news updates & current affairs july 2015 -...

Studycopter: Comprehensive courses for IBPS, SSC, & Banking Exams

July 2015 News Updates by Studycopter

News Updates & Current Affairs July 2015

01 July 2015 1. Afghan president nominates first female judge to Supreme Court

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani nominated a female judge to the Supreme Court on Tuesday in an unprecedented move that has angered some Islamic conservatives. Anisa Rasouli, the head of the Afghan Women Judges Association and a former juvenile court judge, was the only female nominated to the nine-member bench after the announcement was delayed due to opposition by a group of Islamic conservatives earlier this month.

The following document contains all relevant News Updates & Current Affairs from July 2015 to help you prepare for IBPS exams (PO, Clerk, SO) etc.

You can also access General Awareness Speed Tests on Studycopter.com and on our Android Apps to test your knowledge.



2. IDFC appoints former CAG Vinod Rai as independent director Infrastructure financing firm IDFC today appointed former Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) as independent director. The appointment has been made with immediate effect. Rai also worked as Financial Services Secretary. He was director on several boards including the State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, IDBI Bank, and Life Insurance Corporation of India.



3. Nadia district in West Bengal has won the United Nations Public Service Award 2015 in the category of improving delivery of public services for or eliminating open defecation in the district. 4. Country’s second largest private sector lender HDFC Bank on Monday launched ’30-min auto’ and ’15-min 2-wheeler’ loan schemes, for which customers have to provide only their biometric details. “The 30-minute auto loan is available for HDFC Bank customers, as well as others. With this technology-enabled solution, loans for two-wheelers can also be approved within 15 minutes,” the Bank said in a release. 5. Technology major Lenovo on Monday said it has appointed Rahul Agarwal as the Managing Director of its India operations with immediate effect. Agarwal succeeds Amar Babu, who will now take on a regional mandate as Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific and Chairman, Lenovo India. 6. Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Airtel has become the world’s third largest mobile operator with 303 million subscriber. 7. New Zealand Cricket has agreed to play a day-night Test against Australia as part of a deal that will resume regular cricket between the two neighbours after a gap of four years and provide a significant financial leg-up for New Zealand. This will be cricket’s first day-night test ever.

02 July 2015

1. SBI partners with MakeMyTrip In its series of digital initiatives and tie-ups, State Bank of India, country’s largest bank, partnered with online travel company MakeMyTrip.com to capitalise on the business opportunities of the booming e-commerce and m-commerce ecosystem. The alliance includes partnership with personal banking unit for consumer facing propositions.



2. Integrated Security System inaugurated in Mumbai Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on monday inaugurated the Integrated Security System (ISS) installed with a total cost Rs. 21.72 crore at four railway stations in the metropolis comprising CST, Dadar, Kurla and LTT. The ISS is aimed at improving security on Railway premises, ensuring safety of the people and averting terror attacks.

3. State-owned power equipment maker Bhel today said it has commissioned Sudan’s largest power plant. Bhel has executed this project on Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) basis. 4. Matti Makkonen, known as the father of SMS after developing the idea of sending messages via mobile networks, has died. Makkonen, a Finnish national, passed away at the age of 63 following serious illness. 5. Former world junior champion and Grandmaster Abhijeet Gupta won the 19th Commonwealth Chess Championship. He won the gold medal after settling for a quick draw with his opponent Arghyadip Das in the ninth and final round played at Mumbai, Maharashtra.



6. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh disclosed that a Rs 643 crore project for augmenting the water supply to the growing hill city of Shimla had been approved by the union government. 7. AIADMK general secretary and Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha returned to the Tamil Nadu assembly on Tuesday crushing the opposition by a record victory margin from the Radkhakrishnan Nagar constituency.

03 July 2015 1. Greece becomes first developed nation to default on IMF debt Greece has become the first developed nation to default on International Monetary Fund (IMF) debt. It has defaulted on a 1.7 billion dollars payment to IMF.The deadline for debt payment was missed by Greece after Eurozone Finance Ministers refused to extend its bailout.

2. Jagmohan Yadav appointed as DGP of U.P.

The state government appointed 1983 batch Indian Police Service officer Jagmohan Yadav as the Director General of Police (DGP) of Uttar Pradesh.Mr Yadav was earlier posted as DG, Criminal Investigation Department (CBCID), and took charge from AK Jain, who retired as DGP on tuesday.



3. Anup K Pujari today took over as Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), after Madhav Lal bid adieu to the department on Tuesday. Pujari had a long tenure in the Ministry of Commerce and held the important post of Director General Foreign Trade, from 2010 to 2014. 4. Cuba has become the first country in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis. It was announced by the World Health Organisation (WHO). 5. Prof. Sanjeev Galande has been selected for the prestigious G D Birla award for Scientific Research 2014. He has been selected for his significant contribution and his pioneering research in the field of Epigenetics and Molecular Cell Biology. 6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched the “Digital India Week” as part of the larger initiative to empower the people and extend services better with the use of information technology and its tools. 7. Haryana government to launch a voluntary scheme ‘Mhara Gaon – Jagmag Gaon’, aimed at providing 24-hour uninterrupted power supply to rural domestic consumers and improving electricity bill collections in order to reduce “huge” accumulated losses of power utilities.

04 July 2015



1. 4 Indian-Americans honoured with Great Immigrants award 2015 in the US

Preet Bharara Current Affairs 4 July

Four Indian-Americans have been honoured withprestigious Great Immigrants, The Pride of America award 2015. They are among 38 distinguished personalities from more than 30 countries around the world who have been honoured with this year’s award. They are: § Preet Bharara: US Attorney, Southern District of New York. § Rakesh Khurana: Dean of Harvard College and Marvin Bower Professor of

Leadership and Development. § Madhulika Sikka: Vice President and Executive Editor of .Mic. § Abraham Verghese: Physician, Professor and Author.

2. President releases ‘Uniki’, written by C.H. Vidyasagar Rao

Uniki- Current Affairs 4 July

The book titled as ‘Uniki’ written by C.H. Vidyasagar Rao, released on 03rd July 2015. C.H. Vidyasagar Rao is the Governor of the State of Maharashtra.



3. Manipur lifts ban on liquor

The State of Manipur lifted the ban on manufacture and sale of liquor on 01st July 2015 as proposed by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh.

4. MNP re-launched in India

Mobile Number Portability re-started on 03rd July 2015 in India as announced by Rakesh Garg, Chairman, Telecom Commission and Secretary, Department of Telecommunication.

5. Airbus, Mahindra Group ink MoU to produce Helicopters in India Mahindra Defence Systems Limited, a subsidiary of Mahindra Group and Airbus Helicopter have inked pact to form a joint venture (JV) company to produce helicopters in India. In this regard, both entities have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to form a joint venture. The tie-up will bid for defence contracts in India under the Union government’s flagship ‘Make in India’ programme. It will also help to develop an indigenous industrial ecosystem dedicated to helicopters especially for defence purpose.



6. ‘Tatkal’ project launched by State Bank of India ‘Tatkal’ project launched by State Bank of India on 03rd July 2015 with the aim to provide doorstep services to its consumers and expedite Home Loan application process.

7. Guinness Book Recognises Madhya Pradesh’s World Record in Washing Hands The Guinness Book of World Records has recognised a record created in Madhya Pradesh on ‘World Hand washing Day’ in 2014. The mega hand washing event was held on 15 October 2014 to create awareness about hygiene by washing hands with soap. It was organised in all the 51 districts of Madhya Pradesh in over 13 thousand places. In it more than 12 lakh 78 thousand students had washed their hand simultaneously.

8. C Ramakrishnan appointed as Group CFO of Tata Motors Limited India’s biggest auto maker, Tata Motors Limited has appointed Chandrasekaran Ramakrishnan as chief financial officer (CFO) of its automobile group. He will have tenure of two years and the CFOs of all Tata Motors subsidiaries like Jaguar Land Rover, Daewoo etc. henceforth will report to him.

9. Indian-American professor R Paul Singh named for 2015 World Agriculture Prize laureate R Paul Singh, Indian-American professor has been selected for 2015 World Agriculture Prize laureate. The award was announced at the annual Global Confederation for Higher Education Associations for Agriculture and Life Sciences (GCHERA) conference held at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Lebanon.



06 July 2015

1. C D Balaji took charge as Director of the Aeronautical Development Agency Commodore C D Balaji (Retd) on 3 July 2015 took charge as the Director of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Programme Director of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). He succeeded P S Subramanyam, Distinguished Scientist, who superannuated on 30 June 2015.

2. Former Chief Justice of India YK Sabharwal passes away at 73

Former Chief Justice of India YK Sabharwal passed away in New Delhi on Saturday evening.73-year-old Justice Sabharwal is survived by two sons Chetan and Nitin. The cremation will take place on Sunday.Justice Sabharwal was CJI from 1 November 2005 to 13 January, 2007.



07 July 2015

1. Uttar Pradesh first to have vehicle tracking system

Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) has become the first State transport corporation to have a vehicle tracking system for inter-city buses, which has led to a reduction in accidents and deaths as drivers are wary of crossing the speed limits.

2. Tata Teleservices appoints Anuraag Srivastava as CFO

Tata Teleservices Ltd on Monday announced the appointment of Anuraag Srivastava as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Earlier, he had served at Indus Towers as senior vice president of internal audit and assurance. Before that, he has held significant positions at Future Axiom Telecom Ltd and GlaxoSmithkline.

Did you know that Studycopter offers complete courses for IBPS, Banking, SSC, GMAT, and other exams!

Studycopter courses contain Study Material, Practice Questions, Speed Tests, and more



3. Corporation Bank became the 1st bank in the country to launch MUDRA Card under Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana scheme. The bank launched the scheme on 04th July 2015. 4. United States of America won FIFA Women’s Football World Cup 2015 on 05th July 2015 after defeating Japan while England obtained the 3rd position after defeating Germany. 5. Lewis Hamilton of Britain won British F1 Grand Prix on 05th July 2015 after defeating Nico Rosberg of Germany. 6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream project Digital India now has a brand ambassador. Kruti Tiwari, a IIT-JEE topper from Indore was handpicked by the Prime Minister himself and she will be associated with the campaign for the next one year. 7. India won The South Asian Basketball Championship on 05th July 2015 after defeating Sri Lanka. The final match was played in Bengaluru, Karnata. India qualified for FIBA Asia Championship which will happen in September 2015. 8. Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder and chairperson of BRAC (formerly known as Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee), has been chosen as the 2015 World Food Prize Laureate.

08 July 2015

1. Indian captain Mithali Raj becomes second woman to score 5000 ODI runs



Skipper Mithali Raj scripted a new chapter in the history of Indian women’s cricket as she became the first from the country and overall second to reach the 5000-run milestone in one-day internationals.

2. IDBI signs refinance agreement with Mudra Bank State-run IDBI Bank today said it has signed an agreement with Mudra Bank for refinancing of loans given to small enterprises. ii. As per the agreement, the Bank will offer credit facilities up to Rs 10 lakh to micro enterprises, at a competitive interest rate under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) and Mudra will be providing refinance assistance to the bank for eligible sanctioned loan cases.

3. Renowned Urdu novelist from Pakistan Abdullah Hussain died on 4 July 2015 in Lahore after battling with blood cancer. He was 84.He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter. 4. Inshore patrol vessel Rani Durgavati was inducted into the Coast Guard here on Friday at a ceremony where the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, Vice-Admiral Satish Soni, was the chief guest.



5. President Pranab Mukherjee today inaugurated a ‘Nakshatra Vatika’ in the gardens of Rashtrapati Nilayam in Hyderabad, one of the Presidential Retreats. He took a round of the garden and watered a plant representing ‘Surya’ or the Sun God. 6. Former Finance Minster of China Jin Liqun was in news as on 6 July 2015 he was nominated by China to be the first president of the Beijing-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). 7. Diana Douglas, the first wife of Kirk Douglas and mother of Michael Douglas, died Saturday in Los Angeles. She was 92.

09 July 2015 1. UGC grants heritage status to 19 colleges UGC has approved for financial assistance to 19 colleges for conserving campuses and specialised courses related to heritage. The colleges which have been granted the status include St.Xavier’s College, Mumbai; CMS College Kottayam; St Joseph College, Trichy; Khalsa College, Amritsar; St Bede’s College, Shimla, Christ Church College in Kanpur, Old Agra College, Agra; Meerut College, Meerut and Langat Singh College in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur. Others which have figured in the list are Govt.Brennan College, Kerala; University College in Mangalore, Cotton College in Guwahati, Midnapore college in West Bengal, Govt Medical Science in Jabalpur, Deccan Education Society’s Fergusson College in Pune, Hislop college in Nagpur, Govt. Gandhi Memorial Science College in Jammu, Kanya Mahavidyalya in Jalandhar and St Xavier’s College in Kolkata.



2. Infosys signs multi-year agreement with Deutsche Bank Infosys, India’s second largest IT services exporter, on Wednesday announced that it has signed a multi-year agreement with Deutsche Bank. Under the terms of the deal, Infosys will provide services like development, application maintenance, digital and mobility, package implementation and testing services across the Deutsche Bank Group, Infosys press release said.

3. India will contribute $18 billion to the 100 billion dollar foreign-exchange reserves pool that is currently being established by the BRICS group in order to help member nations “in case of any problems with dollar liquidity.” 4. PTC India Financial Services said on Wednesday that Ashok Haldia was appointed the company’s new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. 5. K7 Computing Pvt. Ltd, a Chennai-based provider of safe and secure computing experience, has signed a memorandum with ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu to jointly conduct 12 power seminars across the state and ICT awareness week in six cities.



6. Reserve Bank has said that Foreign Direct Investment in manufacturing of tobacco products is prohibited, though activities such as retail and wholesale trading fall under the sectoral restrictions.

10 July 2015

1. Satish Pillai appointed as new MD & CEO of CIBIL Credit Information Bureau India Ltd (CIBIL), India’s leader in credit information, has appointed Satish Pillai as its new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer on Thursday. Pillai succeeds Arun Thukral who retires this year after a decade.

2. Rahul Bhatnagar appointed as MD and CFO Bharti Enterprises

Bharti Enterprises named Rahul Bhatnagar managing director & chief financial officer, the company said in a statement Wednesday. Bhatnagar will report to Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Mittal.



3. Professor Lord Kamlesh Patel has become the first British Asian to be appointed as Director of England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). He succeeds Lord Morris of Handsworth, who had stepped down after 11 years as an ECB Director. 4. Union government has appointed Sriram Kalyanaraman as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Housing Bank (NHB) for a period of five years. With this he became the first person from private sector to be appointed as head of a public sector financial institution. 5. Senior IAS officer Sanjeev Nandan Sahai was today appointed as the new Home Secretary of Delhi, ending a bitter tussle between Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and the AAP government. The order appointing Sahai, a 1986 batch Union Territory cadre officer, was issued by Union Home Ministry, official sources said. 6. Indian Railways launched a mobile ticketing application for unreserved tickets for commuters in Western Railway. It was launched by Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. This mobile ticketing service will cover 35 stations between the 123 km long Churchgate -Dhauroad and facilitate a hassle free travel for lakhs of daily passengers in Mumbai. 7. The Film Society of Jodhpur has been conferred with the Pritiman Sarkar Award(2014-15), for the fourth time, for being the best film society in Northern Region in raising awareness and film appreciation.

11 July 2015



1. Ashok K. Lahiri will become 1st Chairman of Bandhan Bank

Bandhan Bank, the first bank to be set up in West Bengal after Independence, has appointed Ashok K. Lahiri former Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India, former deputy MD of Axis Bank and present CGM of Nabard as the chairman.

2. Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan launched

Former Indian president A.P.J Abdul Kalam on Thursday launched the Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan (RAA) in New Delhi. Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan is a unique concept developed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development that aims to inculcate a spirit of inquiry, creativity and love for Science and Mathematics in school children.



3. India and Pakistan were on Friday accepted as full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a regional grouping including China and Russia, with which Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered to work in combating terror and boosting trade by easing barriers. 4. Defence PSU Bharat Electronics made Akash inducted into Indian Air Force. BEL, the nodal agency and supplies major sub-systems, today at a ceremony held at Air Force Station, Gwalior, handed over the missile system. 5. Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka has set a Guinness World Record for spending longest time in space with a total of 804 days as on July 2015. With this he broke the previous record of 803 days, nine hours and 41 minutes set by Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev (now retired) across six missions from 1998 to 2005. 6. Uttarakhand became first Indian state to install a system to detect earthquakes and disseminate warnings. The first system has been installed in its capital Dehradun which will issue warnings 1-40 seconds before earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more occur.

13 July 2015

1. Nationwide model science labs programme launched by Dr A P J Abdul Kalam

To inculcate scientific temperament among students, government has proposed to set up ‘model science labs’ across the country, beginning with the North East region. The labs aim to ignite passion and nurture spirit of enquiry and creativity for mathematics and science in students between 6-18 years of age. Former President APJ Abdul Kalam launched the programme in the presence of Minister of State of HRD Ram Shankar Katharia, Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region and Department of Space Jitendra Singh, Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan.



2. Prince Saud al-Faisal, World’s longest serving Foreign Minister passes away

Prince Saud al-Faisal, former foreign minister of Saudi Arabia passed away in United States. He was 75. He was the Saudi kingdom’s foreign minister for 4 decades (from 1975 to 2015). He had retired in April 2015 and was succeeded by Adel al-Jubeir. He had served under four Saudi kings and had advanced the kingdom’s foreign policy, especially after the 9/11 attacks in US.

3. Actor Omar Sharif, famous for his title role as Doctor Zhivago in the Oscar-winning film, has died at the age of 83. Egyptian state television reported. 4. Martina Hingis and her partner, India’s Sania Mirza, defeated the formidable Russian pairing of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina and went ahead to win Wimbledon Open Women’s Doubles.



5. Kagiso Rabada became the second man in history to claim a hat trick on debut as South Africa thrashed Bangladesh by eight wickets in a rain-hit first one-day international in Dhaka on Friday. 6. LG Electronics has recalled the chief of its Indian operations in the first-ever mid-year change of management on the back of poor sales growth during his tenure and a slowing market. The country’s largest white goods maker will now be led by MY Kim, formerly global head of marketing.

14 July 2015

1. Legendary music composer MS Viswanathan passes away. Legendary music director MS Viswanathan, who had scored music for over 1,000 films, passed away at his residence early in the morning following illness. 88-year-old Viswanathan was being treated at a private hospital for geriatric problems. The music director is survived by four sons and three daughters.

2. India and Georgia signed MoU for cooperation in field of Election Management India and Georgia on 13 July 2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of election management and administration.



3. India and Kyrgyzstan have signed 4 pacts/ agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two nations. These agreements were inked during the two-day visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kyrgystan as part of his official visit to 5 Central Asian countries and Russia. 4. State Bank of India (SBI), the largest bank in India, has partnered online financial product aggregator ‘bankbazaar.com’ along with the bank’s subsidiary SBI CAP Securities. 5. Lieutenant General Man Mohan Singh Rai was on 13 July 2014 appointed as the Vice-Chief of the Indian Army. Rai will succeed Lt Gen Philip Campose, who will superannuate the office on 31 July 2015. 6. n fresh trials, India has test-fired its indigenously developed Nag anti-tank guided missile, which can hit a target upto seven km, from a helicopter at a firing range in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. 7. Mumbai Ranji cricketer Hiken Shah has been suspended by the BCCI with immediate effect after being found guilty of breaching BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Code. 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.

15 July 2015



1. IPL scam: Apex court suspends Rajasthan Royals, CSK for two years

The Supreme Court-appointed Justice R.M. Lodha Committee on Tuesday suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) teams Chennai Super Kings (CSK)and Rajasthan Royals (RR) from the League for two years. The committee on Tuesday also imposed sanctions on Gurunath Meiyappan, and Raj Kundra who were the face of these IPL franchises respectively and were found to have indulged in betting activities. It declared them ineligible for participation from cricket activities for life.

2. Noted artist Sayed Haider Raza conferred with France’s de la Lgion dHonneur

Noted artist Sayed Haider Raza was conferred with highest French Civilian Award Commandeur de la Lgion dHonneur (the Legion of Honour). Raza was bestowed with this award for his peerless achievements in transcending all boundaries, forging ties between France and India and for continuing artistic quest straddling nations, religions, cultures and philosophies.



3. Former Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) President Pashupatinath Roy died on 13 July 2015 following a cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Kolkata. He was 76. 4. The government has appointed international lawyer Rodrigo Oreamuno to arbitrate on its behalf in a tax case worth Rs 20,000 crore with British telecom major Vodafone. Costa Rica-based Mr Oreamuno replaces former Chief Justice of India R C Lahoti who had in May recused himself. 5. India on Monday launched its satellite-based air navigation services, thereby joining a select league comprising the US, Europe Union (EU) and Japan which have similar systems. Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju dedicated the services to the nation in a ceremony in New Delhi. 6. India’s longest road tunnel, being built on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, will be opened for general traffic in July next year and would reduce the distance between the two cities by 30 kms. 7. Tata Steel’s West Bokaro Division conferred with Golden Peacock Environment Management (GPEM) Award for the year 2015 on 11th July 2015 for its contribution to environmental practices and resource management.

16 July 2015

1. PM Modi launches ‘Skill India’ campaign



Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched the ‘Skill India Mission’ in the national capital. The Prime Minister will formally launch the National Skill Development Mission, unveil the new National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015 and roll out on all-India flagship scheme.

2. India’s first railway-line built under PPP model inaugurated in Gujarat

Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu on 14 July 2015 inaugurated the broad-gauge railway-line between Gandhidham and Tuna-Tekra Port in Gujarat by flagging off a goods train. The rail line is India’s first railway-line built with private sector participation under Non-Government Railway (NGR) Policy 2012 of Indian Railways.

3. Opener Soumya Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal hit half-centuries as Bangladesh drubbed South Africa by nine wickets in the third and final one-day international to take the three-match series 2-1 in Chittagong on Wednesday. 4. Andromeda, one of the country’s largest loan distributors, has acquired the apnapaisa.com, an online loan solutions space in a stock and cash deal.



5. Iconic Mexican musician Joan Sebastian passed away on 13 July 2015 after battling bone cancer for more than 15 years in Juliantla, Mexico. He was 64. He was also known as El Rey del Jaripeo (the King of Mexican Rodeo). 6. Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh Mela began in the State of Maharashtra on 14th July 2015. The festival will end on 11th August 2016. It is held after every 12 years. 7. Iran and P5+1 countries ‘USA, UK, Russia, China, France and Germany signed an agreement on 14th July 2015 called as nuclear programme/deal. The meeting was held at Vienna, Austria between the countries.

17 July 2015

1. India inks $250-million loan pact with World Bank for Andhra Pradesh Disaster Recovery project

India today singed a pact with the World Bank for USD 250-million financial assistance for Andhra Pradesh Disaster Recovery Project which will help the state enhance its capacity to respond promptly and effectively in times of crisis.

The financing agreement was signed by the Centre, the Andhra Pradesh government and the World Bank.

Selva Kumar, Acting Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India; J C Sharma, Principal Secretary, Revenue Department, (Land and Disaster Management), the Government of Andhra Pradesh; and Onno Ruhl,



Country Director, World Bank (India) signed the

pact.

2. Indian-American woman Sunita Viswanath honoured with Champion of Change

Sunita Viswanath, an Indian-American woman has been with Champion of Change award by the White House of United States. She is among the 12 other recipients who have been honoured with this award for their continuous efforts towards climate change. Sunita was honoured for her work with Sadhana, US based organisation’s s Project Prithvi which encourages Hindus to take care of the environment. She is co-founder and board member of Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus.

3. Union Cabinet gives nod to Composite Foreign Investment Cap Union Cabinet has given nod to introduce composite foreign investment cap in a bid to streamline the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) structure. Decision in this regard was taken during Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. This move will help government to club all forms of overseas investments such as FDI, Non-resident Indians (NRIs), foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and other foreign investments to define sectoral limits as a composite cap. Present policy has different



caps for separate investment categories like FDI, FII and NRIs. The proposed sectors for composite foreign investment cap are agriculture, mining, tea, broadcasting, airports, media, retail (single brand and multi-brand), asset reconstruction companies, e-commerce, banking, insurance and commodity exchanges. Thus it will simplify the FDI policy with a view to attract foreign investments and also improving ease of doing business in India.

4. RBI constitutes Deepak Mohanty Committee to frame action plan on financial inclusion Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted a committee to prepare a 5 year action plan to spread the reach of financial services across country to unbanked population. The committee will be headed by RBI executive director Deepak Mohanty and comprise total of 14 members

5. Four schemes launched for Skill India



Four schemes namely National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015, National Skill Development Mission, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Skill Loan Scheme to achieve the goals of Skill India scheme.

6. Construction for Shuangjiankou Dam, the world’s tallest dam, started in China

7. New committee caste/sub-caste/clan data formed by Government of India

20 July 2015 1. India, Russia sign customs pact to boost trade India, Russia India and Russia have signed a customs and liberalize business visas agreement to boost trade between both countries to remove the hindrances and boost commerce. This pact will help to rapid clearances of imported goods at the land and sea



ports and addresses the issues related to the non-tariff barriers. Both countries also have fixed a target of US 30 billion dollars to be achieved by 2025.

2. Indian-origin doctor Shiv Pande receives honorary fellowship in UK Shiv Pande, an Indian origin doctor has been award with honorary fellowship by prestigious University of Central Lancashire of United Kingdom. He was award with this fellowship in recognition of his contribution to the community as a general practitioner and medical educator.

3. India and Myanmar to strengthen Defence ties India and Myanmar India and Myanmar have announced plans to strengthen their defence cooperation during a joint consultative commission (JCC) meeting held in New Delhi. JCC meeting was chaired by Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Myanmar’s Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin.



4. EU approves 7 Billion Euro Short-Term Loan to Greece European Union (EU) has approved a short-term loan of 7.16 billion euros to Greece after it was backed by the 28 member states. This loan will allow Greece to pay its debt to European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) till new bailout plan is ratified.



21-22 July 2015 1. Naomi Klein Noted Canadian author Naomi Klein has won the 36th edition of American Book Award.

Noted Canadian author Naomi Klein has won the 36th edition of American Book Award 2015. She has won this award for her environmental work This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate published in 2014. Apart from her, 14 others also have won the award. Some of them are Marlon James (A Brief History of Seven Killings), Carlos Santana (The Universal Tone) etc.

2. BCCI constitutes IPL working group to study Justice Lodha committee verdict



Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has constituted IPL working group to study the verdict of the Justice RM Lodha Committee. Decision in this regard was taken in the IPL governing council meeting held in Mumbai after the Lodha committee ruled the suspension IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) for two years on the verdict of 2013 IPL Betting Scandal. The working group will consist of four members including Rajiv Shukla– IPL chairman Anurag Thakur– BCCI secretary Anirudh Choudhury- BCCI treasurer and Sourav Ganguly- former India Cricket team captain. 3. Bhanu Pratap Sharma appointed as Chairperson of FSSAI

Union Government has appointed Bhanu Pratap Sharma as Chairperson Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Presently, he is Health and Family Welfare Secretary was given additional charge of FSSAI for three months. Sharma is an IAS officer of 1981 batch from Bihar cadre.

FSSAI is a nodal statutory agency responsible for protecting and promoting public health in India through the regulation and supervision of food safety. FSSAI was established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and operates under aegis of Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

FSSAI has been established to lay down science based standards for various food products in order ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. It also regulates the manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import of food products for human consumption.

4. Amelie Mauresmo inducted into Hall of Fame Amelie Mauresmo, the former Tennis player inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on 18th July 2015. She became 3rd Tennis player of France to be inducted into Hall of Fame.



5. Nelson Mandela International Day observed on 18th July Nelson Mandela International Day observed on 18th July 2015. Earlier, in the year 2010 the day was firstly celebrated. Nelson Mandela was the former President of South Africa.

6. Aam Aadmi Clinic inaugurated in Delhi ‘Aam Aadmi Clinic’ inaugurated by Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal on 19th July 2015 at Peeragarhi Relief Camp organized in

Delhi.



7. ‘National Career Service’ launched The portal namely ‘National Career Service’ launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20th July 2015. The basic aim of the portal that to create a direct market for workers and employers.

8. ‘Drishti’ installed at Indira Gandhi Airport, Delhi

The Visibility Measuring System ‘Drishti’ installed at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, Now, the Airport became 1st Airport of India to have 10 indigenous systems operating in all its three runways. 9. At 50, model-actor Milind Soman wins Ironman title in ‘‘toughest’ triathlon in Zurich Model-actor Milind Soman, who turns 50 in November this year, has won the Ironman title at a triathlon held in Zurich in Switzerland on July 19 in which over 2,000 participants this year included seven Indians.



10. United Nations Security Council adopts resolution endorsing Iran nuclear deal The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted a resolution for endorsing the historic deal on Iran’s nuclear program. It was supported by all 15 representatives of countries on the Security Council and opened path to lift nuclear-related economic sanctions on Iran. It also paved the way for establishing a monitoring system for Iran’s nuclear programme.

11. ISRO successfully test-fires GSLV-Mark III rocket engine ISRO has successfully test-fired Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III project’s high-thrust cryogenic rocket engine. It is India’s first indigenously designed and developed high-thrust cryogenic rocket engine capable of generating a nominal thrust of 19 tonnes.

23-25 July 2015

1. Nasa scientists have announced the discovery of Kepler 452b, also known as ‘Earth 2.0′, an earth-like planet in our galaxy.

Over the course of years of data-gathering by the Kepler space telescope and even more analysis and work here on Earth, scientists confirmed the existence of the distant exoplanet, which is the most earth-like planet ever discovered.



2. Maharashtra cabinet approves scheme for development of villages around Tiger reserves

Maharashtra Cabinet on 23 July 2015 approved Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Jan Van Vikas Scheme. The scheme proposed by Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar in the state’s annual budget 2015-16 aims at creation of comprehensive development of villages in the buffer zones of tiger reserves and around them.

3. T K Chand appointed as CMD of National Aluminium Company

T K Chand has been appointed as the new chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) of National Aluminium Company(Nalco). Chand who has been Director (Commercial) of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), will take up his new position on Monday, July 27, 2015.



4. Shubham Jaglan won IJGA World Stars of Junior Golf event 2015 10-year old Shubham Jaglan on 22 July 2015 won the IJGA World Stars of Junior Golf event in Las Vegas. Jaglan is the son of a milkman from rural Haryana, India.

5. Puducherry city first to get Smart city nomination Puducherry city has emerged as the first nomination to be received by the Urban Development Ministry for a Smart City Mission. In this regard, Government of Union Territory of Puducherry has nominated its capital city for inclusion in the Union Government’s flagship 100 Smart Cities Mission.



6. 14 States, UTs achieve literacy rate of 80% Union Government has announced that 14 States and Union Territories (UTs) have achieved or exceeded the literacy rate of 80 percent. It was announced by Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. 7. National Broadcasting Day observed on 23rd July

NBD – Current Affairs

National Broadcasting Day was observed on 23 July 2015 across the country. It is on this day in 1927, the Indian Broadcasting Company started radio broadcasting from Bombay station.

8. Conakry named as World Book Capital for 2017 by UNESCO



Conakry, the capital of the Republic of Guinea, was on 21 July 2015 named as the World Book Capital for 2017 by United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO). The decision was made by an international committee of experts on 30 June 2015 during a meeting.

9. CCEA extends CCTNS deadline to March 2017 Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has extended the deadline for implementation of Crime and Criminals Tracking network and Systems (CCTNS) project till March 2017.

CCEA – Current Affairs

10. World University Games no-show: AIU hands three-year ban to archers and coach.

AAU – Current Affairs

Cracking the whip on the three archers who missed the bronze medal play-off during the recently-concluded World University Games, the Association of Indian Universities has



banned them and their coach for three years, besides asking them to return the money spent on them. 11. KFC partners with IRCTC to start delivery system for passengers

KFC Indian Railways Current Affairs

The fast food chain has tied up with the IRCTC to start a delivery system for passengers. From 20 July onwards, a person travelling on train can order KFC meal, while booking ticket through IRCTC, under e-catering service initiatives, KFC said in a statement.

12. Archie Comics cartoonist Tom Moore dies at 86 Tom Moore, the cartoonist who brought to life the escapades of Riverdale residents in Archie comics has passed away. He was 86. 13. R.D. Burman: The Prince of Music written by Khagesh Dev Burman

Book titled R.D. Burman: The Prince of Music authored by Khagesh Dev Burman was released on 27 June 2015, the day when the music world celebrated the 76th birth anniversary of Rahul Dev Burman.



14. President nominates 2 members of Anglo-Indian Community to Lok Sabha. President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed 2 members of Anglo-Indian Community to Lok Sabha as per the provisions of Article 331 of Indian Constitution.

15. Lupin acquires US pharmaceutical firm Gavis. Indian pharmaceutical major Lupin has acquired US based Gavis Pharmaceuticals in cash-free and debt-free transaction for 880 million dollars (around 5,606 crore rupees).

16. Indian-American Amitoj Chhabra wins junior title at US Powerlifting Championships.

20 year old Indian-American Amitoj Chhabra has won the Junior Title at the US Powerlifting Association National Championships 2015. ii. He won this title after he lifted a total of 1,383 pounds in the junior title Championship which was held at the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas. iii. He is son of a Punjabi father and a Nepali mother. He had started powerlifting in 2013 and began competing at various championships in May 2014. Presently, he is undergoing Adam Lauritzen of Silverback Strength and Conditioning in Reno.

news updates & current affairs july 2015 -...

Documents