current affairs from january to july-2015

7/24/2019 Current affairs from January to July-2015

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January

Serena Williams of US won the women’s single title of Australian Open 2015 Published on: 02-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 235 people agreed

Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova 6-3, 7-6(5) in Melbourne, Australia to clinch sixth title of Australian Open. This was 19th career Grand

Slam title for W illiams who had never faced defeat by Sharapova since 2004.

India successfully test-fired canister-based ICBM Agni-5 missile Published on: 02-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 367 people agreed

India test-fired the maiden canister-based most potent missile Agni-V with a strike range over 5000 kilometers. It is capable of carrying a nuclear

warhead of over one tonne.

PETA announced to create India's first fenced elephant sanctuary near Bengaluru Published on: 31-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 278 people agreed

The model of the sanctuary was designed by the PETA consultant and elephant expert Carol Buckley and it will come up in an area of 49.5 hectare

within the Biological Park which is an extension of the Bannerghatta National Park.

GTU launched e-Raksha Research Centre to fight cybercrime Published on: 31-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 115 people agreed

The centre was launched to curb rising menace of cybercrimes. Centre will encourage research and enhance capability to provide solution for issues

related to cyber security.

Union Government divested 10 percent stake in Coal India Limited Published on: 31-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 64 people agreed

Government divested 63.16 crores shares (10 percent) of CIL through offer for sale (OFS) at a floor price of 358 rupees per share and realized an

amount of 22557.63 crore rupees through the disinvestment process.

18th National Conference on e-Governance held in Gujarat Published on: 31-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 123 people agreed

The main Theme of the Conference was Digital Governance – New Frontiers. T he focus sector was Skill Development & Employability.

Maharashtra approved field trials for GM food Published on: 31-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 70 people agreed

Maharashtra government on the basis of recommendations of Anil Kakodkar committee granted NOCs for open field trials of five genetically modified

(GM) crops. The crops are rice, chana (chickpeas), maize, brinjal and cotton.

Churches in England opposed Mitochondria Donation Technique to produce babies Published on: 31-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 47 people agreed

The British government was urged to block the technique of creation of babies from three people by Churches of England. The technique involves

addition of a donor woman's mi tochondria to another woman's egg.

Union Government approved a rehabilitation package of 1102-crore rupees for J&K Published on: 31-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

Rehabilitation package of 1102 crore rupees approved for flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir. The fund was sanctioned from the National Disaster

Response Fund.

Union Government released Commemorative Postage stamps with Swachh Bharat Mission as theme Published on: 31-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 103 people agreed

The Commemorative Postage stamps were released by the Union Ministry for Communications & Information Technology.

Paul van Ass appointed as coach of National Men’s Hockey team Published on: 31-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 71 people agreed

Former Dutch National Hockey team coach Paul van Ass was on 30 January 2015 appointed as the head Coach of Indian men's hockey team. He

succeeded Terry Walsh of Australia.

Kanagasabapathy J Sripavan sworn-in as 44th Chief Justice of Sri Lanka Published on: 31-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

Justice Sripavan succeeded Shirani Bandaranayake who resigned on 29 January 2015. She resigned one day after she was reinstated as Chief

Justice by the Sri Lankan President on 28 January 2015.

RBI constituted High Powered Committee headed by R Gandhi on Urban Cooperative Banks Published on: 31-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 56 people agreed

A high Powered Committee chaired by R Gandhi constituted to re-examine and recommend set of businesses, size, conversion and licensing terms for

the Urban Cooperative Banking Sector.



AP Government decided to file a defamation suit against the State Bank of Hyderabad Published on: 31-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

State government will fil e a defamation suit as SBH has freezed account of Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education.

S Lakshminarayanan appointed as Chairman of Shriram Transport Finance Co Ltd Published on: 31-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

The decision to appoint S Lakshminarayanan as Chairman of STFC was taken during a board meeting of the company held at Colombo on 24 January

2015.

Krishna Chaudhary appointed as the Director General of ITBP Published on: 31-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 49 people agreed

Krishna Chaudhary appointed as the DG of ITBP which was lying vacant since 1 January 2015 after retirement of Subhas Goswami. Chaudhary will be

in office till June 2017.

DRDO received approval to build missile launch testing facility in the Krishna Delta Complex Published on: 30-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 73 people agreed

The approval was granted by the Standing Commi ttee of the National Board for Wildlife chaired by Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Environment,

Forest and Climate Change.

UNCTAD released Global Investment Trends Monitor Report Published on: 30-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 55 people agreed

The report highlights that Global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows declined by 8 percent in 2014 to an estimated 1.26 trillion US dollars

Karnataka Government decided to amend Karnataka Compulsory Primary Education Act, 2012 Published on: 30-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 42 people agreed

The State Government decided to amend the Section 19(2) of the Act by inserting words Mother Tongue Kannada. This insertion guarantees that

Kannada language will become compulsory for children from Class I to V.

Union Ministry of Defence announced 2015 Republic Day Parade Awards Published on: 30-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 156 people agreed

The panels was appointed by the Defence Ministry for assessing the marching contingents from three Services, Para-Military Forces and tableaux from

various States/ Ministries/Departments and School Children items from Schools of Delhi as well as outside Delhi.

Union Sports Ministry revised the Scheme of Special Awards to medal winners Published on: 30-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

The amount of award money for medal winners in Olympic Games (summer and winter) has been enhanced from existing 50 lakh rupees (gold medal),

30 lakh rupees (silver medal) and 20 lakh rupees (bronze medal) to 75 lakh rupees, 50 lakh rupees and 30 lakh rupees respectively.

Zomato Media Pvt Ltd acquired Turkey-based firm Mekanist Published on: 30-JAN-2015

Important for Exam: 11 people agreed Online restaurant search service provider Zomato Media Pvt Ltd on 29 January 2015 acquired Turkish company Mekanist for an undisclosed sum.

Subhash Ghising, the President of Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), died Published on: 30-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

Subhash Ghising, the person who gave birth to Gorkhaland movement and raised voice for creation of a separate Gorkhaland state for ethnic Gorkha

(Nepali) living in Darjeeling District of West Bengal died.

Hanumanthu Purushotham took charge as CMD of NRDC Published on: 30-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 42 people agreed

Earlier, he was Scientist-G and Head of Knowledge Management Centre at International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New

Materials (ARCI), Department of Science and Technology at Hyderabad.

Anti-Leprosy Day observed to focus Attention on Disease Published on: 30-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 60 people agreed

The day is celebrated in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi in order to re-memorize his selfless efforts and care for the people affected by the infectious

disease leprosy.Malaysia declared MH370 flight disappearance an accident Published on: 30-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

The declaration was made by the Director General of Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) Azharuddin Abdul Rahman in accordance with standards of

annexes 12 and 13 of the International Civil Aviation.

ErosNow tied up with RailTel to provide Streaming Services to Rail Passengers Published on: 30-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

With the help of this tie-up, the railway passengers wil l soon have access to movies, television content, music videos and audio tracks.

Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel launched Taluka Planning Atlas Published on: 30-JAN-2015



Important for Exam: 47 people agreed

The Taluka Planning Atlas seeks to enable the local administration in taking effective decisions about the development in respective regions.

20th Law Commission submitted 253rd Report titled Commercial Courts Bill 2015 to Union Government Published on: 30-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 102 people agreed

20th Law Commission of India headed by Justice (retd) A P Shah submitted its 253rd report entitled Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate

Division of High Courts and Commercial Courts Bill, 2015 to Union Government.

ICC lifted the five-year ban imposed on Pakistan’s fast bowler Mohammad Amir Published on: 30-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

ICC lifted the five-year ban imposed on Mohammad Amir who was jailed and banned for a spot fixing scam along with Mohammad Asif and Salman

Butt during Pakistan’s tour of England in 2010.

Shekhar Sen appointed as Chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi Published on: 30-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 42 people agreed

Shekhar Sen will succeed Leela Samson as the Chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Union Government launched Website, Logo, Vision, Mission of NHIDCL Published on: 29-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 133 people agreed

The NHIDCL as a fully owned company of the Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India was incorporated on 18 July 2014.

Shirani Bandaranayake reinstated as Chief Justice of Sri Lanka Published on: 29-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

With the reinstatement of Bandaranayake, the appointment of Mohan Peiris as Chief Justice of Sri Lanka by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was

cancelled and termed as illegal appointment.World Bank released a report on Social Inclusion and Sustainable Development in Himachal Pradesh Published on: 29-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 81 people agreed

It is the first report of its kind for Himachal Pradesh. It is a macro-social account of the state’s achievements over the past several decades.

India to host ICC Twenty20 World Cup in 2016 Published on: 29-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 51 people agreed

The meeting was chaired by N Srini vasan in the presence of all the full-member and associate representatives.

Purple Tea can be produced in Assam: Experts Published on: 29-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 57 people agreed

Assam’s Longai area of Cachar district in the Barak Valley and the hil ly forested areas of Karbi Anglong district are capable of producing health-rich

purple tea. Currently, this variety of tea is produced only in Kenya.

CCEA approved HDFC Bank’s proposal to raise foreign holding limit to 74 per cent Published on: 29-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

HDFC Bank would raise the fund through issuing of equity shares to non-resident Indians (NRIs) or foreign institutional investors (FIIs) or foreign

portfolio investors (FPIs) subject to aggregate foreign shareholding not exceeding 74 per cent of the post issue paid up capital.

Union Cabinet approved MoU on Tourism between India and Oman Published on: 29-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 46 people agreed

The MoU will strengthen cooperation in the field of tourism between tourism ministries of both the countries.

Sean Abbott of Australia named as the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year 2015 Published on: 29-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

Sean Abbott named as Australia’s young cricketer of the Year 2015. Steve Smith received the Allan Border Medal and was named as Test and ODI

player of the year.

Kunal Jeswani appointed as CEO of Ogilvy & Mather India Published on: 29-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The post of CEO of Ogil vy & Mather India was lying vacant since 2008 when the then CEO Pratap Bose resigned.

Malayalam actor Mala Aravindan died Published on: 29-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Mala Aravindan died on 28 January 2015 following cardiac arrest in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. He was 76.

Steve Easterbrook appointed as CEO of McDonald’s Corporation Published on: 29-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Steve Easterbrook will succeed Don Thompson who decided to retire as President and Chief Executive Officer of McDonald's on 1 March 2015.

Union Cabinet reconstituted Empowered Committee on setting up of Semiconductor Wafer FAB projects Published on: 29-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed



The Union Cabinet on 28 January 2015 reconstituted the Empowered Committee on setting up of Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication (FAB)

manufacturing facilities in the country.

CCEA approved mandatory packaging of food-grains, sugar in Jute material for the Jute Year 2014-15 Published on: 29-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 28 January 2015 approved mandatory packaging of food-grains and sugar in Jute material for

the Jute Year 2014-15 with certain exemptions.

S Jaishankar appointed as the Foreign Secretary of India Published on: 29-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

Dr. S Jaishankar appointed as the new Foreign Secretary. He replaced current Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh whose tenure was curtailed by nearly

seven months.

Australian golfer Kelvin David George Nagle died Published on: 29-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Kelvin David George Nagle, winner of British Open in 1960 died on 29 January 2015 in Sydney at the age of 94. He held a record of winning 61

tournaments on the Australasian PGA tour.

66th Republic Day celebrated across the Nation Published on: 28-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 310 people agreed

Main theme of 2015 Republic Day Parade was Women Empowerment (Nari Shakti).

Apple Inc recorded the highest-ever profit of 18 billion US dollars in corporate history worldwide Published on: 28-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

According to S&P analyst Howard Silverblatt, the profit of 18 billion US dollar was the largest profit ever made by a public company in the corporate

history worldwide.

Hockey Olympian Jaswant Singh Rajput died Published on: 28-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

Hockey Olympian Jaswant Singh Rajput who was part of Indian hockey team that won gold medal in 1948 London and 1952 Helsinki Olympics died on

28 January 2015. He was 88.

K Durga Prasad appointed as the Special DG of CRPF Published on: 28-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

Union Government appointed an IPS officer of 1981 batch from Andhra Pradesh K Durga Prasad as the Special Director General of the CRPF on 27

January 2015.

Maharashtra government decided to buy a house in London where BR Ambedkar stayed Published on: 28-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 42 people agreed

Dr BR Ambedkar house in London where he lived while pursing his higher studies in the London School of Economics during 1921-22 will be

purchased by Maharashtra Government.

Saina Nehwal won women’s single of Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold Badminton Tournament 2015 Published on: 28-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 63 people agreed

She defeated World Champion Carolina Marin of Spain 19-21, 25-23, 21-16 in the finals played at Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium in Lucknow,

Uttar Pradesh.

Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project in Sunderbans got a fresh start with expert assistance Published on: 28-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Renowned experts in herpetology who introduced global best practices in crocodile conservation gave a fresh start to the Bhagabatpur Crocodile

Project in Sunderbans.

Chandigarh launched a smart city app named Smart Chandigarh Published on: 28-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The app was launched to create awareness on consumer rights and responsibilities and provide all types of citizen-centric and public utility services

and information to the residents.

Wing Commander Puja Thakur became first lady officer to lead Inter-Service Guard of Honour Published on: 28-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 119 people agreed

Thakur leading the Inter-Service Guard of Honour was in line with the theme of Nari Shakti (Women Power) chosen for the 2015 Republic Day parade.

RBI signed an MoU on Supervisory Cooperation with Banco Central do Brasil Published on: 28-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 65 people agreed

RBI inked MoU on Supervisory Cooperation and Exchange of Supervisory Information with Banco Central do Brasil (BCB).

Arundhathi Subramaniam won Khushwant Singh Memorial Prize for Poetry Published on: 28-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 43 people agreed



Poet Arundhathi Subramaniam won the inaugural Khushwant Singh Memorial Prize for Poetry for her work When God is a Traveller at Jaipur Literature

Festival.

Alexis Tsipras sworn in as PM of Greece Published on: 27-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

He became the first prime minister in Greek history to be sworn in without the traditional oath on a Bible and blessing of basil and water from the Greek

Archbishop.

India-US declared Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region Published on: 27-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 43 people agreed

Joint Strategic Vision aimed to promote peace, prosperit y and stability in Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean region.

Jagannathan Chakravarthi appointed as Chief Financial Officer of Mindtree Limited Published on: 27-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

Jagannathan Chakravarthi was on 23 January 2015 appointed as the Chief Financial Officer of Mindtree Limited with effect from 1 April 2015.

Famous Greek Singer Demis Roussos Died Published on: 27-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

Famous Greek singer Demis Roussos died on 25 January 2015 in Athens, Greek following a brief i llness.

Argentine playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme retired from Football Published on: 27-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

36-year-old legendary Argentine footballer Juan Roman Riquelme retired from football on 26 January 2015. He captained Argentina in 2006 World

Cup.

Divya Prakash Sinha appointed as Security Secretary in the Union Cabinet Secretariat Published on: 27-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 40 people agreed

Divya Prakash Sinha was appointed as Secretary (Security) in the Union Cabinet Secretariat. His appointment was approved by Appointments

Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).

Major Mukund Varadarajan, Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh posthumously awarded with Ashok Chakra Published on: 27-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 114 people agreed

Major Mukund Varadarajan and Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh were on 26 January 2015 posthumously awarded with the highest peacetime military honour

the Ashok Chakra by President Pranab Mukherjee.

President approved conferment of Padma Awards 2015 on 104 persons Published on: 27-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 86 people agreed

The President of India Pranab Mukherjee approved the conferment of Padma Awards 2015 on 104 persons from the fields of art, social work, public

affairs, science, trade, medicine, literature, etc.

Legendary cartoonist R K Laxman died Published on: 27-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

Legendary cartoonist and creator of the Common Man in cartoons, R K Laxman died on 26 January 2015 at the age of 93. He was one of the India’s

greatest caricaturists.

India-US Business Summit held in New Delhi Published on: 27-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

The Summit was organized by the US – India Business Council (USIBC) in partnership with Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), the

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).

Miss Colombia Paulina Vega crowned Miss Universe 2014 Published on: 27-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 60 people agreed

Paulina Vega of Colombia crowned as Miss Universe 2014. She was crowned by the 2013 pageant winner Venezuelan Gabriela Isler.

India and the US released the Joint Statement titled Shared Effort; Progress for All Published on: 26-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The two leaders pledged to translate their commitment of Chalein Saath Saath: Forward Together We Go of September 2014 into action throughSanjha Prayaas; Sab Ka Vikaas: Shared Effort; Progress For All.

Former Thailand Premier Yingluck Shinawatra impeached Published on: 24-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 63 people agreed

Yingluck is the first Prime Minister to be impeached by parliament in Thailand’s history. The impeachment was a result of an allegation for failing to

stop corruption in rice-pledging scheme.

RBI simplified procedure for External Commercial Borrowings Policy Published on: 24-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 54 people agreed



The directions have been issued under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999. Changes are effected during the

tenure of the ECB.

Goa to host Indo-Russian Musical Festival ZimaFest Published on: 24-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

The festival will host various world's best DJs and bands like Alisa, Dolphin, Parikrama and DJ sets by Karsh Kale, Mara, Kohra, Janux, XP Voodoo,

Christ Burstein FT, Victoria Bourke, Bhavishyavani Future Soundz FT. M. Mat.

Prime Minister presented National Bravery Awards 2014 to 24 awardees Published on: 24-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 52 people agreed

8 girls and 16 boys were conferred with National Bravery Awards. Four of them have been awarded posthumously. The awardees receive a medal,

certificate and cash incentive. Also, they will participate in the Republic Day parade.

National Girl Child Day observed on 24 January Published on: 24-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 49 people agreed

National Girl Chi ld Day is observed on 24 January 2015 across the nation.

SBI signed a loan agreement for 100 million Euro with European Investment Bank Published on: 24-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

EIB is a long-term lending institution of the European Union. The loan will be utilised for lending to private businesses in India. The agreement was

signed on 19 January 2015. The agreement was facili tated by SBI Capital Markets.

UN Secretary–General appointed Saraswathy Menon in peace-building panel Published on: 24-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

The others on the seven-member panel, formally known as advisory group on the review of the peace-building architecture, include a retired Pakistani

major general, Anis Bajwa and Charles Petrie of France, who headed an internal review panel on UN actions in Sri Lanka.

Kerala to get first International Institute of Music Published on: 23-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 105 people agreed

Kerala Culture Minister K C Joseph on 22 January 2015 announced setting up of the International Institute of Music in Kerala.

Telugu comedian Mailavarapu Surya Narayana passed away Published on: 23-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Tollywood Actor and comedian Mailavarapu Surya Narayana passed away on 23 January 2015 following multi-organ failure.

Saudi Arabia King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz died Published on: 23-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 47 people agreed

Saudi Arabia King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz passed away on 23 January 2015 foll owing a brief illness.

R V Easwar appointed as Interim Chairman of DDCA Published on: 23-JAN-2015

Important for Exam: 9 people agreed Former High Court judge Justice R V Easwar was on 22 January 2015 appointed as Interim Chairman of the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association

(DDCA).

Emami International FZE acquired 66.67 percent controlling stake in Fravin Pty Limited Published on: 23-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Emami International FZE, a subsidiary of Emami Group, on 22 January 2015 acquired 66.67 percent controlling stake in Australia-based Fravin Pty

Limited.

PM Narendra Modi launched Sukanya Samridhi Yojana under BBBP campaign Published on: 23-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 904 people agreed

Sukanya Samridhi Yojana will enable parents to open bank accounts of girls who are under 10 years of age.

Dubai’s Maze Tower listed in Guinness World Records Published on: 23-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 64 people agreed

Dubai’s Maze Tower was listed in the Guinness World Record for being the world’s largest vertical maze. The maze tower was built by Al Rostamani

Group of Dubai.Suzlon Energy announced to sell 100 percent stake in its German subsidiary Senvion SE Published on: 22-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The 100 percent stake was sold to US-based company Centerbridge Partners for 7200 crore rupees. The proceeds from sale of stake will be utilised

towards debt reduction.

Apple Inc acquired British startup firm Semetric Limited Published on: 22-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

Apple Inc on 21 January 2015 acquired United Kingdom based startup firm Semetric Ltd to add music analytics tool in its devices.

Jasjit Ahluwalia appointed as Dean of School of Public Health at Rutgers University Published on: 22-JAN-2015




Ahluwalia will assume the office as Dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health from April 2015. Currently, he is a professor of internal medicine and

epidemiology at the University of Minnesota.

Pakistan's Ex-Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri penned a book titled Neither a Hawk nor a Dove Published on: 22-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 54 people agreed

The book will be published by Penguin in India at the end of January 2015. The book is based upon the relations between India and Pakistan.

Union Government launched National Heritage Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) Published on: 22-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 184 people agreed

The Union Ministry of Urban Development on 21 January 2015 launched the HRIDAY campaign that seeks to preserve and rejuvenate the rich cultural

heritage of the country.

Shanta Kumar Committee on FCI restructuring submitted its report to the Prime Minister Published on: 22-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 130 people agreed

Shanta Kumar Committee on 21 January 2015 submitted its report on restructuring of Food Corporation of India (FCI) to the Prime Minister Narendra

Modi.

Snapdeal signed 50:50 Joint Venture with DEN to launch TV Commerce channel DEN Snapdeal TV shop Published on: 22-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

Through this joint venture, Snapdeal aims to create a multi-nodal electronic shopping avenue for customers and it aims to take the DEN TV shop to

100 million households across India

WhatsApp unveiled a new service for sending messages from a Web browser Published on: 22-JAN-2015

Important for Exam: 82 people agreed The mobile messaging application WhatsApp on 21 January 2015 unveiled a new service for sending messages from a Web browser.

CII and Alibaba signed agreement to provide global platform to Indian SMEs Published on: 21-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 56 people agreed

Alibaba.com and CII will collaborate and develop various trade opportunities and online promotions to faci litate greater economic engagement between

Indian and Chinese small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

NTCA released report on Status of Tigers in India, 2014 Published on: 21-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 159 people agreed

The largest increase was recorded in the Western Ghats Landscape complex comprising Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Tamil Nadu with 776 tigers (up

from 402 in 2006).

ILO released a report titled World Employment and Social Outlook – Trends 2015 Published on: 21-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 470 people agreed

The report warned that unemployment will continue to rise in the coming years, as the global economy has entered a new period combining slower

growth, widening inequalities and turbulence.Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna made it to Guinness World Records Published on: 21-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 221 people agreed

Out of the total account opened, 5.68 crore accounts belonged to male and 5.82 crore account belonged to females. In percentage terms, 49.37 %

accounts belonged to male while 50.63% accounts belonged to females.

India signed an agreement on transfer of sentenced persons with Hong Kong Published on: 21-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

Under the agreement, the two sides will exchange sentenced prisoners in each other's jurisdiction. The agreement will mostly apply to Indian prisoners

as there are very few Hong Kong residents in Indian prisons.

Doctors sucessfully performed the first organ transplant on a newborn baby in Britain Published on: 21-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 63 people agreed

News of the operation has been revealed in an article in the Archives of Diseases in Childhood in the third week of January 2015. This case has set a

milestone in the care of newborns in the Britain.

Oxfam released study tittled Wealth: Having it All and Wanting More Published on: 21-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The study highlighted that the wealthiest 1% will soon own more than the rest of the world's population by 2016. Currently, 85 billionaires have the

same wealth as the bottom half of the world’s population.

Indian Novelist Vikram Chandra named among the finalists of NBCC awards Published on: 21-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

Novelist Vikram Chandra named among the finalists for NBCC Awards for his non-fiction work Geek Sublime: The Beauty of Code, the Code of

Beauty.

Netherlands, Thailand inked MoU with Sikkim to help in development of floriculture



Published on: 21-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 122 people agreed

State government of Sikkim Government reached an understanding with Governments of the Netherlands and Thailand for development of floriculture

in the state.

Periyar Tiger Reserve won NTCA biennial award Published on: 21-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 140 people agreed

For encouraging local public participation in managing the reserve, Periyar Tiger Reserve of Kerala won the National Tiger Conservation Authority

(NTCA) biennial award.Hindi Novel Farishta authored by Kapil Isapuri Published on: 21-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 40 people agreed

Kapil Isapuri, the Hindi novelist of Farishta accused filmmakers of PK for plagiarism. He has sought punitive damages of 1 crore rupees along with the

credit of his work from the filmmakers.

EU decided to lift ban on import of mangoes from India Published on: 21-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

28-member European Union decided to lift ban on the import of mangoes from India. The proposal to lift the ban was unanimously voted by the

European Commission standing committee on plant health.

17 Skill Development Centres launched by Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Published on: 21-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

To impart training and to hone skil ls of youth, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched 17 Skill Development Centres (SDC) in Andhra Pradesh.

Four ICG vessels commissioned at Mormugao Port of Vasco Published on: 20-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

Four Indian Coast Guard (ICG) vessels namely ICG Amogh, ICG Ameya, Charlie 413 and Charlie 414 commissioned by Union Defence Minister

Manohar Parrikar at Mormugao Port of Vasco in Goa.

Ayonika Paul, Annu Raj Singh won gold at 4th Gun for Glory Shooting Championship Published on: 20-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The championship was held at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi in Pune from 15 January 2015 to 21 January 2015.

ONGC inked MoC in Hydrocarbons and Energy with Pan-IIT Published on: 20-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

In response to ‘Make in India’ initiative of Prime Minister, ONGC and Pan-IIT signed MoC to enhance exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons and

alternate sources of energy.

World Economic Situation and Prospects 2015 report released by UNESCAP Published on: 20-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 49 people agreed

UNESCAP released WESP 2015 report and projected that regional growth will pick up in 2015-16, as average GDP growth will accelerate from 5.0

percent in 2014 to 5.3 percent in 2015 and 5.7 percent in 2016.

Scientists developed two new global maps to provide help in search for fresh farmland Published on: 20-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

It offered two types of data that experts argue is essential for the search. Now, two new global maps may provide some help in the search for fresh

farmland.

EU decided to appeal a decision by ECJ to remove Hamas from terror list Published on: 20-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini decided to appeal in a meeting with other foreign ministers from the 28 EU-member states.

India signed MoU with South Africa for developing Youth Enterprises Published on: 20-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

National Small Industries Corporation Limited on 19 January 2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding of Cooperation with the Black Business

Council of South Africa.

WHO released Global Status Report on Non-communicable Diseases 2014 Published on: 20-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

As per Global Status Report on Non-communicable Diseases 2014, every year 16 million people die prematurely before the age of 70.

NHRC issued notice to UP Government over Hooch Tragedy Published on: 20-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on 19 January 2015 issued notice to Uttar Pradesh Government over hooch tragedy in Malihabad near

Lucknow and its bordering Unnao district.

Union Government banned mobile handsets with fake, duplicate identity numbers Published on: 20-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 42 people agreed



Union Government prohibited imports of all kind of mobile handsets with fake or duplicate Unique Identity Numbers. The move will help the security

agencies to track callers using different SIM cards.

Filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani appointed as Chairman of CBFC Published on: 20-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

Union Government reconstituted Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and named Filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani as its chairman. Nihalani succeeded

Leela Samson.

Haiti president announced formation of new government under Prime Minister Evans Paul Published on: 20-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Haitian President Michel Martelly on 18 January 2015 announced the formation of new government that will be led by newly elected Prime Minister

Evans Paul.

ONGC won 10th Savio Cup All India Basketball tournament Published on: 20-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

Oil & Natural Gas Corporation defeated Indian Overseas Bank to win the Savio Cup All India Basketball 2015. Final match was played at Don Bosco

School court in Matunga, Mumbai.

Prime Minister of Bhutan Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay visited India Published on: 19-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 49 people agreed

Prime Minister of Bhutan Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay visited India.

Twitter appointed Taranjeet Singh as Head of Sales for its India operation Published on: 19-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

As Head of Sales, his responsibilities would include increasing commercial opportunities for Twitter in India and to work closely with brands and

agencies to maximise value of real-time marketing.

Former PM Manmohan Singh adopted Pachim Bekeli Gaon Panchyat under Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana Published on: 19-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 143 people agreed

Former PM Manmohan Singhon adopted Pachim Bekeli Gaon Panchyat under Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojna.

Parliament of Europe adopted resolution on two Italian marines Published on: 19-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

Parliament of Europe adopted a resolution call ing on India to allow the return of two Italian marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone.

HDFC Bank featured among world's 50 most valuable banks in 2014 Published on: 19-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 56 people agreed

Relbanks compiled and released the list of 66 largest banks in the world by market capitalisation as on 31 December 2014. India’s SBI, HDFC and

ICICI are featured in the list.

Hyderabad to host World Congress on Information Technology in 2018 Published on: 19-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 50 people agreed

The decision to hold the event was taken during a meeting between Chief Minister of Telangana K Chandrasekhar Rao and NASSCOM on 16 January

2015

National Immunization Day for the year 2015 observed on 18 January Published on: 19-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 136 people agreed

National Immunization Day for the year 2015 was observed across India.

Viktor Troicki won Men’s Single title of Sydney International Tennis Tournament Published on: 19-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Viktor Troicki of Serbia won Men’s Single ti tle of Sydney International Tennis Tournament.

Nissan and NASA partnered to Jointly Develop and Deploy Autonomous Drive Vehicles Published on: 19-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

NASA and Nissan announced formation of a five-year research and development partnership to jointly develop advance autonomous vehicle systems

and prepare it for commercial application of the technology.Eicher Motors appointed Rudratej Singh as President of Royal Enfield Published on: 19-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Earlier, he was based in Singapore with Unilever as Vice-President — South Asia, HPC & Foods Marketing Operations.

Paladugu Venkata Rao, former Minister of Andhra Pradesh, died Published on: 19-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

At the time of his death, he was serving as Member of Legislative Council for second time. His term was to end in 2017.

Jimjang Deru created national record in weightlifting in 56-kg category Published on: 19-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed



Weightlifter Jimjang Deru created a national record in weightlifting by lifting 238 kilograms under the 56 kilograms category at 10th Youth National

Weightlifting Championship held in Yamuna Nagar, Haryana.

Pankaj Advani won National Billiards title for seventh time Published on: 19-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

This was his seventh Senior National Billiards Championship. Advani, the 12-time world champion has won the previous six titles in 2012, 2011, 2009,

2008, 2007 and 2005.

Indigenously-built Light Combat Aircraft Tejas handed over to IAF Published on: 19-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

The LCA Tejas Series Production-1 (SP1) was handed over to Indian Air Force Chief Air Marshal Arup Raha in Bengaluru by Defence Minister

Manohar Parrikar.

South Africa's AB de Villiers hit fastest century in ODIs Published on: 19-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 41 people agreed

South Africa batsman and ODI captain AB de Villiers hit a century off 31 balls to record the fastest ever one-day international ton. He surpassed Corey

Anderson’s record of a century off 36 balls scored on 1 January 2014.

Petra Kvitova won women’s single title of Sydney International Tennis tournament Published on: 17-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

This is the 15th career title won by former Wimbledon Champion and World No 4 Kvitova. She won the Wimbledon Championship twice in 2011 and

2014 respectively.

The US and UK announced cooperative measures in combating cyber threats Published on: 17-JAN-2015


The measures include better threat information sharing and the creation of a new joint cyber task force which will have a physical presence in both the

countries

Year 2014 ranked as Earth's hottest year since 1880 Published on: 17-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

The year 2014 was ranked as the Earth’s hottest year since 1880 as per the two separate analyses done by NASA scientists and National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists.

Mark Knowles, Ellen Hoog named FIH Player-of-the-year 2014 Published on: 17-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Mark Knowles and Ellen Hoog were named as the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Player of the Year 2014 in men and women category,

respectively.

Flash floods in Malawi; hundreds killed Published on: 17-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Flash floods struck Malawi in the third week of January 2015. The flood caused by the torrential rain has swept away several houses and have killed at

least 170 people.

Japan committed 2620 crore rupees Overseas Development Assistance loan to India Published on: 17-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Japan committed 2620 crore rupees development loan assistance to India for PPP infrastructure financing project of IIFCL.

Deep Kumar Upadhyay appointed as Nepal's ambassador to India Published on: 17-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Nepali Congress leader Deep Kumar Upadhyay was on 16 January 2015 appointed as Nepal's ambassador to India.

CCEA approved revised buffer norms of foodgrains for better management of food stocks Published on: 17-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

CCEA chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 16 January 2015 approved revision in buffer norms of foodgrains in the Central Pool.

Sania Mirza, Bethanie Mattek-Sands won women’s doubles title of Sydney International Published on: 17-JAN-2015


Indo-American tennis pair, Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek-Sands won doubles title at the Sydney International Tennis Tournament 2015 by

defeating Americans pair Abigail Spears and Raquel Kops-Jones in the summit clash 6-3, 6-3.

Book on Sonia Gandhi titled The Red Sari written by Javier Moro released in India Published on: 17-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

The Red Sari, an unauthorized biography of Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi, was released by Roli Books in India.

HAL Chairman R K Tyagi conferred with JGBS-Top Rankers’ Excellence Award Published on: 17-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed



Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Chairman R.K. Tyagi was on 16 January 2015 conferred with the JGBS-Top Rankers' Excellence Award for CEO

of the year 2014.

21st Screen Awards announced Published on: 17-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

2015 Screen Awards were announced in Mumbai. Shahid won the Best Actor (male) trophy for Haider and Priyanka won Best Actor (female) for Mary

Kom.

Andrey Baryshpolets won the 13th Parsvanth International Grandmasters Chess Tournament Published on: 17-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Ukrainian Grandmaster Andrey Baryshpolets won the 13th Parsvanth International Grandmasters Chess Tournament on 16 January 2015.

National Conclave on ending Under-nutrition among Tribal Children concluded Published on: 17-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

National Conclave on ending under-nutrition among tribal children concluded.

Union Government launched two schemes to support Scheduled Castes Published on: 17-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 121 people agreed

Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on 16 January 2015 launched two schemes Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes and Green

Business scheme.

Stephen Constantine appointed as head coach of India's men football team Published on: 17-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

All India Football Federation (AIFF) appointed Englishman Stephen Constantine was as the head coach of Indian men’s football team. He wil l also be

in charge of India under-23 football team.

China to launch construction of five new nuclear reactors with total capacity of 5 Gigawatts in 2015 Published on: 16-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

China will launch the construction of at least five new nuclear reactors with a total capacity of more than 5 Gigawatts.

Veteran freedom fighter Ghelubhai Naik passed away Published on: 16-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Legendary social activist and freedom fighter Ghelubhai Naik passed away on 16 January 2015 following a brief illness in Dang District, Gujarat.

J & K selected for the National Award of e-Governance for Best District Level initiative Published on: 16-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

e-Panchayat project of J&K was selected for the National Award for e-Governance for the best district-level initiative in Citizen-Centric Service Delivery

through ICT.

First set of RIC readers handed over to Chiefs of Indian Navy and Coast Guard Published on: 16-JAN-2015

Important for Exam: 5 people agreed First set of Resident Identity Card (RIC) readers were handed over to Navy Chief Admiral R K Dhowan and Coast Guard Director General Vice-Admiral

A G Thapliyal by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Trade deficit of India declined to ten month low in December 2014 Published on: 16-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Trade deficit of India declined to ten month low of 9.43 billion US dollars in December 2014.

China Food and Drug Administration approved new vaccine to treat Poliomyelitis Published on: 16-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

Chinese drug regulator China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) on 15 January 2015 approved a new vaccine S-IPV to treat the Poliomyelitis.

RBI issued final guidelines for banks to act as Insurance brokers Published on: 16-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

Final guidelines that allow banks to act as insurance brokers were issued by Reserve Bank of India on 15 January 2015.

Noted RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal conferred with Giraffe Hero award 2015 Published on: 16-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

Renowned Indian RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal was on 15 January 2015 conferred with the Giraffe Hero award 2015 by a US-based NGO

The Giraffe Heroes Project.

Siddhartha Chatterjee appointed as CTO of Persistent Systems Ltd Published on: 16-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Siddhartha Chatterjee was on 14 January 2015 appointed as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Persistent Systems Ltd with effect from 14 January

2015 itself.

Baba Ramdev appointed as state brand ambassador of Haryana Government Published on: 16-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed



Baba Ramdev appointed as brand ambassador of Haryana Government.

Xiaomi launched its new phablet Mi Note Published on: 16-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi on 15 January 2015 unveiled its flagship phablet Mi Note in Beijing, China.

Chief Election Commissioner Veeravalli Sundaram Sampath demitted his office Published on: 16-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

Veeravalli Sundaram Sampath, Chief Election Commissioner demitted his office on 15 January 2015 after attaining the upper age limit to hold the postas per the Constitution of India.

Indian-Americans Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri and Deven J Parekh nominated to key posts in US Published on: 16-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

US President Barack Obama nominated two Indian-Americans Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri and Deven J Parekh to key posts in US.

Leela Samson resigned as Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification Published on: 16-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification Leela Samson resigned from her office on 16 January 2015.

Tarun Rai appointed as CEO of J Walter Thompson South Asia Published on: 16-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Tarun Rai was appointed as CEO of J W alter Thompson South Asia.

Indian cricket team’s new ODI kit launched Published on: 16-JAN-2015

Important for Exam: 13 people agreed Indian Cricket team and Nike unveiled the new ODI Kit at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Nike is the main kit sponsor of Team India.

Wholesale price Index-based Inflation raised 0.11 percent in December 2014 Published on: 16-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The wholesale price index based inflation raised marginally to 0.11 percent in December 2014 from zero percent in November 2014.

Sandip Das resigned as MD of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd to join Reliance Retail Ltd Published on: 16-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Das will mentor the Jio division of Reliance Retail in developing a long-term evolution (LTE) device ecosystem for Reliance Jio’s growth in the telecom

space.

Hari Shankar Brahma appointed as the New Chief Election Commissioner Published on: 16-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Hari Shankar Brahma was appointed as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of Election Commission. He succeeds V.S. Sampath who

demitted the office after attaining the age of 65, the upper age limit under the Constitution for holding the post.

A P Singh resigned as member of Union Public Service Commission Published on: 15-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

A P Singh resigned as member of Union Public Service Commission.

ICC Cricket World Cup Published on: 15-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 75 people agreed

Brett Lee announced his retirement from all forms of cricket Published on: 15-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

Australian cricketer Brett Lee on 14 January 2015 announced his retirement from all forms of cricket after a 20-year career.

Amitabh Bachchan presented with Social Media Person of the Year award 2015 Published on: 15-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

Actor Amitabh Bachchan was on 13 January 2015 presented with the Social Media Person of the Year Award 2015 by the Internet and Mobile

Association of India (IAMAI).

67th Army Day observed on 15 January


India on 15 January 2015 observed the 67th Army Day.

DGFT imposed 100 crore rupees fine on Riddhi Siddhi Bullion for violation of RBI norms Published on: 15-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

The order was issued by Kavita Gupta, additional director general of foreign trade, Mumbai. The order also cancelled its nominated agency certificate

(NAC). NAC is the mandatory document needed for direct import of precious metals.

Appointment Committee of Cabinet approved Anupam Shrivastava as CMD of BSNL Published on: 15-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed



His appointment was pending from long. The Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) had shortlisted Anupam Shrivastava for the post of CMD of

BSNL in 2013.

World Bank Group released Global Economic Prospects (GEP) Report, January 2015 Published on: 15-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

According to the report, global growth in 2014 has been disappointing as in previous three years; however, developing countries should see an uptick

in growth in 2015.

Union Government identified five areas for Varanasi-Kyoto partnership Published on: 15-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

Union Government has identified five areas for rejuvenating the holy city under the Kyoto-Varanasi partnership deal that was entered between India

and Japan in August 2014.

RBI relaxed Forex Hedging Norms for Exporters and Importers Published on: 15-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 14 January 2015 relaxed the Forex Hedging Norms under Sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange

Management Act, 1999.

NFL, EIL and FCIL signed agreement to form Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd Published on: 15-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The Joint Venture agreement is aimed at setting up new Ammonia and Urea plants at the existing site of Ramagundam Fertilizer plant in District

Karimnagar in Telangana.

Critically endangered Forest Owlet sighted in Betul, Madhya Pradesh Published on: 15-JAN-2015


Critically endangered forest owlet (Athene blewi tti) sighted in a new location at Betul district of Madhya Pradesh by a Pune-based conservation society.

RBI cut Repo Rate by 0.25% in sixth Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy Statement 2014-15 Published on: 15-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 128 people agreed

RBI cut its main lending rate (repo rate) by 0.25 per cent with immediate effect in its sixth Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy that was announced on 15

January 2015.

Scientists discovered hybrid insecticide-resistant mosquito in Mali Published on: 15-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

A team of researchers led by Gregory Lanzaro have discovered a super mosquito hybrid in the West African country of Mali that is resistant to

insecticide-treated bed nets.

Prabhu Nath Dwivedi named as the winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award 2014 for Sanskrit Published on: 15-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

Eminent Sanskrit scholar Prabhu Nath Dwivedi was on 14 January 2015 named as the winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award 2014 for Sanskrit

language.

Bhakti set world record by swimming 1.4 miles in 52 minutes in the Antarctic Ocean Published on: 15-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 63 people agreed

Bhakti Sharma, the open water swimming champion of India set a world record by swimming 1.4 miles in 52 minutes in one degree temperature in the

Antarctic Ocean.

Japan approved its largest ever Defence Budget for 2015 Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The Cabinet of Japan headed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved its largest ever defence budget for 2015 on 14 January 2015.

Union Government reconstituted Pollution Control Board Working Group Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

Union government reconstituted pollution control board working group to simplify procedures to get consent certificates and categorisation of

industries.

NGT gave directions to clean Yamuna under Maily se Nirmal Yamuna Revitalization Plan 2017


The directions were given by the principal bench of NGT presided over by Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar. The tribunal's judgment came on a

petition by Manoj Misra of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan against pollution in the Yamuna and covering of drains in Delhi.

Pope Francis cannonised Joseph Vaz, the first saint of Sri Lanka Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Pope Francis cannonised Saint Joseph Vaz in presence of hundreds of thousands of people packed on a Colombo oceanfront during his visit to Sri

Lanka.

Maharashtra Cabinet decided to disburse aid to drought-hit farmers by 26 January 2015 Published on: 14-JAN-2015




The decision to provide 2000 crore rupees as aid to drought-affected farmers was taken by the Maharashtra Cabinet on 7 January 2015.

India - China trade deficit increased to 37.8 billion US dollars in 2014 Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

India – China trade deficit increased to 37.8 billion US dollars in 2014 despite the increase in bilateral trade by 7.9 percent.

Chinese archaeologists discovered Buddhist relics in Hubei Province of Central China Published on: 14-JAN-2015

Important for Exam: 14 people agreed The relics were discovered by a team of archaeologists led by Chen Qianwan, Head of the archaeology institute of Xiangyang City.

ABC of Swine Influenza Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 72 people agreed

Swine Influenza has been in news in the month of December 2014 and January 2015. The national capital Delhi has so far witnessed 41 cases of

swine flu with 4 deaths.

NGO Pratham released 10th Annual Status of Education Report (ASER 2014) Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 63 people agreed

NGO Pratham released 10th Annual Status of Education Report (ASER 2014) notes that overall situation with basic reading continues to be extremely

disheartening in India.

Supreme Court sought assistance of Premier institutes to find missing children Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The Supreme Court sought assistance of Premier institutes to find missing children every year.

Bengaluru FC beat Dempo to lift Football Federation Cup Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Bengaluru FC defeated Goa's Dempo Sports Club 2-1 to win their maiden football Federation Cup. In the final clash was played at the Nehru Stadium

Margao, Goa.

India and Australia signed MoU for skill and infrastructural development in sports Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The Sport Education Development Australia (SEDA) and India's Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL-FS) signed a Memorandum

of Understanding (MoU) on 13 January 2015.

Tamil Novel Madhorubhagan written by Perumal Murugan Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

Tamil novelist Permual Murugan’s book Madhorubhagan (One Part Woman) counght under controversies for description of Hindu’s half-female god,

Ardhanareeswara.

Legendary Odia actor Hara Patnaik died Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

Veteran Odia actor and director Hara Patnaik passed away on 13 January 2015 following a brief illness in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Idukki in Kerala became first District of India to have Complete Rural Broadband Coverage Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 50 people agreed

As part of it, 8 Block Offices & 52 Gram Panchayats of the Idukki district were connected on Optical Fiber and one Gram Panchayat, namely

Edamalakudy, was connected through VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal).

Chinese scientists published first genetic map of Tibetan Highland Barley Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The research by Chinese scientists assembled 3.89 billion of the estimated 4.5 billion base pairs of the chemicals that make up DNA in the barley

genome, and included 39197 protein coding genes.

First Border Haat of Tripura opened at Srinagar-Feni border Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Third border haat along the India-Bangladesh frontier was inaugurated at Srinagar-Feni border. The haat will boost local trade and people-to-people

contacts.

Madagascar Government led by Prime Minister Kolo Roger resigned Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

Madagascar Prime Minister Kolo Roger's resignation was accepted by President Hery Rajaonarimampianina on 13 January 2015.

Arvind Panagariya took charge as Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 43 people agreed

Arvind Panagariya took charge as Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayothe first vice-chairman of the NITI Aayog.

Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan’s chief Maulana Fazlullah designated as global terrorist by US Published on: 14-JAN-2015




Maulana Fazlullah, the chief of Pakistani Taliban was designated as a global terrorist by US Department of State. US designated him as a global

terrorist after TTP claimed responsibility for the attack on an army school in Peshawar.

Union Ministry of Health proposed COTPA (Amendment) Bill 2015 Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 68 people agreed

The Union Ministry of Health proposed the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and

Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) (Amendment) Bill 2015.

Google launched Flight Search Tool in India Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

Flight Search Tool allows you to search directly for flights within Google to quickly find, compare and book flights from your mobile device, tablet or

desktop.

Union government sacked DRDO Chairman Avinash Chander Published on: 14-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

Union Government removed Chairman of DRDO Avinash Chander, 16 months before his contract was to end. Decision of termination of his contract

was taken by appointments committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Supreme Court issued notice to Union Government on voting rights for inter-state migrants Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The Supreme Court gave notice to Union Government on voting rights for inter-state migrants.

Ministry of Railways inaugurated India’s first CNG powered train Published on: 13-JAN-2015

Important for Exam: 238 people agreed Union Railway minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurated India’s fi rst compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered train.

Seventh Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2015 held in Gandhinagar Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 40 people agreed

The Seventh Vibrant Gujarat Summit was held from 11 January to 13 January 2015 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat and it was organised by the Government

of Gujarat.

SEBI proposed easier norms for domestic mutual fund managers Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The proposed norms aimed to make it easier for domestic mutual funds to manage offshore pooled assets.

World Bank signed tripartite agreement for smart cities initiatives during Vibrant Gujarat Summit Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of Vibrant Gujarat Summit being held in Gandhinagar. On the occasion, the State government released a

special Vibrant Gujarat postal cover.

ISRO Mars Orbiter Mission Team won the 2015 Space Pioneer Award Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 59 people agreed

The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) Team of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on 12 January 2015 won the 2015 Space Pioneer Award in the

Science and Engineering category.

Zomato acquired US based food portal Urbanspoon Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Zomato announced to acquire Urbanspoon- US based food portal for an undisclosed amount in an all-cash deal.

RBI and ECB signed MoU on cooperation in Central Banking Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 52 people agreed

Reserve Bank of India and the European Central Bank inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of central banking.

The MoU provides a framework for regular exchange of information, policy dialogue and technical cooperation.

RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan received Governor of the Year Award for 2015 Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 92 people agreed

RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan received the Governor of the Year for 2015.

CSO released Quick Estimates of Index for Industrial Production for November 2014 Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

India’s Index of Industrial production (IIP) grew 3.8 percent in November 2014. IIP was released by Central Statistics Office of the Ministry of Statistics

and Programme Implementation for the month of November wi th base 2004-05.

Deepak Parekh appointed as Chairman of BAE Systems India (Services) Private Limited Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Deepak Parekh was on 12 January 2015 appointed as a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of BAE Systems India (Services) Private Limited with

effect from 1 January 2015.



President signed Ordinance to amend Mines and Minerals Development & Regulation Act, 1957 Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

An ordinance that amends the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation (MMDR) Act, 1957 received assent of President Pranab Mukherjee. It

paved way for introduction of competitive bidding for allocation of mines other non-coal minerals.

Charlie Hebdo: a French satirical weekly magazine Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

French satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo was in news in first week of January 2015 after being attacked by three masked gunmen. 12 people ofthe office were killed in the attack.

Australia launched Online Visa Pilot Programme for Indian business and tourism visitors Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

Australia on 12 January 2015 launched Online Visa Pilot Programme to make it easier for Indian business and tourism visitors to apply online visa for

travelling Australia.

Dima Hasao District of Assam got its first broad gauge railway track Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

A goods train with 43 wagons reached the main railway station of the Dima Hasao district using this broad gauge railway track.

Golfer Anirban Lahiri voted Asian Tour’s 2014 Players’ Player of the Year Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Indian professional golfer Anirban Lahiri voted as the 2014 Players’ Player of the year in Asian T our for his successful exploits on the Asian Tour.

Alur Seelin Kiran Kumar appointed as Chairman of ISRO Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 72 people agreed

Kiran Kumar became eighth Chairman of ISRO after succeeding K Radhakrishnan who retired on 31 December 2014.

Cristiano Ronaldo won the 2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or Award Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo on 12 January 2015 won the 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or award for the best footballer of the year in the world.

Election Commission of India announced dates of Delhi Assembly Elections 2015 Published on: 13-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Delhi Assembly elections 2015 will be held on 7 February 2015 and results will be declared on 10 February 2015. The dates were announced by Chief

Election Commissioner VS Sampath.

13th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 2015 concluded in Gujarat Published on: 12-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 120 people agreed

The event concluded with giving away Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards to 15 members of the Indian Diaspora by the Vice-President Hamid Ansari.

Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha appointed as 21st chief justice of Bangladesh Published on: 12-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 41 people agreed

Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha's appointment was confirmed by the Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid as per Article 95(1) of the Bangladesh

Constitution.

Actor and comedian Taylor Negron died Published on: 12-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Actor and comedian Taylor Negron died on 10 January 2015 after battling with the cancer for long time.

Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic won the 2015 Presidential elections of Croatia Published on: 12-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

Kolinda belongs to the conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party and is a former Assistant Secretary General at NATO and former Croatian

ambassador to the United States.

Adani Enterprises & SunEdison signed JV to build solar park in Mundra Published on: 12-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

Adani Enterprises and US-based SunEdison signed a joint venture (JV) to build the solar park at Mundra, Gujarat in India.

Swedish actress Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg died Published on: 12-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Swedish-born actress Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg died on 11 January 2015 following a brief illness in Italy.

Andhra Pradesh constituted Fourth State Finance Commission Published on: 12-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

Andhra Pradesh government constituted the Fourth State Finance Commission under the Chairmanship of M L Kantha Rao, the Professor of

Economics and Dean S K University.

US House of Representative passed legislation approving construction of Keystone XL Oil Pipeline




US House of Representatives passed a legislation that approves construction of a controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline with 266-153 votes.

Tech Mahindra signed definitive agreement to acquire Swiss firm SOFGEN Holdings Limited Published on: 12-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

The deal is aimed at boosting the financial services offering by Tech Mahindra so as reach the top line target of 5 billion US dollar by 2015.

SDSC-SHAR director MYS Prasad chosen for Vikram Sarabhai Memorial Award 2015 Published on: 12-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 48 people agreed

The director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota Range (SHAR) MYS Prasad was on 10 January 2015 selected for the Vikram

Sarabhai memorial award 2015.

Australia won 4-match Border-Gavaskar Test series, 2-0 Published on: 12-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

India lost 4-match Border-Gavaskar Test series, 0-2 from Australia. The third and fourth match of the series was drawn.

Roger Federer won Brisbane International Tennis title Published on: 12-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

In the finals played at Brisbane in Australia, he defeated third seeded Milos Raonic of Canada 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-4.

Misbah-ul-Haq announced to retire from ODIs after Cricket World Cup 2015 Published on: 12-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Misbah started his ODI career in 2002. He has played 153 ODIs and scored 4669 runs at an average of 42.83. He has been the captain of Pakistan in

78 games, out of which Pakistan won 41 games.

US to host international Anti-terror Summit on 18 February 2015 Published on: 12-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 47 people agreed

US Attorney General Eric Holder announced that an Anti-terror Summit will be held in Washington. The summit wi ll be held on 18 February 2015.

National Youth Day observed across India on 12 January Published on: 12-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

India observed National Youth Day on 12 January 2015 to mark 152nd birth anniversary of social reformer, philosopher and thinker Swami

Vivekananda.

Sultanpur National Park shut down after migratory birds found dead Published on: 12-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The Sultanpur National Park was shut down for one week after 47 migratory birds were found dead in the park. The bird sanctuary is a seasonal

wetland that attracts around 200 species of migratory birds.

Stanislas Wawrinka won Chennai Open title of Tennis Published on: 12-JAN-2015


Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka defeated Slovenian qualifier Aljaz Bedene to win Chennai Open title of tennis for a third time. In the title clash,

Wawrinka defeated Bedene 6-4 6-3.

Sindhushree Khullar appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog Published on: 10-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 41 people agreed

Senior bureaucrat Sindhushree Khullar was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog

with effect from 1 January 2015.

Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari presented Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2015 Published on: 10-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 99 people agreed

Vice President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari on 9 January 2015 presented the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2015 to sixteen personalities.

Yu Min honoured with State Preeminent Science and Technology Award 2014 Published on: 10-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

Chinese nuclear physicist Yu Min was on 9 January 2015 presented with the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award 2014 by Chinese

President Xi Jinping.

Maithiripala Sirisena sworn-in as 7th President of Sri Lanka Published on: 10-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Pallewatte Gamaralalage Maithripala Yapa Sirisena (Maithiri pala Sirisena) was on 9 January 2015 sworn-in as the 7th President of Sri Lanka.

Legendary Gospel performer Andrae Crouch died Published on: 10-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Veteran gospel performer and songwriter Andrae Crouch died on 8 January 2015 following a heart attack in the Los Angeles.

Actor Rodney Sturt Taylor passed away Published on: 10-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed



Australian actor Rodney Sturt Taylor died on 7 January 2015 following a brief il lness in Los Angeles.

Presidential rule imposed in Jammu and Kashmir Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

President Pranab Mukherjee approved the recommendation of Governor of Jammu and Kashmir N N Vohra as deadlock over the formation of the new

government continued in J & K.

Vistara airline started domestic flight operation in India Published on: 09-JAN-2015


Vistara airline a joint venture of Tata-SIA started its flight operation in India.

Maithripala Sirisena won 2015 Presidential Elections of Sri Lanka Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

Mithripala Sirisena won presidential elections 2015 of Sri Lanka that was announced by the Election Department.

Kotak Mahindra Bank secured shareholders approval for merger with ING Vysya Bank Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

Kotak Mahindra Bank secured its shareholders approval for amalgamation of ING Vysya Bank. It was announced by the Kotak Mahindra Bank.

K K Paul sworn in as sixth Governor of Uttarakhand Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

He succeeded Governor Aziz Qureshi who was appointed as the Governor of Mizoram on 30 December 2014.

Freedom fighter Perin Romesh Chandra died Published on: 09-JAN-2015

Important for Exam: 18 people agreed Freedom fighter Perin Romesh Chandra died on 8 January 2015 following a prolonged illness.

DMRC launched first public bicycle sharing scheme for Delhi Metro users Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The scheme aims to provide pollution free last-mile connectivity to DMRC commuters. The eco-friendly project was inaugurated from the Saket Metro

Station in south Delhi.

Egypt to hold parliamentary elections in March 2015 Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Egypt will hold parl iamentary elections in two phases that was announced by the Egypt election commission.

All-women contingent of Indian defence to march past for the first time on 2015 Republic Day parade Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

The all-women contingent would comprise of 150-odd women army officers who will give a salute to the President of India. The chief guest of 2015

Republic Day will be the US President Barack Obama.

Vaccine Raksha Blu for bluetongue disease launched Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 49 people agreed

Indian Immunologicals Limited launched, Raksha Blu, the first vaccine for bluetongue disease in India. Bluetongue disease is a non-contagious, insect-

borne, viral disease that affects sheep, goats, buf falo, deer, dromedaries and antelope across the country.

Commemorative Postage Stamps released to mark 100 Years of Mahatma Gandhi’s Return to India Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released Commemorative Postage Stamp to mark 100 Years of Mahatma Gandhi’s Return from South Africa to India.

The Lunchbox nominated for BAFTA 2015 under Non-English Best Film Category Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

The film is competing with Polish-Danish drama film Ida, Russian drama Leviathan, Brazilian-British adventure drama thriller film Trash, and Belgian

drama Two Days, One Night.

India to provide 60 million dollar LoC to Guyana for road infrastructure projects Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to provide 60 million dollars Line of Credit to Guyana for its road infrastructure projects and passenger ferry

service.

Modibo Keita appointed as the Prime Minister of Mali Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Modibo Keita was on 8 January 2015 appointed as the Prime Minister of West African nation Mali. His appointment was confirmed by Mali's President

Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Haryana Government appointed Yash Pal Singhal as Haryana DGP Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

He took over the post wi th immediate effects. He succeeded S N Vashisht who has been posted as Director General of State Vigilance Bureau.



Former Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Rajkumar Manisana passed away Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Retired Gauhati High Court Chief justice Rajkumar Manisana passed away on 8 January 2015 following a brief illness.

The Indian Parliament – A Critical Appraisal written by Sudha Pai and Avinash Kumar released Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

Book titled The Indian Parliament – A Critical Appraisal authored by Prof. Sudha Pai and Avinash Kumar was released by Vice President Hamid Ansari

on 8 January 2014.

Kailash Satayarthi dedicated his Nobel Peace Prize to the Nation Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

The medal was dedicated by Satyarthi to the President at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Medal will be put up on display at the

Rashtrapati Bhavan museum.

Teixobactin, a new antibiotic discovered Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

Scientists from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts discovered a new antibiotic named Teixobactin capable of fighting infections that kill

hundreds of thousands of people each year.

India to provide 69 million rupees assistance to Nepal for goitre control Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

Indian Government on 8 January 2015 decided to provide 69 million rupees to Nepal as assistance to launch the Iodine Deficiency Disorder Control

Programme (IDDCP)

PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Dandi Kutir museum Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 73 people agreed

Narendra Modi on 8 January 2015 inaugurated a state-of-the-art museum Dandi Kutir opposite Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on the

occasion of the 13th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas.

Jharkhand Assembly adopted resolution on opening High Court bench in Dumka Published on: 09-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Resolution urging Jharkhand government to send a proposal to Union Government for setting up a high court bench in the second capital of the state,

Dumka was adopted unanimously.

Quikr launched instant messenger Quikr Nxt to enable seamless transactions Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The messenger will allow users to chat using the website or mobile app. The messenger has been integrated into Quikr’s mobile app, mobile site and

website.

Australian airline Qantas named world’s safest by AirlineRatings.com Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

The airline was lauded for amassing an extraordinary record of firsts in safety history and operations over its 94-year history.

IT services firm Synechron acquired Paris-based Team Trade Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Synechron specializes in software integration and business consulting. The acquisition by the New York-Based Synechron is to expand its footprints in

Europe.

Union Government launched National Toll Free Helpline to assist the drug dependent persons Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 64 people agreed

The helpline was launched by the Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot

China included potatoes as staple diet after rice, wheat and corn Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

The decision was based upon an attempt to ensure food securi ty, ease the pressure on the environment and increase the income of farmers.

NASA Kepler Space Telescope made 1000th Exoplanet Discovery Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 39 people agreed

Using Kepler data, scientists reached this millenary milestone after validating that eight more candidates spotted by the planet-hunting telescope are, in

fact, planets.

AMCA: India’s own fifth generation fighter aircraft Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 61 people agreed

It was revealed by the sources from Defence Ministry that the preliminary design stage of the futuristic fighter aircraft is over and the development work

on the project is expected to start in 2015.

Pakistan-India Dosti bus service operation restricted up to Wagah border Published on: 08-JAN-2015




Pak-India Dosti bus service was restricted up to Wagah Border that was announced by the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation.

Hike Messenger acquired Zip phone to launch free voice calling Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Chat application Hike messenger on 8 January 2015 acquired US-based free voice-calling company Zip Phone to launch free voice calling. However,

the details of acquisition were not disclosed.

ICICI Bank launched Contactless credit and Debit cards Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

ICICI Bank launched contactless credit card and debits called Coral Contactless Credit Card and Expressions Wave Debit Card.

ICC announced Associate & Affiliate panel of umpires for the year 2015 Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

ICC on 7 January 2015 announced 11-member ICC associate and affiliate panel of international umpires for the year 2015. The panel was named by

the associate and affiliate selection committee.

Atul Khare appointed as the UN Under-Secretary-General Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

Atul Khare will succeed Ameerah Haq of Bangladesh as the United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General, Department of Field Support (DFS).

New Zealand won Test series 2-0 against Sri Lanka Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

New Zealand by defeating Sri Lanka by 193 runs won the 2-match test series on 7 January 2014. The second test was played at Basin Reserve in

Wellington.Praj Industries bagged contract from Kakira Sugars to build largest ethanol plant of Uganda Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Praj industries bagged an order from Uganda’s Kakira Sugars for production of fuel ethanol (60000 liters per day) and premium grade extra neutral

alcohol (Beverage Alcohol).

India to host World Bridge Championships 2015 Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 45 people agreed

India will host the 42nd World Bridge Championships that will be held in Chennai from 26 September 2015 to 10 October 2015.

Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers approved 100 percent production of Neem-Coated Urea Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

The Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers allowed fertiliser firms to produce 100 percent Neem-Coated Urea to boost income of the farmers.

French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo’s Paris office attacked by terrorists Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

The killed persons include Editor-in-Chief Stephane Charbonnie (known as Charb) and cartoonists Jean ‘Cabu’ Cabut (known as Cabu), Tignous and

Wolinski, as well as Charlie Hebdo contributor and French economist Bernard Maris.

Scientists discovered two Earth-like planets Kepler 438b and Kepler 442b Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 55 people agreed

The Scientists at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics have discovered two Earth-like planets Kepler 438b and Kepler 442b.

102nd Indian Science Congress held in Mumbai Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 88 people agreed

The 102nd Indian Science Congress was held in Mumbai with the theme: Science and Technology for Human Development.

President signed ordinance to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 Published on: 08-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Ordinance that amends the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 paves the way for plying of e-rickshaws on roads of the NCT was s igned by the President.

Whole plant therapy can beat malaria parasites' drug resistance: Study Published on: 07-JAN-2015


Researcher said that the new treatment is based on a use of the whole plant (WP) Artemesia annua, from which the current pharmaceutical drug

artemisinin (AN) is extracted.

Russian President issued decree to enable foreign soldiers to serve in Russian Military Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Earlier, they were required to get Russian citizenship to serve in Russian Military, or a paper granting them Russian citizenship rights, but now they can

serve legally without Russian citizenship.

Russian Popov Ivan won 7th Chennai International Open Grandmaster Chess title Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed



The winner Popov Ivan was awarded the cash purse of two lakhs rupees, while Runner-up Dzhumaev Marat of Uzbek GM got one lakh fifty thousand

rupees and third placed GM Mozharov Mikhail of Russia secured a cash award of one lakh fifteen thousand rupees.

CCI cleared PepsiCo India’s proposal to sell its bottling plants to franchisee Varun Beverages Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

PepsiCo India and Varun Beverages entered into the deal on 15 November 2014 following which they had approached CCI for its approval.

Prime Minister released commemorative coin to mark 175th birth anniversary of Jamsetji Tata Published on: 07-JAN-2015


The reverse face of the coin bears the image of Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata in the centre, with the inscription 175 वा जमदवस in Devnagri script.

Dinesh Oraon of BJP unanimously elected Speaker of Jharkhand Legislative Assembly Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

He is the 10th Speaker of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly since the State came into being on 15 November 2000

Amitabh Bachchan named as the Brand Ambassador of AP health sector Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan on 6 January 2015 named as the Brand Ambassador of Andhra Pradesh (AP) health sector.

Pakistan Parliament passed 21st Constitutional Amendment, Army Act Amendment Bills Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Both houses of Pakistan’s Parliament passed the 21st Constitution Amendment Bill 2015 and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill 2015 and cleared

the way for establishment of military courts in the country.

Indian Junior weightlifters ended their campaign by bagging 14 medals Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

Indian weightlifters bagged a total of 14 medals including 6 Gold Medals in the 17th Asian Youth (boys & girls), 22nd Junior Women and 29th Junior

Men Asian Weightlifting Championships 2015 at Doha, Qatar.

Raosaheb Patil Danve appointed as the Maharashtra BJP President Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

Amit Shah appointed Raosaheb Patil Danve as the new BJP President of Maharashtra. He succeeds Devendra Fadnavis.

President signed Ordinance to amend Citizenship Act, 1955 Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

Ordinance that amends’ Citizenship Act, 1955 and provides life-long Indian visa facility to PIOs was signed by the President on 6 January 2014. The

ordinance was signed before the three-day meet of Indian diaspora in Gujarat during Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2015.

US firm Digipas launched smart luggage lock called eGeeTouch Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

US company Digipas on 4 January 2015 launched the first smart luggage lock eGeeTouch at the International Consumer Electronics Show 2015.Subramanium committee recommended single window system for environment projects Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

High-level committee (HLC) headed by former Cabinet Secretary T S R Subramanium in its recommendation suggested single window clearance

mechanism for green nods as corporates seek short cuts to get c learance for their environment projects.

Nilesh Shah resigned as MD & CEO of AXIS Capital Limited Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

Shah with over 20 years of experience in capital markets has worked with the investment bank for nearly four years.

Avijit Ghosh took over the charge of CMD of Heavy Engineering Corporation Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

His appointment was confirmed by the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) under the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and

Pensions. The board had recommended his name on 26 June 2014.

Rare plant species Chlorophytum palghatense found in Palakkad district of Kerala Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The Scientists at the Centre for Medicinal Plants Research in Kerala discovered a rare plant species named Chlorophytum palghatense at the Dhoni

hills in Palakkad district of Kerala.

Ishpreet Singh Chadha won National Sub-Junior Snooker title 2015 Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Ishpreet Singh Chadha of Maharashtra on 6 January 2015 won his maiden National Sub-Junior Snooker title 2015 at the BRC Gloster National Billiards

& Snooker Championship 2015.

Bihar Government increased maternity leave period to 180 days from 135 days Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed



Bihar Government increased the duration of maternity leave to 180 days and also made provisions for 730 days of child care leave. These leaves will

be allowed for two children during entire service period.

Tencent Holdings Limited launched China's first online bank WeBank Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Chinese Internet giant Tencent Holdings Limi ted on 6 January 2015 launched China's first online bank named WeBank to boost small businesses.

Larry Page named Business Person of the Year 2014 Published on: 07-JAN-2015


Fortune magazine declared the Larry Page, chief executive officer and co-founder of Google as the Business person of the Year for 2014.

Facebook Inc acquired voice recognition startup company Wit.ai Published on: 07-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Facebook Inc on 5 January 2015 acquired startup company Wit .ai in an attempt to develop voice recognition.

Union Cabinet approved promulgation of ordinance for amending MMDR Act, 1957 Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

Union Cabinet approved promulgation of ordinance to amend the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation (MMDR) Act of 1957.

Tonino Lamborghini Mobile launched smartphone 88 Tauri costing 6000 US dollars Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The luxurious handset sporting 5-inch high-definition display was launched ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Forbes released its fourth annual The 30 Under 30 List Published on: 06-JAN-2015

Important for Exam: 29 people agreed 44 Indians and people of Indian-origin, including technology wizards, inventors and policymakers, have been named in the list

Nomura forecasted Indian Economic growth at 5.5 percent for FY 2015-16 Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

The firm also forecasted that Indian Economy will also recover in FY 2015-2016. The recovery is likely to get support from easing inflationary pressures

and measures towards economic reforms.

Union Government nominated 17 Telugu personalities as brand ambassadors of Swachh Bharat campaign Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu nominated 17 Telugu personalities as brand ambassadors of Swachh Bharat campaign.

BCCI announced 15-man Indian cricket team for World Cup 2015 Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 80 people agreed

The 15-member Indian team was announced during the meeting of the selection committee of BCCI and will be led by Captain-cum-Wicket Keeper

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Former Minister of State for PWD Ram Prasad Kamal died Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Former Minister of State for Public Works Department (PWD) Ram Prasad Kamal passed away on 4 January 2015 after a brief il lness in Allahabad.

Tropical forests absorb more Carbon Dioxide than thought: NASA Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Tropical forests may absorb more Carbon Dioxide in response to rising atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases than earlier thought. This was claimed

in a study conducted by scientis ts of NASA.

ICRISAT launched GreenPHABLET for small farmers Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

Green PHABLET is a customised low-cost combination of phone and tablet computer. The device was powered by GreenSIM. The GreenPHABLET is

dust- and shatter-proof, readable under bright sunlight; operates from -20°C to +60°C.

Android App SnoopSnitch launched to detect International Mobile Subscriber Identity Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Android app SnoopSnitch that can detect International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers by keeping a tab if someone is spying on you

launched. The app works with Android handsets that have Qualcomm chips.

Excessive concentration of antibiotics found in three Chinese rivers Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

An excessive amount of antibiotics was found in Chinese rivers namely Yangtze, Huangpu and Pearl Rivers. The situation threatens to cause

widespread antibiotic resistance.

Union Cabinet approved to set up India-based Neutrino Observatory in TN Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 42 people agreed

Union Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved to set up the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) in Tamil Nadu.



S Shrikrishna won the National Sub-Junior Billiards title 2015 Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

S Shrikrishna on 5 January 2015 won his maiden National Sub-Junior Billiards title at the BRC Gloster National Billiards & Snooker Championship

2015.

Former MCA office-bearer Ramesh Kosambia died Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

Ramesh Kosambia died at his residence in Borivli at the age of 87. He was the former office-bearer of the Mumbai Cricket Association's (MCA) and isnow survived by three sons and a daughter.

P Krishnamurthy appointed as Private Secretary of Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

IAS officer P Krishnamurthy is appointed as Pri vate Secretary for a five-year period or on co-terminus basis with the minister's tenure.

Jubiliant Life Sciences got USFDA approval for selling its generic drugs in US market Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Jubilant Life Sciences got USFDA’s nod for generics Mycophenolate Mofetil, an immuno-suppressant and Rizatriptan, used for treatment of migraine.

Union Government aligned FDI policy with NIC 2008 Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The foreign direct investment policy was aligned with the upgraded National Industrial Classification (NIC) code with an aim to improve the ease of

doing business.

Union Petroleum ministry launched LPG schemes for benefitting BPL families Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

The Union Petroleum Ministry launched the sale of subsidised 5 kg cooking gas cylinders to benefit Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, students and

migrant labourers.

RBI allowed FIIs to buy up to 49% paid-up capital in Bajaj Corp Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

RBI permitted FIIs/RFPIs investment up to 49 percent of the paid-up capital of Bajaj Corp under the Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS). Till September

2014 (BSE data), FIIs held 15.21 percent in the company.

Union Cabinet approved 2G telecom spectrum auction targeted to fetch 64840 crore rupees Published on: 06-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

The largest ever auction of Second Generation (2G) telecom spectrum is targeted to fetch around 64840 crore rupees from the sale.

Prime Minister appointed economist Arvind Panagariya as the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog Published on: 05-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 44 people agreed

Panagariya is an Alma matter of Rajasthan University and holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics from Princeton University. He is a Professor ofEconomics at Columbia University.

Sutirtha Bhattacharya took charge as CMD of Coal India Limited Published on: 05-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

Sutirtha Bhattacharya took charge as full-time Chairman and Managing Director of Coal India Limited. He succeeds S Narsing Rao who resigned from

the post in June 2014 to join T elangana government.

Jiji Thomson resigned as Director General of SAI Published on: 05-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

Jiji Thomson on 2 January 2015 resigned as Director General of Sports Authority of India (SAI) with immediate effect. Thomson took charge of SAI in

March 2013.

ICG Rajratan: The Inshore Patrol Vehicles Published on: 05-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ship Rajratan returned back to Porbandar harbor on 4 January 2015 after completing 48-hour long search operation at and

around the site the Pakistani terror boat sank.Project LettuceOnMars: To grow lettuce on Mars in 2018 Published on: 05-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 50 people agreed

Scientists at University of Southampton has planned to grow first li fe on Mars under project Lettuce on Mars.

Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association GS Gangaram Laxman Talekar died Published on: 05-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association General Secretary (GS) Gangaram Laxman Talekar passed away on 31 December 2014 following a heart

attack.

Jiaolong, the Chinese deep sea submersible, began exploration in Indian Ocean Published on: 05-JAN-2015




Named after a mythical dragon Jiaolong, the Chinese deep sea manned submersible in search of active hydrothermal vent dived in the southwestern

Indian Ocean.

PM launched National Programme for LED-based Home and Street Lighting Published on: 05-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 55 people agreed

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on 5 January 2015 launched a National Programme for LED-based Home and Street Lighting in New Delhi to

reduce energy consumption.

Transgender Madhu Kinnar won Mayoral election from Raigarh Municipal Corporation Published on: 05-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

Madhu Kinnar won the Mayoral election Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh Municipal Corporation. She won the election by defeating her nearest rival BJP’s

Mahaveer Guruji by 4537 votes.

O T Anilkumar won 7th Chennai Open FIDE Rating Chess Tournament (Category B) Published on: 05-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Kerala’s O T Anilkumar bagged title of Chennai Open FIDE Rating Tournament (Category B) played at Nehru Stadium, Chennai.

New Jersey to host International Hindi Conference in April 2015 Published on: 05-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 54 people agreed

The theme of the International Hindi Conference 2015 is Expanding World of Hindi: Possibilities and Challenges.

Israel stopped transfer of tax collected from Palestinians to Palestinian Authority Government Published on: 05-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Israel stopped transfer of about 500 million shekels of taxes for the month of December 2014 that was collected on behalf of the Palestinians to thePalestinian Authority Government.

China launched official website for military weapons procurement Published on: 05-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

China on 4 January 2015 launched website www.weain.mil.cn to guarantee transparency in arms procurement.

SRF Limited acquired DuPont's pharma business brand Dymel Published on: 05-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Specialty chemicals firm SRF Limited on 1 January 2015 acquired the pharmaceutical propellant business brand Dymel of American chemical firm

DuPont for 20 million US dollars.

Veteran Chinese sports administrator He Zhenliang died Published on: 05-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The former International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and Vice President He Zhenliang died on 4 January 2015 in Beijing following a brief

illness.

Gujarati film actor Upendra Jethalal Trivedi died Published on: 05-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Veteran Gujarati actor Upendra Jethalal Trivedi passed away on 4 January 2015 in Mumbai following respiratory arrest.

Andy Murray won ATP World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi Published on: 05-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

Andy Murray won the ATP World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi after Novak Djokovic withdrew from the final match.

Union Sports Ministry recognised Boxing India as national federation for representing Boxing Published on: 03-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

In this regard, the Ministry allowed Boxing India to use the name under the Emblems & Names (Prevention of Improper use) Act, 1950 for all its future

correspondence.

Kiran Bhai Vadodaria elected as INS president Published on: 03-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 52 people agreed

He succeeded Ravindra Kumar of The Statesman. The appointment was announced at the 75th annual general meeting of the organization in New

Delhi.

Bharat Forge acquired France-based Company Mecanique Generale Langroise Published on: 03-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The acquisition aimed to consolidate i ts position in the oil and gas space. Bharat Forge acquired MGL via its German arm CDP Bharat Forge GmbH.

Mario Matthew Cuomo, former New York Governor, died at 82 Published on: 03-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Mario Matthew Cuomo was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party. He served as the 52nd Governor of New York for three terms,

from 1983 to 1994, Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1979 to 1982, and Secretary of State of New York from 1975 to 1978.

ICICI Bank launched Digital Village Project in Akodara Village of Gujarat

http://www.weain.mil.cn/

http://www.weain.mil.cn/




The project aimed to provide services ranging from cashless banking to digitised school teaching. The digital village has three themes i.e. cashless,

comprehensive and connected.

Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara became fastest to score 12000 Test runs Published on: 03-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Kumar Sangakkara became the fastest cricketer to reach 12000 Test runs. He achieved the milestone in 224th innings played against New Zealand.

Union Government accepted Bezbaruah panel report on safety of North East people Published on: 03-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 43 people agreed

Union Government accepted recommendations of Bezbaruah Committee, set up to look into the concerns of the people of the North East living in other

parts of India.

Former ISRO Chairman V R Gowarikar died in Pune Published on: 03-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

V R Gowarikar, the scientist who gave India its first own weather forecasting model died in Pune. He was 81.

Jaffna-Kankasanthurai rail track restored by IRCON in North Sri Lanka inaugurated Published on: 03-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Sri Lankan Jaffna-Kankasanthurai rail track restored by IRCON was inaugurated on 2 January 2015 by Sri Lanka’s Transport Minister Kumara

Welgama.

RBI relaxed KYC rules for Non-Banking Financial Companies Published on: 03-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 87 people agreed

RBI amended KYC norms for NBFC’s, as they were facing practical dif ficulties and constraints in getting KYC documents at f requent intervals.

American country music singer Little Jimmy Dickens died at 94 Published on: 03-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

American country music singer Little Jimmy Dickens died on 2 January 2015 at Nashville. He was famous for his humorous novelty songs.

Gujarat government announced new industrial policy for 2015 Published on: 02-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 70 people agreed

Gujarat government announced its new industrial policy for the year 2015 by the Chief Minister Anandiben Patel.

Indians awarded with Queen’s New Year Honours 2015 Published on: 02-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 44 people agreed

Indian-origin Nilesh Jayantilal Samani awarded knighthood as part of Queen’s New Year Honours.

Maharashtra government launched online RTI application filing facility Published on: 02-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 48 people agreed

Maharashtra launched online portal of Right to Information (RTI) application filing facility.

R K Srivastava took over as Chairman of AAI Published on: 02-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

He is appointed for the period of five years. Union Government has confirmed his appointment on 19 December 2014.

Union Government formed NITI Aayog to replace Planning Commission Published on: 02-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 147 people agreed

To replace the 65 year old Planning Commission, the Union Government has set up the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog.

Union Government launched integrated women safety mobile app called Himmat Published on: 02-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 119 people agreed

Union Government launched integrated women safety mobile app called Himmat.

Chrysopelea taprobanica, the Sri Lankan flying snake, sighted in Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve Published on: 02-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

Sri Lankan flying snake, Chrysopelea taprobanica for first time sighted outside the island nation, it was sighted in AP’s Seshachalam BiosphereReserve.

Beji Caid Essebsi sworn in as President of Tunisia Published on: 02-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 55 people agreed

Beji Caid Essebsi was sworn in as the President of Tunisia and became the first freely elected leader of Tunisia.

M Sathiyavathy appointed as Director General of Civil Aviation Published on: 02-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 64 people agreed

M Sathiyavathy appointed as the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). She is the India’s first women to be appointed as DGCA.

President signed National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2014 Published on: 02-JAN-2015




The President signed 121 constitutional Amendment Bill that approves to set up National Judicial Appointments Commission.

Koppillil Radhakrishnan retired as ISRO chief Published on: 02-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 90 people agreed

K Radhakrishnan retired as Chairman of ISRO. Shailesh Nayak will hold additional and interim charge as Chairman until a regular chief is named.

A.K. Mittal appointed as Chairman of Railway Board Published on: 02-JAN-2015

Important for Exam: 93 people agreed A.K. Mittal succeeded Arunendra Kumar as the Chairman of Railway Board. Arunendra Kumar superannuated from Railway Services on 31 December

2014.



FebruaryNational Science Day observed in India on 28 February Published on: 02-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 96 people agreed

The theme for the National Science Day 2015 is Science for Nation Building and the day is observed to mark discovery of the Raman Effect by Indian

physicist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman on 28 February 1928.

Kannan Ramesh appointed as Judicial Commissioner to Supreme Court Bench of Singapore

Published on: 02-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

He will serve the office for two years. Prior to this appointment, Kannan Ramesh was the managing partner of T an Kok Quan Partnership.

Mufti Mohammed Sayeed sworn-in as Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir Published on: 02-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 49 people agreed

This is the first time that BJP has become a part of the government in Jammu and Kashmir. The PDP-BJP alliance government was termed as North

Pole and South Pole by Chief Minister Sayeed.

Union Government blocked private email network for official work Published on: 28-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 77 people agreed

In this regard, Union Government notified E-mail Policy of Government of India and Policy on use of Information Technology resources of Government

of India on 18 February 2015.

Words Ride-share, unboxing added to Oxford Dictionary Published on: 28-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 80 people agreed

Ride-share has been defined as to participate in an arrangement in which a passenger travels in a private vehicle driven by its owner, for free or for a

fee, especially as arranged by means of a website or app.

A person can be accorded Scheduled Caste status on his re-conversion to Hinduism: Supreme Court Published on: 28-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 78 people agreed

The ruling was given by two-member Supreme Court bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice V Gopala Gowda on a plea of KP Manu, a Kerala

resident.

Bharat Puri appointed as Managing Director of Pidilite Industries Limited Published on: 28-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

Puri will succeed MB Parekh who will step down from position of Managing Director on 10 April 2015.

Ericsson sued Apple for telecom patent infringement Published on: 28-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

The patents include standard essential patents related to the 2G and 4G/LTE standards as well as other patents that are critical to features and

functionality of Apple devices.

AB de Villiers of South Africa hit the fastest 150 runs in ODI Published on: 28-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 46 people agreed

AB de Vill iers who took 64 deliveries to reach the 150, broke the previous best record of Australian Shane Watson by 19 balls. He struck 162 not out

from 66 balls.

Martin David Crowe inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame Published on: 28-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

He became the third cricketer from New Zealand to be inducted under the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

Indian Navy concluded TROPEX Exercise 2015 Published on: 28-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 72 people agreed

TROPEX-2015 was a month long exercise aimed at validating the Indian Navy’s Concept of Operations and the area of operations spanned across the

Arabian Sea and Northern Indian Ocean.

ZSL and Gujarat Forest Department signed a MoU for conservation of Asiatic lion Published on: 28-FEB-2015

Important for Exam: 38 people agreed Apart from ZSL, Wildlife Institute of India will also be the knowledge partner with the forest department in conservation of lion.

Acclaimed US actor Leonard Nimoy passed away Published on: 28-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Renowned US actor Leonard Nimoy passed away on 27 February 2015 in Los Angeles following chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

International Rare Disease Day observed on 28 February Published on: 28-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

On this day, hundreds of patient organisations from more than 80 countries and regions worldwide carried-on awareness-raising activities around the

slogan Day-by-day, hand-in-hand.



Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov shot dead in Moscow Published on: 28-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Nemtsov had served Russia as its first Deputy Prime Minister in 1990s under the late President Boris Yeltsin.

Noted sociologist Meera Kosambi died Published on: 28-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Her works were known for brilliant and incisive scholarship and her crowning achievement was to turn the light on Pandita Ramambai, the great 19

century Indian reformer and educationist and early pioneer of women’s emancipation in India.

Union Budget 2015-16: Highlights Published on: 28-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 372 people agreed

Arun Jaitley presented Union Budget 2015-16 in the Parliament.

IDC released a report on Indian Smartphone market Published on: 28-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

For the fourth quarter (October-December) of 2014, report highlighted that South Korean handset maker Samsung continued to retain its top position in

the Indian Smartphone market.

Haryana Government raised cash reward under Inter-Caste Marriage Scheme Published on: 28-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

The reward was constituted under rule 16 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes prevention of Atrocities Act and the reward amount would be

provided through bank accounts opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY).

Kshatrapati Shivaji appointed as CMD of Small Industries Development Bank of India Published on: 28-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

Shivaji was appointed on deputation basis for a period of three years.

Assamese dictionary for Science and Technology terms released Published on: 28-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

The dictionary with over 40000 words was released with an aim to benefit large number of students of the state and to make scientific terminology

simple and easily understandable.

IBM Corporation tied-up with Tech Mahindra Ltd to accelerate Global Hybrid Cloud adoption Published on: 27-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

International Business Machines Corporation on 23 February 2015 tied-up with Tech Mahindra Limited to build a platform for the development of cloud-

based apps for its clients to increase hybrid services adoption.

Lenovo slapped with lawsuit over Superfish adware Published on: 27-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The class-action suit was filed against Lenovo and Superfish after Lenovo admitted to pre-loading Superfish on some consumer PCs.NSE signed MoU with GIFT to establish an international exchange in Gujarat Published on: 27-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

The GIFT Special Economic Zone is being developed as India’s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). It is spread over 886 acres.

Veteran cinematographer Aloysius Vincent passed away Published on: 27-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

He was a well-known cinematographer in various film industries including Telugu film industry, Tamil Film Industry and Bollywood as well.

Justice Amitava Roy sworn in as Supreme Court judge Published on: 27-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

With his elevation, the strength of the SC judges has gone up to 29. SC has a sectioned strength of 31 judges.

Parliament of Jamaica passed a law to decriminalise marijuana for personal use Published on: 27-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

Marijuana is widely grown in Jamaica and has cultural roots there. The country is also the biggest exporter of marijuana to the United States among

Caribbean countries.

Gopinath Pillai appointed as Special Envoy to Andhra Pradesh by Singapore government Published on: 27-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

At the time of appointment, Pillai was working as a Chairman of a Singapore based think-tank, Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), and an

ambassador for city-state's government.

Economic Survey of India 2014-15: Highlights Published on: 27-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 155 people agreed

The Economic Survey reviews the developments in the Indian economy over the previous 12 months, summarises the performance on major

development programmes and highlights the policy initiatives of the government



FBI announced 3 million US dollar award for information on Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev Published on: 27-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Bogachev is alleged for his involvement in a major cyber racketeering enterprise in which he played a role of administrator for the GameOver Zeus

botnet.

Researchers from Australia unveiled world's first 3D printed jet engine Published on: 27-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

It was developed by a team of researchers from Monash Centre for Additive Manufacturing of Monash University in partnership with AmaeroEngineering Company.

Wipro won seven awards at the CIO Choice Honour and Recognition 2015 Published on: 27-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

Wipro won the award in the categories of Managed IT Services, Managed Security Services, Enterprise Infrastructure Automation Services, Systems

Integrator, Network Maintenance Services, Service Assurance Program, and Application Managed Services.

Railway Budget 2015-16: Statistical Highlights Published on: 27-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on 26 February 2015 presented his maiden Rail Budget 2015-16 in the Lok Sabha.

US Federal Communications Commission approved Net Neutrality Rules to protect Open Internet Published on: 27-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The Order protects consumers no matter how they access the Internet, whether on a desktop computer or a mobile device.

Former Haryana Chief Minister Hukam Singh died Published on: 27-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

He served Haryana as its Chief Minister in 1990-91 as a member of Janata Dal.

Railway Budget 2015-16: Quality of Life in Journeys Published on: 26-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 99 people agreed

In the budget, Prabhu gave 11 thrust areas to improve quality of li fe in train journeys which also includes Swachh Rail - Swachh Bharat drive.

Forbes released Asia’s 50 Power Businesswomen 2015 list Published on: 26-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 72 people agreed

The Asia's 50 Power Businesswomen list showcases a year of accompl ishments by the region's female entrepreneurs and executives.

Clemson University honoured Ratan Tata with Doctorate of Automotive Engineering Published on: 26-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

He was awarded for his contributions to the global automotive industry.

US District Court ordered Apple to pay 533 million US dollar to Smartflash in iTunes patent case Published on: 26-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The jury decided that Apple’s iTunes software infringed three patents belonging to licensing firm Smartflash.

Andhra Pradesh signed MoU with Wipro for building and implementing APSEA Published on: 26-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The APSEA is aimed at bringing transformational change in the way government services are conceived, designed, delivered and consumed.

Union Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers declared 2015 as Year of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Published on: 26-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The aim is to bring about self-sufficiency in the field of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) which is also consistent with the avowed objective of

the Union Government Make in India initiative.

Railway Budget 2015-16: Major Initiatives Published on: 26-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

In this regard, Rail Budget 2015 – 16 unveiled certain initiatives ranging from cleanliness drive to development of infrastructure to improving the overall

quality of life in train journeys.

Zoomcar tied-up with Tata Motors Limited to expand its fleet Published on: 26-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Self-drive car rental service Zoomcar on 25 February 2015 tied-up with automaker Tata Motors Limited to add 50 more new Nano cars to its fleet.

Railway Budget 2015-16: Highlights Published on: 26-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 143 people agreed

Passenger fair was not hiked while the facility of booking tickets in advance has been increased to 120 days instead of 60 days which was available till

date.

TRAI issued 6th Amendment to Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability Regulation, 2009 Published on: 26-FEB-2015




With this, subscribers will be able to retain the same mobile number on relocating to anywhere in India although they can change their service provider.

Mumbai University signed MoU with Indian Railways to set up Rail Innovation and Technology Centre Published on: 26-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

Under the MoU, Mumbai University will provide education, distribution of facilities for higher education, effective administration and financial control.

Union Cabinet approved the implementation of 15000 MW Grid-connected SPV Projects under NSM Published on: 26-FEB-2015

Important for Exam: 13 people agreed The scheme will be implemented through NTPC and NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited in three tranches.

Scientists discovered quasar SDSS J0 100+2802 with central black hole mass of 12 billion solar mass Published on: 26-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

The findings were published in the journal Nature on 26 February 2015 and Prof. Xue-Bing Wu at Peking University is the lead author of the study.

Russia and Cyprus signed an agreement to allow Russian navy ships to use Cypriot ports Published on: 26-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The deal allows access to Russian navy ships to the Cypriot ports in the Mediterranean Sea. It seems that the deal have ended Russia’s hunt an

access to Mediterranean ports after it l ost access to the ports of sea on Syria coast.

Union Cabinet approved creation of two additional benches of the Authority for Advance Rulings Published on: 26-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

For these two benches, there will be a creation of two posts of Vice-Chairmen in the Apex scale and four posts of Members (two posts of Revenue

Members and two posts of Law Members).

Madhya Pradesh Budget 2015-16: Highlights Published on: 26-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 87 people agreed

State Budget of 2015-16 is inspired by the aim to realise 'Make in Madhya Pradesh' by increasing employment opportunities for youth of the state and

by increasing production capacities.

Union Government accepted 14th Finance Commission recommendations Published on: 25-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 146 people agreed

14th Finance Commission led by Dr YV Reddy seeks to provide more power to states for their progress.

House of Lords of UK passed a legislation allowing creation of babies using DNA of three people Published on: 25-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

The House of Lords voted in favour of the Bill that amends the Human Ferti lisation and Embryology Act (HFEA), 1990.

Abdul Jabbar sentenced to life imprisonment for war crimes in Bangladesh Published on: 25-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

He was sentenced for crimes committed during the Liberation War in 1971 and if he fails to submit the fine then his jail term would be extended by two

years.

Ravi Chaudhary appointed as Executive Director for Regions and Centre Operations at FAA Published on: 25-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

Chaudhary will be responsible for executing a 288 million US dollars operating budget of FAA and will lead over 2100 Federal Employees in nine

nationwide regions.

US announced to allow work permits to spouses of H-1B visa holders from May 2015 Published on: 25-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The move will benefit thousands of talented and professional Indian spouses who come to America but are unable to work.

Delhi Government launched mLiquorSaleCheck Mobile App to put cap on sale of illicit liquor Published on: 25-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The application will prevent the circulation of counterfeit products and help the Excise Department with information on where spurious, illicit liquor sale

is rampant.

Uttar Pradesh Budget 2015-16 Published on: 25-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 88 people agreed

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on 24 February 2015 presented the State Budget 2015-16 of 302687 crore rupees.

Google acquired Facebook mobile marketing startup Toro Published on: 25-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

The acquisition will shift Toro’s focus away from Facebook. The company will continue to optimize campaigns and update dashboards for existing

marketing customers

World Bank report Building Resilience for Sustainable Development of the Sundarbans Published on: 25-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed



NLTA findings suggested that 10 percent of Sundarban’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2009 was invested on the environmental damage and

health effects in the region.

PR Mohana Rao authored a book titled Flora of Guntur City Andhra Pradesh Published on: 25-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

The book carries information on 431 flowering plants, shrubs and trees belonging to 76 families of angiosperm and the list have been arranged

systematically on the basis of Bentham and Hooker System of Classification.

DK Pandey appointed as Director General of Police of Jharkhand Published on: 25-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Prior to his posting as DGP of Jharkhand, D K Pandey was the Additional Director General (ADG) of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Kristen Stewart won the Best Supporting Actress Award at France's Cesar Awards Published on: 25-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

With this, she became the first American actress ever to win a trophy at France's Cesar Awards.

Rajya Sabha passed Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2014 Published on: 25-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 70 people agreed

The bill seeks to modify the list of Scheduled Castes in three states- Haryana, Karnataka, Odisha and one Union Terri tory- Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Rajendra K Pachauri resigned as Chairperson of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Published on: 25-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

Pachauri who chaired the IPCC since April 2002 is serving as the Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and is also a

member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change.

3rd Tortoise Festival organised at Hajong Lake in Assam Published on: 24-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 92 people agreed

Hajong Lake is a unique tortoise habitat in Assam and is a habitat of few varieties of Hill Terrapins, considered as a rare species.

Ranchi Rays crowned Champions of Hero Hockey India League 2015 Published on: 24-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 43 people agreed

The Grand Finale was witnessed by the eminent personalities. This is the third season of the professional field hockey tournament, Hockey India

League.

Veteran Tamil director RC Sakthi passed away Published on: 24-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

RC Sakthi was mentor of the famous actor Kamal Haasan and had launched him as lead role in his Tamil directorial debut Unarchigal in 1972.

National Green Tribunal banned plying of Vintage cars on Delhi roads Published on: 24-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 42 people agreed

Moreover, no fitness certificates to the vintage cars will be issued by any authority without specific permission of the tribunal.Maria Golovnina, Reuters bureau chief for Afghanistan and Pakistan, found dead Published on: 24-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

She was found collapsed and unconscious in the bureau and was rushed to hospital, but medical teams were unable to save her.

Hitachi announced to acquire Finmeccanica Rail Businesses for 2 billion US dollar Published on: 24-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

An Italy based company Finmeccanica has agreed to sold its rail car unit AnsaldoBreda and Ansaldo STS to the vast Japanese conglomerate.

Takahiro Hachigo appointed as President and CEO of Honda Motor Co Limited Published on: 24-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Prior to this appointment, Hachigo was Managing Officer of Honda Motor Co. Limited.

Yaduveer Raj Urs adopted as heir to Wadiyar dynasty Published on: 24-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

Yaduveer, a son of Tripura Sundara Devi and Swarup Anand Gopal Raj Urs is a grandson of Princess Gayathri Devi, the eldest daughter of last

Maharaja of Mysuru Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar.

TRAI issued Regulation on domestic carriage charges Published on: 24-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The regulation prescribed a revised domestic carriage charges. The regulation will particularly benefit users of fixed-line phones.

Ram Niwas Goel elected as Speaker of Delhi Legislative Assembly Published on: 24-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

AAP legislator Bandana Kumari was elected as the Deputy Speaker of the House.

Rana Bhagwandas, the first Hindu Chief Justice of Pakistan died Published on: 24-FEB-2015




Bhagwandas served Pakistan’s Supreme Court as acting Chief Justice in 2005, 2006 and 2007. He was the first Hindu and second non-Muslim to

head the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Pioneer of mobile theatre in Assam Adya Sharma passed away Published on: 24-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Adya Sharma, a cul tural icon and pioneer of mobile theatre in Assam, passed away on 23 February 2015 in Nalbari town, Assam fol lowing a brief

illness.

Chris Gayle became first cricketer to score Double Century in Cricket World Cup Published on: 24-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 64 people agreed

Gayle is the fourth cricketer to score an ODI double century after Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma.

Union Ministry of Youth Affairs revised the National Sports Awards Schemes Published on: 24-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 56 people agreed

The ministry revised the Schemes of Raji v Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award, Dhyan Chand Award and Dronacharya Awards.

Indo-Nepal joint military exercise Surya Kiran VIII started in Nepal Published on: 24-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The two-week long exercise will be conducted in the foothills of Salajhandi, Nepal. The exercise will simulate a scenario, where both nations will work

together in a counter insurgency and counter terrorism environment in mountainous and jungle terrain.

Indian Army and State Bank of India inked MoU on Defence Salary Package Published on: 24-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 61 people agreed

The revised MoU will benefit 19.5 lakh pensioners and 10 lakh serving personnel who hold Pay or Pension accounts with SBI.WHO approved ReEBOV Antigen rapid test kit to identify Ebola-infected patients Published on: 23-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 88 people agreed

The key feature of the rapid test kit is that it can correctly distinguish Ebola infected patients from non-Ebola infected patients within 15 minutes

Oscar Awards 2015 Published on: 23-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 235 people agreed

87th Academy Award was conferred on 22 February 2015 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The Best Actor Award was won by Eddie

Redmayne for The Theory of Everything and the Best Actress Award was won by Julianne Moore for Still Alice

Centre for Science and Environment released a report titled Heat on Power Published on: 23-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The thermal power generating units are among the most inefficient in the world in terms of compliance of pollution norms, use of resources and overall

operation efficiency.

Somdev Devvarman retained the Delhi Open title of Tennis Published on: 23-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

He won the Open tennis title by defeating Yuki Bhambri by 3-6, 6-4, 6-0. With this, he won his second 100000 US dollar ATP Challenger Delhi Open

title in a row

Purnendu Dasgupta won the J. Calvin Giddings Award 2015 of American Chemical Society Published on: 23-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

He was awarded for developeding an environment friendly field analyser for checking toxic arsenic levels in water.

10th Aero India show concluded in Bengaluru Published on: 23-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

The 10th edition of Aero Show was focused on Make in India campaign of the Union Government which is aimed at encouraging small and medium

industries to invest in defence manufacturing base.

Union Government launched portal MADAD to redress consular grievances Published on: 23-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 42 people agreed

MADAD, an online grievances monitoring system, is a joint effort of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Ministry of Overseas Indians Affairs (MOIA)

and the tagline of the portal is Because You Are Us

Nitish Kumar took oath as Chief Minister of Bihar Published on: 23-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

He succeeds Jitan Ram Manjhi who resigned from his office on 20 February 2015. With this, Nitish took oath as the state’s chief minister for the fourth

term.

Former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed arrested in Male under anti-terror law Published on: 23-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

He was arrested under anti-terrorism laws for allegedly ordering the arrest of Criminal Court judge in 2012, which triggered violence in Maldives.

Anirban Lahiri won Indian Open title of Golf



Published on: 23-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

He defeated compatriot SSP Chowrasia to clinch the Indian Open title at the Delhi Golf Club.

29th Surajkund International Crafts Mela celebrated Published on: 23-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

Chhattisgarh was selected as the Theme State while Lebanon was Partner Nation for the Surajkund Mela. Sri Lanka was chosen as Partner Nation for

28th Surajkund International Crafts Mela-2014.

Anil Kumble and Betty Wilson inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame Published on: 23-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Anil Kumble and Betty Wilson became the 77th and 78th inductees into the ICC Hall of Fame. They were inducted in the Hall of Fame at the Melbourne

Cricket Ground, Australia.

International Mother Language Day observed on February 21 Published on: 21-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 63 people agreed

The theme for the year 2015 is Inclusive Education through and with Language - Language Matters. The year 2015 is the 15th anniversary of

International Mother Language Day.

Parliament of Thailand passed a law to ban commercial surrogacy for foreigners Published on: 21-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The legislation is aimed at ending rent-a-womb industry that made the Southeast Asian country a top destination for fertility tourism.

Tapan Misra appointed as Chief of ISRO’s Space Application Centre Published on: 21-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

He succeeded AS Kiran Kumar, who was appointed as Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on 12 January 2015.

Veteran CPI leader Govind Pansare died Published on: 21-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

Govind Pansare, leader of Communist Party of India (CPI), died on 20 February 2015 at Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai.

Maheshwar Sahu appointed as Independent Director on board of RIL Published on: 21-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

With this appointment, Sahu joins RIL as one of the eight independent directors on its 14-member board.

UNSC adopted Resolution 2201 demanding Houthis withdrawal from Yemen’s government institutions Published on: 21-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The Resolution 2201 was brought after the UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon had warned the 15-member UNSC that Yemen was collapsing under

the weight of a protracted political crisis

KVIC, RSETIS signed MoU to provide vocational training to unemployed youth Published on: 21-FEB-2015


The MoU was signed to enhance the business skills and project-related skills of the beneficiaries under Prime Minister’s Employment Generation

Programme (PMEGP).

Eminent filmmaker Nirad Mahapatra passed away Published on: 21-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Eminent Odia filmmaker Nirad Mahapatra passed away on 19 February 2015 in Mumbai following a brief illness.

Manuel Valls headed Socialist Government in France won confidence vote over market reforms Published on: 20-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The no-confidence vote brought in National Assembly saw only 234 lawmakers voting in favour of the motion which was far short of the number

required to bring down the government.

Two tropical cyclones Marcia and Lam hit Australia Published on: 20-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 67 people agreed

Tropical cyclone Marcia is a category five storm and it made the landfall at central Queensland and left a trail of destruction over Yeppoon and

Rockhampton.

Samsung acquired US-based mobile wallet startup LoopPay Published on: 20-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Samsung had also invested in LoopPay, along with Visa Inc and Synchrony Financial, before its acquisition.

Prime Minister presented Krishi Karman Awards 2013-14 to State Government functionaries Published on: 20-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 121 people agreed

The awards were presented during the launch of the Soil Health Card scheme nationwide at Suratgarh, Rajasthan.

India and the US held first-ever bilateral dialogue on United Nations Published on: 20-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed



The bilateral dialogue on the UN was held in the spirit of the Delhi Declaration of Friendship which was released during the visit of US President Barack

Obama as a chief guest on 2015 Republic Day.

Researchers combined solar telescope with Laser Frequency Comb to search for Earth-like planets Published on: 20-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

The study was led by Rafael Probst, a doctoral candidate at Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Germany.

Chief Minister of Assam advocated Naturonomics for NE states to usher in a robust economy Published on: 20-FEB-2015


Tarun Gogoi advocated for naturonomics, a blend of nature and economics, for Assam and other North Eastern States to usher in a robust economy in

the region.

CCEA approved continuation of incentive scheme for marketing of raw sugar production Published on: 20-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The CCEA also fixed uniform rate of export subsidy at 4000 rupees per metric tonne for 2014-15 sugar season

CCEA approved four Highway Projects in Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh Published on: 20-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The four highway projects will be carried on in Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

Union Government launched single window eBiz portal to foster business environment Published on: 20-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 47 people agreed

eBiz, an Indian Government-to-Business (G2B) portal was conceptualised by National Institute of Smart Government (NISG) and developed by Infosys

ltd, Bangalore.

Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi resigned Published on: 20-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

He was elected by the Janata Dal (United) Party as the 23rd Chief Minister of Bihar following Nitish Kumar's resignation.

Rashad Hussain appointed as US Special Envoy for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications Published on: 20-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Hussain will lead a staff drawn from a number of US departments to expand international engagement and partnerships to develop strategic

counterterrorism communications around the world.

Legendary Urdu Poet Dr. Kalim Ahmed Ajiz died Published on: 20-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The recipient of Padma Shri award for his contribution to Urdu literature was serving as the Chairman of the Urdu Advisory Committee, Government of

Bihar.

Justice KS Radhakrishnan panel on road safety submitted its report to the Supreme Court Published on: 20-FEB-2015

Important for Exam: 30 people agreed Pointing out deficiencies in enforcement of the motor vehicles by the state governments, the panel directed the states to strengthen enforcement of law

against drunken driving, over speeding and other offences.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Soil Health Card Scheme Published on: 20-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 141 people agreed

The scheme will provide 14 crore Soil Health Cards to farm owners across the country in the next three years.

Union Government proposed Oil Subsidy Sharing Formula between Public Sector Oil Companies Published on: 20-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

Under the new formula, the upstream companies or the oil refining companies will have to make zero contribution towards subsidy for crude oil price

less than and equal to 60 dollars per barrel

Rajya Sabha MP from Uttarakhand Manorama Dobriyal Sharma died Published on: 19-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The Chief Minister of Uttrakhand, Harish Rawat declared three-day state mourning following her death.

Union Government approved Project-17A worth 8 billion US dollar Published on: 19-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 67 people agreed

Under the Project-17A seven frigates will be built indigenously with stealth features to avoid easy detection. The frigates under the Project-17A will be

built at government shipyards in Mumbai and Kolkata.

The first National Tribal festival Vanaj 2015 concluded Published on: 19-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 106 people agreed

The festival was organised by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The festival ended after a series of weeklong colourful presentations especially

depicting the spring time tribal festivals of Phagu, Phagua and Phagun Parab.

Nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile test-fired from Chandipur in Odisha Published on: 19-FEB-2015




The missile was tested for a shortened range of 250 km as against i ts full range of 350 km.

Demand for dowry can be made at any time and not necessarily before marriage: Supreme Court Published on: 19-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The decision was given by the SC Bench in the State of Uttarakhand vs Bhim Singh & Anr., (2015) while upholding the life term awarded to Bhim Singh

for poisoning and burning his wife Prem Davi to death in 1997.

BJD Vice-President kalindi Charan Behera passed away Published on: 19-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Vice-President Kalindi Charan Behera passed away on 18 February 2015 at Bhubaneswar following a brief i llness.

Snapdeal.com acquired luxury fashion portal Exclusively.com Published on: 19-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

With this acquisition, Snapdeal.com aims to further strengthen its fashion business and reach 2 billion US dollars in gross merchandise value in the

fashion category in 2015.

Barry Knowles appointed as head of Youth Development Programme of Bharat FC Published on: 19-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Knowles carries coaching experience with Blackpool FC and Chester Cit y FC and he was head coach at Burnley College Football Academy.

RBI issued Guidelines on Import of Gold by Nominated Banks and Agencies Published on: 19-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

RBI permitted the nominated banks to import gold on consignment basis, whereas, all sale of gold domestically will be against upfront payments.

EPFO launched Online Help Desk to trace Inoperative Accounts Published on: 19-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

It was set up for settlement of EPF Inoperative Accounts having 27000 crore rupees as balance. There are about 8.15 crore inoperative provident fund

accounts.

India and Bangladesh decided to step up Joint Border Patrolling Published on: 19-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

The coordinated border management plan will also help in enhancing cooperation between the two nations.

India’s first air quality checking Mobile App SAFAR-Air launched Published on: 19-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 91 people agreed

SAFAR is an acronym for System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research which was first launched in Delhi in 2010 during the

Commonwealth Games.

Bihar Government decided to grant 35% reservation for women in Non-Gazetted jobs Published on: 19-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Government also hiked the MLA development fund from the existing 2 crore rupees in a year to 3 crore rupees from financial year 2016.

Bharti Airtel Ltd tied-up with UNICEF to provide education content in 17 African countries Published on: 19-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

Their partnership is aimed at improving African population’s access to health and education-related information from various innovative projects

supported by UNICEF.

Producer Daggubati Ramanaidu died Published on: 19-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Ramanaidu was a recipient of Dada Saheb Phalke and Padma Bhushan awards.

Rahul Kaiche became first cardiac surgeon in Maharashtra to use titanium plates for coronary surgery Published on: 18-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 40 people agreed

He used the titanium plates instead of the traditionally used wires for sternal closure in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) surgery.

Lupin signed an agreement with Celon Pharma for developing generic version of asthma drug Published on: 18-FEB-2015


The collaboration is an important milestone in Lupin’s efforts to evolve its global inhalation pipeline.

RUAG Aerostructures, Tata Group signed a pact to supply components for Airbus 320 Published on: 18-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

As part of the contract, TAL will manufacture and supply over 550 sheet metal components, machined parts and sub-assemblies to RUAG for Airbus

A320 programme.

Bollywood Actor Ashraful Haque passed away Published on: 18-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed



Bollywood actor Ashraful Haque passed away on 17 February 2015 at a private hospital in Andheri East, Mumbai after suffering from Myelodysplastic

Syndrome.

Bihar State Cabinet approved the inclusion of Dusadh caste in Mahadalit category Published on: 18-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The approval was granted on the proposal of state SC/ST welfare department which demanded categorisation of Dusadh (Dhari and Dhadi) caste in

the Mahadalit category.

Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic sworn-in as President of Croatia Published on: 18-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic is Croatia’s first female President and overall fourth President since Croatia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.

First Renewable Energy Global Investors Meet & Expo, RE-Invest 2015, held in New Delhi Published on: 18-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

The central theme of RE-Invest is to attract large scale investments for the renewable energy sector in India. The aim of the meet is to evolve

innovative financial models for funding and to ensure the partnership of states and the Centre in harnessing renewable energy.

Reliance Communications and Twitter partnered for ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Published on: 18-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

Under the partnership, Reliance customers will get a platform on twitter to follow the global commentary of the 2015 Cricket World Cup without any

data charges.

3 Indians in the shortlisted 100 applicants for the one-way trip to Mars Published on: 18-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 63 people agreed

Ritika Singh, Shradha Prasad, Taranjeet Singh Bhatia are the three Indians who were chosen for third round for one-way trip to Mars under Mars One

mission.

5th India-Myanmar Joint Trade Committee meet held in Nay Pyi Taw Published on: 18-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

India and Myanmar agreed to enhance trade and investment between the countries by removing bottlenecks like lack of good connectivity and banking

arrangements.

Jawed Usmani sworn-in as Chief Information Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh Published on: 18-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Jawed Usmani was appointed as UP Chief Information Commissioner in November 2014. But during this appointment, he was the Chairman of UP

Board of Revenue.

India-US Relations Post-Obama Visit to India Published on: 18-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The visit of the US President on the back of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in September 2014 have created important positive

momentum in the relations between the oldest and largest democracies of the world.

Veteran cartoonist Rajinder Puri passed away Published on: 18-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Veteran cartoonist, columnist and political activist Rajinder Puri passed away on 15 February 2015 in New Delhi following a brief illness.

Government is expected to be a responsible litigant: Central Information Commission Published on: 17-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

Central Information Commission (CIC) on 17 February 2015 ruled that the Governments, at both the Centre and State level, are expected to be a

responsible litigant and not treat a citizen as opposite party or its rival.

Union Ministry of Finance imposed Anti-dumping duty on imports of graphite electrodes Published on: 17-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 42 people agreed

With this move, government aims to protect the domestic industry from below-cost shipments of graphite electrodes.

Creator of chocolate-like spread Nutella Michele Ferrero died Published on: 17-FEB-2015


Michele Ferrero was Italy’s richest man and the owner of a global chocolate and confectionery empire that was built on the popular Nutella spread.

Cyclist Alberto Contador of Spain announced to retire from Cycling after 2016 season Published on: 17-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Before retirement, he wants to win the Tour de France and Giro d’Ital ia in the same year, the fete which was last achieved by Marco Pantani in 1998.

Faisal Siddiqui appointed as South Asia President of HTC Published on: 17-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Siddiqui will lead the company in the region which includes India, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and other

emerging markets in Asia.



Former Home Minister of Maharashtra Raosaheb Ramrao Patil died Published on: 17-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Raosaheb Ramrao Patil, former Home Minister of Maharashtra and NCP leader, died on 16 February 2015 at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai after

suffering from oral cancer.

Dosmoche festival celebrated in Ladakh Published on: 17-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 43 people agreed

The festival was celebrated with week-long period of prayers and ritual at Liker monastery and marks the victory over evil forces.

Ministry of Urban Development partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies for Smart Cities Initiative Published on: 17-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

Under the agreement, the Bloomberg Philanthropies will provide assistance to the Ministry of Urban Development to select cities for Smart Cities

Mission funding on a continuous basis.

Ancient Vishnu idol found in Punjab's Tran Taran Published on: 17-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

It seems that the statue belongs to the era of King Harshvardhana (590-647AD) and is surrounded by 21 other deities on a lotus fl ower base.

India signed Grant Agreement of 8 million US dollars with World Bank for funding SLACC Project Published on: 17-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 39 people agreed

The amount will be used to implement special projects under SLACC to improve adaptive capacity of the rural poor engaged in farm-based livelihoods

to climate change in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

Saurav Ganguly awarded Honorary Life Membership of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Published on: 17-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

Ganguly debuted for India in 1996 at the Lord’s against England and went on to score 131-run in first innings of his test debut. The knock at the Lord’s

helped him to etch his name on the famous Lord’s Honours Board in process.

French actor Louis Jourdan passed away Published on: 17-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

French actor Louis Jourdan passed away on 14 February 2015 in Los Angeles, United States following a brief illness.

France signed an agreement with Egypt for sale of 24 Rafale fighter plane Published on: 17-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Under the deal, France will supply 24 Rafale fighter jets to Egypt. The deal was inked after ISIS beheaded 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya.

UNSC approved resolution targeting sources of financing for ISIS, Al-Nusrah Front Published on: 17-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The Russia-led resolution adopted by the UNSC seeks to choke off the sources that help the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Al-Nusrah

Front (ANF) to earn millions of dollars from oil smuggling, antiquities trafficking and ransom payments.Punit Renjen appointed as CEO of Deloitte’s Global Operations Published on: 17-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Renjen has rich and wide experience of 27 years with Deloitte and has held a number of leadership positions, including chairman and CEO of Deloitte

Consulting LLP.

India, Sri Lanka signed agreements on Civil Nuclear Cooperation, Cultural Cooperation Published on: 17-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

India and Sri Lanka on 16 February 2015 signed bilateral agreements on civil nuclear cooperation, cultural cooperation and cooperation in the field of

Agriculture.

Tsunami advisory issued in Japan after 6.9 earthquake Published on: 17-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The tsunami advisory along the coast of Iwate prefecture was issued following a 6.9-magniture earthquake struck in the Pacific at a depth of 10

kilometres.

Chhattisgarh Government awarded for Renewable Power Development in the State Published on: 16-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 50 people agreed

The state was considered for this award on the basis of cri teria fixed by 13th Finance Commission headed by Vijay Kelkar.

Balasubramaniam Venkataramani appointed as MD & CEO of Multi Commodity Exchange Published on: 16-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Balasubramaniam Venkataramani succeeded Manoj Vaish as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Multi Commodity

Exchange (MCX). Prior to this appointment, Venkataramani was Chief Business Officer of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

Third National Lok Adalat disposed 56000 cases, disbursed 265 crore rupees for final settlement Published on: 16-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 53 people agreed



The third National Lok Adalat disposed 56000 cases in a single day and disbursed 265 crore rupees as claims towards final settlement in bank

recovery and cheques bounce cases.

Indian-origin scientist Professor Srikanth Jagabathula received CAREER Award Published on: 16-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

He received the award for developing data-driven modelling and learning techniques to improve the accuracy of operational decision making.

Nagesh Kukunoor’s film Dhanak won two awards at 65th Berlin International Film Festival Published on: 16-FEB-2015


The 65th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 5 February 2015 to 15 February 2015.

Muthoot Group tied-up with WWF for its Friends for Life project Published on: 16-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The partnership is aimed at strengthening existing efforts of managing human-elephant conflict (HEC) to protect the habitats of Asian elephants in six

states as 4 priority landscapes and 1 priority site earmarked by WWF-India.

Election Commission announced to launch Electoral Roll Authentication Mission Published on: 16-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

Under the mission, the EC will use the huge database of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to link Aadhaar number of citizens with the

electoral database to further authenticate and purify electoral rolls.

Dr. Tessy Thomas, Geeta Varadan jointly named for Nayudamma Award 2014 Published on: 16-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

This is the first time in the history of the trust that two eminent women scientists are being concurrently honoured.

Infosys announced to acquire automation technology firm Panaya Inc for 1200 crore rupees Published on: 16-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The deal is a part of Infosys Renew and New strategy to enhance the competitiveness and productivity of current service lines by leveraging

automation, innovation and artificial intelligence.

President of Singapore Tony Tan Keng Yam visited India Published on: 16-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The two nations had wide-range of discussions to enhance bilateral relations and to strengthen cooperation on regional and international issues. They

agreed to raise the partnership to a higher level.

Maldivian Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon visited India Published on: 16-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

During the visit, Maumoon met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi and reviewed the developmental projects in Maldives.

Vanaj 2015, the first National Tribal Festival Published on: 16-FEB-2015

Important for Exam: 47 people agreed The weeklong festival has been organised by Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs and will showcase the culture of the tri bal people from across the country.

35th National Games concluded in Thiruvananthapuram Published on: 16-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 101 people agreed

Kerala Governor Justice P Sathasivam was the chief guest on the closing ceremony, while Sachin Tendulkar was the Chief Guest on the opening

ceremony.

BIS announced to develop Standards for Solid Waste Management and Potable Drinking Water Published on: 16-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

The move was aimed at promoting the use of available Indian Standards on street food and public supply of potable drinking water. These standards

will be made mandatory in phased manner.

Virat Kohli became first Indian cricketer to score century against Pakistan in World Cup Published on: 16-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

Virat Kohli scored 107-run at the Adelaide Oval, Australia. The previous highest score by an Indian batsman against Pakistan in World Cup was held

by Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 98 in Centurion in 2003.The US Senate appointed Ashton B Carter as Defense Secretary Published on: 16-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The senate approved the Bill of his appointment with an overwhelming vote of 93 to 5. Carter will be the United States’ 25th and Obama's fourth

defense secretary in six years after Hagel, Panetta and Robert Gates.

Usain Bolt to retire after 2017 World Championships in London Published on: 16-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The six-time Olympic Gold medalist has decided to retire after 2017 World Championships in London in which he will concentrate only in 100 meter

event.



RBI decided to bring back one rupee notes Published on: 14-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 68 people agreed

The notes printed by the Government of India will carry the bil ingual signature of Rajiv Mehrishi, Finance Secretary.

BrahMos missile successfully test-fired from INS Kolkata Published on: 14-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 64 people agreed

It was test-fired from INS Kolkata which was commissioned in Indian Navy in August 2014. BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is one of the fastest

cruise missiles in the world with top speed of Mach 2.8.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated Cricket diplomacy, called four SAARC leaders Published on: 14-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi used Cricket Diplomacy to bridge gap between the five cricket playing SAARC nations. This would help India to better

diplomatic relations with SAARC nations mainly with Pakistan.

Tintu Luka won gold in 800m in 35th National Games Published on: 14-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 52 people agreed

In 800m race, she broke the 18 years old record of Rosa Kutty of Kerala. Tintu finished the distance with a time of 2:01.86 sec to win gold.

Religious decrees cannot override the written code of law: SC Published on: 14-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

The PIL asked the Bench to put its law of stamp on the decrees of di vorce and other such decrees issued by an ecclesiastical court or tribunal.

Arvind Kejriwal sworn-in as Chief Minister of Delhi Published on: 14-FEB-2015

Important for Exam: 15 people agreed The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung at Ramli la Ground, Delhi.

The United Arab Emirates closed its embassy in Yemen Published on: 14-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

The UAE followed Saudi Arabia, the United States, Germany, Britain, France and Italy in shutting their missions in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.

Union Government approved revised Guidelines for Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana Published on: 14-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 47 people agreed

The guidelines were revised to accord priority in the selection of roads for new connectivity as well as upgradation, leading to the eligible habitations in

the Gram Panchayats identified by the Members of Parliament (MP) under Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY).

Researchers found new 3D vaccine for cancer and infectious diseases Published on: 14-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 76 people agreed

The vaccine is able to self-assemble into a 3D structure and manipulate immune cells, teaching them to attack cancer as well as infectious disease.

Parle Products launched nationwide Litter Free Campaign Published on: 14-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

The campaign aimed at setting the course for community and raise awareness with its positive messaging, across the country through a series of

Television Commercials.

SC directed CBI to probe RBI and SEBI in multi-crore chit-fund scam Published on: 14-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

CBI was directed to investigate the role of market regulator SEBI and the RBI for effecting a mechanism.

Chhetri and Devi presented with 2014 AIFF Player of the Year award Published on: 14-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

Earlier, Chhetri was named as the Player of the Year having in 2007, 2011 and 2013 and with this he surpassed the legendary IM Vijayan who won the

award thrice.

Russian Central Bank cut its interest rate from 17 percent to 15 percent Published on: 13-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The move implies a shift in the Bank of Russia's priorities away from clamping down on rising inflation and supporting the ruble, towards trying to

support economic activity, which the bank expects to fall sharply in the coming months.

Pfizer announced to acquire Hospira for 17 billion US dollar Published on: 13-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The acquisition of the British drug maker Hospira would be the largest ever so-called inversion. The deal is the land of opportunity as the deal would

push emerging market for biosimilars.

BT acquired U.K. Wireless Carrier EE for 19 Billion US dollar Published on: 13-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The combination will generate cost savings valued at about 3 billion US dollar. The deal is projected to be completed by March 2016.

RWB released the World Press Freedom Index 2015: India ranked at 136th position




In the WPFI 2015, India was placed at 136th position out of 180 nations that were surveyed worldwide in terms of press freedom.

ICC Cricket World Cup started with ceremonies in Melbourne and Christchurch Published on: 13-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 45 people agreed

Australia and New Zealand are co-hosting the 2015 Cricket World Cup that will see 49 matches spread over 43 days.

Telugu novelist Kesava Reddy passed away Published on: 13-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Veteran Telugu novelist Kesava Reddy passed away on 13 February 2015 in Nizamabad district of Telangana following a prolonged illness.

World Radio Day observed on 13 February Published on: 13-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

The day is observed as a global celebration of radio as a forum for entertainment and information, as a bridge of communication for remote

communities and its role in empowering people.

Editor Unplugged: Media, Magnates, Netas and Me authored by Vinod Mehta Published on: 13-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The author in the book has highlighted the sweeping changes that took place in the print and TV media. He also shared his views on Narendra Modi,

Arvind Kejriwal and the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.

Union Government issued guidelines to tackle increasing number of H1N1 cases Published on: 13-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Union Government asked States to categorise cases for screening, isolation and hospitalization. It has been categorised in three categories.

ICICI Bank Limited tied-up with UAE Exchange to offer instant bank transfer service Published on: 13-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Using FLASHremit service, the customers of the bank residing in UAE can send money instantly to any ICICI Bank account in India in rupee

denominations.

Indian-American Gurpreet Singh presented with National Science Foundation CAREER award Published on: 13-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Gurpreet Singh was honoured for his research on Scalable liquid exfoliation processing of ultrathin two-dimensional metal dichalcogenides nanosheets

for energy storage devices.

PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat died at 84 Published on: 13-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

He was spiritual leader of Malaysia’s opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). For the first time, he was elected to the Parliament of Malaysia on

1967 and since then continued to be an elected politi cian for 48 years.

Odisha Chief Information Commissioner Tarun Kanti Mishra resigned Published on: 13-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Odisha Tarun Kanti Mishra on 12 February 2015 resigned from his position.

SpaceX successfully launched Falcon 9 rocket from Florida Published on: 13-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The rocket carried an unmanned Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite that will be used by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to

monitor the Sun.

Union Government constituted SIT to reinvestigate 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases Published on: 13-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

The SIT was constituted on recommendation of Mathur Committee which in its report asked the government to start a fresh probe in the case. The new

SIT will be headed by Pramod Asthana, an IPS officer of 1986 batch.

US announced new cyber security agency CTIIC to respond to enhanced cyber threats Published on: 12-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The CTIIC will be created as part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and will be structured like the National Counterterrorism Center

(NCTC).

7th round of India Kenya Joint Trade Committee meeting held in New Delhi Published on: 12-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The two sides agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of bilateral investment, infrastructure, SMEs, agriculture, health, energy, skill development &

entrepreneurship, pharmaceuticals and tourism.

Aditya Birla Chemicals to merge with Grasim Industries Published on: 12-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The approval of merger of ABCIL with Grasim was given by the Board of Directors of Grasim Industries Limited.



Uber introduced two new India-specific safety features Published on: 12-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Uber apps will now have a send status feature, where passengers can share details about the driver and the vehicle with their friends and family.

Krishna Chaudhary took charge as DG of ITBP Published on: 12-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had issued orders for appointment of the officer in January

2015.

Himachal Pradesh Government launched Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System Project Published on: 12-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 52 people agreed

The project will connect 177 sites and 114 police stations in the state besides 13 district headquarters, 26 sub-divisional police officers and three police

ranges along with state crime records bureau.

Web-based tool Atrocity Tracking and Monitoring System launched Published on: 12-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

It was launched by National Dalit Movement for Justice with an aim to monitor atrocities perpetrated against Dalits and Adivasis and to deliver timely

and speedy justice.

Digital Magazine App Flipboard launched Web Browser Version Published on: 12-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Users can log in to the new web version to access the same curated content as on their mobile platforms.

35th National Games mascot Ammu named in Limca Book of Records Published on: 12-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 69 people agreed

National Games mascot Ammu, the Great Hornbill entered the Limca Book of Records for its play, Kalikkunna Kuttikalkkayi Bharatham Kathirikkunnu

(India Awaits Children Who Play) in which Ammu is featured.

Microsoft acquired Sunrise for 100 million US dollars Published on: 12-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The Sunrise app will remain in market and free after the acquisition. It will continue to support a wide range of third-party apps and calendar services.

Four new species of Fish discovered in Kerala Published on: 12-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Four new fish species named Puntius nelsoni, Puntius nigronotus, Systomus chryseusand and Systomus rufus were discovered in Kerala by Mathews

Plamoottil, a zoology professor at Baby John Memorial Government College, Kollam.

India Cements Limited transferred IPL team Chennai Super Kings franchise to CSKC Limited Published on: 12-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

The decision was taken by India Cements Vice-Chairman and Managing Director (MD) N Srinivasan led Board of Directors meeting held in Chennai,Tamil Nadu.

West Bengal Government launched Micro Business Credit Card to boost MSME sector Published on: 12-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 68 people agreed

With the help of this card, the small and medium entrepreneurs will be able to avail the cash credit or loan up to 5 lakh rupees for their business

activities.

Brigade of Guards and Sikh Regiment jointly awarded Best Marching Contingents on Republic Day 2015 Published on: 12-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

The award was presented by Chairman Chief of Staff Committee, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha at an award ceremony held at Ministry of Defence, New

Delhi.

Star India Pvt Ltd acquired Telugu television channel Maa Television Network Ltd Published on: 11-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

With this acquisition, Star India will get access to the Telegu TV market, the second largest regional market in India in terms of revenue potential.

HADR Exercise conducted by Indian Navy in the Lakshadweep Islands Published on: 11-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 47 people agreed

The HADR exercise was designed to validate Indian Navy’s readiness and capability to handle major cyclone striking the Lakshdweep Islands and

disrupting essential services, loss of life and dislocation of personnel.

Veteran journalist Diptosh Majumdar died Published on: 11-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Senior journalist Diptosh Majumdar died on 8 February 2015 after suffering from acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) at a private hospital in Delhi.

Union Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports revised Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar Scheme Published on: 11-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed



The Puruskar will be given in four categories, like identification and nurturing the talent, encouragement of sports through CSR, employment of

sportspersons and development of sports.

Delhi Legislative Assembly elections 2015 results declared Published on: 11-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) headed by Arvind Kejriwal secured absolute majority in the assembly by winning 67 seats out of 70 seats.

Dr. Ambedkar National Merit Awards conferred by Thaawar Chand Gehlot Published on: 11-FEB-2015


The awards were distributed among 84 students belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes category.

US closed its embassy in Yemen Published on: 11-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The U.S. Embassy in Yemen is the thi rd in an Arab country that has closed since the turmoil of the Arab Spring began in December 2010.

Fragile Frontiers: The Secret History of Mumbai Terror Attacks written by SK Rath Published on: 11-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The book was published by Routledge, London and simul taneously published in India and the United States in August 2014.

Sanjay Mathur resigned as VP, Global Technology Centres, Asia Pacific at Cisco Systems Published on: 11-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

He was leading a team of 700 engineers and managed the Cisco Technical Assistance Centres in Bengaluru and Sydney since August 2011.

Facebook, Reliance Communications Ltd tied up to provide free Internet access to people Published on: 11-FEB-2015

Important for Exam: 44 people agreed Both the companies jointly launched Internet.org with an aim to bring the power of Internet to a billion people in India in order to increase internet

inclusion.

ICICI Bank launched India's first digital bank, Pockets Published on: 11-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 42 people agreed

Pockets, the digital e-wallet that uses a virtual VISA card that enables the users to transact on any website or mobile application in India can be

downloaded from Google Playstore.

Earth's inner core has an inner core of its own: Study Published on: 11-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 44 people agreed

The findings of the study titled Equatorial anisotropy in the inner part of Earth’s inner core from autocorrelation of earthquake coda were published in

the journal Nature Geoscience.

Japanese industrial designer Kenji Ekuan died Published on: 11-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Ekuan was famously known for crafting a tabletop bottle for Kikkoman Corporation in 1961, winning international popularity both for the handy, flask-shaped dispenser.

Union Government approved increase of authorised Share Capital of NMDFC Published on: 11-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

Union Cabinet approved a proposal to enhance the authorised share capital of the NMDFC to 3000 crore rupees from 1500 crore rupees.

Telecom regulator TRAI released a report Published on: 10-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

India telecom subscriber base reaches all-time high at 970 million at the end of December 2014.

15th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit Published on: 10-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

The summit was organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). The theme of the summit was Sustainable Development Goals and Dealing

with Climate Change.

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured the rare triple-moon conjunction Published on: 10-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

The three largest moons of Jupiter namely Europa, Callisto, and Io were captured by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 while racing across the banded

face of the gas-giant planet. This was a rare occurrence, as the event occurs once or twice in a decade.

Amartya Sen won Charleston-EFG John Maynard Keynes Prize 2015 Published on: 10-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

With this, Professor Sen will receive 7500 British pounds to commission a work of art and will give the annual Charleston-EFG Keynes Lecture at the

Charleston Festival in the United Kingdom.

Union Health minister declared 10 February as National Deworming Day Published on: 10-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 43 people agreed



Union Government declared 10 February as National Deworming Day. On the occasion, National Deworming Initiative was also launched.

North Korea test fires homegrown anti-ship short range missiles Published on: 10-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The missiles hit the sea after about 200 km (120 miles). This is the first t ime the ship and the missiles have been shown by North Korean state media.

Naveen Chopra appointed as Chief Operating Officer of Vodafone India Published on: 10-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

He succeeded Sunil Sood, who was elevated to post of CEO in the company and his tenure as COO wil l start from 1 April 2015.

Google-appointed panel to recommend right to be forgotten for EU only Published on: 10-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Google appointed the panel to advise it on how to implement the ruling from the EU's Supreme Court (SC) ordering it to remove links to information

that is inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant from search results for a person's name.

Union Ministry for Health & Family Welfare launched National Deworming Initiative Published on: 10-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 42 people agreed

The initiative is aimed at protecting more than 24 crore children in the ages of 1-19 years from intestinal worms.

Kiran Bedi released comic book titled Kiran Bedi — Kaise Bani Top Cop Published on: 10-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 53 people agreed

The 32-page Comic book titled Kiran Bedi — Kaise Bani Top Cop is penned down by Bedi’s Sisters Reeta Peshawaria Menon and Anu Peshawaria

and narrates the story of first woman IPS officer of the country.

Alibaba decided to invest 590 million US dollar in Meizu Technology Co Published on: 10-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Alibaba and Meizu issued a joint announcement and said that they would form a long-term strategic cooperative partnership.

China launched first Maritime Silk Road cruise liner from Beihai port Published on: 10-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The cruise was launched from Beihai port located in southwest China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. In its maiden journey, the liner will visit

Vietnam, the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia.

M Ravindran appointed as Chairman of Indraprastha Gas Limited Published on: 10-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

M Ravindran succeeded KK Gupta who has handed over the charge upon completion of his two-year tenure.

Damyant Singh appointed as Brand Director of Adidas India Published on: 10-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Damyant Singh succeeds Tushar Goculdas who will now be the Brand Director-Adidas Emerging Markets.

Vinod Mehta awarded with Yash Bharti Samman 2015 by UP Government Published on: 10-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 108 people agreed

The Yash Bharti Samman is conferred by the Uttar Pradesh Government for excellence in literature, fine arts, folk and classical music and sports.

Adani Enterprises, Rajasthan Government signed MoU to set up 10000 MW Solar Park Published on: 10-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The project will help in producing 16644 million units of clean and green energy and help in reducing carbon footprint by approximately 16.2 metric

tonnes.

First World Ocean Science Congress held in Kochi Published on: 09-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 89 people agreed

The aim of the WOSC was to find sustainable means to uti lize the resources carefully without causing any damage to the oceans and its marine life.

Alibaba signed an agreement to acquire 25 percent stake in One97 Communications Published on: 09-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

With this deal, Alibaba announced its debut in m-Commerce space in India. Both the companies did not disclose the value of the transaction.

57th Annual Grammy Awards Published on: 09-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 71 people agreed

The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on 8 February 2015 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. In all, 83 Grammy Awards were

presented at the function.

68th British Academy Film Awards announced Published on: 09-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 40 people agreed

The awards were announced to honour the best British and international contributions to film in 2014. The nominees for the award were announced on

9 January 2015 by Stephen Fry and actor Sam Clafli n.

Chambal Fertilisers shut down its urea plant in Kota




The plant was shut down due to unfavourable government policy for production beyond 100 per cent capacity of the plant for the fiscal year 2014-15.

Reliance Jio Infocomm President Sumit Dutta Chowdhury resigned Published on: 09-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

He joined Reliance Jio in September 2012 as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for one year and then moved into business leadership role.

Uttarakhand Government launched Himalaya Darshan programme to boost tourism in the State Published on: 09-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

The motto of the programme is to enable common people to fly around the beauti ful mountains of Uttarakhand for 5000 rupees to 10000 rupees.

First Robot-staffed Hotel of the World to open in Japan Published on: 09-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

Japan’s Henn-na Hotel announced its plan to open the modern hotel with robot staff and other advanced technologies. The hotel will be launched on

17 July 2015.

Nickolay Mladenov appointed as UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Published on: 09-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Nickolay Mladenov of Bulgaria appointed as United Nations (UN) Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative

to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority.

Veteran Marathi theatre artist Atmaram Govind Bhende died Published on: 09-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The Father of Marathi Farce and pioneer of experimental plays in Marathi theatre Atmaram Govind Bhende died at the age of 91 in Pune, Maharashtra.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan named in LIMCA Book of Records Published on: 09-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 126 people agreed

Loksabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan's name was included in LIMCA book of records as she is the only woman in India to represent the same

constituency on the same party ticket eight times in a row.

Eminent Marathi writer Bhalchandra Nemade chosen for Jnanpith Award 2014 Published on: 09-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

Eminent Marathi Writer Bhalchandra Nemade, known for his novel Kosala published in 1963 that changed the dimensions of Marathi literature, chosen

for the Jnanpith Award for the year 2014.

Union Government decided to infuse 6990 crore rupees in nine Public Sector Banks Published on: 09-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 63 people agreed

Among the beneficiaries, SBI leads the pack with a capitalization of 2970 crore rupees and is followed by BoB with 1260 rupees, Punjab National Bank

with 870 crore rupees and Canara Bank with 570 crore rupees.

Prime Minister constituted 3 sub-groups of Chief Ministers within NITI Aayog Published on: 09-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 108 people agreed

The three sub-groups within NITI Aayog were constituted to study the 66 centrally-sponsored schemes and for poverty alleviation and creation of

skilled manpower within states.

Siemens bagged orders worth 450 crore rupees from Varanasi-based Diesel Locomotive Works Published on: 09-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Siemens Ltd, a major engineering firm on 9 February 2015 bagged orders worth 450 crore rupees from Varanasi-based Diesel Locomotive Works of

Indian Railways.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott survived vote of confidence on leadership of Liberal Party Published on: 09-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Tony Abbott survived the vote of confidence on leadership as the ruling Liberal Party voted to defeat the spill motion, 61 to 39.

Acclaimed Indian sculptor and artist Mrinalini Mukherjee passed away Published on: 06-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 47 people agreed

Mrinalini Mukherjee was best known for her sculptures crafted using knotted hemp ropes and cast bronzes.

Tata Communications Ltd signed 20 million US dollars deal with KION Group Published on: 06-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

As part of the deal, Tata Communications will replace the KION Group’s existing stable of multiple WAN providers with a single global network.

Jharkhand Government to provide tablets to all girls student of KGBV Published on: 06-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 55 people agreed

The announcement was made during the two days Baal Samagam festival held at Morhabadi Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand.

Madras HC directed Tamil Nadu government to ban beauty contests in colleges Published on: 06-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 39 people agreed



Justice T S Sivagnanam in his interim order said that it is not known as to how walking the ramp would benefit a student pursuing a course of

engineering.

MO Garg appointed as Director General of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research Published on: 06-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

Prior to his present posting, Garg was Director in CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP), Dehradun.

CSIR-NCL signed MoU with Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd Published on: 06-FEB-2015


The MoU is aimed at fostering collaboration on research and exchange of technical expertise in areas of material sciences and testing capabilities for

bank notes, security documents and coins.

TR Zeliang led government won Motion of Confidence in Nagaland Assembly Published on: 06-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Chief Minister of Nagaland TR Zeliang government's trust vote in the 60-member Assembly didn’t saw any opposition.

Twitter, Google signed a deal to make tweets searchable Published on: 06-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 39 people agreed

Under the deal, Google will have complete access to tweets on the social networking site Twitter. The deal will make tweets available outside the

Twitter.

Hurun Report Inc released the Hurun Global Rich List 2015 Published on: 06-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The Hurun Global Rich List 2015 ranked 2089 billionaires from 68 countries. Around 649 billionaires saw their wealth increase and there were 341 new

faces in the list.

Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Studio resigned Published on: 06-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

She resigned after her private mails were leaked. However, Sony Studios has not announced any name to take over the post yet.

77th Annual Convention of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies held in Lucknow Published on: 06-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

Four-day convention was held between 31 January and 3 February 2015. It was held in Uttar Pradesh after a long gap of 30 years.

Zakir Naik won King Faisal International Prize for the year 2015 Published on: 06-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The awards were announced by Mecca Governor Prince Khaled Al-Faisal and KFIP Secretary-General Abdullah Al-Othaimeen. Zaik is an international

preacher on Islam and president of the Islamic Research Foundation of India.

Ajaypal Singh Banga appointed as member of US Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations Published on: 06-FEB-2015

Important for Exam: 17 people agreed His appointment was announced by the US President Barack Obama. Presently, Banga is President and CEO of MasterCard since 2009.

60th Filmfare Awards announced Published on: 06-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 51 people agreed

60th Filmfare Awards were announced in Mumbai. Shahid won the Best Actor (male) award for his role in film Haider and Kangana Ranaut won Best

Actor (female) award for her role in film Queen.

Visitor’s Awards for Best University, Innovation and Research presented by the President Published on: 06-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 58 people agreed

Visitor’s Awards for Central Universities in the categories of Best University, Innovation and Research for the year 2015 were given at a function held at

Rashtrapati Bhavan.

HAL bagged 1090 Crore contract to supply 14 Do-228 Aircraft to IAF Published on: 06-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Along with 14 Do-228 aircrafts, HAL will also supply six reserve engines, one flight simulator and associated equipment. The aircrafts will be

manufactured by the Transport Aircraft Division (TAD) at Kanpur.Micromax became India’s biggest and world’s third largest smartphone vendor Published on: 05-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 64 people agreed

According to the report, in October-December 2014 (Quarter 4), Micromax controlled 22 percent market share in smartphones shipments in India

compared to 20 percent market share of Samsung.

Justice MM Das appointed as Chairman of Commission of Inquiry probing Chit Fund Scam Published on: 05-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

The post was lying vacant since 28 January 2015 after the death of Justice Radha Krushna Patra who was heading this one-man commission.

World Cancer Day observed across the world Published on: 05-FEB-2015




The tagline for the WCD 2015 was Not beyond Us. The tagline signified that solutions do exist across the continuum of cancer, and that they are within

our reach.

JK group chairman Gaur Hari Singhania died Published on: 05-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

He was the president of JK Organisation and a promoter director of JK Cement Ltd since its i nception in 1994.

Union Government constituted Anil Baijal Panel to suggest a framework to assess CSR activities Published on: 05-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

The Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs and the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) will jointly provide the secretarial and technical support to the

panel.

Union Government announced 850 crore rupees development package for Andhra Pradesh Published on: 05-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The development package was provided for the development of backward areas and Rayalaseema and North Coastal region of the State under

Sections 46 (2) and 46(3) of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014

Two algal species Ulva paschima Bast, Cladophora goensis Bast discovered off India’s west coast Published on: 05-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

A team of researchers discovered two algal species Ulva paschima Bast and Cladophora goensis Bast with carbon capture properties.

SMAP: NASA’s first satellite to collect global soil moisture Published on: 05-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 61 people agreed

The satellite is built to measure moisture in the top 2 inches (5 centimeters) of soil. It can measure the moisture content of the soil from its spot in orbitabout 426 miles (685 kilometers) above Earth's surface.

LC Goyal appointed as the Union Home Secretary Published on: 05-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

LC Goyal, a 1979-batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre was appointed as the Union Home Secretary on 4 February 2015. He succeeded Anil Goswami

who resigned from the post.

Gujarat Handloom Corporation signed MoU with E-commerce firm eBay Published on: 05-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Through this MoU, GSHHDC seeks to expand the sales base from retail shops to the online market and to increase the market share of handloom and

handicraft products of Gujarat.

British House of Commons voted to allow creation of babies with DNA from three people Published on: 04-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 44 people agreed

The controversial mitochondria donation procedure includes receiving of a small amount of healthy so-called Mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) from woman

donor into the usual nuclear DNA from its mother and father.Microsoft launched Outlook app for iOS, Android users Published on: 04-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The Outlook app will support Office 365, Exchange, Outlook.com, Yahoo Mail, Gmail, iCloud and other key email services.

International Court of Justice ruled Neither Croatia nor Serbia committed genocide during Balkan War Published on: 04-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The 17-judge panel headed by Judge Peter Tomka ruled that a 1995 Croat offensive to win back the territory from rebel Serbs featured serious crimes,

but did not reach the level of genocide.

Vijay Kumar won the Gold of 25 metre Centre Fire Pistol event at the 35th National Games Published on: 04-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

He won the Gold with a total score of 583 and finished with a clear seven-point lead over Silver medalist Samresh Jung (Himachal Pradesh) with a

score of 576.

Bangladesh Cabinet approved National ICT Draft Policy 2015 Published on: 04-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

The draft seeks establishment of a transparent and accountable government through ICT expansion to enhance the standards of citizen service.

Madhusudhan Prasad appointed as Secretary in the Union MoUD Published on: 04-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

Madhusudhan Prasad was on 3 February 2015 appointed as the Secretary in the Union Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD).

Haryana Government launched e-registration of properties in all tehsils of the State Published on: 04-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The e-stamping of property registration in the state will begin from 15 March 2015. The system will be implemented in all the tehsils by June 2015.

Taj Mahal Gardens perfectly align with Sun Solstices: Study




Amelia Carolina Sparavigna, the author of the study, discovered several alignments between the Sun solstices and the waterways, pathways and

pavilions of the Taj Mahal gardens.

Maharashtra Netball player Mayuresh Pawar died during the 35th National Games Published on: 04-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

Netball player Mayuresh Pawar who was in Kerala to represent Maharashtra in National Games 2015 died due to cardiac arrest few hours after the

match against Chandigarh.Bihar decided to provide free education to SC, ST and girl students till PG Published on: 04-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 45 people agreed

Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and girl students of Bihar will be granted free education till Post Graduation in the state. The decision

was made in meeting of the s tate cabinet of Bihar Government.

NASA Launched its first earth satellite Soil Moisture Active Passive Published on: 04-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

The satellite was lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket.

Saloni Dalal became youngest medal winner in National Games 2015 Published on: 04-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 96 people agreed

12-year-old, Saloni Dalal became the youngest individual medal winner in National Games 2015. She won bronze in 200 meter breast stroke

swimming event.

Sergio Mattarella sworn-in as the President of Italy Published on: 03-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

Sergio Mattarella, 73, a Constitutional Court Judge was elected as the President of Italy on 31 January 2015. He succeeded Giorgio Napolitano

Joint Communiqué of tri-nation meet of Foreign Ministers of India-Russia-China released Published on: 03-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

Foreign Ministers of India, Russia and China released a joint communiqué after 13th meet of Foreign Ministers held in Beijing, China. They

emphasised on to maintain international and regional peace and stability and promoting global economic growth and prosperit y.

SC sought response from Union Government on making Moral Science a compulsory subject in Schools Published on: 03-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 57 people agreed

The bench comprising Chief Justice HL Dattu and Justice AK Sikri issued notices to the Ministry and the CBSE while hearing a PIL filed by lawyer

Santosh Singh.

Madhya Pradesh won the 10th National Award for excellent work in MGNREGA Published on: 03-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 85 people agreed

The award was presented to Madhya Pradesh Panchayats and Rural Development Minister Gopal Bhargava by the Union Rural Development Minister

Virendra Singh at the MGNREGA summit held in New Delhi.

Pakistan successfully test-fired Air Launched Cruise Missile Ra’ad Published on: 03-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

The missile gave Pakistan a strategic standoff capability on land and at sea indicating that Ra'ad can be launched at sea-based targets such as ships

as well as land-based targets.

Lupin got USFDA nod for marketing its diarrhea drug vancomycin hydrochloride in US Published on: 03-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Lupin Limited received final approval from USFDA for marketing generic version of Vancocin capsules of ANI Pharmaceuticals Inc that is used in

treating diarrhea.

Photo journalist Krishna Murari Kishan passed away Published on: 03-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Renowned Photo journalist Krishna Murari Kishan passed away on 1 February 2015 after suffering multi-organ failure at a private hospital in New

Delhi.Telangana government decided to organise Godavari Pushkaralu on the lines of Kumbh Mela Published on: 03-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Cabinet Sub-Committee of Telangana government decided to organise Godavari Pushkaralu event on the lines of Kumbh Mela that is organised on the

banks of Ganga in Northern states.

Andhra Pradesh Government approved reformed Solar, Wind Energy policy Published on: 03-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Single window system, easy permissions and treatment like industries for according clearances are some of the salient features of the two policies

unveiled.



Former Delhi state footballer Peter Gomes died Published on: 03-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Peter Gomes, the former Delhi state footballer who represented Delhi state team in the Senior National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy

died on 30 January 2014. He was 60.

Become a "GK CHAMPION" with a click of your Smartphone Published on: 03-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 148 people agreed

Moving forward in the genre of Mobile Apps, India's Number No-1 Education Website JagranJosh.com brings you the "GK CHAMPION" Free Mobile App.

Nandita Chatterjee appointed as Secretary in the Union Ministry of HUPA Published on: 03-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

Nandita Chatterjee was on 2 February 2015 appointed as the Secretary in the Union Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA).

Arvind Kumar Jain appointed as Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh Published on: 02-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

Jain succeeded Arun Kumar Gupta who retired as the DG Police of Uttar Pradesh on 31 January 2015.

10th century sculpture of Buddha discovered in Thanjavur Published on: 02-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

A headless sculpture of Buddha dating back to 10th century AD was discovered at Manalur village in Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu in January 2015.

India and China jointly launched Visit India Year in China Published on: 02-FEB-2015

Important for Exam: 70 people agreed The initiative is aimed at enhancing the flow of tourists from China to India and to strengthen the people to people bond.

Mithileshwar awarded with Shrilal Shukla Sahitya IFFCO Award 2014 Published on: 02-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

Mithileshwar is the fourth recipient of Shrilal Shukla Sahitya IFFCO Award.

Prasanth Kumar appointed as CEO of MindShare South Asia Published on: 02-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Prasanth Kumar will report to Srinivas, CEO of GroupM South Asia and Gowthaman Ragothaman, COO of MindShare Asia Pacific.

Ashok K Agarwal appointed as General Manager of Southern Railway Published on: 02-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Ashok K Agarwal will continue to hold the post of General Manager, Integral Coach Factory.

Australia defeated England to win Tri-Nation ODI Series Published on: 02-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Australia won the tri-nation One-Day International (ODI) Series by defeating England by 112 runs in the final. The tri-series was played between

Australia, England and India.

Australian Open 2015 Published on: 02-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 98 people agreed

Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams won the men’s and women’s single title, respectively in Australian Open 2015 played in Melbourne, Australia.

Indo-Swiss pair Leander Paes and Martina Hingis was the winner in mixed category.

Japan successfully launched the Information Gathering Satellite Published on: 02-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 63 people agreed

The Satellite was launched from the Tanegashima Space Centre in the Kagoshima Prefecture in the south of Japan.

MiG-21 fighter aircraft crashed in Gujarat’s Jamnagar Published on: 02-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

This was second crash of the MiG-series fighter planes. The first happened on 27 January 2015 crashed in Rajasthan's Barmer district.

Canada announced an anti-terror law criminalising public terror threats, strengthening CSIS


Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced an anti-terror law criminalising public terror threats and giving more teeth to CSIS. This is the 2nd

piece of legislation introduced since the October 2014 terrorist attack in Ottawa and Quebec.

National Awards for e-Governance announced Published on: 02-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

The awards were announced during the 18th National Conference on e-Governance held in Gandhinagar from 30 January to 31 January 2015.

Railway Minister launched Wi-Fi broadband services at Ahmedabad station Published on: 02-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed



Wi-Fi facility was launched at Ahmedabad Railway Station by the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. He also flagged off two new trains namely

Ahmedabad-Chennai express and Ahmedabad-Darbhanga Jansadharan express.

Committee on Infrastructure Development approved development of no-frill airports at Ajmer, Belgaum Published on: 02-FEB-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The Expert Appraisal Committee on Infrastructure Development approved the development of no-frill airports at Kishangarh in Rajasthan and Belgaum

in Karnataka.

Rajni Kothari, Political Scientist and Former Planning Commission member, died Published on: 20-JAN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

He was a member of the Planning Commission during the National Front Government led by VP Singh during 1989 and 1990.



MarchMyanmar Government and 16 Ethnic Rebel Groups signed draft cease-fire agreement Published on: 01-APR-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

The agreement that can be a significant step towards ending decades of conflict was reached after seven rounds of talks.

RBI imposed 5 lakh rupees fine on 16 Central Co-operative Banks for violation of norms Published on: 01-APR-2015


The penalty was imposed for non-adherence of the Know Your Customer and Anti-Money Laundering guidelines.

Fourteenth Multi-Parametric Geophysical Observatory (MPGO) inaugurated in Port Blair Published on: 31-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 97 people agreed

The observatories are set up by the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) to study seismic activities by using multi techniques.

China and Sri Lanka inked five agreements during visit of Maithripala Sirisena to China Published on: 31-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 52 people agreed

The agreements were signed during the Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena to China to deepen development partnership between both the

countries.

Union Ministry of Finance approved 1500 crore rupees for AP Capital construction Published on: 31-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 67 people agreed

The funds will be uti lized to construct essential amenities and administrative buildings in the proposed capital area of Andhra Pradesh.

Australia's IAG to raise stake in SBI General Insurance to 49 percent Published on: 31-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 45 people agreed

IAG decided to increase its stake in SBIGI in the backdrop of the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015 that seeks to increase foreign investment

limit in local insurers to 49 percent from 26 percent.

Port Blair Magnetic Observatory inaugurated to monitor seismic activities Published on: 31-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 75 people agreed

It is a part of network of observatories called as Multi-Parametric Geophysical Observatories (MPGO), established by the Indian Institute of

Geomagnetism (IIG).

WJP released Open Government Index 2015 Report Published on: 31-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 131 people agreed

The Index used four dimensions to assess openness in government functioning. India is placed at the 37th position among 102 countries surveyed.

Union Ministry of Home Affairs proposed initiatives for women security under Nirbhaya Fund Published on: 31-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 58 people agreed

The initiatives are setting up Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF) and Investigative Units on Crime Against Women (IUCAW). The third initiativeis intended to prevent and monitor obscene online content.

God’s Bankers authored by Gerald Posner released Published on: 31-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

Posner through this book has tried to present the secret side of the 200-year history of Vatican finances and the Vatican Bank, the Catholic Church's

completely independent financial institution.

Union Cabinet gave its approval for the Approach and Key Components of e-Kranti Published on: 31-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 39 people agreed

The Mission of e-Kranti is to ensure a Government wide transformation by delivering all Government services electronically to citizens through

integrated and interoperable systems via multiple modes.

Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba took over as Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Naval Command Published on: 31-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba took the charge from Vice Admiral SPS Cheema at the Naval base in Kochi.

Daniel Vettori retired from all forms of International Cricket Published on: 31-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Daniel Vettori is the eighth player in Test history to take 300 wickets and score 3000 runs. He is the youngest player to represent New Zealand in Test

cricket, having made his debut in 1996–97 at the age of 18.

Himachal Pradesh Government launched India’s first e-Vidhan Mobile app Published on: 31-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 116 people agreed

The e-Vidhan system will help the state to save 8 crore rupees per annum that is spent on the paper.

Hockey India conferred inaugural Hockey India Annual Awards Published on: 30-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed



The awards of over 2.80 Crore rupees were presented in a ceremony at New Delhi in the presence of Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports,

Sarbananda Sonowal.

Katsushi Inoue appointed as President and CEO of Honda Cars India Published on: 30-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

Currently, he is working as General Manager in Marketing Planning office in Japan. He has been associated with Honda Motor Co for over 29 years.

Balbir Singh Senior conferred with Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award of Hockey India Published on: 30-MAR-2015


Balbir Singh Senior was a member of three Olympic gold medal winning Indian team, viz., London Olympics (1948), Helsinki Olympics (1952) and

Melbourne Olympics (1956).

Japan organised World’s first Otaku Expo Published on: 30-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The Expo was organized as a part of a special comic book fair held every fi ve years, which attracts about half a million visitors.

ISRO successfully launched IRNSS 1-D Navigational Satellite Published on: 30-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 116 people agreed

The satellite is the fourth of the seven satellites constituting the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS). The satellite will provide

navigation, tracking and mapping services.

Department of Agriculture and Cooperation approved the creation of Price Stabilisation Fund Scheme Published on: 30-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The fund is meant to extend financial assistance to government agencies to procure perishable horticulture produce from farmers and provide them to

consumers at affordable rates during price volatility.

Former Union Minister and veteran Congress Party leader Paty Ripple Kyndiah died Published on: 30-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

He had served as the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs and Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) in 2004 under the UPA-I

government led by Manmohan Singh.

Earth Hour 2015 observed globally from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm local time Published on: 30-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 61 people agreed

The tagline for the Earth Hour 2015 is Change Climate Change and it was observed across 172 nations and territories and around 1400+ iconic

landmarks of the world switched off the lights.

Madan Mohan Malaviya posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna Published on: 30-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 56 people agreed

Pandit Malaviya was born on 25 December 1861 in Allahabad. He studied in Calcutta University and became a school teacher and later a lawyer and

even a newspaper editor. He was the founder of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Hindu Mahasabha.

Michael Clarke retired from ODI cricket Published on: 30-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Clarke, nicknamed Pup, played his debut ODI match on 19 January 2003 against England at Adelaide; while, he played his debut ODI match on 6

October 2004 against India at Bangalore.

Aditi Arya won the fbb Femina Miss India 2015 title Published on: 30-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

She was crowned Miss India 2015 in the 52nd edition of the beauty contest held in Mumbai.

Australia defeated New Zealand to win ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Published on: 30-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 51 people agreed

James Faulkner was declared as the man of the match, while, Mitchell Starc was declared as man of the series. Grant Elliott became only the fifth man

to register a half-century in the semi-final and final of the same World Cup.

Union Cabinet gave approval for the concept and institutional framework of Sagarmala Project Published on: 30-MAR-2015


Sagarmala Project’s main objective is to promote port-led direct and indirect development and to provide infrastructure to transport goods to and from

ports quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively.

Saina, Srikant won India Open Super Series Badminton Women's & Men's Singles titles Published on: 30-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 51 people agreed

In the title clash, Saina defeated Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand 21-16, 21-14. Srikanth defeated Viktor Axelsen of Denmark 18-21, 21-13, 21-12.

Fortune released the list of 2015 roster of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders Published on: 28-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 61 people agreed

The list included Prime Minister of India at 5th rank and Nobel Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi at the 28th rank.



President presented Bharat Ratna award to Atal Bihari Vajpayee Published on: 28-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

The award giving ceremony is usually held at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi, but an exception was made keeping in mind the poor health of the

Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Delhi Government launched India’s first e-ration card Service Published on: 28-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

In this service, E-ration card will be linked with Aadhaar cards and it would enable the beneficiaries of Public Distribution System (PDS) to get the cardsonline from the government’s web portal wi thout hassles.

ISRO won Gandhi Peace Prize 2014 Published on: 28-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

The Indian space agency successfully launched Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) and at a very cost effective price of 450 crore rupees.

Nobel Laureate John Nash won Abel Prize 2015 for work on partial differential equations Published on: 27-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

He will share the Prize with Louis Nirenberg, Professor Emeritus at New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. They both will

share the prize money of 760000 US dollar.

International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and Transatlantic Slave Trade observed Published on: 27-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

Women and slavery was chosen as the theme for the year 2015 in a tribute to the many women who suffered and died during the slave trade.

ADB sanctioned 300 million US dollars under SCRIP for road construction in NBNE region Published on: 27-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program aims to achieve regional integration among the members of the SASEC group by improving

regional connectivity within the North Bengal-North Eastern Region in India.

UN unveiled Arc of Return for victims of transatlantic slave trade Published on: 27-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The arc was unveiled at the UN headquarters in New York by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the occasion of the International Day of

Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Railway Minister flagged off first goods train from Lumding to Silchar in Assam Published on: 27-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Lumding is a town and a municipal board in Nagaon district in Assam, while, Silchar is the headquarters of Cachar district of Assam.

TC Goyal to retire from the post of Managing Director of DLF Limited Published on: 27-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

He had joined the company in 1981 and was elevated to the position of managing director in 1998. Goyal successfully steered the company in variousphases of its growth and expansion.

Union Government announced 430 crore rupees project for production of Geo-textile in NE region Published on: 27-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The Geo-textile is very helpful in protecting the infrastructure like roads, especially in the regions like the North East which receive excessive rain.

ADB released Asian Development Outlook 2015 Published on: 27-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Asian Development Outlook of ADB also projected that India's growth rate will surpass China in FY2015 and FY2016. In FY2015 India is expected to

grow at the rate of 7.8 percent and 8.2 percent in FY 2016.

Supreme Court stayed AFT's decision to quash Army's 2009 Promotion Policy Published on: 27-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice TS Thakur stayed the operation of the 2 March 2015 decision of the AFT that quashed

its 2009 promotion policy titled Command Exit Model, calling it discriminatory.

RBI signed Currency Swap Agreement with Central Bank of Sri Lanka Published on: 27-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

The Reserve Bank of India on 25 March 2015 signed a 400 million US Dollars currency swap agreement with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The

agreement is valid for a period of three years from the date of signing.

Union Government sanctioned 250 crore rupees to Andhra Pradesh to set up Polavaram SPV Published on: 27-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be the implementing agency of the Polavarm Multi Purpose Irrigation project which was accorded national

status by the Union Government in 2014.

India and ADB signed 300 million US dollar loan agreement to improve connectivity in NE Region Published on: 27-MAR-2015




The agreement was signed in New Delhi and the funds will be utilized to improve road connectivity in the North Bengal-North Eastern Region.

CNN IBN announced Indian of the Year Award 2014 Published on: 27-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 45 people agreed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi won the Indian of the Year Award 2014 while Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley won the award in Politics category and

N Chandrasekaran, CEO, Tata Consultancy Services, won the award in Businness category.

Union Ministry of Coal launched Electronic Coal Projects Monitoring Portal (e-CPMP) Published on: 27-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

It is an institutional mechanism to automate the entire tracking of issues related to stalled projects from submission of a new project to commissioning

on time.

Book titled Food for All written by Uma Lele Published on: 27-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The book surveys the food and agricultural development assistance delivered by five major international organizations since their establishment to

gauges their relevance, effectiveness, and impacts in a dramatically changed world.

Land customs station inaugurated at Zokhawthar in Mizoram along the Indo-Myanmar border Published on: 27-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated a land customs station at the Indo-Myanmar border trade centre at Zokhawthar in Champhai district of Mizoram.

Vikas Swarup appointed as MEA spokesman Published on: 27-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

Swarup will replace incumbent Syed Akbaruddin and will take the charge on 18 April 2015, a day after the return of Prime Minister Narendra Modi fromhis tour to France, Germany and Canada.

Delhi HC became the first court in India to set up commercial courts for speedy disposal of cases Published on: 26-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 97 people agreed

Chief Justice of Delhi HC G Rohini designated four benches to act as commercial courts.

KM Mani appointed as chairman of the Empowered Committee of State FM’S on GST Published on: 26-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 44 people agreed

The Union Finance Ministry approved his appointment on 24 March 2015. The post is vacant since former Jammu and Kashmir finance minister quit

the position in December 2014.

Novel titled Family Life written by Akhil Sharma won the Folio Prize 2015 Published on: 26-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

The book tells the story of Ajay Mishra who moves from Delhi to the United States as a child in the late 1970s.

Ministry of Railways constituted Ajay Shankar Committee to review PPP Cell functioning Published on: 26-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 42 people agreed

The Committee will recommend measures to make the cell more effective, customer friendly and result oriented.

Dalal Street Investment Journal presented the 6th PSU Awards Published on: 26-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 44 people agreed

Dalal Street Investment Journal (DSIJ) presented the awards to fifteen PSUs under various catergories in recognition of performance excellence and

their contribution to the economy.

Renowned Hindi poet Gopaldas Neeraj won the Rashtriya Kavi Pradeep Samman for the year 2012-13 Published on: 26-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

90-year-old poet Neeraj won the award for his immense contribution in the field of literature.

India’s first Polar Remotely Operated Vehicle operationalised in North Antarctica Published on: 26-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 52 people agreed

PROVe has been deployed in Priyadarshini Lake located on the Schirmacher Oasis, which is a major source of water for Maitri, India’s second base in

the Antarctica.

Vice president released book title Faces and Places written by Prof. Deepak Nayyar Published on: 26-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 86 people agreed

The book brings together a selection of the author’s photographs that have been taken over the past four decades.

Saudi Arabia launched military operation against Houthi rebels in Yemen Published on: 26-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The coalition of 10 countries, including the Gulf Cooperation Council has launched the strike and currently, the action is confined to airstrikes on

various targets around Yemen, but the other mi litary assets were being mobilised.

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the National Super Computing Mission Published on: 26-MAR-2015




The mission aims to develop High Performance Computing (HPC) facilities indigenously and setting up a supercomputing grid connecting academic

and Research and Development institutions across the county.

Usha International Limited won the Gold award at 6th Flame Awards 2015 Published on: 26-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

It was awarded in recognition of its rural marketing initiative to extend their footprint into small towns and villages.

Cipla launched generic of drug Sofosbuvir under the brand name Hepcvir for treating Hepatitis C Published on: 26-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The drug will be available in Indian market till the end of March 2015.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched PRAGATI platform for redressal of grievances Published on: 26-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 78 people agreed

PRAGATI is a multi-purpose and multi-modal platform aimed at addressing grievances of common man. It aims at simultaneously monitor and review

Union Government programmes and projects as well as projects flagged by State Governments.

Union Government felicitated the winners of the third Web Ratna Awards Published on: 26-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was awarded the Platinum icon award for the Comprehensive Web presence in the Web Ratna Awards

2014.

Researchers at York University provided experimental evidence that stars may generate sound Published on: 26-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

John Parsley from the University of York while examining the interaction of an ultra-intense laser with a plasma target found that interfering plasmagenerates a series of pressure pulses, that is, sounds.

NASA's Curiosity rover discovered biologically useful Nitrogen on Mars Published on: 26-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

The discovery adds to the evidence that suggests ancient Mars was habitable for life. The findings were made by a team of NASA scientists using the

SAM instrument suited on the rover.

India and Qatar inked six agreements to increase commercial and economic exchanges Published on: 26-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

India and Qatar signed an agreement on transfer of sentenced persons, allowing Indian convicts in Qatar to complete their remaining sentence in India

and Qatar convicts in India to complete remaining sentence in Qatar.

Vikramjit Singh Oberoi appointed as Managing Director of EIH Limited Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

Currently, Vikram Oberoi is a Joint MD and Chief Operating Officer (COO). He joined EIH’s board first as a non-executive director in December 1993

and became an Executive Director in July 2004.Union Government sanctioned 2000 crore rupees under NDRF for drought-hit districts of Maharashtra Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

The 2000 crore rupees will be spent to meet the expenses of emergency response, relief and rehabilitation measures in the drought affected areas of

the state.

Indian Navy commissioned three Immediate Support Vessels (ISVs) in Vishakhapatnam Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

These ISVs will be operated from Vishakhapatnam and will augment the Navy’s capabilities to protect the porous maritime borders and offshore assets

like petroleum and natural gas production sites.

Google Inc appointed Ruth Porat as Chief Financial Officer Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

She succeeded Patrick Pichette who announced his retirement on 10 March 2015. Currently, she is working as Chief Financial Officer at Morgan

Stanley.

Dolly Shivani Cherukuri became the youngest Archer to enter India Book of Records Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

Dolly Shivani Cherukuri became the youngest Indian to score 388 points over five and seven-metre distances in the recurve segment.

Indian-American author Akhil Sharma won The Folio Prize 2015 for novel Family Life Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

He was presented with the winner trophy by Jean-Marc Rathe of The Folio Society and a cheque of 40000 pound at the awards ceremony held in

London.

Flight 4U 9525 of Germanwings Airbus A320 crashed in French Alps Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed



At the time of crash, A320 Aircraft, flight 4U 9525, was flying from Barcelona to Dusseldorf. Authorities recovered the Black box of the Airbus 320 from

the crash site.

Artist Bharti Kher conferred with the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of France Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

She was awarded for her contribution in contemporary art landscape. Kher's artworks span several mediums like painting, sculpture and installation.

China announced to shut down last coal-fired power plant in Beijing by 2016 to cut pollution Published on: 25-MAR-2015


These four major coal-based power plants will be replaced by four gas-fired stations with capacity to supply 2.6 times more electricity than the coal

plants.

18th Round of Talks between India and China on the Boundary Question held in New Delhi Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

The India was represented by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and China was represented Yang Jiechi, State Councillor of China.

Amitav Ghosh among the 10 finalists shortlisted for 2015 Man Booker International Prize Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

Kolkata born, Ghosh is the only Indian who was shortlisted in the final list of this prestigious award. In 2008, he narrowly missed out the Prize, when he

was shortlisted for his work Sea of Poppies.

Gujarat Philatelic Exhibition Gujpex-2015 inaugurated in Ahmedabad Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The exhibition is organized by the Gujarat postal circle to show case collection of stamps on various themes and to promote the hobby of philately.

Forbes released the Forbes 2015 Midas List Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

The list was topped by Jim Goetz of Sequoia Capital. He was on first spot for the second year in a row due to WhatsApp, the mobile messaging

company acquired by Facebook for 22 billion US dollar.

NMCG asked five State Municipal Bodies to furnish Ganga Action Plan within 15 days Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

NMCG directed 118 Municipalities/ Urban Local Bodies and 687 industrial units in these States to furnish the action plans directly to the concerned

State Program Management Group (SPMGs) in the respective State.

US agreed to keep 9800 troops in Afghanistan through the end of 2015 Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The decision on the change of plan was announced at a press conference in Washington between President Barack Obama and President Ashraf

Ghani.

Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries sanctioned 17 Mega Food Parks Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

So far 42 Mega Food Parks (MFPs) have been sanctioned that includes newly sanctioned 17 MFPs and already operational 25 MFPs. These parks are

aimed at creating infrastructure facilities to reduce food wastage and create value addition.

Scientists at ANU found the world’s largest asteroid impact zone in Warburton basin, Australia Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The study claims that the 400-kilometer (250-mile) wide area is buried deep in the earth’s crust and consists of two separate impact scars.

Benjamin Nethanyahu of Likud Party won the Israel Elections 2015 Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

In the elections the incumbent Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu's party secured 29 seats. It was followed by center-left Zionist Union party of Isaac

Herzog which secured 24 seats and Joint Arab List or Hadash party came at thi rd place

Twitter Samvad launched for direct communication between Government and Citizens Published on: 25-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 39 people agreed

Through Twitter Samwad, the government bodies can have a direct communication with citizens on a daily basis via Tweets and SMS on their mobiledevices.

62nd National Film Awards announced Published on: 24-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 201 people agreed

The Hindi film Haider starring Shaheed Kapoor won five awards and the film Queen won two awards which included Best Actress Award for Kangana

Ranaut

Indian Railways launched RuPay pre-paid debit cards Published on: 24-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 125 people agreed



The RuPay pre-paid card was launched by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the Railways' tourism and catering arm, in

collaboration with the Union Bank of India.

Union Ministry of Health and Welfare launched Media Campaign for Mission Indradhanush Published on: 24-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 58 people agreed

The campaign was launched for creating awareness regarding the importance to fully immunize every child against all vaccine preventable diseases in

the country.

Madhav Gadgil and Dr. Jane Lubchenco won Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement 2015


They were named for the award for their leadership and engagement in the development of conservation and sustainability policies in the United

States, India and internationally.

Union Cabinet approved the Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill, 2015 Published on: 24-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The bill is intended to repeal 758 Appropriation Acts passed by the parliament between 1950 and 2012.

World Tuberculosis Day 2015 observed globally Published on: 24-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 52 people agreed

The World TB Day is annually celebrated on 24 March to commemorate the day on which Dr. Robert Koch discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the

TB bacillus in 1882.

Supreme Court declared Section 66A of Information Technology Act, 2000 as unconstitutional Published on: 24-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 68 people agreed

The Supreme Court stated in it’s order that the section is in contravention to the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression provided under

the Article 19(1) of the constitution.

President’s award for Sanskrit, Pali/Prakrit, Arabic and Persian language conferred Published on: 24-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The scheme for award of Certificates of Honour was introduced in the year 1958 to honour the scholars of Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian Languages.

The scheme was extended to cover Pali/ Prakrit in 1996.

PM announced to set up Shaheed Bhagat Singh PG Institute for Horticulture Research & Education Published on: 24-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 47 people agreed

Hussainiwala is a village in Firozpur district in Punjab, India, where Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were cremated on 23 March 1931 and it is at

this place National Martyrs Memorial stands.

Maharashtra Government announced to make Sale of Gutka a non-bailable offence Published on: 24-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The accused will be booked under Section 328 of the IPC, which is non-bailable and could lead to imprisonment for a term which may extend up to 10

years with fine.

Indian-American Renu Khator elected as Chairperson of Board of Director of ACE Published on: 24-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

She was elected as the Chairperson of the ACE’s Board during the ACE's 97th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. She succeeded James H. Mullen

Jr and she will serve for a period of one year.

Shashi Kapoor selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2014 Published on: 24-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 42 people agreed

He also appeared in notable British and American films like The Householder, Shakespeare Wallah, Bombay Talkie, Heat and Dust, Siddhartha and

Muhafiz.

Former Army Chief Sarath Fonseka became first Field Marshal of Sri Lanka Published on: 23-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

Under his leadership, the 26-year Sri Lankan Civil War came to an end in 2009 in which the rebels Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were

defeated by the Sri Lankan army.

SEBI Board approved SEBI (International Financial Services Centres) Guidelines, 2015 Published on: 23-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 44 people agreed

The guidelines for IFSCs aim to provide an enabling environment for setting up of capital market infrastructure like stock exchanges, clearing houses,

depository services, etc., in such centres

Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won the women doubles title of BNP Paribas Tennis Open Published on: 23-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis, the Indo-Swiss women pair of Tennis defeated the Russian pair of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 6-3, 6-4 in

the final played at Indian Wells, USA.

World Meteorological Day 2015 observed with the theme Climate Knowledge for Climate Action




The theme of the WMD highlights the growing necessity to disseminate knowledge related to Climate Change and actions to be taken to contain it.

World Water Day 2015 observed with the theme Water and Sustainable Development Published on: 23-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 55 people agreed

The theme for the World Water Day (WWD) 2015 talks about how water links to all areas we need to consider creating the future we want.

SEBI Board approved SEBI (Issue and Listing of Debt Securities by Municipality) Regulations, 2015 Published on: 23-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The regulations will enable the resources starved municipalities across the country to mobil ise financial resources from capital market.

Rajendra Singh, the Water Man of India, named as the 2015 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate Published on: 23-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 58 people agreed

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Patron of the Stockholm Water Prize, will present the prize to Rajendra Singh at a Royal Award Ceremony during

World Water Week in Stockholm in August 2015.

Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of Singapore died Published on: 23-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

Lee was respected as the architect of Singapore’s prosperity who stepped down as Prime Minister of Singapore in 1990 by handing over the power to

Goh Chok Ting.

Novak Djokovic won Indian Wells Open Tennis Men's Singles title Published on: 23-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

In Men’s Singles title, Serbian Novak Djokovic defeated the Swiss player Roger Federer 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2. While, Simona Halep of Romania defeated

former Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 to win the Women’s Singles title.

Renault Nissan Automotive India appointed Colin Macdonald as Managing Director Published on: 21-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 80 people agreed

He will be responsible for the operations of the Renault-Nissan Alliance factory at Oragadam, near Chennai.

Conference on Counter-Terrorism deliberated on CBRN Terrorism Published on: 21-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The conference discussed policy and technological strategies to curb CBRN(Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) Terrorism

National Action Plan for Skill Training of Persons with Disabilities launched in New Delhi Published on: 21-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 46 people agreed

National Action Plan for Skill Training of Persons with Disabilities was launched in New Delhi on 21 March 2015 to enable persons with disabilities to

get employment, access markets for their products and learn cutting-edge skills.

1st Counter-Terrorism Conference 2015 held in Jaipur Published on: 21-MAR-2015


The first international conference on counter-terrorism was held in Jaipur for three days from March 19 2015 to March 21 2015 to discuss emerging

policy and technological issues related to counter-terrorism activities. The central theme of the Conference is Integrated Approach to Counter-

Terrorism.

Lata Mangeshkar won the Laadli Voice of the Century award Published on: 21-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

Legendary Singer Lata Mangeshkar dedicated the award to the women in the country, and said she would like to be called Lata Laadli, just as she is

called Lata didi.

Delhi High Court restrained Glenmark from manufacturing its anti-diabetes drugs Zita and Zita-Met Published on: 21-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

A bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and Najmi Waziri said company has prima facie infringed the patent of the US drug major Merck Sharp and

Dohme (MSD).

Martin Guptill scored the highest-ever score of 237 in Cricket World Cup history Published on: 21-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 46 people agreed

Martin Guptill scored second double century of the World Cup. The first World Cup double century was scored by Chris Gayle, which is also the fastest

ODI double century in history of ODI cricket.

Marathi Folk legend Shahir Krishnarao Sable died Published on: 21-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Shahir Sable was an accomplished singer, wri ter, playwright, performer, Loknatya (Folk Theater) producer-director.

International Day of Forests observed with the theme Forests and Climate Change Published on: 21-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 59 people agreed



The theme for the 2015 International Forestry Day is Forests and Climate Change which highlights forest-based solutions to address climate change

mitigation and adaptation, and more broadly forests and sustainable development.

Pakistani cricketers Misbah-ul-Haq, Shaid Afridi retired from ODI cricket Published on: 21-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

They retired after the World Cup quarter-final match against Australia played at Adelaide, Australia. In the quarter-final, they lost to Australia by six-

wickets.

Union Cabinet approved Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) to impart skill training to youth


The Union Cabinet approved the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) on 19 March 2015 wi th an objective to provide skill training to youth.

Union Cabinet approved 33% women reservation in police forces of all Union Territories Published on: 21-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

The reservation would apply to all existing vacancies in police forces of the UTs and any vacancy arising later and also covers reserved categories like

SCs, STs and OBCs.

Amitabh Bachchan roped in as Brand Ambassador for Campaign against Hepatitis B Published on: 21-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 46 people agreed

The campaign against Hepatitis B is a part of the Union Government’s ambitious child immunization programme named Mission Indradhanush, against

seven vaccine-preventable diseases.

World Sparrow Day observed with the theme I Love Sparrows Published on: 21-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

The day is observed to raise awareness of the house sparrow and other common birds to urban environments, and of threats to their populations.

NYU announced Prison Education Programme to Educate US Prisoners Published on: 20-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

The programme offers credit-bearing, university courses that wil l enable students to earn an Associate of Arts (AA) degree from the university.

Union Ministry of Environment to launch National Air Quality Index in April 2015 Published on: 20-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 75 people agreed

The National Air Quality Index is a simple, composite, and easy to understand measure of air quality.

Cher Wang Co-founder of HTC Corporation takes over as CEO Published on: 20-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Peter Chou will remain at HTC and will start a new role as the head of the HTC Future Development Lab, a new division of the company responsible

for coming up with new products.

Indian Parliamentary Diplomacy- Speaker’s Perspective written by Meira Kumar released Published on: 20-MAR-2015

Important for Exam: 105 people agreed The book contains number of lessons from the observations of former Speaker Meira Kumar.

CII signed agreement with NUS to improve India’s rating on ease of doing business Published on: 20-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The MoU aimed to enhance the ease of doing business and bring the rating of India amongst the top 50 countries from the present 142nd slot as per

World Bank Report.

Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser died Published on: 20-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

He was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia and the Leader of the Liberal Party from 1975 to 1983.

Dehradun-Varanasi Janta Express derailed near Rae Bareli district of Uttar Pradesh Published on: 20-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Two coaches of the Dehradun-Varanasi Janta Express derailed at Bachhrawan railway station near Raebareli district of Uttar Pradesh.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni became first Indian Captain to register 100 ODI wins Published on: 20-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

Dhoni achieved 100 wins in 178th ODI and joined the Australian pair of Ricky Ponting (165 wins) and Allan Border (107 wins).

Snapdeal acquired logistics firm GoJavas to strengthen its delivery operations Published on: 20-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Snapdeal has been scouting for acquisitions in mobile technology and supply chain space. Snapdeal counts global eCommerce giant eBay, Temasek,

Myriad, Tybourne, Blackrock Inc and Premji Invest among its investors.

Ramachandran appointed as vice-chair of International Relations Commission of ANOC Published on: 20-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed



Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president N Ramachandran was appointed vice-chair of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC)

international relations commission.

Hyderabad International Airport handled record 10 million passengers in 2014-15 Published on: 20-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad clocked 10 million passengers in the financial year 2014-15. It also registered highest

growth in passenger traffic and cargo volume among all the international airports in the country.

Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan named as President of Britain’s Royal Society


Ramakrishnan shared the 2009 chemistry Nobel Prize for discovering the precise structure of ribosomes - the molecular machines that manufacture

proteins inside all living cells - with Thomas Steitz and Ada Yonath.

Indian Railways roped in Ratan Tata to lead Kaya Kalp council Published on: 20-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

Innovation council Kaya Kalp is formed to suggest innovative ways to transform the Indian Railways.

Eco-restoration project for Kinnerasani Sanctuary in Telangana announced Published on: 19-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

The project will be implemented in 716 hectares of land under the Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary limits in Kothagudem Mandal with an estimated cost

of 60 lakh rupees.

Haryana Budget 2015-16: Highlights Published on: 19-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

For the sake of environment and soil health, the VAT on bio-fertilisers as bio-feritilser was removed and the rate of VAT on LED lights, pipe fittings and

pre-fabricated steel structures was reduced to 5 percent from 12.15 percent.

Maharashtra Government announced to rename Girgaum Chowpatty as Swaraj Bhoomi Published on: 19-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

Girgaum Chowpatty is the oldest and most famous beach of Mumbai, Maharashtra. It remains one of the best spots from which to see the sunset in

Mumbai.

Bihar Budget 2015-16: Highlights Published on: 19-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

State Government of Bihar led presented the state budget for the financial year 2015-16 of 120685.32 crore rupees. The budget, has no new tax

proposals.

Air Marshal Sohail Aman appointed as Chief of Pakistan Air Force Published on: 19-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

His appointment was approved by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz sharif and he will take the charge immediately from incumbent Air Chief

Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt.

NGT directed Indian Railways to impose a fine of 5000 rupees for littering on railway property Published on: 19-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The order was given with an aim to implement the genesis of Swacch Bharat Abhiyan and was passed by a bench headed by NGT Chairperson

Justice Swatanter Kumar.

Air-to-Air missile Astra successfully test fired from ITR Chandipur in Odisha Published on: 19-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 81 people agreed

Indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile, Astra, was successfully test fired from a Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft on 18 March

2015.

Lok Sabha passed the Warehousing Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2015 Published on: 19-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

The Bill seeks to amend the Warehousing Corporations Act, 1962, which established central and state warehousing corporations for the purpose of

warehousing agricultural produce and other commodities.

Lok Sabha passed Repealing and Amending Bill, 2014 Published on: 19-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

Lok Sabha passed the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2014 with a voice vote on 18 March 2015 which repeals 35 outdated laws either partially or

completely.

Lupin to acquire additional 40 percent stake in S Aftrica's Pharma Dynamics Published on: 19-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

With this acquisition, Lupin has 100 per cent stake in the company. Pharma Dynamics will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lupin.

Sri Lankan duo Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara retired from ODI cricket Published on: 19-MAR-2015




The duo veteran cricketers of Sri Lankan cricket team announced retirement from ODI format of game after their team lost World Cup quarter–final to

South Africa in Sydney.

Haryana Government decided to issue UIDAI-like numbers for cows Published on: 19-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 45 people agreed

The scheme will establish identity of cows, their security and provide them benefits of health schemes.

HDFC Bank launched mobile app Chillr to instantly transfer money to any person in India Published on: 18-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 68 people agreed

Chillr is a first-of-its kind application that is linked directly to customers’ bank accounts and is exclusively for customers of HDFC Bank

India to host seventh Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in 2016 Published on: 18-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 147 people agreed

This will be the first AMCDRR to be hosted by India in the post-2015 framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, though India had hosted the Second

AMCDRR in 2007.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Mauritius Published on: 18-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit joined the National Day celebrations in Mauritius as the guest of honour and also visited the Ganga Talao

in Mauritius.

Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan Published on: 18-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The conference was hosted by the Government of Japan in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), assecretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.

Tripura Biodiversity Board launched a project to link conservation to economic concerns Published on: 18-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

The project aims to strengthen the implementation of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and Biological Diversity Rules, 2004.

Union Government appointed VK Mathur, Girija Shankar as Chairmen of Allahabad, Chennai bench of DRAT Published on: 18-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

VK Mathur was appointed as the Chairman of Allahabad bench of DRAT while Girij a Shankar was appointed as Chairman of Chennai bench of DRAT.

China-backed AIIB to be joined by France, Germany, Italy Published on: 18-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

France, Germany and Italy have followed the UK in joining the China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Seychelles Published on: 18-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the Plaque and Operationalisation of Radar for the CSRS India-Seychelles Cooperation Project in Seychelles.

Anil Kakodkar resigned from the post of Chairman of Board of Governors of IIT Bombay Published on: 18-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Prior to his appointment as the Chairman of the IIT Bombay’s Board of Governor in 2006, he served as the Chairman of the Atomic Energy

Commission from 2000 – 2009. From 1996 – 2000 he served as the Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay.

Tropical grass Darbha identified as an eco-friendly food preservative by SASTRA University Published on: 18-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The finding evolved from the study conducted on the grass Darbha which was jointly undertaken by the Centre for Nanotechnology and Advanced

Biomaterials (CeNTAB) and the Centre for Advanced Research in Indian System of Medicine (CARISM) of the SASTRA University under the

supervision of Dr. P Meera and Dr. P Brindha respectively.

Lewis Hamilton of Britain won Australian Grand Prix of Formula One Published on: 18-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

This was the 34th overall Grand Prix win for Hamilton and first Australian Grand Prix win for since 2008.

BJP MLA Kavinder Gupta elected as Speaker of 12th Legislative Assembly of J&K Published on: 18-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Gupta is a BJP MLA from Gandhinagar constituency of Jammu region and he replaces the Pro-tem Speaker Muhammad Shafi of the regional National

Conference.

Rajya Sabha passed Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015 by voice vote Published on: 18-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 50 people agreed

The bill is seeking to increase foreign investment limit in local insurers to 49 percent from 26 percent and will replace the Insurance Laws (Amendment)

Ordinance, 2014.

Union Cabinet approved the Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill, 2015




Concealment of income and assets and evasion of tax in relation to foreign assets will be prosecutable with punishment of rigorous imprisonment up to

10 years. Also, such offences have been made non-compoundable.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sri Lanka Published on: 18-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 41 people agreed

This was the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Sri Lanka since 1987. He also became the first Indian Prime Minister to make journey to

Jaffna and Talaimannar region of Sri Lanka.Union Environment Ministry revoked suspension of Goa mines Published on: 18-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

This revocation paved a way for resumption of iron ore extraction in 72 mines of total 89 in the state. The remaining mining areas are located within the

one-kilometre radius of wildlife sanctuaries.

Supreme Court quashed the Union Government’s decision to include Jats in the Central OBC list Published on: 17-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 55 people agreed

As per the Mandal Commission’s recommendation though Caste is a prominent factor it cannot be the sole factor of determining the backwardness of a

class.

SIPRI released Trends in International Arms Transfers 2014 report Published on: 17-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 47 people agreed

According to it, India is the world's largest importer of weapons and mili tary equipment, accounting for 15 percent of global imports, with Russia being

its majority supplier.

Union government launched new body NCCF to develop national forest certification system Published on: 17-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

NCCF will develop national forest certification system and standards till 2016. National forest certification system would also help in combating climate

change.

Union Ministry of DoNER announced to appoint Mary Kom as brand ambassador of NE region Published on: 17-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

She as the brand ambassador of the Northeast will showcase the potential of the region which offers 2.4 trillion rupees business opportunities across

various sectors.

Wipro appointed Abid Ali Neemuchwala as COO and Group president Published on: 17-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The move is intended to help the company to s treamline processes and allow dealing with strategic priorities at the company.

Supreme Court cautioned government officials not to insist on Aadhaar Published on: 17-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

SC asked the Union Government to write to all the state governments to ensure that the officials adhered to the apex court order of September 2013

wherein it had held that Aadhaar was not mandatory for the people.

Mirach decided to file 400 million US dollar defamation suit against Sahara Group Published on: 17-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Mirach Capital alleged that the fail ed financing deal with the Sahara Group has caused irreparable harm and shaken investor confidence.

Ashu Suyash appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of CRISIL Published on: 17-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 41 people agreed

She will succeed Roopa Kudva and will take charge from June 2015. Rupa Kudva was the MD and CEO of CRISIL from 2007 to September 2014. She

had joined CRISIL in 1992.

Haryana Assembly passed Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Bill, 2015 Published on: 17-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 39 people agreed

It prohibits the slaughter of cow and its progeny and imposes punishment of up to 10 years with a fine ranging from 30000 rupees to one lakh rupees

for any violation.Services won the 69th edition of Santosh Trophy of Football Published on: 16-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 54 people agreed

In the final played at Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana, Punjab, it defeated hosts Punjab 5-4 via tie-breaker. With this, Services won the Santosh

trophy for the fourth time. Earlier it had won the trophy in 2013, 2012 and 1961.

Pioneer of Israeli Cinema Lia van Leer died Published on: 16-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

She was the founder of Israel Fi lm Archive, Jerusalem Cinematheque, Haifa Cinematheque and the Jerusalem Film Festival.

PHD Research Bureau released a Survey on working women in Delhi Published on: 16-MAR-2015




The survey focused on the problems faced by working women which adversely affect their performance and career growth. The results of the analysis

have been divided into three categories: Work Life Balance, Health Concerns and Workplace Health provisions.

Veteran Gandhian Narayanbhai Desai died Published on: 16-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

He was the son of Mahatma Gandhi's diarist Mahadev Desai who also was the personal secretary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Development officers working in LIC are not workmen under Industrial Disputes Act, 1947: SC Published on: 16-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

The decision was given by a SC bench comprising of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Prafulla C Pant said that there was no flaw in the judgment

rendered by the Allahabad HC.

Powerful Cyclone Pam hit south Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu Published on: 16-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The cyclone Pam, a category five tropical storm, brought destructive 270 kilometre-per-hour winds and torrential rain along with it.

World Consumer Rights Day 2015 observed with the theme Helping consumers choose healthy diets Published on: 16-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 70 people agreed

The theme for WCRD 2015 is Helping consumers choose healthy diets and it was taken up by the Consumers International (CI) to focus on unhealthy

diets that involve four of the ten biggest causes of death worldwide

Facebook acquired shopping search engine TheFind Published on: 16-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

Both Facebook and TheFind cast the acquisition as a way to l ift the digital advertising business of FacebookKidambi Srikanth won the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold title of Badminton Published on: 16-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

World Number 4 Srikanth defeated World Number 6 Viktor Alexson of Denmark 21-15, 12-21, 21-14 to win the men’s single title of the men’s

championship.

Global CO2 emissions from energy sector stalled for the first time in 40 years in 2014: IEA Published on: 14-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 58 people agreed

As per the preliminary data released, global emissions of carbon dioxide stood at 32.3 billion tonnes in 2014 which is same as in the year 2013.

Inhuman conditions in prisons are the direct result of overcrowding in prisons Published on: 14-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

If prisons conditions in India have to be improved then reducing the overcrowding of prisons should be the starting point. This in turn means that

number of under-trials should come down.

Supreme Court sought information on number of prisoners in jail from Union Government Published on: 14-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The information was sought by the Social Justice Bench of SC comprising of Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice UU Lalit. The bench was hearing a

Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging inhuman conditions prevailing in 1382 prisons across the country.

Noise Pollution in India: Rules and Judgments Published on: 14-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 56 people agreed

Under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, the citizens have a right of a decent environment and they have a right to live peacefully, right to sleep at

night and to have a right to leisure which are all necessary ingredients of the right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Mumbai HC directed Maharashtra Government to set up a redressal mechanism against noise pollution Published on: 14-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The court further said that organizers of the religious festivals do not have the right to take away the fundamental right of citizen to silence and to live in

peace and comfort given in Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

Veteran fantasy author Sir Terence David John Pratchett passed away Published on: 13-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Sir Terry Pratchett was famously known as the creator of the Discworld series of more than 40 interconnected comic novels.

Indian-origin Ganasen Reddy awarded with KwaZulu-Natal 2015 National Teachers Awards Published on: 13-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 51 people agreed

KwaZulu-Natal 2015 National Teachers Awards is a Li fetime Achievement Award for teaching in South Africa.

Union Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers launched Pharma Jan Samadhan scheme Published on: 13-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 81 people agreed

The Pharma Jan Samadhan scheme will put in place a speedy and effective complaint redressal system with respect to availability and pricing of

medicines.

Times Higher Education released The World Reputation Rankings 2015




This year rankings show that the United Kingdom boasts 12 of the 100 most renowned higher education institutions in the world.

World Kidney Day 2015 observed with theme Kidney Health for All Published on: 13-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 50 people agreed

The World Kidney Day is annually observed on the second Thursday in March. It is a joint initiative of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and

the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF).

Mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles started in Ganjam district of Odisha Published on: 13-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

On the first day of nesting, around 10000 female turtles laid eggs in over 3-km-long sandy beach from Gokharakuda to Podampetan and it is

anticipated that the unique phenomenon would continue for some more days.

High Courts cannot entertain plea against Armed Forces Tribunal: Supreme Court Published on: 13-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

SC held that HCs cannot entertain a petition under Article 226 against the order passed by AFT as Section 30 of AFT Act stipulates that an appeal

against the final decision or order of the Tribunal shall lie in the Supreme Court.

British Irish Visa Scheme came into force in India Published on: 13-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The scheme allows Indian nationals to travel to the United Kingdom and Ireland on a single-visit visa from either country, on the same trip.

Karnataka clinched eighth Ranji title of cricket Published on: 13-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 39 people agreed

Defending champions Karnataka defeated Tamil Nadu by an innings and 217 runs in the title clash played at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.

N Sakthan elected as Speaker of Kerala Assembly Published on: 12-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

He succeeded G Karthikeyan who died on 7 March 2015 in Bangalore, Karnataka following a prolonged illness.

Delhi government decided to enhance financial powers of bureaucrats Published on: 12-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Administrative secretaries will now be able to clear, the works and schemes which cost up to 10 crore rupees without taking nod from the Finance

Department. The existing cap was 5 crore rupees.

Veteran sports journalist K Baskaran died Published on: 12-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Veteran sports journalist K Baskaran died on 11 March 2015 following a brief il lness.

India and Mauritius inked five MoUs to give impetus to bilateral relations Published on: 12-MAR-2015


Union Government also offered a concessional line of credit of 500 million US dollars to Mauritius for key infrastructure projects and waived off the fee

on the Electronic Travel Authorisation to visiting Mauritian citizens.

India and Seychelles signed four agreements to boost security cooperation Published on: 12-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 57 people agreed

Modi also launched the Coastal Surveillance Radar Project in Seychelles, describing it as another symbol of the cooperation between the two

countries.

Google CFO Patrick Pichette announced his retirement Published on: 12-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Pichette joined Google as CFO since August 2008 when Google was roiled by the economic downturn caused by the financial crisis.

Indian Railways signed MoU with LIC for implementing Railway projects Published on: 12-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 48 people agreed

Under this MoU, LIC will make available a Financial Assistance of 150000 crore rupees to the Indian Railways for implementing Railway projects

Union Government appointed Nine Executive Directors in Public Sector Banks Published on: 12-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 73 people agreed

The appointments were approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on the recommendation of selection panel headed by the Reserve

Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan.

Aditya Birla Retail acquired Total hypermarket Published on: 11-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

Total Hypermarkets will be merged with Aditya Birla Retail's hypermarket and supermarket brand More

Industrialist Deepak Khaitan died Published on: 11-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed



BM Khaitan Group has companies like Eveready Industries, Mcleod Russel and Mcnally Bharat Engineering among others.

Kumar Sangakkara created history by scoring four successive centuries in a Cricket World Cup Published on: 11-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

Sangakarra leads the run-scoring chart in the 2015 World Cup with 496 runs in 6 innings and 124 runs against Scotland was his 25th ODI century.

1998 Asian Games gold-medallist Dingko Singh included in National Boxing Selection panel Published on: 11-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Currently, Dingko Singh is working as a coach at the Imphal centre of the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

US President Barack Obama nominated David Hale as Ambassador to Pakistan Published on: 11-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

He has been the US Ambassador to Lebanon since 2013. Hale previously served as the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace from 2011 to 2013 and

as Deputy Special Envoy for Middle East Peace from 2009 to 2011.

United Arab Emirates won the bid to host AFC Asian Cup 2019 Published on: 11-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

The announcement was made by the AFC Executive Committee in a meeting at Manama, Bahrain.

Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs released the data of top ten Corporate of 2014 Published on: 11-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 40 people agreed

In term of assets, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is the largest corporate with assets worth 3.68 lakh crore rupees. RIL is followed by state-owned Indian

Oil Corporation (IOC) with assets worth 2.52 lakh crore rupees and mortgage lender Housing Development Finance Corp (HDFC) with assets worth

2.25 lakh crore rupees.

Maharashtra government started helpline for distressed adolescents Published on: 11-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

This helpline has been set up under the aegis of National Adolescent Health Programme, which is a part of the National Health Mission.

Blackstone appointed former COO of Unilever Harish Manwani as Global Executive Adviser Published on: 11-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

As a Global Executive Advisor, Manwani will assist and guide selected Blackstone portfolio companies across the world and help in diligencing

investment opportunities.

Land Acquisition (amendment) Bill, 2015 passed in Lok Sabha Published on: 11-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 301 people agreed

Before being passed the Union Government made nine amendments in the Bill (more than 50 were proposed) which was promulgated on 29

December 2014. But it refused to bring back the consent clause or social impact assessment.

Attorney General is a public authority under the RTI Act, 2005: High Court of Delhi Published on: 11-MAR-2015

Important for Exam: 33 people agreed Justice Vibhu Bakhru pointed out that the functions of AG are also in the nature of public functions and as required by Article 76(2) of the Constitution

of India. It is a public authority within the meaning of section 2(heart) of the RTI Act.

Visit Britain roped in Saif Ali Khan to promote Bollywood Britain campaign Published on: 11-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The agency through Bollywood Britain campaign wants to focus on locations featured in Hindi films to attract more Indian visitors and also popularise

Wales, Scotland and other destinations, which are not so popular among Indian tourists.

First Kisan Call Centre of North-East opened in Agartala, Tripura Published on: 10-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 69 people agreed

KCC was financed by the Tripura government. It will be run by a private enterprise with experts of agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and animal

husbandry.

Indian-American Kumar P Barve decided to run for US Congress in 2016 elections Published on: 10-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

He will contest on for the seat vacated by Congressman Chris Van Hollen of Republican Party.Solar powered plane Solar Impulse-2 took off to round-the-world odyssey from Abu Dhabi Published on: 10-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 52 people agreed

Solar Impulse-2 is expected to spend the next five months in its journey navigating the world in the hands of Swiss pilots Bertrand Piccard and Andre

Borschberg.

Maharashtra launched Bhagyashree scheme for girl child Published on: 10-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 138 people agreed

As per the scheme, the state government will deposit an amount of 21200 rupees in bank for a girl child born in a Below the Poverty Line (BPL) family.

Former Lok Sabha member Sadashivrao Dadoba Mandlik died Published on: 10-MAR-2015




He was from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and became member of the 15th Lok Sabha from Kolhapur constituency.

Simone Gbagbo, the former first lady of Ivory Coast, jailed for 20 years Published on: 10-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Simone Gbagbo was sentenced for her role in violence and undermining state security that followed the Presidential elections in 2010, in which about

3000 people died.

Prime Minister launched India’s first indigenously developed rotavirus vaccine Rotavac Published on: 10-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 79 people agreed

The vaccine will boost India’s efforts to combat infant mortality due to diarrhea.

German professor Beck-Sickinger rejected Indian intern application citing rape problem Published on: 10-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

She rejected the internship application, saying she does not accept any Indian male student for internship as she has heard a lot about the rape

problem in India, which she cannot support it.

Union Government released Digital Gender Atlas for Advancing Girls Education Published on: 10-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

This web based tool was developed with the support of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Veerappa Moily selected for Saraswati Samman 2014 Published on: 10-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 86 people agreed

Divided into five volumes, Ramayana Mahanveshanam was first published in 2007 in Kannada. Later the poem was translated into English, Hindi,

Telugu and Tamil.Senior Journalist Vinod Mehta died Published on: 09-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Senior Journalist and writer Vinod Mehta died due to multiple organ failure at All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara announced retirement from Test cricket Published on: 09-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

Sangakkara had already taken retirement from One-Day International (ODI) and Twenty-20 cricket.

Eighth India-Nepal combined exercise named Surya Kiran VIII concluded Published on: 09-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

The exercise tried to create a greater understanding between Indian and Nepalese Army and develop interoperability in Jungle Warfare and Counter

Terrorism operations in mountainous terrain.

Ashwin Mittal appointed as CFO of Walmart India Private Limited Published on: 09-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Walmart India also appointed Javier Rojo as the head of its Real Estate and Business Development.

President presented Stree Shakti Puraskars and Nari Shakti Puruskars for the year 2014 Published on: 09-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

The Stree Shakti puraskars are conferred to six women, while Nari Shakti Puraskars are conferred on 8 womens.

Kerala Tourism won the silver prize of Golden Gate award for promoting the backwaters of Kerala Published on: 09-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

The campaign was conceptualised by Kerala State’s Tourism Department’s creative and marketing agency Stark Communications.

First Indo- Nepal Friendship Motor Rally concluded at India Gate Published on: 09-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The rally was flagged off at Puri, Odisha on 27 February 2015. Twenty four teams and about 90 participants from India and Nepal covered 3060 Km

during the ten-day rally in both countries.

Aapki Beti Humari Beti scheme launched in Haryana Published on: 09-MAR-2015


The scheme for girl child, Aapki Beti Humari Beti was launched with an aim to combat the problem of declining child sex ratio in the state.

International Women’s Day 2015 observed with theme Make it Happen Published on: 09-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 59 people agreed

The theme for the 2015 International Women’s Day is Make it Happen and it encourages effective action for advancing and recognizing women.

Islamic State Group bulldozed ancient city of Nimrud in Iraq Published on: 07-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 60 people agreed

Nimrud overlooking the Tigris River was founded in the 13th century BC and was considered the jewel of the Assyrian era.

NASA's Dawn Spacecraft completed its Orbit around Dwarf Planet Ceres




The spacecraft was approximately 38000 miles (61000 kilometers) away from planet Ceres when it was captured by the dwarf planet’s gravity.

UST Global launched Women’s Safety App iSafe for Thiruvananthapuram City Police Published on: 07-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 48 people agreed

Through the app, women will be able to send instant alerts to the police control room by using the panic button or just by the long press of volume

rocker (down) key of their mobile phones.

Sri Lanka temporarily suspended Colombo Port City Project of China Published on: 07-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 40 people agreed

Colombo Port City project is the single-largest FDI in Sri Lanka worth 1.5 billion US dollar. The project was inaugurated in September 2014 by Chinese

President Xi Jinping.

Artificial glacier in the form of Ice stupa to store water inaugurated in Phyang village of Ladakh Published on: 07-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

This stupa can store two million liters of water while another 6 million liters of water absorbed in the ground will add moisture to the earth for tree

plantation.

India and Spain signed an agreement on Mutual Protection of Classified Information Published on: 07-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 47 people agreed

The agreement was signed by the Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Defence Minister of Spain Pedro Morenes Eulate. It was signed during the

official visit of Defence Minister of Pedro Moremes to India.

RBI eased the norms for Housing Loans Published on: 07-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

RBI allowed banks to include stamp duty and registration and other documentation charges to the cost of a unit.

Kerala Assembly speaker G Karthikeyan passed away Published on: 07-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

Kerala Legislative Assembly Speaker G Karthikeyan passed away on 7 March 2015 in Bangalore, Karnataka following a prolonged illness.

Kathmandu-Varanasi-Kathmandu bus service flagged off Published on: 07-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

The bus service was launched under the ambit of Motor Vehicle Agreement signed between India and Nepal during the 18th SAARC Summit.

NRDC, CCRAS signed Memorandum of Agreement to commercialise ayurvedic medicines Published on: 07-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The MoA provides Intellectual Property Rights services to CCRAS in India and abroad.

Prime Minister inaugurated two units of Shree Singaji Thermal Power Project in Khandwa, MP Published on: 07-MAR-2015


Two units each of 600 MW in first phase of Shree Singaji Thermal Power Project were inaugurated at Dongliya village in Khandwa district of Madhya

Pradesh.

Subway opened an all-women operated outlet in Mumbai Published on: 07-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

With the new outlet opening in suburban Andheri, the Connecticut-based company's store count has now reached 500 in India. Subway entered India

in 2001. It operates in 70 ci ties across the country and has plans to take its total number of stores to 1000 by 2018.

Indian-American Sunil Sabharwal re-nominated as Alternate Executive Director at IMF by the US Published on: 07-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

US President Barack Obama re-nominated Sunil Sabharwal, an independent Indian-American investor, to a key administration post as Alternate

Executive Director at the IMF.

Rajya Sabha passed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2015 Published on: 07-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 76 people agreed

The Bill will replace the Citizenship (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015 that was issued in January 2015 to merge the PIO and OCI schemes.

Flipkart acquired mobile ad network AdiQuity Published on: 07-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The deal marked the online retailer's first acquisition in 2015 so far. The acquisition is aimed at increasing advertising muscle of Flipkart.

Former Bihar Chief Minister Ramsundar Das died Published on: 07-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

He became Chief Minister of Bihar following resignation of Karpuri Thakur, who was heading Janta Party government in Bihar after Congress was

voted out of power in assembly election in Bihar in 1977.

RBI adopted Inflation Targeting as a policy tool for monetary regulation




Inflation targeting is defined as an economic policy in which a central bank estimates or decides for a medium-term target inflation rate.

BBC released a documentary film India's Daughter Published on: 05-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 71 people agreed

The film is based on the Delhi gang rape and murder of the 23-year-old female named Nirbhaya that took place on 16 December 2012. The film was

simultaneously released in Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway and Canada.

CCEA gave nod to extend PDS Kerosene, Domestic LPG Subsidy Scheme Published on: 05-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

It also approved extension of the Freight Subsidy Scheme 2002 for far-flung areas till 31 March 2015. The Freight Subsidy Scheme 2002 provides for

freight subsidy to PDS Kerosene and Domestic LPG consumers in far-flung areas.

Reliance Infrastructure Ltd announced acquisition of Pipavav Defence Company Ltd Published on: 05-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

As part of the acquisition, Reliance Infrastructure wi th its wholl y-owned subsidiary Reliance Defence Systems Private Ltd wi ll pay 819 crore rupees to

buy 18 percent stake from Nikhil Gandhi-led Pipavav Defence.

Lok Sabha passed Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015 Published on: 05-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 87 people agreed

The Bill hikes Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) cap in the insurance sector to 49 percent from present 26 percent.

Australia created the record for highest ever score of 417 in Cricket World Cup Published on: 05-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 51 people agreed

Australia broke the previous record of highest runs in World Cup held by India of 413 for 5, created against Bermuda.

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar completed his SAARC Yatra Published on: 05-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

During the SAARC Yatra, he visited four countries namely Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan. He held talks with his counterparts of

respective nations and their leaders to.

Lok Sabha passed Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2015 Published on: 05-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

The Bill has provisions for allocation of coal mines through a transparent bidding process like e-auction that will ensure the continuity in coal mining

operations.

Maharashtra Government scrapped 5% reservations to Muslims in government jobs Published on: 05-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

The ordinance was passed by the previous Congress-NCP led government on 24 July 2014 and lapsed after completion of 6 months from the date of

issue.

Assam Assembly passed a resolution on continuation of Special Category status of the state Published on: 05-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The resolution on Special Category status of Assam was moved in the house by Agriculture minister Rokibul Hussein and says that Assam’s share in

central assistance scheme should not be more than 10 percent.

Union Ministry of Shipping signed agreement with Toyota for Export of Automobile Units Published on: 04-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The agreement mainly includes the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) commitment to use KPL as their primary port and KPL will give volume

based discount on the tariff on certain facilities for smooth functioning of the operations.

RBI reduced Repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.5 percent Published on: 04-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 98 people agreed

This is the second time since January 2015 that RBI reduced the repo rate by 25 basis points. With this, the reverse repo rate under the LAF stands

adjusted to 6.5 percent, and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank rate to 8.5 percent.

Union Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways launched a website Shipping Samvad Published on: 04-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 44 people agreed

The objective of the website is to invite innovative ideas and suggestions from general public and experts related to Indian maritime sector for

improvements in the shipping, ports and inland waterways sector.

Three South Asian women selected for International Women of Courage Award Published on: 04-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 48 people agreed

They were among the 10 extraordinary women selected from 10 countries for the award for demonstrating exceptional courage and leadership in

advocating for peace, justice, human rights and gender equality.

Lok Sabha passed Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2015 Published on: 04-MAR-2015




The Bill seeks to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 to bring e-rickshaws and e-carts into the ambit of the Act.

Sun Pharmaceutical announced to buy GlaxoSmithKline's opiates business in Australia Published on: 04-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Sun Pharmaceutical announced to buy GlaxoSmithKline's opiates business in Australia.

Istanbul Civil Court of Peace fined Turkish President for calling Monument to Humanity a Monstrosity Published on: 04-MAR-2015

Important for Exam: 10 people agreed The court ordered Erdogan to pay compensation to artist Mehmet Aksoy for psychological damage caused to him after he called Aksoy’s sculpture,

symbolizing Armenian-Turkish friendship, a monstrosity.

Rani Mukerji awarded by National Institute of Gender Justice for representing the cause of women Published on: 04-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 45 people agreed

Rani is the first ever film personality to be felicitated with this prestigious award. She was awarded for creating awareness about child trafficking in New

Delhi.

Union Government and RBI signed an agreement on Monetary Policy Framework Published on: 04-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 48 people agreed

The agreement empowers the RBI to go for inflation targeting that is common in developed countries and it also empowers RBI to monitor its monetary

policy framework.

Indian-American physician Rahul Jindal selected for Fulbright Nehru Distinguished Chair Published on: 04-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Rahul Jindal is a Professor of Surgery and Global Health at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland.Lok Sabha passed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015 Published on: 04-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 43 people agreed

The bill amends the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 in order to regulate the mining sector i n the country.

Ornithologist KS Lavkumar Khachar died at 84 Published on: 04-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Ornithologist and naturalist K S Lavkumar Khachar died.

Maharashtra Government approved the proposal to issue Aadhar-linked ration cards Published on: 04-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Under this two-phased programme, Aadhar-linked ration cards will be distributed to all ration card holders in the state and all PDS outlets across the

state will be connected with a mobile terminal technology–enabled biometric network.

Kirket, a film on former Indian cricketer Kirti Azad’s life launched Published on: 04-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Kirti Azad is the actor of the film that is based on his cricket journey and highlights the difficulties of Bihar cricket. It is story of talented but

underprivileged young boys who can do wonders if given chance.

World’s largest and tallest Indian flag unfurled in Faridabad Published on: 04-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 86 people agreed

The flag was unfurled by BJP president Amit Shah, Haryana CM M L Khattar and Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor.

World Wildlife Day observed globally Published on: 04-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 51 people agreed

The 2015 theme of the World Wildlife Day is it’s time to get serious about wildlife crime. The day is to raise awareness of the multitude of benefits that

conservation provides to people.

ECI launched National Electoral Roll Purification and Authentication Programme Published on: 03-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 52 people agreed

Election Commission of India launched NERPAP with the prime objective to bring a total error-free and authenticated electoral roll.

Royal Mint unveiled new Coinage Portrait of the Queen Elizabeth II


The new portrait designed by engraver Jody Clark shows a r ight side profile of the 88-year-old monarch wearing a crown and drop earrings.

Union Railways Ministry launched Customer Complaint Web Portal and Mobile Application Published on: 03-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

This Customer Complaint-cum-Suggestion portal and mobile App can be freely downloaded and will be useful to track the status of the complaints

registered on this portal.

IAS officer Kewal K Sharma appointed as Delhi Chief Secretary Published on: 03-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed



At present, Sharma is the chief secretary of Goa. Sharma was appointed as the Goa chief secretary on 1 January 2015.

Forbes magazine released Global Billionaire’s 2015 annual list Published on: 03-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 98 people agreed

Forbes magazine released Global Billionaire’s 2015 annual list and Bill Gates topped the global billionaires list with worth of 79.2 billion US dollars.

President gave assent to Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill 1995 Published on: 03-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 61 people agreed

The law says that if anyone is found selling beef or in possession of it can be jailed for five years and fined up to 10000 rupees.

Mary Kom to quit boxing after 2016 Rio Olympics Published on: 03-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

She want to retire after the 2016 Rio Olympic Games as her body would not be able to cope with the rigours of the sport any further.

Huawei launched first Android Wear Smartwatch Huawei Watch Published on: 03-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Huawei Watch was launched in classic, business and sporty versions powered by Google’s Android Wear operating system.

Baldev Sharma appointed as chairman of National Book Trust Published on: 03-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 39 people agreed

Panchajanya is an Indian weekly newspaper published by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Hindi.

Lok Sabha passed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2015 Published on: 03-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 91 people agreed

The Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 which regulates the acquisition and determination of citizenship and details registration of OverseasCitizens of India and their rights.

Egyptian court declared Hamas as terrorist group Published on: 03-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Hamas is accused of meddling into the country’s internal affairs and supporting insurgents in Sinai Peninsula.

Roger Federer won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Published on: 03-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

Roger Federer defeated Novak Djokovic 6-3, 7-5 to win the Dubai Championship title of Tennis. This was 7th title in Dubai for Federer.

Core sector growth of India declined to 13-month low in January 2015 Published on: 03-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

Core sector growth declined to 13-month low of 1.8 percent in January 2015 as compare to 3.7 percent in 2014.

Online Taxi-service aggregator Olacabs acquired TaxiForSure Published on: 03-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

As per the acquisition deal, the leadership and all 1700 employees of TaxiForSure will continue to work with the company.

Union Budget 2015-16: Vision 2022 Published on: 03-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 76 people agreed

To emerge as a prosperous country and a responsible global power, Union Government wants to achieve the thirteen points of the vision by 75th year

of Independence of India.

Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba won 2014 Mo Ibrahim Prize for African Leadership Published on: 03-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Pohamba was awarded for serving the country since its independence and his leadership has renewed people’s trust in democracy. He is a role model

for the African continent.

Rafael Nadal of Spain won the Argentina Tennis Open Published on: 02-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

This was Nadal’s 46th career clay-court title, thus, he equalled the record of Guillermo Vilas of Monaco who played during 1970s and 1980s.

China launched Silk Road Infrastructure project in Northwest Province of Gansu Published on: 02-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

This project will facilitate exchange of trade and tourism between China and central Asian Countries.

Avalanches hit Panjshir Valley of northern Afghanistan Published on: 02-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Earlier in second and third week of February 2015, the area was devastated by avalanches and flooding in which at least 286 people have died. These

recent environmental devastation is believed to be worst in past 30 years.

Defence Acquisition Council approved buying of 38 Pilatus trainer aircraft for Indian Air Force Published on: 02-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed



Besides, DAC appointed Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) as the lead agency to build 12 Mine Counter Measure Vessel (MCMV) for the Navy. The

decision was taken by DAC meeting chaired by Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Jagmohan Dalmiya unanimously elected as President of BCCI Published on: 02-MAR-2015Important for Exam: 48 people agreed

Besides, five Vice Presidents were also elected. They are Andhra's Gokaraju Gangaraju (south zone), Assam's Goutam Roy (east), ML Nehru of

Jammu and Kashmir (north zone), CK Khanna (Delhi, central zone) and TC Matthews (Kerala, west zone).



AprilLow quality plastic items banned in Ahmedabad Published on: 01-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The ban was issued after it was found that low grade plastic waste is resulting in chocking of man-hall and drainage system.

Marathi actress Bimba Modak passed away Published on: 30-APR-2015


Eminent Marathi film and stage actress Bimba Modak passed away on 29 April 2015 due to her old age.

Union Government approved continuation of 1000 rupees Monthly Pension Scheme under EPS Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The move would benefit over 20 lakh pensioners under social security scheme run by Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).

Logo of the International Day of Yoga launched Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 84 people agreed

The logo was selected by a committee of yoga experts constituted by Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and

Homoeopathy (AYUSH).

Ananda Kumar, Pramod Patil won Whitley Awards for wildlife conservation Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

Kumar & Patil were awarded for their work of enabling human-elephant co-existence in Southern India and protection of the iconic great Indian bustard

in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan, respectively.

Microsoft Corp announced to allow Android and Apple phone apps to Windows 10 Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The decision is aimed to attract the users, as Microsoft has fai led to get any real t raction on tablets and phones, partly because of a lack of apps.

NRSC, DoLR signed MoU for development of Web Geo Portal Shrishti and Mobile App Drishti Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The MoU was signed by Sandeep Dave, Joint Secretary of DoLR and VK Dadhwal, Director of NRSC.

Flipkart acquired mobile marketing firm Appiterate Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Appiterate helps ecommerce companies target consumers better and increase sales by using push notifications and in-app messages.

Seychelles became 161st Member of WTO Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 51 people agreed

This approval by WTO ended the 20-year long wait of the country of being a member of WTO, as the country was negotiating its accession terms since

31 May 1995.RBI imposed a fine of 1.5 crore rupees each on three Public Sector Banks for violating KYC norms Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

These three PSBs are Bank of Maharashtra, Dena Bank and Oriental Bank of Commerce.

Gopinath Pillai resigned as Chairman of Gateway Distriparks Limited Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The company has named co-founder Prem Kishan Gupta as the new Chairman. He is working as the Managing Director since the start of the

company.

CCEA gave approval for engaging Maharashtra Cotton Growers Federation to undertake MSP operations Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The CCEA also approved additional fiscal allocation under Non-Plan Grant to meet the anticipated losses in disposal of cotton.

India, Japan signed Action Agenda for Investment and Trade Promotion Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The action agenda contains five items, which can help in furthering the trade re lations between India and Japan.

Union Cabinet approved Smart Cities Mission with an outlay of 48000 crore rupees Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

The mission is intended to develop 100 smart cities across the country by promoting smart solutions for efficient use of available assets, resources

and infrastructure with the objective of enhancing the quality of urban life.

Rajya Sabha passed Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014 Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 48 people agreed

The Amendment Bill 2014 seeks to amend the Regional Rural Banks Act, 1976, which provided process for the incorporation, regulation and winding

up of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs).



Sri Lankan Parliament adopted the 19th Amendment to the Constitution Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

This amendment has reduced the power of Executive President and also put into place a Constitutional Council for making key government appoints.

Japan proposed new JWG on Nuclear deal Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoichi Miyazawa proposed a new Joint Working Group to discuss civil nuclear co-operation with

India during his meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

Union Cabinet approved Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) of 500 cities Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 45 people agreed

The mission is intended to make urban areas more livable and inclusive besides driving the economic growth with an investment of 50000 crore rupees

over next five years.

PropTiger acquired Makaan.com Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

PropTiger is the online realty services fi rm backed by media magnate Rupert Murdoch.

Singer Jack Ely famous for song Louie Louie passed away Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Jack Ely was an American guitarist and singer.

Tourist Visa scheme extended to 31 more countries Published on: 30-APR-2015

Important for Exam: 23 people agreed With the latest addition, the total number of countries under the scheme will go up to 76. Earlier in November 2014, the e-Tourist Visa scheme was

launched for 45 countries from nine designated Indian airports.

Mukesh Khanna appointed as Chairperson of Children's Film Society of India Published on: 30-APR-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

Children's Film Society India (CFSI) was founded by, India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1955 as an autonomous body under the

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Venezuela announced to cut working hours to tackle energy crisis Published on: 29-APR-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

State employees would now work from 07:30-13:00 to save on air conditioning as there wi ll be surge in energy demand due to extremely hot weather.

RBI issued revised guidelines on Priority Sector Lending Published on: 29-APR-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 23 April 2015 issued revised guidelines on Priori ty Sector Lending.

Nursultan A Nazarbayev re-elected as President of Kazakhstan Published on: 29-APR-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Nazarbayev won the elections with a whopping 97.7 percent of the total votes while the other two opponents Turgun Syzdykov and Abelgazy Kusainov

won a combined 2.3 percent of the total votes.

ISRO successfully tested indigenous cryogenic engine CE-20 with four-tonne capacity Published on: 29-APR-2015Important for Exam: 58 people agreed

This engine will enable scientists to put satellites of up to the capacity of four tonnes in geostationary orbit.

Novelist Siddhartha Gigoo won 2015 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Asia region Published on: 29-APR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

With this victory, Gigoo will compete with the other four regional winners for the 5000 pounds grand prize which will be announced in London on 8

September 2015.

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud appointed Mohammed bin Nayef as Crown Prince Published on: 29-APR-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz was relieved from his duties.

Union Cabinet approved Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 Published on: 29-APR-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

The proposed amendments will fill the gaps in the domestic anti-corruption law and will help in meeting the country's obligations under the United

Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) more effectively.

Raja Rajeswari became the first India-born woman to be sworn in as Judge of New York City Published on: 29-APR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

She was sworn-in as a criminal court judge by Mayor Bill de Blasio at a ceremony in New York.

China won the World Team Chess Championship in Tsaghkadzor



Published on: 29-APR-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

China emerged champion, with 15 points. Ukraine finished runner-up with 12 points, while host Armenia was third with 11.

Georgia won Women’s World Team Chess Championship held at Chengdu Published on: 29-APR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The championship was held at Chengdu, China from 18 Apri l 2015 to 29 April 2015 under the aegis of FIDE.

Union Government reconstituted Nehru Memorial Museum Library Society Published on: 29-APR-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The decision to recast the NMMLS was announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 41st AGM of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library

(NMML) Society.

Oscar-winning cinematographer Andrew Lesnie passed away Published on: 29-APR-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

The Oscar-winning cinematographer Andrew Lesnie passed away on 27 April 2015 following a fatal heart attack.

World Dance Day observed globally Published on: 29-APR-2015Important for Exam: 52 people agreed

World/International Dance Day was introduced in 1982 by the International Dance Council (CID, Conseil International de la Danse), a UNESCO partner

NGO.

NGT banned burning of waste in open in Delhi NCR Published on: 29-APR-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

As per NGT, burning of garbage and other material like plastic is responsible for nearly 30 percent of the air pollution in the capital and its suburbs.

Jagran Rahat Kosh, an initiative of Dainik Jagran for Nepal Earthquake Relief launched Published on: 29-APR-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

To help the victims of the earthquake of Nepal, Jagran Praksahan Limited started the relief Kosh by contributing 1 crore rupees. It also appealed the

countrymen to contribute whatever they can.

Delhi government approved farmer compensation scheme named after Gajender Singh Published on: 29-APR-2015Important for Exam: 48 people agreed

Gajendra Singh is the person who allegedly committed suicide during an AAP rally on 22 Apri l 2015 by hanging himself wi th a tree.

Margarita, with a Straw won Best Feature Film Award at Washington Film festival Published on: 29-APR-2015Important for Exam: 125 people agreed

Kalki Koechlin-starrer Margarita, with a straw is a disability drama. In the film, Kalki has played role of a cerebral palsy patient named Laila. The film

also stars Revathi and Sayani Gupta in prominent roles.

Railways won 5th Senior Men’s National Hockey championship Published on: 29-APR-2015


In the final match played in Pune, Maharashtra, Railways defeated Uttar Pradesh Hockey (UPH) by 5-3.

Japan and the US revised defence deal after 18 years to deal with growing global security concern Published on: 28-APR-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The guidelines allow for global cooperation militarily, ranging from defence against ballistic missile, cyber and space attacks as well as maritime

security.

INS Tarangini departed for Lokayan-2015 Published on: 28-APR-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

The theme for Lokayan -15 is Taking for a Broader Reach.

Magnus Carlsen of Norway won Shamkir Chess Tournament Published on: 28-APR-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

With this, Carlsen not only retained the title for the second year in succession but also earned 13 ELO points to top the world ranking with 2875 points.

Calbuco volcano of Chile erupted after 42 years Published on: 28-APR-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

Tonnes of ash rained down following two volcanic eruptions leading to declaration of state of emergency by President Michelle Bachelet.

Union Ministry for Power flagged off three Mobile Science Labs to revolutionise rural education Published on: 28-APR-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

MSL is a vehicle fitted with LCD TV carrying working Science Models which emphasizes curiosity based learning for children in rural India.

Rajya Sabha passed Payments and Settlement Systems (Amendment) Bill, 2014 Published on: 28-APR-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The amendment bill seeks to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 and is aimed at bringing India's banking payment system in sync

with international practices.



Prime Minister conferred 50th Jnanpith Award on Marathi litterateur Bhalchandra Nemade Published on: 28-APR-2015Important for Exam: 39 people agreed

Nemade received the country’s highest literary award for his outstanding contribution towards Indian literature. His novel, Kosala, written in 1963 was

considered as a path breaking in Marathi literature.

Baloch nationalist leader Talal Akbar Bugti passed away Published on: 28-APR-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Talal Akbar Bugti was the son of former governor of Balochistan Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.

French IT firm CapGemini announced to buy US rival IGATE for 4 billion US dollar Published on: 28-APR-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

CapGemini will finance the deal partly through 1 billion US dollars of its own cash, along with an equity portion that will not exceed a 6 percent dilution

of the French company's share capital.

Omar Hassan al-Bashir won the Presidential election of Sudan Published on: 28-APR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

This win has extended Bashir’s tenure as President of the country for another five-year term. He had been in power in Sudan since 1989.

Yashwant Sinha honoured with Officier de la Légion d’Honneur by French Government Published on: 28-APR-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

This highest French civilian distinction was presented by the French Ambassador François Richier on behalf of the President o f the French Republic.

Earthquake of magnitude 5.5 on the Richter scale jolted Pakistan Published on: 28-APR-2015

Important for Exam: 10 people agreed The epicenter of the quake that jolted parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was in the Hindukush mountain ranges of the border area of Tajikistan-Pakistan at

a depth of 144 kilometres.

Union Government cancelled licenses of nearly 9000 NGOs Published on: 28-APR-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

Licences of around 9000 NGOs were cancelled for violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) as they NGOs failed to file annual returns

for the years 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.

AP Government appointed Chadalavada Krishnamurthy as Chairman of TTD Published on: 28-APR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Board was established in 1932 as a resul t of the TTD Act of 1932.

Loretta Lynch sworn in as first black female Attorney General of United States Published on: 28-APR-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

She succeeds former attorney general Eric Holder, who left the position on 24 April 2015 after serving as Attorney General for six years, five months

after President Obama nominated her.Lin Dan of China won men`s title of Badminton Asia Championships 2015 Published on: 27-APR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

With this he won the Asian championship for the fourth time. Lin, the No. 2 seed, is a five-time world champion and twice Olympic gold medallist.

Anil Kapoor conferred with Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar Award 2015 Published on: 27-APR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

Apart from Anil Kapoor, Marathi actor Dilip Prabhavalkar was also bestowed with the prestigious Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar Award 2015.

Rajya Sabha passed the Rights of Transgender Persons Bill, 2014 Published on: 27-APR-2015Important for Exam: 64 people agreed

The Rights of Transgender Persons Bill, 2014 is a private member’s Bill which aims at protecting and providing rights for transgenders.

NGT issued notices to five-star hotels, malls to explain failure to harvest rainwater Published on: 27-APR-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The notice was issued by a Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar.

India crowned champions for the first time at 22nd President's Cup Boxing Tournament Published on: 27-APR-2015Important for Exam: 44 people agreed

This is for the fi rst time that India was crowned champions at the President’s Cup which was held at Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia.

Bank of Baroda tied up with UAE Exchange for instant money transfer Published on: 27-APR-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The facility will be supported by SMS alert which will notify the moment the amount is credited in the bank account of desired customer.

India won a Gold and a Bronze at 2015 Asian Indoor Rowing Championship Published on: 27-APR-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed



Dushyant Singh and Succha Singh Tomar won the gold in the 2000m men’s light weight pair category, clocking 6:26.50.

Wladimir Klitschko defeated Bryant Jennings to defend heavyweight title of Boxing Published on: 27-APR-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

In the title-clash, at Madison Square Garden in New York, Klitschko defeated his American challenger Bryant Jennings with a lopsided 12-round

unanimous point decision.

President Conferred Gallantry and Distinguished Service Awards Published on: 27-APR-2015


Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces Pranab Mukherjee conferred two Kirti Chakras, including one posthumously; eleven Shaurya

Chakras (five posthumously) to Armed Forces Personnel for displaying conspicuous gallantry.

Bharatiya Mahila Bank won the Asian Banker Achievement Award 2015 Published on: 27-APR-2015Important for Exam: 40 people agreed

Bharatiya Mahila Bank was awarded for Technology Implementation in the category of Best Outsourcing Project (New Bank).

Dharahara Tower of Nepal collapsed after earthquake of magnitude 7.9 struck Nepal Published on: 27-APR-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

The nine-storey, 61.88-meter-tall tower was a part of the architecture of Kathmandu recognised by UNESC and was built in 1832 by Mukhtiyar

(equivalent to Prime Minister) Bhimsen Thapa.

Gopinath Pillai awarded with the Outstanding Service Award for his services in Singapore Published on: 27-APR-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

Currently, Pillai is serving as Ambassador-at-Large of Singapore and special envoy to Andhra Pradesh.

Sangeeta Bhatia, Indian-origin scientist at MIT, won the 2015 Heinz Award Published on: 27-APR-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

Bhatia who developed artificial human microlivers for drug testing was awarded for her work in tissue engineering and disease detection.

India launched Operation Maitri in quake-hit Nepal Published on: 27-APR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

The operation will involve two dozen military aircraft and choppers along with bus services through road route. India also pressed nearly 1000 trained

personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) into service.

Andhra Pradesh Government constituted SIT to probe Chittoor firing Published on: 25-APR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

The SIT will be led by Ravishankar Ayyanar and will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident that led to the opening of fire by personnel of

Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force besides a probe into the case registered in this regard.

Earthquake of magnitude 7.9 on the Richter scale struck Nepal Published on: 25-APR-2015

Important for Exam: 47 people agreed The tremors of the quake, which is the worst in the Himalayan nation in over 80 years, were felt in northern India Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Union Government allowed EPFO to invest 5 percent of its corpus in stock market Published on: 25-APR-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The investment will begin by one percent and go up to five percent by the end of the financial year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s Healthcare Portal Published on: 25-APR-2015Important for Exam: 54 people agreed

The Healthcare Portal developed by the Department of Commerce and the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) is a comprehensive one-point

information site and covers hospital-related and travel-related information on India.

World Malaria Day observed with theme Invest in the Future. Defeat Malaria Published on: 25-APR-2015Important for Exam: 69 people agreed

World Malaria Day is one of eight official global public health campaigns currently marked by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Russia, Argentina signed agreements on economic & energy co-operation Published on: 25-APR-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

Under the agreement, Russia will finance the hydroelectric plant in Argentina’s Neuquen River, while Russia’s Rosatom nuclear corporation will build a

new reactor at Argentina’s Atucha 3 nuclear power plant.

Turrialba Volcano erupted in Costa Rica Published on: 25-APR-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

The blast from the Turrialba volcano in the east of the Central American country came after the Calbuco volcano in Chile erupted twice on 22 April and

24 April 2015.

World Happiness Report 2015 released Published on: 24-APR-2015Important for Exam: 113 people agreed



The report was published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) an initiative under the United Nations.

Union Home Ministry puts Ford Foundation under watch list Published on: 24-APR-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

The Ministry took this decision on the basis of inputs received from security agencies.

Japan's Nikkei 225 closed above 20000 for the first time in 15 years Published on: 24-APR-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

The index surged by just over 15% in 2015, building on an incredible 140% boom since June 2012.

China, Pakistan signed an agreement on Economic Corridor plan worth 46 billion US dollars Published on: 24-APR-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

As part of the agreement, China will provide up to 37 billion US dollar in investment for energy projects to generate 16400 MW of power.

Pathai Ananthasubramanian Murali resigned as CFO & ED of United Spirits Limited Published on: 24-APR-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

He joined the UB Group in 1993 as senior manager (finance) in Mumbai and was later transferred to Bangalore.

National Panchayati Raj Day observed on 24 April 2015 Published on: 24-APR-2015Important for Exam: 73 people agreed

On the day, the best performing Gram Panchayats and Gram Sabhas were honoured with Panchayat Sashaktikaran Award 2015 and Rashtriya

Gaurav Gram Sabha Award 2015.

Indo-French Naval exercise VARUNA commenced at Goa Published on: 24-APR-2015

Important for Exam: 32 people agreed Till date, thirteen such exercises have been conducted and the last exercise VARUNA 12 was conducted in the Mediterranean Sea from 19-22 July

2012 off Toulon.

Union Government rolled out online LTV applications system for Pakistani nationals Published on: 24-APR-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

The online system will allow the eligible Pakistani nationals to submit the applications online for Long Term Visa and will also allow them to monitor

their applications.

Nitish Kumar constituted panel on salary revision for fixed pay teachers Published on: 24-APR-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

The four member committee headed by Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh has been asked to submit its report to the government in one month time.

UN observed World Book and Copyright Day across the world Published on: 23-APR-2015Important for Exam: 94 people agreed

For the year 2015, UNESCO designated Incheon, South Korea as the World Book Capital 2015.

Union Cabinet approved the introduction of The Commercial Courts Bill 2015 in Parliament Published on: 23-APR-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The bill aimed at setting up exclusive commercial divisions in courts was approved by the union cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Union Cabinet approved agreement between India and Jordan on maritime transport Published on: 23-APR-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

The agreement will help the two nations to encourage and facilitate development of their maritime relationship and to cooperate in the task of

enhancing and stimulating steady growth of maritime traffic.

Cyclonic storm struck the north-eastern border districts of Bihar Published on: 23-APR-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The storm with a wind speed of more than 150 kmph hit several districts of the state namely Purnia, Madhepura, Madhubani, Katihar, Sitamarhi,

Darbhanga, Samastipur, Bhagalpur and Supaul.

KPMG elected Lynne Doughtie as first women CEO and Chairman Published on: 23-APR-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

She was elected by KPMG partners for a five-year term which will start in July 2015.

Indian-American Vivek Murthy took oath as 19th US Surgeon General Published on: 23-APR-2015Important for Exam: 40 people agreed

Vivek Muthy became the youngest-ever in-charge of the country's public health.

Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting received ISO 9001:2008 certification Published on: 23-APR-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

The ISO 9001:2008 certification is a standard for the Quality Management System which will ensure delivery of services by the Ministry in a qualitative

manner.

IOC President Thomas Bach named ambassador of HeForShe by UN Women




HeForShe is a solidarity campaign for gender equalit y established by United Nations (UN) Women.

Shah Rukh Khan honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Award 2015 Published on: 23-APR-2015Important for Exam: 62 people agreed

Actor Rajkummar Rao won the prestigious award for his performance in the critically acclaimed film Citylights, which was released in 2014.

Cabinet approved amendments to the Juvenile Justice Care and Protection of Children Bill 2014 Published on: 23-APR-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The proposed Act provides that cases of heinous crime committed by a person in the age group of 16-18 years will be examined by the Juvenile

Justice Board to assess if the crime was committed as a child or as an adult.

Union Sports Ministry suspended recognition of Paralympic Committee of India Published on: 23-APR-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

Union Government action came a week after PCI was indefinitely suspended by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) for infighting and poor

treatment of the para-athletes during the event.

Railways launched mobile app utsonmobile for paperless unreserved tickets Published on: 23-APR-2015Important for Exam: 47 people agreed

The application was launched as a pilot project by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and will cover 15 stations between Egmore and Tambram suburban

sections in Chennai of the Southern Railway.

President released Postage Stamp commemorating 200 years of Old Seminary in Kottayam Published on: 23-APR-2015Important for Exam: 41 people agreed

The Orthodox Theological Seminary known as Old Seminary or Cottayam Syrian College is run by the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the St.

Thomas Christians.

ICICI Bank launched payment service Tap-n-Pay Published on: 23-APR-2015Important for Exam: 63 people agreed

This payment service is based on the near-field communications (NFC) technology which will enable its customers to make over-the-counter payments

without using cash.

Bangladesh won 3-match ODI series against Pakistan, 3-0 Published on: 23-APR-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

Both teams will play a T-20 match on 24 April 2015, which will be followed by a 2-match Test series from 28 April 2015 to 10 May 2015.

World Bank established Pollution Management and Environmental Health program Published on: 22-APR-2015Important for Exam: 66 people agreed

The program was officially launched on Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day in Washington, D.C.

NRL & BPC signed MoU to export petroleum products to Bangladesh Published on: 22-APR-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

It seeks to provide cooperation in export of petroleum products from NRL’s marketing terminal in Siliguri, West Bengal to BPC’s depot at Parbatipur in

Bangladesh.

Pakistan conferred highest civilian award Nishan-e-Pakistan on Chinese president Xi Jinping Published on: 22-APR-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

The award was conferred for his outstanding contribution in promotion of relationship between the two countries.

Coloured Capsicums can control diabetes, obesity: Study Published on: 22-APR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Yellow and red capsicums were more effective than green capsicum due to the presence of oligomerised anthocyanins. They were better inhibitors

than pro-anthocyanins found in green capsicum.

MakeMyTrip acquired travel startup Mygola Published on: 22-APR-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

The company has raised capital from Helion Ventures, Blumberg Capital and 500Startups, among other angel investors.

IT Department awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration Published on: 22-APR-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

The Prime Minister Award for excellence in public administration to the Income Tax Department demonstrates the commitment of the Department

towards achieving Minimum Government and Maximum Governance in tax administration.

New York Times won prestigious Pulitzer prizes for West Africa Ebola coverage Published on: 22-APR-2015Important for Exam: 42 people agreed

The Pulitzer Prize honours the extraordinary work in US journalism, literature, drama and other areas and brings welcome attention and recognition to

newspapers and websites.



Work on Saraswati Revival Project launched in Haryana Published on: 22-APR-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

In the first phase, the excavation work for the Saraswati River would be done in eight villages from Rola Heri to Sandhai of Haryana.

Union Finance Ministry retained interest rate for GPF at 8.7 percent for 2015-16 Published on: 22-APR-2015Important for Exam: 49 people agreed

The 8.7 per cent interest wi ll apply on Provident Funds of central government employees, railways and defence forces.

Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand declared as India's 48th Tiger Reserve Published on: 22-APR-2015Important for Exam: 75 people agreed

With this notification of NTCA, Uttarakhand got its second tiger reserve after the Corbett Tiger Reserve.

Scores of Indian pilgrims died after a bus accident in Kathmandu, Nepal Published on: 22-APR-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

They were returning to Gorakhpur in India after a pilgrimage to Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu.

International Mother Earth Day observed with theme It’s Our Turn to Lead Published on: 22-APR-2015Important for Exam: 55 people agreed

The theme, It’s Our Turn to Lead seeks to inform the communities and leadership that we want action on climate.

Japanese Maglev train set the world speed record of 603 kmph Published on: 22-APR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

Maglev, the name derived from magnetic levitation, is a transport method that uses magnetic levitation to move vehicles without touching the ground.

Tamil Nadu Government cancelled allotment of land for Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd Published on: 22-APR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

SIPCOT allotted 71.34 acres at the Industrial Growth Centre in Perundurai on 21 June 2013.

Eminent Historian Christopher Alan Bayly died Published on: 22-APR-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

He was an historian specializing in British Imperial, Indian and global history and was knighted in 2007 for his contribution to historical scholarship.

Cricket South Africa launched Africa T20 Cup Published on: 22-APR-2015Important for Exam: 54 people agreed

The tournament that will run from 4 September to 4 October 2015 wi ll feature Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, hosts South Africa and 12 CSA affiliates.

Indian surgeons removed world's largest kidney weighing 2.75 kgs Published on: 21-APR-2015Important for Exam: 43 people agreed

The operation was done by the Surgeons of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRM), Delhi.

Ninth Civil Services Day observed across India on 21 April


To mark the Day, a two-day programme was organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances.

Indian Navy’s new missile destroyer ship named Visakhapatnam launched Published on: 21-APR-2015Important for Exam: 47 people agreed

This 163-metre-long vessel warship is entirely made of Indian steel and weighs approximately 3000 tons. It is propelled by four gas turbines and is

capable to achieve maximum speed of over 30 knots.

Virat Kohli announced to set up chain of gyms with the investment of 90 crore rupees Published on: 21-APR-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The gyms will be launched under the brand name Chisel.

Archana, Anezka won cadet girls’ doubles title at the French Junior and Cadet Open Published on: 21-APR-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

In the title clash, Archana and Ilcikova defeated the French pair of Lucie Gauthier and Leili Mostafavi 10-12, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-5 and clinched the

gold medal.

Maharashtra Government announced the target of 14400 MW power generation by 2019 Published on: 21-APR-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The state government will produce 14400 MW electricity by 2019 by way of non-conventional methods to cut down cost and reduce carbon footprint.

Neeraj Kumar appointed as Chief Adviser of Anti-Corruption & Security Unit of BCCI Published on: 21-APR-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Neeraj Kumar is a 1976 batch IPS officer of the AGMU cadre. Earlier, he has served as the Delhi Police commissioner for 13 months i.e. from June

2012 to July 2013.

Lupin launched hepatic encephalopathy drug Zaxine in Canada




The agreement to launch Zaxine drug was signed in September 2014.

Former Bengal U-19 Cricket captain Ankit Keshri died Published on: 21-APR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Keshri had captained the Bengal U-19 team in Cooch Behar Trophy and was in the 30-member India U-19 probables list for the 2014 Colts World Cup

in the United Arab Emirates.

New species of Geckos discovered at the World Heritage Site of Hampi in Karnataka Published on: 21-APR-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

The gecko has been named as Cnemaspis adii after a young herpetology researcher from Hyderabad, Aditya Srinivasulu.

Nasim Zaidi assumed charge as Chief Election Commissioner of India Published on: 21-APR-2015Important for Exam: 40 people agreed

Zaidi who became India’s 20th CEC succeeded Hari Shankar Brahma, who had retired on 18 April 2015.

Indian Railways launched E-Samiksha to monitor rail projects online Published on: 21-APR-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The web portal aims at monitoring implementation of various ongoing projects of Indian Railways on real-time basis including Rail Budget proposals.

Novak Djokovic won Monte Carlo Masters title of Tennis Published on: 21-APR-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

With this win, Djokovic also became the first player to sweep the opening three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events of a season. The previous two

titles were won at Indian Wells and Miami.

Former Chief Minister of Odisha Janaki Ballabh Patnaik died Published on: 21-APR-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

Patnaik was a senior leader of Indian National Congress and served Odisha as its Chief Minister from 1980 to 1989 and again from 1995 to 1999. He

was also Governor of Assam from 2009 to 2014.

13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice held in Doha Published on: 20-APR-2015Important for Exam: 68 people agreed

The Summit concluded with the adoption of Doha Declaration.

Centre Party won the Parliamentary Elections of Finland Published on: 20-APR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Juha Sipila’s Centre Party was able to win 49 seats in the 200-member Parliament, which means that the party will have to go for coalition support from

second-placed euroskeptic Finns party, formerly known as the True Finns.

Sitaram Yechury elected as General Secretary of CPI (M) Published on: 20-APR-2015


Sitaram Yechury succeeds Prakash Karat, who was the General Secretary of the party from 2005 to April 2015.

Shah Rukh Khan, Zayn Malik honoured at the 5th Asian Awards Published on: 20-APR-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

Khan was awarded with the prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Cinema award, while, Malik was conferred with Outstanding Contribution to Music.

India and South Korea held high level defence talks in Seoul Published on: 20-APR-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

The meeting was held wi th South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo at the Ministry of Defence of Korea in Seoul.

UN released a report titled Global E-Waste Monitor 2014 Published on: 20-APR-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

As per the report, in the year 2014 volume of e-waste is estimated around 41.8 million metric tonnes (Megatonnes – Mt) and it is expected to rise by 21

percent to 50 million Mt in 2018.

Maharashtra Government constituted taskforce on farm development, poverty alleviation Published on: 20-APR-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The taskforce on agriculture development will be headed by the Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture), while taskforce on poverty alleviation will be

headed by Principal Secretary (Social Justice Department).

Three Indian race walkers Khushbir, Manish, Sandeep qualified for 2016 Rio Olympics Published on: 20-APR-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

They qualified for the Rio Olympics after completing their race in stipulated qualification time during the IAAF Race Walking Challenge at Rio Maiorin

Portugal.

Carzonrent India acquired car-pooling startup firm Ridingo Published on: 20-APR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed



The acquisition is part of the strategy of company to build leadership into evolving sharing economy.

Chhurim Sherpa, first woman to climb the Everest summit twice in a week Published on: 20-APR-2015Important for Exam: 50 people agreed

She accomplished this feat in 2012, by climbing Everest on 12 May 2012 and 19 May 2012 and the fete was verified by the Guinness Book of World

Records in 2013.

Kerala government launched Subodham project to end liquor abuse Published on: 20-APR-2015


Subodham is the first step towards Punarjani 2030 Project an initiative of Kerala government to completely eradicate the menace of substance abuse

in the state.

AP Government inked MoU with IISL Company to replace streetlights in 13 municipalities Published on: 18-APR-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

Under the MoU, IISL will replace the existing streetlights in 13 municipalities with LED lights and maintain them for seven years.

Maharashtra Government decided to discontinue Guard of Honour to ministers Published on: 18-APR-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

Colonial-era practice of police guard of honour was reserved for the Governor Generals and Viceroys during the British age.

World Heritage Day 2015 observed globally Published on: 18-APR-2015Important for Exam: 65 people agreed

The day marks the necessity of protecting the historical monuments and sites located in every part of the world by making collective efforts at

international level.

TRAI issued recommendations on delivering Broadband Published on: 18-APR-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

The Authority in its recommendations raised concerns about the slow penetration and adoption of broadband in the country.

Union Government decided to transfer training and apprentice divisions to Skill Development Ministry Published on: 18-APR-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The DGET comprises 12000 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across the country.

TERI, FNI, INTASAVE-CARIBSAVE signed MOU to further Climate & Development Agenda Published on: 18-APR-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The three institutes have identified cooperation in nine areas such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, low carbon strategies and global policy

advocacy among others.

PM Narendra Modi concluded his three-nation visit to France, Germany and Canada Published on: 18-APR-2015Important for Exam: 154 people agreed

Major agreements reached during the three-nation visit included nuclear deal, purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft, return of the Khajuraho sculptureand others.

Supreme Court appointed Vivek Priyadarshi to lead the probe on IPL scandal Published on: 18-APR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

He succeeds BB Mishra as the head of the probing team who was retired on 31 March 2015.

Indian economy to grow at 7.5 per cent in 2015: Moody's Published on: 18-APR-2015Important for Exam: 41 people agreed

The growth projections come soon after Moody’s had revised India’s sovereign ratings outlook to positive (Baa3) from stable. Another ratings agency,

Fitch, had reaffirmed its stable outlook on India.

Vankadarath Saritha joined as first woman bus driver of the DTC Published on: 18-APR-2015Important for Exam: 39 people agreed

Saritha started her career as an autorickshaw driver and has worked as a bus driver earlier in Hyderabad too

World Hemophilia Day 2015 observed globally with theme Building a family of support Published on: 18-APR-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

17 April was chosen as a day to observe Hemophilia day in 1989 to honor Frank Schnabel the founder of WFH, whose bir thday falls on the same date.

SC: Can’t issue guidelines to CBFC on how to assess a movie before allowing its release Published on: 18-APR-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The SC declared to intervene due to the fact that the members of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) are qualified enough to assess the

contents of a movie.

Time Magazine released list of 100 most influential people in the world Published on: 17-APR-2015Important for Exam: 63 people agreed



The list includes four Indians namely Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chanda Kochhar, Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Bank, Microsoft CEO

Satya Nadella, and Vikram Patel, co-founder of the NGO Sangath.

Stanislav Gross, Former Czech Republic Prime Minister, died Published on: 17-APR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

He was the youngest Prime Minister of the Czech Republic f rom 2004 to 2005 at the age of 34.

Haryana Government notified forests in Aravalli range are not a forest Published on: 17-APR-2015


Mangarbani grove in Aravalli is often considered as the last remaining virgin forest in Delhi-NCR and held sacred by local villagers.

Pakistan Supreme Court stayed executions by Military Courts Published on: 17-APR-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The order of the court came on a peti tion filed by the country’s Supreme Court Bar Association seeking a stay in executions ordered by military courts.

Narendra Modi gifted Miniature Painting titled Guru Nanak Dev to Stephen Harper Published on: 17-APR-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

The painting is the work of Virendra Bannu, a Jaipur-based artist, who is the seventh generation artist in his family and is taking forward the legacy of

his family in specialized miniature art form.

India, Canada issued Joint Statement titled New Vigour, New Steps Published on: 17-APR-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

Modi’s visit to Canada is the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 42 years and the highlight of the visit was agreement on civil nuclear cooperation under

which Cameco of Canada will supply uranium to India over the next fi ve years to meet its energy needs.

Russia lifted ban on delivery of S-300 Missile System to Iran Published on: 17-APR-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

Russia lifted the 2010 ban in the back drop of an informal agreement reached on 2 April 2015 between P5+1, the EU and Iran to prepare the final draft

of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by 30 June 2015.

PM of India, Canada paid tributes to victims of 1985 Kanishka incident at Humber Bay Park Published on: 17-APR-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

The memorial was unveiled on 22 June 2007 in Toronto in the memory of the 329 victims in the 23 June 1985 terrorist attack on Air India Flight 182 or

Emperor Kanishka.

Tennessee House voted to make Bible as official state book Published on: 17-APR-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The lawmakers voted 55-38 in favor of Rep. Jerry Sexton's original Bill, despite questions of constitutionality of the Bill.

Satya Nadella honoured with the White House Champions of Change Published on: 17-APR-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

Champions of Champs honour is given to those who support working families and help make change in their companies or communities.

SC declared fundamental right to speech cannot be misused to abuse nationally revered figures Published on: 17-APR-2015Important for Exam: 132 people agreed

The Supreme Court of India (SC) delivered the judgment while hearing a plea of Vasant Dattatraya Gujar, who was facing criminal charges for writing

an objectionable poem on Mahatma Gandhi.

Union Government decided to relax the quality norms for procurement of wheat in Haryana Published on: 17-APR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Based on the request of the State Government, Food Corporation of India (FCI) collected samples of wheat from the Mandis in association with the

State Government and after examining the test results of these samples, the Union Government decided to relax the quality norms.

Vikram Patel named among the Time 100 Most Influential People in the World List 2015 Published on: 17-APR-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

The Time Magazine described him as a well-being warrior for his contributions in the field of psychiatry.Pakistan and Russia agreed to hold first-ever joint military exercise Published on: 17-APR-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

The two nations also agreed to promote joint participation in military exercises and resolve conflicts through diplomatic means.

India and Canada signed nuclear agreement on supply of Uranium Published on: 16-APR-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

PM Modi is on a three-day official visit to Canada, which is the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister in 42 years.

Jamal Benomar, United Nations peace envoy to Yemen, resigned Published on: 16-APR-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed



He was serving as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special envoy for Yemen since 2012.

Ancient Indian sculpture Parrot Lady presented to PM Narendra Modi by Canadian PM Published on: 16-APR-2015Important for Exam: 84 people agreed

Parrot Lady is a li fe-sized, sandstone sculpture and is said to be around 900 year old.

Delhi Government launched the third phase of Mass Deworming Programme for school children Published on: 16-APR-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

The third phase of the programme, in vogue since 2012, was launched by the Directorate of Health Services of Delhi in collaboration with theDepartment of Family Welfare.

BHEL commissioned 600 MW thermal unit of OP Jindal Thermal Power Project Published on: 16-APR-2015Important for Exam: 42 people agreed

In last three months, BHEL has added three units of 600 MW aggregating to 1800 MW capacity in Chhattisgarh.

Researchers developed smart phone-based Digital Diffraction Diagnosis System to diagnose cancer Published on: 16-APR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) of USA developed a smart phone-based device, called as D3 (Digital Diffraction

Diagnosis) System, which performs rapid and accurate molecular diagnosis of cancerous tumors.

BHEL and Russian firm INTMA inked MoU to set power plant in Kazakhstan Published on: 16-APR-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

The MoU aims to set forth a path to combine the BHEL's competence in design and manufacturing of power plants and INTMA's strength in handling

EPC contracts so as to bid and execute projects of mutual interest in Russia and Kazakhstan.

Laureus World Sports Awards for the year 2015 conferred Published on: 16-APR-2015Important for Exam: 87 people agreed

Sachin Tendulkar was inducted, along with four other exceptional athletes, namely Yao Ming, Tegla Loroupe, LiXiaopeng and Yang Yang.

Sachin Tendulkar elected as member of Laureus Sports Academy Published on: 16-APR-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

Sachin Tendulkar was inducted, along with retired Chinese professional basketball player Yang Yang.

Dr. Mohan Kumar appointed as Ambassador of India to France Published on: 16-APR-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

He is a 1981-batch Indian Foreign Service ( IFS) officer.

India, Belarus agreed to enhance bilateral ties Published on: 16-APR-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

The Belarusian Foreign Minister, Makei was accompanied by a 3-member business delegation representing prominent Belarusian state enterprises

dealing in potash, fertilizers, dumper trucks and tractors.India successfully test-fired Agni III ballistic missile from Wheelar Island Published on: 16-APR-2015Important for Exam: 51 people agreed

The intermediate-range ballistic missile was test-fired by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) from the Wheelar Isalnd off the Odisha coast in the Bay

of Bengal.

Chemical scientists Susanta Lahiri and Kattesh V Katti received Hevesy Medal Award 2015 Published on: 16-APR-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

The awards were presented to them at the Tenth International Conference on Methods and Applications of Radio-analytical Chemistry for their

outstanding contributions in the fields of radio and nuclear chemistry.

Former Nepalese Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa died Published on: 16-APR-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

Thapa had served as the prime minister of the country for five terms in a political career spanning more than 50 years. He had worked under three

different kings.

Fourth Lighthouse Museum of India to be opened at Kannur, Kerala Published on: 15-APR-2015Important for Exam: 55 people agreed

The other three lighthouses museums have been set up at Alappuzha in Kerala and Chennai and Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu.

Stanford Researchers created a Smartphone Battery that charges in only one minute Published on: 15-APR-2015Important for Exam: 56 people agreed

The battery invented is the firs t high-performance aluminum battery which is fast-charging, long-lasting and inexpensive.

Temasek acquired InnoVen Capital India for 300 crore rupees Published on: 15-APR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

With this acquisition, Temasek announced its entry into the venture debt segment.



IMF released World Economic Outlook April 2015 Update Published on: 15-APR-2015Important for Exam: 50 people agreed

Global growth is forecasted at 3.5 percent in 2015 and 3.8 percent in 2016 which is in line with forecasts made in the January 2015 WEO Update.

Union Government planned to push for Green Bonds to meets its target of renewable energy Published on: 15-APR-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

Like normal bonds, these bonds can be issued by governments, multi-national banks or corporations.

WEF released a report titled Urban Development Recommendations for India under FUDS initiative Published on: 15-APR-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The report on India is the third in the FUDS Initiative. The first two presented the results of the initiative’s engagement with three Chinese cities: Tianjin,

Dalian and Zhangjiakou.

India-Germany released Joint Statement to strengthen Strategic Partnership Published on: 15-APR-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The two countries agreed to utilize the momentum generated by India’s participation in the Hannover Messe to foster stronger ties between business

and industry on both sides in order to support India’s Make in India initiative.

Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai sworn in as first lady judge of Sikkim HC Published on: 15-APR-2015Important for Exam: 48 people agreed

Meenakshi Madan Rai, who is the first female judge of the Sikkim High Court, is also the third High Court judge who hails from the small border state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Germany Published on: 15-APR-2015

Important for Exam: 47 people agreed During his three day visit, the Prime Minister interacted with the Chancellor, business leaders and Indian Diaspora.

Justice AR Dave recused from Constitutional Bench hearing petitions challenging NJAC Act, 2014 Published on: 15-APR-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

NJAC Act, 2014, notified on 13 April 2015, provides for constitution of NJAC comprising of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) as the chairperson, two

senior most judges of the SC, Union Law Minister and two eminent personalities as members.

Fifth Normandy Group Foreign Ministers meet held in Berlin Published on: 15-APR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The meeting reviewed the progress in implementing the truce pact reached between pro-Russia forces and Ukraine to end the ongoing conflict in the

Donbass region of Ukraine.

Assamese film director, actor Bidyut Chakraborty died Published on: 15-APR-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

He won Indira Gandhi national award for Best First Film of a Director n 1996 for his film Rag Biraag, a film based on a novel written by Jnanpith award-

winner Mamoni Raisom Goswami.Union Ministry of Home Affairs renamed Tourist Visa on Arrival scheme as e-Tourist Visa Published on: 15-APR-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The scheme was renamed after it c reated confusion among tourists as they thought that they wi ll get the Visa on Arrival.

45-day long annual fishing ban on Eastern Coast of India started Published on: 15-APR-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The ban is imposed to safeguard fish in their breeding season and increase the fish catch. During this period of ban, the fishermen with mechanized

boats are barred from venturing out into the sea for fishing till mid-night of 31 May 2015.

TRAI received over three lakh e-mails in support of Net Neutrality Published on: 15-APR-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

The e-mails were in response to a consultation paper released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which proposed that the Internet

Service Providers (ISPs) can impose differential charges on social networking sites which are providing voice and calling services.

Allan Donald resigned as South Africa Bowling Coach Published on: 15-APR-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

He was appointed to the position in 2011 as a member of the team’s chief coach Gary Kirsten’s support staff, which he continued to fulfill under the

current coach Russell Domingo since August 2013.

Delhi Declaration on Public Health Challenges adopted at 5th SAARC Health Ministers meet Published on: 15-APR-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

Earlier SAARC Health Ministers were held in Maldives in 2012, Dhaka in April 2006, Islamabad in 2005 and New Delhi i n 2003.

Union Government constituted Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers Published on: 15-APR-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed



The task force chaired by BN Navalawala will take up all issues for expediting the work on interlinking of rivers in the Country. It would also consider

alternative plans in place of infeasible links in the present plan.

Over Hundred people killed during Songkran festival in Thailand Published on: 14-APR-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

The accident occurred after Thais took trains, planes, cars and bikes to head home to their parents and families to celebrate the festival which started

on 10 April 2015 evening.

Mahatma Gandhi statue in Johannesburg defaced Published on: 14-APR-2015Important for Exam: 67 people agreed

The statue in Johannesburg is believed to be the onl y one in the world showing Gandhi as a young lawyer in his court robes.

China quashed bid of Taiwan to become full member of AIIB Published on: 14-APR-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

The Chinese Government said that it would welcome Taiwan in the future but under a different name.

Ernst & Young released a report titled Global IPO Trends 2015 Published on: 14-APR-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

As per the report, Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) became the world leader in Initial Public Offerings (IPO) for the first time, outshining rivals, New

York and Hong Kong during the 2015 Q1. In 2015 Q1, SSE raised 5.4 billion US dollars.

World Bank released Migration and Development Brief Published on: 14-APR-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

In 2014, India continued to be highest recipients of remittance

World Bank released South Asia Economic Focus report Published on: 14-APR-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

As per the report, economic growth of the region will increase from 7 percent in 2015 to 7.6 percent by 2017

Parliament of Ukraine passed a law banning organisations that propagate Communism and Nazism Published on: 14-APR-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Parliament of Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada, on 9 April 2015 passed a legislation that equates Communism with Nazism (nationalist-socialist) and banned

both the regimes.

Union Government notified National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014 Published on: 14-APR-2015Important for Exam: 43 people agreed

NJAC Act, 2014 gives NJAC a Consti tutional status for appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and the High Courts.

Arun Jaitley inaugurated Vividh Bharati Service of Delhi on FM Mode Published on: 14-APR-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

With this launch, the services of Vividh Bharti of All India Radio (AIR) will be available to listeners in and around Delhi.Ri Su Yong, the Foreign Minister of North Korea, visited India Published on: 14-APR-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

Foreign Minister level talks were held were issues of mutual interest including India’s security concerns were discussed and Yong was informed about

the significance of peace and stability in the Korean peninsula for India’s Act East policy.

Normandy Four Group agreed to form working group to implement ceasefire deal on Ukraine conflict Published on: 14-APR-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

They agreed to support international monitors and establish four working groups to address the most pressing issues faced by people in the embattled

region, where Russian-backed separatists are fighting Ukrainian government forces.

Union Government launched Human Resource and Skill Requirement Reports for 24 Priority Sectors Published on: 14-APR-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

According to the findings of the reports, the incremental human resource requirement across these 24 sectors is nearly 109.73 million whereby the top

10 sectors account for about 80 percent of requirements.

Prime Minister Naredra Modi visited France Published on: 14-APR-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

In the first leg of his visit, Modi was given a ceremonial reception in the French capital, Paris by Thierry Braillard, Minister of State for Sports of France.

Baba Ramdev to be accorded the status of Cabinet Minister by Haryana Government Published on: 14-APR-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Ramdev, the Brand Ambassador for promotion of yoga and ayurveda in Haryana, will be given status equivalent to Cabinet Minister.

Nobel laureate German Novelist Gunter Grass died Published on: 14-APR-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

His writings mainly focused on the Nazi era, the horrors of the war and the destruction and guilt that remained after defeat of Germany.



NASA named Asteroid 316201 after Malala Yousafzai, the winner of 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Published on: 13-APR-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

The asteroid is situated in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. T he asteroid orbits the sun every five-and-a-half years.

Royal Dutch Shell Plc acquired BG Group for about 70 billion US dollar Published on: 13-APR-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The deal would vault Shell far ahead of rivals like Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp. in the race to build market share for Liquefied Natural Gas

(LNG).

BHEL commissioned 600 MW thermal unit at Dhabra in Chhattisgarh Published on: 13-APR-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

This is the second unit of 2 × 600 MW power project, commissioned by BHEL.

Godrej Nature’s Basket joined hands with Amazon for selling its products Published on: 13-APR-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The company has listed a wide range of products on Amazon's platform in the first phase and the range will increase exponentially in the coming

months.

Brijbushan Sharan Singh re-elected as President of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Published on: 13-APR-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

As the president of the WFI he will guide the General Council of the federation and set the policy tone in order to achieve the objectives enshrined in

the WFI Constitution.

New Zealand won Sultan Azlan Shah Cup men’s hockey tournament by defeating Australia Published on: 13-APR-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

New Zealand has won the title for only the second time since inception of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup competition in 1983. New Zealand’s first victory

came in 2012 against Argentina.

PM Narendra Modi gifted painting titled Tree of Life to French President Francois Hollande Published on: 13-APR-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

Bhaskar Mahapatra, an Odisha artist based in Raghurajpur created the painting. He has been practicing the art form for last thirty years along with rest

of his family.

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman hanged by Bangladesh for 1971 war crimes Published on: 13-APR-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

He was hanged at Dhaka Central Jail after the Supreme Court of Bangladesh rejected his appeal against a death sentence imposed by a special

tribunal for genocide and torture of civilians during the conflict.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain won Chinese Grand Prix of Formula 1 Published on: 13-APR-2015

Important for Exam: 19 people agreed With the present victory, the reigning world champion Hamilton registered his second victory of the season and his fourth in China having won the titles

in 2008, 2011 and 2014.

India and France signed 20 MoUs and Agreements to give new impetus to bilateral co-operation Published on: 13-APR-2015Important for Exam: 41 people agreed

Prime Minister Modi during his visit to France gifted a painting titled Tree of Life, reflecting traditional societal respect for nature in India to the French

President Francois Hollande.

Yuki Bhambri won ITF Uzbekistan F1 Futures Singles Title Published on: 13-APR-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Yuki won the title by defeating Dzmitry Zyrmont of Serbia in two straight sets 6-2 6-4 in the final match held in Karshi, Uzbekistan.

Apurvi Chandela won Bronze in 10-m Air Rifle Women event at ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Cup in Changwon Published on: 13-APR-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

With the present win, she has become the second Indian shooter to be qualified to represent India in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games to be held in

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Jitu Rai won Bronze in 10-m Air Pistol Men event at ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Cup in Changwon Published on: 13-APR-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

It is the fourth world cup medal for Jitu Rai having won three medals including two silvers and one gold in two separate events held in Munich and

Maribor in 2014.

1971 War Hero Lt General Hanut Singh Died Published on: 13-APR-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

He led the 17 Poona Horse regiment in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel during the 1971 war in the Basantar battle, leading to heavy losses on the

Pakistan Army by destroying a number of Pakistani tanks.



UNESCO released 2015 EFA Global Monitoring Report Published on: 13-APR-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

It explains possible determinants of the pace of progress and identifies key lessons for shaping a post-2015 global education agenda.

Union Home Ministry notified Governors (Allowances and Privileges) Amendment Rules, 2015 Published on: 13-APR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

The requests for permission to travel outside the state will have to be sent to Rashtrapati Bhavan anywhere between one week and six weeks before

the date of travel.

India’s first IFSC became operational at GIFT City, Gandhinagar in Gujarat Published on: 13-APR-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

The regulations are aimed at creating a vibrant IFSC on the lines of those in Dubai and Singapore and check the flight of trading in rupee and Indian

securities to such offshore financial hubs.

Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won WTA Family Circle Cup Published on: 13-APR-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

With this win, Sania Mirza also became the first female tennis player from India to achieve the world number one rank in doubles. Sania is also first

female player from the country to win Grand Slam tournaments.

President inaugurated Songs and Dances of Northeast event in New Delhi Published on: 11-APR-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

The event was intended to showcase richness of Northeast to people living outside Northeast.

NGT banned construction activities causing air pollution in Delhi-Nation Capital Region (NCR) Published on: 11-APR-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

The directive was delivered by a bench headed by the NGT Chairman Justice Swatanter Kumar, in order to check growing menace of air pollution in

the National Capital Region (NCR).

Bharat Hari Singhania became the president of JK Organization Published on: 11-APR-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

He is an industrialist with over forty-four years of experience in managing various industries including cement, tyres, paper and succeeded Gaur Hari

Singhania who died on 4 April 2015.

Supreme Court ordered free treatment for acid attack victims Published on: 11-APR-2015Important for Exam: 217 people agreed

The court directed all the private hospitals in the country to provide reconstructive surgery, medicines, bed, rehabilitation and aftercare free of cost to

the acid attack survivors.

Arun Kumar Jha appointed as CEO of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Published on: 11-APR-2015

Important for Exam: 44 people agreed As the CEO of KVIC, he will oversee the day-to-day functioning of the commission and report about its activities to the Union Minis try of Micro, Small

and Medium Enterprises (MSME).

India to chair Ninth Meeting of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Council Published on: 11-APR-2015Important for Exam: 46 people agreed

India will chair the meeting of the 21 member council, which will guide the agency’s future programmes and activities and helps set the agenda for the

meeting of the annual Assembly to be held in January 2016.

State legislature of Oklahoma passed a bill that allow use of nitrogen gas for executions Published on: 10-APR-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

The bill that was passed by the legislature without a single dissenting vote allows use of ni trogen-induced hypoxia as a method of execution.

Union Government rejected Odisha government proposal to grant mining license to Posco Published on: 10-APR-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Union Government rejected the proposal in accordance to the Amendment to MMDR Act, 1957 that says all leases shall be granted through auction by

competitive bidding, including e-auction.India successfully test-fired Dhanush ballistic missile Published on: 10-APR-2015Important for Exam: 105 people agreed

Strategic Force Command (SFC) of India's Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) test-fired the nuclear capable missile from a naval ship off the Odisha

coast.

India elected to four United Nations agencies Published on: 10-APR-2015Important for Exam: 70 people agreed

India was elected to UNICEF, WFP, CCPCJ and UN-Habitat whose activities are coordinated by the UNECOSOC (the United Nations Economic and

Social Council).



Thane named as National Earth Hour Capital 2015 by WWF Published on: 10-APR-2015Important for Exam: 80 people agreed

Pune received a special mention from the jury for its city mobility plan and solar and waste-to-energy initiatives while Rajkot was felicitated for the city’s

performance in the field of renewable energy.

Social Progress Index 2015 released by Social Progress Imperative Published on: 10-APR-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

India with a score of 53.06 is ranked 101st and is placed in the Low Social Progress Group. In 2014, India with a score of 50.24 was ranked 102 out of132 countries

Seoul won WWF’s Earth Hour City Challenge to become the Global Earth Hour Capital 2015 Published on: 10-APR-2015Important for Exam: 69 people agreed

As part of the Earth Hour City Challenge 2015, the city of Balikpapan, Indonesia was recognized as the Most Loveable City for 2015.

Scientists detected rapid accumulation of anesthetic gases in atmosphere causing global warming Published on: 10-APR-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The study revealed that concentrations of potent global warmers Desflurane, Isoflurane and Sevoflurane reached an alarming level in the global

atmosphere starting from crowed urban areas to pristine Antarctic environment.

EPFO suspended 1000 rupees minimum monthly pension scheme Published on: 10-APR-2015Important for Exam: 60 people agreed

Government notification issued on 19 August 2014 said that the benefit of minimum pension was made effective from 1 September 2014 to 31 March

2015.

Former Air Chief Marshal of IAF Hrushikesh Moolgavkar died Published on: 10-APR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

His biography, Leading from the Cockpit: A Fighter pilot's s tory was published in 2009.

Book titled Suleiman Charitra written by Kalyana Malla translated from Sanskrit to English Published on: 10-APR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The book is a work of translation from Sanskrit to English by diplomat-writer A.N.D. Haskar. The original book Suleiman Charitra was written by a 16th

century poet Kalyan Malla.

Former Australia Cricket Captain Richie Benaud died Published on: 10-APR-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

In his test career, Benaud played 63 Tests, 28 as captain and never lost a series as captain. He was the first player to score 2000 Test runs and take

200 Test wickets.

Snapdeal acquired mobile recharge service FreeCharge Published on: 09-APR-2015

Important for Exam: 27 people agreed As per the deal, Freecharge will continue to work as an independent platform and will offer many more digital goods in future. Also, most of

Freecharge’s institutional investor would get Snapdeal stock.

Spiders belonging to Thomisidae family named after Telangana state Published on: 09-APR-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

These crabs were discovered by two researchers from the Zoology Department of Osmania University, namely, G.B. Pravalikha and Chelmala

Srinivasulu during their expedition at Nagnur in Karimnagar district.

India and USA signed Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on transportation Published on: 09-APR-2015Important for Exam: 43 people agreed

The MoC will enable India to make use of world’s latest technology available with the USA for projects like developments of waterways and multi-modal

hub.

Union Ministry of Home Affairs suspended Greenpeace India Society (GIS) registration for 180 days Published on: 09-APR-2015Important for Exam: 44 people agreed

The registration was suspended for acting against public and economic interests of the country as per the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act(FCRA), 2010.

Liu Xiang, former Olympic 110m hurdles champion, retired Published on: 09-APR-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

He became an icon in China after winning the country's first Olympic men's track and field gold medal in the 110 metres hurdles in Athens in 2004. He

held the world record in 2006 with a time of 12.88 seconds.

SEBI raised the limit for currency derivatives trades to 15 million US dollar Published on: 09-APR-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed



The capital market regulator said that the FPIs and domestic clients can take position (long and short) in foreign currency up to 15 million US Dollars or

equivalent per exchange.

Jnanapith awardee Tamil writer Jayakanthan died Published on: 09-APR-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Jayakanthan, known as JK among his friends, focussed on the marginalised sections in his writing and several of his characters reflect their suffering.

He was the founder of the Indo-Russian Cultural and Friendship Society.

Visit Kerala 2015 campaign launched to promote Kerala tourism Published on: 09-APR-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The campaign is an initiative of Kerala Government to promote state-specific tourism products including Ayurveda, Responsible Tourism and Spice

route in India and abroad.

Union Ministry of Home Affairs revised norms for State Disaster Relief Fund Published on: 09-APR-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The new norms facilitate state governments to utilise the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to address problems associated with local disasters.

PM announced relief measures for distressed farmers Published on: 09-APR-2015Important for Exam: 65 people agreed

The measures are aimed at helping farmers whose crops were damaged due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms in the rabi season.

University of Cape Town voted for removal of the statue of British colonialist, Cecil Rhodes Published on: 09-APR-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The controversial statue of Cecil John Rhodes will be removed from the University of Cape Town (UCT) campus after the Council, voted in favour of its

removal.

Sumit Mazumder elected as President of Confederation of Indian Industry for the year 2015-16 Published on: 09-APR-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Dr. Naushad Forbes was elected as the President-designate and Shobana Kamineni was elected as the Vice-President of the CII for the year 2015-16

Dr. Nasim Zaidi appointed as Chief Election Commissioner of India Published on: 09-APR-2015Important for Exam: 64 people agreed

Zaidi will succeed Hari Shankar Brahma who will demit his office on 18 April 2015. Zaidi will have tenure up to July 2017 when he attains the age of 65.

Rajasthan and Vedanta Group signed a MoU to improve 3056 Anganwadi Centres in five districts Published on: 09-APR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The anganwadi centres of five districts are Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, Rajsamand and Ajmer will be improved in five years under the Integrated

Child Development Services (ICDS).

RBI notified hike in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) cap in Insurance Sector to 49 percent Published on: 09-APR-2015

Important for Exam: 56 people agreed The hike in the insurance sector from the present 26 percent to 49 percent is in tune with the DIPP’s March 2015 decision regarding operationalisation

of the hike.

Gopaldas Neeraj, Uday Pratap Singh conferred with Sahitya Shiromani Samman of Uttar Pradesh Published on: 09-APR-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

Along with the award, Gopaldas Neeraj and Uday Pratap Singh also received a cash prize of 21 lakh rupees.

Noted singer EM Hanifa died Published on: 09-APR-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

He was known for his song Iraivanidam Kaiyenthungal (look up to God he never says no) was an evergreen liked by all crossing across religious

barriers.

20th Law Commission submitted Report on Eliminating Discrimination Against Leprosy-affected Persons Published on: 08-APR-2015Important for Exam: 40 people agreed

In the report, the Law Commission recommended deleting the term 'lepers' and repealing The Lepers Act, 1898 in entirety.

State Environment and Forest Ministers’ Conference adopted Resolution on Protecting Environment Published on: 08-APR-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

The two-day conference, which was participated by 30 ministers from different state looked upon a wide range of issues like waste management, TSR

Subramanian committee recommendations, forest, wildlife, biodiversity and climate change.

TRAI recommended establishment of Integrated Emergency Communication & Response System Published on: 08-APR-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

Under the proposal, the government can integrate all existing emergency numbers such as 100, 101, 102 and 108 into the proposed 112 helpline

number.

Union Cabinet gave nod for release of additional installment of DA and DR Published on: 08-APR-2015




With this decision, Central Government employees as well as pensioners are entitled for DA or DR at the rate of 113 percent (an increase of 6 percent)

of the basic pay with effect from 1 January 2015.

Supreme Court lifted 1990 ban on performance of play Jesus Christ Superstar Published on: 08-APR-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The ban on the staging of the play was imposed by the Kottayam Distr ict administration through a notification in 1990.

Grey Hypocolius sighted at the Narara Marine National Park in Gujarat Published on: 08-APR-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

Grey Hypocolius a small passerine bird species is a sole member of the genus Hypocolius and is placed in the family of Hypocoliidae.

CCEA approved two FIIs proposals in pharmaceutical companies Aurobindo and Glenmark Published on: 08-APR-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The foreign Investments worth 4187 crore rupees will help the companies to expand their operations and research and development facilities.

CCEA gave nod for strengthening and widening of 455-km of National Highways Published on: 08-APR-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The projects are aimed at improving road connectivity in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and the expenditure to be incurred on these projects will be

borne by the Union Government.

Prime Minister launched MUDRA Bank under PM Jan Dhan Yojana to fund small entrepreneurs Published on: 08-APR-2015Important for Exam: 262 people agreed

The MUDRA Bank launched by Prime Minister seeks to go beyond the concept of credit only approach and provides both credit plus solution for small

entrepreneurs spread across the country.Dronavalli Harika won bronze in World Women's chess championship Published on: 08-APR-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

In the semi-final clash, Harika lost to Mariya Muzychuk of Ukraine. She got 20000 US Dollars for the Bronze medal finish.

Union Government to re-classify industries in a three-coloured scheme based on pollution potential Published on: 08-APR-2015Important for Exam: 49 people agreed

The proposal to classify industries under red, orange and green was adopted during the state environment and forests ministers’ conference.

Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry constituted Ajay Shankar committee to simplify clearances Published on: 08-APR-2015Important for Exam: 46 people agreed

The Expert Committee examines the possibility of replacing multiple prior permissions with pre-existing regulatory mechanism and prepares draft

legislation for this purpose.

Mayilsamy Annadurai appointed as Director of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) Published on: 08-APR-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

As the Director of ISAC he will oversee development o f satellite technology and implementation of satel lite systems for scientific, technological and

application missions.

Union Cabinet approved amendments to Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill, 2013 Published on: 08-APR-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The Bill provides creation of uniform regulatory mechanism across the country and enhances the growth of construction sector.

Gujarat won Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy Published on: 08-APR-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

Wicketkeeper and opening batsman Smit Patel's unbeaten 50 helped Gujarat to win their second Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title. The final match was

played at the KIIT Cricket Stadium, Bhubaneshwar.

PCI President Rajesh Tomar suspended for mismanagement in Para-Athletics games Published on: 08-APR-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

It was alleged that the participants were accommodated in unfurnished flats with unhygienic facilities in Ghaziabad.

National Green Tribunal ruled 10-year old diesel vehicles cannot ply on Delhi roads Published on: 07-APR-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

A number of countries in the world are in the process or have prohibited diesel vehicles or are in the process of doing away with them by imposing very

heavy taxes. Some of these countries include Denmark, Brazil, China and Sri Lanka.

Piplantri village of Rajasthan, a village that plants 111 trees for every girl born Published on: 07-APR-2015Important for Exam: 59 people agreed

The village not only embraces daughters but also created a tradition of planting 111 trees every time on the birth of a girl child. The plants are planted

in her honour.

Divorced Muslim women entitled for maintenance under Section 125 of CrPC: SC




The apex court ruling would help divorced Muslim women whose right to maintenance was curtailed by Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on

Divorce) Act, 1986 passed in Parliament by the Rajiv Gandhi government in the wake of the top court's Shah Bano ruling.

The first-ever photograph of vulnerable Chestnut-breasted Partridge clicked Published on: 07-APR-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

As per estimates of the IUCN, about 2500 Chestnut-breasted Partridges live in Arunachal Pradesh, Bhutan and Lower Tibet along the Himalayas.

World Health Day 2015 observed globally with the theme From farm to plate, make food safe Published on: 07-APR-2015Important for Exam: 55 people agreed

On this day WHO conducted various programmes across the world in close cooperation with government agencies and civil society to spread

awareness on food safety issues related to the entire spectrum of food supply chain.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan signed Six Agreements Published on: 07-APR-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The six agreements pertained to advancing cooperation in disaster management, sports, shipping, socio-economic development, education and

narcotics control.

Dena Bank inked MoU with Life Insurance Corporation Published on: 07-APR-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

The insurance cover will be provided under the Prime Minister’s Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJBY) scheme. The scheme will come

into effect from 1 June 2015.

SC asked Union Government to re-visit Juvenile Justice Act, 2000 Published on: 07-APR-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

The two-judge bench of Supreme Court gave the direction to re-look, re-scrutinised, and re-visit the laws that deals with Juveniles, while hearing an

appeal against the decision of Punjab and Haryana High Court that awarded life sentence to a murder accused.

AIIMS study found Ashwagandha powder, Sidh Makardhwaj are effective in treating Rheumatoid Arthritis Published on: 07-APR-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) powder is derived from a plant and Sidh Makardhwaj is a formulation of herbal and mineral ingredients.

CII and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) signed MoU to deepen partnership Published on: 07-APR-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The MoU will help Indian companies to expand their business in those countries where the bank has operations.

Scientists discovered an endangered species of plant named Oldenlandia dineshi from Western Ghats Published on: 07-APR-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The plant species named Oldenlandia dineshi is a shrub with long linear tapering leaves and dark blue flower. The flowering period is from July to

September and fruiting from September to October.

Pratap Singh, an Indian-origin schoolboy, won Institute of Physics Prize for his Cosmic-ray project Published on: 07-APR-2015Important for Exam: 42 people agreed

He was awarded for conducting an experiment that verified an effect of Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity at the Bing Bang Fair held at the

National Exhibition Centre (NEC) Birmingham.

Steel Companies partnered with Union Ministry of Steel to set up Steel Research & Technology Mission Published on: 07-APR-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The mission aims at increasing investment on R&D in the steel sector from the present level of 0.2-0.3 to the international benchmark of 1-2 percent of

the industry turnover.

Rajeev Shukla appointed as Chairman of IPL Governing Council Published on: 07-APR-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

Shukla was the IPL chairman till 2013 when he resigned from the post in the aftermath of the IPL spot-fixing scandal.

DGCEI slapped 570 crore rupees excise duty fine against Cadbury India Limited Published on: 06-APR-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

The fine was slapped for allegedly evading excise duty by fraudulently taking exemption for one of its unopened production units in Himachal Pradesh.

Renowned Hindi poet Kailash Vajpeyi died Published on: 02-APR-2015Important for Exam: 50 people agreed

Kailash Vajpeyi published 28 books, including 14 volumes of poetry. Some of his works includes Sufinama, Sankrant, Dehant se Hatkar (Away from

Death), Teesra Andhera (Third Darkness), and Rajnadhi.

General Muhammadu Buhari won Presidential Election of Nigeria Published on: 01-APR-2015Important for Exam: 41 people agreed



His party All Progressives Congress (APC) secured 15424921 votes and Goodluck Jonathan's People's Democratic Party (PDP) secured 12853162

votes.

Alibaba signed digital distribution deal with German music rights group BMG Published on: 01-APR-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

The deal will bring more than 2.5 million copyrights to Alibaba, whose music platforms already had many of the songs from artists including Kylie

Minogue, the Rolling Stones and Jean-Michael Jarre.

India launched Operation Raahat to evacuate 4000 Indian nationals from Yemen Published on: 01-APR-2015Important for Exam: 77 people agreed

Operation Raahat will involve total of five ships and four aircraft to evacuate about 4000 Indian nationals from strife-torn Yemen.

RBI approved the amalgamation of ING Vysya Bank with Kotak Mahindra Bank Published on: 01-APR-2015Important for Exam: 76 people agreed

With this approval of RBI, Kotak will come up as the country’s fourth largest private sector lender.

Rajasthan Government opened women milk bank Jeevan Dhara in Jaipur Published on: 01-APR-2015Important for Exam: 62 people agreed

The state Government launched the bank in collaboration with Norwegian government and JK Lon Hospital.

Mustafa Kamal resigned from the post of President of International Cricket Council Published on: 01-APR-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

Mustafa Kamal sent out the resignation letter to the ICC. He had succeeded Alan Isaac as the 11th President of the ICC in June 2014 for a period of

two years.

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved uniform gas price for urea plants Published on: 01-APR-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

As per the estimation of the Department of Ferti lizer (DOF), the decision wil l lead to additional production of around 37.13 lakh million tones (MT) of

urea.

Vice President released a book titled Aatank Ke Saaye Men written by Garima Sanjay Published on: 01-APR-2015Important for Exam: 222 people agreed

The book mainly dwells upon the menace of the burning problem of terrorism in most of the countries worldwide

IBM announced to invest 3 billion US dollars to build an Internet of Things (IoT) unit Published on: 01-APR-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The unit will build industry-specific data services and developer tools and offer them over Cloud-based open platform to its enterprise customers.

These services will help its clients to make business decisions in a better way.

Third International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria announced 3.8 billion US dollar aid Published on: 01-APR-2015

Important for Exam: 19 people agreed The financial aid will help UN organisations and partners to meet urgent needs of victims of Syria’s civil war in Syria and neighbouring countries.

Kyle Mills of New Zealand retired from all forms of International Cricket Published on: 01-APR-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

In October 2009, he reached his at number 1 position of first on the International Cricket Council's one-day international bowler’s rankings after taking

nine wickets in New Zealand’s series against Australia.

Amazon and IBM announced plans to enter Internet of Things (IoT) Marketspace Published on: 01-APR-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The IoT is a virtual network of devices embedded with electronic sensors and transmitting technologies. The network helps in sharing information on a

real time basis.

Gujarat Assembly passed the Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime Bill 2015 Published on: 01-APR-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

Clause 16 of the Bill makes confessions before police officers admissible in Court and it also provides extension of the period of investigation from the

stipulated 90 days to 180 days.Peru Prime Minister Ana Jara sacked over alleged domestic spying Published on: 01-APR-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The Peruvian Prime Minister was forced to s tep down over alleged spying against the lawmakers, reporters, business leaders and everyday citizens.



MayFourth North East Youth Festival concluded in Jorhat district of Assam Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The three day long festival was organized by the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) on behalf of the Ministr y of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Gurpreet Singh became 5th Indian to get quota place in shooting for 2016 Rio Olympics Published on: 01-JUN-2015


Singh became the fifth Indian shooter to win a quota place for the Rio Olympics after Gagan Narang, Ji tu Rai, Apurvi Chandela and Abhinav Bindra.

Finance Minister inaugurated new Bank Note Paper Line unit in Hoshangabad, MP Published on: 30-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 48 people agreed

Hoshangabad Mill is capable in making bank note paper for big denominations which will help India to be self reliant for printing all types of note on the

paper made in India.

Increasing number of hamlets responsible for decline of Tigers in Buxa Tiger Reseve: West Bengal Published on: 30-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

It was stated by the W est Bengal Minister for Forests Benoy Krishna Barman in the state legislature.

Andhra Pradesh brought 16 Sectors under Swiss Challenge method to develop Infrastructure Published on: 30-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

This order was issued by the Infrastructure and Investment Department and will facilitate the government to extend Swiss Challenge method to award

infrastructure project under the above sectors.

Veena Jain appointed as Director General of Doordarshan News Published on: 30-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

Jain will also hold the charge as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) and will oversee the ministry's new media wing and social media cell.

Book titled Super Economies by Raghav Bahl released Published on: 30-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

The book explains the vastly changed nature of the world since the Cold War and predicts what will be the likely changes in the 21st centuary.

Anand Kumar, Founder of Super 30, honoured in Canada Published on: 30-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

The Speaker Linda Reid honoured Kumar with a memento and also appreciated his endeavour at a proposal initiated by Marc Dalton, an MLA.

Pradeep Kumar Sinha appointed as Cabinet Secretary to Union Government Published on: 30-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

Before this appointment, Sinha was serving as Secretary, in Union Ministry of Power since July 2013.

CSO released Provisional Estimates of National Income for FY 2014-15 Published on: 30-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

As per it, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at constant prices in the FY 2014-15 will grow at 7.3 percent while at current prices it is expected to grow

at 10.5 percent.

Book titled Ahmedabad: A City in the World by Amrita Shah released Published on: 30-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The book describes the a six-hundred year old former textile town in Kaka-style development which sketches Mahatma Gandhi and his struggle

against British rule and terms the city as a hotbed for communal violence.

Nigerian Army launched operations to flush out Boko Haram from Sambisa Forest Published on: 30-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The forest is a hide out for the group since its capture in February 2013.

State Bank of India launched Online Customer Acquisition Solution Published on: 30-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

This online application will enable customers to apply for home, car, education and personal loans online and get an instant e-approval.

G Satheesh Reddy appointed as Scientific Advisor to Union Defence Minister Published on: 30-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Reddy is Director at Research Centre Imarat (RCI) & Programme Director of MRSAM, DRDO.

International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers observed across the world Published on: 30-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The day was established to honour the memory of the UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the cause of peace and the theme for year 2015 is

Together for Peace.

Sepp Blatter re-elected as FIFA President



Published on: 30-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

79-year-old Blatter won another four-year term as FIFA President after he secured 133 votes in 209 (206 were valid votes) FIFA member federation.

The Pakistan Paradox written by Christrophe Jaffrelot Published on: 30-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The 688-pages book is an overview of the contemporary Pakistan which was born as the creation of elite Urdu-speaking Muslims who sought to

govern a state that would maintain their dominance.

VA Prasanth appointed as the CFO of Indian Bank Published on: 29-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Indian Bank, established in 1907, is an Indian state-owned financial services company, headquartered in Chennai, India.

RBI released Draft Guidelines on Net Stable Funding Ratio for Banks Published on: 29-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

The Reserve Bank proposed to make NSFR applicable to all banks in India from 1 January 2018.

Five women suspended for anti-doping rule violations named for TOP Scheme Published on: 29-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

The five women who were suspended for anti-doping rule violations and named under TOP Scheme are Priyanka Panwar, Ashwini Akkunji, Jauna

Murmu, Sini Jose and Mandeep Kaur.

Zoomcar co-founder David Back resigned Published on: 29-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

He will continue to hold his stake and board position in US-based Zoomcar Inc, the parent of Zoomcar India.

Indian-origin teacher Gurnimrat Nimmy Sidhu named for Oxford University award Published on: 29-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

She is among 12 teachers to win the University of Oxford Inspirational Teacher Award.

RBI proposed to introduce PPI for Mass Transit Systems Published on: 29-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

These PPI-MTS will be semi-closed instruments that will be used facilitate the migration to electronic payments in line with the country’s vision of

moving to a less-cash society.

Mahindra World City entered Joint Venture with Sumitomo to set up industrial park in Chennai Published on: 29-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

The venture will have 60 per cent equity participation from Mahindra World City and the balance 40 per cent from Sumitomo.

Maharashtra CM sets up a high powered task force to develop IFSC Published on: 29-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

This Task Force will devise the roadmap for development of IFSC and would be co-chaired by Anshu Jain and Arundhati Bhattacharya.

Yaduveer of Wodeyar dynasty crowned as 27th Maharaja of Mysuru Published on: 29-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The last coronation took place 41 years ago when Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar was crowned at the age of 21.

Sevilla FC won Europa League title Published on: 29-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

With this, Sevilla, the Spain’s oldest club solely devoted to football practice, became the first side to win the Europa League four times.

Abhinav Bindra became 4th Indian shooter to qualify for 2016 Rio Olympics Published on: 29-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

Bindra became the fourth Indian shooter to win a quota place for the Rio Olympics and the other three in the list are Gagan Narang, Jitu Rai and Apurvi

Chandela.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of USA granted work Permit for H-4 visa holders Published on: 29-MAY-2015

Important for Exam: 6 people agreed The decision is expected to benefit over 179600 H-4 visa holders with particular salience to visa holders of Indian citizenship who are largely employed

in the IT sector.

NCDEX launched Gold Now platform for forward contracts in gold Published on: 29-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The maximum duration of the contract is for 60 calendar days and delivery unit of the contract is 100 grams and 1 kilogram.

Seven FIFA Officials arrested on bribery charges in Zurich by Switzerland authorities Published on: 29-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The arrested officials include Jeffrey Webb, FIFA vice-president and all the officials are awaiting extradition to USA.



Yogathon to be hosted in 100 US cities on First International Yoga Day Published on: 29-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

All major spiritual and Yoga organisations like Art of Living have joined the countrywide campaign to spread the awareness about Yoga.

Microsoft announced to open India's first Digital Experience Centre in Gujarat Published on: 29-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Microsoft will open the centre in collaboration with the Vadodara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

Eminent American Photographer Mary Ellen Mark passed away Published on: 29-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

She was regarded as one of the best documentary photographers of her generation who took a classic documentary approach to often difficult material

and usually worked in black and white.

S Christopher appointed as Director General of DRDO Published on: 29-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

ACC appointed S Christopher as Director General of DRDO and GS Reddy as Scientific Advisor to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Shantanu Khosla resigned as Managing Director of Procter and Gamble India Published on: 28-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

In his place, Procter & Gamble India (P&G) appointed Al Rajwani as the new Managing Director & CEO

State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015 report released Published on: 28-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

As per the report, the number of hungry people in the world has dropped to 795 million.UNSC adopted resolution on protection of journalists in conflict zones Published on: 28-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The resolution was adopted during a meet chaired by Lithuania’s Foreign Minister under the agenda item Protection of civilians in armed conflict.

RBI notified FIIs to invest up to 49 percent in Gammon Infrastructure Projects Limited Published on: 28-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

RBI stated that the company agreed for enhancing the limit for the purchase of its equity shares and convertible debentures by FIIs/RFPIs.

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair resigned as Special Envoy of the Middle East Quartet Published on: 28-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

He was appointed to the position by the Diplomatic Quartet on 27 June 2007, the same day he resigned as the Prime Minister of the UK after serving

for ten years.

Tripura withdrew AFSPA from state Published on: 28-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The Act was enforced on the state by the Union Government on 16 February 1997 in 40 police station areas of the state, dominated by the tribal due to

relentless violence and bloodshed.

Ajanmi Beti Ke liye Daud organised for the cause of saving girl child in Himachal Pradesh Published on: 28-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

Ajanmi Beti Ke liye Daud was organized with a concern over alarming child sex ratio in the hill state, which is 906 against 1000 females.

Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs notified the Companies (Amendment) Act, 2014 Published on: 28-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The act received the assent of the President of India in early May 2015.

Union Sports Ministry gave nod for creation of RSFs by recognising federations of indigenous sports Published on: 28-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

The decision is aimed at promoting sports having only regional spread.

US state of Nebraska abolished death penalty Published on: 28-MAY-2015


In the unicameral legislature the proposal to abolish death penalty was passed 30 to 19, which is the exact number of votes needed to override

Governor Pete Ricketts earlier veto.

NATO launched Arctic Challenge Exercise in the north of Norway, Sweden and Finland Published on: 27-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

This Russian military exercise that coincided with an Arctic training exercise by NATO and some of i ts partners in Europe may raise concerns of West.

Manabi Bandopadhyay became first transgender principal of Krishnagar Women's College Published on: 27-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Currently, she is working as an associate professor in Bengali at the Vivekananda Satobarshiki Mahavidyalaya.



NRI scientist Latha Venkataraman created first single-molecule device Published on: 27-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

The electronic device has a potential of real-world technological applications for nanoscale devices.

Himachal Pradesh set up satellite tracking system to check forest fire Published on: 27-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The state has also launched an awareness campaign across the state to protect forests from fire in which local people will be involved to detect the fire

incidents.

Trevor Bayliss appointed as head coach of England Cricket Team Published on: 27-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 73 people agreed

The New South Wales coach has succeeded Peter Moores, whose second spell ended in first week of May 2015 after he was sacked.

High Court allowed Greenpeace India to operate two of its domestic accounts Published on: 27-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The High court bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdher also allowed Greenpeace to encash its fixed deposits and utilise the funds for running the

organisation.

48 tigers in non-protected Chandrapur forest areas of Maharashtra: WCT Survey Published on: 27-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

The survey claims that total number of such animals has now increased to 120 in the zone which is home to Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Doordarshan's farmer-centric Kisan TV Channel Published on: 27-MAY-2015

Important for Exam: 26 people agreed The union government has made it a must carry channel making it mandatory for cable and Direct to Home (DTH) operators to provide DD Kisan to

their subscribers.

Forbes released the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women 2015 list Published on: 27-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 78 people agreed

The world’s most powerful woman in the list is German Chancellor Angela Merkel who fetched the first spot.

Union Ministry of Finance constituted Committee on Revisiting & Revitalizing PPP Model Published on: 27-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The committee is headed by former Finance Secretary Vijay Kelkar.

India and Vietnam signed Joint Vision Statement on Defence Cooperation 2015-2020 Published on: 27-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

It was signed by the Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and the Vietnamese Minister for National Defence General Phung Quang Thanh in New

Delhi.

Two Indians posthumously named for UN’s Dag Hammarskjold Medal Published on: 27-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Lance Naik Nand Ram served the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and Raju Joseph

served in a civilian capacity with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Director-Producer Marty Pasetta passed away Published on: 27-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

Pasetta was famously known as a veteran director of live TV extravaganzas including 17 Academy Awards shows.

Abraj Kudai, world’s biggest hotel, set to open in Mecca in 2017 Published on: 27-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

It is located 2.2 km south of the Grand Mosque and funded by the Saudi Ministry of Finance.

GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) System fully operationalised Published on: 27-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

With this, India has become the fourth nation after the US, Europe and Japan to deploy inter-operable Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) to

provide navigational services.

CS Santosh presented with 2014 FMSCI Motorsport Man of the Year Award Published on: 27-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The award was presented at a ceremony held in Bangaluru.

Nirbhay Sharma sworn in as Governor of Mizoram Published on: 27-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

His oath of office and secrecy was administered by Guwahati High Court Judge Justice T Vaiphei administered. Sharma was appointed as the

governor of Mizoram on 12 May 2015 by the President Pranab Mukherjee.

Kumar Sangakkara named CEAT International Cricketer of the Year 2015




The middle order batsman Ajinkya Rahane was named as the CEAT Indian Cricketer of the Year 2015 while former Indian captain Kapil Dev was

conferred with the International Lifetime Achievement Award at the 19th edition of the awards.

Snapdeal acquired Hyderabad-based startup MartMobi Published on: 26-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

This acquisition will help Snapdeal to strengthen its mobility platform for merchant partners.

Complete Story of Indian Reforms: 2G, Power & Private Enterprise written by Pradeep Baijal Published on: 26-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

Author in the book has claimed that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warned him of consequences if he did not co-operate in the 2G scam.

Tornado struck northern city of Ciudad Acuna in Mexico Published on: 26-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

It was the first tornado to hit Acuna since the city's foundation, more than 100 years ago. Coahuila state is just across the border from Del Rio, US

State of Texas.

UAE launched Strategic Framework for its Space Agency Published on: 26-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The framework is aimed at launching satellite missions and the firs t Arab unmanned probe to Mars called Hope Probe by 2021.

Sunil D’Souza appointed as MD of Whirlpool India Published on: 26-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Prior to this appointment, he was the Head of PepsiCo’s VIMAPS Business Unit located in Malaysia.

2000 year old Water supply system unearthed in Umm Tuba quarter of Israel Published on: 26-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

A section of Jerusalem's Lower Aqueduct, which conveyed water to the city more than 2000 years ago, was exposed in the Umm Tuba quarter.

Switzerland named two Indians under probe in its official gazette Published on: 26-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The two Indians named in the gazette are Sneh Lata Sawhney and Sangita Sawhney, and the gazette has provided their date of bi rths only.

Delhi Government approved mandatory GPS in public transport from June 2015 Published on: 26-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The decision was taken keeping in view the securi ty and safety of commuters, especially women.

Union Government approved 21 FDI proposals worth 281 crore rupees Published on: 26-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

These FDI proposals were based on recommendations of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).

Argentine footballer Cristian Gomez died Published on: 26-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Gomez is the second Argentine player to die in May 2015, after Emanuel Ortega of San Martin de Burzaco who suffered a fatal head injury on 14 May

2015.

ICICI Bank launched Voice Recognition Service for Biometric Authentication Published on: 26-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

ICICI became the first bank in India to offer Voice Recognition Service. The service will be available to over 33 million customers of its savings account

and credit card.

British actor Terry Sue-Patt passed away Published on: 26-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Sue-Patt was best known for playing the role of school pupil named Benny Green in children's TV series Grange Hill.

Ranjit Singh Baxi elected as Head of Bureau of International Recycling Published on: 25-MAY-2015

Important for Exam: 14 people agreed Baxi succeeded Bjorn Grufman. He will serve a two-year term as President of this global firm.

Indian boxer won four Gold Medals at Doha International Boxing tournament 2015 Published on: 25-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Commonwealth Games silver medallist L Devendro Singh (49kg), Shiva Thapa (56kg), Manish Kaushik (60kg), and Manoj Kumar (64kg) won the gold

medals.

Delhi government tied-up with Rotary club to revamp government schools Published on: 25-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

In the first phase of the plan, Rotary Club wil l launch a hygiene campaign at 300 government schools.



Indian boxers won three Gold at World Junior Women's boxing Championship Published on: 25-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Savita (50kg), Mandeep Sandhu (52kg) and Sakshi (54kg) struck gold for the country, while Soniya (48kg) and Niharika Gonella (70kg) settled for

silver medals.

Expert committee on Health Insurance recommended changes in disclaimer wordings Published on: 25-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The committee recommended changing the wording of disclaimer, “Insurance is a subject matter of solicitation”, in all their advertisements to “Beforebuying, know the conditions and exclusions, to make a well-informed decision.”

Manoj Mishra appointed as CMD of National Fertilizers Limited Published on: 25-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Mishra is currently serving as the Director (Finance) at State Trading Corporation (STC).

Tamil Nadu CM announced welfare schemes worth 1800 crore rupees Published on: 25-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The state government approved five major schemes and they include opening of more AMMA canteens that provide subsidised food, housing for poor

and setting up Reverse Osmosis plants for drinking water.

BCCI recommended Contract system for Indian women cricket team Published on: 25-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

The recommendations were released at the finance committee meeting held in Delhi.

Indian Film Masaan won FIPRESCI Award at 68th Cannes film festival Published on: 25-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The movie is jointly produced by Manish Mundra, Macassar Productions, Arte France Cinema, Sikhya Entertainment & Phantom Films.

UBS AG Bank of Switzerland agreed to pay 203 million US dollars for manipulating LIBOR Published on: 25-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

The bank took this decision after the Justice Department tore up a nonprosecution agreement reached between them in 2012.

Uttar Pradesh government amended State Film Policy to woo tourism Published on: 25-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP) Akhilesh Yadav inaugurated the UP Film Bnadhus’s Website and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

to set up a film city.

Cannes Films Festival 2015: French director Jacques Audiard bagged Palme d’Or Published on: 25-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Indian Film Masaan won critics prize at 68th Cannes film festival, while Palme d'Or award went to Dheepan, directed by Jacques Audiard.20th Law Commission submitted report on Guardianship and Custody Laws to the Union Law Ministry Published on: 25-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The report suggested the concept of joint custody and empowerment of courts dealing with divorce cases.

Union Cabinet approved revised FDI norms for NRIs, PIOs and OCIs Published on: 25-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The decisions are expected to result in increased investments leading to economic growth of the country.

Nobel Awardee mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. died Published on: 25-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The mathematician is renowned for his work in game theory, and for winning the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1994.

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany won Monaco Grand Prix of Formula One Published on: 25-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

For him, it is the tenth overall championship title and the second title in the 2015 season.

Mumbai Indians won IPL 2015 title by defeating Chennai Super kings Published on: 25-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Mumbai Indians after being invited to bat first posted a score of 202 for five, while batting second, Chennai Super Kings were able to score just 161 for

eight.

A Vellayan stepped aside as Chairman of Murugappa Group Corporate Board Published on: 23-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

He took the decision because of charges of i nsider trading on him by the Securiti es and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

Huawei launched LiteOS, world’s most lightweight IoT operating system (OS) Published on: 23-MAY-2015




It is the world’s most lightweight IoT OS with a size of 10KB.

SAIL and ArcelorMittal signed MoU to set up Automotive Steel Plant in India Published on: 23-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The proposed plant will help to meet growing demands of the Indian automotive sector.

J Jayalalithaa sworn-in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for fifth time Published on: 23-MAY-2015

Important for Exam: 3 people agreed The oath was administered by Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah at the Madras University Centenary Auditorium in Chennai.

Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) appointed G Mohan Kumar as Defence Secretary Published on: 23-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

He will be in the office for a period of two years and succeeds Radha Krishna Mathur who completes his tenure on 28 May 2015.

Veteran jazz musician Bob Belden passed away Published on: 22-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

Belden was a jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger and producer who was among the first American musicians to perform in Iran since its 1979

revolution in 2015 when he toured there.

Shuttler Saina Nehwal of India ranked No.1 in single rankings released by BWF Published on: 22-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

The ranking was topped by Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal. She was followed by Li Xuerui of China.

India reached 6th position in terms of scientific publications Published on: 22-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

India elevated from tenth to sixth position in terms of publishing scientific research papers in different journals.

Environmental Democracy Index 2015 released; India at 24th position Published on: 22-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

India was ranked at 24th position out of 70 countries in the first Environmental Democracy Index that is topped by Lithuania at the first position.

Andaman & Nicobar Police proposed to reserve 33% seats for women Published on: 22-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The decision to keep women in police will help the vulnerable sections like women, children to voice their grievances without fear and help resolve

many problems.

Nelong Valley in Uttarakhand opened first time for tourists after closure in 1962 Published on: 22-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

The valley was closed for civilians after the 1962 war between India and China.

US Army developed Blast proof wallpaper to protect soldiers from explosions


A prototype was displayed at an exhibition of army innovations held at the Pentagon on 21 May 2015.

UN observed International Day for Biological Diversity Published on: 22-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The theme for the year 2015 is Biodiversity for Sustainable Development and it highlights the importance of efforts made to establish a set of

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the UN Post-2015 Development Agenda (2015-2030).

IGBC reported India registered 3 billion sq ft green building footprint Published on: 22-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The achievement has put India at the second positi on in the world green building footprint.

British magazine SportsPro released World’s 50 Most Marketable 2015 report Published on: 22-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

According to SportsPro's listing of the top 50 most marketable athletes in the world for 2015, Eugenie Bouchard, Tennis player from Canada, topped

the list.

Blue whales spotted for the 1st time in 100 years off Sindhudurg coast in Maharashtra Published on: 22-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The two Blue Whales (mother-calf pair ) were spotted near Kunkeshwar off the Sindhudurg coast in Maharashtra after 1914, as per recorded data.

O Panneerselvam resigned as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Published on: 22-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

He resigned minutes after Jayalalithaa was elected as the legislature party leader at a meeting in Chennai. With this, his eight months long tenure as

Chief Minister of the state came to an end.

Union Cabinet gave its approval for setting up Ammonia-Urea Complex at Namrup in Assam




It will be of 8.64 lakh metric tonnes annual capacity and will be operationalised with an investment of 4500 crore rupees.

Palmyra, an ancient Syrian city, captured by ISIS militants Published on: 22-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

With this seizure of Palmyra, the militant group ISIS controls half of Syria’s landmass. Earlier in third week of May 2015, the group seized Ramadi city

of Iraq.

Akhil Reed Amar appointed as member of the National Council on Humanities of US Published on: 22-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Presently, Amar is Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at the Yale University.

Union Cabinet approved PSLV Continuation Programme for launching 15 flights PSLV-C36 to PSLV-C50 Published on: 22-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The operational flights wil l be launched during the period 2017-20 at an estimated cost of 3090 crore rupees.

World Bank approved 250 million dollar credit for Enhancing Teacher Effectiveness in Bihar Published on: 22-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The credit is being provided from IDA, the World Bank’s concessionary lending arm, and the credit is on IDA terms with a maturity of 25 years,

including a 5 year grace period.

Mirage 2000 fighter jet landed on Yamuna Expressway as part of developing road runways Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

IAF conducted the successful trial run of landing on Yamuna Expressway near Mathura under the plan of use of national highways in emergency

situations.

NASA’s Spacecraft provided first direct measurement for Type Ia Supernovae caused by white dwarfs Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

Type Ia supernovae are destructive explosions of carbon-oxygen white dwarfs and are used empirically to measure cosmological distances.

Ecologists found a new species of fish called Pethia striata in Western Ghats, Karnataka Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The discovery of the new species was published in the journal of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.

US President Barack Obama entered Guinness Book of World Record Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

Barack Obama debuted on Social Media Platform Twi tter with @POTUS account.

Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the new headquarter of Coal India Ltd at Rajarhat in West Bengal Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

The new building came up at a sprawling 27000 Sq. Ft. area and it was built by the National Building Corporation (NBCC)

ISRO announced to launch ASTROSAT in October 2015 Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

It will be launched by the PSLV C-34 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

9th Session of the India-South Africa Joint Ministerial Commission held in Durban Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The two ministers Swaraj and Mashabane agreed to work under the framework of a five year strategic programme of cooperation and decided to

establish a new Joint Working Group on Trade & Economic matters on it.

Union finance Ministry constituted Shah Committee to look into the issue of MAT on FIIs Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Further, the committee would examine the matter relating to levy of MAT on FIIs for the period prior to 1 April 2015.

Indigenously developed Astra Missile successfully test fired from ITR Chandipur in Odisha Published on: 21-MAY-2015

Important for Exam: 7 people agreed The present test was a part of the series of tests planned to test the missile’s subsystems like propulsion, navigation and guidance and the smooth

separation of the missile from the aircraft, etc.

Six Major Banks fined 5.7 billion US dollars on Forex Benchmark Rates manipulation charges Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The fines were imposed as part of the settlements reached between the banks and the governmental agencies probing the charges.

Shanmuganathan sworn in as Meghalaya Governor Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Shanmuganathan’s oath of office and secrecy was administered by Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court Uma Nath Singh. He was appointed as

the new Governor on 12 May 2015.



Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak temple received ISO 9001-2008 certification Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

It received ISO 9001-2008 certification for best quality practices like facilitating darshan and funding various activities of public interest.

Tathagata Roy sworn in as Governor of Tripura Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The Chief Justice of Tripura High Court, Deepak Gupta, administered the oath of office at a ceremony held in Raj Bhavan.

UP FDA asked Nestle to withdraw 2014 batch of Maggi Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

UP FDA during its routine tests found that the noodles contained high lead content of 17.2 parts per million (ppm), which is nearly seven times more

that the permissible limit, which is between 0.01 ppm and 2.5 ppm.

Anti Terrorism Day observed across India Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The day is annually observed on the death anniversary of seventh Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who was assassinated by a suicide bomber from the

LTTE on 21 May 1991.

Maharashtra decided to amend Factories Act, 1948 to allow women to work in night shifts Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The amendment to Factories Act, 1948 will clear a way for women employees to work in night shifts, that is, women will be allowed to work post 7 pm,

which was earlier banned under Section 66(1)(c) of the Act.

TP Senkumar appointed as DGP of Kerala Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

He will succeed KS Balasubramanian, who is reti ring on 31 May 2015.

Eminent Economist Mrinal Datta Chaudhuri passed away Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

He was Director at the Delhi School of Economics (DSE) and policy advisor to the Union Government.

Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai won the 2015 Man Booker International Prize Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

Laszlo Krasznahorkai became the sixth winner of the prestigious Man Booker International Prize for 2015. His was awarded at the Victoria and Albert

Museum in London.

International Day of Families observed with theme Men in Charge? Gender Equality Published on: 21-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

2015 Theme is Men in Charge? Gender Equality and Children’s Rights in Contemporary Families. It also highlights prevention of family violence

through fair family law frameworks and a variety of programme interventions.President inaugurated 50th anniversary of India’s first historic climb of Mt. Everest in 1965 Published on: 20-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Nawang Gombu, the Sherpa who was the member of the team, became the first person to reach the summit twice, firstly with an American expedition

in 1963.

UN released World Economic Situation and Prospects Mid-2015 Update Published on: 20-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

WESP report identifies key challenges in the areas of monetary, fiscal, labour market and trade policies, and underlines the need for strengthened

international policy coordination.

Actress Sudha Shivpuri died Published on: 20-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Shivpuri gained popularity for her role as Baa in television show Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, the longest running TV show of Ekta Kapoor.

Tamils in Sri Lanka commemorated war dead for the first time at Mullivaikkal village Published on: 20-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Mullivaikkal is the northern village of Sri Lanka where LTTE fought their last fight against security forces war in 2009, was in news as Tamil community

for the first time were allowed to publicly commemorate those who lost lives in the war.

Maria Elena South, driest place on earth, discovered in Atacama Desert Published on: 20-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Maria Elena South (MES) is dry as Mars and has a mean atmospheric relative humidity (RH) of 17.3 percent. It has a soil RH of a constant 14 percent

at a depth of one meter.

SEBI notified the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 2015 Published on: 20-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed



The rules are aimed at making easier for domestic mutual funds to manage offshore pooled assets.

Union Ministry of Finance released draft outline of Gold Monetization Scheme (GMS) Published on: 20-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The scheme is intended to mobilize unutili sed gold from household and institutions and make them available to gems and jewellary sector.

EU approved plan to use Naval Force to combat Smugglers and tackle Migration crisis Published on: 20-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The policy for an unprecedented naval operation against the smuggling of refugees from North Africa to Europe was approved by EU foreign ministersduring a meet held in Brussels.

Peter M Christian elected as eighth President of Micronesia Published on: 20-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

Before the present appointment, he was a senator representing Pohnpei at-large for two terms between 2007 and 2015.

PM Narendra Modi concluded his three-nation tour to China, Mongolia and South Korea Published on: 20-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The three nation visit between 14 May and 19 May 2015 was part of Act East Policy and it aimed at achieving several major objectives to elevate

special strategic partnership to a new level.

HDFC Bank launched HDFC Bank Apollo Medical Benefits Card Published on: 20-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

This is the first-of-its kind product in the country. The corporates can load the specified allowance onto the card every month which can be used by

employees for medical expenditure at pan-India VISA/MasterCard outlets.

JICA agreed to lend 1165 crore rupees for Odisha Transmission System Improvement Project Published on: 20-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The purpose of the loan is to assist in establishing a stable power supply to the state in advance of an expected large increase in power demand in the

coming years due to rapid industrialization.

Fourth Corvette of Project-28 christened Kavaratti launched Published on: 20-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

The four ships of Project-28 built by GRSE, Kolkata have been designed indigenously by the Directorate of Naval Design, New Delhi and bear the

testimony to the acclaimed legacy of Naval Designers.

Delhi Government decided to launch Pay & Play Scheme to promote sports Published on: 20-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The scheme that can be availed by paying a nominal fee of 100 rupees per month for all will begin from 1 July 2015 in the morning session from 6 am

to 9.30 am.

SS Ahluwalia appointed as Chairman of JPC on Land Acquisition Amendment Bill, 2015 Published on: 20-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The committee has 20 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 members from the Rajya sabha and will submit its report by the first week of 2015

monsoon session.

UNCTAD released a report titled Global Investment Trends Monitor Published on: 19-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The report highlighted that developing Asia now invests more abroad than any other region.

GMR Infra signed MoU with GIIC for developing Kakinada SEZ Published on: 19-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The MoU was signed by Challa Prasanna, President of Kakinada SEZ (KSEZ) Pvt Ltd.

Joe Root and Charlotte Edwards named England cricketers of the year 2014-15 Published on: 19-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Joe Root was recently appointed vice-captain of England's Test team, while Charlotte Edwards is the women’s captain of England cricket team.

Infosys announced to become carbon neutral by 2018 Published on: 19-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The company announced to achieve carbon-neutrality on commuting and travel by its nearly 1.8 lakh employees and in doing so deepens its

commitment to sustainability.

Draupadi Murmu sworn in as first woman Governor of Jharkhand Published on: 19-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

She succeeded Syed Ahmed who was recently transferred as Governor of Manipur by President Pranab Mukherjee.

New Catfish Species Glyptothorax Senapatiensis discovered in Manipur Published on: 19-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed



The discovery was published in the research paper titled Glyptothorax senapatiensis, a new species of catfish from Manipur, India.

Infosys became the first Indian Company to Join RE100 Renewable Energy Campaign Published on: 19-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Infosys joined some of the world’s most influential companies such as IKEA, Swiss Re, BT, Formula E, H&M, KPN, Mars, Nestlé, Philips, among

others.

Apple Inc acquired GPS firm Coherent Navigations to improve Apple mapping capabilities Published on: 19-MAY-2015


Coherent Navigation's High Integrity GPS system is supposedly so granular that it can provide accurate location information to within a few

centimeters.

Union Government sanctioned 30 new cold storage projects Published on: 19-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

These cold storage which will help in reducing the wastage of food will attract an investment of about 400 crore rupees.

Reliance Jio signed pact with Huawei for sourcing 4G devices Published on: 19-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

As per the pact, Huawei will supply 4G devices to Reliance Jio including smartphones, tablets and mifi dongles.

US President Obama banned certain military-style equipment provided to US police Published on: 19-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The ban was announced by during President’s visit to Camden, one of the poorest cities of New Jersey. The city dissolved its police force and replaced

it with a new county-run department.

Himachal Pradesh to host Paragliding World Cup 2015 Published on: 19-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The event will be held at Bir Billing in Kangra valley and will be the first paragliding World Cup in India. It will be conducted under the aegis of Para-

gliding World Cup Association, France.

India Meteorological Department signed MoU with POSOCO Ltd to increase efficiency of power sector Published on: 19-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

Both the parties agreed to provide expert opinion and knowledge support in areas of Weather information and its affect on power distr ibution system.

Indian-American Harkeert Singh Saini won Prestigious Police Award in Texas, US Published on: 19-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Saini who hails from Hoshiarpur district of Punjab was awarded for his efficient services to the Houston Police department in the state of Texas of

United States.

Maria Sharapova of Russia won the women’s single of Italian Tennis Open for third time Published on: 18-MAY-2015

Important for Exam: 21 people agreed She defeated Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro by 4-6 7-5 6-1.

India, South Korea signed 7 agreements to upgrade relations to special strategic partnership level Published on: 18-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

India-Korea Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (signed 1985) has been revised with a view to avoiding the burden of double taxation on taxpayers

in the two countries.

India assumed Presidency of the 68th World Health Assembly after 19 years Published on: 18-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The 68th World Health Assembly wil l be held from 18 May 2015 to 27 May 2015.

Union Government launched official website of NITI Aayog with blog section Published on: 18-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

The website is launched by Dr Arvind Panagariya, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog.

Mumbai KEM Nurse Aruna Shanbaug died after 42-years in coma Published on: 18-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Aruna was battling with coma for past 42-years after sexually assaulted by a hospital ward boy on 27 November 1973.

PM Modi inaugurated ICICI’s first branch in China at Shanghai Published on: 18-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The branch was inaugurated in presence of Chanda Kochhar, MD & CEO, ICICI Bank, Senior Chinese and Indian government officials.

Official website of 10th World Hindi Conference launched Published on: 18-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Theme for the 10th World Hindi Conference (WHC) is Hindi Jagat: Vistar avm sambhavnai. The conference will be held from 10 September to 12

September 2015 at Lal Parade Ground in Bhopal.



Brad Haddin, the Australia wicketkeeper retired from ODI cricket Published on: 18-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Haddin, a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper played his debut ODI match on 30 January 2001 against Zimbabwe at Hobart.

Former Army Brigadier David Granger sworn-in as eighth President of Guyana Published on: 18-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

He was sworn-in as the President after his A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) party-led coalition won the national elections.

Union government allocated 5000 crore for development of AYUSH Published on: 18-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

AYUSH comprises Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.

India and Mongolia signed 13 agreements to enhance bilateral relations Published on: 18-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

To help convicted nationals of Mangolia and India in the process of their social rehabilitation Treaty on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons was inked.

Novak Djokovic won 4th Rome Masters Tennis title Published on: 18-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

In the summit clash, Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer 6-4, 6-3. Besides, Maria Sharapova defeated Carla Suarez Navarro 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 to win

the women's title.

6th National Conference on Nuclear Energy held in New Delhi Published on: 16-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The Conference was organised by ASSOCHAM with the theme Nuclear Energy: a Clean Energy option.UNESCAP released Survey titled Making Growth More Inclusive for Sustainable Development Published on: 16-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The survey analyzes the economic growth performance of the region, along with its outlook and challenges countries face in sharing the benefits of

growth with all people.

Anurradha Prasad conferred with Pt. Haridutt Sharma Award for Journalism and Social Services Published on: 16-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The award is given in the memory of Pt. Haridutt Sharma who was a renowned journalist and eminent writer.

Opah, the world’s first fully warm-blooded fish species, discovered by researchers Published on: 16-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The Opah fish has developed an internal heat exchange system within its gills to conserve the warmth and it raises its temperature by flapping its fins.

Palestinians observed 67th Nakba Day Published on: 16-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

On 15 May every year, Palestinians mark Nakba Day, the day when the state of Israel was founded, so as to reaffirm their right to return to their

ancestral homeland from which they were expelled in 1948.

Bengaluru airport signed a contract with SITA to allow self check-in from June 2015 Published on: 16-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The contract will enable the airport to implement the new Common Use Self Service kiosk (CUSS) platform that allows passengers to print their own

boarding passes as well as baggage tags from June 2015.

IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) adopted environmental section of Polar Code Published on: 16-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The provisions are related to discharges of ships operating in the Waters surrounding the two poles.

DD, CCTV signed agreement for exchange of art, culture programmes Published on: 16-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The exchange of programmes will begin by the end 2015 and both networks will also take up co-production works for this initiative.

Askme acquired BestAtLowest.com for 10 million US dollar


As part of the agreement, BestAtLowest.com will become part of Askme.

Union Government launched Road Asset Management System for National Highways Published on: 16-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The outcome of this integrated data collection system will assist in developing an accurate and scientific maintenance planning mechanism.

PM Narendra Modi announced e-Visa facility for Chinese Tourists Published on: 16-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The decision is aimed at development of Indian tourism sector and increasing people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.



MJ Joseph appointed as Controller General of Accounts Published on: 16-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

Prior to this appointment, Joseph was the Director General of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). He is a 1979 batch Indian Civil Accounts Service

(ICAS) officer.

ISRO announced to commission MOTR in June 2015 Published on: 16-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

It will help the ISRO in its future missions including the space capsule recovery, reusable launch vehicle and human space programmes and trackingspace debris.

Union Government decided to implement NERS for women in distress Published on: 16-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

NERS was the brainchild of the Congress-led UPA government which envisaged it in response to Delhi gang rape case of December 2012.

Japanese Scientists discovered new state of matter called Jahn-Teller-metal Published on: 15-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 40 people agreed

The matter resembles an insulator, superconductor, metal and magnet all rolled into one.

Islamic clothing company East Essence tied up with Snapdeal Published on: 15-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The company will make its debut in June 2015 by launching an online store at e-commerce marketplace Snapdeal.

President Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Presidential Awards for Classical Tamil Published on: 15-MAY-2015

Important for Exam: 7 people agreed The award was conferred on scholars who have made outstanding contribution to the development of Classical Tamil language and literature.

Maharashtra government banned digging of borewells deeper than 200 feet Published on: 15-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The decision is part of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ water conservation project Jalayukta Shivar Yojana.

Union Government launched kayakalp Award Scheme to improve cleanliness in Public Health Facilities Published on: 15-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The scheme was launched by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to encourage and incentivize Public Health Facilities (PHFs) in the

country to keep the facilities clean and hygienic.

Riley B. King, the King of Blues, passed away Published on: 15-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

He was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

Indian Scientists found a rare plant with anti-cancer properties in Western Ghats Published on: 15-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The plant is a small climbing shrub producing anti-cancer alkaloid Camptothecine (CPT).

Indian-American boy Karan Menon won 2015 National Geographic Bee Championship Published on: 15-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

In addition to winning the ti tle of National Geographic Bee champion, Menon received a 50000 US dollars college scholarship.

India and China Signed 24 Agreements To Enhance Bilateral Co-operation Published on: 15-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The details of agreements covering the fields of Education, Railways, People-to-People exchanges, skill development, Security among others were

outlined in the Joint Statement issued by the two leaders after the conclusion of bilateral talks.

SBI launched contact-less card called sbiINTOUCH Published on: 15-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

These cards are based upon the latest near-field technology (NFC).

Union Ministry of Minority Affairs launched USTAAD Scheme for Traditional Artisans


The objective of the scheme is to preserve rich heritage of traditional arts and crafts of minorities and build capacity of traditional artisans and

craftsmen.

RBI allowed Tap And Pay without PIN for transactions up to 2000 rupees Published on: 15-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

RBI decided to relax current guidelines on the needs for additional factor authentication (AFA) for small value card present transactions only using

contact-less cards.

Union Government approved Gujarat State Climate Change Action Plan 2015-2020 Published on: 15-MAY-2015




In the action plan, the state government proposed to invest more than 21000 crore rupees to create environment-friendly water resource management.

MHRD Gave Nod For Setting Up IIIT in Nagpur, Maharashtra Published on: 15-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The IIIT will join a batch of national institutes which are set to come up in the city, namely the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Indian

Institute of Management (IIM).

Bengali Writer Suchitra Bhattacharya passed away Published on: 15-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Her writings were based on contemporary social issues mainly affecting the urban middle class and also highlighted the pains and sufferings of women

in contemporary society.

Punjab government launched pan-state programme to monitor the soil health of every farm Published on: 14-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

With this, Punjab became the first state in India to issue Soil Health Cards to farmers.

CCEA gave its approval for 5% disinvestment in NTPC and 10% in Indian Oil Corporation Published on: 14-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Disinvestment in these two Maharatna companies wil l fetch government over 13000 crore rupees at current market price.

Rajya Sabha passed The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2014 Published on: 14-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The bill seeks to amend the Companies Act, 2013 that came into effect on 1 April 2015 and the amendments are designed to address some issues

raised by stakeholders.Benami Transactions (Prohibition) (Amendment) Bill, 2015 introduced in Lok Sabha Published on: 14-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The Bill seeks to amend the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 1988 by adding additional provisions that provides for stringent measures against

violators in order to curb and check the generation of black money in the country.

Peter Gay, Eminent American historian on European Thought passed away Published on: 14-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The German-born writer known for his groundbreaking books on Enlightenment, the Victorian middle classes and Sigmund Freud.

World Economic Forum (WEF) released The Human Capital Report 2015 Published on: 14-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The report elaborates the status of different countries across the world on the Human Capital Index and provides key inputs for policy makers to

augment capacities of human capital in 124 countries it has surveyed.

Telangana Government signed MoU with Google to build a campus in Hyderabad Published on: 14-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The MoU was signed by Jayesh Ranjan, Telangana Secretary of Information Technology (IT) and his counterpart David Redcliffe.

Union Cabinet Approved Namami Gange programme under National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) Published on: 14-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

It tries to integrate the efforts to clean and protect the Ganga river in a comprehensive manner with an outlay of 20000 crore rupees over a period of

five years.

Vatican recognised Palestine as State in the Holy See-Palestine Joint Statement Published on: 14-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

The Joint Statement titled Bilateral Commission of the Holy See and the State of Palestine was released after the Plenary Session between Holy See

and Palestine held in Vatican.

Indian-Origin Harbhajan Kaur Dheer became first Asian woman elected as Mayor in UK Published on: 14-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The 62-year-old member of the Labour Party assumed the charge as the Mayor of Ealing Council in London in which she was a councilor before

assuming the present position.

Indian-American Sivanadane Mandjiny won UNC Board of Governors 2015 Award Published on: 14-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

Mandjiny is currently serving as a Chemistry Professor at the University of North Carolina (UNC) in US.

RBI released the report titled State Finances: A Study of Budgets of 2014-15 Published on: 13-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The report is an annual publication that provides data, analysis and an assessment of the finances of state governments. It provides the snapshot of

the changing dynamics of fiscal federalism over the years.

Deepak Iyer appointed as MD and CEO of Bharti AXA General Insurance




Currently, he is working as the Managing Director-Indian subcontinent at Wrigley India, a subsidiary of the US-based Mars.

Lee Alan Johnson named Head Coach of U-19 football team of India Published on: 13-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Johnson was also an FA Learning Tutor for the Football Association besides being the academy coach at Crystal Palace Football Club and Chelsea

Football Club.

Union Cabinet approved amendments to Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2012 Published on: 13-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

The official amendments along with the Amendment Bill 2012 seeks to amend the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986 and allows

children below the age of 14 years to work in select 'non-hazardous' family enterprises

Indian author Neel Mukherjee won 2014 Encore Award for The Lives of Others Published on: 13-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The Lives of Others is the story of Supratik Ghosh and his family, after he leaves home to join the Communist party of India, Marxist and mobilise the

peasants against their landlords.

Facebook signed up with nine news publishers to launch Instant Articles Published on: 13-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Instant Articles will let stories load more than 10 times faster than standard mobile web articles and will include content from publishers such as the

New York Times, BuzzFeed and National Geographic.

President of India appointed four Governors and transferred two Published on: 13-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 65 people agreed

These appointments and transfers were done in accordance with Artic le 155 of the Constitution of India.

Supreme Court issued Guidelines on Regulating Government Advertisements Published on: 13-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

These guidelines were based on the recommendations of NR Madhava Menon headed three-member committee constituted by the SC to look into the

matter in August 2014.

UP Government launched Samajwadi Shudha Payjal Yojna for UP Roadways bus stations Published on: 13-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Through this service, the passengers will get best potable water at the most affordable price of two Rupees per liter.

Moody's released the report Global Macro Outlook: 2015-16 Published on: 13-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

India’s GDP will grow at a strong pace of 7.5 percent 2015-16, which is the highest among G20 economies, helped by the reforms drive and lower oil

prices.

Arvind Saxena appointed as a Member of Union Public Service Commission Published on: 13-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

With this appointment, Saxena became the first officer from Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) to become a member of UPSC.

Picasso's painting Les Femme d’Alger sold for 179.3 million US dollars Published on: 13-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Pablo Picasso, the Spanish painter and sculptor, painted a series of fifteen variations of Les Femme d’Alger painting between December 1954 and

February 1955. The paintings depict Algerian women in a harem smoking a hookah.

Indian-American professor Dr. Sivanadane Mandjiny won UNC’s 2015 Award for Excellence in Teaching Published on: 13-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

The award carries a commemorative bronze medallion and a 12500 US dollar cash prize and he is one of the 17 winners of the annual awards that

serve to underscore the importance of teaching.

RBI advised all Public Sector Banks to appoint Internal Ombudsman Published on: 13-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

The internal ombudsman will be a forum available to bank customers for grievance redressal before they can even approach the Banking Ombudsman.

Pop artist Chris Burden passed away Published on: 13-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

Burden did a string of performances that were focused on endurance, pain, and anti-social behavior, and marked him as one of his generation’s

leading artists.

India Post launched Dedicated E-Commerce Centre in New Delhi Published on: 12-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

This processing centre will exclusively handle all the e-commerce business. It is capable of handling 30000 parcels (articles) per day.



Lok Sabha passed Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill 2015 Published on: 12-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The penalty for non-disclosure of income or an asset located outside India will be equal to three times the amount of tax payable thereon.

Indian-origin Priti Patel appointed as Minister of State for Employment in British Government Published on: 12-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Priti Patel is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the W itham constituency in Essex since 2010.

Hyderabad to host Indo-Global Pharma Expo and Summit 2015 in July Published on: 12-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The theme of Indo-Global Pharma Expo and Summit 2015 will be Innovation and Advances.

President authorized Justice Cyriac Joseph to act as interim NHRC Chairperson Published on: 12-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

Former NHRC chairperson K.G. Balakrishnan had completed his tenure on 11 May 2015. He was the sixth NHRC chairman and the longest serving

one.

Nikesh Arora appointed as President of Japan’s SoftBank Corp. Published on: 12-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

He was also made the Representative Director of the company and will succeed Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of the Softbank Corp.

US-based company mGage acquired Unicel Technologies Published on: 12-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

With this acquisition, mGage will gain a strong foothold in enterprise mobile marketing and mobile CRM market in India.PM Narendra Modi launched Atal Pension Yojana (APY) for unorganised sector workers Published on: 12-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

The scheme is intended to enhance old age income security of the working poor and is focused on encouraging and enabling them to join the National

Pension System (NPS).

KV Kamath appointed as first President of New Development Bank of BRICS nations Published on: 12-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

Currently, Kamath is the Chairman of the India’s largest private sector bank, Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI).

Asiatic lion population in Gir sanctuary increased to 523: Lion Census report 2015 Published on: 12-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

This 14th lion census registered 27 percent increase in the number of Asiatic l ions compared to 2010 census which had registered 411 Asiatic l ions.

PM Narendra Modi launched Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) for accidental Insurance Cover Published on: 12-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

It is an Accident Insurance Scheme offering death and disability cover on account of an accident.

PM launched Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) in Kolkata Published on: 12-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

The scheme is intended to provide for li fe insurance cover of 2 lakh rupees per annum to the eligible subscribers.

Arun Pudur topped Wealth-X List of Asia’s Wealthiest Entrepreneurs Under 40 Published on: 12-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

He is the owner and president of software firm Celframe and topped the list with an estimated net worth of 4 billion US dollars.

K Satish Reddy appointed as Chairman of National Safety Council (NSC) Published on: 12-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

In the present position, he will oversee its functioning in generating and developing initiatives on Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) at the national

level.

Union Finance Ministry appointed Justice AP Shah Committee to look into the issue of MAT on FIIs Published on: 12-MAY-2015


The committee was appointed to resolve the contentious issue between the tax authorities and the foreign investors regarding imposition of MAT on

Capital Gains made by FIIs.

Hollywood actress Elizabeth Wilson passed away Published on: 11-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Elizabeth Wilson was famously known for her memorable film role as the mother of Dustin Hoffman's character, Benjamin Braddock, in Mike Nichols'

1967 film The Graduate.

Indian Army signed MoU with Bank of India on Defence Salary Package Published on: 11-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed



This MoU will benefit a large number of serving and retired Army personnel who own their accounts with BOI.

National Technology Day observed in India Published on: 11-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The National Technology Day was observed in India on 11 May 2015.

Veteran Bollywood actor Shashi Kapoor bestowed with Dada Saheb Phalke award Published on: 11-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

Veteran Bollywood actor Shashi Kapoor was on 10 May 2015 honoured with the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award by Union Information andBroadcasting Minster Arun Jaitley at Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai. With this, Shashi Kapoor became the 46th winner of the award.

MIDC signed a MoU with SIDBI Venture Capital Ltd to fund MSMEs Published on: 11-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Accordingly, both MIDC and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) Venture Capital jointly created funds of 200 crore rupees.

Naval Base at Porbandar commissioned as INS Sardar Patel Published on: 11-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The commissioning of INS Sardar Patel will enable the Indian Navy to qualitatively augment its infrastructure and organisational effectiveness in

Gujarat.

Discus thrower Vikas Gowda won Gold at Jamaican International Invitation meet Published on: 11-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

He came up with an effort of 65.14m to win his event.

India successfully test-fired advanced version of BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile Published on: 11-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

The advanced version of the land-to-land configuration of BrahMos Block-III version was test-fired from a Mobile Autonomous Launcher (MAL) for its

full-range of 290 km.

PM inaugurated upgraded IISCO Steel Plant in Burnpur housing largest blast furnace plant of India Published on: 11-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

After modernisation, the plant's production capacity has increased from 0.85 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to 2.9 mtpa.

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany won Spanish Grand Prix of Formula One Published on: 11-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

This is the ninth championship title in his Forumula 1 career and the first victory in the 2015 season.

Andy Murray of Britain won the men’s singles title of Madrid Tennis Open Published on: 11-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

He won the title for the second time by defeating Spain’s Rafeal Nadal 6-3, 6-2.

President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated Namaste Russia festival in Moscow Published on: 11-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The festival is intended to deepen engagement of Russians with contemporary and classical Indian culture by showcasing Indian Culture in Russia.

Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic won the women’s singles title of Madrid Tennis Open Published on: 11-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

She won the title for the second time by defeating Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-2.

Rohan Bopanna, Florin Mergea won Men’s Doubles title of Madrid Tennis Open Published on: 11-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The Indo-Romanian Men pair of Tennis defeated the Serbian-Polish pair of Nenand Zimonjic and Martin Matkowski 6-2, 6-7(5), 11-9 in the summit

clash held in Madrid, Spain.

Goa Government launched hot air balloon & amphibious vehicles Published on: 09-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The hot air balloon and amphibious vehicles will help tourists to have an aerial view of the popular tourist destinations and tour across backwaters and

catch glimpse of the flora and fauna in the surroundings.

Haryana Government included Deaflympics in its sports policy Published on: 09-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Deaflympics, previously known as World Games for the Deaf and International Games for the Deaf, is an event sanctioned by International Olympic

Committee (IOC).

NGT imposed monthly tax on all households in Delhi Published on: 09-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The decision was made by the NGT bench headed by its chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar on a petition of environmental activist, Manoj Misra

against severe pollution in Yamuna River.



North Korea successfully test-fired Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile Published on: 09-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The underwater ballistic missile was test-fired after Leader Kim Jong-Un gave the order to test-fire the missile.

India, Russia signed 11 MoIs for Higher Academic Cooperation Published on: 09-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

President Pranab Mukherjee is on a four day visit to Russia to witness the Victory Day parade on 9 May 2015 marking the 70th anniversary of Allied

forces victory in the Second World War.

UK General election 2015: Conservative Party won majority by securing 331 seats Published on: 09-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

The elections for the British Parliament made up of 650 seats with 326 required for a majority were held on 7 May 2015.

Book titled Unbelievable – Delhi to Islamabad written by Prof Bhim Singh released Published on: 09-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

The book, a travelogue is an effort initiated by the lawyers of India and Pakistan to work jointly to ensure that Indian and Pakistani prisoners should not

be denied fair trials.

Navneet Rajan Wasan appointed as DG of Police Research & Development Bureau Published on: 08-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

The post of Director General (DG) of Bureau of Police Research and Development had been l ying vacant since March 2015.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released commemorative coin on Swami Chinmayananda Published on: 08-MAY-2015

Important for Exam: 16 people agreed The Hindu spiritual leader inspired the formation of Chinmaya Mission to spread the knowledge of Advaita Vedanta, the non dual system of thought

found in the Upanishads.

SBI launched RuPay Platinum Debit Card in association with NPCI Published on: 08-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 63 people agreed

The card offers benefits to its customers like 5 percent cash back on utility bill payment and up to one percent fuel surcharge waiver and

complimentary airport lounge access.

Mhairi Black became the youngest lawmaker of Britain Published on: 08-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

She defeated Douglas Alexander, Labour's election chief and a former Cabinet minister wi th 17864 votes.

Eminent historian Amalendu Guha passed away Published on: 08-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Born on 30 January 1924 in Imphal, Guha was an eminent writer, poet, historian, social scientist and Communist thinker.

GIC held consultations on the creation of Nuclear Insurance Pool (NIP) Published on: 08-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

It is intended to cover the liability of Nuclear Plant operators and Equipment and Material Suppliers under Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages (CLND)

Act, 2010 in case of nuclear accidents.

Achal Kumar Jyoti appointed as Election Commissioner Published on: 08-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 40 people agreed

Jyoti, a retired IAS officer of 1975 batch, has worked as the Managing Director of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL) and also

served as chairman of Kandla Port Trust.

Singapore PM Lee opened first museum Indian Heritage Centre in Little India Published on: 08-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 41 people agreed

Singapore is celebrating 50 years of its independence in 2015 as well as 50 years of diplomatic relations with India.

Nepal Rastra Bank to provide interest-free loans for rebuilding houses Published on: 08-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The bank will provide interest-free loans of up to 25 lakh nepali rupees in the Kathmandu Valley.

A paleo channel claimed as River Saraswati identified in Muglawali village of Haryana Published on: 08-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The water was discovered from nine spots in the Muglawali village on 5 May 2015 while digging and Geologists termed that it is a remainder of the

inactive river, technically referred to as paleo channel.

Union Government, ADB signed loan agreement worth 31 Million US dollars Published on: 08-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The agreement will boost water availability in selected river basins in Karnataka and ensure improved water efficiency in irrigation.

National Smart Grid Mission: Institutional mechanism to oversee Smart Grid Initiatives




It is an institutional mechanism for planning, monitoring and implementation of policies and programs related to Smart Grid activities.

Lok Sabha passed Repealing and Amending Bill, 2015 Published on: 08-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

The bill seeks to repeal 36 archaic laws either partially or entirel y as they have ceased to be in force or have become obsolete.

17th Century Scottish pirate captain William Kidd treasure found in Madagascar Published on: 08-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The explorers brought a 50-kg silver bar to shore on the island of Sainte Marie, from wreck of the Adventure Galley.

High Court of Gujarat ordered shutting down of 67 sand mines in Gir Forest Sanctuary Published on: 08-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The lease period of these 67 units ended in 2014 and their proposals to extend their leases has been pending with the state government since then.

Myntra.com acquired startup firm Native5 Software Solutions Pvt Ltd Published on: 07-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

With this acquisition, founders of Native 5 will join Flipkart, parent company of Myntra.

Rajya Sabha passed 119th Constitutional Amendment Bill on LBA between India and Bangladesh Published on: 07-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 54 people agreed

The 119th Constitution Amendment) Bill, 2013 was unanimously passed by the upper house, with 180 votes in favour and zero against it.

Lok Sabha passed Juvenile Justice Amendment Bill 2014 Published on: 07-MAY-2015


The Bill clearly defines and classifies offences as petty, serious and heinous, and defines differentiated processes for each category.

French magazine Charlie Hebdo presented with Freedom of Expression Courage Award 2015 Published on: 07-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The award was accepted by Charlie Hebdo's Editor-in-chief Gerard Biard and critic-essayist Jean-Baptiste Thoret.

Philippines and Japan coast guards held anti-piracy drills in Manila Bay Published on: 07-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

This is the first drill held by Japan and the Philippines after signing a strategic partnership pact in 2012.

India, Iran signed inter-Governmental MoU for development of Chabahar Port Published on: 07-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

This MoU will facilitate availability of functional container and cargo terminal to India at the port which will provide Afghanistan’s garland road network

system alternate access to a sea port.

I&B Minister Arun Jaitley launched DD News Mobile App Published on: 07-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

The App will make it possible for millions of people in India to keep in touch with the latest happenings around them.

Union Cabinet gave nod for revised Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) with South Korea Published on: 07-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The revision in the 1985 agreement has become necessary in the backdrop of growing investment flows and increased movement of working

professionals between the two countries in recent years.

Union Cabinet approved foreign investments into Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) Published on: 07-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The decision allows REITs to access foreign investment inflows into the completed rent yielding real estate projects, which is, as of now, prohibited

under the FEMA Regulations.

CCEA approved hike in investment limit for cases requiring prior approval of FIPB Published on: 07-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The decision to increase the limit up to 3000 crore rupees from the present 2000 crore rupees is aimed at expediting foreign investment clearanceprocess there by increased investment flows into the economy.

Union Government launched Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for Scheduled Castes Published on: 07-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

A sum of 200 crore rupees was allocated towards Credit Enhancement Guarantee scheme for young and start-up entrepreneurs belonging to

Scheduled Castes.

Forbes released Global 2000 Companies list Published on: 07-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The Forbes Global 2000 is a comprehensive list of the world’s largest, most powerful public companies, as measured by revenues, profits, assets and

market value.



Paytm tied-up with CCD, Domino’s for offline payment Published on: 07-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

With this acquisition, Paytm's mobile wallet will soon be accepted at Domino’s and Cafe Coffee Day.

Canadian House of Commons approved Anti-Terror Act, 2015 Published on: 07-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

Anti-Terror Act, 2015 would give Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) the ability to operate overseas and make preventative arrests . It also

makes it easier for police to arrest and detain individuals without charge.

CCEA Permitted Central Government agencies to invest beyond 26 percent in Mega Food Parks Published on: 07-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The new regulation is expected to trigger further investment in the food processing sector and ensure smooth implementation of the scheme

particularly projects at initial phases of the implementation.

Union Cabinet Approved Building and Launching of GSAT-17 and GSAT-18 Communication Satellites Published on: 07-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

These two satellites wi th the structure similar to the GSAT-10 are aimed at providing replacement capacity and augmenting in-orbit spare capacity.

Oscar Holderer, the US moon rocket expert, died Published on: 07-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Holderer was one of about 120 engineers who moved to the US after World War II and brought technology used in the German V2 rocket.

Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar launched Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme in state Published on: 07-MAY-2015

Important for Exam: 17 people agreed North Goa is among 100 districts selected from across the country to implement the central government scheme on pilot basis.

Bollywood actor Salman Khan sentenced to five-years in jail in 2002 hit-n-run case Published on: 06-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

The sentence was pronounced in Sessions Court Judge Deshpande’s chamber in which Khan was found guilty and convicted under IPC Section 304 II

(culpable homicide not amounting to murder).

Indian Army emerged champions in 19th Federation Cup National Athletic Championships Published on: 06-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Inderjeet Singh of team Haryana won the best athlete award in the men's category for his stupendous toss in the shot put event, which helped him

qualify for the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Lok Sabha passed the Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2014 Published on: 06-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 56 people agreed

The bill needs to be passed in Rajya Sabha after which more than a half of India's 29 states must approve it before the central and state governments

would get equal powers to tax goods and services.NASA’s Ten-Engine Electric Plane GL-10 Prototype Completed Successful Flight Test Published on: 06-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

It is a battery-powered 10-engine remotely piloted aircraft can take off like a helicopter and fly like an airplane.

Save the Children released 16th annual State of the World’s Mothers (SOWM) report Published on: 06-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The findings of the report provide crucial inputs for the policy makers and the civil society engaged in addressing challenges related to child

development in the country.

French Parliament approved Surveillance Law to prevent terrorist attack Published on: 06-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The law on intelligence-gathering adopted by 438 votes to 86, was drafted after three days of Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris in January 2015, in which

17 people were killed.

Union Government made PAN mandatory for Central Excise Registration Published on: 06-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The applicant will have to quote his e-mail address and mobile number in the application form for communication with the department.

Algorithmic Trading caused BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty to close at lowest level in 2015 Published on: 06-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

It refers to those trade practi ces which are done by computers loaded with pre-defined instructions.

Indigenously developed Akash Weapon System (AWS) inducted into Indian Army Published on: 06-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

It is a fully automated weapon system and can simultaneously engage multiple targets in all weather conditions including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

(UAVs) in addition to helicopters and fighter planes.



Lu Ping, Chinese diplomat who oversaw Hong Kong transition, died Published on: 06-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Ping was appointed Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) in 1990 and retired in 1997. He had also helped in drafting the mini

Constitution of Hong Kong.

PM Narendra Modi joined Chinese social media platform Weibo Published on: 05-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 50 people agreed

PM Modi joined Chinese social media platform just weeks before his scheduled visit to China.

Union Cabinet cleared 119th Constitutional Amendment Bill on LBA between India and Bangladesh Published on: 05-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 61 people agreed

Under the land boundary agreement, India and Bangladesh will exchange several enclaves which are under each other's adverse possession and the

Indian territories affected by this are Assam, West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalaya.

Rahul Yadav resigned as the CEO of Housing.com Published on: 05-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The company has gained in value approximating 1500 crore rupees under the directorship of Rahul Yadav.

France signed 7.02 billion US dollar agreement with Qatar to supply 24 Rafale fighter jets Published on: 05-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Agreement was signed by the French President Francois Hollande and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, Qatar.

Michael Blake, Oscar-winning author, passed away Published on: 05-MAY-2015

Important for Exam: 24 people agreed He got the fame by one of his penned novel Dances With Wolves.

Haryana Government notified 163 services under Right to Service Act, 2014 Published on: 05-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Haryana Right to Service Act, 2014 was notif ied on 26 March 2014 by Bhupinder Singh Hooda led government of Haryana.

World Asthma Day 2015 observed with theme You Can Control Your Asthma Published on: 05-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

World Asthma Day annually takes place on the first Tuesday of May and is organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to improve asthma

awareness and care around the world.

Rajasthan Government signed deal with NHM, UNICEF & GAIN to counter malnourishment Published on: 05-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

Initially, the programme will be implemented in thirteen districts in which more than 10000 children have been identified as malnourished.

Baleshwar Ram, former Union Minister passed away Published on: 05-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

He was the Member of Parliament (MP) of 7th Lok Sabha from Rosera Lok Sabha Constituency.

Vedanta Limited launched new logo Published on: 05-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

The logo was co-created by internal stakeholders across geographies and group companies.

Veteran Journalist Amitabha Chowdhury passed away at 88 Published on: 05-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

He was associated with three leading Bengali dailies Anandabazar Patrika, Jugantar and Aajkal for more than three decades.

BHEL commissioned 195 MW Thermal Unit of KBUNL in Bihar Published on: 04-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

This was the first 195 MW unit to be commissioned by BHEL at the 2x195 MW Muzaffarpur Thermal Power Station (TPS) Plant of KBUNL. The second

195 MW unit is expected to be commissioned in the on-going 2015-16 financial year.

Australia announced new punishments for foreigner investors breaking rules on buying property


The new penalties include up to three years in prison and fine of 100,000 dollars. The Government has also announced foreign buyers who are forced

to sell a property will be prevented from profiting from the sale.

Dr Mahesh Sharma inaugurated Puducherry Science Centre and Planetarium Published on: 04-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The Science Centre and Planetarium at Puducherry is the 47th Science Museum of India and has been set up by the National Council of Science

Museums (NCSM) at an expense of 5.5 crore rupees.

NTPC signed MoA with Jharkhand Government for maintaining Patratu Thermal Power Station Published on: 04-MAY-2015




NTPC with Jharkhand Government will form a Joint Venture Company for managing Patratu Thermal Power Station (PTPS).

World Press Freedom day observed globally Published on: 04-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 40 people agreed

This year, the theme of World Press Freedom day is Let Journalism Thrive! Towards better reporting, gender equality and media safety in the digital

age.

Cow-urine refinery inaugurated at Pathmeda village for research on cow products Published on: 04-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

For the research on cow products, a scientific approach will be adopted for Indian traditional system of medicine.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Manny Pacquiao to win Fight of the Century of Boxing Published on: 04-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The bout termed as Fight of the Century was held at iconic MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Roger Federer won the inaugural Istanbul Open Tennis Men’s Singles Title Published on: 04-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The Swiss player won the TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open Men’s singles title by defeating Pablo Cueves of Uruguay 6-3 7-6.

Sandeep Jajodia removed as the president of Boxing India (BI) Published on: 04-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

A Special Genral Meeting (SGM), which was attended by 64 members of the BI, passed a No Confidence Motion in this regard.

Mazen Darwish honoured with 2015 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize Published on: 04-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

He was conferred with the award in recognition of the work he has carried out in Syria for more than ten year as a human rights defender and a

journalist.

India home to 48 of the 250 known species of bumblebees: Indian Bumblebees Published on: 04-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

They are crucial for the very sustenance of vegetation in high-altitude regions of Himalayas because they are the only pollinators which can live in that

adverse climate.

Chelsea won Barclays Premier League 2014-15 title with 1-0 win over Crystal Palace Published on: 04-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

This is their first premier league title in five years since winning the 2009-10 season title by defeating Manchester United.

14th Edition of Indo-French Naval Exercise VARUNA 2015 concluded Published on: 04-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

Its mandate was to cover the entire gamut of maritime operations ranging from Aircraft Carrier Operations, Anti Submarines Warfare Exercises,

Maritime Interdiction Operations and multi-ship replenishment exercise.

Railways won the 5th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2015 Published on: 04-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 79 people agreed

In the final match played at the Master Chandgi Ram sports stadium at Saifai, Uttar Pradesh, Railways defeated Hockey Jharkhand by 12-2.

Third India-Tunisia Foreign Office Consultations held in Tunis Published on: 04-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

During the FOC several bilateral and multilateral issues related to regional and international issues of mutual interest were discussed. The two sides

also signed an Agreement on Exemption of Visas for Diplomatic and Official Passports.

Russian ballet legend Maya Plisetskaya died Published on: 04-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Plisetskaya born in Moscow on 20 November 1925 was considered as one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century.

Global warming will lead to extinction of 1 in 6 species by end of century: Study Published on: 02-MAY-2015


Global extinction risks will increase from 2.8 percent at present to 5.2 percent at the international policy target of a 2°C post-industrial rise and thus

there is urgent need to take strong action to limit further climate change.

World’s largest solar photovoltaic plant of 750 MW to be built in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh Published on: 02-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 70 people agreed

The plant will use photovoltaic (PV) technology to generate electricity from the sun and is estimated to be completed by March 2017 at an estimated

cost of 4500 crore rupees.

Tennis player Rafael Nadal received Golden Medal for Merit in Work of Spain Published on: 02-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed



Rafael Nadal is 14-time Grand Slam singles champion out of which he has won the French Open for a record nine times.

Maharashtra FDA ordered to file a FIR against Snapdeal and its CEO Kunal Behl Published on: 02-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The FDA found that 45 of the displayed drugs were with objectionable claims which contravened the provisions of the Drugs and Magic Remedies

(Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.

A Book titled China – Confucius in the Shadows written by Poonam Surie released Published on: 02-MAY-2015


The book highlights that in the evolving socio political milieu of China; interpreting Confucian philosophy as being non-confrontationist, benevolent and

with values such as filial piety and harmony

Tesla Motors launched solar energy based Powerwall battery system Published on: 02-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The wall mount battery system can be connected to local power grid and is a smart device liquid thermal control system and software that receives

dispatch commands from a solar inverter.

WHO released a report on Economic cost of the health impact of air pollution in European Region Published on: 02-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The report estimated that the WHO European region in 2010 lost 1.6 US tri llion dollars due to premature deaths and diseases caused by air pollution.

Four Indians to be conferred with 2015 Spring Imperial Decorations of Japan Published on: 02-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 40 people agreed

The awards will be conferred by Emperor of Japan Akihito.

Union Sports Ministry recognised Motor Sports as a Sports under NSF Published on: 02-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

Motor Sports is one of the 59 sports recognised by the Ministry during the review of categorization of various sports discipline into ‘High Priority’,

‘Priority’ and ‘Others’.

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana introduced 5 lakh rupees Accident Insurance Scheme for transport Published on: 02-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu formally launched the scheme at Rajhamundry while Telangana Chief Minister Chandrasekhara

Rao made the announcement in Hyderabad.

DoT extended deadline of full implementation of Mobile Number Portability (MNP) till 3 July 2015 Published on: 02-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The earlier deadline of implementing the Mobile Number Portability was 3 May 2015.

Union Ministry of Tourism released Draft National Tourism Policy 2015 Published on: 02-MAY-2015

Important for Exam: 16 people agreed The draft policy, which will replace the National Tourism Policy 2002, aimed at development of the tourism sector in a sustainable manner.

Nitin Gadkari dedicated two Major Highway Projects in the North East to the Nation Published on: 02-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The two projects were constructed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and are intended to improve connectivity between Guwahati and

Shillong and other parts of the North East.

NASA ended operations of MESSENGER Mission to Mercury Published on: 02-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

The journey of the spacecraft came to an end on 30 April 2015 with Expected Impact (EI) on Mercury’s surface; plunging at around 14000 kmph,

creating a crater up to 52 feet wide.

Surender Singh took over as Director General of CISF Published on: 02-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

Surender Singh is a 1980-batch police officer of West Bengal cadre.

Union finance Ministry exempted MAT for foreign investors Published on: 01-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 39 people agreed

However, MAT would not be applicable on sale of units of real estate investment trusts (REITs).

Telecom operators slashed roaming call rate by upto 40%, SMS by upto 75% Published on: 01-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

This rate revision was made after Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 9 April 2015 reduced maximum or ceiling rate for national roaming

calls and SMSes.

First meeting of Sub-Group of CMs on Swachh Bharat Mission held in New Delhi Published on: 01-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed



The sub-group discussed robust institutional mechanisms for effective implementation of the mission and decided to recommend measures for

technological support in rural and urban areas.

Microsoft named its next Web Browser as Edge Published on: 01-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 40 people agreed

The announcement was made at the Build Developer Conference held at San Francisco in California, USA and will replace the Internet Explorer (IE) in

future.

Former Gujarat assembly speaker Barjorji Pardiwala passed away Published on: 01-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Pardiwala was also a renowned lawyer in Valsad who joined the lawyer's bar at Valsad town of Gujarat in 1955 and practiced the law for more than 40

years

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) held Theera Veta defence exercise in Arabian Sea Published on: 01-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The exercise was intended to augment the preparedness of the security agencies in protecting the porous maritime borders of Kerala, Lakshadweep,

Minicoy Islands and Mahe (part of Puducherry)from external attacks.

Lok Sabha passed the Finance Bill, 2015 Published on: 01-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 41 people agreed

The bill deals with the income side (basically tax proposals) of the Union Government for the financial year 2015-16 as proposed in the budget which

was introduced in the Parliament on 28 February 2015.

Nadia in West Bengal became the first open defecation-free (ODF) district of India Published on: 01-MAY-2015


Nadia district could achieve this feat due to its collaborative effort with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and World Bank aimed at

construction of toilets across the district.

Pakistan court sentenced 10 men to 25 years in jail for attacking Malala Yousafzai Published on: 01-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

All the 10 men belonged to the Pakistan Taliban but the chief suspect did not figure among those sentenced.

Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs launched Form-INC-29 for easier establishment of companies Published on: 01-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The Form-INC-29 is an integrated electronic application form and can be used alternatively in the place of filling five separate e-Forms to set up a new

company.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Three-Nation Visit: An Analysis Published on: 01-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

Three-nation tour to France, Germany and Canada was intended to deepen bilateral strategic partnership, augment investment flows into our economy

and enhance bilateral scientific and technological cooperation.

Argentine Parliament passed a law to compensate victims of Jewish centre attack Published on: 01-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

As per the law, relatives of those who died will receive a one-off payment similar to that awarded to victims of Argentina’s 1976-1983 mili tary

dictatorship, and a 1992 attack on the Israeli embassy.

Rubella eradicated from North and South America region Published on: 01-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

These regions were declared free of endemic transmission of rubella, a contagious viral disease after no home grown cases were reported in five

years.

China’s NDRC released new action plan One Belt, One Road initiative Published on: 01-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

The initiative will establish new routes linking Asia, Europe and Africa.

Prannoy Roy honoured with the RedInk Lifetime Achievement Award 2015


Journalist of the Year Award went to Sreenivasan Jain of NDTV for his consistent investigative work epitomized in his series Truth versus Hype.

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan conferred with Sayyidina Imam Al Hassan Ibn Ali Peace Award Published on: 01-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is known for his knowledge and efforts in keeping peace, that make him one of the most respected scholars.

India, Afghanistan released Joint Statement Published on: 01-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed



The two nations agreed to patiently and systematically work towards strengthening of the India Afghanistan Strategic Partnership, with a clear focus on

the long term relationship between the two countries.

Union Cabinet approved the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2015 Published on: 01-MAY-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

The bill is aimed at providing for institutional mechanism, both at the Centre and in each State and Union Territory, to ensure expeditious utilization of

amounts realised in lieu of forest land diverted for non-forest purpose.



JuneJagmohan Yadav appointed as DGP of Uttar Pradesh Published on: 01-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

He is the 8th police chief of Uttar Pradesh in the last three-and-a-half years of the Samajwadi Party (SP) rule.

Literacy rate 71 percent in rural areas, 86 percent in urban areas: NSSO survey Published on: 01-JUL-2015


Among the age group 7 years and above, the male literacy rate was registered at 83.2 percent vis-a-vis the female literacy rate of 67.1 percent.

First-ever possible treatments for MERS Virus identified with discovery of two antibodies Published on: 01-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The two antibodies, REGN3051 and REGN3048, showed an abili ty to neutralize the virus.

Military transport plane of Indonesia, Hercules C-130, crashed in Medan city Published on: 01-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Medan, with about 3.4 mil lion people, is the third most populous city in Indonesia after the capital Jakarta and Surabaya.

Bombay HC allowed Nestle India to export Maggi noodles Published on: 01-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The direction was given while hearing petition filed by Nestle India against food safety regulator FSSAI's country-wide ban of Maggi noodles on 5 June

2015.

Three-drug lethal injection protocol use did not violate Constitution: US Supreme Court Published on: 30-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The court in its ruling said that the use of Midazolam does not violate the Constitution in terms of being cruel and unusual punishment as per Eighth

Amendment of the US Constitution

Union Railway Ministry inaugurated Integrated Security System in Mumbai Published on: 30-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The ISS is aimed at improving security on Railway premises, ensuring safety of the people and averting terror attacks.

Rock Band Yes Guitarist Chris Squire died Published on: 30-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Squire formed Yes band in 1968 with Jon Anderson and their debut single titled Sweetness and firs t album titled Yes were released in 1968.

Elephant Census Report 2015 of Odisha released Published on: 30-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

In three Elephant Reserves (ERs), that is, Mayurbhanj, Mahanadi and Sambalpur, a total of 1450 elephants (74.21%) were recorded. These areas

have eight sanctuaries.US Supreme Court ruled against EPA limiting mercury emissions from power plants Published on: 30-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The case looked at the EPA's regulation of mercury and other emissions from power plants under the Clean Air Act, 1970.

ITU defined 5G network speed as 20 Gbps Published on: 30-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

It is 20 times faster than the 1Gbps specification for 4G.

Nearly 30 percent of China’s Great Wall disappeared over time: Survey Published on: 30-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Nearly 1962 kms length of the wal l was disappeared over centuries due to many factors including stealing the bricks to build houses.

National Level Sikh museum to be constructed in Lakhnaur Sahib Village of Punjab Published on: 30-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Lakhnaur Sahib is a historical village as the mother of tenth Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh, Mata Gujari belonged to the place.

Memorial for former PM Narasimha Rao constructed at Ekta Sthal Samadhi Complex in New Delhi Published on: 30-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The completion of the work coincided wi th his birth anniversary that fal ls on 28 June.

Union Government hiked national floor-level minimum wage to 160 rupees per day Published on: 30-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

The new rate will be effective from 1 July 2015.

India, Thailand signed five MOUs during the 7th Meeting of India-Thailand Joint Commission Published on: 30-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed



The agreements were signed during three days the Visit of Minister of External Affairs to Thailand from 27-29 June 2015.

Hilleman Laboratories developed affordable Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine Published on: 30-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The new vaccine was also proved as 4 to 10 times more potent when compared to the existing licensed vaccines.

Archaeologists found fresh evidence linking Azhagankulam in TN with ancient Rome trade Published on: 30-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Azhagankulam was a part of the troika of trade centres along with Arikkamedu and Pattanam between Rome and the Tamil country during the TamilSangam age.

Union Government approved Shimla drinking water project for World Bank funding Published on: 30-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The project would help the people of Shimla and adjoining Special Planning Area of chronic water shortage problem and also sewerage connectivity.

9th National Statistics Day observed with theme Social Development Published on: 30-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The day commemorates the birth anniversary of Indian Bengali scientist and applied statis tician late Prof. Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis.

Indian Railways, Indian Army among world's biggest employers: World Economic Forum Study Published on: 29-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 43 people agreed

Indian Railways was ranked at the eighth place in the list of world's biggest employers with 1.4 million staff.

Famous Writer Vishwanath Tripathi chosen for 28th Moorti Devi Award Published on: 29-JUN-2015

Important for Exam: 29 people agreed Moorti Devi award was founded by Bharatiya Jnanpith and is given away to the authors who have contributed in the field of contemporary creative

writing in modern Indian languages.

Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa launched first phase of Chennai Metro Rail Service Published on: 29-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The first phase of Metro service covers the 10-km elevated stretch. It connects Alandur in south Chennai to Koyabedu in the north.

Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji written by Abdul Kalam Published on: 29-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

Transcendence maps a journey of self-realization reflected in the eyes of Pramukh Swamiji, painting a delightful fusion of spirituality, science and

leadership.

SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket broke apart in flames minutes after lifting off from Cape Canaveral Published on: 29-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The rocket, which had 18 straight successes prior to the meeting the accident, was in the process of sending a cargo ship to the International Space

Station (ISS).Nelson Piquet Jr won the inaugural FIA Formula E Championship title Published on: 29-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

Piquet drove for Chinese team Nextev.

Satnam Singh Bhamara became first Indian basketball player to join NBA Published on: 29-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

He will play for Dallas Mavericks during the 2015-16 season.

GFH Financial Group signed pact with Adani Group for developing Mumbai Economic Zone Published on: 29-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Under the agreement, the GFH's unit Energy City Navi Mumbai (ECNM) and Adani Group will work together in creating the master plan for the lands of

Phases II and III of the project.

50 countries signed Articles of Agreement for China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Published on: 29-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

The agreement outlined the financial share of each member, policymaking, business and operational systems and governance structure of the AIIB.

Wei, Li won men's & women’s singles of Canada Open Badminton tournament 2015 Published on: 29-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

In the finals played at Calgary, Wei defeated Ng Ka Long Angus 17-21 13-21 and Li defeated Kaori Imabeppu 21-17 25-23.

Gutta-Ponappa won women's doubles of Canada Open Badminton tournament 2015 Published on: 29-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

In the final played at Calgary, the third seeded Indo-pair defeated top Dutch pair of Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek in straight games of 21-19, 21-16.

First species of Yeti Crab in Antarctica named Kiwa tyleri discovered Published on: 29-JUN-2015




Kiwa tyler is named after British deep-sea and polar biologist Professor Paul Tyler from the University of Southampton.

Bajaj Allianz launched weather-based crop insurance scheme for three districts of Maharashtra Published on: 29-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

This index-based insurance policy will cover losses incurred by orange fruit-growing farmers due to deviation in weather conditions.

Greece PM called for referendum on extension for bailout programme Published on: 29-JUN-2015

Important for Exam: 23 people agreed The Greece Parliament is set to vote on 5 July 2015 on the referendum call .

International Cricket Council approved amendments to playing conditions in ODIs and T20Is Published on: 29-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The approvals were given during the ICC Annual Conference held in Barbados.

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena dissolved Parliament Published on: 29-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

Sirisena dissolved the parliament within 160 days after assuming his office in January 2015.

Nadia district won the UN Public Service Award 2015 for eliminating open defecation Published on: 29-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

Till October 2013, half of the district’s population was defecating in open spaces but the situation improved under Sabar Souchagar (Toilets for All)

programme launched on 2 October 2013

Dealing with China: An Insider Unmasks the New Economic Superpower by Henry M Paulson Published on: 29-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The book takes the reader behind closed doors to witness the creation and evolution and future of China’s state-controlled capitalism.

President conferred Punyabhushan Award on Prataprao Pawar Published on: 29-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Punyabhushan award constituted by Tridal, Pune is annually announced on 23 March to commemorate memory of Indian revolutionary martyrs Bhagat

Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru.

US Supreme Court legalized Same-Sex Marriage Nationwide Published on: 27-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The court ratified the Bill of Rights and added the Fourteenth Amendment that states no state shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property,

without due process of law.

Union Government approved a proposal for setting up second airport at Jewar in NCR Published on: 27-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Once the project gets the required approvals, the civil aviation ministry will offer the contract for building and running the proposed Jewar airport in

Greater Noida to the GMR Group.

Veselin Topalov won the Norway Chess Tournament 2015 Published on: 27-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

Topalov secured 6½ points while Anand ended the tournament in second place with 6 points.

Patrick Macnee, star of The Avengers, died Published on: 27-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

He was born as Daniel Patrick Macnee on 6 February 1922 in London and grew up in Lambourn.

Ujjwal Batria appointed as CEO of Lafarge India Published on: 27-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

Batria succeeded Martin Kriegner, who will now be Area Manager-Central Europe of Lafarge Holcim, an entity to be formed by the proposed merger of

the world's top two cement firms.

India, US signed MoUs to enhance cooperation in areas of Health Sector Published on: 27-JUN-2015


The MoUs were signed to enhance cooperation in areas such as cancer research, infrastructure development, training, capacity building and better

assessment and application of new diagnostic technologies.

Delhi Budget 2015-16: Highlights Published on: 26-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

The 41129 crore rupees Swaraj Budget comprises of 19000 crore rupees Plan Budget and 22129 crore rupees as Non-Plan Buget

RBI extended deadline for exchanging pre-2005 currency notes by 6 months Published on: 26-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 50 people agreed

The notes can be exchanged for their full value and all such notes will continue to remain legal tender.



World's first flexible and skin-like display developed Published on: 26-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

It was developed by scientists led by Indian-American Debashis Chanda from University of Central Florida (UCF)

Main artery of 2800-km K2K Economic Corridor nearly ready: China Published on: 26-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

The 2800 km long corridor is at the core of the Bangladesh, India, China and Myanmar-Economic Corridor (BCIM-EC) initiated in 2014.

Assam entrepreneurs signed pact on waste management Published on: 26-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Basic objective of the project is to save society from hazards and pollution created by the huge amount of increasing municipality solid waste.

Two-day long annual Hemis festival of Ladakh Published on: 26-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

Hemis festival is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava and the head lama presides over the function of the festi val.

International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking observed globally Published on: 26-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

This important day was created by the United Nations General Assembly on 7 December 1987 to help create a society free of illegal drugs and drug

abuse.

Union Government asked Bihar, TN, Rajasthan to introduce milk in mid day meal scheme Published on: 26-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The decision was made in a review meeting in which it was found that the State Milk Federations of these states have surplus stock of skimmed milkpowder.

US Supreme Court gave nod to subsidies under US Health Care Law in States without health exchanges Published on: 26-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

The judgment was delivered by a 9-judge bench in the King v. Burwell case wi th 6-3 division

RBI allowed AD Category-I Banks to borrow from International Financial Institutions Published on: 26-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

Earlier, AD Cat-I Banks were allowed to borrow from IFIs/MFIs for a short period in 2013 with prior permission from the RBI on a case-by-case basis.

42-footlong blue whale washed ashore at Revdanda coast in Maharashtra died Published on: 26-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The whale came on the coast after being washed ashore and was not able to return back to the ocean because of its weight and size.

APMDC signed MoU with NSL Mining Resources India Pvt Ltd for iron ore mining projects Published on: 26-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

NSL Mining Resources India Pvt Ltd is a subsidiary of Australian NSL Consolidated Ltd while APMDC works under the Andhra Pradesh Government.

RBI released Financial Stability Report June 2015 Published on: 26-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

It is the eleventh issue of its half yearly publication.

Assam's Ambubachi Mela concluded Published on: 26-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

This yearly mela is celebrated during the monsoon season that happens to fall during the Assamese month Ahaar and is related to the Tantric cult and

is also known as Kamkhya Devi Puja.

Leander Paes became 47th player to join 100 partners club on ATP Circuit Published on: 26-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Of these 100 partners, While 71 played with him on the tour level, 29 at the Challenger level.

Anshula Kant appointed as CFO and Deputy Managing Director of SBI Published on: 26-JUN-2015


She succeeded P K Gupta, who was promoted as Chief Executi ve Officer of SBI Capital.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar conferred with Columbia’s highest civilian award Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

The Order of the Democracy Simon Bolivar was created in 1980 to honour the outstanding citizens for their service to the nation in any field. It is

granted by the House of Representatives of Columbia

International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction concluded Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed



The Conference was attended by at least 35 countries, including China, Britain, Norway, Japan, Sri Lanka, the European Union besides the UN, World

Bank and Asian Development Bank.

Sachin Tendulkar named as greatest Test player of 21st century Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

Sachin received highest number of votes (23 percent votes) to emerge on the top of the list of the 100 best Test players since 2000. The survey was

participated by more than 16000 fans.

BHEL commissioned first 250-MW unit of NTPC’s Bongaigaon Thermal Power Project Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The project located at Kumguri village of Salakati near Bongaigaon in Kokrajhar district in an area over 964 acres will be executed by PSU firm BHEL.

Union Cabinet approved to set up a National Memorial at birth place of Lok Nayak JP Narayan in Bihar Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan was born at Lala Ka Tola, Sitab, Diara in Chhapra (Saran) district of Bihar on 11 October 1902.

Sahitya Akademi announced Bhasha Samman Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

The Bhasha Samman is given to 3-4 persons every year in different languages on the basis of recommendation of experts' committees constituted for

the purpose.

UNCTAD released World Investment Report 2015 Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The report delineated the investment trends at the global, regional and country level during 2014 and offered a comparative perspective across the

space and time.

Australia decided to join China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Treasurer Joe Hockey will attend the Articles of Agreement signing ceremony at the Great Hal l of the People, Beijing, on 29 June 2015.

Sahitya Akademi announced Bal Sahitya Puraskar for the year 2015 Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The awards were conferred on five novelists, four writers of short stories and three authors of poetries, one book of one-act play and eleven writers for

their contribution to children’s literature.

Zaheer Abbas, former Captain of Pakistan’s Cricket team, named as President of ICC Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The ICC Council also approved the admission of the Serbia Cricket Federation (SCF) as the 58th Affiliate Member during the weeklong annual

conference held in Barbados.

Union Cabinet approved setting up of six Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

These new IIMs will be located at Amritsar (Punjab), Bodh Gaya (Bihar), Nagpur (Maharashtra), Sambalpur (Odisha), Sirmaur (Himachal Pradesh) and

Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).

Taygan Lions Park, Skazka Zoo, Thiruvananthapuram Zoo inked animal exchange agreement Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

In exchange for three elephants from India, the Thiruvananthapuram zoo will receive two white lions, 15 coatis, two Siberian tigers, two llamas, and five

squirrel monkeys.

Union Cabinet approved renaming of SECI as Renewable Energy Corporation of India Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

SECI was established in September 2011 for the promotion and commercialization of solar energy technologies.

Veteran Journalist Praful Bidwai passed away Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

He was also an anti-nuclear activist and a founding member of Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace that was set up after the 1998 pokhrannuclear tests.

Union Government launched India’s first Modernised Anganwadi Centre at Hasanpur village in Sonepat Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

The centre has been set up as part of Nand-Ghar Yojana of Union Government and is based on concept of Building as a Learning Aidpiloted by

UNICEF

PM launched AMRUT, Smart Cities Mission and Housing for All (Urban) Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 48 people agreed



During the occasion, the Prime Minister released logos and taglines for AMRUT and Smart Cities Mission; and guidelines for AMRUT, Smart Cities

Mission and Housing for All (Urban).

Union Cabinet approved signing of MoC between India and Japan on Industrial Property Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The MoC will focus on capacity building, human resource development and awareness generation.

Bangladesh won 3-match ODI series against India 2-1 Published on: 25-JUN-2015


Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh claimed the Man of the Series Award for his outstanding bowling performance. He picked up 13 wickets in the three

matches.

Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee appointed as acting Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court Published on: 25-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

He was appointed by the President as per the powers vested in him under the Article 223 of the Constitution.

UK-based philanthropist Benni Joseph Mavelil selected for VK Krishna Menon Award 2015 Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

At present, Mavelil is a registered Manager and Director for the Ideal Fostering in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Inderjeet Singh, Jinson Johnson won gold at Asian Athletics Grand Prix Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

In the first leg, India won a total of eight medals which included 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 5 Bronze medals

Three Indians won inaugural Queen's Young Leaders Award in UK Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

These three Indians are among 60 others who received the Queen's Young Leaders award from the British monarch at a gala ceremony in

Buckingham Palace.

Steffi Graf appointed as Kerala’s Ayurveda brand ambassador Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Graf’s 22 singles titles is second all-time behind Margaret Court who won 24 titles, and marks the record for most Major wins by a tennis player (male

or female) since the introduction of the Open Era in 1968.

Indian Railway Team won World Railway Championship 2015 in Tennis and Volleyball Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

In 2011, the Indian Railway Tennis Team won Silver Medal during last USIC Tennis Championship and it won Bronze Medal during the USIC Volleyball

Championship.

Red Tape to Red Carpet... and then some written by Gina Rinehart released Published on: 24-JUN-2015

Important for Exam: 13 people agreed The author is the Chairperson of the Austral ian mining company Hancock Prospecting Group.

Union Ministry of Home Affairs designated Agatti and Minicoy Islands as Immigration Check Posts Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Both the islands will be used as transit points for al l classes of passengers with valid travel documents from 30 June 2015.

Union Ministry of Finance issued Draft Proposals for Facilitating Electronic Transactions Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The proposals are aimed at building a transactions history of an individual to enable improved credit access and financial inclusion, reduce tax

avoidance and check counterfeiting of currency

FBIL overnight Mumbai Inter-Bank Offer Rate (MIBOR) to become effective from July 22 Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The FBIL overnight MIBOR will be administered by the FBIL Board which will replace National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Thomson Reuters in

administering the overnight rate benchmark.

Scientists discovered a way to guide electric discharges using lasers Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The finding has many potential applications including the ability to control the path of lightning.

Maharashtra government decided to amend MPDA Act, 1981 Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The amendment will be done to include criminal activities related to sand mafia and black marketing under its bracket.

SEBI relaxed the IPO norms for technological start-ups to raise funds from capital market Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

It reduced the post-listing lock-in period for tech start-up promoters to six months, instead of three years for other IPOs.



Carlyle Group committed up to 500 million US dollars to Magna Energy Ltd. Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

The equity line will be invested in oil and gas opportunities across South Asia with special focus on Indian sub continent and Myanmar.

Lucknow zoo renamed after last Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Shah was the last Nawab of Oudh under whom the province was annexed by the British under the policy of Doctrine of Lapse in 1856. Later, Shah was

exiled to Matia Birj in Bengal.

Kerala’s Trinity College of Engineering launched student satellite TASSAT project Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The satellite was named so because the funding for the ambitious init iative came from an Oman-based company called Al Adrak.

Titanic composer James Horner died Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

In 1997, Horner won two Oscars (Academy Awards) for Best Original Score and along with Best Original Song for My Heart Will Go On in the movie

Titanic.

WHO’s IARC classified lindane, DDT, and 2,4-D as carcinogenic to humans Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The decision was taken by a working group of 26 experts from 13 countries after evaluating carcinogenicity of the three agents.

Austria to file complaint against UK's Hinkley Point C nuclear project in European Court of Justice Published on: 24-JUN-2015

Important for Exam: 3 people agreed The petition is expected to be filed on 29 June 2015.

Bhuvan Ganga Mobile Application launched to aid National Mission for Clean Ganga Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Bhuvan Mobile App will enable public to collect and report information on various pollution sources that affects the water quality of river Ganga.

Maharashtra declared Blue Mormon as State butterfly Published on: 24-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

Blue Mormom is the second largest butterfly found in India after the southern birdwing.

Task Force report on enabling the Private Sector to grow pharmaceutical sector released Published on: 23-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The Task Force gave recommendations towards concerns and constraints facing the sector and suggested measures that would augment domestic

production.

EPFO made UAN mandatory for all employers under Employee Provident Fund Act, 1952 Published on: 23-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The UAN facility that remains portable throughout the lifetime of an employee was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2014.

India to be the Partner Country for Russian Industrial Trade Fair Innoprom 2016 Published on: 23-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Nirmala Sitharaman was on a three day visit to Russia to participate in annual St. Petersburg International and Economic Forum (SPIEF) held on 18-20

June 2015 at St Petersburg, Russia.

Sister Nirmala Joshi, former head of Missionaries of Charity, died Published on: 23-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Sister Nirmala was born in Ranchi on 23 July 1934 to a Brahmin soldier who came from Nepal.

Rajasthan topped the list of States commissioning grid connected Solar Power projects Published on: 23-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Gujarat, which remained the undisputed leader in solar energy generation till 2014, came second with an installed capacity of 1000MW.

SoftBank Corp, Bharti Enterprises Limited and Foxconn formed a JV named SBG Cleantech Ltd

Published on: 23-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

SBG Cleantech will be a harbinger of solar and wind energy. The venture will invest in developing renewable energy plants across India.

Russia won European Team Athletics Championships 2015 Published on: 23-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

In totality, Russia won the 368.5 points, 22 points ahead of Germany which secured second place.

Nepal-India Treaty of Transit amended to facilitate import of vehicles into Nepal Published on: 23-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The four border points are Raxaul-Birgunj, Jogbani-Biratnagar, Sunauli-Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj Road-Nepalgunj border points.



EU launched Operation EU NAVFOR Med against migrant-traffickers Published on: 23-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

During the operation, ships will operate in international waters and airspace until the EU can secure a UN Security Council resolution endorsing its

effort and permission from Libyan officials to enter their territory.

World Anti-Doping Agency published Anti-Doping Rule Violations Report for 2013 Published on: 23-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

It is the first of its kind report released by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on ADRVs.

Maharashtra topped the list of States and UTs in IPR filing in 2013-14: IBEF report Published on: 23-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

While Maharashtra topped the list of states and Union Territories (UTs), Bengaluru was the top city in IPR filing.

IEP released Global Peace Index 2015 Published on: 23-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

India is ranked 143rd out of 162 countries and maintained the same position compared to the GPI 2014.

GADL, Oman Airport Management Company signed MoU on Aviation Consultancy Services Published on: 23-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

The MoU is aimed at knowledge sharing and skil ls development for the OAMC staff by the GADL.

Pitcairn Island passed law to allow same-sex marriage Published on: 23-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Pitcairn Island, a tiny speck in the Pacific with a small population of 48 people, passed the law on suggestion of British authorities after England, Walesand Scotland legalised the same-sex marriage in 2014.

Columbia’s FARC blew up oil pipeline in Catatumbo Published on: 23-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

FARC is Colombia's largest rebel group and Latin America's oldest left-wing insurgency.

Typhoon Kujira struck south China's Hainan Province Published on: 23-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The typhoon made its landfall in south China’s Hainan province with heavy rain in the drought hit island.

Jordan Spieth of US won US Open of Golf Published on: 22-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

Overall, he is the fourth-youngest player to win two majors and the sixth to win the Masters and US Open in the same year.

NHAI invited bids for Bharat Mala Project Published on: 22-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

Bharat Mala project came in news after NHAI invited bids for preparing the Detailed Project Reports (DRPs) of over 3500km of roads along the border

and coast lines.

Malvani hooch tragedy: more than 90 people died Published on: 22-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

This incident was the second biggest hooch tragedy in over the decade. Earlier in 2004, about 87 people were killed after consuming spurious liquor in

suburban Vikhroli.

India placed at 61st position in terms of foreigners’ money in Swiss banks Published on: 22-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The countries to top the list are the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) with UK alone accounting for 22 percent of total global funds in

Swiss banks.

Sanjay Subrahmanyam selected for Sangitha Kalanidhi award for the year 2015 Published on: 22-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

With this nomination, Subrahmanyan joined the league of stalwarts like Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, who received the

award before turning 50.

Commemorations of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo concluded Published on: 22-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The anniversary is celebrated to remember the June 1815 battle in which Napoleon’s French army was defeated by Duke of Wellington’s all ied forces.

Overnight Liquid Transaction facility on NSE’s Web-based Mutual Fund platform began functioning Published on: 22-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Earlier in May 2015, a similar product was introduced by Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) to allow the participants to place purchase and redemption

orders simultaneously in liquid schemes

China won 2015 Nongfu Spring World Cup of Snooker




India stood at the third position in the competition that was held at Wuxi near Shanghai in China.

Beyond Doubt: A Dossier on Gandhi's Assassination written by Teesta Setalvad Published on: 22-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

In the book, the author tried to de-construct the ideology responsible for the killing of Mahatma Gandhi on 30 June 1948.

Andy Murray won the men’s singles of Aegon Tennis Championships at the Queen’s Club Published on: 22-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Murray, who has won the title at the Queen’s Club in 2009, 2011, 2013 and now 2015, defeated South African Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-4.

First International Day of Yoga observed globally Published on: 22-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The idea to celebrate 21 June, which is the Summer Solstice, as the International Day of Yoga was mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27

September 2014 during his address to the UN General Assembly.

Immunogen eOD-GT8 60mer can stimulate immune system to block HIV/AIDS infection in mice: Study Published on: 22-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The immunogen eOD-GT8 60mer, essentially a protein nanoparticle, has the potential to inform immunization strategies against AIDS for humans.

Debendranath Sarangi elected as President of Squash Rackets Federation of India Published on: 22-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

He will be in the office till 2019.

Benazir Bhutto: A Multidimensional Portrait written by Dr Anna Suvorova


The book is based on Bhutto's own books, articles and speeches and on the author's interviews with her close friends and colleagues.

International Yoga Day celebration at Rajpath sets two world records Published on: 22-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

Around 36 thousand participants performed asanas and 84 nationalities joined the official observation of International Yoga Day at Rajpath in New

Delhi.

Serbia won 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup by defeating Brazil 2-1 Published on: 22-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

It is Serbia’s first title since it became an independent nation in 2006.

Roger Federer won Gerry Weber Open tennis title for eighth time Published on: 22-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

It is Federer’s 10th Halle final and his most at a single event in his career.

Former Indian women's hockey captain Shashi Bala died Published on: 22-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Bala who made her international debut in 1987 was captain of the national team during the 1997 FIH Women World Cup Qualifier held in Harare,

Zimbabwe.

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany won Austrian Grand Prix of Formula One Published on: 22-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

It is the eleventh overall championship title for Rosberg and the second title in Austria having won the 2014 title too.

Former Turkey President Suleyman Demirel died Published on: 20-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Demirel launched his political career in the aftermath of the 1960 military coup that deposed the Government of Prime Minister Adnan Menderes.

Justice Gian Parkash Mittal resigned from the Office of the Judge of Delhi High Court Published on: 20-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

Mittal tendered his resignation from the office of the Judge of Delhi High Court, in pursuance of provision (a) to clause (1) of article 217 of the IndianConstitution.

France announced ban on earphones for Drivers and Cyclists Published on: 20-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Those found using earphones while driving a vehicle or riding a cycle will be fined 135 Euro (214 dollar) and lose three license points.

New series of Atithi Devo Bhava TV commercials launched Published on: 20-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

Veteran actor Aamir Khan is the brand ambassador for these impressive films and these films have been directed by the eminent ad maker Prasoon

Joshi.



China launched world’s first electric passenger aircraft BX1E Published on: 20-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

The aircraft was designed together by Shenyang Aerospace University and Liaoning General Aviation Academy.

FSSAI set up an Expert Group on Salt, Sugar and Fat in Indian Food Products Published on: 20-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The 11-member Expert Group will be headed by Dr. D Prabhakaran, Director, Centre for Chronic Conditions and Injuries and Vice-President, Public

Health Foundation of India.

Brightest Galaxy in Early Universe named after Cristiano Ronaldo as CR7 Published on: 20-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

CR7 is three times brighter than the brightest distant galaxy known till now. This brightest galaxy was discovered in the early universe that contains the

first generation of stars.

Union Ministry of Finance released Draft Outline of Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme Published on: 20-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

It is aimed at shifting part of the estimated 300 tons of physical bars and coins purchased every year for investment into Demat gold bonds.

First-ever indigenously developed VRF ACs launched by Blue Star Published on: 20-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

This VRF IV Plus AC system powered by inverter-driven compressor was designed after two years of indigenous R&D work.

Union Ministry of Finance constituted a Task Force headed by D Swarup on Financial Redress Agency Published on: 20-JUN-2015

Important for Exam: 10 people agreed FRA was envisaged in the draft Indian Financial Code (IFC) and was recommended by the FSLRC. It would act as the first forum of independent

grievance redress which a financial consumer can access

350th foundation day of Shri Anandpur Sahib celebrated Published on: 20-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The holy city was founded by the 9th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Tegh Bahadur in 1665.

Department of State of USA released Country Reports on Terrorism 2014 Published on: 20-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

As per the report, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Nigeria accounted for more than 60 percent of terrorist attacks in 2014.

IAMAI released Social Media in India 2014 report Published on: 20-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The report analysed the trends in using social media across the country between March 2014 and April 2015.

Ricoh India Ltd. launched Picasso for improved access to medical images Published on: 20-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

It is combination of healthcare and information technology and based on the Ricoh cloud.

CBRE Research released Global Prime Office Occupancy Costs survey Published on: 20-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

Connaught Place (CP) –Central Business District (CBD) in New Delhi was the fifth costliest office market in the world.

India, Tanzania signed six MoUs during the visit of President of Tanzania to India Published on: 20-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Agreement on establishing a collaborative program in official statistics was inked between Tanzania’s EASTC and India’s NSSTA.

Blue Opposition Bloc led by Lars Loekke Rasmussen won Denmark’s Parliamentary Elections Published on: 20-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

Incumbent Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the first woman Prime Minister of Denmark, conceding defeat quit as the head of Social Democrat

Party.

Jharkhand Government banned sale of thermocol plates


Sale of Thermocol Plates was banned with an aim to promote leaf plates and generate employment for the poor and tribal people of the state, who is

engaged in making leaf plates.

Wealth-X released World’s Wealthiest Self-Made Billionaires List Published on: 19-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The list was topped by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates with a personal fortune totaling nearly 86 billion US dollars.

Antani, Joshi appointed to the board of Future Majority Project of US Republican Party Published on: 19-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed



The Future Majority Project (FMP) seeks to recruit, train and elect Republican candidates from diverse communities on the state level who better

represent the full diversity of America.

Chinese Version of Bhagavad Gita launched in China Published on: 19-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The book was translated by Chinese Professor Wang Zhu Cheng and Ling Hai of the Zhejiang University in Shanghai and was published by the

Sichuan People’s Publications.

Micromax launched world’s slimmest 4G phone Micromax Canvas Sliver 5 Published on: 19-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The 97-gram device comes in a 5.1 mm thick body, with a 4.8 inch AMOLED touchscreen with high definition (1280x720 pixels) resolution.

Keith Vaz re-elected as chairman of UK Parliament committee Published on: 19-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Keith Vaz born is a British Labour Party politician who has been Member of Parl iament (MP) for Leicester East since the 1987 election.

UNHCR released Global Trends: World at War report on forced displacement Published on: 19-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The report declared that ongoing refugee crisis due to wars, conflicts and persecution is the worst in recorded history and over half of the world's

refugees are children.

WB State Assembly passed West Bengal Tea Plantation Employees Welfare Fund Bill, 2015 Published on: 19-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

It will provide interest subvention and matching grants to the employers of tea gardens as soft loan which they may take for undertaking social welfare

schemes, medical facilities, housing, primary education, potable water supply, sanitation and child care.

Hong Kong lawmakers rejected Beijing-backed election reform package Published on: 19-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

The election reform package was voted down by 28 votes to eight in the Legislative Council (known as legco) of 70 legislators.

Exercise Ajeya Warrior -2015 Published on: 19-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

It is a joint exercise between the armies of India and UK.

SoftBank teamed up with Alibaba, Foxconn to market Pepper robot Published on: 19-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The company in its statement said that the robot will go on sale to general consumers from 20 June 2015 for 198000 yen (1610.54 dollars) each plus

monthly fee and insurance.

China and Australia signed Free Trade Agreement Published on: 19-JUN-2015

Important for Exam: 4 people agreed The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) will ensure 85 percent of all exports of Australia to China tariff-free.

Union Ministry of Finance formed two committees for facilitating implementation of GST Published on: 19-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

These committees are intended to speed up the process of establishing necessary administrative infrastructure to implement the GST.

Aakar Patel appointed as Executive Director of Amnesty International India Published on: 19-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Patel as the organization’s chief political advisor, strategist and spokesperson will give direction to its goal of being an independent, effective, and

deep-rooted organization in India.

CCEA approved Minimum Support Prices for Kharif Crops of 2015-16 season Published on: 19-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The CCEA decided to give a bonus of 200 rupees per quintal for pulses over and above the recommendations of the CACP in view of a huge deficit of

pulses in the country.

Union Government launched weather alert service NOWCAST Published on: 19-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

NOWCAST will be used to send SMS alerts on extreme weather data originated by IMD to over one crore farmers whose mobile numbers are

registered on government’s mKisan portal.

Indian paddlers won team titles at South Asian Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championships Published on: 19-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

To retain the title in junior boys section, the Indian paddlers won all the four matches without dropping a set. Similarly, cadet girls won all their matches

without a hiccup.

CCEA approved inclusion of Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh in National Dairy Plan- I Published on: 18-JUN-2015




It also extended the implementation period for two years to 2018-19 to achieve key outputs of National Dairy Plan- I.

India, China can protect 1.4 million premature deaths by improving quality of Air: Study Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The study also warned that if air pollution is not controlled or changed than in next 15 years deaths per capita due to air pollution would increase by 20

to 30 percent in these two countries.

Union Cabinet approved agreement with Spain on abolishing visa requirements for diplomatic passports Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Similar agreements on abolishing visa requirements for diplomatic passports holders have been signed by India with 40 countries.

G Gurucharan given additional charge as Director General of Bureau of Indian Standards Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Presently, he is serving as an Additional Secretary in Department of Food and Public Distribution.

Book titled Bikhare Khyalat written by Abdul Haq presented to Vice-President Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The book is an Urdu translation of Mohammed Iqbal’s writing in English tilted Stray Reflections.

CCEA approved setting up of 2000 MW of Grid connected Solar PV Power Projects under JNNSM Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

The project will be developed on Build, Own and Operate basis by Solar Power Developers (SPDs) with Viability Gap Funding (VGF).

Sharad Pawar re-elected as President of Mumbai Cricket Association Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Former Indian cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar along with Ashish Shelar was elected as Vice-President of the MCA.

Union Cabinet approved transfer of NIL’s land to DRDO for establishing a defence research centre Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The land will be transferred by Jadavpur University in West Bengal to DRDO on long-term lease for establishing a defence research centre namely the

Jagadish Chandra Bose Centre for Advanced Technology (JCBCAT).

Union Government launched Cluster Development Programme for Pharma Sector Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The scheme is intended to enhance quality, productivity and innovative capabilities of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the pharmacy

sector.

Japan's Parliament passed a Bill to lower voting age from 20 to 18 Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The last time Japan’s voting age was revised in 1945 post World War II, when the voting age was lowered to 20 from 25, and women were given the

right to vote.

Union Government decided to increase number of work days under MGNREGA in drought hit areas Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The cost of providing 50 more days of work to the rural households will be borne by the Union Government and it will be applicable to those

households only that complete its 100 days work.

Union Cabinet revised target of solar power under JNNSM to 100000 MW by 2022 Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The earlier target was producing solar power of 20000 MW by 2022.

Union Cabinet approved Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015 Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

It will repeal the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act, 1986 and seeks to improve the quality of goods, services and systems in the country.

Madras HC made wearing of helmets for two-wheelers compulsory from 1 July 2015 Published on: 18-JUN-2015


The high court also told officials to install CCTV cameras in all junctions and roads for monitoring the implementation of the respective order.

TCS launched Center of Excellence (CoE) for Next-Gen Technology Solutions in Hyderabad Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

Its primary focus is on emerging communication technologies such as Software Defined Networks (SDN), Network Function Virtualization (NFV), 5G

and Wireless LAN (WLAN).

Renowned architect Charles Correa passed away Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

He was the Chief Architect behind the development of Navi Mumbai along with Shirish Patel and Pravina Mehta.



Anti-Malarial compound DDD107498 that inhibits protein synthesis discovered Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The compound was found to have all the attributes of an anti-malarial drug which extends to multiple lifecycle stages of the Plasmodium parasite.The

results gain prominence as the malaria parasite has developed resistance to anti-malaria drugs.

Union Cabinet approved Housing for All by 2022 Mission Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

It is aimed at providing housing facilities to all eligible people in urban areas by 2022.

Hindi writers Babusha Kohli, Upasana won 10th Navlekhan Award of Bharatiya Jnanpith Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Kohli was awarded for poem Prem Gilhari Dil Akhrot and Upasana for her novel Ek Zindagi Eke K Script Bhar.

Archana Ramasundaram appointed as Director of National Crime Records Bureau Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet on 17 June 2015 approved her posting to NCRB by curtailing her tenure as Additional Di rector of the

CBI, New Delhi.

ASIC launched mobile app ASCIonline for consumer complaint Published on: 18-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

The app will allow consumers to raise their voice against misleading advertisements and register their complaint in an easy manner by providing

advertisement details and the objection.

One Rank, One Pension scheme for ex-servicemen Published on: 17-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 52 people agreed

The One Rank, One Pension (OROP) scheme for ex-servicemen was recently in news on 16 June 2015 as the scheme is likely to be rolled out ahead

of the Bihar Assembly polls 2015.

SunEdison Inc acquired Singapore-based Continuum Wind Energy Ltd Published on: 17-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

With the acquisition of Continuum, SunEdison added significant assets and a skilled wind development team to drive further growth in the renewable

energy development platform.

Critically endangered Sangai deer found in Manipur’s Loktak Lake to be translocated Published on: 17-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

Sangai, also known as state animal of Manipur and once found across the Manipur Valley, now lives in Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP) situated

inside the Loktak Lake.

Las Vegas casino tycoon Kirk Kerkorian died Published on: 17-JUN-2015

Important for Exam: 2 people agreed Kerkorian founded MGM Resorts International (MGM.N) and was its largest shareholder.

Election Commission of India (ECI) suspended recognition of National People's Party (NPP) Published on: 17-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The NPP is headed by former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma and had been a recognised state party in Meghalaya before the suspension order.

Commission on GSJG released the Confronting the Crisis of Global Governance report Published on: 17-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

The report says that the United Nations and other global institutions aren't equipped to tackle today's global challenges ranging from massive violence

in fragile states to runaway climate change.

Previously unknown extreme star formation Eye of Medusa observed 100 million light years away Published on: 17-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The observations were conducted by Institut de Radioastronomie Mil limétrique (IRAM) using the NOEMA (Northern Extended Millimeter Array).

India’s trade deficit in May 2015 narrowed to 10.4 billion US dollars Published on: 17-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Exports during May 2015 were valued at 22.34 billion US dollars which was 20.19 percent lower than the level of 27.99 billion US dollars during May

2014.

AIBA constituted Ad-hoc committee chaired by Kishan Narsi for boxing in India Published on: 17-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The ad-hoc committee will be chaired by Kishan Narsi and other members are Jay Kowli, Manisha Malhotra and Injeti Srinivas.

BCG released Global Wealth 2015 report; India home to fourth largest ultra-high-net worth households Published on: 17-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed



The annual report listed out the status of generation and distribution of private wealth in 2014. It also estimated the future prospects of global private

financial wealth.

Nathu La pass in Sikkim reopened for Kailash-Manasarovar pilgrims after 53 years Published on: 17-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 126 people agreed

The pass was closed by Chinese authorities in 1962 following a war between the two countries.

Book titled Recasting India written by Hindol Sengupta released Published on: 17-JUN-2015


In the book the author explains emergence of new class of entrepreneurs in India, in recent times, especially from geographically and socially

disadvantage spaces.

Narendra Kumar Yadav took charge as Chairman and Managing Director of MTNL Published on: 17-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

Yadav succeeded PK Purwar, who was given additional charge of the post after company’s CMD AK Garg retired on 30 May 2014.

Bengaluru based Ganit labs developed 5000 rupees test for tongue cancer patients Published on: 17-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

The low cost gene mapping based test assumes significance against the backdrop of growing instances of tongue cancer cases across India.

Beno Zephine became first 100% blind officer in IFS Published on: 17-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

At the time of being named as IFS officer, Beno was serving the State Bank of India as a probationary officer. She is a postgraduate in English from

Madras University.

Documentary on cricket titled Death of Gentleman screened at Sheffield Published on: 17-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The documentary made in four years came into news as it raised questions on existence of Tests Cricket in future and shows the its decline.

India and Poland set trade target of 5 billion US dollars by 2018 Published on: 17-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The decision was taken on 15 June 2015 at the fourth session of the bilateral Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation, held in Warsaw, capital city

of Poland.

Sunil Chhetri became first Indian footballer to score 50 international goals Published on: 17-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Guam defeated India 2-1, in the India's second match of the second round of quali fiers for 2018 football W orld Cup qualifying group match.

Book titled Modi - Incredible emergence of a star in Chinese language written by Tarun Vijay Published on: 16-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The book based on life and economic vision of PM Narendra Modi has been published by Sichuan University’s South Asia Study Centre.CSIR set up India’s first Micro Air Vehicle Aerodynamics Research Tunnel in Bengaluru Published on: 16-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The tunnel first of its kind in India will be used to test the fixed-wing, flapping-wing and rotary-wing MAVs in the 500 mm wingspan category.

UN elected Denmark's Mogens Lykketoft to head General Assembly Published on: 16-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Lykketoft will succeed Uganda's Sam Kutesa. His Presidency will begin in September 2015 at the commencement of the 70th General Assembly

session.

Kapil Mishra appointed as Chairman of Delhi Jal Board Published on: 16-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

Kapil Mishra succeeded Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Harbhajan Singh became 9th highest wicket-taker in Test Cricket Published on: 16-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The 'Turbanator' is now only 20 wickets short of beating Kapil Dev's 434 Test wickets to become second highest wicket-taker in history of Indian Test

cricket after Anil Kumble's 619 wickets.

Union Government launched Augmented Reality Application named Sakaar Published on: 16-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The application has been developed by Development and Educational Communication Unit (DECU) of ISRO for Android devices.

Australia applied holding order to Maggi Noodles from India Published on: 16-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

The department took this measure in response to reports of levels of lead that are potentially noncompliant with the permissible levels in the Australia

New Zealand Food Standards Code.



Karbonn to set up its first mobile phone manufacturing facility in Hyderabad Published on: 16-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The facility will be established with an estimated cost of 450 crore rupees as part of a joint venture (JV) with a Chinese company.

Britain celebrated 800th anniversary of Magna Carta Published on: 16-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The Great Charter, as it is often called, was said to be the foundation stone of the rights and liberties of the English people that gradually paved way for

principle of Rule of Law across the world.

800-year-old Buddha statue with 1000 hands unveiled by China after 7 years of restoration Published on: 16-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The restoration work of the statue, one integral part of the Dazu Rock Carvings, was started on 18 April 2008

PM Narendra Modi launched book titled Education of Muslims by Professor JS Rajput Published on: 16-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The book is aimed at informing and educating policy-makers, scholars and readers about role of Islam in pursuit of education and knowledge.

Rafael Nadal won Stuttgart Open Published on: 16-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

It was Rafael Nadal’s third Stuttgart Men’s single title and with this victory he also became first tennis player to win titles at the event on both clay and

grass surface.

Indian Railways rechristened Haridwar Mail as Yoga Express Published on: 16-JUN-2015

Important for Exam: 16 people agreed Indian Railways with immediate effect rechristened train No 19031/19032 Ahmedabad-Haridwar Mail Express also known as 'Haridwar Mail' as Yoga

Express.

Snapdeal.com acquired Letsgomo Labs Published on: 16-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

With this acquisition, Snapdeal will strengthen its position in mobile commerce as online consumers in India are increasingly choosing to shop over

their phones.

Union Government launched website to connect employers, job seekers Published on: 15-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The employers and job seekers can now register at www.eex.dcmsme.gov.in.

RTA of UAE included four Indian languages into its driving tests Published on: 15-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

Out of seven languages included are Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Bengali (Indian languages) and Chinese, Russian and Persian.

Israeli government approved bill to force feed prisoners Published on: 15-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The Bill is called as Law to Prevent Harm Caused by Hunger Strikes.

Comet lander Philae woke up after seven months of hibernation Published on: 15-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The signals from the spacecraft were received at the European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany on 13 June 2015.

Spain passed law awarding citizenship to descendants of expelled Jews Published on: 15-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

Tens of thousands of Jews were expelled in 1492 during the Spanish Inquisition, who were forced to convert them to Catholicism or were burnt at the

stake.

Railway Ministry decided to run Suvidha Trains Published on: 15-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

Under Suvidha train services only confirmed and RAC tickets will be issued and there will be no waiting list.

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement signed in Thimpu Published on: 15-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

It is aimed at regulation of Passenger, Personal and Cargo Vehicular Traffic amongst four SAARC member countries.

Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) launched India Nuclear Insurance Pool (INIP) Published on: 15-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

It will cover the risks of liability of nuclear operators and suppliers under Section 6(2) and Section 17 of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages (CLND)

Act, 2010 respectively.

Aequs Pvt Ltd acquired Paris-based T&K Machine Inc Published on: 15-JUN-2015

http://www.eex.dcmsme.gov.in./

http://www.eex.dcmsme.gov.in./




T&K acquisition will help Aequs to expand its footprint in North American market.

Bibek Debroy committee on railway restructuring submitted report to Union Ministry of Railways Published on: 15-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The High Level Committee (HLC) headed by Dr Bibek Debroy was formed in September 2015.

World famous Buddhas of Bamiyan resurrected in Afghanistan Published on: 15-JUN-2015

Important for Exam: 11 people agreed The statues were among the most famous cultural landmarks of the region and the site was listed by UNESCO as a W orld Heritage Site.

Sheila Kaul, former Governor of Himachal Pradesh, died Published on: 15-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Kaul, sister-in-law of Jawaharlal Nehru, was the oldest surviving former Parliamentarian was a Member of Parliament (MP) for five times.

Union Government launched mobile app to locate nearest blood bank Published on: 15-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The app was launched with an aim to ease access of information regarding the nearest blood bank in the country.

World Blood Donors Day observed with theme Thank you for saving my life Published on: 15-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

The theme of WBDD focuses on thanking blood donors who save lives every day through their blood donation and encourages more people across the

earth to donate blood voluntarily and regularly with the slogan “Give freely, give often. Blood donation matters.”

Sir Wesley Winfield Hall inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of fame Published on: 13-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

With this, Hall became 80th cricketer to be inducted in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame and 18th from West Indies itself.

Sangeet Natak Akademi announced awardees for 2014 Akademi Awards and fellowships Published on: 13-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The Akademi recognizes the contribution of outstanding musicians, dancers and theatre artists by bestowing them the Fellowships and Awards on

yearly basis

RBI issued final guidelines for 6-year and 13-year Interest Rate Futures Published on: 13-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

For this purpose, RBI amended the Interest Rate Futures (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2013 dated 5 December 2013.

Dromedary camels are key source of MERS Virus: Study Published on: 13-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The research study was carried out by international team who had looked for evidence of current or past MERS infection in more than 800 dromedary

camels or Arabian camels.

Telangana Government unveiled Telangana Industrial Policy 2015 Published on: 13-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The policy is intended to boost industrial activity and employment opportunities in the state.

Moldova's Prime Minister Chiril Gaburuci resigned Published on: 13-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

Gaburuci became the Prime Minister of Moldova in February 2015. He headed a pro-European government that relies on the Communist Party of

Moldova.

Dick Costolo resigned as CEO of Twitter Inc Published on: 12-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Twitter co-founder and Square Inc's CEO Jack Dorsey will take over as the Interim CEO of the company on 1 July 2015 and will stay until a

replacement is found.

Vinita Bali appointed as Chair of Board of Directors of GAIN Published on: 12-JUN-2015


Vinita succeeded Jay Naidoo, who led GAIN in the global fight against malnutrition since its creation in 2002.

World Day Against Child Labour observed globally Published on: 12-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The theme of the 2015 World Day Against Child Labour is NO to child labour – YES to quali ty education!

Forbes released 2015 World's 100 Highest-Paid Athletes list Published on: 12-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the sole Indian and only cricketer in the list with earnings of 31 million US dollars.

England’s cricketer Matt Prior retired from all forms of cricket




The first English wicketkeeper to score a century on debut was not able to play any match since July 2014 due to the recurring Achilles tendon injury.

Veteran actor Sir Christopher Lee died at the age of 93 Published on: 12-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Lee was knitted in 2009 for services to drama and charity. In 2011 and 2013, he was awarded with the Bafta fellowship and BFI Fellowship,

respectively.

Said Djinnit, UN envoy to Burundi crisis, stepped down as mediator Published on: 12-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Till date, Djinnit was hosting talks between the governing party and those who do not want President Pierre Nkurunziza to stand for re-election.

Union Government scrapped import duties on AIDS drugs Published on: 12-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

At present, more than a third of India’s 2.1 million HIV/AIDS patients depend on getting their daily anti -retroviral for free from state-run distribution

centers, which have been facing shortages.

Union Government launched Migrant Resource Centre in Chennai Published on: 12-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The MRC will provide information, guidance, advise and counselling on all aspects of overseas employment to intending migrants and overseas Indian

workers.

Prof S Bandyopadhayay appointed as Director of Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Published on: 12-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

She replaced Dr Bimal K Roy who was removed on charges of indiscipline by the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation

(MOSPI).

Ravi Garikipati appointed as Entrepreneur in Residence of Flipkart Published on: 12-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

In this position, he will work closely with Flipkart founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal and head of Flipkart’s e-commerce platform Mukesh Bansal

on new business projects.

Tamil Nadu and Adani Power Ltd signed PPA to set up 200 MW solar power plant in Ramanathapuram Published on: 12-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The plant will be constructed with an investment of nearly 1400 crore rupees.

Chandigarh's Rock Garden creator Nek Chand died Published on: 12-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Chand’s creation the Rock Garden of Chandigarh was opened for public on 24 January 1976 and at present is maintained by the Nek Chand

Foundation, formed in 1996.

Dr Bimal K Roy removed as Director of Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Published on: 12-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

He was replaced by director designate Prof S Bandyopadhayay who was set to assume the office on 1 August 2015 on Roy’s superannuation.

Big Band Leader James Last passed away Published on: 11-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

James was born as Hans Last in the northern city of Bremen in 1929 and was originally a piano player.

African leaders signed 26-nation Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) agreement Published on: 11-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

It is expected to benefit 625 million people living in 26 member countries of the pact.

ISRO presented with 2015 Space Pioneer Award for Mars Orbiter Mission Published on: 11-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

The award was presented by National Space Society (NSS) of USA in recognition of ISRO’s efforts in accomplishing Mars Orbiter Mission in its very

first attempt.

Union Cabinet approved proposal to promulgate the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Ordinance Published on: 11-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The intended ordinance will amend the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 that is focused on clarifying the jurisdiction related issues for filing cases for

offence committed under section 138 of the NI Act.

NASA scientist developed tool to predict destructive solar storms Published on: 11-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The model will help predic t solar geomagnetic storms 24 hours in advance.

Amazon opened its biggest Fulfilment Centre in Hyderabad




It is the biggest such facil ity for Amazon in the country having previously established 10 Fulfilment Centres across seven states.

3800-year-old statuettes of priestess and politicians discovered in Peru Published on: 11-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The Caral civilisation first emerged some 5000-year-ago and covered an area of over 60 hectares, with around 3000 inhabitants.

Indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant undocked in Kochi Published on: 11-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Upon its induction, the aircraft carrier puts India in the elite group of four countries in the world viz., USA, Russia, the UK and France that are capable

of designing and constructing aircraft carriers.

Kapil Mishra named as Delhi Law Minister Published on: 11-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Mishra who represents Karawal Nagar Assembly seat will succeed Jitendra Singh Tomar who resigned on 9 June 2015 following his arrest in fake

degree case.

CCEA approved 4721 crore rupees road projects in Madhya Pradesh, Telangana Published on: 11-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The projects will be executed under the flagship road building programme National Highways Development Project (NHDP).

FC Barcelona won 2015 UEFA Champions League title Published on: 11-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

This was the fifth time Barcelona has been crowned with the title and their fourth in the last decade after their victories in 2006, 2009 and 2011.

HDFC Bank launched PayZapp Published on: 11-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The mobile app PayZapp will allow customers to manage credit or debit card details, recharge and pay bills, use virtual card, send money through a

wallet and shop.

Former Indian Cricketer Hemant Kanitkar died Published on: 11-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

Kanitkar, a stalwart of domestic cricket, played two Tests as a wicketkeeper-batsman in the home series against Clive Lloyd’s West Indies in 1974-75.

Parkash Singh Badal conferred with 2015 Sant Namdev National Award Published on: 11-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

Badal was honoured with a citation, a prize amount of 101000 rupees and a memento by the foundation.

India, Japan and Australia held first ever trilateral dialogue Published on: 11-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The representatives of three countries discussed prospects of cooperation in the fields of economy and security with special emphasis on maritime

security.

Indian-origin scientist Manu Prakash developed World's first water-based computer Published on: 10-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

They have built a synchronous computer that operates using the unique physics of moving water droplets.

Dr. Srivari Chandrasekhar appointed as Director of CSIR-IICT Published on: 10-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The appointment was made by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is President of the CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research).

PVR Ltd agreed to acquire DLF's DT Cinemas for 500 crore rupees Published on: 10-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

The board of directors of the company at its meeting approved the acquisition of the cinema exhibition business of DLF Utilities ltd.

Illegal trapping of migratory songbird Yellow-Breasted Bunting leading to its extinction: Stu Published on: 10-JUN-2015

Important for Exam: 4 people agreed The study claimed that the bird is being hunted to near extinction because of Chinese eating habits.

India- born Padmasree Warrior resigned as Chief Technology Officer of Cisco Published on: 10-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

She resigned after a major restructuring at the top management level under incoming Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chuck Robbins.

Indian Army carried out cross-border operation against militants in Myanmar Published on: 10-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

The elite commandos of the Army during this cross-border operation went few kilometers inside the Myanmar territory and destroyed two camps of

insurgents hiding along the Nagaland and Manipur borders.



Indian Basketball Players Association launched in New Delhi Published on: 10-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The launching ceremony also saw the nomination of President and other members of the IBPA.

RBI issued Draft Framework on Issuance of Rupee linked Bonds Overseas Published on: 10-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

It is intended to permi t Indian corporate and International Financial Institutions to issue rupee-linked bonds overseas.

Bihar launched campaign Badh Chala Bihar to produce Bihar@2025 vision document Published on: 10-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

It is touted as world's largest campaign for participatory agenda through massive engagement of citizens.

Nepal political parties reached agreement on proposed Constitution framework Published on: 10-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

The agreement is related to the number of federal states, form of governance and electoral and judicial systems to be set out in the constitution.

Shah Rukh Khan acquired CPL T20 team Trinidad & Tobago Published on: 10-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Shah Rukh Khan is the first owner of an Indian Premier League team to own an overseas cricket franchise.

AMC launched USE and GET PAID scheme; Public Toilet Users to be paid 1 rupee Published on: 10-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The civic body will pay the money after identifying people who defecate in open and sensiti se them to use public toilets and reward them.

RBI announced Strategic Debt Restructuring Scheme Published on: 10-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The scheme will benefit Scheduled Commercial Banks and term-lending and refinancing institutions which are suffering from high Non Performing

Assets (NAPs).

Bombay High Court banned horse driven carriages in Mumbai Published on: 10-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The court termed that the use of horse carriages for joyrides is illegal and granted one year to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to

implement the complete ban.

ICICI Bank appointed MK Sharma as non-executive chairman Published on: 10-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Sharma succeeded KV Kamath, who would step down from the bank’s board after he was nominated as the first president of the New Development

Bank, established by BRICS nations.

41st G7 summit held in Germany Published on: 10-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 53 people agreed

The theme for the summit was Think Ahead. Act Together.

Haryana's Jind, Karnal & UP's Muzaffarnagar included in NCR Published on: 09-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Earlier on 1 July 2013, Bhiwani and Mahendragarh districts of Haryana and Bharatpur district of Rajasthan were included in the National Capital

Region.

Vijai Sharma appointed as Chief Information Commissioner of India Published on: 09-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Prior to this appointment, he was serving as an Information Commissioner in Central Information Commission since 2012.

KV Chowdary appointed as Chief Vigilance Commissioner Published on: 09-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

With this appointment, Chowdary became first non-IAS officer to head the CVC since it was formed in 1964.

Justice and Development Party won Turkey's parliamentary polls


According to preliminary results, the pro-Kurdish left-wing Peoples' Democracy Party (HDP) which c rossed the 10 percent threshold, managed to enter

Parliament for the first time.

Cyclone ASHOBAA intensified into severe cyclonic storm Published on: 09-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

ASHOBAA was formed after a depression over Arabian Sea converted itself into deep depression and later as a cyclonic storm.

RC Tayal appointed as Director General of National Security Guard Published on: 09-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed



Prior to this appointment, Tayal was serving as the Special Director General (DG) in paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Denudation in mangrove vegetation of Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary Published on: 09-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

Ecosystem of the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary harbours the largest number of saltwater crocodile population in the Indian sub-continent.

World Ocean Day observed with theme Healthy oceans, Healthy planet Published on: 09-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

To mark the occasion, various events were organised across the globe to spread awareness about the importance of oceans in our day to day lives.

Sourav Ganguly: Cricket, Captaincy and Controversy written by Saptarshi Sarkar Published on: 09-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

It is a biography of former Indian Cricket Captain Sourav Ganguly and deals with his cricketing career.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain won 2015 Canada Grand Prix of Formula 1 Published on: 09-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

For Hamilton, it was the fourth victory at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Montreal’s Isle Notre-Dame, where he earned his first Grand Prix win in 2007.

Momota and Ratchanok won Indonesia Open Badminton titles Published on: 09-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Japanese rising star shuttler Kento Momota and Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon won the men’s and women’s singles respectively of the Indonesia Open

Badminton tournament.

Union Environment Ministry approved Coastal Road Project of Mumbai Published on: 09-JUN-2015

Important for Exam: 5 people agreed This 12000-crore project will cover 35.6 km between Nariman Point and Kandivali, along the western seafront.

Manchester United Football Club became World’s most valuable brand with 1.2 billion US dollars Published on: 09-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Also, it became the first club to pass the 1 billion US dollar mark.

International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards 2015 Published on: 09-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

The 16th IIFA Awards were presented in the fi rst week of June 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

NMCG, NYKS signed MoU for involvement of youth in restoring the health of Ganga river Published on: 09-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The MoU aims to involve youth in creating awareness and outreaching public by carrying out afforestation drive for medicinal plants species, promoting

sanitation and construction of toilets.

Telugu writer Dasaradhi Rangacharya died at 87 Published on: 09-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

Inspired by Marxism and socialism, Rangacharya wrote several books that highlighted the life and agony of the people at the grass roots level

especially in the then Telangana region.

Eleven Indo-Canadians honoured with ICCC Annual Awards 2015 Published on: 08-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The award was presented by Toronto Mayor John Tory and President of the Indo-Canada Chambers of Commerce (ICCC) DP Jain at the annual gala

award ceremony held at Toronto.

Flood of fire written by Amitav Ghosh Published on: 08-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

With the novel, he has concluded the Ibis trilogy, his fictional recreation of the events leading up to the first opium war of 1839-42.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bangladesh Published on: 08-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

Modi along with her Bangladeshi Counterpart Sheikh Hasina and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee flagged off the Dhaka-Shillong-

Guwahati and Kolkata-Dhaka-Tripura bus services.

India, Bangladesh signed Land Boundary Agreement of 1974 Published on: 08-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

Under the agreement, the countries wi ll exchange territories, with 111 enclaves being transferred to Bangladesh and 51 to India.

Anshu Jain, Juergen Fitschen resigned as Co-CEO of Deutsche Bank Published on: 08-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

John Cryan was named as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Deutsche Bank.

India and Bangladesh signed 22 bilateral documents Published on: 08-JUN-2015




Instruments of Ratification of 1974 Land Boundary Agreement and its 2011 Protocol as well as letters on Modalities for implementation of 1974 Land

Boundary Agreement were exchanged.

Rahul Dravid named coach of India ‘A’, U-19 cricket teams Published on: 08-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The decision to appoint Dravid as the coach was taken at the first meeting of BCCI’s advisory committee in Kolkata.

Stanislas Wawrinka won Men's single title of French Open Published on: 08-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

This was second grand slam title for Wawrinka after Australian Open 2014.

Union Government inaugurated Tier-I Oil Spill Response Centre for Mumbai and JNPT Harbour Published on: 06-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The objective behind setting up the centre is to develop appropriate and effective systems for the detection and reporting of oil spillage.

Industrial effluents caused fire on water of Bellandur Lake Published on: 06-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Researchers in its study titled, ‘Pathetic status of wetlands in Bengaluru: epitome of inefficient and uncoordinated governance’, concluded that the

flames were caused due to industrial effluents in the water.

UK Author Ali Smith won 2015 Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction Published on: 06-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

Baileys Prize was set up in 1996 with an aim to celebrate and promote international fiction by women throughout the world. Earlier it was known as the

Orange Prize.IMA’s first Jan Aushadhi medical store launched in Delhi Published on: 06-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The Jan Aushadhi store will offer over 118 commonly used drugs at a 10 to 20 percent lesser price than market value.

R Seshasayee appointed as Non-Executive Chairman of Infosys Limited Published on: 06-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

He succeeded KV Kamath, who resigned to head the proposed BRICS New Development Bank in China.

Union Ministry of Water Resources launched nationwide Jal Kranti Abhiyan from Jaipur Published on: 06-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The campaign aims to strengthen grass root involvement of all stake holders including Panchyati raj institutions and local bodies in the water security

and development schemes.

AP Postal Circle decided to sell River Godavari water as GOD-JAL during Pushkaram festival Published on: 06-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The water can be ordered online at www.appost/i n/eshop by devotees till 14 July 2015. The order wi ll be delivered at their doorstep from 15 July 2015.

HP High Court asked state government to establish separate homes for differently-abled people Published on: 06-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

The court directed Principal Secretary (Social Justice and Empowerment) to release adequate funds for the purpose within eight weeks and asked

state government to complete the work wi thin a year.

Hollywood actor Hiroshi Koizumi died Published on: 06-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Making debut in 1951 on silver screen, Koizumi appeared in a string of monster films including Mothra vs Godzilla, Ghidorah, the Three-Headed

Monster and Dogara, the Space Monster.

Wrestler Prem Nath passed away Published on: 06-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Prem Nath, a President’s Medal-winning retired Delhi Police official, was known for his efforts to popularise wrestling in Delhi.

Prominent scientist Ameenah Gurib-Fakim sworn-in as President of Mauritius Published on: 06-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Gurib-Fakim, 56, is the first female president of Mauritius, which gained independence from Britain in 1968 and replaced Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as

its head of state in 1992.

WTO’s Dispute Settlement Board ruled against India’s ban on poultry imports from the US Published on: 05-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The appellate body agreed with the panel's finding that India's AI (avian influenza) measures are inconsistent, because they are not based on a risk

assessment

Fortune released 61st edition of list of top 500 companies Published on: 05-JUN-2015




These Fortune 500 companies account for 12.5 trillion US dollar in revenues, 945 billion US dollar in profits, 17 trillion US dollar in market value and

employ 26.8 million people worldwide.

Delhi Government introduced mechanical road sweepers Published on: 05-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The mechanical sweeping machines are the initiative of the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC).

Volvo India appointed Tom von Bonsdorff as Managing Director Published on: 05-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

He succeeded Tomas Ernberg. Tomas Ernberg is moving back to Sweden in a new role.

IREDA awarded Miniratna (Category-1) status by Department of Public Enterprises Published on: 05-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

Grant of status allows IREDA to make capital expenditure on new projects, modernization, purchase of equipment, etc. without Government approval

up to 500 crores rupees, or equal to their net worth, whichever is lower.

Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry Irwin Rose passed away Published on: 05-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Rose won the Nobel Prize for discovering a way that cells destroy unwanted proteins for developing new therapies for diseases such as cervical

cancer and cystic fibrosis.

Union Government signed 400 million US dollars loan agreement with World Bank for TNSUDP Published on: 05-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The objective of the project is to improve urban services in participating Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in a financially sustainable manner and to pilotimproved urban management practices in selected cities of Tamil Nadu. The total project size is 600 million US dollars

India and the Netherlands signed agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation Published on: 05-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The agreements were signed during the visit of Prime Minister of Netherland Mark Rutte to India.

Union Government filed complaint against Maggi under Section 12(1)(d) of Consumer Protection Act Published on: 05-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The government took this decision against the backdrop of alleged lapses related to food safety standards in Maggi noodles containing high levels of

lead and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).

20 soldiers killed in militant ambush at Tengnoupal, Manipur Published on: 05-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Three militant organizations, namely NSCN-K, KYKL and KCP have jointl y claimed responsibility for the ambush.

AIFF signed an agreement with French Football Federation Published on: 05-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

The agreement was signed by Praful Patel, President, AIFF in the presence of Kushal Das, General Secretary of AIFF.

AB De Villiers conferred with South Africa Cricketer of the Year Award for 2015 Published on: 05-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Having received the annual award for 2014 also, he joined Makhaya Ntini who received the award in successive years- 2005 and 2006.

World Environment Day observed globally Published on: 05-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

Theme Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with. highlights that by 2050 we will need three planets to sustain our ways of living and

consumption.

Sundaram Ravi inducted into Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires for 2015-16 Published on: 05-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Sunder Ravi has become the first Indian after S Venkataraghavan who was inducted into the elite panel in 2004.

Delhi Metro got its first driver-less train Published on: 05-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

A total of 20 such train sets of Hyundai Rotem will be manufactured in South Korea’s Changwan by the end of 2015.

India and the US signed 2015 Framework for the India-US Defence Relationship Published on: 04-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

Apart from this, both India and the United States also finalized two project agreements for joint development of Mobile Electric Hybrid Power Sources

and the Next Generation Protective Ensembles.

India and Belarus signed six Agreements during the visit of President to Belarus Published on: 04-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed



The two nations inked a protocol amending the agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to

Taxes on Income and on Property (Capital) of the 27 September 1997.

Second Bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement 2015-16 announced; Repo rate cut by 0.25 percent Published on: 04-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

As a result, the reverse repo rate, the rate at which RBI borrows from commercial banks, stands adjusted to 6.25 percent, and the marginal standing

facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 8.25 per cent.

Suresh Kalmadi conferred with Asian Athletics Association President’s award Published on: 04-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Kalmadi is credited of introducing top events like Asian Grand Prix series, Asian Indoor Championships and Asian All Star Meet and others during his

tenure as the president of AAA from 2000 to 2013.

Stempeucel, a stem cell drug, received Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) in Europe Published on: 04-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

By virture of being an ODD, it will have 10 years of market exclusivity from product launch in the European Union (EU), fee reductions and access to

the central authorisation procedure.

India joined MCAA on Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information (AEOI) Published on: 04-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The declaration to comply with the provisions of the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement (MCAA) was signed in Paris by Mohan Kumar, the

Indian ambassador to France.

Jharkhand Cabinet approved Jharkhand Special Courts Ordinance, 2015 Published on: 04-JUN-2015


The Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Raghubar Das gave the nod for the Ordinance to make Jharkhand rid of corruption by setting up adequate

special courts.

WJP Rule of Law Index 2015 released; India placed 59th out of 102 countries Published on: 04-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The index has been topped by Denmark followed by Norway, Sweden and Finland at second, third and fourth place respectively. All the four countries

have score above 0.85.

Maharashtra Government invoked MCOCA against ration mafia Published on: 04-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

This is the first time that MCOCA was applied against ration mafia with an aim of weeding out the widespread corruption in public distribution system.

Chinese cruise ship Eastern Star capsized in the Yangtze River Published on: 04-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The ship was headed from the eastern city of Nanjing to the southwestern city of Chongqing. Most of the passengers had retired for the night when the

incident happened.

President Pranab Mukherjee concluded two-nation visit to Sweden and Belarus Published on: 04-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

He visited Sweden from 31 May to 2 June and Belarus from 2 June to 4 June 2015 and these visits were first ever by an Indian President to either

country.

Northern Railway rolled out India’s first rail coach lit by solar panels Published on: 04-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

This is the first time in the history of Indian Railways, that a solar photovoltaic system has been used for power requirements of light and fan in a broad

gauge coach.

Syed Asif Ibrahim appointed as PM’s Special Envoy on Countering Terrorism and Extremism Published on: 04-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

In this new capacity, he will liaise with governments in West Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and South East Asia, among others, in setting up channels for

the exchange of intelligence and information on terror groups.

Inderjeet won gold in shot put at 21st Asian Athletics Championships Published on: 04-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Inderjeet heaved the iron ball to a new championship record of 20.41 metres, which he achieved in his fourth attempt.

Scientists at CIMAP succeeded in whole genome sequencing of Holy basil or Tulsi Published on: 04-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

This is the first report of complete genome sequence of Tulsi, which is both used as an essential medicinal plant and revered as Vishnupriya and

worshipped for over 3000 years in India.

Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje inaugurated Phase 1A of Jaipur Metro Rail Services Published on: 03-JUN-2015




In the first phase, the metro will run on 9.6 kilometer stretch and cover nine stations from residential area Mansarovar to business hub in Chandpole.

US President Barack Obama signed USA FREEDOM Act 2015 into law Published on: 03-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

This Act has limited government’s ability to collect phone data, which was done through a policy named as 2001 USA Patriot Act, which was in

existence since the attacks of 11 September 2001.

Punit Renjen appointed as CEO of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited Published on: 03-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

Renjen succeeded Barry Salzberg, who retired from Deloitte Global on 31 May 2015.

Union Government launched Khoya Paya web portal to exchange information on missing children Published on: 03-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

It was jointly launched by Maneka Gandhi, Union Minister of Women & Child Development and Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of

Communication & Information Technology.

Ravi Shastri re-appointed as Director of Indian Cricket team Published on: 03-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

Team India's tour to Bangladesh will start from 10 June 2015. During the tour, India will play one Test and three One-Day Internationals matches.

Union Ministry of Women and Child Development launched IAP HealthPhone programme Published on: 03-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

This programme was developed by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) in partnership with the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development,

UNICEF and is supported by Vodafone India.Fishing ban of 61 days along the Western Coast became effective except in Kerala Published on: 03-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Instead, the state will to stick to the 47-day ban, as in previous years, and allowed its fishermen to continue operating till June 15.

The Constitution (100th Amendment) Act, 2015 Published on: 03-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 74 people agreed

The amendment deals with the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) between India and Bangladesh.

Maharashtra Cabinet approved a Composite Renewable Energy Policy Published on: 03-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The policy aims at achieving 14400 MW of installed capacity over a period of five years, that is, till 2020. The current installed capacity of renewable

energy in the state is 6700 MW .

Harley-Davidson tied-up with Myntra for online merchandise sale Published on: 03-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Known for rebellious designs and bold urban styling, Harley-Davidson will now offer i ts casual merchandise on an exclusive online store on Myntra.

South Korea and China signed bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Published on: 03-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

It aims to gradually remove tariffs on more than 90 percent of traded goods between both the countries wi thin 20 years.

Union Government simplified defence rules to woo foreign companies Published on: 03-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

In order to provide a level-playing field to private players, the government withdrew excise and Customs duty exemptions enjoyed by the Ordinance

Factory Board and defence Public Sector Undertakings.

Sepp Blatter resigned as FIFA president amid corruption scandal Published on: 03-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Blatter, who was re-elected as F IFA president on 29 May 2015, will exercise his functions as FIFA president until an election is held.

Emami Limited acquired hair care brand Kesh King Published on: 03-JUN-2015


With this acquisition, Emami forays into the fast-growing hair-care segment. Emami’s current oil portfolio includes Navratna Cool Oil and Emami 7 Oil

in One Damage Control Hair Oil.

Pawan Munjal appointed as the CMD of Hero MotoCorp Ltd Published on: 02-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 96 people agreed

He succeeded his father Brijmohan Lall Munjal, who resigned on 1 June 2015.

McCullum, Hesson honoured in Queen’s Birthday Honours in New Zealand Published on: 02-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The head of the New Zealand World Cup organizing committee, Therese Walsh, was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.



92-year-old Harriette Thompson became oldest woman to complete a marathon Published on: 02-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

Harriette Thompson of 92 year 65 days broke the previous record of Gladys Burril l, who created the record in 2010 at the age of 92 years and 19 days.

Trial run of Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala bus service began Published on: 02-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

In its journey, the bus will cross two international checkpoints and they are Petrapole on West Bengal-Bangladesh border and at Akhuara on Tripura-

Bangladesh border.

Hollywood actress Betsy Palmer passed away Published on: 02-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

Betsy was famously known for playing the character of Jason Voorhees' mother in Friday the 13th movie in 1980.

Two patients died from MERS virus in South Korea Published on: 02-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

So far, there have been 25 confirmed cases of MERS since a man tested positive following a trip to Saudi Arabia and became the country’s first MERS

patient in May 2015.

RBI permitted cross holding in infrastructure bonds Published on: 02-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

With this, now banks would be able to cross hold these bonds among themselves for financing infrastructure and affordable housing loans, which

earlier was not permitted.

Intel announced to buy Altera for 16.7 billion US dollars Published on: 02-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Intel will pay 54 dollar a share in cash to Altera to complete the acquisition process.

President gave assent to 119th Constitutional Amendment Bill on LBA between India and Bangladesh Published on: 02-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 39 people agreed

It is the 100th amendment to the Indian Constitution and amends its first schedule.

K Sivan appointed as Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), ISRO Published on: 02-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Before the present appointment, he was the Dis tinguished Scientist and Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Thiruvananthapuram.

S Somanath appointed as Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, ISRO Published on: 02-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Before the present appointment, he was an Associate Director (Projects), VSSC as well as Project Director of GSLV Mk-III.

Hemant Sonawala, the pioneer of India’s IT industry, died Published on: 02-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Sonawala the chairman of Hinditron was also the founder of Digital Equipment India (DEI), which was the first technology IPO in India.

Union Ministry of Textiles announced to hold 30th India Carpet Expo in Varanasi in October 2015 Published on: 02-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The Expo will be organized by Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) set up by Union Ministry of Textiles.

P Kunhikrishnan appointed as Director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR Published on: 02-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

He succeeded MYS Prasad, who superannuated in May 2015.

India, Sweden signed 6 agreements during visit of Pranab Mukherjee to Sweden Published on: 02-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Mukherjee who is on a five-day long visit to Sweden and Belarus between 31 May and 4 June 2015 is the first ever Indian head of state to visit

Sweden.

Philipose G Pynumootil appointed as Assistant Chief of Naval staff (Air)


Being a Flag officer, he has commanded the 1241 RE corvette, INS Nashak, the missile corvette INS Kirpan and the Guided Missile Frigate INS

Brahmaputra.

Mauritius designated Ameenah Gurib-Fakim as its first woman President Published on: 02-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

Ameenah will be the f irst female president of the nation, which gained independence from Britain in 1968 and replaced Bri tain's Queen Elizabeth II as

its head of state in 1992.

Meena Hemchandra appointed as Executive Director of RBI Published on: 02-JUN-2015




As an ED, She will look after Department of Banking Supervision, Department of Co-operative Banking Supervision and Department of Non-Banking

Supervision.

Footballer Rio Ferdinand announced his retirement Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Ferdinand last played for Queens Park Rangers (QPR) in March 2015.

Amit Jain appointed as President of Uber Technologies Inc's India Operations Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Prior to this appointment, Jain was president of Rent.com, a property portal in the US. Jain is a B. Tech from IIT, Delhi.

Tendulkar, Ganguly, Laxman inducted in BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

This Cricket Advisory Committee will advise the BCCI on various progressive steps needed to enable Indian Cricket to be better prepared for the

challenges of the future.

WHO launched campaign against illicit trade of tobacco products on World No Tobacco Day 2015 Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The theme was chosen to raise awareness about the problems posed by the illicit trade of tobacco products in health, legal, economic and governance

sectors.

China unveiled world's first facial recognition ATM machine Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

The ATM machine was created by Tsinghua University and Hangzhou-based technology company Tzekwan.Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa sworn-in as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

His appointment was necessitated after Lt General (Retired) Nirbhay Sharma was t ransferred to Mizoram in second week of May 2015.

US removed Cuba from terror blacklist to strengthen ties with Cuba Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The removal of Cuba from the terror list would also help in the process of lifting economic sanctions.

The China Model written by Daniel A Bell Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The book titled The China Model: Political Meritocracy and the Limits of Democracy by Daniel A. Bell was in news in May 2015.

Doris Hart, winner of three Wimbledon titles in a day, died at 89 Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

She retired from professional tennis in 1955 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1969.

Mohun Bagan won I-League title of football after 13 years Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

In the final clash at Kanteerva Stadium in Bengaluru, Mohun Bagan managed a 1-1 draw against the defending champions Bengaluru FC.

Uttarakhand’s Health Minister SS Negi conferred with World No Tobacco Day Award 2015 Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

He was one of the si x awardees from the WHO South-East Asia Region.

Hike in Service Tax to 14 percent became operational Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Now, the new rate subsumes the education cess (2 percent on the service tax amount) which was earlier levied separately.

Union Government formed a Committee to oversee 125th Bhim Jayanti celebrations Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The national committee under the chairpersonship of the Prime Minister will suggest different programmes and activities to spread the thoughts and

ideas of Dr B R Ambedkar.

Muhammadu Buhari assumed the office of President of Nigeria Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

He became the 5th President of the country by defeating the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in the March 2015 general election.

Union Government notified Undisclosed Foreign Income as Assets and imposition of Tax Act, 2015 Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill , 2015 was introduced in Lok Sabha on 20 March 2015

Ex-Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili appointed as Governor of Ukraine's Odessa region Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed



Saakashvili who left Georgia after his term as President ended in 2013 is widely credited with carrying out radical reforms in Georgia during his terms

in office in 2004-13.

Former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo appointed as Chancellor of Nalanda University Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Yeo succeeds the Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, who withdrew his candidature for a second term as Chancellor of the Nalanda University in February

2015.

Union Cabinet approved Agreement on Coastal and Maritime Shipping between India and Bangladesh Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The agreement paves the way for the commencement of coastal shipping between the two countries.

Barcelona Football Club won King's Cup title for 27th time Published on: 01-JUN-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

This was 27th Copa del Rey ti tle for Barcelona and second of the season after La Loga.



JulyBeijing chosen to host 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics Published on: 31-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 81 people agreed

With this, Beijing became the first city to host both the Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics. It hosted Summer Olympics in 2008.

Punjab Government to create Beas Belt near Harike Patan as habitat for Gharials Published on: 31-JUL-2015


The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), also known as the gavial, and the fish-eating crocodile, is a crocodilian of the family Gavialidae, native to the Indian

Subcontinent.

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons observed across the world Published on: 31-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

According to UNODC's biennial Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, at least 152 countries of origin and 124 countries of destination are affected

by trafficking in persons.

Microsoft launched Windows 10 operating system Published on: 31-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

This operating system will be available for free to Windows 7 and 8.1 users who reserved the copy. This upgrade will be available for free for one year.

SC upheld the commutation of death sentence of convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case Published on: 31-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The decision was made on the curative plea against the dismissal of the 11-year delay in deciding on their mercy petiti ons.

RBI decided to issue 10 rupees coins to commemorate International Day of Yoga Published on: 31-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 70 people agreed

The reverse of the coin bears the logo of "International Day of Yoga", with inscription " सामं जय एव ंिशात के लए योग " in Devnagri Script and "YOGA

FOR HARMONY AND PEACE" around the logo and design.

SALt, a lamp that runs eight hours on water and salt, developed Published on: 31-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

The battery will work for eight hours a day for six months, which is a considerable upgrade from the constant refills required by paraffin lantern, the

developers said.

Kotak launched mobile banking app named Kotak Bharat Published on: 31-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

At present, the application is available in Hindi and English language, but by end of August 2015 it will have other languages like Gujarati, Marathi,

Tamil and Kannada.

Film Talvar to be premiered at Toronto International Film Festival

Published on: 31-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Talvar written by Vishal Bhardwaj revolves around the sensational murder of 14-year-old Aarushi Talwar and 45-year-old Hemraj Banjade, a domestic

help in Noida, India.

Cyclone Komen formed over Bay of Bengal Published on: 30-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

The MeT department has forecasted heavy to very heavy rains wi th isolated extremely heavy rains in Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha of India.

Union Cabinet approved setting up of National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Published on: 30-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The fund will have an initial corpus of 20000 crore rupees which can be leveraged by infrastructure companies and was proposed by the Union

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget 2015-16

Nepal banned animal Sacrifice at Gadhimai Festival Published on: 30-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The temple authorities have announced the end of the centuries-old Hindu tradition of slaughter that attracts hundreds of thousands of worshippers.

‘Visaarnai’ became first Tamil film to enter Venice film festival Published on: 30-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Visaaranai is second film produced by Dhanush that will get international recognition after the critically acclaimed Kaaka Mutta.

India to become most populous nation by 2022: UN World Population Prospects Published on: 30-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

The world population reached 7.3 billion as of mid- 2015, implying that the world has added approximately one billion people in the span of the last

twelve years.

CCI imposed penalty upon three Film & TV association of Karnataka




Considering the recurring violation of the provisions of the Act, KFCC, KTVA and KFPA were imposed a penalty of 1682204 rupees, 174293 rupees

and 168124 rupees, respectively.

e-Tourist Visa scheme extended to China, Hong Kong and Macau Published on: 30-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

With the inclusion of these countries/territories, the total number of countries/territories covered under the e-Tourist Visa scheme will go up from 74 to

77.Union Cabinet approved Rajya Sabha panel's amendments on GST Bill, 2014 Published on: 30-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The amendments include compensation to the states for 5 years instead of up to 5 years for any revenue loss due to introduction of GST.

UNSC failed to adopt proposal to create tribunal on crash of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 Published on: 30-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The resolution sought to establish an international tribunal to prosecute persons responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which

crashed on 17 July 2014 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine.

Yakub Memon executed as SC rejected his fresh plea in pre-dawn hearing Published on: 30-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The State Government of Maharashtra has decided to hand over his body to his relatives, after completion of formalit ies.

SEBI cancelled Certificate of Registration of Sahara Mutual Fund Published on: 30-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Sahara has been asked to make efforts to transfer its activities to a new Sponsor and a SEBI approved Asset Management Company at the earliest.

Hockey India appointed Roelant Oltmans as coach of Men’s national team Published on: 30-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The 69-year old Dutchman will be at the helm of affairs at least till 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro

Eminent vocalist Vasundhara Komkali died Published on: 30-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

She received training in Indian classical music by Pt. Kumar Gandharva (her husband) and Dr. BR Deodhar.

Clive Rice, first post-apartheid captain of South Africa Cricket team, passed away Published on: 29-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

He represented South Africa for the first time in Kolkata on 10 November 1991 as captain and last time in New Delhi four days later.

International Tiger Day observed across the world Published on: 29-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 65 people agreed

Among the 13 tiger-range countries, India with 2226 has the highest number of tiger population. India is followed by Malaysia with 500 tigers.

Dr. Suniti Solomon, pioneering Indian HIV/AIDS researcher, passed away Published on: 29-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

She was the first person in India who documented the nation’s first HIV/AIDS case in 1986 and later set up Y R Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research

and Education (YRG CARE)

Court of Arbitration for Sports allowed Indian athlete Dutee Chand to compete in women’s event Published on: 29-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

She became eligible with CAS suspending the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) regulation on naturally-occurring

Hyperandrogenism.

Ramon Magsaysay Awardees for the year 2015 announced; Two Indians among the awardees Published on: 29-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 93 people agreed

Among the five awardees who will be conferred with the so-called Asia’s Nobel Prize, there are two Indians, namely Sanjiv Chaturvedi and Anshu

Gupta.

World Hepatitis Day observed with theme ‘Prevent hepatitis. Act now’ Published on: 29-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

The observance of the day in 2015 focuses particularly on Hepatitis B and C. These two combined cause approximately 80 percent of all liver cancer

deaths and kill close to 1.4 million people every year.

Justice Mahajan Committee constituted for Re-drafting National Sports Development Code of India Published on: 29-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

NSDCI was drafted in 2011 by amalgamating all the orders/notifications/instructions/circulars issued till 2001 with necessary modifications and it came

into force with immediate effect from 31 January 2011.

India signed Loan Agreement of $300 Million with ADB for National Urban Health Mission




The NUHM as a sub-mission of National Health Mission (NHM) was approved by the Union Cabinet on 1 May 2013 to improve the health status of the

country’s urban population.

General Council approved Kazakhstan's membership terms to join WTO as 162nd member Published on: 29-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

In order to formally become the member of WTO, Kazakhstan Parliament now has to ratify the deal by 31 October 2015. It will become a member 30

days after it notifies the ratification.CCI imposed a penalty of 420 crore rupees on Hyundai Published on: 29-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Hyundai is one the three car companies, the other two being Reva and Premier, which were found to be guilty of involving in anti-competitive practices

in contravention of the Competition Act, 2002.

Bharti Realty tied-up with Eros Group to develop housing project Published on: 28-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The Bharti Group has presence in telecom, agri-business, financial services, retail and real estate among others.

Bangladesh part of Sundarbans witnessed rapid decline in tiger population between 2004 and 2015 Published on: 28-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Royal Bengal tigers live mainly in India with smaller populations in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar. Out of 2226 Bengal tigers found

in India, 74 live in Indian side of Sunderbans.

Swati Maliwal took charge as Chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women Published on: 28-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Maliwal had taken charge as the DCW's Chief on 20 July 2015 itself, but her appointment was struck down by the Lt Governor Najeeb Jung at that

time.

Ashish Bahuguna appointed as Chairman of food safety regulator FSSAI Published on: 28-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

His tenure will be three years and he succeeded K Chandramouli whose tenure ended in January 2015. Since then the position was lying vacant and

the Health Secretary Bhanu Pratap Sharma was given the interim charge of chairman of FSSAI.

Noted Physicist P Hariharan passed away Published on: 28-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Hariharan had contributed in various researches including in the design of a new 3-beam interferometer, first practical radial-shear interferometer and

double passed Fabry-Perot interferometer.

Rajesh Exports acquired Switzerland-based world’s largest gold refinery Valcambi Published on: 28-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

It acquired European Gold Refineries, the 100 per cent holding company of Valcambi through its fully-owned subsidiary in Singapore in all cash deal of

400 million US dollars

Nepal’s political parties agreed to remove word ‘Secularism’ from the Constitution Published on: 28-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Nepal was declared a secular country in 2007 that had ended Nepal’s century-old identity as the world’s only Hindu kingdom.

Ram Sevak Sharma appointed as Chairman of TRAI Published on: 28-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

Ram Sevak Sharma is an IAS officer of 1978 batch, Jharkhand Cadre.

Terrorist attacked Dinanagar town of Gurdaspur in Punjab killing seven people Published on: 28-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The terrorist attack was the first such attack in Punjab in two decades or since the end of Khalistani terrorism in 1980s.

Santasilan Kadirgamar, the veteran Sri Lankan historian, passed away Published on: 28-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

He was among those who were instrumental in setting up the Movement for Inter-Racial Justice and Equality (MIRJE - Jaffna)

CSC and HCL formed Joint Venture to provide technology services solutions to banks Published on: 28-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The joint venture will invest in platform modernization and product functionality enhancement and will capitalize on the proven capabilities of both

companies.

Former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam passed away Published on: 28-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 99 people agreed



Considered as the People's President, Dr Kalam became the 11th President of the country and occupied the post between 2002 and 2007 during the

NDA government headed Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Mexico defeated Jamaica to win CONCACAF Gold Cup Football tournament Published on: 28-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

Andred Guardado, the captain of Mexican team, was voted top player of the tournament for scoring 4 goals in the tournament.

Union Government sanctioned 1000 crore rupees for Indo-Bangla Rail Link Published on: 27-JUL-2015


Out of 15.06 km length connecting Agartala wi th Akhaura railway junction in Bangladesh, 3.7 km would comprise of elevated corridor.

World's largest flower Amorphophallus Titanum bloomed at Jindai Botanical Gardens in Tokyo Published on: 27-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

It is commonly called the corpse flower because it smells like rotting meat that helps attract pollinators such as beetles and flies.

Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany won Hungarain Formula One Grand Prix Published on: 27-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

In the constructers standing, Mercedes leads the board with 383 points followed by Ferrari and Williams at second and third position respectively.

Delhi HC allowed Red FM to participate in Stage-III of FM auctions Published on: 27-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

The court also quashed the Union Government’s decision of 15 July 2015 wherein Red FM was denied security clearance due to its association with

Sun TV promoted by Kalanithi Maran.

Gujarat HC constituted panel to ensure amenities to labourers at Alang ship-breaking yard Published on: 27-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The panel will be directed to examine the aspect of starting of the hospital at the earliest by Maritime Board itself or through Employee’s State

Insurance Corporation.

EU banned marketing of around 700 generic medicines of GVK Biosciences Published on: 27-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

This is the largest suspension imposed on the sales and distribution of generic drugs and i t will come into effect from 21 August 2015.

Team Sky cyclist Chris Froome of Britain won 102nd Tour de France Published on: 27-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

With this, Froome became the first Briton to win the Tour de France for the second time.

PR Chari, the nuclear disarmament advocate, died Published on: 27-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

He was a former IAS officer who served two terms in the Defence Ministry and was also a former Director of the Institute of Defence and Strategic

Analysis (IDSA) from 1975 to 1980.Veteran Congress leader Bijoy Krishna Handique passed away Published on: 27-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Handique was first elected to Assam Legislative Assembly in 1972, he then became a member of All India Congress Committee in 1973.

16th Anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas observed across the country Published on: 27-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

The Kargil war was also called Operation Vijay, which was the name of the Indian operation that cleared the Kargil sector, which is situated 205

kilometer from Srinagar in J&K.

Former Bihar Governor Ramkrishna Suryabhan Gavai passed away Published on: 27-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

It was to Gavai’s credit that the Deekshabhoomi turned into a world c lass memorial to Ambedkar and his historic conversion to Buddhism.

PM Narendra Modi launched Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana in Patna Published on: 25-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 57 people agreed

The Scheme has an outlay of 76000 crore rupees for implementation of the projects under which Union Government shall provide Grant of 63000 crore

rupees.

Helena Ndume, Jorge Sampaio awarded with first-ever Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize Published on: 25-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 43 people agreed

The award ceremony was a part of the annual commemoration of Nelson Mandela International Day, which is observed on 18 July every year.

Union Government constituted All India Council of Sports Published on: 25-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The advice rendered by the council wil l be duly considered by the government, but it will not be binding and obligatory on the government.

Ramachandra Guha chosen for Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize 2015




The prize will be conferred upon him on 17 September 2015 in Fukuoka International Congress Center in Japan, following which the awardees will be

deliberating lectures at high-schools and universities across the city

Ajay Mathur appointed as Director-General of TERI Published on: 25-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 51 people agreed

Currently, Mathur is working as the Director General of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) of the Union Government.

WTO members sealed a deal to cut tariffs on $1 trillion worth IT products Published on: 24-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The deal was agreed as part of need to update the 18-year old Information Technology Agreement (ITA) as it has become redundant. The ITA was

finalised in 1997.

Earth-like exoplanet Kepler 452b discovered Published on: 24-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 59 people agreed

In addition to Kepler 452b, the Kepler Mission also discovered 11 yet-to-be-confirmed candidate planets that appear to be small, rocky and potentially

suitable for life.

FSSAI proposed Draft on regulating sale of Health Supplements and Nutraceuticals Published on: 24-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

There is need for safety norms as about 60-70 per cent supplements in the nutraceuticals market, which has potential to grow to 12.2 billion US dollars

in the next five years, is fake.

Reliance Group, Augur Overseas Operation signed MoU to manufacture Aerostats and Airships Published on: 24-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

As per the MoU, both the parties will collaborate on new technologies for the civil and military market as part of the Make in India initiative of Union

Government.

Forbes Asia's Fabulous 50 List of the year 2015 released Published on: 24-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

The companies from China dominate this year’s l ist that depicts the region’s best big publicly traded companies.

Mosquirix, world's first malaria vaccine, approved by European Medicines Agency Published on: 24-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

The vaccine was approved on basis of trail data released showing reduction in episodes of malaria in babies aged 6-12 weeks by 27 percent, and by

around 46 percent in children aged 5-17 months.

No citizen or institution has a fundamental right to affiliation or recognition: SC Published on: 24-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The 1993 judicial case says that citizen of India may have a right to establish an educational institution but no citizen, person or institution has a right,

much less of fundamental right, to affiliation or recognition.

Shubham Jaglan won IJGA World Stars of Junior Golf event 2015 Published on: 24-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

Shubham Jaglan, IJGA World Stars of Junior Golf, 2015

Haryanavi film ‘Pagdi: The Honour’ made tax free in Haryana Published on: 24-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Pagdi: The Honour is the first Haryanvi film which has won two national awards, namely best Haryanavi film and best supporting actor (female) award

at the 62nd National Film Awards.

SC allowed States to release life convicts; Rajiv Gandhi assassination case kept out of purview Published on: 24-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

This power will not apply to cases probed by central agencies like CBI and for those incarcerated under central laws such as Terrorist and Disruptive

Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA).

Peter Higgs received Royal Society’s Copley Medal, the world's oldest scientific prize Published on: 24-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

Higgs received the Copley Medal for his fundamental contribution to particle physics with his theory explaining the Higgs Boson, which was confirmed

by the experiments at the Large Hadron Coll ider in 2012.

Lupin acquired US generics company GAVIS Pharmaceuticals LLC Published on: 24-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The deal is cash-free and debt-free and it will be funded by a bridge loan, with 10 crore rupees from existing cash reserves deployed for it.

Maharashtra cabinet approved scheme for development of villages around Tiger reserves Published on: 24-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed



The scheme proposed by Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar aims at creation of comprehensive development of villages in the buffer zones of tiger

reserves and around them.

First All Women Trans Continental road expedition from Delhi to London flagged off Published on: 24-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The three women participating in the expedition will reach United Kingdom in 55 days via Myanmar, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,

Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium and France.

Union I&B Ministry approved ENIL proposal to purchase TV Today Network’s Oye FM Published on: 23-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The purchase will be subjected to the fulfilment of conditions specified by I&B Ministry that is execution of relevant documents with TVTN and

completion of all other relevant formalities.

Indian-American Amitoj Chhabra won Junior Title at US Powerlifting Championships 2015 Published on: 23-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Chhabra squatted 485 pounds, bench pressed 325 and dead-lifted 573. He has added 100 pounds to his dead-lift in the 2014 championship.

Longtime cartoonist Tom Moore died Published on: 23-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Moore began drawing cartoons while serving in the US Navy during the Korean War.

India ranked 12th in terms of power generation from nuclear source Published on: 23-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

India is positioned at 7th position with 21 reactors, while total capacity wise it was placed at 12th position with generation of 5308 MWe.

61st edition of Fortune 500 list released; 7 Indian companies in the list Published on: 23-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

The list has been topped by retail giant Walmart and is foll owed by petroleum refining giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron at 2nd and 3rd place.

National Broadcasting Day observed across the country Published on: 23-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Broadcasting in India began in July 1923 with programmes by the Radio Club of Mumbai. According to an agreement of 23 July 1927, the Indian

Broadcasting Company started broadcasting from Bombay station.

R.D. Burman: The Prince of Music written by Khagesh Dev Burman Published on: 23-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The author through the book has tried to look into life of R.D. Burman and reveals the fact about number of songs and tunes of Burman.

Book titled Ghosts of Calcutta authored by Sebastian Ortiz released Published on: 23-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The book not only tells about the Ghosts of Calcutta but also about other characters like friends, associates, passer-bys, who were around him.Conakry named as World Book Capital for 2017 by UNESCO Published on: 23-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 62 people agreed

With this, Conakry becomes the 17th ci ty to be designated as World Book Capital.

Glenmark launched affordable Type 2 diabetes drug Teneligliptin Published on: 23-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Teneligliptin introduced under the brand names Ziten and Zita Plusis effective in suppressing glucagon release and increasing insulin to subsequently

lower blood glucose levels.

BEE signed agreement with RECPDCL for Partial Risk Guarantee Fund for Energy Efficiency Published on: 23-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

PRGFEE, an innovative financing mechanism under Framework for Energy Efficient Economic Development (FEEED), is one of initiatives under

National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency.

French film The Big Day to showcase Anand Kumar's Super 30 Published on: 23-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Super 30 of Anand Kumar came in news because of a 90-minute film, The Big Day, made by famous French director Pascal Plisson.

China returned passport to dissident artist Ai Weiwei Published on: 23-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

World renowned artist Weiwei is mostly remembered for his famous British installations Sunflower Seeds at Tate Modern in 2010.

Soyuz rocket with 3 astronauts launched towards ISS Published on: 23-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The spacecraft blasted off on schedule from Russia's Baikonur cosmodrome in the barren Kazakh steppe, carrying cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, NASA

astronaut Kjell Lindgren and Kimiya Yui of Japan.



36th annual American Book Awards announced Published on: 23-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The awards are presented by the Before Columbus Foundation, a non-profit educational and service organisation.

CCEA extended CCTNS deadline to March 2017 Published on: 23-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

CCTNS will integrate all the data and records of crime into a Core Application Software (CAS), which is presently spreading across 29 states and 7

union territories of India

NDRI scientists developed technique to decrease cholesterol level in Ghee Published on: 22-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

Use of this technique will help to reduce the level of cholesterol in Ghee up to 85 to 90 percent. It also does not affect the taste and quality of the ghee.

Committee to draft bill for protection of indigenous people of Manipur constituted Published on: 22-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The committee will be chaired by State Law Minister Thoudam Debendra Singh and other members include Bijoy Singh, N Biren and RK Anand.

SC rejected curative petition of Mumbai serial bomb blasts convict Yakub Memon Published on: 22-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

It came into news after Mumbai serial bomb blasts convict Yakub Memon’s Curative Petition was rejected by the SC bench headed by Chief Justice HL

Dattu on 21 July 2015.

SC rejected Union Government’s review plea seeking OBC status for Jats Published on: 22-JUL-2015

Important for Exam: 14 people agreed SC in its verdict scrapped the March 2014 notification to include Jats in the central list of the Other Background Classes (OBC) category in nine states.

Union Government extended Interest Subvention Scheme to banks Published on: 22-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

Cabinet also approved a Central Agricultural University at Samastipur and revival of Banana Research Centre at Goraul in Vaishali, Bihar.

Ananth Narayanan appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Myntra Published on: 22-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

With the appointment of Narayanan, Bansal will assume the role of Chairman of Board of Myntra and will contribute to Myntra's vision, strategy and

overall direction.

New fish species named Puntius Dolichopterus discovered in Kerala Published on: 22-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The fish has received Zoo bank register number from International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature, the official body approving the new names

of animals.

Hisao Tanaka resigned as CEO and President of Toshiba Published on: 22-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

He will be succeeded by Masashi Muromachi, who is presently the Chairman of T oshiba.

India and Singapore signed agreement to enhance maritime cooperation Published on: 22-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

The agreement was signed during the visit of Navy chief Admiral R K Dhowan to Singapore.

Union Government launched Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan Published on: 22-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

The initiative complements the widely popular multi-media campaign Jago Grahak Jago which empowers the consumers of its rights and demands.

BCCI announced venues for ICC World Twenty20; Kolkata's Eden Gardens to host final Published on: 22-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

BCCI also constituted a tournament managing committee with President Jagmohan Dalmiya as its chairman.

Noted Hollywood actor Olaf Pooley passed away


Pooley was most famous for his role as villainous scientis t Professor Stahlman in Doctor Who show, which he starred in during the 1970s.

Union Government launched National Career Counselling portal Published on: 21-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

The portal aims to bring on board around 20 million job seekers already registered with employment exchanges across India. It also aspires to bring

900000 establishments and companies on the portal.

Japanese Cabinet approved Defence White Paper 2015 Published on: 21-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed



In the White Paper 2015, the cabinet described the security situation surrounding Japan as increasingly tough. The defence white paper for 2015

examines a range of global threats.

Maurice Obstfeld appointed as Chief Economist of IMF Published on: 21-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

Obstfeld will succeed outgoing IMF economist Olivier Blanchard.

Workshop held to discuss Pam Rajput Committee’s recommendation on Status of Women Published on: 21-JUL-2015


The workshop discussed the recommendations under four groups including Women and Economy; Women and Social Empowerment; Women, Media

and Information Technology; Women and Law and lastly, Institutional Mechanism and Governance.

Telugu cartoonist Pamarthy Shankar won Grand Prix World Press Cartoon 2014 Award Published on: 21-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

He was presented the award at Cascais in Portugal by World Press Cartoon Director Antonio Antunes.

Benoy Behl won the Best Documentary Producer award at Madrid International Film Festival Published on: 21-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

He was awarded for producing and directing a documentary film ti tled Indian Roots of Tibetan Buddhism.

UNSC adopted resolution endorsing Iran nuclear deal Published on: 21-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The agreement with Iran was reached in 14 July 2015 in Vienna, in which Iran reaffirmed that it will under no circumstances ever seek, develop or

acquire any nuclear weapons.

Bhanu Pratap Sharma appointed as Chairperson of FSSAI Published on: 21-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

Sharma was given this additional charge of FSSAI for three months or till the appointment of a regular incumbent.

Indian Railways and Odisha Government signed MoU for Dasappla-Bolangir Railway Line Published on: 21-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Khurda Road-Bolangir (289 km), new broad gauge line project, was taken up by Indian Railways at an anticipated cost of 3050 crore rupees.

BCCI constituted IPL working group to study Lodha committee verdict Published on: 21-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The four member group includes IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, BCCI treasurer Anirudh Choudhury and former India

captain Sourav Ganguly.

Indigenous Visibility Measuring System, DRISHTI, installed at IGI Airport Published on: 21-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The system will be used for reporting the runway visual range, which is a critical parameter for safe landing and take-off of aircraft in poor visibilityconditions (<25 to >2000 meters).

Pankaj Munjal appointed as CMD of Hero Motors Group Published on: 21-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Pankaj Munjal joined the Hero group in 1988 as a trainee and was appointed as its Co-Chairman and Managing Director in December 2011.

India’s 1st indigenously designed and developed High Thrust cryogenic rocket engine tested Published on: 21-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

The engine will be used for powering the Cryogenic stage (C25), the upper stage of the next generation GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle of ISRO, capable

of launching four tonne class satellites.

Swati Maliwal takes charge as Chairperson of DCW Published on: 20-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Prior to her appointment to the post of Chairperson of DSW, she worked as an adviser (grievances) to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on public

grievances and handled Janta Samwad.

Varunavat Mountain witnessed crack in its range; landslides feared Published on: 20-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Crack on the range triggered doubts of landsl ides in Indira Colony and Jansu residents of Uttarkashi.

Alex Rocco, the actor known for his role in Godfather, died at 79 Published on: 20-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Rocco won the Emmy award as Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in sitcom The Famous Teddy Z.

Noted Urdu writer Dr Bisheshar Pradeep died Published on: 20-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed



Pradeep was a prolific writer who penned more than a dozen fiction books in Urdu and was best known for his 'Afsana Nigari', the fiction writing form in

Urdu.

Kerala tourism's Muziris heritage project bagged PATA award Published on: 20-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

MHP that stretches across from municipality of North Paravur in Ernakulam district to that of Kodungalloor in Thrissur district is designed to involve &

integrate the local community in all intended developmental initiatives.

Indian-origin Shiv Pande received honorary fellowship from University of Central Lancashire Published on: 20-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

He received the prestigious fell owship for his contribution to the community as a general practitioner and medical educator.

Amelie Mauresmo inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame Published on: 20-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

She's one of only three Frenchwomen to win a Grand Slam title in the Open Era, alongside Mary Pierce and Marion Bartoli .

Nelson Mandela International Day observed on 18 July Published on: 20-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

The day has been observed since 2010 to honour the Nobel Peace Prize laureate’s contribution to end the discriminatory apartheid system in South

Africa.

India, Myanmar issued joint statement on bilateral cooperation Published on: 20-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The joint statement was issued after the conclusion of the first meeting of the India-Myanmar Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) in New Delhi.

2 new plant species named Vellithumpa & Eriocaulon manoharanii discovered in Western Ghats Published on: 20-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The findings of the discovery were published in the June 2015 issue of the international journal Webbia: Journal of Plant Taxonomy and

Phytogeography.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated first 'Aam Aadmi Clinic' at Peeragarhi Relief Camp Published on: 20-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The clinic was opened with an aim to make primary health care more access ible to people, mainly the weaker sections of society.

Uruguayan soccer legend Alcides Edgardo Ghiggia died Published on: 18-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Ghiggia won the goal in a stunning 2-1 victory over Brazil in the final game of the 1950 FIFA World Cup.

CCI approved deal involving Aegon Religare Life Insurance Joint Venture Published on: 18-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Under the transaction, Religare Enterprises will sell its entire holding in the life insurance joint venture.Prashant Pathrabe appointed as Interim Director of Film and Television Institute of India Published on: 18-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

His appointment was approved by Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry. However, he will also continue to serve as the Director of Press

Information Bureau (PIB) unit in Pune.

Ministry of Railways modified few tatkal ticket booking rules Published on: 18-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 57 people agreed

Passengers booking tatkal tickets from computerised reservation counters will no longer be required to furnish photocopy of identity proof or to indicate

its number at the time of booking at the counter or through internet.

A woman having a child through surrogacy is entitled to maternity leave: Delhi HC Published on: 18-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The court said that non-provision of leave to a commissioning mother, who is an employee, would, be in derogation of the stated Directive Principles of

State Policy as contained in the Constitution.

Union Government launched Delhi Police Railway Helpline Number 1512 Published on: 18-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

This helpline will serve as a very useful mechanism for rail passengers.

MAIT- IMRB released ITOPS 2015 Study on IT hardware market performance Published on: 18-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

As per the study, while demand for desktop computers and notebook PCs in urban areas is declining, the popularity of these devices is picking up

smartly in rural India.

Scientists created mini heart on microchip with stem cells Published on: 18-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed



It is hardly the width of a human hair and is expected to replace non-human animal models that are used in drug discovery and development process.

Jagannath Rath Yatra began in Puri, Odisha Published on: 18-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

During the Rath Yatra, Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are brought out of the temple and are taken to Gundicha

temple (their aunt's house).

2nd Sohra Marathon held in Meghalaya Published on: 18-JUL-2015


The marathon was flagged off at Mawkdok in East Khashi Hills District by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who also joined the runners in the marathon.

Kutchi New Year observed in Kutch Region of Gujarat Published on: 18-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Kutchi community observes this New Year on the second day of shukla paksha or waxing phase of moon in Ashada month – Ashadhi Beej or Dwiti ya.

SC judge sought clarity on constitutional status of Chief Justice of India Published on: 18-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

While the Schedule 3 of the constitution addresses him as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India, the Article 124 identifies him/her as the

Chief Justice of India.

J&K’s special status under article 370 of the Indian Constitution cannot be altered: HC Published on: 18-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Under the article 370, the state is allowed to have a constitution of its own and freed from enforcement of legislations made by the parliament until it

gets ratified by the state legislature.

Veteran Telugu playback singer V Ramakrishna died Published on: 18-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Born in 1947, Ramakrishna sang about 5000 songs in a career spanning nearly four decades.

RBI signed Special Currency Swap Agreement with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Published on: 18-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

Under the arrangement, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka can draw up to 1.1 bil lion US dollar for a maximum period of six months.

Indian American Sunita Viswanath honoured as Champions of Change by US White House Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

Sunita was selected for her work to encourage Hindus to take care of the environment.

Union Government brought 39 more drugs under price control regime Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

These drugs include the ones to treat diseases such as diabetes, infections, digestive disorders and pain among others, in an effort to make them

affordable.White-Fi technology of Microsoft to boost Digital India Initiative Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 54 people agreed

White-Fi technology uses the unused spectrum in frequencies utilised for broadcasting of television signals and use it for the internet. In technology

parlance, these unused spectrum spaces are called White Space

INS Astravahini decommissioned after 31 years of service Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The vessel had immensely contributed in the trials of indigenous torpedoes developed by Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL).

Union Cabinet approved redevelopment of 400 railway stations through Swiss Challenge method Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The Swiss Challenge method will allow interested parties to come up with their designs and business ideas including permitting commercial

development of real estate by the Zonal Railways.

Union Cabinet approved setting up of Panagariya Committtee to classify Caste Census data, 2011 Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

The expert group will be serviced by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and Ministry of Tribal Welfare.

India and World Bank signed Financing Agreement for Andhra Pradesh Disaster Recovery Project Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The objective of the project is to restore, improve and enhance resilience of public services, environmental facilities, and livelihoods in targeted

Communities of Andhra Pradesh.

CCEA approved creation of Intra State Transmission System in 7 States Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The seven states include Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.



IAMAI-ICRIER released a report titled An Inquiry into the Impact of India’s App Economy Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

It provides a detailed analysis of the entire value chain of the App Economy in India, including importantly its impact on growth and employment.

RBI permitted CBS-enabled Cooperative Banks to issue ATM cards in tie-up with a sponsor bank Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

The decision is in addition to the earlier decision of the RBI to allow State Cooperative Banks (StCBs) to install offsite/ mobile ATMs as per their need

and potential in their area of operation.

DoT released A K Bhargava committee report on Net Neutrality Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Though the Committee unhesitatingly recommended for adherence of the core principles of Net Neutrality, it recommended few exceptions in the

interests of national securi ty and businesses.

CCI imposed Rs 671 crore penalty on 4 state-run insurance companies Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The penalty was imposed for manipulating the bidding process initiated by Government of Kerala for selecting insurance service provider for Rashtriya

Swasthya Bima Yojna.

Overall direct lending to farmers should not fall below average of past 3 years: RBI Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The target for direct lending by banks to agriculture under Priority Sector Norms stands at 18 percent out of total 40 percent target fixed under priority

sector lending.

Greek parliament passed a bill to implement EU mandated austerity measures Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The approval paves the way for Greece to tap into EU bailout funds.

Champions League T20 scrapped due to limited public following Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

A decision in this regard was taken by the Governing Council (GC) of CLT20 consisting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Cricket

South Africa (CSA) and Cricket Australia (CA).

Cameroon banned Islamic veil after suicide bombings in Fotokol Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

The decision was taken in the backdrop of two suicide bomb attacks in which two women dressed in the religious garments blew themselves up in

Fotokol, Cameron.

FlipKart appointed Eric Lange as Vice President of Product Management Published on: 17-JUL-2015

Important for Exam: 4 people agreed Lange is a Silicon Valley veteran and earli er worked with Yahoo and search engine major Google.

Kerala Cricket Association not a public office: Kerala High Court Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The observation was made in a judgment related to proceedings of Thrissur Vigilance Court on the purchase of land by the KCA officials for a

proposed stadium at Edakochi in Ernakulam district .

PM launched Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana to impart skill training to youth Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

It aims to impart skill training to 24 lakh youth during 2015-16 with focus on first time entrants to the labour market and class 10 and class 12 drop outs.

Union Government approved signing of India-Canada Civil Aviation Pact Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The MoU will help in enhancing the experience and technical knowledge in the fi eld of Civil Aviation between India and Canada.

AAI formed enquiry panel to probe World University Games fiasco Published on: 17-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The committee comprises AAI secretary general Anil Kamineni, t reasurer Virendra Sachdeva and Ethics Committee chairman KS Kang.

Lower House of Japan’s Parliament approved bills changing self-defence law Published on: 16-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The change paves the way for the Japanese military to potentially fight abroad for the first time since World War II.

Remnants of India's one of the oldest port discovered in Goa Published on: 16-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

The Port is supposed to be existed between 1000 to 3500 AD which makes it India’s oldest ports.

Sayed Haider Raza honoured with highest French civilian honour Legion of Honour




The award was presented by French Ambassador Francois Richier on the occasion of the French National Day celebrations.

Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Churachandpur of Manipur won 18th National Youth Parliament Competition Published on: 16-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

JNV Churachandpur emerged winner from a list of 64 JNVs spread across 8 regions of Navodaya Vidyalaya Saimiti in the country.

SC termed National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy as unreasonable and irrational Published on: 16-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The apex court asked the Government to review its market-based drug pricing policy within six months and file a copy of its decision on the

representation of NGO in six weeks.

WADA published new Guidelines for aspects of anti-doping programming Published on: 16-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The guidelines relates to reporting and management of Urinary Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) & Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and biomarkers

test for Human Growth Hormone (hGH).

Union Agriculture Minister launched PGS-India, Soil Health Card and FQCS Web Portals Published on: 16-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Soil Health Card Portal is developed for registration of soil samples, recording test results of soil samples and generation of Soil Health Card (SHC)

along with fertilizer recommendations.

PetroFed Oil & Gas Industry Awards 2014 conferred Published on: 16-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The winners were selected through a rigorous process of collation by knowledge partner PricewaterhouseCoopers.

PM unveiled National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015 Published on: 16-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

It is the second such policy on skill development since independence and intended to replace the National Policy on Skill Development 2009 by adding

entrepreneurship to the policy framework.

World Youth Skills Day observed globally Published on: 16-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The day was observed under the theme Youth skills for work and life in the post-2015 agenda.

Union Government launched four initiatives as part of Skill India vision Published on: 16-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The four initiatives were aimed at making India as a hub of world’s human resource capital.

Manipur Legislative Assembly unanimously resolved to withdraw MRVTMW Bill, 2015 Published on: 16-JUL-2015


It was withdrawn as people were sceptical about the effectiveness of the Bill to protect indigenous communities of the State.

RBI constituted Deepak Mohanty Committee on Medium-term Path on Financial Inclusion Published on: 16-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The 14-member panel will be headed by RBI executive director Deepak Mohanty.

AP Government formed one-member panel to probe Rajahmundry stampede during Godavari Maha Pushkaram Published on: 16-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The committee will probe stampede incident that killed 27 people on the fi rst day of Godavari Maha Pushkaram celebrations on 14 July 2015.

Bangladesh won 3-match ODI series against South Africa 2-1 Published on: 16-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

In the third and final match of the series, South Africa scored 168 runs in 40 over and in reply to the target Bangladesh scored 170 runs in 26.1 over.

Rakesh Sahni appointed as Chairman of Narmada Valley Development Authority Published on: 16-JUL-2015

Important for Exam: 6 people agreed Sahni retired as an IAS officer after serving post of chief secretary of States. However, post retirement, he served as the Chairman of MP Electricity

Regulatory Commission.

Union Government launched National Mission for Skill Development Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The Mission seeks to provide the institutional capacity to train a minimum of 300 million skilled people by the year 2022.

NGT suggested variable office hours to cut pollution Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

The idea was mooted by an NGT bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar, who said that it needed to take everyone along and come up with an

innovative approach to curb pollution.



Scientist at Large Hadron Collider discovered the existence of subatomic particle Pentaquarks Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

Pentaquark is a sub-atomic particle composed of five-quarks (four quarks and an antiquark). These are not new particles but simply aggregation of

quarks.

Union Government approved Transit Oriented Development policy for Delhi Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

TOD is a key policy initiative for low-carbon, high-density and compact living spaces. The TOD zone would comprise approximately 20 percent ofDelhi’s overall area.

Defence Acquisition Council approved defence proposals worth 30000 crore rupees Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Moreover, Six ships will see new surface-to-air missile system that would be bought from Russia, besides new radars.

India’s first railway-line built under PPP model inaugurated in Gujarat Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

The broad-gauge railway-line between Gandhidham and Tuna-Tekra Port in Gujarat has been built for M/s Kandla Port Trust (KPT) in coordination with

Western Zone of Indian Railways.

Maharashtra assembly passed Guarantee of Public Services Bill, 2015 Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

The bill will empower citizens to avail their rights in stipulated time with less efforts and cost. It will also pave way to curb corruption, bring transparency

and for empowering citizens.

Iconic musician Joan Sebastian passed away Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Born as Jose Manuel Figueroa, he was best known for his sentimental love songs such as Secreto de Amor and Tatuajes.

US Defense Department set up Working Group on allowing Transgender persons into Military Service Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

The working group will be headed by Brad Carson, Acting Under-Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and it will be composed of military

and civilian personnel.

Indigenously developed helicopter-launched Nag missile test fired from Jaisalmer in Rajasthan Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

Besides helicopter-launched Nag (HeliNa), Nag has land, air- launched and man portable (weighing 14 kg) versions.

Make in India initiative of DIPP won Frost and Sullivan’s 2015 Economic Development Innovation Award Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The award was given in recognition of its outstanding contribution to nurture India’s economic and industrial transformation and was received by Amitabh Kant, Secretary, DIPP

India-based Comparex India Pvt Ltd won Microsoft Country Partner of the Year Award 2015 Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The company was awarded along with 110 awardees by Microsoft at its Worldwide Partner Conference 2015.

Union Government decided to cap kerosene subsidy at Rs 12 per litre Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

At present, kerosene is sold through public distribution system at 14.96 rupees per li tre against the actual cost of 33.47 rupees. The difference of 18.51

rupees per litre is termed as under-recovery or revenue loss.

Professor Kamal Bawa, an Indian-origin scientist, elected to Royal Society of London Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

He along with other two Indian-origin scientists- Ajay Sood and John Kuriayn- were elected for life to the society through a peer review process on the

basis of excellence in science.

Union Government, Facebook launched #100Women Initiative to recognize 100 women achievers of India Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The initiative is aimed at recognizing and acknowledging women who are making a difference in their communities across the country.

NASA’s New Horizons made closest approach to Pluto Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The space probe made closest approach to Pluto when it flew 12600 km from the surface of the dwarf planet at an average speed of 49750 kph.

Union Ministry of Urban Development launched nationwide HRIDAY scheme from Amritsar Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

The scheme seeks to preserve and rejuvenate the rich cultural heritage of the country in the selected 12 cities in the country, including Amritsar.



India won 3-match ODI series against Zimbabwe 3-0 Published on: 15-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

India batting first in the third match of series scored 276 runs at a loss of five and in reply to the target Zimbabwe was bowled out at the score of 193 in

42.4 over.

Iran, P5+1 countries reached agreement on Iran's nuclear programme at Vienna Published on: 14-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 47 people agreed

The agreement called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) or Vienna agreement was reached after 17 days of almost uninterruptednegotiations in Vienna.

Tamil music composer Manayangath Subramanian Viswanathan died Published on: 14-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

He had composed music for over 1700 films in Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada and worked with three Chief Ministers MG Ramachandran, M

Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa.

India and Georgia signed MoU for cooperation in field of Election Management Published on: 14-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

The MoU was signed by Chief Election Commissioner of India Nasim Zaidi and Tamar Zhvania, Chairperson, Central Election Commission, Georgia.

Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh Mela began in Maharsahtra Published on: 14-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

Kumbh Mela is a mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith and held every third year at one of the four places by rotation: Haridwar, Allahabad (Prayaga), Nashik

and Ujjain.

IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals suspended for two years by Justice Lodha panel Published on: 14-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The panel also suspended Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra from all cricket matches for life as they were found guilty of illegal betting.

IT department launched OTP to e-file Income Tax Published on: 14-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

This OTP will help in ending the practice of sending paper acknowledgement, called called ITR-V, through post to the I-T Central Processing Centre

(CPC) based in Bengaluru.

PM Narendra Modi concluded his 6-nation tour to Russia and five Central Asian nations Published on: 14-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 62 people agreed

During his eight-day visit, Modi met the leaders of the five nations namely Emomali Rahmon, Almazbek Atambaev, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov,

Nursultan Nazarbayev, and Islam Karimov.

BCCI suspended Mumbai Ranji player Hiken Shah for corruption Published on: 14-JUL-2015

Important for Exam: 7 people agreed BCCI in its decision said that his involvement in any form of cricket, affiliated with the BCCI stands suspended till the time the disciplinary committee of

the BCCI passes appropriate orders.

Radiative impact of volcanic aerosol in lowermost stratosphere slowed global warming: Study Published on: 14-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The volcanic aerosols have acted during the last one decade as a natural umbrella to s low down global temperature increase from greenhouse gases.

Former BSFI president Pashupatinath Roy died Published on: 14-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

He was the secretary and advisor at BSFI for some time and later went on to join the Asian body of the game as Secretary and President.

European Union gave in-principle approval for 86 billion euro bailout package to Greece Published on: 14-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

A final MoU related to the bailout package will be reached between the creditors and Greece only after Greece undertakes reforms specified under the

European Stability Mechanism (ESM) programme.

4 Indians figured in Asia 21 Young Leaders Class of 2015 list Published on: 14-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

They will be part of the Asia 21 Network where they will find mentors, potential collaborators, who are devoted to find solutions to most vexing socio-

economic problems in the Asia-Pacific region.

India second among 40 countries in terms of Confidence in National Government: OECD Published on: 14-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

Out of 1000 Indian citizens surveyed, 730 answered in the affirmative to the question related to confidence of citizens and businesses in government to

do what is right and perceived as fair.

55th National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships concluded in Tamil Nadu Published on: 14-JUL-2015




Kerala topped the table with combined team score (both male and female) of 177.5 points.

MoD and MSDE signed MoU to increase employability of ex-servicemen Published on: 14-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

It will boost employability and acceptability of Ex-servicemen (ESM) by the industry for those service personnel who are on the verge of retirement or

already retired.

Lt General Man Mohan Singh Rai appointed as Vice-Chief of Indian Army Published on: 14-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

Rai will succeed Lt Gen Philip Campose, who will superannuate the office on 31 July 2015.

'Buddha in a Traffic Jam' bagged best screenplay award at Madrid film festival Published on: 14-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Buddha in a Traffic Jam is an unreleased Bollywood film directed by Vivek Agnihotri and stars Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Arunoday Singh, Vivek

Vaswani, Aanchal Dwivedi and Mahi Gill.

12-day Godavari Maha Pushkaram began in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Published on: 14-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

While Godavari Pushkaram occurs once in 12 years, Godavari Mahapushkaram is a unique event which happens once in 144 years.

India, Tajikistan inked 2 agreements to strengthen bilateral relations Published on: 13-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The two nations agreed to promote International North South transport corridor, the ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Russia,

Iran, Europe and Central Asia.QS University Rankings: BRICS 2015 released Published on: 13-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

This 2015 edition reflects the increasingly strong global presence of leading Chinese universities with the top three spots going to Tsinghua University,

Peking University and Fudan University.

CBI constituted 40 members team to probe multi-crore Vyapam scam Published on: 13-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

Vyapam scam involved a collusion of undeserving candidates, who bribed politicians and MPPEB officials through middlemen, to get high ranks in

these entrance tests.

Union Government appointed lawyer Rodrigo Oreamuno to arbitrate Vodafone tax case Published on: 13-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Vodafone already named Yves Fortier of Canada as its nominee on the panel.

India, Kyrgyzstan inked 4 agreements to strengthen bilateral relations Published on: 13-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The two nations signed agreements on Defence Cooperation, cooperation in Culture, cooperation in the field of Elections and cooperation in the

sphere of Standards.

Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis won women's doubles title in Wimbledon Published on: 13-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

With this, Sania became the first Indian women to win a Wimbledon title.

Union Civil Aviation Ministry launched GAGAN System Published on: 13-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

With this, India has become the fourth nation after the US, Europe and Japan to have inter-operable Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS).

Indo-Vietnamese pair Sumit Nagal-Nam Hoang Ly won 2015 Wimbledon Boys’ Doubles title Published on: 13-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

With this win, the 17-year- old Sumit Nagal became the sixth Indian to win a Grand Slam junior title.

Paes-Hingis won mixed doubles final at Wimbledon Published on: 13-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

This was second mixed double win for Paes and Hingis together. They had won the Australian Open in February 2015.

USA designated Tunisia as 16th Major Non-NATO Ally Published on: 13-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The MNAA status confers a variety of mi litary and financial advantages to Tunisia that are otherwise are not obtainable by the non-NATO member.

Patnitop Tunnel, India’s longest road tunnel, set to open in 2016 Published on: 13-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

It connects Chenani in Udhampur with Nashri in Ramban district on the National Highway-1A (NH1A).



Tata Steel’s West Bokaro Division conferred with Golden Peacock Environment Management Award 2015 Published on: 13-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

Tata Steel won the coveted award for its responsible environmental practices and resource management while upgrading the skills of employees

through training as new technologies evolve.

Serena Williams won her sixth Wimbledon Women's Single title Published on: 13-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

This was Sixth Women's Singles title at Wimbledon for Williams and the win helped her to move closer to a Calendar Grand Slam, last achieved byGerman Steffi Graf in 1988.

Novak Djokovic won the men’s singles title of Wimbledon Published on: 13-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Novak Djokovic has won a third Wimbledon title and a ninth Grand Slam crown, shattering Roger Federer's bid for a record eighth All England Club

triumph.

Green Signals: Ecology, Growth, and Democracy in India written by Jairam Ramesh Published on: 13-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

It unveils the story of environmental policy making in India from the perspective of a pivotal decision maker.

India, Turkmenistan inked 8 agreements to increase regional cooperation & connectivity Published on: 11-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

MoU on supply of chemical products between Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited and the Turkmen State concern ‘Turkmenhimiya’ was inked.

India to be part of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) along with Pakistan by 2016 Published on: 11-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

India that has had on the observer status of the group for past 10 years will become a full member of SCO by 2016.

New species of butterfly called Banded Tit discovered in Arunachal Pradesh Published on: 11-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

The Banded tit is a resident of low-lying evergreen forests of Changlang and carries an interesting life cycle.

‘World Population Day’ observed with theme Vulnerable Populations in Emergencies Published on: 11-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 46 people agreed

The theme Vulnerable Populations in Emergencies focuses on the record number of people displaced by crises – some 60 million according to the

latest UN figures.

India-Pakistan joint statement released at Ufa, Russia Published on: 11-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The meeting between the two Prime Minis ters took place on the sidelines of the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Oorganisation summits.

Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan (RAA) launched by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Published on: 11-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 44 people agreed

Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan (RAA) seeks to Develop Scientific Temper among School Children.

ISRO successfully launched five British satellites into space Published on: 11-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

This was the heaviest commercial luggage carried by a PSLV rocket to date. It was also the biggest commercial launch of ANTRIX/ISRO.

Kagiso Rabada became second bowler to claim hat-trick on ODI debut Published on: 11-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

Bangladesh spinner Taijul Islam was the first debutant to take an ODI hat-trick. He achieved the fete in 2014 at Mirpur.

NASA selected four Astronauts for First US Commercial Spaceflights Published on: 11-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Astronauts and test pilots Robert Behnken, Eric Boe, Douglas Hurley and Sunita wi ll work for crew transportation systems with Boeing Company and

SpaceX.

MPEDA launched mobile-based applications to help farmers capture data through mobile Published on: 10-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

MPEDA is a nodal agency for promotion of marine exports from India under Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Renowned Urdu poet Bashar Navaaz passed away Published on: 10-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

He was known as an Indo Pak shayar as his poetry is popular in India as wel l as in Pakistan.

Indian Boxing Council to promote professional boxing launched Published on: 10-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed



IBC is India’s first national governing body and was launched with an aim to promote professional boxing and tap the unexplored potential of

professional boxing in India.

RBI released Final Guidelines on PPI for Mass Transit System (PPI-MTS) Published on: 10-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

The PPI-MTS will enhance commuter convenience and will also facilitate the migration to electronic payments in line with the country’s vision of moving

to a less-cash society.

Infosys signed Multi-Million Euro Deal with Deutsche Bank Published on: 10-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

As per this agreement, Infosys will provide services like application maintenance, package implementation and testing services across the Deutsche

Bank Group.

Ufa Declaration released at 7th BRICS Summit in Ufa Published on: 10-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

7th BRICS Summit was held under the theme ‘BRICS Partnership – a Powerful Factor of Global Development’.

India’s 1st Earthquake Warning System successfully installed in Uttarakhand Published on: 10-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 67 people agreed

The system was designed and manufactured by Italian fi rm Space Dynamics which already installed this system in Japan, Italy and US.

7th BRICS Summit held in Ufa, Russia Published on: 10-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 54 people agreed

While the 6th BRICS summit was held at Fortaleza in Brazil in 2014, New Delhi will be hosting the 8th summit in 2016.

India, USA signed MoU on cooperation to establish PACESetter Fund Published on: 10-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

It is aimed at accelerating commercialization of off-grid clean energy products, systems and business models.

Kolkata-based Bandhan Bank appointed its Chairman, Boards of Directors Published on: 10-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Ashok Kumar Lahiri, former Chief Economic Adviser to the Union Government, was appointed as the Chairman of the bank.

Typhoon Chan-hom lashed Okinawa island chain in Japan Published on: 10-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

After Japan, the storm is due to pass northern Taiwan before making landfall on the east coast of mainland China on 11 July 2015.

Dus Kadam: 10 Steps for the Future proposed by PM Narendra Modi for BRICS countries Published on: 10-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 43 people agreed

He proposed the initiative Dus Kadam: 10 Steps for the Future, while addressing the BRICS summit in Ufa, Russia.

India, US signed Inter Governmental Agreement to implement FATCA Published on: 10-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

FFIs in India will be required to report tax information about US account holders directly to the Indian Government which will, in turn, relay that

information to the IRS.

Guidelines for Border Area Development Programme released Published on: 09-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

The BADP was started in the year 1986-87 for balanced development of border areas of States bordering Pakistan, and subsequently was extended to

all the land borders.

Inderjeet Singh became first Indian to win a Gold Medal at World University Games in Gwangju Published on: 09-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 54 people agreed

The silver medal of the event was won by Andrei Marius Gag of Romania with a throw of 19.92m while Alexander Bulanov of Russia took the bronze

with a throw of 19.84m.

Russian Investment Fund to set up joint mechanism for financing infrastructure in BRICS countries Published on: 09-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

The framework agreement was signed between RDIF, India’s IDFC group, Brazil’s BTG Pactual, China’s Silk Road Fund, and the Development Bank

of Southern Africa at the BRICS summit in Ufa.

Operation Smile led to tracing of 44 missing children in Uttarakhand Published on: 09-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

Uttarakhand police traced those children under 'Operation Smile' and successfully united 31 of those to their families.

BRICS central banks signed Agreement to operationalise Contingent Reserve Arrangement Published on: 09-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed



It specifies the procedures to be followed by the central banks of BRICS countries in the event that national financial systems encounter dollar liquidity

problems.

Union Home Ministry extended the ‘disturbed area’ status of Nagaland for one more year Published on: 09-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

Nagaland was declared as a disturbed area for a period of one year in exercise of the powers conferred to Union Government by Section 3 of the

Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958.

Lord Kamlesh Patel became first British-Asian appointee to ECB Management Board Published on: 09-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Lord Patel, who currently sits in the House of Lords as a Labour Peer replaced Lord Morris of Handsworth who stepped down after serving for eleven

years as an ECB Director.

World Bank released State of Safety Nets 2015 report Published on: 09-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

It aggregated spending on social safety net programs and beneficiaries in 157 countries, economies and territories and presented a comparative

analysis of those programmes.

Union Sports Ministry constituted Ashwini Nachappa committee to study status of SAI training centers Published on: 09-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

It was formed against the backdrop of suicide attempt by four girl inmates at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) SAG Water Sports centre at Alappuzha,

Kerala in May 2015.

SN Sahai appointed as Home Secretary of Delhi Published on: 09-JUL-2015


SahaI is the Finance Secretary of Delhi and had played crucial role in preparing budget for Delhi government.

WHO released Global Tobacco Epidemic 2015 Report Published on: 09-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The focus of the report is on R of MPOWER measure which s tands for Raise taxes on tobacco.

Electronic Nose for environmental monitoring jointly developed by CSIR-NEERI & C-DAC Published on: 09-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

It uses an array of sensors that function on the principle similar to that of human olfaction to sniff out variety of volatile organic compounds.

Union Railway Ministry launched Mobile ticketing app for suburban commuters Published on: 09-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Developed by Centre for Railway Information Systems, the paperless unreserved ticketing feature in mobile application aims to eliminate the need for

printing of unreserved tickets.

Indian Army dedicated Prerna Sthal at Hussainiwala to the nation Published on: 09-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

Prerna Sthal encompasses seven pillars made of sand stone with copper finish metallic inscription plaques. The central pillar that is large in size

carries a portrait of Bhagat Singh.

Climate Change to be the theme of Science Express in 2015 Published on: 09-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

Science Express is a unique science exhibition mounted on a 16-coach AC train travelling across India since 2007.

Rahul Bhatnagar appointed as MD and CFO of Bharti Enterprises Published on: 09-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Bhatnagar succeeded Manoj Kohli, who has assumed the role of Executive Chairman of SBG Cleantech, a Joint Venture between SoftBank, Bharti

and Foxconn for renewable energy.

Sriram Kalyanaraman appointed as MD and CEO of National Housing Bank Published on: 09-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Presently, Kalyanaraman is Director-Business Development of Equifax Credit Information Services. Prior to joining Equifax, Sriram was Director ofBusiness Clients and Asset Products at Deutsche Bank India.

Telangana government, ICRISAT signed MoU to improve profitability of farmers Published on: 09-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

The partnership will explore areas of collaboration in the field of digital agriculture along agriculture value chain and also explore the possibilities of

ICRISAT playing an active role in the T Hub.

Goa to host the Youth Delphic Games in February 2016 Published on: 08-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The Youth Delphic Games are held at every four years and invites participants of the age group of 15 to 25 years.



Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka entered Guinness World Records for spending 804 days on ISS Published on: 08-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 27 people agreed

He surpassed cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, also a Russian, record of 803 days, nine hours and 41 minutes in the space which Sergei achieved across

six missions from 1998 to 2005.

India, Kazakhstan signed five Agreements including a contract for supply of uranium Published on: 08-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 47 people agreed

The two leaders also issue a joint statement title Tej Kadamhighlighting the strategic partnership between the two nations that was established on2009

NDDB launched mobile application Pashu Poshan to boost dairy farmers' income Published on: 08-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The mobile application was launched by the Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh.

India, Kazakhstan launched first drilling at Satpayev oil block Published on: 08-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The first exploratory drilling of the Satpayev oil block was jointly launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kazakhstan Prime Minister Karim

Massimov.

UGC accorded Heritage Status on 19 Colleges across the country Published on: 08-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The Heritage status was granted to insti tutions across the country with an aim of conserving college campuses which are more than 100 years old.

Jodhpur Film Society honoured with Pritiman Sarkar Award 2014-15 Published on: 08-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The award was presented by the Federation of Film Societies of India (North Region).

Legendary producer Jerome Charles Weintraub died Published on: 08-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

He produced Nashville in the 1970s and other hits including Oh God!, The Karate Kid and the immensely popular caper-comedy series Ocean’s

Eleven.

Floyd Mayweather stripped of WBO Welterweight title he won against Manny Pacquiao Published on: 08-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

He was stripped of the title after he failed to pay the WBO, a 200000 dollar fee to administer the fight by July 3 deadline.

India Central Asia Relations authored by Amiya Chandra Published on: 08-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

It came in news after Prime Minister Narendra Modi started his first visit to central Asian countries namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,

Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.Targetting protein PfPKG in P falciparum can help stop Malaria: Scientists Published on: 08-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Scientists discovered that the protein plays a central role in regulating biochemical pathways in P falciparum parasite, the most virulent species of

human malaria parasites.

India, Uzbekistan inked three agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation Published on: 08-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

Intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the field of tourism was inked between the two nations.

UN released Millennium Development Goals Report 2015 Published on: 08-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

It is an annual assessment of global and regional progress towards the eight MDGs produced by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs

(DESA).

Telangana Government signed MoU with Uber to expand operations in Hyderabad Published on: 08-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

As part of the MoU, Uber will invest 50 million US dollars in Hyderabad to build its largest corporate office outside the USA.

HDFC Bank launched watch banking application for Apple Watch Published on: 08-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

HDFC became the first bank in India to offer the service of Watch Banking application.

Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years authored by AS Dulat & Aditya Sinha released Published on: 08-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The focus of the book is on initiatives launched by the Vajpayee government between 1998 and 2004 to restore normalcy in India's most beautiful but

troubled state.



SC issued notice to Union Government, EC on petition seeking to bring political parties under RTI Published on: 07-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Central Information Commission (CIC) in its detailed order of 3 June 2013 held that the six national parties are public authorities under Section 2(h) of

the RTI Act, 2005.

PCA began hearing on the Nine-dash line of South China Sea Published on: 07-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

A ruling by a United Nations tribunal in The Hague will determine who has property rights over a 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone.

China submitted climate action plan to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Published on: 07-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

So far, including China, 43 parties to the UNFCCC, out of 192 member countries, have formally submitted their Intended Nationally Determined

Contributions (INDCs).

USA, Brazil issued Joint Statement on Climate Change Published on: 07-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

In the joint statement, both the countries agreed to increase the share of renewable energy to 20 percent of their energy mix by 2030.

India, Uzbekistan released Joint Statement to intensify security cooperation, exchanges Published on: 07-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

The two nations called for partnership in creating favorable conditions for investment by Indian companies in Uzbekistan, in the framework of the

Special Economic Zones Navoi, Angren and Jizzakh.

Cities, Regions committed cutting 1.5 bn tons in CO2 emissions at World Summit Climate & Territories Published on: 07-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

These commitments to cut CO2 emissions by regional and local actors were part of the Compact of States and Regions announced in Lyon, France in

2014.

37 Bridges authored by Aamer Hussein Published on: 07-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The author through this book highlights the matter of identity with respect to both the Hindu and Muslim in line to Hussein’s identity.

China nominated Jin Liqun, former Chinese Finance Minster, for the post of AIIB President Published on: 07-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The President of AIIB shall be elected through an open, transparent and merit-based process by the Board of Governors and the term of office of the

president will be five years.

President inaugurated Nakshatra Vatika at Rashtrapati Nilayam Gardens Published on: 07-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The layout of ‘Nakshatra Vatika’ has been developed in various geometrical combinations corresponding to the Sree Chakra of Vedic astrology on a0.91 acre plot.

Four World-Class Broadband Products developed by C-DOT launched under Digital India Programme Published on: 07-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

The four products viz., Long Distance Wi-Fi, Solar powered Wi-Fi, Suteerva and Next Generation Network (NGN) were launched as part of the Digital

India Programme.

Maldives submitted instrument of acceptance of Doha amendment to Kyoto Protocol to UNFCC Published on: 07-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

The Doha amendment is for the period between 2013 and 2020 and will come into force once 3/4th of UNFCC members consent to it.

MIT Scientists developed a Quantum Dot Spectrometer small enough to function within a smartphone Published on: 06-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

QD spectrometer represents a new application for quantum dots, which have been used primarily for biological molecules and labeling cells, as well as

in television screens and computers

Japan committed $6 billion to Mekong region countries at 7th Mekong-Japan Summit in Tokyo Published on: 06-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The Mekong region countries include Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

SC ruled unwed mother can be child's guardian without father's consent Published on: 06-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The court also held that it was not required of the mother to disclose the identity of the father and include him as a party to the guardianship petition in

certain cases.

USA defeated Japan to win Women's FIFA World Cup for the third time Published on: 06-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 39 people agreed



This was third world cup title for the USA and first since 1999. In the semi-finals, while US had defeated Germany, 2-0, Japan beat England, 2-1.

Chile defeated Argentina to win 2015 Copa America Cup Football tournament Published on: 06-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

With this win, Chile ended its 99-year-long wait for a Copa America crown. It was also Chile's first ever victory over Argentina in the Copa America.

World Bank released revised classification of world’s economies based on Gross National Income Published on: 06-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 32 people agreed

With the addition of one trillion US dollars during the past seven years, India’s GDP reached 2 trillion US dollar mark in 2014. In 2013 it was 1.861trillion US dollars.

Champagne vineyards of France granted with World Heritage status by UNESCO Published on: 06-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The Champagne World Heritage status covered the places where sparkling wine was developed using a second fermentation method in the bottle from

the beginning of the 17th century.

Greece rejected creditors' demands for more austerity in crucial referendum Published on: 06-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

61.31 percent voted ‘No’ as compared to 38.69 percent ‘Yes’ in the referendum that demanded for more austerity in return for rescue loans.

UNESCO and UNITAR signed agreement to protect cultural heritage with geo-spatial technologies Published on: 06-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Under the agreement, both the organizations wil l take necessary steps to protect cul tural heritage sites from conflicts and natural disasters.

Renowned Urdu novelist Abdullah Hussain passed away Published on: 06-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

He authored the bestseller and critically acclaimed novel Udas Naslain, it is considered as a masterpiece of Urdu literature.

Hollywood actress Diana Douglas died Published on: 06-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Douglas was best known for her work in television in late 1940s when she appeared in live dramas.

Modi’s World: Expanding India’s Sphere of Influence by C Raja Mohan Published on: 06-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The focus of the book is on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy with special reference to the regional politics.

Corporation Bank launched first MUDRA card under Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana Published on: 06-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 36 people agreed

The card is based on the RuPay platform and facilitates the withdrawal and use of the working capital fi nance by micro entrepreneurs.

India won 2015 South Asian Basketball Championship Published on: 06-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

With this win, India qualified for the FIBA Asia Championship in China to be played in September 2015.

President of Tunisia declared 30-day state of emergency Published on: 06-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The decision was taken against the backdrop of ISIS gun attack on 26 June 2015 that killed 38 foreign tourists in a beach hotel on the Mediterranian

coast.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain won 2015 Formula 1 British Grand Prix title Published on: 06-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

It was third British GP win for the reigning world champion and his fifth in the 2015 season having won the titles in Australia, China, Bahrain and

Canada.

Union Government released the Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 for Rural India Published on: 04-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 57 people agreed

The survey was completed in all the 640 districts. It provides very useful data on households regarding various aspects of their socio-economic status–

housing, land-holding, educational status, status of women.

58 percent school kids in Maharashtra suffer from orthopaedic ailment due to heavy bags: Report Published on: 04-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

After perusing the report, the court observed that children will have to carry trolley bags soon as the backpacks they carry at present are not enough.

Former Chief Justice of India Y K Sabharwal passed away Published on: 04-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Born on 14 January 1942, Justice Sabharwal mainly practised in civil and constitutional cases.

Microsoft agreed to set up Digital Village in Maharashtra Published on: 04-JUL-2015




Microsoft agreed to provide technology support for health care services in remote tribal areas; it will setup a pilot project at Melghat in Amravati district

in this regard.

Mahindra Defence tied-up with Airbus Helicopters to form a Joint Venture Published on: 04-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

This Joint Venture will act as the prime contractor for India’s military helicopter tenders including the Reconnaissance and Surveillance Helicopter.

Rajasthan to replicate Maharashtra's Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan Published on: 04-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan is an ambitious program of Devendra Fadnavis, aims to make 5000 villages free of water scarcity every year and make

Maharashtra a drought-free state by 2019.

Army launched Operation Shiva to secure Amarnath Yatra Published on: 04-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The operation was launched to provide security to those devotees taking part in the 59-day-long annual Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir that

started on 2 July 2015.

Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water: 2015 Update and MDG Assessment released Published on: 04-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

Five developing regions met the drinking water target, but the Caucasus and Central Asia, Northern Africa, Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa did not.

Four Indian-Americans honoured with 2015 Great Immigrants: The Pride of America award Published on: 04-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

These Indian-Americans are among 38 individuals that were honoured for having enlightened the society, culture, and economy.Indian-American Professor R. Paul Singh named for GCHERA World Agriculture Prize 2015 Published on: 04-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

He will be awarded in recognition of remarkable internationally renowned contributions to food engineering research, education, development,

consulting, and technology transfer.

C D Balaji took charge as Director of the Aeronautical Development Agency Published on: 04-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Prior to this appointment, Balaji, an outsatnding scientists, was Project Director of the LCA’s naval version.

World Food Prize 2015 to be conferred on Sir Fazle Hasan Abed of Bangladesh Published on: 04-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Sir Abed has been recognized for his decades of service to human development and through building Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee

(BRAC), the largest NGO in the world.

UP Government gave in-principle approval to give ownership rights to lease holder farmers Published on: 04-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The decision was taken on the basis of recommendations of the Revenue committee that was set up by the government in 2012.

Union Government approved introduction of Common Norms for all the Skill Development Schemes Published on: 04-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Common Norms seek to rationalise the whole spectrum of skill development processes and systems including inputs, outputs and empanelment of

training providers.

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed of Bangladesh won 2015 World Food Prize Published on: 04-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The award is presented in recognition of the accomplishments of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality,

quantity, or availability of food in the world.

Union Cabinet approved National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015 Published on: 04-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The Policy acknowledges the need for an effective roadmap for promotion of entrepreneurship as the key to a successful skills strategy.

SBI launched Project Tatkal Published on: 04-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

The project will help home loan applicants to get the loan within 10 days after receipt of application form and relevant supporting documents.

National Green Tribunal banned use of Plastic in Haridwar & Rishikesh Published on: 03-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar gave the direction on a complaint filed by environmentalist MC Mehta against

pollution of the Ganga River.

Adelaide Crows football coach Phil Walsh died Published on: 03-JUL-2015




Phil Walsh, 55, who turned to coaching after a long playing career, was killed.

MobiKwik tied up with stationary retailer WHSmith India Published on: 03-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

With this tie-up, WHSmith India stores will also serve as MobiKwik Nodes where users can load money on their MobiKwik wallet.

ZSI monitoring climate change impact on Sundarban animals Published on: 03-JUL-2015

Important for Exam: 6 people agreed For this purpose, monitoring bases were established at 25 plots in the five islands of Bali, Gosaba, Basanti, Sagar and Satjelia.

NASA successfully flight tested Prandtl-d, prototype of first Mars airplane Published on: 03-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

Prandtl-d will undergo further flight tests in 2015 and 2016, results of which will be used in developing the Prandtl-m aircraft.

President Pranab Mukherjee received first copy of book titled Uniki by CH Vidyasagar Rao Published on: 03-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

It is a compilation of writings and reflections on his life and experiences that were published in various news papers.

Cuba became first country in the World to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and Syphilis Published on: 03-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

A validation in this regard was issued on 30 June by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Keltron founding chairman K P P Nambiar passed away Published on: 03-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

A native of Kannur in Kerala, Nambiar was credited with setting up India's first state-run electronics venture Keltron and India's first IT park

Technopark.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal launched Punjab ePMS portal Published on: 03-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The portal will fast track infrastructure investment stalled projects, both in the public and private sectors, involving investment between 100 crore

rupees and 1000 crore rupees.

Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Ajay Ratra retired from all forms of Cricket Published on: 03-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Kanitkar was a left-handed batsman and a right-arm off break bowler and Ratra was a right-handed batsman and wicketkeeper.

Scientists discovered importance of Interleukin-21 protein in fight against HIV-1 infection Published on: 03-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

It was discovered by scientists belonging to the Cornell Medical College in New York, USA.

India launched eMigrate system for Foreign Employers


Under the system, foreign employers (FEs) who wants to recruit Indian workers, including nurses, will have to register in the eMigrate system.

Union Cabinet approved institutional framework for National Skill Development Mission 2015 Published on: 03-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The Mission’s Governing Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, wil l provide overall guidance and policy direction.

Industrial Policy 2015 for Chandigarh city launched Published on: 02-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The policy is aimed at boosting employment and motivate medium and small industries in the city.

CCEA approved Scheme for Promotion of National Agricultural Market Published on: 02-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

The scheme envisages creation of a common electronic platform regulated markets across the country with an outlay of 200 crore rupees from 2015-

16 to 2017-18.

CCEA approved Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yoiana (PMKSY) Published on: 02-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 42 people agreed

The Yojana was approved with an outlay of 50000 crore rupees over a period of five years, that is, from 2015-16 to 2019-20

Union Cabinet approved setting up of Online National Agriculture Market Published on: 02-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

An agency will also be set up to oversee online trading and to ensure that transactions take place smoothly.

Chandrasekaran Ramakrishnan appointed as CFO of Tata Motors' Group Published on: 02-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

With this, he will continue as Chief Financial Officer and Key Managerial Personnel for Tata Motors Limited.



Darshan Jain, an Indian-American teacher named for US Presidential Award Published on: 02-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

The award is given annually to outstanding K-12 Science and Mathematics teachers from across the country and carries a cash prize of 10000 US

dollars.

Rahul Yadav sacked as CEO of Housing.com Published on: 02-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Housing.com was founded by a group of IIT-ian including Rahul Yadav in 2012 and at present it has more than 2551 employees in over 100 citiesacross India.

Digital Guddi-Gudda Board of Jalgaon district adopted as Best Practice under BBBP scheme Published on: 02-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 28 people agreed

The digital board works as a platform for dissemination of IEC Material on BBBP and is also updates monthly birth statistics.

U P Singh appointed as Interim CMD of Oil India Limited Published on: 02-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

U P Singh is a Joint Secretary (Exploration) under Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Anisa Rasouli nominated as first female judge of Afghanistan Supreme Court Published on: 02-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Anisa Rasouli has been the head of the Afghan Women Judges Association and a judge of juvenile court.

UK Food Standards Agency gave clean chit to India-made Maggi Published on: 02-JUL-2015

Important for Exam: 13 people agreed It was banned in India by food safety regulator FSSAI for containing high levels (beyond permissible limits) of lead and taste enhancer Monosodium

Glutamate (MSG).

Sanjeev Galande selected for G D Birla Award for Scientific Research for 2014 Published on: 02-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The name was announced by the K K Birla Foundation and he is the 24th recipient of the award.

Mhara Gaon- Jagmag Gaon Scheme launched in Haryana Published on: 02-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

With this, Haryana became the first state in the country to launch such an innovative voluntary scheme.

India banned trade with ISIS, other terror groups Published on: 02-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The move comes in compliance with the United Nations Security Council resolution to act against militants active in oil-rich countries such as Iraq,

Syria and Libya.

Maharashtra government signed MoU with Blackstone and Panchshil SPV for three projects Published on: 02-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 0 people agreed

Blackstone will invest 750 crore rupees in developing EON Free Zone SEZ; 1200 crore rupees in developing Hinjewadi Phase-3; 1500 crore rupees in

IT Park in Central Mumbai.

Union Government notified dates for Compliance Window under Black Money Act Published on: 02-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

30 September 2015 is the date on or before which a person may make a declaration in respect of an undisclosed asset located outside India under the

compliance provisions of Black Money Act.

China's Standing Committee of the NPC passed National Security Law Published on: 01-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The law covers a wide spectrum of areas including defense, finance, science and technology, culture and religion.

Registrar General of India released Census data on disabled population Published on: 01-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

The data gives the number of households having disabled persons by type of households including normal, institutional and houseless households.

Greece became first developed nation to default on IMF debt Published on: 01-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

Greece became a defaulter after it rejected the proposal given by the troika to raise its primary surplus within two years, which required pension and

tax reforms.

Matti Makkonen, pioneer of SMS technology, died Published on: 01-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

This Finnish tech pioneer pitched the idea of SMS messaging to two colleagues in a pizzeria while at a telecommunications conference in 1984.

Prime Minister launched Digital India Week to spread awareness about Digital India Programme




The Department of Electronics & Information Technology (DeitY) is the nodal agency for implementing the Digital India Programme.

More than 20 killed in Darjeeling as heavy rain triggered landslides Published on: 01-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Heavy rain led to twenty-five landslides in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong sub-divisions of Darjeeling district of West Bengal.

Greece crisis and its Impact on India Published on: 01-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 67 people agreed

Greece’s default on its payments and resultant weakening of the euro will have indirect effect on the India’s economy.

AMRUT, Smart Cities Mission and Housing for All to rejuvenate urban infrastructure Published on: 01-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the three schemes on 25 June 2015 in New Delhi.

30 June 2015 clocked one second longer with a leap second added to clocks worldwide Published on: 01-JUL-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

In India, the leap second was added to atomic clocks after 05:29:59 by scientists at the Time and Frequency Standards Laboratory (TFSL), New Delhi.



AugustGirish Sahni assumed charge as Director General of CSIR Published on: 26-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 0 people agreed

Additionally, Sahni will also serve as Secretary, Department of Scientific & Industrial Research, Union Ministry of Science & Technology.

Ananth Padmanabhan appointed as CEO of HarperCollins India Published on: 26-AUG-2015


Padmanabhan will have overall responsibility for all divisions of the business and will report to Charlie Redmayne, CEO of HarperCollins UK.

Study titled the Future of Forests: Emissions from Tropical Deforestation, 2016-2050 released Published on: 26-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 0 people agreed

The study says that in next 35 years, an area of tropical forest equivalent to the size of India will be deforested. It warns that the rate of deforestation

will be faster than previously thought.

SAI launched School Sports Promotion Foundation Published on: 26-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

The Sports Promotion Foundation aims to reach out to around 100000 secondary and senior secondary schools irrespective of their ownership,

economic or social strata they operate in or the board they are affiliated to.

Australia-India Education Council (AIEC) meeting concluded in New Delhi Published on: 26-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 0 people agreed

Former cricketer Adam Gilchrist was appointed as the Australia-India Education Ambassador.

PayU India tied-up with redBus to attract customers to use its wallet PayU Money Published on: 26-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 0 people agreed

This tie-up is expected to increase the wallet customers from the current 5 million users to 20 million by 2015 end.

Rajasthan Government and FCEL inked agreement to launch Annapurna Bhandar Yojana Published on: 26-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 0 people agreed

Annapurna Bhandars will emerge as malls in rural areas of Rajasthan and in the fi rst phase, the scheme would be operational through five thousand

Fair Price Shops.

RGI released Census 2011 on Population by Religious Communities Published on: 26-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

As per the Census 2011, the Total Population in 2011 was 121.09 crores.

BRIDGE programme of Australia extended to include Navodaya Schools Published on: 26-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 0 people agreed

The Australia-India BRIDGE school partnerships project, which is currently confined to private schools, will connect Australian and Indian schools andfocus on building teacher capability.

Rajasthan Government approved Arogya Rajasthan campaign Published on: 26-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 0 people agreed

During this three-month campaign, health data of residents will be collected and compiled. The residents would be issued health cards based on spot

diagnoses.

Second Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit held in Jaipur Published on: 26-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

The grouping was coneptualised during Narendra Modi’s visit to Fiji in November 2014.

Indian Army inaugurated Jaisalmer War Museum and Laungewala War Memorial Published on: 26-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

To commemorate Battle of Laungewala, a War Memorial was constructed and inaugurated at the very site where the Pakistani offensive was blunted.

AP Government, Tata Trust signed MoU to develop villages of Vijayawada parliamentary constituency Published on: 26-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

This is the first of its kind initiative taken up by the Tata Trust for developing all villages in a single parliamentary constituency.

India, Egypt signed two MoUs to deepen bilateral cooperation Published on: 26-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 0 people agreed

They were related to cooperation in the fields of tourism and scientific and technical cooperation.

Union Government launched 'Sehat' to provide healthcare facilities in rural areas Published on: 26-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Under the initiative people will be able to consult doctors through video link and also order generic drugs.

Veteran journalist Pranab Kumar Borah passed away



Published on: 25-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Borah was associated with the prominent Assamese daily newspapers l ike Dainik Janambhumi, The Sentinel Group, Doordarshan and Bishmoi.

India, Nepal signed of MoU for construction of Petroleum Products Pipeline Published on: 25-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The MoU was signed by Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Sunil Bahadur Thapa, Minister of Commerce and

Supplies of Nepal.

eBird India Taxonomists reclassified Indian bird species Published on: 25-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

The taxonomists gave out a list of species that includes all species, subspecies groups, hybrids, intergrades, spuhs, slashes, domestics, and forms.

105-year-old Urdu copy of Ramcharitmanas written by Shiv Brat Lal found Published on: 25-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

The copy carries a prologue of 20 pages and has four hand-drawn photographs, in which one photograph not only carries the pictures of Lord Ram,

Sita, Laxman and Hanuman but also of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.

NITI Aayog decided to set up expert group to draft Model Land Leasing Law Published on: 25-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

It was agreed that the NITI Aayog Vice-Chairperson will appoint a committee of experts to prepare a model land leasing law that the states can adopt

to suit their local needs.

India, Australia signed MoU on cooperation in fields of education, training and research Published on: 25-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The MoU was signed during the meeting of the Australia-India Education Council (AIEC) in New Delhi.

Justice ML Tahaliyani sworn-in as Lokayukta of Maharashtra Published on: 25-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 1 people agreed

Justice Tahaliyani succeeds Justice (retd.) PB Gaikwad, whose term as Lokayukta ended on 1 July 2014.

Syrian woman Journalist Zaina Erhaim awarded with Peter Mackler Award 2015 Published on: 25-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

She will be presented with this award at a ceremony to be held at the National Press Club in Washington in October 2015.

Indian-American Vince Chhabria appointed as a full-time federal judge by Obama Published on: 25-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Along with Chhabria, Obama also elevated 10 other people as the full-time judge in the third largest US state California.

Scientists identified THSD7A gene as primarily responsible for obesity in Indians Published on: 25-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

The discovery is of particular importance as scientists will help in drug target, early detection of obesity and treatment.

Union Government released Postal stamp on Ashoka Published on: 25-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Ashoka, born to the Mauryan emperor Bindusara and a relatively lower ranked wife of his, Dharma, was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya,

founder of Mauryan dynasty.

North, South Korea agreed to defuse military tensions along the border Published on: 25-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 0 people agreed

The tensions between the two countries were trigged by land mining explosions on 4 August 2015 along the South Korean part of the border that

injured two South Korean military personnel.

Amol Palekar appointed as Chairman of India's Oscar jury Published on: 25-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

He will head the 17-member jury from 17 September to 24 September 2015 that will select the country's official entry in the best foreign film category of

the 88th Academy Awards.

Jains held nationwide protests against ban on Santhara by Rajasthan High Court Published on: 25-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

It is a religious practice of facing death voluntarily at the end of one's life.

Two Guatemala ministers resigned amidst allegations of import bribery scandal Published on: 25-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 0 people agreed

Earlier, the vice-president and three other ministers also resigned due to same allegations.

Raipur to host 2015 FIH Hockey World League Final Published on: 25-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The final of the previous edition was also held in India in 2014.



UNFCCC, MSSRF to work for conservation of coastal resources of Andhra Pradesh Published on: 24-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The two organisations will work together for the conservation of coastal resources, with focus on the restoration of the Sorlagondi mangrove forest

cover in Krishna district.

DJB commissioned 1st ever Hydro-power plant at Chilla Published on: 24-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The power plant set up at Chilla area of east Delhi will be run through the Hydraulic Turbine propelled by treated effluents coming out of a SewerageTreatment Plant.

Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara retired from International Cricket Published on: 24-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

He played his last match against India as part of three match test series held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Usain Bolt won 100 meter title at 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing Published on: 24-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The defending champion completed the race in 9.79 seconds surpassing his American rival Justin Gatlin who completed the race in 9.80 seconds.

Roger Federer won Cincinnati Masters Men’s Singles tennis title for record seventh time Published on: 24-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Federer won in all his appearances in the finals held in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2015.

Serena Williams won Cincinnati Masters Women’s Singles title for second time Published on: 24-AUG-2015

Important for Exam: 4 people agreed Having won the 2014 title, i t is the third appearance in the finals (2013, 2014 and 2015) and the second ti tle win for the American player.

Bandhan Financial Services started operations as Scheduled Commercial Bank Published on: 24-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

Bandhan was a Kolkata based Micro Financial Institution.

Indian Air Force MiG-21 Bison Aircraft crashed in Kashmir, pilot ejected safely Published on: 24-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

The pilot managed to eject safely from the aircraft. A Court of Inquiry (CoI) has been ordered to investigate into the cause of the accident.

Golfer Aditi Ashok became first Indian to win the Ladies British Amateur Golf championship Published on: 24-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

17-year-old Aditi is not only the first Indian to take the title, but also the youngest-ever winner of the tournament.

Palmyra's temple of Baalshamin destroyed by ISIS militants Published on: 24-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

As per the reports, the mi litant group placed a large quantity of explosives in the temple of Baalshamin and then blew i t up. T he explosion caused

much damage to the temple.

England won 2015 Ashes Test series 3-2 Published on: 24-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

End of the series also saw an end to the Test career of Australian Skipper Michael Clarke. He had announced his retirement after Australia's defeat in

the fourth test which helped England retain the Ashes.

Infosys launched three new services Aikido Published on: 22-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 35 people agreed

AIkido services are aimed at helping its clients address three key aspects of their business. The three service offerings are Ki i n Knowledge-Based IT,

Do in Design Thinking, and Ai in Platforms.

Puducherry CM N Rangasamy launched Free Laptop Scheme Published on: 22-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

The scheme envisages to provide free laptops to all students who have passed Plus Two from Government Higher Secondary Schools in the last two

academic years that is 2013-14 and 2014-15.

Eminent Sanskrit Scholar and Indologist NR Varhadpande passed away Published on: 22-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

Varhadpande was famously known for his book titled Aryan Invasion: A Myth that exposes fallacy of Aryan invasion.

Noted academician Amitabh Mattoo appointed as Advisor to J&K CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Published on: 22-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Born in Srinagar, Mattoo has been the Chief Executive Officer and inaugural Director of the Australia India Institute and Professor of International

Relations at the University of Melbourne in Australia.

Uber Cabs tied-up with Bharti Airtel to set up WiFi hotspots in each of its cabs




As part of this partnership, Uber riders across India can now pay for their trips using Airtel's mobile wallet service Airtel Money.

Union Government Issued Norms for Selection of CEOs and MDs of Smaller PSU Banks Published on: 22-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The guidelines were issued after the approval by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) for selection of MDs & CEOs in Public Sector Banks

(PSBs) other than five large Public Sector Banks.

Book titled Mrs Funnybones authored by Twinkle Khanna released Published on: 21-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

Mrs. Funnybones is about how a modern woman looks at India and how India looks back at her.

Himachal Pradesh Government launched RISHTA project Published on: 21-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 34 people agreed

In this project, a total of 63484 street lights will be replaced with LEDs in all the Urban Local Bodies to achieve 45 to 55 percent energy savings.

NASA spacecraft LADEE found presence of neon gas in Moon’s atmosphere Published on: 21-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

This is the first time that the availability of the gas in the atmosphere was confirmed. Since Apollo missions, it was always a subject of speculation that

the gas is present in the exosphere of the Moon.

Historian Babasaheb Purandare bestowed with Maharashtra Bhushan Award 2015 Published on: 21-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

He was bestowed this award in literature category by Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao at a function held at Raj Bhavan, Mumbai.

Making India Awesome authored by Chetan Bhagat released Published on: 21-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The second non-fiction book by Chetan Bhagat provides inspired solutions to the country's most intractable problems.

Union Government launched web portal Vidya Lakshmi for Students Seeking Educational Loans Published on: 21-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

It is the first portal of its kind that provides single window for students to access information and make application for educational loans provided by

banks as well as for government scholarships.

Ranil Wickremesinghe sworn in as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Published on: 21-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

Wickremesinghe had served the country as its Prime Minister of the country on three occasions. He held the post from 1993-94, 2002-2004 and since

January 2015.

Union Cabinet approved signing of MoU between India and Australia on education and research Published on: 21-AUG-2015


The MoU will help deepen the existing partnership between India and Australia in higher education and research, including technical and professional

education, schools, vocational education.

ASA and Exchange of Information with respect to Taxes between India, Seychelles approved Published on: 21-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The ASA will modernize and update the existing ASA signed on 30 October 1978, and signifies an important landmark in the civil aviation relations

between India and Seychelles.

Greek PM Alexis Tsipras resigned and called for snap polls Published on: 21-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Tsipras resigned with an aim to defend the country’s massive bailout that saw rebellion within his left-wing Syriza party over the country' new bailout

programme.

Ashwani Lohani appointed as CMD of Air India Limited Published on: 21-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

He succeeded senior IAS officer Rohit Nandan whose tenure ended on 21 August 2015. He will have a tenure of three years.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Value Added Tax (Amendment) Regulation 2015 promulgation approved Published on: 21-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

This will help the Union territory to generate additional gross revenue and net tax generation that is estimated to be 120 crore rupees and seven crore

rupees per annum respectively.

Lahore High Court banned film ‘Phantom’ from release in Pakistan Published on: 21-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Earlier, films like 'Agent Vinod' and 'Ek Tha Tiger' were also banned from being screened in cinema halls in the country although they are freely

available on CDs and DVDs in Pakistan.



R Gandhi panel recommended conversion of UCBs into Regular Banks Published on: 21-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The High Powered Committee on Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) under the chairmanship of RBI Deputy Governor R Gandhi was constituted on 30

January 2015.

Bangladesh became first country to receive funds from UN for Solar Home Systems Published on: 20-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

The UN Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) issued 395286 carbon credits worth 3.56 million US Dollar to two Bangladeshiorganisations.

Kerala Government inaugurated a 12 MW solar power project at Cochin International Airport Published on: 20-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

With this project, Cochin airport became the first airport in India to run on solar power.

YouTube tied-up with Whistling Woods International to set up YouTube Space Published on: 20-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Slated to open in late 2015, the YouTube Space Mumbai facility will allow YouTube creators and students at WWI to learn about video production and

collaborate with other creators.

Prasar Bharti, Digital Television Russia inked MoU Published on: 20-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The MoU is aimed at co-producing TV programmes, repackaging and dubbing popular programmes from the both countries.

Uttar Pradesh Minister Chitranjan Swarup passed away Published on: 20-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

He was a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of Uttar Pradesh state assembly from Muzaffarnagar constituency.

World Humanitarian Day observed with theme Inspiring the World's Humanity Published on: 20-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

2015 theme for the World Humanitarian Day is Inspiring the World's Humanity and appeals everyone to join any of the world’s humanitarian

organizations and become an active messenger of Humanity.

Pakistan and Russia signed defence agreement that includes the sale of four Mi-35 helicopters Published on: 20-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The Mi-35 helicopter is an exceedingly modernised version of the Mi-24 (Hind) combat heli copter with new onboard equipment and avionics.

Union Government issued final notification demarcating ESZ around Okhla Bird Sanctuary Published on: 20-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The notification was issued via the Gazette of India vide S/o-2262 (E) after the National Board of Wild Life cleared the process of demarcating the ESZ.

Haryana, Maryland agreed to cooperate in biotechnology, life sciences Published on: 20-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The two sides also agreed find out scope for working with companies engaged in the sector of low-cost housing.

Debut Novelist Zia Haider Rahman won the James Tait Black Award 2015 Published on: 20-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Zia Haider Rahman won the award for his debut novel In the Light of What We Know during the 2015 Edinburgh international book festival.

RBI granted 'in-principle' approval to 11 Payment Banks applicants Published on: 20-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

RBI's in-principle nod will be valid for a period of 18 months, during which time the applicants have to comply with the requirements under the

Guidelines and fulfill the other conditions as may be stipulated by the Reserve bank.

SM Khan-headed team constituted to assess situation in FTII by Union Government Published on: 20-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The three-member team will be headed by the Registrar of Newspapers in India (RNI) SM Khan and comprise two more I&B Ministry officials.

Karnal Singh assigned additional charge of Director of Enforcement Directorate Published on: 20-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Singh, who is currently serving as Special Director in Centre Region of Enforcement Directorate, will replace Rajan S Katoch. Kotoch was given three

extensions as ED Director.

Olympic champion Sebastian Coe elected as President of IAAF Published on: 20-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Coe will take office on 31 August 2015 after the end of the IAAF World Championships of Beijing 2015.

Malayalam actor Paravoor Bharathan died Published on: 19-AUG-2015




Bharathan was known for his versatility in the Film Industry as he had played a variety of roles including negative roles, character roles and comedy

roles.

Aditi Chauhan became India's first woman to play in English league football Published on: 19-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

She made her debut for the women’s team of the West Ham United in the opening game of the season against Coventry City.

Himachal to make Sanskrit mandatory in government schools Published on: 19-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Himachal Sanskrit Academy was directed to complete the formalities to take over Tungesh Sanskrit College at Cheog, so that it could be run in a better

way.

Kishor Piraji Kharat appointed as MD and CEO of IDBI Bank Published on: 19-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Earlier, he had served Union Bank of India as an Executive Director and before that he had served Bank of Baroda for three decades.

The Kumbh Mela: Mapping the Ephemeral Megacity authored by Tarun Khanna released by Akhilesh yadav Published on: 19-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The book is a kind of research work of the University, tells the story of the Kumbh Mela, the largest celebration on earth that depends on the positions

of Jupiter, the Sun and the Moon.

UNP led UNFGG coalition won the Sri Lanka Parliamentary Elections 2015 Published on: 19-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

Wickremesinghe also received the highest ever preferential votes in Sri Lankan history with 550000 people marking their preference for him in hisconstituency Colombo.

India’s First Lady Suvra Mukherjee passed away Published on: 19-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

Suvra was a vocalist of Rabindra Sangeet and was an ardent fan of India’s national poet Rabindranath Tagore.

Allahabad HC directed government servants, politicians to send children to government schools Published on: 19-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

The Court asked the chief secretary to take steps within six months so as to make the aforesaid directions effective from the next academic session of

primary schools.

M-Wallet app SBI Buddy launched Published on: 19-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

Besides the app Buddy, logo and website of SBI Foundation was also unveiled on the occasion by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

TPP Nair, SP Misra, Romeo James recommended for 2015 Dhyan Chand Award Published on: 19-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 21 people agreed

In 2014, the award was conferred on Gurmai l Singh (Hockey), K.P.Thakkar (Swimming-Diving) and Zeeshan Ali (T ennis).

Bangladesh lifted South Asian Football Federation U-16 title Published on: 19-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

In the title clash at the Sylhet District Stadium of Bangladesh, the hosts defeated defending champions India 4-2 in penalties.

Telangana Government launched Grama Jyothi Scheme across the state Published on: 18-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

The scheme is aimed at comprehensive development of rural areas al lowing planning and execution of works by villages themselves.

ICICI Bank launched locker facility named Smart Vault Published on: 18-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The Smart Vault uses robotic technology to access the lockers from the safe vault and enables customers to conveniently access their lockers at any

time of their preference.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited United Arab Emirates Published on: 18-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

During the visit, he went to the historic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, which is the third largest mosque in the world and can

accommodate around 40000 people at a time.

PM Narendra Modi visited Masdar City of Abu Dhabi Published on: 18-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

Masdar City, a zero carbon planned city, relies on solar energy and other renewable energy sources. It is situated 17 km from Abu Dhabi.

Birla Corporation acquired two Indian units of Lafarge Group for 5000 crore rupees Published on: 18-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed



The transaction will be funded through existing cash reserves and incremental debt and is subject to approvals, including clearance from the

Competition Commission of India.

Union Government advanced Budget 2016-17 preparations by over 2 months Published on: 18-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

The Ministry said that in consonance with the objective of the government to have wider consultations with various stakeholders as well as to provide

more time for planners, i t has been decided to start the Budget exercise by middle of August 2015.

India, UAE released Joint Statement to take bilateral relations to a higher level Published on: 18-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The two nations agreed to enhance cooperation in counter-terrorism operations, intelligence sharing and capacity building.

Kerala Government signed MoU with Adani Group for development of Vizhinjam Port Published on: 18-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Vizhinjam seaport project is the Kerala government ambitious project which was initiated 25 years ago in 1991 to build a deepest and natural draft port

near Kovalam beach in Thiruvananthapuram.

Delhi government announced City Taxi Scheme Published on: 18-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Small size taxis between 600 cc and 749 cc will have a flag-down rate of 25 rupees for the first two kilometres. After two kilometres, passengers will

have to pay 10 rupees per kilometer.

Second Round of Foreign Office Consultations between India and Paraguay held Published on: 18-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

They also discussed important regional and multilateral issues including India’s ongoing engagement with Community of Latin American Caribbean

States (CELAC), MERCOSUR and UN Reforms.

Union Government announced awardees for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2015 and Arjuna Awards 2015 Published on: 17-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 153 people agreed

The selection of awardees was based on the recommendations of the Selection Committee headed by Justice VK Bali, former Chief Justice of Kerala

High Court.

Odisha government approved State Capital Region Improvement of Power System scheme Published on: 17-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The scheme aims to provide 24x7 quality power supply to the people in and around the state capital of Bhubaneswar.

Ajit Kumar Seth appointed as Chairman of Public Enterprises Selection Board Published on: 17-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Seth succeeded Atul Chaturvedi, who has completed his tenure. Prior to this appointment, Seth completed his extended tenure of four years at the

Cabinet secretariat in June 2015.

Andy Murray won Rogers Cup Masters tournament Published on: 17-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

In the title clash, Murray defeated world number one Novak Djokovic 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. It was Murray's 11th Masters Title.

India, Bangladesh signed MoU to tackle the menace of fake Indian currency notes Published on: 17-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The MoU was signed during a maiden meeting of the Joint Task Force on Fake Currency Notes (JTFFC) in Dhaka.

Abhishek Verma clinched gold for India at Archery World Cup Published on: 17-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

The Asian Games silver medalist defeated Esmaeil Ebadi of Iran 148 -145. Earlier in the Incehon 2014 Asian Games, Ebadi defeated Verma 141-145.

Union Government appointed two private sector professionals to head BoB, Canara Bank Published on: 17-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

This is the first time that private sector professionals were appointed to head the Public Sector Banks (PSBs). Earlier, the heads of PSBs were selected

from among the state-run banks or government officers.Odisha Government approved Fisheries Policy, 2015 Published on: 17-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

The policy targets total fish production of 7.15 lakh tonnes by the end of 2019-20. At present, the state produces 4.13 lakh tonnes of fish.

Housing.com acquired Bengaluru-based HomeBuy360 Published on: 17-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

This deal will help Housing.com to strive for efficiency in the Indian real estate sector. This will help in reduction of property prices eventually benefitting

the consumers.

President Pranab Mukherjee approved 67 Gallantry Awards Published on: 17-AUG-2015




The approved awards include two Kirti Chakras, 10 Shaurya Chakras, one Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry), 49 Sena Medals (Gallantry), two Nao Sena

Medals (Gallantry) and three Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).

PM Narendra Modi launched a new campaign Start-up India, Stand up India Published on: 17-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 48 people agreed

The campaign was launched during the celebrations of 69th Independence Day at Red Fort, Delhi. The initiative is aimed at encouraging

entrepreneurship among the youth of India.

Mustansir Barma won 2015 Gujar Mal Modi award for innovative science and technology Published on: 17-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Barma, a distinguished Professor and former Director of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, has made immense contribution in the field

of Statistical Physics in India.

World Badminton Championship: Saina became 1st Indian shuttler to win silver medal Published on: 17-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

She lost the women's singles summit clash to Spain's Carolina Marin 16-21, 19-21 in Jakarta.

2015 United States-India Cyber Dialogue held in Washington, DC Published on: 14-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

The two sides discussed a range of cyber issues including cyber threats, enhanced cyber security information sharing, cyber incident management,

cybersecurity cooperation in the context of 'Make in India'.

India, Slovak Republic signed MoU for technical cooperation in Railway Sector Published on: 14-AUG-2015

Important for Exam: 11 people agreed The MoU was signed in New Delhi by Ganga Ram Agarwal, Secretary of Railway Board of India and Zigmund Bertok, Ambassador of Slovak Republic

to India.

Indian Men's Hockey team won European series against Spain 2-1 Published on: 14-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The India Men Team registered their second win against Spain in the third and last match of the Europe Tour. Spain was outplayed by 4-2 in a match

played in Terrassa, Spain.

Om Prakash Munjal, founder of Hero Cycle Limited, passed away Published on: 14-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

Om Prakash had also recieved various awards including Udyog Rattan Award from Punjab Government, Punjab Ratna award.

RBI notified Interest Subvention Scheme 2015-16 of Union Government for banks Published on: 14-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

The central bank in its notification said that interest subvention of 2 percent per annum will be made available to public and private sector banks

provided they lend short term credit at the ground level at 7 percent per annum to farmers.Pahal Scheme acknowledged by Guinness Book of World Records as largest cash transfer program Published on: 14-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 45 people agreed

The scheme was formally launched as Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme for LPG subsidy in 2013 in 291 districts under the aegis of Union Ministry of

Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Assam passed Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2015 Published on: 14-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 18 people agreed

The bill recognises all cases of witch-hunting as non-bailable, cognizable and non-compoundable within the meaning of the Code.

Maharashtra's Dahi Handi granted with the Adventure Sport status Published on: 14-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 0 people agreed

From now on, Dahihandi will be played as per the rules and regulations which will be framed by a State-level association. It will not be limited to

Janmashtami only.

OP Rawat appointed as Election Commissioner of India Published on: 14-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 48 people agreed

With Rawat’s appointment, the sole vacancy in the three-member poll body has been filled. Naseem Zaidi and Achal Kumar Joti are the other members

of the Election Commission.

China, Pakistan signed deals worth 1.6 billion US dollars to implement CPEC Published on: 13-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

Both the countries together also issued the Karamay Manifesto on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a major project under China's Belt

and Road Initiative.

Researchers discovered evidence of an ancient lake on Mars Published on: 13-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed



The findings of the research titled Late-stage formation of Martian chloride salts through ponding and evaporation were published in journal Geology on

5 August 2015.

Sanjay Jalona appointed as MD and CEO of L&T Infotech Published on: 13-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Jalona will run L&T Infotech from its New Jersey office in order to add thrust to its profitable growth.

Indian Railways signed 4 MoUs with Union Ministries of Power and New & Renewable Energy Published on: 13-AUG-2015


The MoUs were signed for Cooperation in areas of electricity transmission, energy conservation and promotion of renewable Energy in a time bound

manner.

Sania Mirza became second Tennis player to be recommended for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Published on: 13-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The first tennis player to be named for the top award was Leander Paes. He was bestowed the honour way back in 1996 after his bronze medal in the

Atlanta Olympics.

Libyan PM Abdullah al-Thani resigned hours after peace talks restarted Published on: 13-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

During the talk show Al-Thani faced a bombardment of angry questions from citizens, who blamed him and his government for the lack of basic

services such as electricity and security in areas it controls.

Acharya Dev Vrat sworn-in as Governor of Himachal Pradesh Published on: 13-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

He replaced Kalyan Singh, who was given the additional charge of Himachal Pradesh Governor on 28 January 2015 after Urmila Singh completed her

term as Governor in the state on 25 January 2015.

Forbes released list of 100 Richest People In Technology Published on: 13-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

The list is dominated by American billionaires as just over half of the tech billionaires are from the United States.

Jayant Patel appointed as acting Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court Published on: 13-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

During his three-decade career as advocate, he had appeared for Union Government, Railways and Income Tax department.

Union Government approved 300 crore package to save standing kharif crops from weak monsoon Published on: 13-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The package will help farmers to be better equipped to deal with challenges posed by delayed and aberrant monsoon, as immediate remedial

measures to save standing agricultural crops and perennial orchards in rainfall deficient districts will be initiated.

Union Cabinet approved MoU between India, Nepal for construction of petroleum pipeline Published on: 13-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

The MoU will promote bilateral cooperation in the oil and gas sector and secure long term supply of petroleum products to Nepal.

Union Cabinet nod for India, US MoU on cooperation to establish the Pace Setter Fund Published on: 13-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 2 people agreed

The PSF seeks to support the PEACE track of the US-India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE).

Sudhakar Shetty elected as President of Gymnastics Federation of India Published on: 13-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Kandhari, the outgoing president who was in the fray for a third term, could not contest the elections after his nomination was rejected as he didn’t filed

his address in the nomination form.

Survey started to erect memorial for Dr. Kalam at Rameswaram Published on: 13-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Dr. Kalam expired on 27 July 2015 at Shillong and was laid to rest at Peikarumbu in Rameswaram on 30 July 2015.

India lost 41 tigers in 7 months: NTCA & Traffic India data Published on: 12-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

It says that tigers are dying not just from natural causes, but are being shot to death by authorities in case of man-animal conflicts.

Maharashtra Government constituted Cabinet sub-panel to tackle impending drought crisis Published on: 12-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 0 people agreed

At present, Beed, Osmanabad and Latur districts of Maharashtra are facing the worst crisis.

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced marketing of Bio Fuel Blended HSD Published on: 12-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 17 people agreed

It is a path breaking step in India’s retail sector for launching Bio-diesel B 5 blend to diesel consumers.



India & World Bank signed agreement of US$ 308.40 Million for NCRMP-II Published on: 12-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The project aims at to reduce vulnerability to cyclone & other hydro-meteorological hazards of coastal communities in Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala,

Maharashtra and West Bengal.

Delhi government constituted panel to probe CNG fitness scam Published on: 12-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The CNG fitness scam surfaced in 2012 when Anti Corruption Bureau found that the Delhi government had lost over 100 crore rupees by awarding thecontract to operate and maintain certi fication of CNG vehicles at the transport authority in Burari to ESP India instead of ESP USA.

Uttar Pradesh Government approved new guidelines for Begum Akhtar Award Published on: 12-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

The award will be annually awarded on singers of ghazal, dadra, and thumri, who are a local resident of the state and should not be less than 40 years

of age.

President Pranab Mukherjee presented Saraswati Sammaan to Dr. M Veerappa Moily Published on: 11-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 38 people agreed

In the poem Ramayana Mahaveshanam, Moily tried to explore the Ramarajya or the true principle of the ideal State from a secular and modern point of

view in his collection of poems.

Veteran Marathi stage actor Bhalchandra Pendharkar died Published on: 11-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Born on 25 November 1921, at Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, Pendharkar was affectionately known as Anna. He gained popularity through his play

Duritanche Timir Javo.

No unauthorised construction in Taj eco-sensitive zone: NGT to UP Government Published on: 11-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The NGT bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the state government to conduct physical demarcation of the forest

area and the green belt within 500 meters of the Taj T rapezium Zone.

Kochi became first Indian city to join World Tourism Cities Federation Council Published on: 11-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 45 people agreed

Kochi became the member of the council on ground of its partnerships in cul ture, sports and tourism.

International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples observed Published on: 11-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

2015 Theme of the day is "Post 2015 Agenda: Ensuring indigenous peoples' health and well -being".

Xiaomi Corp tied up with Foxconn to set up facility in Andhra Pradesh under Make in India initiative Published on: 11-AUG-2015

Important for Exam: 9 people agreed These two Smartphone manufacturers will together roll out Xiaomi’s first locally made Smartphone, the Redmi2 Prime to expand Xiomi's market share

in India.

Union Ministry for Minority Affairs launched Nai Manzil Scheme in Patna Published on: 11-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

The scheme will address educational and livelihood needs of minority communities in general and muslims in particular as it lags behind other minority

communities in terms of educational attainments.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu launched new train services in Northeast Published on: 11-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

This 510 Km Gauge Conversion project costing about 3600 crore rupees was sanctioned in 2002-03. The project suffered delay mainly due to funds

constraint in the past.

Google launched its parent company Alphabet Inc Published on: 11-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

The new parent company was formed as part of Google’s new organisational structure which will help the company to keep tremendous focus on theextraordinary opportunities and products.

World Bio-Fuel Day observed globally on 10 August Published on: 11-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 25 people agreed

The day is observed every year with an aim to create awareness about non fossi l-fuels (Green Fuels).

Telecom Ministry launched mobile app named Disha to promote digital literacy in Bihar Published on: 11-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 29 people agreed

The app aims to help people learn about computers and Internet through self learning modules.

Rajasthan High Court banned Santhara ritual in Jain Community Published on: 11-AUG-2015




The ritual was banned by the court on a Public Interest Litigation filed by human rights activist Nikhil Soni a decade ago, claiming that the ritual is a

social evil and should be considered as a suicide.

Amitabh Bachchan accepted the proposal to be Maharashtra’s tiger ambassador Published on: 11-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

To promote eco tourism, especially tiger tourism in Maharashtra, Mungantiwar requested Bachchan to represent the state as its tiger ambassador.

Hockey India suspended Gurbaj Singh for 9 months Published on: 11-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The decision to suspend Gurbaj was taken after a meeting of Hockey India's disciplinary committee headed by Harbinder Singh with the midfielder and

former India coach Jude Felix.

BHEL commissioned 500 MW Thermal Unit at Vindhyachal STPS Published on: 10-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

With the commissioning of this unit, BHEL has now commissioned seven sets of 500 MW each aggregating to 3500 MW, the highest by BHEL in a

power project.

Union Government launched School Nursery Yojana to bring students closer to nature Published on: 10-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

The programme in its first phase would cover 1000 schools and would be extended to 5000 schools in 2016 and 10000 schools the following year.

Raghavendra Gadagkar awarded with Germany's Cross of Order of the Merit Published on: 10-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

He was bestowed with the honour for his contribution in the field of behavioural ecology and sociobiology and for strengthening research corporationbetween India and Germany.

Deoghar Stampede: At least 11 killed and several injured Published on: 10-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

The stampede was triggered when some devotees allegedly tried to run ahead of others, while queue formation for onward journey for darshan.

Ram Nath Kovind appointed as Governor of Bihar Published on: 10-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

He succeeds West Bengal Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi, who was holding additional charge of Bihar.

Param Tyag Chakra Initiative launched to honour families of martyrs Published on: 10-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

For this initiative, the Alumni Association of Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology in association with the management and students launched

a web platform aimed at collecting the details of these family members.

Union Government & Delhi Government agreed to prepare blueprint to Clean & Rejuvenate Yamuna River Published on: 10-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The two governments agreed to prepare a blueprint for this purpose during the next 45 days. They also discussed the issues related to beautification of

the Yamuna River Front.

Freedom fighter Kayyara Kinhanna Rai passed away Published on: 10-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

He was an author, poet, journalist and Indian independence activist.

Michael Clarke announced retirement from International Cricket Published on: 10-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Clark will play his last Test at the Oval, London, scheduled to be held from 20 August to 24 August 2015.

Suraksha Bandhan drive launched to facilitate enrolment under Social Security Schemes Published on: 10-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

The last date for enrolling under the PMSBY & PMJJBY schemes has been extended till 30 September 2015, and persons enrolling within this period

would not be required to submit a certificate of good health for PMJJBY.

Ajeet Kumar Saroj, Varanasi jail inmate awarded with IGNOU gold medal Published on: 10-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

Ajeet, who is serving a 10-year imprisonment, was lodged in jail in February 2012. He has pursued four certificate courses from IGNOU before

pursuing the Diploma in Tourism Studies.

Foxconn decided to invest 5 billion US dollar in Maharashtra over next five years Published on: 10-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The agreement was signed after Foxconn plant was granted 1500 acres of land at Talegaon in Pune district along the Pune-Mumbai expressway.

Goa Tourism Minister Parulekar conferred with PATWA 2015 award Published on: 10-AUG-2015




Parulekar is the first tourism minister of Goa to receive this prestigious award.

Global satellite named 'GlobalSat for DRR' proposed to be named after Abdul Kalam Published on: 08-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 92 people agreed

The satellite to be used for earth observation and disaster risk reduction wi ll be renamed as UN Kalam GlobalSat.

Typhoon Soudelor battered Taiwan leaving four people dead & a trail of devastation Published on: 08-AUG-2015

Important for Exam: 12 people agreed After the landfall, the typhoon battered Taiwan with fierce winds (ranging 230km/h (142mph)) and rain leaving four people dead and a trail of

devastation.

Accenture appointed Rekha Menon as Chairperson of India's operation Published on: 08-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

Accenture appointed Anindya Basu as Managing Director of Accenture India who will take the charge from 21 August 2015.

BHEL commissioned 500 MW unit of Vindhyachal Super Thermal Power Station Published on: 08-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

With this unit, BHEL has now commissioned seven sets of 500 MW each aggregating to 3500 MW at Vindhyachal power station, which is the highest

by BHEL in a power project.

Frances Oldham Kelsey, the anti-thalidomide Canadian doctor, died Published on: 08-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Kelsey was the second woman to be awarded the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service by President John F Kennedy.

Tendong Lho Rum Faat, annual festival of ethnic Lepcha tribe of Sikkim celebrated Published on: 08-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

According to Lepcha belief, their ancestors went atop the Tendong Mountain to escape from 40 days and 40 nights of continuous rain. This festival

commemorates that happening.

BCCI announced Ad-Hoc Committee for Cricket Administration in Bihar and Uttarakhand Published on: 08-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The Ad-Hoc Committee for these states will help ensure participation of budding cricketers from these states in the BCCI Associate and Affiliate

members tournament.

Tripura Legislative Assembly passed a resolution against death penalty Published on: 08-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

In India, 72 new death sentences were known to have been imposed in 2013 and at least 400 people were believed to be on death row at the end of

the year 2013.

India decided to boycott 61st Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference to be held in Islamabad Published on: 08-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

The decision to boycott the 61st Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference was taken in lieu of Pakistan's unilateral decision to not invite the Speaker

of J&K Assembly.

Lok Sabha passed Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, 2015 Published on: 07-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 43 people agreed

The Bill seeks to amend the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. It will have implications for over 18 lakh cheque bounce cases pending in various

courts.

Hollywood Actor George Cole passed away Published on: 07-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

Cole attributed his success to his mentor, the actor Alastair Sim, who guided his early career and was a lifelong influence.

Egypt unveiled New Suez Canal expansion Published on: 07-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

This new waterway is expected to boost the traffic. The project got completed in one year span with an estimated cost of 8 billion US dollars.

August Edition of FIFA World Rankings released Published on: 07-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

Argentina is followed by Belgium at No 2 (moved up 1) and the W orld Cup w inner Germany at No 3 posit ion (moved down 1). India with 161 points

retained its 156th position in FIFA World rankings.

Snapdeal tied-up with department store chain Shoppers Stop Ltd Published on: 07-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

With this partnership, customers ordering from Shoppers Stop brand store on Snapdeal can now pick up the ordered products or get them delivered

from the nearest Shoppers Stop store.

PM Narendra Modi inaugurated first National Handloom Day




He also gave away the Sant Kabir Awards and National Awards for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 to distinguished handloom personalities.

RBI relaxed Branch Authorisation Policy to allow banks to merge or close branches in urban areas Published on: 07-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The banks should ensure that they continue to fulfill the role entrusted to these branches under the government sponsored programmes and Direct

Benefit Transfer Schemes.

70th Hiroshima Day observed to commemorate dropping of Atomic bomb on Hiroshima Published on: 07-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

On the 70th anniversary of the day, names of survivors of the explosion named as the hibakusha, who died in the previous 12 months, was added to

the peace park’s cenotaph.

Indian-American Atul Keshap appointed as the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Published on: 07-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

He is currently working as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in South and Central Asian Affairs Bureau of State Department.

SBI Life Insurance launched Smart Humsafar Plan Published on: 07-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The plan complements the couple's efforts to achieve prosperity along with protection to fulfill their dream of leading a better life.

48th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meet held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Published on: 07-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 31 people agreed

The meet was held under the theme "Our People, Our Community, Our Vision", to create an ASEAN Community which is truly people-oriented, people-

centred comprising all areas of cooperation.

Southern states to set up Inter-State Coordination Council to resolve forest-related issues Published on: 07-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

A regional wildlife crime control bureau will be established in the line of the national wildlife crime control bureau.

India and Myanmar inked agreement to set up CESDT in Myanmar Published on: 07-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 30 people agreed

The agreement was signed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during the visit of Minister of State for External Affairs of India Gen (Retd) VK Singh. Singh was

in Malaysia to attend the ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers ' Meeting.

Amitava Ghosh appointed as Vice President-engineering of Snapdeal Published on: 07-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Prior to this appointment, he was the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at TaxiForSure.

Delhi Government reconstituted Urdu Academy Published on: 07-AUG-2015


Dr. Majid Deobandi, a very well known and popular figure in the Urdu Circle, was appointed as the Vice-Chairperson of the Urdu Academy.

Fashion designer Arnold Scaasi passed away Published on: 06-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

Scaasi was known for bringing the techniques of the French couture to prominent American women.

Lok Sabha passed Delhi High Court (Amendment) Bill, 2015 Published on: 06-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed

The Bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha on 17 February 2014 and was passed by Rajya Sabha on 6 May 2015. The Bill amends the Delhi High Court

Act, 1966.

World War-II hero Colonel Harwant Singh passed away Published on: 06-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

He was officer-in-charge of the flag hoisting ceremony on the first Independence Day of India in 1947.

Bharti Airtel launched 4G services in 296 towns across India Published on: 06-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 15 people agreed

With this the largest telecom company of India became the first company to roll out the pan-India 4G network which is built on an open partner

ecosystem model

CBDT signed two unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements to usher in tax certainty Published on: 06-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

With this, the CBDT has so far signed 14 APAs of which 13 are unilateral APAs and one is a bi lateral APA.

NASA signed 490 million US dollars contract with Russia for International Space Station travel Published on: 06-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The US has been dependent on Russia for ISS access s ince it ended its space shuttle program in July 2012.



BSNL’s proposal to hive its towers into a new company got approval from Union Cabinet Published on: 06-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The decision will help BSNL to realign its structure in the highly competitive telecom sector. It will also help the public sector company to unlock its

tower assets and improve its financial position.

Zhanna Nemtsova awarded with Poland's Solidarity Prize 2015 Published on: 06-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

She received 1.1 million US dollars human rights prize as a recognition. Presently, Nemtsova works for German broadcaster Deutsche Welle in Berlin.

Haryana’s CM Manohar Lal launched ‘Thari Pension Thare Pass’ scheme Published on: 06-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

In the first phase of the scheme, over ten lakh beneficiaries living in 1744 villages and 81 towns of the state would get pensions through banks and

post offices.

FICCI, ILO signed MoU to establish National Coordination Centre for SCORE Training Services Published on: 06-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

The objective of the MoU is to draw a framework for coordination and cooperation between the ILO and AIOE/FICCI that will result in phase-wise

capacity building of the ‘Centre’ in the national coordination of SCORE training services in India.

Multi Application Solar Telescope operationalised at Udaipur Solar Observatory Published on: 06-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

MAST’s dome is a collapsible dome made of tensile fabric. The telescope will be used to measure vector magnetic fields of active regions at different

heights of the solar atmosphere.

Murugappa Group signed agreement with Organo Corp to form Joint Venture Published on: 06-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 4 people agreed

As per the agreement, the Murugappa Group will hold 51 percent in JV and the remaining portion will be with the Organo Group.

Forbes released the World's Highest-Paid Actors 2015 list Published on: 06-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 26 people agreed

The list of 34 global actors includes names 12 newcomers of which five are from India , Indian actors in the list are Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan,

Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor.

India, Mozambique signed MoU to boost ties in Renewable Energy Sector Published on: 06-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Moreover, both nations also agreed to intensify cooperation in maritime security and ocean economy as both the countries have large coastlines and

are linked by Indian Ocean.

Union Government deferred proposed talks between the Chief negotiators on India & EU-BTIA Published on: 06-AUG-2015

Important for Exam: 8 people agreed The decision was taken as government is disappointed and concerned by the action of EU in imposing legally binding ban on the sale of around 700

pharma products clinically tested by GVK Biosciences, Hyderabad.

Union Cabinet approved direct release of wages into bank accounts of MNREGA workers Published on: 06-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The decision is aimed at further streamlining the flow of funds and to empower state governments to deliver entitlements as per the objectives of the

Act.

Bihar legislative Assembly passed the Bihar Public Grievance Redressal Bill, 2015 Published on: 05-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

The Bill is aimed at empowering the people to seek redressal of their grievances by government servants in a time-bound manner.

Two films Masaan & Jaanisaar made tax free in UP Published on: 05-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

The films were made tax free in Uttar Pradesh under Section 11 (1) of the Uttar Pradesh Entertainment and Betting Tax Act, 1979.

Last surviving Dambusters Pilot Les Munro died Published on: 05-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 3 people agreed

Les Munro was among the pilots who took part in the legendary Dambusters operation of World War II in 1943.

Mathematician Amalendu Krishna won 2015 Ramanujan Prize Published on: 05-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 51 people agreed

He was bestowed with this award for his outstanding contributions in the area of algebraic cycles, algebraic K-theory and the theory of motives.

Uttar Pradesh government decided to rename UPTU as APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University Published on: 05-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 24 people agreed



The approval amends the UP Technical University Act, 2000 to rename the Uttar Pradesh Technical University (UPTU) as Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

Technical University (APJAKTU), Uttar Pradesh.

SHEFROL: An Eco-friendly way of treating water Published on: 05-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 41 people agreed

SHEFROL-based waste water treatment plant built at Chinna Kalapet fishing hamlet in Puducherry, was found to be successful.

Maharashtra government increased the retirement age of medical officers from 58 to 60 Published on: 05-AUG-2015


The Cabinet also approved a proposal to amend the lacunae in the Transplantation of Human Organs Act 1994, and increase quantum of punishment

for crimes pertaining to human organ transplants.

Delhi Government decided to have tram network in Old Delhi Published on: 05-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The government also decided to make Shahjahanad Redevelopment Corporation, set up to carry out infrastructure projects in Old Delhi.

Jharkhand empowered ACB to arrest Ministers & civil servants in bribery cases without permission Published on: 05-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

The government also decided to provide tab to all girl students of 8th standards of state-run Kasturba Gandhi schools.

Snapdeal launched Snapdeal Instant to make instant delivery of packages Published on: 05-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 8 people agreed

Snapdeal Instant is aimed at further improving customer experience on the eCommerce platform by enabling faster deliveries and maintaining product

quality at the same time.

Kamayani Express & Mumbai-Jabalpur Janata Express derailed over Machak River of MP Published on: 05-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

The twin-train derailment occurred after base material on the tracks got washed away in heavy rain.

British singer Cilla Black passed away Published on: 05-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

Black was known for such her 60s and 70s hits such as Anyone Who Had a Heart and You’re My World. Both the songs went to Number 1 position in

Britain.

Rural Development Minister launched ‘SAMANVAY’ for Gram Panchayats Published on: 05-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 53 people agreed

SAMANVAY was launched with an aim to help MPs in utilising relevant schemes in the planning and implementation of Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana

(SAGY).

Roland S Folger appointed as CEO and MD of Mercedes-Benz India Published on: 04-AUG-2015

Important for Exam: 5 people agreed Currently, Roland S Folger is the President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia.

Bharti Airtel acquired YTS Solutions for mobile payment solutions Published on: 04-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 6 people agreed

This acquisition will help Airtel to expand its footprint in the payments sector by integrating business capabilities and unique service delivery model of

the YTS.

Haryana Government to honour victims of Emergency 1975 with Tamra Patra Published on: 04-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 11 people agreed

Those who struggled for restoration of democratic values during the Emergency will be given ‘Tamra Patra’ on the Independence Day function, that is,

15 August 2015.

Iqbal Ahmed Ansari appointed as Acting Chief Justice of Patna High Court Published on: 04-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

Ansari was appointed by President Pranab Mukherjee under article 223 of the Constitution of India with effect from 1 August 2015.

Operation Muskaan helped Gurgaon Police to trace over 1000 kids Published on: 04-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 33 people agreed

Gurgaon Police traced 1094 children in Haryana during the month-long operation Muskaan.

Former MP Minister Jagannath Singh passed away Published on: 04-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 9 people agreed

Singh had served as Labour Minister of Madhya Pradesh from 2008 to 2013 in the BJP government led by incumbent MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh

Chouhan.

Hindi litterateur Kashinath Singh chosen for Bharat Bharti literary award 2014 Published on: 04-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed



Singh has penned many novels and short stories. One of his most famous novel is Kashi ka Assi, which captures the vibrant hues of Banaras.

Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope being constructed in China Published on: 04-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 20 people agreed

The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) is an Aricibo-type telescope. It is funded by the National Development and Reform

Commission (NDRC).

ITBP climbing & ski down expedition to Saser Kangri-III peak in Ladakh flagged off Published on: 04-AUG-2015


For the first time the Saser Kangri-III peak was successfully submitted by 6 Mountaineers of ITBP led by SP Chamoli, Commandant in 1986.

Union Government signed historic peace accord with NSCN (I-M) Published on: 04-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 37 people agreed

The signing of the pact is the end of over 80 rounds of negotiations that spanned 16 years with first breakthrough in 1997 when ceasefire agreement

was sealed.

Delhi Police launched Operation Shishtachar to teach lesson to eve-teasers Published on: 04-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The operation Shishtachar aims at nabbing offender and teach lesson of manner to them.

193 UN members reached agreement on sustainable development agenda Published on: 04-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 16 people agreed

With this agreement, the document called "Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" will be adopted at a UN summit to

be held in September 2015 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Afghanistan banned mourning ceremonies for deceased Taliban leader Omar Published on: 04-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The intelligence agency of the government of Afghanistan warned that any gatherings condoling Mullah Omar’s death would be a “legitimate target” for

Afghan forces.

Dipa Karmakar won bronze medal at 6th Senior ART Gymnastics Asian Championships Published on: 04-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 22 people agreed

Dipa, who won a bronze in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, stood third at the podium with 14.725 points.

Guidelines Governing Adoption of Children 2015 came into effect Published on: 03-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 12 people agreed

The new Guidelines are intend to provide for more effective regulation for adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered children and would bring

more transparency and efficiency in the adoption system.

NASA enhanced collision-avoidance system to avoid traffic jams between satellites orbiting Mars Published on: 03-AUG-2015

Important for Exam: 19 people agreed The step was taken after addition of two new spacecraft, namely NASA's MAVEN and India's Mangalyaan, to orbit the Mars has gone up to fi ve.

India to produce at least dozen billionaires among start-ups by 2020: ASSOCHAM Published on: 03-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 7 people agreed

The paper said that India wil l be among the top among the Asian start-ups along with the Chinese and the South East countr ies.

Aadi Perukku festival celebrated with traditional gaiety in Tamil Nadu Published on: 03-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Aadiperukku is a Hindu Tamil festival celebrated on the 18th day of the Tamil month of Aadi (mid-July to mid-August) in gratitude to water bodies

especially Cauvery River.

India foiled UK’s Pangaea Laboratories bid to patent use of turmeric, pine bark and tea Published on: 03-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed

Earlier, CSIR-TKDL also foiled an attempt of Colgate-Palmolive Company to patent a mouthwash formula containing herb (Nutmeg- Jayaphal) extract

used in Indian traditional systems.

Tiju Thomas initiative emerged as UAE's first and biggest donor registry Published on: 03-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 13 people agreed

The initiative that had a soft launch on World Blood Donor Day on 14 June 2015 and was formally launched on 21 June 2015 on International Yoga

Day.

MCA lifted 3-year old Wankhede Stadium entry ban on Shah Rukh Khan Published on: 03-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 5 people agreed

The Association imposed the ban following a 2012 fracas involving the Kolkata Knight Rider’s co-owner and security personnel during an IPL match.

Copenhagen Archery Championships: Indian women's recurve team clinched silver medal Published on: 03-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 10 people agreed



In the Summit clash, the Indian trio lost the World Championship final to top seeded Russians 4-5 to settle for the silver at the Christiansborg Palace.

Victorian Open WSA: Joshna Chinappa won squash title Published on: 03-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 23 people agreed

This was tenth WSA title for 28-year-old Joshna, the last being the Richmond Open title win in April 2014.

First National Handloom Day to be observed on 7 August 2015 Published on: 01-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 54 people agreed

On this occasion a new India Handloom brand for better market posi tioning of quality handloom products would be launched.

Tamil Nadu government instituted youth award in name of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Published on: 01-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 62 people agreed

Tamil Nadu government also announced that Dr Kalam’s birthday on October 15th would be celebrated as the Youth Revival Day.

Union Government released the Census data on Highest Educational Level Attained Published on: 01-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 14 people agreed

The improvements at higher educational levels along with decline in percentage share at below-Primary and Primary level are indication of educational

advancement in the country during the decade 2001-11.

Sri Lankan government decided to renovate temples destroyed in Nepal quake Published on: 01-AUG-2015Important for Exam: 19 people agreed

It will undertake the repair of Buddhist temple in Swayambhunath and Hindu temple of Rato Machindranath in Lalitpur.

1974 Land Border Agreement between India and Bangladesh came into effect Published on: 01-AUG-2015

Important for Exam: 74 people agreed The transfer helped about 50000 people to get citizenship of either country, bringing them access to all legal rights and civic amenities.

14-year-old Lucknow boy Prabhroop Sekhon won 2 Gold at Special Olympics World Games Published on: 01-AUG-2015I t t f E 29 l d

current affairs from january to july-2015

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