will report to Nadella.
o As of March 2016, LinkedIn has more than 400 million users & more than 106
million are active.
• RBI Unveils Scheme to Tackle Bad Loans
o RBI has came out with a scheme for resolution of bad loans of large projects wherein
a portion of the debt will be converted into equity or other instruments.
o The Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets (S4A) will cover projects
which have started operations & have outstanding loan of over Rs 500 cr.
o S4A envisages bifurcation of the outstanding debt into debt & equity instruments.
• Tata Acquires Welspun Renewable Assets
o Tata Power Company has signed an agreement with Welspun Energy Pvt Ltd to
acquire its green energy portfolio for an estimated at Rs 10,000 crore.
o The agreement to buy Welspun Renewable Energy's 1.1GW renewable portfolio
would be the largest solar M&A in the country.
o The company has about 1,140 mw of renewable power projects which includes 990
mw solar power & about 150 mw of wind power projects.
• Star Health Ties up with Bank of India
o Star Health Insurance & Bank of India has entered into a corporate agency
agreement to market the insurer's products across the bank's branches in the entire
country.
o This tie-up will enable Star Health to leverage Bank of India's network of all branches
& huge customer base across the country.
o Star Health has collected premium of Rs 2,007 crore in the last financial year 2015-
2016.
• SEBI Issue Stricter KYC Norms for P-Note
o SEBI has put in place a stricter KYC norms & disclosure regime for Participatory
Notes.
o The aim is to make it tougher to use these offshore instruments.
o Under the new norms,all the users of P-Notes would have to follow Indian KYC &
Anti Money Laundering Regulations, irrespective of jurisdictions.
o P-Notes are instruments issued to overseas investors,who wish to invest in the
Indian stock markets
• NIIF, Qatar Investment Authority Ink MoU
o The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) has signed a MoU with
Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) for facilitating investment in India's
infrastructure.
o This is the third MoU of NIIF after those with Rusnano of Russia & ADIA of Abu
Dhabi.
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oNIIF is an investment vehicle for funding commercially viable greenfield & stalled
projects.
o It is India's first Rs40000 cr sovereign wealth fund.
• Axis Bank Launches Certified Green Bond
o Axis Bank has launched India's first internationally-listed certified green bond to
finance climate change solutions around the world.
o It has raised 500 million dollars at the London Stock Exchange after it launched.
o The proceeds of the bond will be invested in green energy & infrastructure projects.
o Green Bonds enable capital-raising for new & existing projects with environmental
benefits.
• India Becomes 3rd Largest Oil Consumer
o India has surpassed Japan to become the world’s 3rd largest oil consumer.
o India is behind the U.S. (19.39 million bpd) & China (11.96 million bpd).
o Japan slipped to the 4th spot after its oil usage contracted to 4.15 million bpd in
2015.
o Oil remained the world’s leading fuel, accounting for 32.9% of global energy
consumption.
o This was according to BP Statistical Review of World Energy.
• WB cuts forecast for India's growth
o Pointing to sluggish corporate lending despite 5 policy rate cuts by the RBI since
2015, the World Bank has cut growth projections for India by up to 3 percentage
points to 7.6-7.7% for 2016-17 & 2017-18.
o India's economy grew 7.6% in 2015-16, 2 percentage points lower than predicted by
the Bank in Jan.
o The Bank downgraded its 2016 global growth forecast to 2.4% from the
2.9% projected in Jan.
• Amazon to invest $3 billion in India
o Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has said that the company would invest an additional $3
billion in India, boosting its committed investment in the country to over $5 billion.
o Amazon would also open a Web Services Cloud Region in India this year.
o It will be the firm's largest software engineering and development centre outside of
the United States, located in Hyderabad.
• Adani to set up copper plant in Mundra
o Adani Enterprises is in the process of setting up a copper smelter project with a
capacity of 1 million tonnes per annum at Adani Port Special Economic Zone
(APSEZ) in Gujarat.
o The total investment involved is around Rs 10,000 crore.
o The project includes copper smelter, sulphuric acid plant, copper refinery,
continuous cast copper wire rod plant.
• RBI Maintains Status Quo on Key Rates
o The RBI has maintained status quo at its third bimonthly money policy review of the
year.
o The RBI kept the repo rate unchanged at 6.5%, reverse repo at 6% & CRR at 4% .
o The main reason cited to maintain status quo on the policy rate cut was recent spike
in inflation & rising commodity prices globally.

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oRising crude prices & implementation of 7th pay commission pose upside risk to
inflation
• India 2nd In Ease of Doing Business
o India has jumped 13 positions from 2015 to rank 2nd among 30 developing countries
in 2016 on ease of doing business.
o This was according to 2016 Global Retail Development Index which ranks developing
countries for retail investment.
o India has relaxed several key Foreign Direct Investment regulations in single-brand
retail.
o This has paved the way for multinational firms to enter the market.
• Govt Achieves 3.9% Fiscal Deficit Target
o Government has said that it has achieved the fiscal deficit target of 3.9 per cent of
GDP in 2015-16.
o Fiscal deficit is 3.9 per cent of GDP or Rs 5.32 lakh crore in 2015-16.
o For 2016-17, the government aims to further bring down the fiscal deficit to 3.5 per
cent.
o Fiscal deficit is the gap between expenditure & revenue.
• India, WB Sign Agreement of $9.2 mn
o India has signed a $9.2-million grant agreement with the World Bank for the
Efficient & Sustainable City Bus Service Project.
o It aimed at improving the efficiency of the transport and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.
o The total cost of the programme is $113 million, out of which $9.2 million will be
funded by WB & rest $103.07 million will be funded by the Centre, state & city
governments.
• Indian Economy Grows at 7.6% in 2015-16
o The Indian economy expanded by 7.6 % in 2015-16 to log the fastest growth among
larger countries.
o In the last quarter of the fiscal year under review India's gross domestic product
(GDP) was 7.9%.
o As per data the country's GDP in actual numbers & in real terms was Rs 113.50 lakh
crore in 2015-16,against Rs105.52 lakh crore in the year before.
o The real per capita income also rose to Rs 77,435.
• India Among 10 Rich Countries
o India has been ranked among the 10 wealthiest countries globally with total
individual wealth of $5,200 billion.
o India has been ranked 7th in the list of top 10 wealthiest countries.
o India makes the W10 (10 wealthiest) due to its large population.
o The list was topped by the US with total individual wealth of $48,700 billion.
o This was according to the report by New World Wealth.

Books and Authors

• PM Releases Book on Species of Birds
o PM Modi has released a book titled "The Birds of Banni Grassland" in New Delhi.

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The book was presented to the PM by the Scientists of Gujarat Institute of Desert
o
Ecology (GUIDE).
o It is a compilation of the research work relating to more than 250 species of birds
found in the Banni area of Kutch, Gujarat.
o GUIDE has been studying the plant, bird & marine life in the Rann of Kutch.
• Hamid Ansari Releases the Book Half-Lion
o The Vice President Hamid Ansari has released a book Half Lion - How P V
Narasimha Rao Transformed India.
o The book was authored by Vinay Sitapati.
o Ansari hailed Rao role as the initiator for change in basic economic policies.
o The book defends Rao's role at the time of Babri mosque demolition & seeks to
debunk theories that the former Prime Minister deliberately did not act to stop the
demolition.
• Bhanubhakta's Ramayana in Eng Released
o The first English translation of Nepali 'Ramayana', written by the 19th century
legendary poet Bhanubhakta Acharya, was released.
o It was translated by celebrated writer Gokul Sinha.
o Though Bhanubhakta's 'Ramayana' has been translated into other languages, but not
ever translated into English.
o Bhanubhakta Acharya was a Nepalese poet & writer who translated the Ramayana
from Sanskrit to Nepali.

Days and Events

• National Statistics Day Observed
o The National Statistics Day is celebrated every year on June 29.
o The day marks the birth anniversary of late Professor Prasanta Chandra
Mahalanobis, the Father of Indian Statistics.
o The objective of this Day is to create public awareness about the importance of
statistics in planning &policy formulation.
o The 10th Statistics Day 2016 was celebrated on the theme Agriculture & Farmers’
Welfare.
• 26th June : Int Day Against Drug Abuse
o International Day against Drug Abuse & Illicit Trafficking observed annually on 26
June.
o This important day was created by the UN General Assembly to help create a society
free of illegal drugs & drug abuse.
o It is observed annually since 1988 to commemorate Lin Zexu's dismantling of the
opium trade in Humen, Guangdong, just before the First Opium War in China
o 2016 Theme is "Listen First".
• 25th June: Day of the Seafarer
o Day of the Seafarer observed on June 25 was designated by the International
Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 2010.
o The day acknowledges that almost everything that we use in our daily lives has been
directly or indirectly linked with sea transport.
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oTheme for 2016: "At Sea For All". It highlights that seafarers serve at sea not just for
their own career or for shipping industry or but for all of us.
• UN Public Service Day Celebrated
o The UN Public Service Day was designated in 2003 to celebrate the value and virtue
of public service to the community.
o On this day, UN Public Service Awards are given away for contributions made
towards enhancing the role, prestige, and visibility of public service.
o United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated on June 23rd every year.
• International Widows’ Day: 23rd June
o International Widows Day is a UN ratified day of action to address the "poverty and
injustice faced by millions of widows & their dependents in many countries".
o The day takes place annually on 23 June and it was established by The Loomba
Foundation.
o The 1st International Widows Day took place in 2005 & was launched by Lord
Loomba & the foundation's president, Cherie Blair.
• 21st June: International Yoga Day
o The second International Day of Yoga was on 21 June 2016 observed across the
world.
o PM Modi joined over 30,000 people for the Yoga Day celebrations being held in
Chandigarh.
o Recognizing its universal appeal, on 11 Dec 2014, the United Nations proclaimed 21
June as International Yoga Day.
o International Yoga Day aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of
practicing yoga.
• 20th June: World Refugee Day
o The United Nations' (UN) World Refugee Day is observed on June 20 each year.
o This event honors the courage, strength and determination of women, men &
children who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict &
violence.
o The United Nations Assembly decided that June 20 would be celebrated as World
Refugee Day from 2001 onwards.
o The theme for 2016 is #WithRefugees.
• 14th-June: World Blood Donor Day
o World Blood Donor Day is celebrated by the people all around the world on
14th June.
o It is celebrated every year on the day of birthday anniversary of Karl Landsteiner on
14th of June in 1868.
o This event celebration was first started in the year 2004 aiming to raise the public
awareness about the importance of blood donation.
o The theme 2016 'Blood connects us all’.
• World Environment Day Observed
o World Environment Day (WED) is observed every year on June 5.
o The day is observed to raise global awareness to take positive environmental action
to protect nature and the planet Earth.
o This year United Nations calls for a worldwide campaign to take a strong action to
curb the illegal trade of wildlife that is threatening the biodiversity.
o WED theme 2016 is “Go Wild for Life”.
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• Int Day of Children Victim of Aggression
o The United Nations' (UN) International Day of Innocent Children Victims of
Aggression is observed on June 4 each year.
o The purpose of the day is to acknowledge the pain suffered by children throughout
the world who are the victims of physical, mental & emotional abuse.
o It was established on 19 August 1982.
o This day affirms the UN's commitment to protect the rights of children.
• World No Tobacco Day Observed
o World No Tobacco Day is celebrated around the world every year on May 31.
o People, non-governmental organizations & govt's come together on this day to draw
attention to the health problems that tobacco use can cause.
o The theme 2016 is: Get ready for plain packaging.
o Plain packaging is a measure to prohibit the use of logos, colors, brand images or
promotional information on tobacco packaging.

Defence
• India Test-Fires Surface-to-Air Missile
o India has successfully test-fires new surface-to-air missile Barak-8 from defence base
off Odisha coast.
o The missile was developed jointly with Israel.
o The missile is designed to defend any type of airborne threat including aircraft &
helicopters,
o The system includes a Multi Functional Surveillance& Threat Alert Radar (MF STAR)
for detection, tracking & guidance of the missile.
• India Gets its First Indigenous Torpedo
o Indigenously developed heavyweight torpedo Varunastra was inducted in the Indian
Navy.
o India has joined a select group of 8 countries having the capability to design &
develop heavyweight torpedoes.
o The anti-submarine torpedo has been developed by Naval Science & Technological
Laboratory of the DRDO.
o The torpedo carries about 250 kg of explosives at a speed of around 40 nautical miles
an hour.
• India Joins MTCR
o India has officially joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) as a full
member.
o India becomes the 35th member of the MTCR.
o Admission to the MTCR would open the way for India to buy high-end missile
technology.
o Aim of the MTCR is to restrict the proliferation of missiles, rocket systems,
unmanned air vehicles & related technology capable of carrying 500kg payload for at
least 300 km.
• IAF to Set Up Training Base at Kodikarai

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oIndian Air Force is planning to set up a training base in Tamil Nadu's Kodiakarai
area.
o An aerial survey of a 22000-acre land owned by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department
was already conducted.
o Defence Ministry has requested the state govt to allot land for the training base at
Kodiakarai.
o IAF has already established a radar station at Kodiakarai for surveillance along the
Palk Bay & Palk Strait.
• India Clears Purchase of Howitzer Guns
o Defence Ministry has approved the purchase of 145 Ultra Light Howitzers, worth
about Rs 5,000 cr from the US.
o It also approved production of 18 Dhanush artillery guns.
o Of the 145 guns, 25 will be supplied in a ready to use condition while the rest will be
assembled at the Mahindra facility in India.
o Indian army desperately needs howitzers to replace the Bofors cannons that were
procured in 1987.
• BrahMos Integrated on Su-30MKI
o BrahMos Aerospace has successfully demonstrated the integration of the supersonic
cruise missile system BrahMos on the Indian Air Force fighter aircraft Sukhoi-30.
o Brahmos air version programme now inches closer towards actual test firing from
the Sukhoi-30 in the coming months.
o This technological feat is the first in the World combination of supersonic missile
with a long range fighter aircraft.
• Rajnath Approves Central Marine Force
o Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the proposal to set up a Central
Marine Police Force.
o It will aim to protect sea, coasts, ports & vital institutions along 7,516-km national
coastline.
o A decision to set up National Marine Police Training Institute in Dwarka (Gujarat) &
State Marine Police Training Centers in the Police Training Academies of state was
also approved.
• Malabar Joint Military Exercise Begins
o The first phase of the Malabar joint military exercise between India,Japan & the US
took off at Japan’s Sasebo city.
o The first harbour phase will conclude on June 13.
o The 2nd phase will run June 14-17 off Okinawa Island.
o Malabar 2016 is aim at strengthening mutual confidence & sharing of best practices
between the three Navies.
o The exercise will support maritime security in the region,
• Indo-Korean Coast Guard Exercise Begins
o The fifth edition of the Indo-Korean ‘Sshyog-Hyeoblyeog'(cooperation) between
coast guards of the two countries begins in the Bay of Bengal off Chennai.
o The Joint exercise is aimed at anti-piracy operations & boosting naval ties.
o Korea Coast Guard ship 3009 participating in the exercise.
o The Indian Coast Guard ships & aircraft will be demonstrating their prowess before
the Korean delegation.
• India,Singapore Hold Defence Dialogue
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o India & Singapore held the inaugural Singapore-India Defence Ministers’ Dialogue.
o It was co-chaired by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar & his Singapore counterpart
Dr. Ng Eng Hen.
o The dialogue was aimed at raising of bilateral defence cooperation to the
highest level.
o Singapore & India enjoy regular defence interactions in multiple areas, including
defence policy dialogues & military exchanges.

Govt. Policies and Schemes

• Cabinet Nod Mineral Exploration Policy
o The Cabinet has approved the National Mineral Exploration Policy (NMEP) .
o After the policy is approved,the govt can auction 100 blocks that have been identified
for exploration.
o One of the important features is attractive provisions for private investment in the
exploration sector.
o NMEP has proposed that private entities engaged in exploration would get a certain
share after auction of the block.
• Shops Can Now Remain Open 365 Days
o The Model Shops & Establishment (Regulation of Employment & Condition of
Services) Bill 2016 has been cleared by the Cabinet.
o It allows shops,malls &cinema halls,among other establishments to run 24x7
throughout the year.
o The law covers establishments employing 10 or more & provide freedom to operate
365 days with flexibility on timing to open & close.
o Model law not require Parliament approval.
• Cabinet Nod to 7th Pay Commission
o The Union Cabinet has approved the recommendations made by the 7th pay
commission.
o The recommendations will be implemented from 1st Jan 2016.
o The Union Cabinet has cleared 23.55 % hike in salary as recommended by the 7th
Pay Commission.
o The gratuity ceiling of govt employees doubled from Rs 10 lakh to 20 lakh.
o The entry level salary for govt employees will be 18000 Rs against the existing
7000Rs.
• MoU Signed for Coal Quality Analysis
o The CSIR- Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CSIR-CIMFR) has signed
a MoU with coal supplying companies & power utilities for quality analysis of coal
being supplied to power utilities.
o The MoU was signed in presence of Science &Tech Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan &
Power Minister Piyush Goyal.
o The CSIR-CIMFR would support in maintaining the quality of coal for the entire
power sector.
• PF Body Plans to Cover All by 2030

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The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) aims to cover all the workers in
o
the country under provident fund (PF), pension & life insurance by 2030.
o The retirement fund body has set itself this ambitious target in its vision document.
o The vision also talks about online services for all EPFO benefits with state-of-the-art
technology.
• MNRE Set Target of Setting Biogas Plants
o The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has allocated to the States an
annual target of setting up one lakh family size biogas plants for the current year
2016-17.
o The MNRE is implementing a National Biogas &Manure Management Progamme
(NBMMP) for setting up family type biogas plants.
o The objective of the scheme is to provide clean gaseous fuel for cooking & bio-
manure as a by-product.
• Centre Notifies Amended RBI Act
o The govt has provided a statutory backing to the monetary policy committee (MPC)
by notifying amendments to the RBI Act,1934.
o This amendments shifts the responsibility of maintaining inflation targets & setting
of policy rates to a six-member MPC.
o A committee-based approach to rate setting compared to the existing practice of the
RBI Governor having a final say on policy rates.
• MoU Signed between RD Ministry & ISRO
o A MoU was signed here between the Rural Development Ministry & ISRO for geo-
tagging the assets created under MGNREGA in each gram panchayat.
o Annually around 30 lakh assets are created under the rural job schemes across the
country.
o The asset created under MGNREGA will be geo-tagged with photograph through
Bhuvan Mobile Platform.
o The geo-tagging of assets will help to check and curb leakages.
• 6,000 cr worth highway projects approved
o Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) headed by Road Transport & Highways
Secretary Sanjay Mitra has given its approval to construction of highways with length
of 409 km.
o These projects are in the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Sikkim
& Assam.
o He also recommended 4-laning of Chikhali-Tarsod, Waranga-Mahagaon, Mahagaon-
Yavatmal & Yavatmal-Wardha highway projects in Maharashtra.
• Cabinet extends deadline of UDAY scheme
o Cabinet approved to extend deadline for implementing Ujjwal Discom Assurance
Yojana (UDAY) to March 31, 2017.
o With this, states shall take over 75% of the ailing DISCOM (Power Distribution
companies) debt as on 30th September, 2015 by 31st March, 2017 by issuing Bonds.
o This is important for the vision of 24x7 affordable & environment-friendly power for
all.
• Govt withdraws Drugs & Cosmetics Bill
o The bill had proposed to regulate the quality of medicines, medical devices, gene
therapeutic products & clinical trials.

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oGovt. will now review the existing laws keeping in view the objective of ‘Make in
India’ - ease of doing business & substantially enhance the quality & efficacy.
o India is one of the largest manufacturers of pharma products with annual production
worth Rs 2 lakh crore.
• Trees to be planted along 1500km highway
o As part of its green initiative, Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH)
will plant trees along 1500km of highways on July 1.
o This will be a part of Rs 5,000-crore initiative earmarking 1% of the about Rs 5 lakh
crore projects for plantation & transplantation.
o Ministry has called on NGOs, educational institutions, charitable trusts, and
corporates to participate in the drive.
• Govt. revises tax treaty with Belgium
o Cabinet approved the signing of a protocol amending an agreement between India &
Belgium for avoidance of double taxation & prevention of fiscal evasion.
o Govt. had earlier revised the double taxation avoidance agreement with Mauritius &
is in the process of amending pacts with Singapore & other nations.
o India is revising these pacts to check abuse of tax treaty.
• Aadhaar to be linked with Caste/Domicile
o State Govts. have been asked to link Aadhaar with caste & domicile certificates to be
issued to school students, as part of a first-of-its-kind initiative by the Centre.
o Govt. has instructed to issue such certificates within 60 days to the students studying
in Class V to VIII.
o This is significant as there have been complaints of delay in grant of scholarship to
students belonging to the SC/ST.
• Cabinet clears largest spectrum auction
o Cabinet approved the mega spectrum auction plan, which is estimated to fetch about
Rs. 5.66 lakh crore to the exchequer.
o This will include the sale of the most premium 700 MHz band at a reserve price of
Rs. 11,485 crore per MHz.
o Applications are likely to be invited by July 1, followed by pre-bid conference on July
6. Bidding is expected from September 1.
• Govt approves 10,000 crore Fund of Funds
o Govt. has approved Rs. 10,000 crore ‘Fund of Funds for Startups’ with an aim to
generate employment for 18 lakh persons.
o This is in line with the ‘Startup India Action Plan’ unveiled by the government in
January.
o An amount of Rs 500 crore has already been provided to the corpus of FFS in 2015-
16 and Rs 600 crore earmarked in the 2016-17.
• Ken Miyauchi named Softbank President
o SoftBank Group named Ken Miyauchi as president and chief operating officer.
o He is the head of group’s Japanese telecommunications operations,
o He will replace Nikesh Arora, the former Google executive who recently quit as
president.
o Nikesh was handpicked by SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son as his successor.
• 6,000 crore special package for textiles

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oGovt. announced Rs. 6,000 crore special package for textiles & apparel sector to
create 1 crore jobs in next 3 years.
o Textiles Secretary Rashmi Verma announced the package which includes several tax
& production incentives along with call for flexibility in labour laws.
o It is expected to increase the exports by $30 billion & attract investment worth
74,000 crore in the next 3 years.
• Govt Sets Terms for PPF Withdrawal
o The Finance Ministry has said subscribers of the Public Provident Fund (PPF) can
prematurely close the deposit scheme after completing five years.
o Subscriber can premature close his account for reasons such as higher education or
expenditure towards medical treatment on production of supporting documents.
o Premature closure shall be allowed only after the account has completed five
financial yrs.
• Govt Retains Small Saving Rates
o Govt has kept interest rates unchanged for various small savings schemes for the
July-Oct quarter.
o The Finance Ministry has kept the interest rate on one-year deposits for July-
Oct unchanged at 7.1%.
o The interest rates on PPF, Kisan Vikas Patra & SukanyaSamriddhi were kept at 8.1%,
7.8% & 8.6% respectively.
o In Feb this year, the govt had decided that small savings rate will be set quarterly.
• 100% FDI in Defence, Pharma & Aviation
o The govt has relaxed foreign direct investment (FDI) norms for a host of important
sectors including defence, civil aviation & pharmaceuticals.
o It has allowed up to 100% FDI in defence, food product e-commerce, greenfield
pharma & 100% FDI in scheduled airlines up to 49% FDI in airlines through
automatic route.
o FDI in defence beyond 49% was already allowed through approval route.
• Govt Launches e-Nivaran Scheme
o The Govt has launched an e-Nivaran scheme to deal with the real Tax related
concerns of the people.
o It will be launched in Delhi on a pilot basis. A website has also been launched in
which tax reforms will be monitored
o PM Modi asked officials to work on increasing the tax base to 10 crore from the 5.43
crore at present.
o The two day Rajasva Gyan Sangam of senior tax officials concluded.
• Power Ministry Launches 'URJA' App
o Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal has launched a mobile app aimed at enhancing
the consumer connect with the urban power distribution sector.
o The app named as 'URJA'- Urban Jyoti Abhiyaan Mobile was unveiled.
o It will provide information to consumers on power outage,timely release of
connections, addressing complaints, power reliability etc.
• Govt Slaps 20% Export Duty on Sugar
o Government has imposed 20 per cent customs duty on sugar exports to boost
domestic supply & check prices.
o The price of sugar is ruling high at Rs. 40 per kilogram.
o The duty has been imposed to restrict exports following a sharp rise in global prices.
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A decision has been notified by the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC).
o
India is the world's second largest sugar producer after Brazil.
o
• Cabinet clears civil aviation policy
o Cabinet gave its approval for partial abolition of the 5/20 rule, which will enable new
carriers Vistara & Air Asia to start international operations.
o Earlier, airlines had to have 5 years of domestic operations to be eligible to fly
overseas.
o Now, an airline will have to allocate 20 aircraft or 20% of their total fleet, whichever
is higher, to the domestic sector if they wish to fly overseas.
• Government to Rein In Prices of Pulses
o The government today decided to boost supply through its newly-created buffer stock
and imports.
o It was decided that the procurement of pulses from local producers (farmers) will
continue to ensure a healthy buffer stock.
o India consumes 22 million tonnes of pulses each year while the production is around
17 million tonnes.
• Centre Orders Import of Pulses
o The Centre has ordered import of 12,500 tonnes of pulses for buffer stocks to ensure
the availability of commodity at reasonable prices.
o Of this,10,000 tonnes will be Masur & 2,500 tonnes will be Urad.
o So far, over 14,000 tonnes of pulses have already been imported by the govt agencies
against the total contracted of 38,500 tonnes.
o The gap in demand & supply of pulses has widened due to drought.
• Govt Notifie Norms to Hire Professionals
o The Centre has notified new rules to allow hiring of private sector professionals in
senior positions at the Central Public Sector Enterprises.
o Candidates from private sector,will be considered as non-internal candidates for a
period of five years..
o The amendment will provide a wider pool of professionals for selection.
o The Cabinet had on June 1 given ex-post facto approval to the proposal.
• NFSD Centre Set up in Dehradun
o A National Forest Skill Development Centre has been set up in Dehradun to equip
youths for jobs in the forest sector.
o It will help mitigate the problem of migration of people from the hills in search of
work.
o It is one of a kind institution in the whole country where youth from all over India
can get skill development training.
o It will help them get employment in the forest sector.
• Railway to Provide Baby Food at Stations
o Railways have launched a facility Janani Sewa to provide baby food at stations.
o Railways will ensure availability of essential items like hot milk & water at stations
under the scheme.
o The facility is being introduced at over 25 stations including New Delhi, Mumbai
Central, Howrah, Chennai & Pune .
o Railways also launched children menu items like burgers for children between 5-12
years.
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• ATM-based Validation Facility Activated
o The Income Tax department has launched an ATM-based validation system for filing
e-ITRs by taxpayers.
o Electronic Verification Code can be generated by pre-validating your ATM provided
by the bank where a taxpayer has an account.
o These measures are used to validate the e-ITR so that the taxpayer does not take the
trouble of sending the paper-based ITR-V by post to the Central Processing Centre.
• Pvt Sector Talent in PSUs Wins Approval
o The Cabinet gave an ‘ex-post facto’ approval for amending public sector recruitment
rules to allow the selection of candidates from the private sector.
o The nod is for the selection of candidates from the private sector as non-internal
candidates for a period of five years for appointment in Central Public Sector
Enterprises.
o The move is expected to bring in greater efficiency in the working.
• Cabinet Hikes Paddy MSP by Rs 60
o The govt has hiked the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy by Rs 60 to Rs 1,470
per quintal for the 2016-17 kharif season.
o A decision in this regard was taken in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee of
Economic Affairs .
o Sowing of kharif crops will shortly begin & Paddy is the main crop grown in the
season.
o MSP is the rate at which the government buys the grain from farmers.
• Govt Approves India Post's Payments Bank
o Cabinet has approved setting up of India Post Payments Bank as Public Limited
Company under Department of Posts.
o Total architecture of postal payments bank is of Rs 800 crore which will have Rs 400
crore equity and Rs 400 crore grant.
o All 650 branches of postal payment banks will become operational by Sept, 2017.
o 5000 ATMs will be started for mobile & internet banking.
• Govt Doctors' Retirement Age Extended
o PM Modi has approved the proposal of extending the retirement age of all doctors of
the Central Health Service to 65 years.
o As of now, in govt. hospitals,the retirement age of doctors is 60 yrs in some states, 62
in some others.
o The proposal made by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare will be effective from
May 31, 2016.
o This will enable the govt to retain experienced doctors for a longer period.

International Affairs
• Rodrigo Sworn in Philippines President
o Rodrigo Duterte has been sworn in as the 16th president of the Philippines.
o He won last month's presidential elections in a landslide election victory .
o Nicknamed "The Punisher, he was former mayor of Davao City & is credited with a
dramatic reduction in crime in Davao.
o He has promised to end corruption and spread wealth around the country.

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• UN Elect New Members to Security Council
o The UN General Assembly has elected Sweden, Kazakhstan, Ethiopia and Bolivia as
new members of the United Nations Security Council.
o The Netherlands & Italy agreed to split the two-year term after they were tied with 95
votes each.
o Countries need more than two-thirds of the vote to win a seat.
o The UNSC is made up of 10 elected members - five voted on each year & five
permanent veto-powers.
• Expanded Panama Canal Reopens
o Newly renovated and expanded Panama Canal reopened for bigger business.
o With the expansion, larger ships are able to traverse the canal.
o A Chinese ship carrying more than 9,000 containers cross the canal using the third
set of locks.
o The expansion project started in 2007 & cost more than $5 billion.
o The Panama Canal is a key lane for sea transportation that connects the Atlantic &
Pacific oceans.
• China Tightens Rules for Search Engines
o Chinese authorities will require search engines to report banned content &verify
advertisers' qualifications in its latest attempt at internet regulation.
o From Aug 1, search engines will be prohibited from providing banned information
including links,cached pages & associative words.
o They will also be required to report websites & applications that contain prohibited
content.
• Gudni Wins Iceland Presidential Election
o Gudni Johannesson, a history professor has won Iceland’s presidential election.
o The final count showed 39% of Icelanders voted for him placing him ahead of a
former PM & central bank governor Davíd Oddsson.
o Iceland’s president holds a largely ceremonial position acting as a guarantor of the
constitution.
o Johannesson will now replace Olafur Ragnar Grímsson who served 20 years as head
of state.
• Spanish Vote Delivers Hung Parliament
o Spanish elections delivered a hung parliament for the second time in six months.
o Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's People's Party (PP) again emerged with the
single biggest bloc of seats but fell short of a majority.
o The PP won 137 seats but short of the 176 needed for an outright majority.
o The results put the euro zone's 4th largest economy at risk of another lengthy
political stalemate.
• Belgian to Head EU Brexit Task Force
o Belgian diplomat and long-time EU official Didier Seeuws will head a European
Council’s task force negotiating Britain’s EU exit.
o Seeuws will organize the process of Britain’s pullout under Article 50 of the Lisbon
Treaty.
o Brits voted in a referendum to leave the European Union.
o British PM David Cameron had announced his resignation after the vote & leave the
negotiations to his successor.
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• Obama Declares Disaster in West Virginia
o US President Obama has declared a major disaster in the state of West Virginia,
where the worst floods in more than a century have left at least 24 people dead.
o Days of heavy rain have caused massive flooding in the state.
o Obama's disaster declaration makes federal funding available to Greenbrier,
Kanawha & Nicholas counties.
o Residents will now receive grants for temporary housing & repairs.
• FM Attends AIIB Board of Governors Meet
o Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has attended the first Board of Governors meeting of
the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Beijing.
o The Beijing-based AIIB was established last year in which India & 56 other countries
joined as founding members.
o India is the second-largest shareholder in AIIB after China.
o Mr.Arun Jaitley also met his Chinese counterpart Lou Jiwei in Beijing.
• Obama Designates the LGBT Monument
o US president Obama has designated the Stonewall Inn, an underground gay bar in
New York’s Greenwich Village a national monument.
o It will be the country’s first ever such monument honoring LGBT rights.
o The Stonewall Inn in its current form opened in 1967 & is considered the birthplace
of the modern US gay rights movement.
o The Stonewall National Monument will report to the National Park Service.
• Ban on Nepal Citizens Working in Afghan
o Nepal has banned its citizens from working in strife-torn Afghanistan,.
o The decision come days after 13 Nepali security guards were killed in a Taliban
suicide bombing in Kabul.
o A cabinet meeting decided to suspend issuing labour permits to Nepalese nationals
for Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria & Libya.
o Nearly 9,000 Nepalis have been issued permits to work as security guards in
Afghanistan.
• Sri Lanka Adopts Right to Info Bill
o Sri Lankan Parliament has unanimously passed the Right to Information bill.
o The bill is aimed at restoring transparency & good governance in a country plagued
by corruption & misrule.
o The new law gives citizens access to public information except personal data,
national security information, financial & commercial policy decisions.
o The adoption the bill was a culmination of an idea mooted in1994.
• India Loses Bid to Join NSG
o China has stonewalled India's bid to enter the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
o At a special NSG session in Seoul, India’s application for membership was discussed.
o The main reason why India was unable to make it to the NSG’s high table was
because it is not a signatory to the NPT.
o A seat at the NSG is crucial for India because this exclusive group controls the global
trade in nuclear tech.
• Syria's Assad appoints new PM
o Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has named electricity minister Imad Khamis as the
new prime minister.

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oImad Khamis, 54-year-old engineer replaces Wael al-Halqi who had held the post
since August 2012.
o The changes came two months after Mr. Assad's Baath party and its allies won a
majority of seats in parliamentary elections dismissed internationally as a sham.
• Colombia, FARC rebels sign for ceasefire
o Colombian Govt. & FARC rebels signed a ceasefire & disarmament agreement
towards ending a half-century conflict killing hundreds of thousands of people.
o President Juan Manuel Santos & FARC leader Timoleon Jimenez shook hands &
smiled after negotiators signed the deal in Cuba.
o The Colombian conflict has left 260,000 people dead, 45,000 missing & nearly 7
million displaced.
• Britain leaves European Union
o Britain has voted to leave the European Union to take greater control of its economy
& its borders, shattering the stability of the continental unity forged after World War
II.
o ‘Leave’ side prevailed 52% to 48% in vote, which had a turnout of 72%.
o Financial authorities around the world have warned that a British exit will
reverberate through a delicate global economy.
• British PM David Cameron resigns
o British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that he will resign after Britons
voted to leave the EU despite his campaign to keep it in the bloc.
o Mr. Cameron promised to try to "steady the ship" over the next months & did not
give a precise timetable for his departure but said a new leader should be installed
by October.
o His successor will trigger the formal process for Britain to leave the EU.
• Brazil too opposes India's entry to NSG
o Brazil, Austria, New Zealand, Ireland and Turkey opposed India’s induction into the
48-member group.
o India’s application was not on the main agenda of the plenary, but sources said that
Japan raised the issue in the opening session.
o China has also stalled the issue by saying membership of the NSG should be limited
to countries that have signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
• North Korea Carries Out Missile Tests
o North Korea conducted two back-to-back tests of a powerful new medium-range
missile.
o Both tests were believed to be of a much-hyped, intermediate-range Musudan missile
capable of reaching US bases as far away as Guam.
o North Korea has made at least four previous attempts this year to test this type of
missile.
o The Musudan has an estimated range of anywhere between 2,500 & 4,000 km.
• Hong Kong Most Expensive City for Expats
o Hong Kong has been named the world’s most expensive city for expats.
o London falls from 12th to 17th place in survey amid declining value of pound.
o The three cheapest cities in the world for expats are Windhoek in Namibia, Cape
Town & Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan.
o This was according to survey by consultancy firm Mercer.
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oAn expatriate is a person residing in a country other than that of their citizenship.
• Modi, Sirisena Inaugurate Stadium
o PM Narendra Modi & Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena have jointly
inaugurated a renovated Duraiappah Stadium in Jaffna.
o President Sirisena was present at the stadium in Jaffna, while PM Modi joined the
event through video-conferencing from Delhi.
o The stadium is named after former Mayor of Jaffna, late Alfred Thambirajah
Duraiappah.
o It has been renovated by India at a cost of over Rs 7cr.
• Canada Passes Assisted Suicide Bill
o Canada's parliament has passed a bill to allow medically-assisted death for
terminally ill people.
o The bill received royal assent after passing a final vote in the Senate.
o The move makes Canada one of the few countries where doctors can legally help sick
people die.
o Assisted suicide is currently legal in just a few countries including Switzerland,
Netherlands, Albania, Colombia & Japan.
• California Now 6th-Largest Economy
o California, a southern state in the US is now the sixth largest economy in the world
surpassing France.
o California is home to diverse strong economies, including Silicon Valley &
Hollywood.
o France is the world's 7th largest economy with a growth domestic product of $2.42
trillion. India is the 8th largest with $2.09 trillion.
o This was according to the latest International Monetary Fund data.
• UK Backs India's NSG Bid
o UK PM David Cameron has assured PM Modi of the UK's "firm support" for India's
NSG.
o Cameron confirmed Britain's backing for India's membership of the Nuclear
Suppliers Group (NSG) in a telephone call to Modi.
o NSG is a group of 48 countries seeking to prevent proliferation of nuclear weapons
by controlling the export of materials, equipment &technology that could be used to
manufacture these.
• Rio Declares Financial Emergency
o Rio de Janeiro’s governor has declared a state of financial emergency & requested
federal funds to help fulfill obligations for public services during the Olympics.
o Emergency measures are needed to avoid a total collapse in public security, health,
education & transport.
o The governor has blamed the crisis on a tax shortfall.
o The measure could accelerate the release of federal emergency funds.
• Philadelphia to Bring in 'Soda Tax'
o Philadelphia has introduced a a levy on carbonated sugary drinks.
o It will become the first major US city to implement a so-called soda tax.
o The City Council gave final approval to a 1.5 cent-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages.
o The Philadelphia vote marked a major victory for health advocates who say sugary
drinks cause obesity.
o In Philadelphia,more than 68% of adults & 41% of children are obese.
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• Obama, Dalai Lama to meet at White House
o President Barack Obama will meet at the White House Wednesday with the Dalai
Lama in a get-together.
o China has expressed its opposition to any such meeting.
o Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Buddhists' spiritual leader, of
campaigning to split Tibet from the rest of China, but he says he simply wants a
higher degree of autonomy under Chinese rule.
• Norway Announces Ban on Deforestation
o Norway has become the first country to stop clear-cutting of trees, a huge step
toward curbing global deforestation.
o The Norwegian Parliament pledged that the government’s public procurement policy
will be deforestation-free.
o Any product that contributes to deforestation will not be used in the Scandinavian
country.
o It is also in the process of restricting the sales of gas-powered cars by 2025.
• Israel Elected to Chair UN Committee
o Israel has been elected to chair a UN committee for the first time in the world
body’s 71-year history.
o Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon won the chair of the legal affairs committee of the
General Assembly.
o The Legal Committee or Sixth Committee oversees issues related to international
law.
o The General Assembly has six standing committees that report to it.
• Pakistan Tops the Malware Index List
o Microsoft has launched its Malware Infection Index 2016.
o It has found that the top three most-encountered malware are the Gamarue
computer worm, trojans Skeeyah & Peals.
o Pakistan tops the list of countries figuring in the Malware Infection Index 2016 &
India ranks 8th on the list.
o At least four out of ten computers in Asia Pacific countries are likely to be infected
with malware.
• Gawker Files for Bankruptcy
o Online news site Gawker has filed for bankruptcy after losing a $140m (£97m)
privacy case earlier this year.
o The company filed for bankruptcy protection, which could allow it to avoid paying
the damages.
o In March, Gawker was ordered to pay wrestler Hulk Hogan for invading his privacy.
o Gawker however planned to appeal against the ruling & would continue to operate.
• Kuczynski Win Peru Presidential Election
o Peruvian economist Pedro Pablo Kuczynski will be the next president of Peru.
o Kuczynski edged out his rival Keiko Fujimori with a wafer-thin margin winning by
50.117 per cent to 49.
o The difference in the total votes was of 41,438 with 8,580,474 votes for Kuczynski &
8,539,036 for Fujimori.
o He will take over as president on July 28 from President Ollanta Humala for a
mandate lasting until 2021.
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• India Joins Europe Anti-Corruption Plan
o India has joined a group of nearly 40 nations that have signed a Europe-led
clampdown on tax evasion & corruption.
o Signatories to the scheme to undertake to give one another free access to information
on who ultimately owns companies.
o The initiative aims to develop a global standard for the automatic exchange of
beneficial ownership data.
o Most European countries except Switzerland have joined.
• UN Plans to End AIDS Threat by 2030
o The Member States of the United Nations have adopted a new political declaration
that aims towards combating the worldwide scourge of HIV & AIDS.
o It aims to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.
o A political declaration was adopted by the 193-nation General Assembly.
o There are still 36.7 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS, most of them in
sub-Saharan Africa.
• Mexico Backs India's Bid for NSG Entry
o Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has announced his country's support to
India's bid for membership of the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
o Mexico is a key member of the NSG & its support to India's bid for entry into NSG is
seen as important.
o The NSG looks after critical issues relating to the nuclear sector.
o Its membership will help India significantly expand its atomic energy sector.
• Obama backs India's NSG membership
o Obama supported India’s candidature for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers
Group (NSG) as he discussed with PM Modi ways to take bilateral ties to new
heights.
o Diplomats have confirmed that Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), an
international anti-proliferation grouping, have agreed to admit India.
o MTCR would require India to comply with rules such as a maximum missile range of
300 km.
• India to open new consulate in Seattle
o India will soon open another consulate in Seattle to cater to the needs of large
number of Indian-Americans living in the northwestern part of the US.
o The announcement was made by Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar.
o Modi and Obama announced that the United States and India will be Travel and
Tourism Partner Countries for 2017, and committed to facilitate visas for each
other’s nationals.
• Switzerland Backs India's Bid for NSG
o India got the backing of Switzerland in its bid to become a member of the Nuclear
Suppliers Group.
o Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann announced his country's support after
holding comprehensive talks with Modi.
o The NSG membership will help India expand its atomic energy sector.
o The two countries also agreed to step up cooperation in unearthing black money
stashed by Indians in Swiss banks.
• Swiss Voters Rejects Basic Income Plan

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oSwiss voters have rejected by a wide margin a proposal to provide a universal basic
income grant to all citizens, according to official results.
o Final results from referendum showed that 76.9 % said "No" to the plan, with only
23% backing it.
o The amount to be paid was not determined before the vote.
o Switzerland was the first country to vote on such a universal basic income plan.
• Modi Awarded Afghanistan’s Top Honour
o PM Narendra Modi was conferred with Amir Amanullah Khan Award,
Afghanistan highest civilian honour.
o He was awarded the honour by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
o Afghanistan is Modi's first stop as part of his five-nation tour.
o India has a strategic partnership with Afghanistan & is implementing projects worth
USD 2 billion to help rebuild the country's infrastructure.
• PM Inaugurates Afgan Indo Friendship Dam
o PM Modi jointly inaugurated the Afghan-India Friendship Dam (Salma Dam) with
President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani at Herat province in Afghanistan.
o Salma Dam is a landmark infrastructure project undertaken by Government of India
on river Hari Rud.
o Afghan-India Friendship Dam is a Multipurpose project planned for generating 42
MW of power, irrigating 75000 hectares of land & water supply.
• France Declares Flood Emergency
o France has declared flood emergency after the River Seine in Paris burst its banks in
some places displacing thousands of people.
o French President Francois Hollande has declared the region around Paris a natural
disaster area.
o Paris police has upgraded their flood warning to orange - the second-highest level for
areas near the Seine.
o The River Seine is at its highest level in more than 30 years.
• India Ranks 70th on Good Country Index
o India is the world's 70th good country to live in amongst 163 other nations.
o The top three best countries included Sweden,Denmark & the Netherlands whereas
Libya was ranked as the least good country in the world.
o This was according the ‘Good Country’ 2015 index.
o The Index attempts to define a good country as the one that serves the interest of its
people & contributes to the good of the humanity
• India Joins Hague Code of Conduct
o India has joined The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation
(HCoC).
o It is a voluntary legally non-binding multilateral body aimed at preventing the spread
of ballistic missiles that can deliver weapons of mass destruction.
o The HCoC was formally brought into effect in 2002.
o It was earlier known as the International Code of Conduct Against Ballistic Missile
Proliferation.
• World's longest Rail Tunnel Opens
o The world's longest & deepest rail tunnel has officially opened in Switzerland.

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o The 57km Gotthard base tunnel will provide a high-speed rail link under the Swiss
Alps between northern & southern Europe.
o The tunnel was built in 17 years by 2,400 workers, at a cost of over 12 billion dollars.
o The tunnel has overtaken Japan's 53.9km Seikan rail tunnel as the longest in the
world.

National Affairs
• Panel to Solve Gumnami Baba Mystery
o The Uttar Pradesh government has set up a judicial commission to probe the identity
of Gumnami Baba.
o The ascetic lived in eastern UP's Faizabad till 1985, and many believe he was Netaji
Subhash Chandra Bose.
o Justice Vishnu Sahai will head the one-man commission, which is to submit its
report in six months.
o The panel was set up after an Allahabad high court order.
• Agri Min Launches App for Bihar Farmers
o Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh has released an app, Crop Manager for
Rice-based Systems (CMRS).
o CMRS provides irrigated & rainfed farmers with rice-based cropping systems in
Bihar with a crop & nutrient management guidelines .
o CMRS was verified in Bihar through collaboration of Indian Rice Research Institute
(IRRI) with the Indian Council for Agricultural Research- RCER (ICAR).
• FSSAI Signs Pact with ASCI
o The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has signed a MoU with the
Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) to increase monitoring on misleading
advertisements in the food & beverages (F&B) sector.
o From now on, ASCI can process complaints against misleading F&B advertisers.
o If advertisers fail to comply with ASCI's suggestions, the council can approach FSSAI
to take action.
• Orissa Govt Launches KSS Yojana
o Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has launched a new scheme Kalinga Sikshya Sathi
Yojana (KSSY) for students pursuing higher studies.
o Under the provisions of the scheme, the state govt would provide education loans at 1
% interest per annum to students undergoing higher education.
o The state govt has earmarked 500 crore for this purpose.
o The max loan amount under this scheme will be 10 lakh.
• HM Chairs 22nd Meeting of EZC
o Union home minister Rajnath Singh chaired 22nd meeting of eastern zonal council
(EZC) in Ranchi.
o The council consists of Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha & West Bengal.
o The issues of sharing of water of major rivers, development of railways
& construction of dedicated freight corridor (DFC) were discussed.
o During the meeting there was also detailed discussion on the Left Wing
Extremism activities.
• UP Declare Calamities as State Disaster

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oUttar Pradesh has declared that all natural calamities including lightning, Loo &
Storm will be treated as state disaster.
o Victims of these disasters will be given relief as per provisions made under State
Disaster Relief Fund.
o Earlier the victims were given very little compensation by local administration.
o Now coming under the state disaster fund, the victims will get ample financial
support.
• 4 Shortlisted to Succeed Rajan
o The government has narrowed down its list of candidates to become the next
governor of the Reserve Bank of India to four.
o The four were:RBI Deputy Governor Urjit Patel, former deputy governors Rakesh
Mohan & Subir Gokarn & SBI Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya.
o Rajan had announced that he will return to academia when his term at the RBI ends
on September 4.
• All States Barring UP Sign Power for All
o All states/UTs, barring Uttar Pradesh have signed 24x7 Power for All documents.
o The plans aim to provide each household the access to 24x7 reliable power supply
& also adequate supply to agricultural consumers by 2019.
o The plans include reduction of Aggregate Technical & Commercial losses.
o It also emphasises the development of transmission & sub-transmission network.
• Govt Unearths Rs 13K crore Black Money
o The income tax authorities have unearthed Rs 13,000 crore of black money from just
two sets of information received in 2011 & 2013.
o The govt’s crackdown on those holding undisclosed income has yielded hundreds of
cases of such income stashed in banks like HSBC, Geneva.
o It has raised a tax demand of Rs 5,377 crore against such account holders till March
31, 2016.
• Akhilesh Yadav Expands Cabinet
o Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav has expanded his cabinet for the 7th time.
o He inducted 3 cabinet ministers including Balram Yadav & 2 Ministers of
State. Balram Yadav was sacked by Akhilesh for his role in the merger of Quami Ekta
Dal.
o Narad Rai, Ravidas Mehrotra, Sharda Prasad Shukl & Ziauddin Rizvi were also
inducted into the cabinet.
o The ministers were administered oath by Governor Ram Naik.
• Nine Regional Parties Join NEDA
o Nine regional parties have become members of the North East Democratic
Alliance,NEDA.
o The three parties from Assam & two parties from Meghalaya have become part of it.
o Alliance also included one each from Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland &
Sikkim.
o The first convention of the NEDA, which is a part of National Democratic Alliance
will be held in Guwahati soon.
• Train between Sonepat & Jind Flag Off

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oSuresh Prabhu along with Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar flagged off a maiden
train on 81-km railway line between Sonipat & Jind via video-conferencing from
Chandigarh.
o The train between Sonipat & Jind in Haryana will connect several villages & urban
clusters with 13 railway stations.
o Railways have joined hands with Haryana seeking speedy execution of rail projects in
a joint venture model.
• PM Modi Launches Smart City Projects
o PM Modi has launched the 'Smart City Mission' involving 83 projects from 20
different cities in the country.
o Launching function was held at Pune's Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex.
o The projects which were launched included 14 projects of Pune & 69 projects from 20
different cities in the country.
o These projects are related to solid waste management, water supply projects &
sewage treatment plants.
• Nagaland launches women's helpline '181'
o Nagaland Governor P B Acharya today launched women helpline - 181 and also
inaugurated Sakhi, a one stop Centre, intended to support women affected by
violence both in private and public spaces under one roof.
o The helpline & centre are aimed to provide integrated assistance, medical, legal and
psychological counselling to women.
o Notably, the '181' helpline was first started in Delhi in 2012.
• $500 mn loan for bridges over Ganga
o Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a 500 million dollars loan to build a
bridge across the Ganga River in Bihar.
o Funds will be used to build 9.8 km road bridge in Bihar on the Ganga River.
o On completion of the project it will become India’s longest river bridge.
o ADB is multilateral lending agency based in Manila, Philippines dedicated to reduce
poverty in Asia & the Pacific regions.
• TN passes indirect mayor election bill
o TN Assembly passed the Tamil Nadu Municipal Corporation Laws (Amendment)
Bill, 2016
o It seeks to ensure election of Mayors by councillors and not by the people directly.
o The state's Municipal Administration Minister said that the bill's objective was to
ensure better delivery of services to the public.
o However, the opposition claimed the bill was aimed at "stifling the voice of
democracy".
• Govt. launches CNG two wheelers in Delhi
o Union Government has launched a pilot program of running CNG two wheelers in
New Delhi to curb air pollution.
o The project was jointly launched by Union Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister
Dharmendra Pradhan & Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar.
o It is being implemented by Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) under its “Hawa Badlo”
movement along with GAIL (Gas Authority of India Limited).
• India slips to 12th in HNWIs Ranking
o India has slipped to 12th spot in terms of millionaire population, with 200,000
HNWIs.
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oLast year, India was ranked 11th, with 198,000 such high net worth individuals
(HNWIs), according to a report by Capgemini.
o In 2015, Asia-Pacific held $17.4 trillion in wealth with a 5.1 million HNWI population
in comparison to North America's $16.6 trillion in HNWI wealth & 4.8 million in
population.
• Haryana: 100% rebate in property tax
o In a major relief to all those whose properties were damaged during Jat quota stir in
February, Haryana has decided to provide 100% rebate in property tax for all
properties.
o The rebate would be given for a period of 2016-2017 financial year.
o Govt. has already waived electricity dues for the current & impending billing cycles of
all those consumers whose properties were damaged or looted.
• Nagpur & Jinan become ‘sister cities’
o Nagpur city & China’s Jinan city have become sister cities for exchange of ideas &
technology.
o Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Jinan, Municipal People’s Republic of
China, entered into an agreement for the same.
o This is for the first time city has developed sister city concept with any foreign city.
Plans are also afoot to execute similar agreement with Santa Clara in California.
• Modi leaves for Tashkent to attend SCO
o PM Narendra Modi on left for Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, to attend the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
o PM will also met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit to seek
China’s support for India’s bid for NSG.
o PM will try to expand economic cooperation & people-to-people ties in Central Asia.
The SCO summit will be held on June 23 & 24.
• Competitive exam scores to be put online
o To boost hiring, scores of all candidates taking various competitive exams will be
made available online for both public & private sector.
o Candidates will have the option to opt out of the disclosure scheme at the time of
filing up the exam application.
o National Informatics Centre (NIC) will develop a website "Integrated Information
System for Public Recruitment Agencies" for this purpose.
• Jaitely Releases Banda Bahadur Coin
o Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has released commemorative silver coin to
mark the 300th Martyrdom Day of Banda Singh Bahadur.
o Bahadur is considered to be first sovereign ruler of Punjab.
o The leader had sacrificed his life at the age of 46 to protect honour & tradition.
o He established his rule by defeating Mughals in 1710 & later in 1716, he was captured
& executed by Mughals in Delhi.
• Jews to Get Minority Status in Maha
o The Maharashtra Cabinet has approved a proposal to grant minority status to the
Jewish community in the state.
o This decision will benefit students from these communities to avail scholarships from
the state govt & also help set up educational institutions.

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oAccording to 2001 Census, the number of Jews living in India was 4,650 with 2,466
of them living in Maharashtra.
• Country's First Yoga OPD Inaugurated
o Country's first Yoga OPD has been opened in the Sawai Mansingh hospital in Jaipur
on the occasion of International Yoga Day.
o Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Union Minister for water resources Uma Bharti
inaugurated the Yoga OPD in the hospital premises.
o Yoga OPD will be helpful for the patients in fast recovering from their illness.
• Punjab Govt Launches Fund for HepatitisC
o Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal has launched a special fund called Mukh Mantri
Punjab Hepatitis C Relief Fund to provide free treatment for patients affected by
Hepatitis C.
o Punjab is first state in the country to provide free treatment for Hepatitis C.
o It has created a special fund with an initial contribution of Rs 20 crore.
o Hepatitis C is an infectious disease that primarily affects the liver.
• FSSAI Bans Use of Potassium Bromate
o The govt has banned use of potassium bromate as a food additive following a CSE
study that found its presence in bread causing cancer.
o The govt issued the ban after the regulator's recommendations to the Health Ministry
based on the CSE study.
o According to Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) study potassium bromate
typically leads to higher rising & uniform finish to baked products.
• Ujjwala Yojana Launched in Odisha
o Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) to provide LPG connections was launched
in Odisha.
o It is planned to increase the number of LPG customers in Odisha to 80 lakh by
Dec 2018.
o The scheme has already been launched by the Centre in Gujarat, M.P. & Rajasthan.
o The launch of the scheme is part of the Centre's plan to provide LPG connections to
five crore BPL families across the country by 2019.
• Odisha's Electronic Park Gets Approval
o The central government has given the nod for the development of Greenfield
Electronic Park with an investment of Rs 205 crore in Odisha.
o The Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) is developing
the electronic park in an area of 203 acres within InfoValley, Bhubaneswar.
o The electronic park is expected to attract investment to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore.
• Railways Starts Special Freight Service
o Vegetables & fruits can now be transported from Chennai to Delhi as railways has
started a weekly cargo train which will run at a scheduled time on the route like
express trains.
o The initiative is aimed to streamline freight traffic and attract parcel consignments.
o Named Cargo Express & will run by Concor, the first train from Chennai to Delhi
(OKHLA) was flagged off.
• India, South Korea Review FTA
o India & South Korea has reviewed their free trade agreement (FTA) with a view to
further strengthen bilateral economic ties.

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oThe comprehensive economic partnership agreement between the two countries was
implemented in Jan 2010.
o The review meeting was attended by Nirmala Sitharaman & her South Korean
counterpart Hyunghwan Joo.
o India had trade deficit of about $10 billion in 2015-16 with S.Korea.
• First Batch of Female Pilots Get Wings
o The first batch of three female pilots Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth & Mohana
Singh were inducted in Indian Air Force fighter squadron.
o The achievement of the three is a significant milestone for the Indian military, as this
is the first time it has permitted women into combat roles.
o Last October, the govt has decided to open the fighter stream for women on an
experimental basis for 5 yrs.
• NRIs can now Join NPS Online
o Non-Resident Indians can now open National Pension Scheme (NPS) accounts
online if they have Aadhaar Card or PAN card.
o Till now, NRIs could open NPS accounts only through paper applications by
approaching bank offices.
o To further ease the process,eNPS is being extended to non-resident Indian
subscribers.
o National Pension System (NPS) is a voluntary, defined contribution retirement
savings scheme.
• States Resolve to Provide 24x7 Power
o All the states agreed to provide 24x7 power to all the people by March 2019 or
earlier.
o States have also resolved to electrify all remaining unelectrified villages by 31st
Dec2016.
o Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal announced after attending a two-day conference
of power ministers of states.
o He also announced launch of the helpline '1912' for consumer complaints redressal
across the country.
• India, Namibia Sign Two MoUs
o Two MoU were signed between India & Namibia in Windhoek during the final leg of
President Pranab Mukherjee's three-nation visit.
o The MoUs include one on capacity building for civil servants of Namibia & the other
on setting up of centre of excellence in ICT.
o The agreements were signed after a dialogue between President Mukherjee & his
Namibian counterpart Hage Geingob.
• Bangladesh-India Transshipment Kicks Off
o India-Bangladesh transit facility has becomes operational.
o A ship from Kolkata carrying 1000 tonnes of steel & iron sheets reached Ashuganj
river port in Bangladesh.
o From there it will transit throughout Bangladesh territory to reach its destination in
Tripura.
o The Kolkata-Ashuganj-Tripura transit through Bangladesh territory cuts the
Kolkata-Agartala distance via Siliguri from 1600 km to 800 km.
• Modi to inaugurate 'Rajasva Gyan Sangam’
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oPrime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the two-day 'Rajasva Gyan Sangam',
an annual conference CBDT and CBEC on Thursday.
o It is for the first time that two Revenue Boards are holding the conference
simultaneously.
o The conference provides a platform to assess the performance of the year gone by
and to deliberate on emerging issues without any hierarchical barriers.
• India Closer To NSG Membership: China
o Chinese media noted the recent development on India’s NSG membership saying
that India, Pak nuke balance will be broken if NSG admits India.
o The media also stated that India’s admission will shake strategic balance in South
Asia & even cast a cloud over peace & stability in the entire Asia-Pacific region.
o China could support India's inclusion in the 48 member nuclear club if it "played by
rules".
• India Is Polio Free, Says Govt.
o India continues to be polio free, the government said in a statement released.
o Recently, a strain of the virus was found in samples of sewage water in Hyderabad.
o The statement further said that vaccine derived polioviruses are a rare strain that are
genetically mutated from the strain contained in the Oral Polio Vaccine and its
transmission is unlikely.
• India, Ghana Sign Three Agreements
o Ghana & India have signed three agreements after Bilateral talks between Ghana
President John Mahama & his India counterpart Pranab Mukherjee.
o The first agreement is for exemptions on visa requirements for holders of diplomatic
passports.
o The second & third were on the establishment of a joint commission as well as
cooperation between both countries foreign ministries.
• Prez Refuses Assent to Delhi Govt Bill
o The President has refused to give assent to the Delhi govt Bill to exclude the post of
Parliamentary Secretary from the office of profit.
o The refusal puts a question mark over the membership of 21 AAP MLAs who have
been appointed Parliamentary Secretaries.
o Petitions have been filed seeking disqualification of the these MLAs.
o As they occupied office of profit in violation of Constitution
• Censor Board Clears ‘Udta Punjab’
o The censor board has cleared the controversial drug-themed Bollywood film ‘Udta
Punjab’ with 13 cuts under the ‘A’ category.
o It has unanimously cleared it after the proposed 13 cuts.
o The movie deals with the problem of drug addiction among youth in Punjab.
o The Abhishek Chaubey directed film is tentatively scheduled for release on June 17.
• CM Dedicates Sub-Sea Power Cable Project
o Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel has inaugurated the Rs 18.35-crore project to supply
grid power to the island through marine cables.
o Shiyal Bet, an island located off Pipavav port in Amreli district, has got electricity for
the first time since Independence.
o The entire village with over 800 households was lit up.
o The 6.4 km long under-sea marine cable was laid by Paschim Gujarat Vij Company
Limited.
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• Sikkim Launches Open Govt Data Portal
o Sikkim has become the first state in India to have an open government data portal.
o Lok Sabha MP P D Rai has launched the open government data portal
“Sikkim.data.gov.in”.
o The open government data portal, the data produced or commissioned by the
government or government controlled entities can be freely used, reused
&redistributed by anyone.
• India Ranks 141 in Global Peace Index
o India was ranked 141 out of 163 countries on a Global Peace Index.
o India has moved up two position, from 141st last year.
o In a list compiled by global think tank Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), Syria
has been named the least peaceful.
o It was followed by South Sudan, Iraq & Afghanistan.
o Iceland was ranked as the world’s most peaceful country, followed by Denmark &
Austria.
• ED Attaches Vijay Mallya’s Properties
o The Enorcement Directorate (ED) has attached properties worth Rs 1411 crore of
Vijay Mallya.
o The assets under provisional attachment included bank balance of Rs 34 Cr, a flat
each in Bengaluru & Mumbai & an industrial plot in Chennai.
o The attachment of properties is in connection with the Rs 900 Cr loan fraud with the
IDBI Bank.
o Kingfisher Airlines owes more than Rs 9000 crore to various banks.
• Telangana is India’s Most Non-veg State
o Telangana has the highest proportion of meat-eaters in the country with almost 99%
of its residents being non-vegetarians.
o This was according to a survey by Registrar General of India of people aged 15 yrs
& above.
o Telangana is followed by West Bengal & Andhra Pradesh in terms of highest non-
vegetarian population.
o The states with highest vegetarian population include Rajasthan, Punjab & Haryana.
• Ujjwala Yojana Launched in Uttarakhand
o Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan has launched
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana for the State of Uttarakhand.
o The Programme was launched by handing over new connections to the beneficiaries.
o The scheme aims at providing LPG connnections to five crore BPL families across the
country by 2019.
o The Yojana was launched by the PM Modi at Ballia in U.P. on May 1 this year.
• Maha to Observe Yoga Day on Every Month
o The Maharashtra government has decided to celebrate the 21st day of every month as
Yoga Day across all schools, colleges & universities in the State.
o It is also decided that every district will have to set up a Yoga Day committee at their
levels to plan ‘Yoga Mahostav’ every year in between Jan12 & 21.
o A separate committee at the State level will monitor & coordinate with these
committees.
• Mumbai on Top in Road Accidents
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oMumbai has got the dubious distinction of the city with maximum road accidents in
the country.
o The number of deaths in road mishaps is highest in the Delhi in 2015.
o In 2015,there were about 5 lakh road accidents in the country,of which 1.46 lakh
people were killed.
o On an average 17 lives were lost every hour in road accidents.
o This was according to the report road accidents in India in 2015.
• UGC Forms Pay Review Panel
o The University Grants Commission (UGC) has constituted a 5 member committee for
pay revision of academic staff of Universities & Colleges.
o The Pay Revision Committee will be chaired by UGC member Prof V S Chauhan
o The committee will submit its report in six months.
o The panel will also examine the present structure of emoluments & service
conditions of university & college teachers & other staff.
• India Says ‘No’ to Google Street View
o India has declined to give security clearance to the Internet giant’s Street View
service.
o The permission was declined primarily due to objections raised by the Defence
Ministry.
o The Street View service allows users to have a panoramic view of places in cities, as
they would look in real life.
o The Internet giant uses cars and bikes fitted with cameras to collect 360-degree
images of a place.
• India, ADB Sign $120 million Loan Pact
o India & the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $120 million loan pact to
improve irrigation & water management infrastructure in Odisha.
o The soft loan is the second tranche of a $157.5 million financing facility under the
Orissa Integrated Irrigated Agriculture & Water Management Investment Program.
o The financing will be used for modernising seven irrigation subprojects.
• India-US cyber relations framework
o India & the US will sign a framework for the bilateral cyber relationship between the
two countries within the next 60 days.
o Under the framework, the issues addressed are, promoting stability in cyberspace,
the promotion of voluntary norms of responsible state behaviour during peacetime,
and the development & implementation of practical confidence-building measures
between states.
• Swachh Yug Campaign to Make Villages ODF
o As part of its efforts to make villages located along Ganga open defecation-free, Govt
has launched a campaign ‘Swachh Yug’.
o Campaign will focus on cleanliness in the villages through proper solid and liquid
waste management.
o The govt will rope in thousands of volunteers to help bring about a behavioural
change among villagers living in 52 districts along the Ganga.
• All Trains to have Bio-Toilets by 2019
o Indian Railways will fit bio-toilets on all its coaches by 2019.
o By 2019, all 55,000 coaches of Indian Railways would be fitted with 1,40,000 bio-
toilets.
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oTill 31 March, 2016, railways have installed around 35,000 bio-toilets in 10,000
railway coaches.
o Train toilets in India have always emptied human waste on to railway tracks, an
unhygienic practice that also corrodes tracks.
• Guwahati First City to have City Animal
o Guwahati becomes the first city in the country to have its own City Animal.
o The Kamrup Metropolitan district administration declared the Gangetic River
Dolphin as the mascot.
o The animal locally known as 'Sihu', would be the 'City Animal' of Guwahati.
o There are less than 2,000 Gangetic river dolphins remain in the Brahmaputra along
Guwahati.
• V Narayanasamy Sworn in As Puducherry CM
o Senior Congress leader V Narayanasamy was sworn in as the tenth Chief Minister of
Puducherry.
o Lt Governor Kiran Bedi administered the oath of office & secrecy to Narayanasamy &
five other ministers.
o Narayanasamy practiced law for more than ten years since 1973 & jumped into active
politics in 1985.
o He had served as Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office in the second UPA
govt.
• Nitish Launches Grievances Redressal Act
o Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has launched the Bihar Public Grievance Redressal Act.
o The Act has empowered people to get their grievances redressed within specific time.
o If the grievance cannot be redressed, then the complainant will get a letter citing
reasons for not getting the grievance redressed.
o The complainant can file an appeal if he/she is not satisfied with the answer.
• Gujarat Unveils New Policy to Boost IT
o The Gujarat govt has announced its first ever IT & Electronics Start-up Policy.
o The policy has special focus on encouraging new ventures by providing them
incentives.
o Under the policy, the state govt would develop 50 incubators and mentor 2,000
start-ups in the next 5 years.
o The Gujarat govt will provide 50% capital investment assistance,in the limit of Rs 50
lakh, for setting up an incubator.
• HP First State to Have State Data Centre
o Himachal Pradesh became the first state in the country to have a State Data Centre
(SDC).
o It will offer 101 people-oriented services online through an integrated database.
o SDC would integrate the websites of various departments.
o It is first SDC in the country which has been designed using green data centre
concept to minimise power requirement & increase power utilisation efficiency.
• India & Qatar Sign 7 key Agreements
o India & Qatar have signed 7 agreements, including one on finance intelligence &
terrorism financing & another to woo foreign investment
o Cooperation & investment in areas of skill development & education,health, tourism
& sports were the other agreements.
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oThe agreements were signed by Indian & Qatar officials in the presence of PM Modi
& Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani.
• Deal Inked for Hassle-Free Entry into US
o India & US have signed a MoU to facilitate hassle-free entry of Indians into the US at
selected airports.
o The move will provide speedy security clearances for pre-approved Indian travellers
upon arrival in US at selected airports.
o The MoU was signed between Indian Ambassador to US, Arun K Singh & Kevin K
McAleenan.
o India is only the 9th country with which the US has entered into this initiative.
• India Post Release an Amazon India Stamp
o India Post released a Rs.5 stamp to mark the third anniversary of Amazon India’s
services in the country.
o Called My Stamp, it shows a delivery boy with a carton labelled Amazon.
o This is the first time India Post is honoring an e-commerce site for a milestone
o My Stamp is an initiative to allow businesses & notable individuals in India to print
stamps with a picture of their choice.
• PM Modi Leaves on a Five-Nation Tour
o PM Modi has left on a 5 nation visit to Afghanistan, Qatar, Switzerland,the US &
Mexico.
o The PM will first travel to Afghanistan where he will inaugurate the Afghan-India
Friendship Dam.
o From Afghanistan, he will proceed to Qatar & then to Switzerland where black money
is likely to be on the agenda.
o In the US,PM Modi will meet President Obama & also address a joint meeting of the
US Congress.
• Assam Passes Ease of Doing Business Bill
o Assam Assembly has passed the Assam Ease of Doing Business Bill, 2016.
o The bill has the provision for speedy processing of applications and issue of
clearances for setting up industries.
o The basic aim of the bill is to create an investment-friendly environment for
economic development of the state.
o The bill provides for establishing a bureau under the name of Assam Bureau of
Investment Promotion.
• India and Tunisia Ink Two MoUs
o India & Tunisia sign two MoUs on promotion of handicrafts & IT & digital economy.
o The two sides will promote each other's handicraft & increase mutual cooperation in
the IT & related sectors.
o The MoUs were signed after Ansari & Tunisia PM Habib Essid held one-on-one talks
which were followed by the delegation-level talks.
o India & Tunisia have maintained their friendly relations since 1958.
• Bengaluru Among Top 5 Innovation Hubs
o The Bengaluru has emerged as one of the top five locations for innovation centres of
global firms.
o This was according to a study by France-based IT consulting and services company
Capgemini.
o Bengaluru did not figure in a similar list prepared by Capgemini in July 2015.
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oIn its latest list, the city came in fifth after Silicon Valley, London, Paris & Singapore.
• India-US to Share Info on Terror
o India & the US have signed a key pact for exchange of intelligence on terror on a real
time basis.
o This pact would help India access unclassified biographic information of known and
suspected terrorists
o The pact was signed by Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi &US Ambassador to India
Richard Verma.
o The arrangement would enhance the counter terrorism cooperation between India
& USA.
• Odisha to Give Benefits to Transgenders
o Odisha is first state in the country to give transgender people social welfare benefits
such as a pension,housing & food grains.
o The move was aimed at improving their overall social and economic status.
o Members of the transgender community will be given BPL cards that will allow them
to access govt. welfare schemes.
o India's Supreme Court has recognised transgender as a legal third gender.
• Telangana Hoists India's Largest Flag
o On Telangana's second formation day, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has
hoisted India's biggest & largest tricolour in Hyderabad.
o The flag stands tall on the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake in Sanjeevaiah Park.
o The gigantic flag measures 108 by 72 feet. It is two feet short of being the tallest flag.
o The tallest tri-colour is on a 293-foot-high pole, in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
• India, France Ink MoU for Tech Support
o The Union Cabinet has approved a MoU between,the India Directorate General of
Civil Aviation (DGCA) & the French civil aviation authority, to help DGCA officials
enhance their technical expertise.
o The MoU will promote & implement standards & recommended practices of the
International Civil Aviation Organisation.
o The pact would also help in imparting training of engineers,technicians among
others.
• India,Morocco Launch Chamber of Commerce
o India & Morocco has launched the India-Morocco Chamber of Commerce
& Industry to accelerate the pace of economic development between the two
countries.
o The chamber was jointly launched by visiting Vice President Hamid Ansari &
Moroccan PM Abdelilah Benkirane.
o The bilateral trade between the two countries stood at $1.26 billion in 2015 with
Indian exports forming roughly 25% of the trade volume.
• PM Releases Disaster Management Plan
o PM Modi has released the country’s first ever National Disaster Management Plan.
o It will focus on making India disaster resilient and significantly reduce the loss of
lives and assets.
o The plan is based on the four priority themes of the Sendai Framework.
o These include understanding disaster risk, improving the risk governance, investing
in disaster risk reduction & disaster preparedness.
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• India Tops Global Slavery Index
o India has the highest number of people in the world trapped in modern slavery .
o India has total of 18.35 million victims of forced labour, ranging from prostitution &
begging.
o Behind India was China, Pakistan, Bangladesh & Uzbekistan.
o According to the 2016 Global Slavery Index released an estimated 45.8 million
people are subject to some form of slavery compared to 35.8 million in 2014.

Person in News
• JNU Vice Chancellor Appointed to UGC
o The Centre has appointed JNU vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar as member of the
University Grants Commission (UGC).
o He has appointed for a period of 3 years following the completion of D N Reddy’s
term.
o He was a professor at IIT-Delhi before he took over as the VC of JNU
o The UGC is a statutory organization established for the coordination& maintenance
of standards of university education.
• Nand Kishore Appointed Dy CAG
o Senior bureaucrat Nand Kishore was today appointed as Deputy Comptroller and
Auditor General (CAG).
o He is a 1981 batch officer of Indian Audit and Account Service.
o He is presently Additional Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General.
o CAG is empower to audit all expenses from the combine Fund of the union or state
governments, whether incurred within India or outside.
• V Sasi Elected Kerala Deputy Speaker
o CPI’s V Sasi was elected Deputy Speaker of the 14th Kerala Assembly.
o While Sasi polled 90 votes, Opposition UDF candidate I C Balakrishnan garnered 45
votes in the voting.
o Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan did not exercise his franchise.
o Sasi is the two-time MLA from Chirayankeezhu constituency in the Assembly & was
earlier a member of the Travancore Devaswom Board.
• Renowned Artist KG Subramanyan Dies
o Renowned artist &Padma Vibhushan awardee KG Subramanyan has passed away.
o In a career spanning over six decades, the multifaceted artist had been a painter,
sculptor, muralist &print maker.
o He was known for his outdoor murals terracotta works & also experimented with
weaving,
o He was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2012, Padma Bhushan in 2006 &Padma Shri
in 1975.
• Elvis Guitarist Scotty Moore Dies
o American pioneering rock guitarist Scotty Moore, who was a member of Elvis
Presley's original band has passed away.
o He was the last survivor of Elvis's original band.
o He is credited with helping Elvis shape his musical sound &inspired generations of
guitarists.

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oHe was inducted in Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 &in 2015 he was placed at
number 29 in Rolling Stone's 100 greatest guitarists list.
• Suzuki Motors Appoints Toshihiro as CEO
o Suzuki Motor Corp has appointed Toshihiro Suzuki, son of Chairman Osamu Suzuki,
as its next chief executive(CEO).
o The appointment comes after patriarch Osamu Suzuki declines the CEO position to
take responsibility for the automaker's use of incorrect testing methods.
o Japan's No. 4 automaker by sales had used wrong tests to calculate mileage for
models going back to 2010.
• Lord Paul Presented with Key to US city
o Leading NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul has been honoured for his contribution to
St Louis in the US state of Missouri with the mayor presenting him with the key to
the city.
o He was honoured by Mayor Francis Slay for the commitment & investment in the St
Louis.
o Paul was on a visit to Bull Moose Industries, the division of the Paul family's Caparo
business headquartered in the city.
• Titan's Founding MD Xerxes Desai Dies
o Xerxes Desai, the first managing director of India's largest watch maker Titan has
passed away.
o Desai is credited with introducing the country to its first quartz watch three decades
ago.
o He set up Titan in 1986 with support from the Tamil Nadu government.
o He joined Tata Administrative Service in 1961 after graduating from Oxford
University.
o He worked with Tata Press, Tata Chemicals & Taj Hotels.
• Nestlé Appoint Ulf Mark Schneider as CEO
o Food & Beverage multinational Nestle has named Ulf Mark Schneider as its next
Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
o Mr. Schneider is the chief executive of Germany-based Fresenius SE & will succeed
current CEO Paul Bulcke.
o He will assume the role of chief executive at Nestle at the start of 2017.
o Mr. Schneider will be the first outsider to run Nestlé since 1922.
• Vishwanathan Appointed RBI Deputy Gov
o NS Vishwanathan has been appointed as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of
India,
o The Appointments Committee of Cabinet, headed by PM Modi, has approved of
Vishwanathan's appointment.
o He will take over from H.R. Khan, who retires on 3 July.
o Vishwanathan has been executive director at RBI since 2014.
o Urjit Patel, S.S. Mundra & R. Gandhi are the other three deputy governors at present.
• Maria Sharapova Enrolls at Harvard
o The five-time Grand Slam champion & former No.1 player Maria Sharapova has
enrolled at the Harvard Business School while she fights her 2 year doping ban.
o She was tested positive for meldonium at the Australian open in Jan.

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oShe is banned from competing until Jan 25, 2018 by the International Tennis
Federation (ITF).
o She is trying to overturn or reduce the suspension which was imposed by the ITF.
• Sujoy Bose Appointed CEO of NIIF
o The govt has appointed Sujoy Bose as chief executive officer (CEO) of the National
Investment &Infrastructure Fund (NIIF).
o He was selected by a selection committee constituted under department of economic
affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das.
o NIIF is a quasi sovereign wealth fund with a corpus of around Rs.40,000 crore to
finance the requirements of India’s infrastructure sector.
• Reliance Jio's Amitabh Jaipuria Quits
o Amitabh Jaipuria, president & mobility business head of Reliance Jio Infocomm, has
stepped down ahead of the company’s commercial launch of 4G services.
o Jaipuria joined Reliance Jio a little over two years back.
o Later he was asked to manage the company’s mobility business as well as oversee
functions.
o Reliance Jio had announced plans to launch the 4G services by the end of this year.
• Theatre Artist Kavalam Narayana Dies
o Veteran Malayalam theatre artist & poet Kavalam Narayana Panicker passed away.
o His notable plays include Madhyamavyayogam ,Vikramorvashiyam &
Dootavakyam authored & staged over a period from 1979 to 1996.
o He was a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi award& later received the Sangeet
Natak Akademic Fellowship in 2002.
o He was accorded with Padma Bhushan in the year 2007.
• Eminent Odia Writer Nilamani Sahoo Dies
o Eminent Odia writer Mohapatra Nilamani Sahoo (90) passed away.
o He was bestowed with the Orissa Sahitya Akademi Award in 1979 for his story book
'Akasha Patata'.
o He received the Sarala Award in 1983 & Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award in 1984 for
‘Abhisapta Gandharba’.
o Some of his popular short story books include Prema Tribhuja , Michha Bagha ,
Ganjei O Gabesana & Ranu Apa Tharu Pushi Parjyanta.
• N Srinivasan Re-elected TNCA President
o Former BCCI president N. Srinivasan was re-elected unanimously as the Tamil Nadu
Cricket Association (TNCA) chief at the 86th Annual General Meeting in Chennai.
o This is the 15th consecutive time that he has been elected as the chief of the state
cricket body.
o Srinivasan has been heading the TNCA since 2002-03.
o He has been in the line of fire ever since the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal.
• Bangar, Abhay Named as Support Staff
o The BCCI retained has Sanjay Bangar as the batting coach while Abhay Sharma will
continue as the fielding coach of the Indian cricket team for the upcoming tour of the
West Indies.
o Both Bangar & Sharma were part of the coaching staff during the recently-concluded
series in Zimbabwe.
o No bowling coach was appointed since Kumble is India's highest-wicket taker & is
incharge of the team.
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• Nilekani Invests in Startup Drishti
o Bengaluru-based affordable eye care treatment chain Drishti has raised an
undisclosed amount in funding from Nandan Nilekani.
o Drishti will utilise the fresh capital to expand to six more districts in Karnataka.
o The company estimates that 1% of India’s population is affected by blindness &
80% of those cases are treatable.
o Drishti was started by IT professionals Kiran Anandampillai & Anjali Joshi.
• Mehbooba Wins Anantnag Bypoll
o Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has won the bypoll to the
Anantnag Assembly constituency by more than 12,000 votes.
o Mehbooba secured more than 16,000 votes against her nearest rival & Congress
candidate Hilal Ahmad Shah who got 5,529 votes.
o National Conference candidate Iftikhar Misger was a distant third.
o Anantnag fell vacant after Mufti Muhammad Sayeed died on January 7.
• Indian origin lawyer to chair UN panel
o South African Indian-origin lawyer Yasmin Sooka has been appointed to chairman of
three member UN panel to monitor the human rights situation in South Sudan.
o Currently she is serving as the Executive Director of the Foundation for Human
Rights (FHR) in South Africa.
o UNHRC had constituted Panel following calls for investigation into alleged atrocities
committed by the government & rebel forces.
• Quizmaster Neil O'Brien Passes Away
o Neil O'Brien (82), a pioneer of quizzing in India & leader of the Anglo-Indian
community, passed away.
o He was a former member of Lok Sabha & was also a 3 time nominated Anglo-Indian
MLA in West Bengal.
o He had conducted the first well-organized, formal quiz in 1967 at Christ the King
Church Parish Hall in Kolkata.
o He was the chairman of the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations.
• Sanjay Malik to lead Nokia India
o Nokia has announced the elevation of Sanjay Malik as the new Head of India market.
o He takes over from Sandeep Girotra, who will oversee the Asia-Pacific & Japan
markets effective from 1 Aug.
o Malik is currently Head of Network Implementation at Nokia Global Services.
o He is credited with efficiently driving growth and delivering strong performance both
in terms of revenue & operational efficiency.
• Famed Qawwal Amjad Sabri shot dead
o Renowned Qawwal Amjad Sabri, who was known for More Haji Piya, was shot dead
by unidentified motorcycle-borne gunmen in Karachi, Pakistan.
o He was known as Rock Star of Qawwali due to his modern style of rendition, he was
one of the best Sufi musicians & Qawwals from Pakistan.
o He was the son of renowned Qawwal Ghulam Farid Sabri of 'Bhar Do Jholi Meri'
fame.
• ABP Chief Editor Aveek Sarkar resigns
o Aveek Sarkar resigned as the Editor-in-Chief of Ananda Bazaar Patrika (ABP) & The
Telegraph.
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oHe would continue as the chairman of the group and is succeeded by Arup Sarkar.
oAveek will now play an advisory role as Editor (Emeritus) & Vice Chairman.
oHe is one of the most prominent publishing personalities and he was tutored by the
legendary Harold Evans, then the editor of The Sunday Times.
• LIC chairman S K Roy resigns
o SK Roy, Chairman of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), resigned from office
on Wednesday.
o Roy joined LIC in 1981 as a direct recruit officer.
o In 2013, Roy took charge as the chairman and has resigned 2 years before his five-
year term ended.
o The reasons for his resignation are not yet known.
• Mary Kom denied Olympics Wild Card
o Chairman of AIBA and the ad-hoc committee, Kishen Narsi, confirmed that veteran
pugilist M.C. Mary Kom has been denied a wild card entry into Rio Olympics.
o She could not book after losing the second round of the World Championships.
o Indian Olympic Association & the ad-hoc committee had sent a request for a
wildcard entry for the celebrated boxer.
o She said that she has no retirement plans for now.
• Telangana Poet Guda Anjaiah passes away
o Noted Telangana poet & lyricist Guda Anjaiah (61) died on 21 June, 2016 following a
brief illness.
o Anjanna was famous for his song Ooru manadi ra, ee vada manadi ra which was
translated into multiple languages.
o He played a key role in Telangana movement, penning several songs that also found
their way into films.
o His novel "Polimera" was based on the dark days of 1975 Emergency.
• DRC Warlord Bemba Jailed over War Crimes
o The International Criminal Court sentenced former Congolese vice-president Jean-
Pierre Bemba to 18 years in jail.
o He was convicted of a slew of rapes & murders in the Central African Republic over a
decade ago.
o He was found guilty on five charges of war crimes committed by his private army.
o The ICC has the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international
crimes against humanity.
• Prominent Educationalist Jeppiaar Dies
o Renowned politician-turned-educationalist Jeppiaar has passed away.
o He started his career as a politician & later turned as an Educationist & Industrialist.
o He is the founder and Chairman of Jeppiaar Educational Trust & Founder &
Chancellor of the Sathyabama University.
o He also successfully produced seven Tamil movies & directed one movie in Tamil.
• Veteran Odia Actress Manimala Devi Dies
o Noted theatre personality and popular Odia film actress Manimala Devi has passed
away.
o She had worked in over 40 films of which 14 bagged the national award.
o Her film career began in 1960 with the classic Odia film- 'Sri Loknath'.
o she has also worked in over 100 playes during her career.

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oShe was conferred with the prestigious Jayadev Purashkar- the state's highest cine
award in the year 2000.
• Raghuram Rajan Will Quit As RBI Governor
o Raghuram Rajan said he would not be seeking a second term as Reserve Bank
Governor. Dr Rajan said he plans to return to academia when his term ends on
Sept 4.
o He is the first RBI governor since 1992 not to seek a second term as RBI boss.
o He was appointed as RBI chief in 2013.
o He had been instrumental in ushering in reforms in banking & taming inflation
during his tenure.
• Indian-Origin as US Ambassador to M'sia
o US President Barack Obama has nominated an Indian-origin diplomat as the next
American ambassador to Malaysia.
o If confirmed by the Senate, Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir would replace Joseph Y Yun as
the next US ambassador to Malaysia.
o Lakhdhir has served as the US Consul General in Belfast, Northern Ireland & UK.
o She received a BA from Harvard College & an MS from the National War College.
• Hathaway Appointed Goodwill Ambassador
o Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway was appointed as UN Women Goodwill
Ambassador.
o Ms. Hathaway will put the spotlight on the issue of the unequal burden of care work
in the home as one of the key barriers to gender equality.
o She has received an Academy Award,Golden Globe & Screen Actors Guild award.
o UN Women is the United Nations organization dedicated to gender equality & the
empowerment of women.
• Freida Pinto Joins Hand with Michelle
o Actress Freida Pinto will join Michelle Obama to promote global girls’ education
initiative‘Let Girls Learn' in Liberia,Morocco & Spain.
o The initiative is aimed at helping girls obtain quality education.
o They will take part in a discussion over the educational barriers girls face in the
country.
o The focus is to speak to young girls about the importance of education & staying in
school.
• Sunil Bharti elected as ICC Chairman
o International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has elected chairman of Bharti
Enterprises, Sunil Bharti Mittal, as its chairman.
o Sunil takes over from Terry McGraw, Chairman Emeritus of S&P Global, who will
subsequently become ICC's Honorary Chairman.
o Founded in 1919, ICC is the world's largest business organisation, & represents the
private-sector's views to national govts. & intergovernmental bodies.
• Kamal Nath quits as Punjab in-charge
o Facing fire over his alleged role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Congress general
secretary Kamal Nath on Wednesday quit as the party’s Punjab affairs in-charge
o Several state Congress leaders had claimed that he had been absolved by the
Nanavati Commission that probed the killings during the riots.
o It is learnt that his replacement is likely to be announced within this week.
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• Famous Hindi Novelist Mudrarakshas Dies
o Famous Hindi novelist and critique Mudrarakshas has passed away.
o He was educated in Lucknow & had later worked as editor of Hindi journal
Gyanodaya, published from Kolkata.
o He had also edited Hindi journal Anuvarta.
o His original name was Subhash Chandra & he wrote novels & other forms of Hindi
prose besides producing literature for children with his pen name.
• Suresh Chandra Appointed Law Secretary
o Senior legal service officer Suresh Chandra was appointed as Union Law Secretary.
o He is an officer of Indian Legal Service & currently Additional Secretary in the
department.
o The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved the appointment of Chandra
as Secretary, Dept of Legal Affairs.
o G Narayana Raju, Legislative Secretary was holding additional charge of the post of
Secretary,Legal Affairs.
• Xerox Name Ashok Vemuri,CEO of BPO Firm
o Xerox Corp has named Ashok Vemuri will become the chief executive of its business
process outsourcing unit after the company splits into two entities.
o Xerox has announced plans to split its printer operations & its BPOunits into two
companies.
o Vemuri has headed iGate Corp & will join Xerox effective July 1.
o The current CEO of Xerox Ursula Burns will become chairman once the transaction
closes.
• Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai Quits
o Delhi’s Transport Minister Gopal Rai has resigned from his post citing health
reasons.
o He was accused of indulging in corrupt practices in implementing government’s app-
based premium bus service scheme.
o Rai underwent a surgery & is currently undergoing physiotherapy.
o Delhi’s PWD & Health Minister Satyendra Jain has been asked to take charge of the
Transport Department.
• Mallya Declared Proclaimed Offender
o A special court in Mumbai has declared Vijay Mallya a proclaimed offender in a
money laundering case following a petition by the Enforcement Directorate or ED.
o Under law, the court naming somebody a proclaimed offender requires the person to
appear within 30 days of the date of publishing of the order.
o Failing which all his properties will be attached & sold by government.
• Former England Captain Donald Carr Dies
o Donald Carr, former England skipper and one of the well-known cricket
administrators has passed away.
o Carr played twice for England, once as captain on the 1951-52 tour of India.
o He had started his career as left arm spinner in 1945 & scored around 20,000 runs in
his career span.
o From 1974 to 1986, he had also served as the secretary of the Test and County Cricket
Board & the Cricket Council.
• Theatre Pioneer Achyut Lahkar Dies

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oAchyut Lahkar, doyen of Assam’s mobile theatre movement, noted playwright and
actor has passed away.
o He founded Nataraj Theatre, the first mobile theatre company of Assam in 1963.
o He brought in several innovations into mobile theatre, including experimentation
with three stages.
o He was honoured with the Kamal Kumari National Award in 1997 for his immense
contribution to the field of culture.
• Satya Pal Becomes Law Commission Member
o Additional Solicitor General of India & former Parliamentarian Satya Pal Jain has
been appointed as a part-time member of the Law Commission of India.
o This appointment is in addition to his charge as an Additional Solicitor General of
India.
o He has been a lawyer in various important civil &criminal cases.
o The President had constituted the 21st Law Commission of India on Sept 14, 2015.
• KL Rahul Score An ODI Hundred On Debut
o Opener Lokesh Rahul created history when he became the first Indian to score a
hundred on One-Day International debut gainst Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club.
o Overall, he became the 11th player to achieve the feat on debut.
o Before this, Robin Uthappa's 86 against England at Indore in 2006 was the highest
score by an Indian player on his ODI debut.
• Veteran Journalist Inder Malhotra Dies
o Eminent journalist Inder Malhotra & an accomplished political commentator has
passed away.
o Malhotra began his career at the United Press of India news agency & went on to
hold editorial positions at leading dailies.
o He was editor of The Times of India, New Delhi from 1978-86.
o He was awarded the Ramnath Goenka Lifetime Achievement award in 2013.
• Ice Hockey Legend Gordie Howe Dies
o Legendary Canadian ice hockey player Gordie Howe has passed away.
o He was nicknamed Mr Hockey has died at the age of 88.
o He was in the top 10 of scorers for 21 consecutive years.
o He was named Most Valuable Player six times, before finally retiring in 1980.
o He was also named an NHL All Star 23 times & was inducted into the hockey Hall of
Fame in 1972.
• Bindra Named India's Flagbearer at Rio
o Olympic champion shooter Abhinav Bindra was chosen as the flagbearer of the
Indian contingent at the Rio Games’ opening ceremony on Aug 5.
o He was earlier named one of the goodwill ambassadors for the Indian contingent.
o He is till date remains the country's only sportsperson to win a gold medal in an
individual event at the Olympics.
o He achieved the feat at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
• Veteran Journalist KK Katyal Dies
o Veteran journalist KK Katyal has passed away.
o During his career spanning several decades, he worked with The Statesman,
Hindustan Times & The Hindu.

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oHe was also the founder president of the India chapter of the South Asia Free Media
Association,a body of media persons recognised by the SAARC.
o He was awarded the GK Reddy Memorial prize in 1994 by the PV Narsimha Rao for
his columns & analyses.
• Sharapova Suspended for 2 yrs for Doping
o Tennis star Maria Sharapova was suspended for two years by the International
Tennis Federation for testing positive for the banned substance meldonium.
o The ruling was by an independent three-person panel appointed by the ITF.
o The five-time Grand Slam champion was provisionally suspended by the ITF in early
March.
o The ruling can be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
• Naresh Goyal Re-elected to IATA Board
o Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal has been re-elected to IATA’s Board of
Governors.
o This would be the fifth successive tenure for Goyal at the International Air Transport
Association’s (IATA) Board of Governors.
o He is the only representative from India on this board.
o IATA represents more than 260 member airlines & plays a key role in helping
formulate global policy on critical aviation issues.
• Umang Bedi is new head of Facebook India
o Facebook has appointed Umang Bedi, former head at Adobe India, MD of its
operations in this country.
o Bedi, earlier MD for Adobe in South Asia, would succeed Kirthiga Reddy. She moves
to America to take a global role at the company’s HQs in Menlo Park, California.
o Facebook works with about 85% of the top 100 advertisers in India identified by
Kantar, the media measurement & research entity.
• Clinton becomes the Democratic nominee
o Hillary Clinton declared herself the Democratic Party nominee for US president on
June 7.
o The former first lady, senator and US secretary of state beat rival Bernie Sanders in
New Jersey’s nominating contest, to get the number of delegates needed to clinch the
nomination.
o She is now poised to be up against Republican nominate Donald Trump.
• Forbes World's Most Powerful Women List
o Forbes has announced the 2016 list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.
o German Chancellor Angela Merkel retains the top spot on the list.
o She is followed by Hillary Clinton & U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen.
o Indian's who ranked in the list are SBI chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya 25th, ICICI
Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar 40th, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw 77th & HT group
Shobhana Bhartia ranked 93th.
• Mirza Named for Swachh Saathi Programme
o Bollywood actress Dia Mirza has been named the ambassador for Swachh Bharat
Mission's youth-based 'Swachh Saathi' programme.
o Under the Swachh Saathi more than 2,000 interns would be enrolled, who would
coordinate with around 10,000 schools & ensure that all students in these schools
take the pledge for Clean India.
o Dia is a youth icon & has been an active campaigner for Swachh Bharat.
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• India 1st Mr Universe Manohar Aich Dies
o India's first Mr. Universe Manohar Aich has passed away.
o He took up bodybuilding & made this his passion during his stint at the Royal Air
Force under British colonial rulers.
o He had become India's first Mr. Universe when he won the 1952 National Amateur
Body-Builders' Association Universe Championships.
o He was known as 'Pocket Hercules' for his short stature.
• Olympic Order for IOA Chief Ramachandran
o The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded the prestigious Olympic
Order to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president N. Ramachandran.
o The award is given in acknowledgement for Ramachandran's outstanding
contribution to the Olympic movement.
o Ramachandran became IOA president in February 2014.
o Former IOA president, the late B.S. Adityan was also honoured with the same award
in 1995.
• Veteran Actor Sulabha Deshpande Dies
o Veteran theatre & film actor Sulabha Deshpande who had acted in numerous
Marathi & Hindi films has passed away.
o She acted in plays written by acclaimed playwrights such as Vijay Tendulkar.
o In Hindi, she earned plenty of plaudits for her acting in films such as
Bhumika,Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan & Gaman.
o In 1971 she co-founded the theatre group Awishkar with her husband Arvind
Deshpande.
• Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali Passes Away
o Boxing legend Muhammad Ali has passed away.
o He was the three-time former world champion & among the greatest heavyweights in
the history of the sport.
o He had suffered for 35 years with Parkinson’s disease.
o He was honoured with the task of lighting the flame at the 1996 Olympic Games in
Atlanta.
o He had received the highest US civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in
2005.
• Sreeramakrishnan Elected Kerala Speaker
o P Sreeramakrishnan of the CPI (M) was elected Speaker of the Kerala Assembly.
o Sreeramakrishnan got 92 votes while the opposition UDF candidate V. P. Sajeendran
got 46 votes.
o The House was dissolved after the election of Speaker & will reassemble on the 24th.
o Sreeramakrishnan has been elected to the Assembly for the second term from
Ponnani in Malappuram district.
• Kiran Mazumdar Take the Giving Pledge
o Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairman & MD of Biocon has been named in the list of The
Giving Pledge.
o The Giving Pledge is a global initiative that encourages billionaires to give the
majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes .
o Shaw joins Wipro chairman Azim Premji as the only resident Indians to have taken
the pledge.
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oThe new list published added 17 new individuals,bringing total to 154.
• Messi Appear in Court at Tax Fraud Trial
o The Barcelona & Argentina football star, Lionel Messi has appeared in court in
Barcelona to testify for the first time at his tax fraud trial.
o Messi & his father Jorge, who manages his finances are accused of defrauding Spain
of €4.1m.
o The authorities allege that the two used tax havens in Belize a&Uruguay to conceal
earnings .
o Spain's tax agency is demanding heavy fines and prison sentences.
• 2 Indian Origin Women in Forbes List
o Two Indian-origin women have featured on the Forbes' annual list of America's 60
wealthiest & successful self-made women entrepreneurs.
o India-born Neerja Sethi,who co-founded IT consulting firm Syntel is ranked 16th on
forbes' list.
o Jayshree Ullal President & CEO of Arista Networks is ranked 30th.
o The richest self-made woman in America is Diane Hendricks, the owner of ABC
Supply.
• Comic Actor Razak Khan Passes Away
o Veteran comic actor Razak Khan has passed away.
o He made his debut in Bollywood with Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja in1993
o He was popularly known for acting in films like Hello Brother, Hungama & Hera
Pheri.
o In a career spanning two-and-half decades, Khan acted in over 150 films.
o He gained fame playing the role of Manikchand in the movie Baadshah
• Noted Kannada Writer Dejagow Dies
o Noted Kannada writer D. Javare Gowda, popularly known as De. Ja. Gow has passed
away.
o Gowda had played a vital role in getting the classical language status for Kannada.
o His works include Lakshmishana Jaimini Bharata ,Kanakadasara Nalacharitre &
Chikkupadyayana Rukmangada Charitre etc.
o He was also the recipient of Pampa Prashasti,Gorur Award,Karnataka Ratna &
Nadoja title.
• Airtel Payments Bank Names New CEO
o Airtel Payments Bank has announced the appointment of Shashi Arora as the Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) & Managing Director (MD).
o He will replace Manish Khera.
o Arora joined Bharti Airtel in February 2006 & was appointed CEO of Bharti
Telemedia Ltd.
o Earlier, he was Group Marketing Head of Kotak Mahindra Bank.
o Arora is a Gold Medalist from the Technological Institute of Textile & Sciences,
Bhiwani.
• Sandhu Create History with Stabaek Debut
o Indian team goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has achieved a historic feat by
becoming the first Indian to feature in a top-tier league match in Europe,by turning
out for Norwegian side Stabaek FC.
o He achieved the feet as he was named in Stabaek’s starting line-up for their
Tippeligaen game against Start.
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o He signed for Stabaek FC in 2014 but did not play in the Tippeligaen till Sunday.

Places in News
• Naga Leader Isak Chisi Swu Passes Away
o Naga leader Isak Chisi Swu , who led one of the worst insurgencies in the North-East
for almost three decades passed away.
o He was a founder member of the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-
Muivah).
o He had signed a framework agreement with the Centre on August 3 last year to find a
permanent solution to the Naga issue.
o NSCN aims to establish a ‘Greater Nagaland’.
• Majuli Becomes India 1st Island District
o Assam Chief Ministe Sarbananda Sonowal in its first cabinet meeting decided to
grant district status to Majuli, a 400 sqkm island in the river Brahmaputra.
o Sonowal had won the assembly election this year from Majuli ,a constituency
reserved for scheduled tribes.
o The Majuli now a sub-division of Jorhat district will become the 34th district of
Assam.
o It is the biggest river island in the world.
• EU Film Festival Begins in Kolkata
o The European Union (EU) Film Festival began in Kolkata with a screening of
German film Jack.
o It is being held in partnership with Federation of Film Societies of India,Cine
Central, West Bengal Film Centre ‘Nandan’ & British Council.
o The inaugural film ‘Jack’ tells the story of a ten year old abandoned boy who picks up
his 6 yr old brother & finds his way to life on his own.
• Country’s first ‘sunken’ museum in Delhi
o Country’s first “sunken museum”, is set to come up at the World Heritage Site of
Humayun’s Tomb.
o To be open by early 2018, it will display a mix of artifacts that have been locked up in
the reserve collections of the National Museum, National Archives & Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI).
o Work for the same began in April 2015 & 30% construction has been completed so
far.
• FM Lays Foundation Stone of IIM-Amritsar
o Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has laid the foundation stone for a new campus of
IIM-Amritsar.
o This would be the own campus of IIM-Amritsar, the 15th Indian Institute of
Management in the country.
o The new campus of IIM-Amritsar will be built on a 60-acre land in Manawala on the
National Highway-1.
o IIM Calcutta was the first IIM to be set up in November 1961.

Science and Technology

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• Standard Chartered Rolls out ‘Touch ID’
o Standard Chartered Bank has launched its 'Touch ID' innovation on its mobile
banking platform, 'SC Mobile',
o This feature gives the Bank’s customers option of using Touch ID as a replacement
for type out their username &pwd to log onto the SC Mobile banking platform.
o Customer can log in to their mobile banking app with a fingerprint verification
system.
o This feature will ensure better security.
• Made in China Jetliner Makes 1st Flight
o The first regional jet produced by a Chinese govt initiative to compete in the
commercial aircraft market has made its debut flight.
o The ARJ21—700 jet or Asian Regional Jet for the 21st Century operated by Chengdu
Airlines made the two-hour flight from the western city of Chengdu to Shanghai with
70 passengers.
o China is one of the biggest aviation markets but relies on foreign made aircraft.
• CSIR Launches Anti-Diabetic Ayud Drug
o Council for Scientific &Industrial Research (CSIR) has launched BGR-34, an anti-
diabetic ayurvedic drug designed for type 2 Diabetes mellitus.
o BGR-34 is developed jointly by National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI)&
Central Institute for Medicinal &Aromatic Plants (CIMAP).
o BGR-34 works by controlling blood sugar & limiting the harmful effects of other
drugs.
• China's First Dark Sky Reserve Launched
o China has launched its first dark sky reserve in the Tibet autonomous region's Ngari
Prefecture.
o The purpose of the dark sky reserve is to limit light pollution & preserve sites for
making astronomical observations.
o The reserve covers an area of 2,500 square kilometers.
o The launch of the preserve is only the first step in protecting the area from light
pollution.
• China Launches Next-Gen Carrier Rocket
o China has launched its new generation Long March-7 carrier rocket into space from
the country's new Wenchang space port.
o The rocket uses a new type of fuel which is said to be more environmentally friendly.
o Its re-entry module is scheduled to return to Earth at a desert in Inner Mongolia
afternoon after orbiting the planet 13 times.
o It is transporting cargo for China's planned space station.
• Unichem gets FDA nod for Alzheimer drug
o Drug firm Unichem Laboratories received approval from the US health regulator for
it’s Donepezil Hydrochloride tablets.
o The product will be commercialised from Unichem’s Goa plant.
o Donepezil Hydrochloride is used to improve cognition and behaviour of people with
Alzheimer's.
o However, the drug does not slow the progression of or cure the disease.
• Bio-ink for 3D printing with stem cells
o Scientists have developed a new stem cell-containing bio-ink that allows 3D printing
of complex living tissues.
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oThese tissues may be used for surgical implants.
oThis was achieved by scientists of University of Bristol in the UK.
oThe bio-ink contains two different polymer components: a natural polymer extracted
from seaweed, and a sacrificial synthetic polymer used in the medical industry.
• NASA spots "Super Grand Canyon"
o NASA captured an image of an unusual canyon system at Pluto's largest moon
Charon that is far longer and deeper than Earth's Grand Canyon.
o The deep canyon informally named Argo Chasma. Its 700 km long and 9 km deep
compared to Arizona's Grand Canyon which is 450 kilometres long.
o The image was obtained by New Horizons' Long Range Reconnaissance Imager
(LORRI).
• Solar Impulse 2 makes successful landing
o The Solar Impulse project Solar Impulse 2 aircraft completed its Atlantic leg today,
after it made a successful landing in Seville, Spain.
o The three-day trip began on Monday from New York.
o Solar Impulse 2 aircraft is a fully solar-powered, single seater with more than
17,0000 solar cells built in to wings and which possesses a wingspan of 72 meters –
exceeding that of a Boeing 747.
• ISRO to test scramjet engine in July
o ISRO is going to test indigenously developed scramjet engine technology based on
air-breathing propulsion in July 2016.
o The test will be conducted on test platform named Advanced Technology Vehicle
(ATV) at Sriharikota.
o The vehicle has been characterised and being fabricated at the VSSC (Vikram
Sarabhai Space Center) and the ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri.
• ISRO Places 20 Satellites into Orbit
o The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched a record 20 satellites
from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
o This is the largest-ever number of satellites launched into orbit at once by ISRO.
o The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C-34 rocket lifted off with 20 satellites totally
weighing 1,288 kg.
o The rocket’s main cargo is India’s 725.5 kg Cartosat-2 satellite for earth observation.
• China Builds World's Fastest Computer
o A new Chinese computer system that can make 93 quadrillions calculations per
second has claimed the top spot on the list of the world’s most powerful
supercomputers.
o The computer called Sunway TaihuLight was developed by the National Research
Centre of Parallel Computer Engineering & Technology.
o It is intended for use in engineering & research including climate, weather & data
analytics.
• Oxygen Detected in Most Distant Galaxy
o Scientists have detected the presence of oxygen in a distant galaxy from Earth.
o The ancient galaxy SXDF-NB1006-2 sits roughly 13.1 billion light yrs from Earth.
o Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub millimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile,
astronomers have detected glowing oxygen in a distant galaxy.

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oThe discovery is the clear signal of oxygen in the Universe that scientists have ever
detected.
• Trainer Aircraft Makes Inaugural Flight
o India's indigenous trainer aircraft,Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) made its
inaugural flight in Bengaluru in the presence of Defence Minister.
o The aircraft designed & developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
o HTT-40 weighs about 2,800 kg & has Turbo Prop engine
o The aircraft is aimed at being used for the first stage training for all flying cadets of
the three services.
• Russia Unveils Nuclear Icebreaker
o Russia has launched the world's biggest & most powerful icebreaker in St.
Petersburg.
o The Arktika is 568 feet long and powered by two nuclear reactors.
o It can cut through ice of up to 2.8 metres (nine feet) thick.
o Russian interest in the Arctic is rising, as global warming opens up shipping routes &
access to mineral resources.
• Gravitational Waves Detected 2 times
o For the second time, scientists have directly detected gravitational waves created by
the collision of two black holes 1.4 billion light years away.
o The scientists detected the gravitational waves ripples using the twin Laser
Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) interferometers.
o Gravitational waves carry information about the nature of gravity that cannot
otherwise be obtained.
• SpaceX fails to land Falcon 9 rocket
o SpaceX successfully launched two satellites into orbit on Wednesday, but failed in an
attempt to land the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket undamaged on a barge in the
Atlantic.
o It was SpaceX's sixth launch of the year.
o SpaceX is next set to launch a cargo resupply mission to the International Space
Station for NASA next month.
• Apple Opens up Siri to Third-Party Apps
o Apple said it was opening up its Siri digital assistant to outside applications.
o The new feature will enable iPhone users to connect with non-Apple services to send
messages, make payments & search photos.
o Siri is a computer program that works as an intelligent personal assistant.
o Siri lets you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings & more
• China Launches 23rd BeiDou Satellite
o China has successfully launched a satellite to support its global navigation and
positioning network.
o The satellite was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre & was taken
into orbit by a Long March-3C carrier rocket.
o It is the 23rd satellite in the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and is being
developed as an alternative to US GPS.
o It was the 229th launch of the March carrier rocket.
• Scientists Turn CO2 into Rock
o Scientists have turned carbon dioxide into stone in a matter of months by pumping it
deep underground & turning it into stone.
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The experiment in Iceland mixed CO2 emissions with water & pumped it hundreds
o
of metres underground into volcanic basalt rock.
o This method of turning CO2 into stone is cheaper & more secure.
o Basalt makes up most of the world’s seafloors & approx 10% of continental rocks.
• France Launches ‘Terror Alert’ App
o The French govt has launched a smartphone app that would alert users to possible
terror attacks
o It will also provide them with information on how to stay safe.
o The app called SAIP (Système d'alerte et d'information des populations) was
developed following the Nov 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris.
o It will use geolocation to deliver information tailored to each user's location with
alerts
• World's First 3D Printed Plane Unveiled
o The world’s first 3D-printed aircraft THOR was unveiled by Airbus at the
International Berlin air show,Germany.
o Airbus & Boeing are already using 3D printing to make parts for their passenger jets.
o The printed pieces have the advantage of requiring no tools & can be made very
quickly.
o 3D printing is a process of making 3-D solid objects from a digital file with extreme
precision.
• Vulture Breeding Programme Launched
o Haryana govt has launched Asia's First Gyps Vulture Reintroduction Programme at
Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre, Pinjore.
o Vultures were released as part of the reintroduction programme, in a pre-release
aviary.
o Along with the 10 vultures, two Himalayan Griffons were released too.
o 95% of vultures have disappeared & the reason is diclofenac, a pain killer given to
cattle which can kill them.
• Oldest Plant Root Stem Cells Discovered
o Scientists have discovered the oldest known population of plant root stem cells in a
320 million-year-old fossil.
o The research marks the first time an actively growing fossilised root has been
discovered.
o The cells, which gave rise to the roots of an ancient plant were found in a fossilised
root tip at Oxford University in the UK.
o The stem cell fossil has been named Radix carbonica or coal root.
• HAL-Built HTT-40 First Flight Successful
o The indigenous built Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40), a basic trainer aircraft
took to the skies for the first time & completed a basic flight without glitches.
o HTT-40 was piloted by Group Capt Subramaniam (Retd).
o The aircraft is aimed at being used for the first stage training for all flying cadets .
o The HTT-40 is a propeller-driven, turbo-prop aircraft for Stage-1 training of pilots

Sports

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• England Win ODI Series Against SL
o Jason Roy century gives England a series-clinching six wicket win over Sri Lanka in
the fourth one-day international at the Oval.
o Roy made 162, the second-highest score by an England batsman in an ODI.
o It led England to 308, their second-highest successful ODI chase.
o Sri Lanka posted 305-5, a total increased by the Duckworth-Lewis method after Sri
Lanka’s innings was interrupted by rain.
• Sangakkara Picks Dravid in All-Time XI
o Former Sri Lankan cricket captain & batting legend, Kumar Sangakara reveals his
All-time XI.
o Rahul Dravid was the lone Indian in the team selected by the former Sri Lankan
skipper.
o Sangakkara believes Dravid, will be the best to complement former Australian
batsman Mathew Hayden in the opening slot.
o The list in total has 4 Australian, 3 Lankan & lone spot for Indian, Pakistan, SA &
WI players.
• Inter-State Senior Athletic C'ship Begin
o 56th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships, a qualifying event for the
Rio Olympics begin in Hyderabad.
o As many as 744 athletes, including 264 women from 26 states will take part in the
five-day event.
o A Sri Lankan relay team will also take part in the event in its bid to attain the Rio
qualification.
o This is the fourth time that senior Nationals have held in Hyderabad.
• Rajput wins silver in ISSF World Cup
o Ace shooter Sanjeev Rajput clinched the silver medal for India in men’s 50-metre
rifle 3 position event of the ISSF World Cup in Baku.
o Rajput shot 456.9 to win the silver medal.
o Croatia’s Petar Gorsa won the gold medal with 457.5 while Hyeonjun Kim of Korea
bagged the bronze after he shot 445.5.
o The ISSF World Cup are governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation.
• Hockey Team Jumps to 5th in FIH Rankings
o The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has released the latest World Rankings.
o Following the conclusion of the Champions Trophies 2016 in London India have
climbed to the No. 5 spot.
o Champions Trophy 2016 winners Australia remain at the top of the men's rankings.
o The Netherlands hold on to top spot in the women's hockey rankings while the
Indian women remained 13th.
• Jitu Rai Wins Silver in ISSF World Cup
o Jitu Rai won a silver medal in the 10-metre Air Pistol after edging past Jongoh Jin of
Korea at the ISSF shooting World Cup in Baku.
o Rai shot 199.5 in the finals to bag the silver while Brazilian Felipe Almeida Wu won
the gold medal with a total of 200.
o Jongoh could only manage 178.8 to settle for the bronze.
o In the women’s 25m pistol, India star shooter Heena Sidhu finish fifth.
• India Maintain No.3 in ICC ODI Rankings

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oIndia maintained its No.3 position in the recently released ICC ODI Team Rankings
which is being headed by Australia.
o With 110 rating points India is placed below Australia (123) & second-placed New
Zealand (113).
o South Africa has dropped behind India in fourth place.
o In the ODI all-rounders rankings the list is headed by Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan.
• Wimbledon 2016 Begins
o Wimbledon begins at the All England Club, London.
o It has been held at the All England Club since 1877 & is the oldest of all the majors &
is the only one to still play on grass.
o The tournament lasts for two weeks & welcomes the best tennis players in the world.
o Novak Djokovic looks to defend his title as the men’s singles champion.
o Serena looks to defend her women’s singles title.
• Sachin Lone Indian in Brendon's Team
o The Sachin Tendulkar is the lone Indian to be selected in Brendon McCullum's list of
all-time cricketing XI .
o McCullum’s team comprises 4 Australians in Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Shane
Warne & Mitchell Johnson,
o It have 3 West Indians in Vivian Richards, Lara &Chris Gayle, two Kiwis in Tim
Southee &Trent Boult, Tendulkar & Jacques Kallis.
o McCullum retired from all forms of cricket last Feb.
• 4 more Indians Qualify for Rio Olympics
o Ankit Sharma qualified for Rio Olympics in men's long jump after meeting
qualification mark in Kazakhstan.
o Srabani Nanda qualified for the women's 200 meter event by covering the distance in
23.03 seconds in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
o In Archery, Atanu Das qualifies for Rio in the men's individual recurve event.
o Mohammad Anas has qualified for the Rio by shattering the men's 400-metre
national record.
• Messi Announces Retirement from Football
o Argentina ace footballer Lionel Messi has announced retirement from International
Football after Argentina's loss in Copa America final.
o This is the 7th straight loss for Argentina in major international tournaments.
o The Argentinian national football team last won a major trophy at the 1993 Copa
America.
o Messi was making his 112th appearance for Argentina since making his debut in
2005.
• Chile Retain Copa America Football Title
o Chile has retained the Copa America Football title beating Argentina in the penalty
shootout.
o In the final played at New Jersey, Chile defeated the Argentina 4-2.
o This final was repeat of last year's title clash which Chile had also won in penalties.
o Colombia had defeated hosts United States, 1-0 to finish at third.
o Copa Amercia is the oldest international continental football competition.
• Alex, Jason Break Sachin-Ganguly Record

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oEngland's opening pair of Alex Hales & Jason Roy stitched together a stunning
partnership that shattered several records.
o The duo scored 256 runs to ensure a win over Sri Lanka in the 2nd ODI.
o In doing so,they also broke the opening partnership record against the Lankans set
by Indian pair of Sachin Tendulkar & Sourav Ganguly.
o The legendary duo scored 252 runs for the first wicket in 1998.
• Sprinter Dutee Chand Qualifies for Rio
o Indian sprinter Dutee Chand has qualified for Rio Olympics in the women’s
100metre event.
o She met the qualification mark for Rio at 26th International Meeting G.Kosanov
Memorial in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
o She became the first indian woman to qualify for the event since qualification started
for the event.
o Legendary athlete PT Usha had qualified for the same event in 1980 Moscow
Olympics.
• WADA Shuts Down Rio Olympic Laboratory
o Just weeks before the Olympic Games open in Rio de Janeiro, the city’s accredited
anti-doping laboratory has been stopped from conducting tests.
o The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has suspended the lab's accreditation due
to non-conformity with the International Standard.
o Samples collected from athletes in Brazil during the interim ban will be transported
to a lab in other country for testing.
• Chess: GM Harika wins Eurasian Blitz
o D. Harika added another feather to her cap by winning the women’s title in the
Eurasian Blitz chess tournament in Kazakhstan.
o The India No. 2 player picked up a cash prize of $2,500 & 60 ELO points to regain
her position in the top 10.
o Harika had won the best woman’s prize at the Zalakaros International Chess Festival
in Hungary last week to jump to World No. 9 in the classical rankings list.
• Kuwait seeks $1 bn in damages from IOC
o Kuwait has filed suit in a Swiss court seeking $1 billion in damages from the
International Olympic Committee over its suspension from Olympics.
o IOC & FIFA suspended Kuwait over laws that allow govt. interference in sports.
o Apart from the IOC & FIFA, 16 other international sporting federations have also
blacklisted Kuwait.
o It is the 3rd time since 2007 that FIFA & IOC have suspended Kuwait.
• Boxers Manoj & Vikash qualify for Rio
o Indian boxers Manoj Kumar and Vikas Krishan have qualified for the Rio 2016
Olympics scheduled to be held in August 2016 in Rio de Janerio.
o Both of them booked their berth after beating their opponents in quarter-finals
of AIBA World Olympic qualification event.
o With this total 3 Indian boxers have assured of Olympic berths. Shiva Thapa was the
first Indian boxer to qualify for Rio Olympics.
• Anil Kumble is Team India's head coach
o Anil Kumble (45) has been named head coach of the Indian team for the next 12
months.
o He will take charge from the upcoming tour of the West Indies.
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oKumble edged out former team director Ravi Shastri after 57 aspirants entered the
fray for the coveted post.
o Kumble with 619 wickets from 132 matches, is the 3rd most successful bowler in Test
history behind Muralitharan (800) & Shane Warne (708).
• Russian weightlifters facing Rio ban
o Russia, Kazakhstan & Belarus are to be suspended for one year by the International
Weightlifting Federation (IWF) over failed retests from the 2008 and 2012 Games.
o IWF also punished 3 other nations North Korea, Azerbaijan & Moldova — with
sanctions that will reduce the number of slots available to them in Rio.
o 24 positive tests were found at December's world championships held in
Houstan (US).
• India wins T20 Series against Zimbabwe
o India pipped Zimbabwe by three runs to win the three-match T20 series 2-1 at the
Harare Sports Club in Harare.
o Kedar Jadhav was adjudged as the Man of the Match for his brilliant 58 in the final
game.
o Man of the Series was awarded to Barinder Sran for taking 6 wickets with avg. of
6.83.
o With this series, Dhoni equalled Ricky Ponting's record of captaining in 324
international matches.
• Axar Patel Jumps to 13th in ICC Rankings
o Indian spinner Axar Patel jumped 20 places to 13 in the latest ICC Rankings for ODI
bowlers.
o Patel is now just 3 places behind India’s highest-ranked bowler Ravichandran
Ashwin.
o West Indian spinner Sunil Narine has returned to his number-one position.
o AB de Villiers is the number-one ranked batsman according to the new ICC batting
table. He is followed by Virat Kohli while Hashim Amla is third.
• ICC Bans Shaminda Eranga from Bowling
o International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned Sri Lanka fast bowler Shaminda
Eranga from bowling for illegal action.
o He was reported for his action after the second Test against England.
o The assessment revealed that all deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance
permitted under the regulations.
o He can apply for a re-assessment after modifying his action.
• Indian Wins Silver at Archery World Cup
o The Indian mixed recurve team, comprising Deepika Kumari & Atanu Das has won
silver at the Archery World Cup in Antalya.
o Indian team lost to South Korea 1-5 in the final.
o Indian team trailed 0-2 in the first set against the top-seed Korean pair of Choi
Misun & Ku Bonchan & went down 1-5 in the final.
o The Indian duo reached final after beating Mauro Nespoli & Guendalina Sartori.
• Rosberg Won F1 Grand Prix of Europe
o Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany has won the European Grand Prix
Formula 1 championship in Baku, Azerbaijan.

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oThe Mercedes driver overcame Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany in the
final race.
o The European Grand Prix is also known as the Grand Prix of Europe and was held
regularly from 1999 until 2012.
o In 2016, the race returned, being run on a street circuit in Baku, Azerbaijan.
• India Wins Silver in Champions Trophy
o India had to settle for silver in the hockey Champions Trophy after losing to Australia
in the final.
o Both teams were goalless after regular time & Australia outscored India 3-1 in the
shoot-outs.
o Only Harmanpreet Singh was able to score in the shootout while SK Uthappa, SV
Sunil & Surender Kumar all shot wide off the target.
o India lone previous medal in the Champions Trophy came 34 years ago.
• Russia Given Suspended Disqualification
o Russia have been handed a suspended disqualification from Euro 2016 by Uefa
following violent scenes at the game against England.
o The Russians have been fined €150,000 & told they will be kicked out if incidents of
a similar nature happen.
o The suspended disqualification only to incidents that happened inside the stadium.
o England were also threatened with disqualification but not formally charged.
• India Clinch ODI Series Against Zimbabwe
o India has clinched the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe.
o The visitors defeated Zimbabwe by eight wickets at Harare in second ODI to earn an
unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
o Indian bowlers bowled out Zimbabwe for a lowly 126 in 34.3 overs,.
o MS Dhoni's men chased down a target of 127 in less than 27 overs with eight wickets
to spare.
• Lewis Hamilton Wins Canada Grand Prix
o Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton won the Canadian Grand Prix after a tense strategic battle
with Sebastian Vettel.
o Hamilton took the chequered flag five seconds ahead of Vettel.
o Finland’s Valtteri Bottas finished third while Rosberg finished fifth, behind Red
Bull’s Max Verstappen in fourth.
o The Canadian Grand Prix is an annual auto race held in Canada since 1961.
• Nehwal Wins Australian Open Super Series
o Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal has lifted the Australian Open Super Series Badminton
tournament title.
o In the final match played at Sydney, Saina defeated Chinese Sun Yu.
o In the first set the Chinese took lead 11-21 & Saina took the second set 21-14 & third
was won by Saina 21-19.
o In the men's singles final, Denmark's Hans-Kristian Vittinghus defeated Jeon Hyeok
Jin of South Korea
• Paes Gets Olympic Ticket
o Veteran Leander Paes got the nod for his seventh Olympic appearance after the All
India Tennis Association (AITA) paired him with Rohan Bopanna for the men's
tennis doubles competition.
o Bopanna will be pairing up with Sania Mirza in the mixed doubles.
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oSania will be teaming up with Prarthana Thombare min the women's doubles event.
• Forbes Highest-Paid Athletes List 2016
o Forbes has released the annual ranking of the World’s 100 Highest-Paid Athletes.
o Ronaldo grabbed the top position of the list with earnings of $88 million.
o Other soccer superstar Lionel Messi ranks No. 2 with earnings of 81.4 million US
dollars.
o The NBA’s LeBron James ranks third with total earnings of $77.2 million.
o No Indian cricketer or athlete finds a spot.
• BCCI Announces Six New Test Venues
o The BCCI has announced that Rajkot, Visakhapatnam, Pune, Dharamsala, Ranchi &
Indore will debut as Test venues in India's 2016-17 home season.
o It will include series against New Zealand, England, Australia & Bangladesh.
o In all India's home season will include 13 Tests, eight ODIs and three T20
internationals
o The announcement was made after the BCCI's Tour Programme & Fixtures
Committee.
• Visakh Win Mayor's chess Tournament
o Tamil Nadu teenager NR Visakh has clinched the Mumbai Mayor's International
Open Chess Tournament.
o Visakh thus became the first Indian to capture the title in its nine-year history.
o Visakh drew his final round match with GM Diptayan Ghosh & was tied for the top
place on 8 points with Ghosh & Chandigarh's Himal Gusain .
o The arbiters declared Visakh as the champion on a better tie-break.
• Chong Wei Retakes Top Spot in Badminton
o Malaysian shuttler Lee Chong Wei regained the world No.1 spot in men's singles
replacing Chinese Chen Long.
o India's Kidambi Srikanth dropped a place to be 13th.
o In the women's singles rankings, Indian ace Saina Nehwal & P.V. Sindhu were static
at 8th &10th respectively.
o This was according to the latest rankings released by the Badminton World
Federation (BWF).
• India in 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifier
o India beat Laos 6-1 in one of the biggest ever wins and book a berth in the 2019 AFC
Asian Cup football Qualifiers.
o Striker Jeje Lalpekhlua scored twice as India recovered from a one-goal deficit
o The win will ease a lot of pressure on coach Stephen Constantine whose future has
been under a scanner after a string of poor shows by the national team.
• India to host junior men's hockey WC
o Hockey India president and International Hockey Federation (FIH) executive board
member Narinder Dhruv Batra announced that Lucknow will host the junior men's
hockey World Cup from Dec 8-18, 2016.
o 16 countries will participate in the tournament.
o The women's Hockey Junior World Cup takes place shortly beforehand in Santiago,
Chile between 24 Nov & 4 Dec.
• Bopanna Secures Direct Entry for Rio

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oIndian tennis star Rohan Bopanna has secured a direct entry into the men’s doubles
event of the Rio Olympic Games.
o He was officially returned to top-10 in the ATP ranking doubles chart,
o Bopanna being a top-10 player not only gets a direct entry but also has the choice to
pick his partner for the men’s doubles.
o Veteran Leander Paes gained five places to be placed 46 now.
• Judoka Avtar Singh Qualifies for Rio
o Top Indian judoka Avtar Singh has qualified for the Rio Olympic Games in under
90kg weight category.
o Avtar has qualified for the Rio Olympic under the continental quota.
o Avtar hails from Gurdaspur in Punjab, & is presently working in Punjab Armed
Police.
o He has won a gold in South Asian Games held in Shillong in February.
o He also won gold medals in Senior National Judo Championships in 2014-15.
• Novak Djokovic Win French Open Title
o World number 1 Novak Djokovic defeated Britain’s Andy Murray 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 to
win his first French Open title.
o Djokovic won his 12th major title and became the first man since Rod Laver in 1969
to hold all four Grand Slams at once.
o He becomes only the eighth man in history to have won all four of the sport's major
singles titles.
o Murray was Britain's first male finalist in Paris since 1937.
• Garbine Muguruza Wins French Open Title
o Spaniard Garbine Muguruza has lifted the woman's singles title of French Open.
o She defeated defending champion Serena Williams at Rolland Garros in Paris.
o She is the first Spanish woman to win a Grand Slam title since Arantxa
Sanchez in 1998.
o For Williams it was a 2nd straight loss in a Grand Slam final.
o The Grand Slam itinerary consists of the Australian Open ,French
Open,Wimbledon & US Open.
• Nita Ambani Nominated to IOC
o Nita Ambani was nominated as a candidate to be in a member of new International
Olympic Committee (IOC).
o She becomes the first Indian woman to be nominated to the IOC.
o The election will be conducted at the 129th IOC Session in Rio de Janeiro between
August 2-4.
o Mrs Ambani has been working in the field education & sports for a long time.
o The IOC is the supreme authority of the Olympic Movement
• Paes,Hingis Win Mixed Doubles Title
o Leander Paes & Martina Hingis defeated Sania Mirza & Ivan Dodig to won the
French Open mixed doubles final at Roland Garros.
o The unseeded Indo-Swiss pair eked out a 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 win over the second seeds in
a match.
o It was Paes 10th mixed doubles title & 18th Grand Slam title overall.
o It was Hingis Grand Slam title number 22nd & her fifth trophy in mixed doubles.

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