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Important Dates
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Modi and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing, China. These agreements include protocol
for establishment of consulates in Chengdu and Chennai, agreement on the establishment of
sister states Sichuan and Karnataka, action plan between railways of the two countries, MoU on
education exchange programme, MoU between Indias between NITI Aayog and Development
Research Centre of China, etc.
India and Mongolia Signed 13 Agreements
India and Mongolia on 17 May signed 13 agreements, including an air services agreement and in
cyber security, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with his Mongolian counterpart
Chimed Saikhanbileg in Ulan Bator,the capital of Mongolia.
India Ranked 100th On Human Capital Index
India was on 14 May ranked at a low 100th position on a global Human Capital Index, which
measures the countries in terms of the economies leveraging their human capital, where Finland
has topped the 124-nation list.On the list, compiled by World Economic Forum (WEF), other
emerging economies such as Russia, China, Brazil and South Africa are ranked ahead of India.
NATIONAL
Lok Sabha Passed Goods and Services Tax Bill 2014
Lok Sabha on 6 May passed the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, 2014 which is also known
as Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill. The Bill seeks to amend the Constitution in order to
introduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Consequently, the bill also seeks to carry out new
indirect tax regime in the country that will subsume various central and state levies like sales tax,
excise and service tax except taxes on the supply of alcoholic liquor for human consumption and
petroleum products.Transition from the traditional taxation to GST will boost Indias growth by
up to 2.5 percentage points.
PM Narendra Modi Launches Three Social Security Schemes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 May launched three mega social security schemes in
Kolkata, West Bengal. The schemes were launched simultaneously at 115 places in the country
with Central and State Chief Ministers and senior ministers attending the functions.
1) Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana (PMJJBY)
2) Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)
3) Atal Pension Yojana (APY)
1) Atal Pension Yojana (APY) :- Under APY scheme, the pension subscribers will receive a
fixed minimum monthly pension ranging from 1,000 rupees to 5,000 rupees at the age of 60
years. The fixed minimum monthly pension will be depending on the contributions subscribers.
The minimum age of joining 18 years and maximum age is 40 years. Focus of APY To target
unorganised sector workers.
2) Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana (PMJJBY):- Under the PMJJBY, the insurance
subscriber will get an annual life insurance in case of death. Eligibility Available any person in
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the age group of 18 to 50 years having a bank account. Risk Coverage 2 Lakh rupees in case of
death due to any reason. Payment Mode of premium 330 rupees per annum will be directly
auto-debited by the bank from the subscribers account.
3) Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY):- Under the PMSBY, the insurance
subscriber will get annual life insurance in case of accidental death, partial disability or full
disability. Eligibility Available to any person in the age group 18 to 70 years. Risk Coverage
For accidental death and full disability 2 Lakh rupees For partial disability 1 Lakh rupees.
Payment Mode of premium 12 rupees per annum will be directly auto-debited by the bank
from the subscribers account in case of long-term option.
Parliament Passed Black Money Bill
The Rajya Sabha on 13 May passed the Black Money Bill. It was earlier passed by the Lok
Sabha on 11 May 2015. According to the new Bill those who conceal income and assets, and
indulge in tax evasion in relation to foreign assets can face rigorous imprisonment of up to 10
years. They will also be liable to face a penalty of 300 per cent of taxes on the concealed income
and assets.
PM Narendra Modi Launched Doordarshans Farmer-Centric Kisan TV Channel
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 26 May launched Indias first television channel DD Kisan
dedicated to farmers in New Delhi. This 24-hour channel is initially in Hindi and is dedicated to
agriculture and allied sectors of India. It seeks to disseminate real-time inputs to farmers on new
farming techniques, water conservation and organic farming among other information.
STATES
BHEL commissioned 195 MW Thermal Unit of KBUNL In Bihar
State-owned electrical equipment maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on 4 May
commissioned a 195 MW thermal unit of Kanti Bijlee Utpadan Nigam Limited (KBUNL) in
Muzaffarpur, Bihar. This was the first 195 MW unit to be commissioned by BHEL at the 2195
MW Muzaffarpur Thermal Power Station (TPS) Plant of KBUNL.
PM Narendra Modi Inaugurated IISCO Steel Plant at Burnpur
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 10 May inaugurated the upgraded IISCO Steel Plant (ISP) in
Burnpur, West Bengal. The ISP houses the largest blast furnace of India. The ISP was
modernised by the Union Government at a cost of 16000 crore rupees.
UP Govt Launched Samajwadi Water ATM scheme
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on 12 May launched Samajwadi water ATM
scheme at bus stations. It seeks to provide potable water to bus passengers at reasonable price.In
this regard, state government will install water ATMs at most of the bus stations which will
provide potable water at the rate of 1 rupee per litre and cold water at 2 rupees per litre.
Punjab Becomes First State To Issue Soil Health Cards To Farmers
Punjab Agriculture Department on 13 May launched a pan-state programme to monitor the soil
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health of every farm in the state by issuing them personalised Soil Health Cards (SHCs). With
this, Punjab became the first state in India to issue Soil Health Cards to farmers.Prime Minister
had formally launched the nationwide Soil Health Card Scheme from Suratgarh, Rajasthan in
Februrary 2015.
CONFERENCES
6th National Conference on Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Energy6th National Conference on Nuclear Energy was held in New Delhi on 15 May
2015. The Conference was organised by ASSOCHAM with the theme Nuclear Energy: a Clean
Energy option. The conference discussed the issue related to the status of Nuclear Energy in
India. India is on course to double its nuclear power generation capacity to more than 10,000
mega watts (MW) over the next five years i.e. 2020.Nuclear power plants account for 3.5% of
Indias current electricity generation, and its share in Indias future electricity generation will be
less than 10% even if the installed capacity is tripled.
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Victoria and Albert Museum in London on 20 May 2015. The prize, worth 60,000, is awarded
every two years for an achievement in fiction on the world stage. The Man International Booker
Prize is awarded to a living author of any nationality who has published fiction either in English
or in English translation.
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ECONOMY
56 Indian Companies Among Forbes Global 2000 List
US magazine Forbes on 6 May released Global 2000 Companies list. According to the list, India
is home to 56 of the worlds 2000 largest and most powerful public companies.The list is topped
by US (579 companies), followed by China (232 companies) and Japan (218 companies).
Reliance Industries, the topmost India company is ranked 142 on the list, down from last years
135th spot.
SBI launches RuPay Platinum Debit Card
Indias largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) on 7 May launched State Bank RuPay Platinum
debit card in association with National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI). Initially, the card
will be issued free to customers maintaining a quarterly balance of 50000 rupees. The RuPay
card is accepted at all payment channels like ATMs, PoS and eCommerce.
Forbes Worlds 10 Biggest Consumer Financial Services Firms
Mortgage lender HDFC has emerged as the only Indian company among the worlds 10 biggest
consumer financial services firms, after giants like American Express, Visa and Mastercard.
HDFC is ranked 7th on the list, compiled by business magazine Forbes, where American Express
is placed on the top followed by Capital One Financial, Visa, Discover Financial Services and
Orix in the top-five.
Four Indians Among Forbes worlds 100 Most Powerful Women
SBI Chief Arundhati Bhattacharya, ICICI bank head Chanda Kochhar, Biocon founder Kiran
Mazumdar-Shaw and HT Media Chair Shobhana Bhartia were listed in the 12th Forbes100
Most Powerful Women List, which was released on 26 May . Arundhati Bhattacharya ranked
30th on the list, followed by Kochhar on the 35th spot, Mazumdar-Shaw (85) and newcomer on
the list Bhartia is on the 93rd spot.The worlds most powerful woman in the list is German
Chancellor Angela Merkel who fetched the first spot.
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PERSONS IN NEWS
A) APPOINTMENTS
KV Kamath Appointed as First President of NDB of BRICS nations
Eminent banker Kundapur Vaman Kamath was on 11 May 2015 appointed as the first President
of the New Development Bank (NDB) of BRICS nations. He will have of five year term after the
bank becomes operational within one year. He was conferred with Padma Bhushan Award in
2008. The Leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) had meeting in
2014 and reached an agreement to establish the New Development Bank, with its headquarters in
Shanghai. As per the agreement, India got the right to nominate the first president.
Four New Governors Appointed
President of India Pranab Mukherjii on 12 May 2015 appointed four Governors and transferred
two others.
Following are newly appointed Governors :1) Jharkhand Draupadi Murmu
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May.The previous world record was 92m, set for a triptych by British artist Francis Bacon
again at Christies in 2013.Picassos painting depicts nude and semi-nude women and is part of a
15-work series the artist created between 1954-55.
PLACES IN NEWS
Tunisians Unfurled Worlds Largest Flag
Worlds largest flag was unfurled at an event in Ong Jmel in the southern desert area of Tunisia.
Tunisian national flag of the size of 19 football pitches was unfurled in a bid to set a Guinness
World Record and promote patriotism in the face of Islamist extremism. The flag of 104,544
square metre was made using 80 kilometres of fabric and weighed arounf 12.6 tonnes.
ABBREVIATIONS
PMSBY Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana
PMJJBY Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana
APY Atal Pension Yojana
Wi-Fi Wireless Fidelity
DARPA Defense Advance Research Project Agency
BOOKS IN NEWS
Vice President Released The Book China Confucius In The Shadows
A Book titled China Confucius in the Shadows was released by the Vice President M. Hamid
Ansari on 1 May 2015. Confucius was considered as the most efficient author in Chinese history.
Book has been written by Poonam Surie. Poonam Surie is an Adjunct Fellow at the Institute of
Chinese Studies, New Delhi.
COMMITTEES
Vijay Kelkar Committee To Revisit PPP infra Model
Union government on 26 May constituted a 10-member committee to review and revitalise
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Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode of infrastructure development. The committee will be
chaired by under former finance secretary Vijay Kelkar and submit its report within a period of 3
months from the date of its Constitution. The Kelkar committee will review the PPP policy and
suggest a better risk-sharing mechanism between private developers and the government after
analysing such projects in different.
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during a meeting between Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Pakistani
counterpart Khawaja Asif in Moscow on 16 April 2015.
3. China and Pakistan Signed An Agreement On CPEC
China and Pakistan on 21 April signed an agreement on China Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC) plan worth 46 billion US dollars. The agreement was signed by Chinas President Xi
Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. 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. Concessional loans will cover nearly 10 billion US dollar of infrastructure projects.
4. Omar al-Bashir Re-elected As Sudan President
Sudans President Omar al-Bashir has won Presidential re-election by securing 94 per cent of
the vote on 27 April. With this win, Omar al-Bashir extends his 25-year rule. Omar faces war
crimes charges and is wanted by the International Criminal Court. He is in power since 1989.
In this election Omars National Congress Party (NCP) also won 323 of 426 parliamentary
seats.
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NATIONAL
1. PM Narendra Modi Launched Indias First National Air Quality Index
The National Air Quality Index (NAQI) was launched for the first time in India by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on 6 April 2015 primarily for assessing the quality of air in major
urban centres across the country on a real-time basis. This National Air Quality Index will
provide information on the quality of air in 10 major cities in the country on a real-time
basis.The ten cities where the quality of air can be monitored are Delhi, Agra, Kanpur,
Lucknow, Varanasi, Faridabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad.
2. Union Government Notified NJAC 2014
The Union Government on 13 April 2015 notified the National Judicial Appointments
Commission (NJAC) Act, 2014 and the Constitution (Ninety-ninth Amendment) Act, 2014.
The NJAC Act and 99th Amendment Act were notified in exercise of the powers conferred by
sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Act. With this new law the collegium system to appoint
members to the higher judiciary has come to an end. Now President will appoint judges in the
Supreme Court (SC) and 24 High Courts (HCs) in consultation with the NJAC.
3. MHA renames Visa On Arrival Scheme To E-Tourist Visa
Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on 14 April decided to rename Tourist Visa on
Arrival-Electronic Travel Authorization (TVoA-ETA) scheme as e-Tourist Visa (eTV)
scheme.
4. Rajya Sabha Passed Transgenders Rights Bill
The Rajya Sabha on 24 April passed a bill that seeks equal rights for the transgenders.The
Rights of Transgender Persons Bill 2014 was introduced by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva. It was
the first private members bill to be passed by the Upper House in 45 years. The last time the
Lok Sabha passed a private members bill was in 1970. In the Rajya Sabha a private
members bill was passed in 1969.
5. Railways Launches Mobile App for Paperless Ticketing of Unreserved Category
The Railway Ministry has launched utsonmobile, a mobile application for paperless
unreserved tickets. The application service was launched by Union Railway Minister Suresh
Prabhu on 22 April in New Delhi. This application will allow its passenger to buy a ticket on
the move and to board the train with the ticket secured on his mobile phone in digital format,
without any need for printing the ticket. Initially, it has been launched as a pilot project and
cover 15 stations in Southern Railway. Later on it will be extended to entire country in phases.
STATES
1. Gujarat Launched Industrial Tourism To Showcase Development
Gujarat government has on 12 April launched industrial tourism package to promote its
development by showcasing its major industrial installations which have earned global
acclaim for state. It is a first of its kind initiative India, offered by Tourism Corporation of
Gujarat Ltd (TCGL) in collaboration with Ahmedabad based Akshar Travels Pvt Ltd. The
tour package is called as Industrial Tour of Gujarat will cover some of the major industrial
attractions of the state.
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CONFERENCES
5th SAARC Health Ministers Meeting Held In New Delhi
The 5th meeting of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Health Ministers
was held on 8 April 2015 in New Delhi. The meet ended with the adoption of Delhi Declaration on
Public Health Challenges.The declaration focuses on issues common to member nations of South
Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
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Champions of Change on 16 April. He is one of the 12 local Champions of Change who were
honoured for their exemplary leadership. Champions of Change honour is given to those who
support working families and help make change in their companies or communities.
ECONOMY
1. Union Government Unveiled new FTP
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry on 2 April unveiled Foreign Trade Policy (FTP)
2015-2020. The new trade policy will incorporate government ambitious initiatives such as
Make in India, Digital India mission, Skill India programme, ease of business in order to
boost jobs and take Indias exports to 900 billion dollars by 2020. In the new policy FTP201520, two new schemes Merchandise Exports From India Scheme (MEIS) and Services Exports
From India Scheme (SEIS) were introduced.
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the Mazgaon Docks Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.It was designed indigenously. It is a
Kolkata class warship.It is also the first of P15-B stealth destroyers.The ship weighs 3000
tonnes and is 163 metres long.It is designed to achieve speed of more than 30 knots at
displacement of around 7300 tonnes.INS Vishakapatnam will also be fitted with supersonic
surface to surface missile system.
5. NASA develops First 3-D Printed Copper Rocket Engine Part
NASA engineers have developed the first full-scale three dimensional (3-D) printed copper
rocket engine part. The part developed was a combustion chamber liner that operates at
extreme temperatures and pressures using additive manufacturing technique.
PERSONS IN NEWS
A) APPOINTMENTS
Nasim Zaidi Takes Over as new CEC
Nasim Zaidi took over as the 20th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India on 19 April.He is
Indias 20th CEC and succeeded Hari Shankar Brahma, who had retired on April 18, 2015.
Loretta Lynch Sworn In As U.S. Attorney General
Loretta Lynch on 27 April 2015 was sworn-in as the United States 83rd Attorney General, the first
African-American woman to serve as the nations top law enforcement official. She succeeded former
attorney general Eric Holder, who left the position on 24 April 2015 after serving as Attorney General
for six years.
B)RESIGNS
ICC president Mustafa Kamal Resigned
International Cricket Council (ICC) President A.H.M. Mustafa Kamal resigned from his post on 1
April.Mustafa Kamal is a Bangladeshi politician and cricket official. Apart from being the President
of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), he was also functioning as the President of ICC since 2014.
He resigned from this post as he was apparently hurt at not being given the opportunity to hand out
the World Cup trophy to champions Australia.
C)DEATHS
Nobel Laureate German Novelist Gunter Grass Died
German Nobel laureate novelist Guenter Grass was died on 13 April in Luebeck, Germany. He was
87. He was a novelist, poet, playwright, illustrator, graphic artist, sculptor and recipient of the 1999
Nobel Prize in Literature. His writings mainly focused on the Nazi era, the horrors of the war and the
destruction and guilt that remained after defeat of Germany.
D)VISITORS
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PLACES IN NEWS
Thane Named As National Earth Hour Capital 2015 By WWF
Thane in Mumbai, Maharashtra was named as the National Earth Hour Capital 2015 on 9 April 2015.
Thane city won the bid among the three finalists Thane, Pune and Rajkot in the Earth Hour City
Challenge (EHCC) 2015 conducted by World Wide Fund. Seoul city, the capital and largest
metropolis of South Korea, on 9 April 2015 was awarded the title of Global Earth hour Capital 2015
after it won the Earth Hour City Challenge (EHCC) of World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
ABBREVIATIONS
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BOOKS IN NEWS
Historical Documents Testify The Sovereignty of Senkaku Authored By Tadayoshi Murata
The book entitled Historical Documents Testify the Sovereignty of Senkakuauthored by
Tadayoshi Murata, an honorary professor at Japans Yokohama National University. The book
describes how the Japanese government illegally occupied the Chinese Diaoyu Islands step by step in
the 1890s. Japan has recently intensified its propaganda to claim several uninhabited islands disputed
with its neighbor in the East China Sea, but a Japanese historian refuted the claim and questioned
Tokyos reliability since it has manipulated evidence to mislead the rest of the world on the territorial
issue.
COMMITTEES
Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry Constituted Ajay Shankar committee To Simplify
Clearances
The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry on 8 April formed an expert committee under the
chairmanship of Ajay Shankar to suggest simplified compliance for establishing new industries. He is
a former Secretary to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). The Expert
Committee has been constituted for examining the possibility of replacing multiple prior permissions
with pre-existing regulatory mechanism and to prepare draft legislation for this purpose.
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to promote reading, publishing and copyright. In 1995, UNESCO decided that the World Book and
Copyright Day would be celebrated on 23 April, as the date is also the anniversary of the death of
William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, as well as that of the birth or death of several
other prominent authors.
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NATIONAL
Govt To Launch Atal Pension Yojna (APY) On 1 June
Atal Pension Yojna (APY), announced in the 2015-16 Budget , will be launched on 1st of June
2015 and will focus on all citizens in the unorganised sector entitling them to a pension of up to
Rs 5,000 per month after 60 years of age. The existing subscribers of Swavalamban Scheme
would be automatically migrated to the APY pension scheme, unless they opt out. The minimum
age of joining APY is 18 years and maximum age is 40 years.
Parliament Passes Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2015
Parliament on 4 March passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2015. The bill was passed by
Lok Sabha on 2 March and was cleared by the upper house also called Rajya Sabha on 4 March
2015. The bill seeks an amendment in the Citizenship Act, 1955 and to merge the Person of
Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) schemes.
Lok Sabha Passed Land Acquisition (amendment) Bill, 2015
Lok Sabha on 10 March 2015 passed the Land Acquisition (amendment) Bill, 2015. The bill was
passed by voice vote along with incorporated 9 new amendments moved by Union government.
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The bill amends the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition,
Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013.
Parliament Passed Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015
Parliament has passed Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015.It was first passed in Lok Sabha
on 4 March 2015 and later in Rajya Sabha on 12 March 2015. In both the houses the bill was
passed by voice vote. The amendment bill replaces ordinance promulgated in this regard and
aims to bring improvements and revisions in the existing laws relating to insurance business in
India.The amendment bill hikes Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) cap in the insurance sector to
49 percent from present 26 percent.
Parliament Passed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill,
2015
Parliament has passed Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill,
2015. The bill was first passed in Rajya Sabha and later in Lok Sabha on 20 March 2015.The Bill
was passed in Rajya Sabha after the Union government had accepted the recommendations of the
Select Committee. The amendments in the bill were made in the bill passed by Lok Sabha on 4
March 2015.It seeks to amend the Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957
and replace the ordinance promulgated in January 2015.
STATES
Aapki Beti Humari Beti Scheme Launched In Haryana
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on 8 March launched a scheme for girl child
Aapki Beti Humari Beti with an aim to combat the problem of declining child sex ratio in the
state. The scheme will cover first-born girl child of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Below Poverty
Line (BPL) families and all second girl child born on or after 22nd January 2015 of all families
in the state.
Maharashtra Government Launched Bhagyashree Scheme
Maharashtra Government has launched Bhagyashree Scheme for girl child from Below Poverty
Line (BPL) families, on 8 March. Bhagyashree Scheme has replaced the state governments
previous Sukanya Scheme. Bollywood actress Bhagyashree is the brand ambassador of the
scheme. The Bhagyashree scheme aims at providing one lakh rupee on maturity after the girl
completes 18 years of age.
Assam Govt Launched Momai Tamuli Barbaruah Krishak Bondhu Scheme
Assam government has on 15 March launched the Momai Tamuli Barbaruah Krishak Bondhu
Scheme to increase agricultural production. Under the programme Momai Tamuli Barbaruah
Krishak Bondhu Scheme, facilities and assistance will be provided for double cropping in all the
crop areas which have so far been utilised for single cropping only.
Gujarat Legislative Assembly Passes Anti-Terror Bill
The Gujarat Legislative Assembly on 31 March 2015 passed Gujarat Control of Terrorism and
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Organized Crime (GUJCOC) Bill, 2015. It is third time this controversial Bill being passed by
state assembly. Earlier, passed bill was rejected two times by the then Presidents in 2004 and
2008 for reconsideration.
CONFERENCES
International Conference On Counter Terrorism
Indias first conference on Counter-Terrorism was held from 19 21 March 2015 in Jaipur,
Rajasthan. The conference was named as International Counter-Terrorism Conference 2015 and
it was organised by India Foundation in association with the Sardar Patel University of Police
Security and Criminal Justice-Jodhpur. The central theme of the Conference is Integrated
Approach to Counter-Terrorism. The Conference was inaugurated by Union Home Minister
Rajnath Singh.The focus of the deliberations was on exploring the contours of 21st century
terrorism and sharing the Counter-Terrorism expertise. Some of the sub-themes on which the
conference focused include 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack, Talibanisation of Af-Pak region, New
Caliphate in West Asia, Maritime Terrorism and Piracy, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and
Nuclear (CBRN) Terrorism and Cyber and Space terrorism.
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outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian Cinema. The 2014 Dadasaheb
Phalke award to Shashi Kapoor made him the third member of Kapoor family to receive the
award after Prithviraj Kapoor and Raj Kapoor.
62nd National Film Awards 2014
The 62nd National Film Awards for year 2014 was announced on 24 March 2015. Court
directed by Chaitanya Tamhane was selected as the Best feature film. Mary Kom (Hindi)
directed by Omung Kumar was selected as the Best Popular film providing wholesome
entertainment. The 62nd National Film Awards in the various categories are as follows:* Best Actor Vijay for Nanu Avanalla Avalu (Kannada).
* Best Actress Kangana Ranaut for Queen (Hindi).
* Best Direction -Srijit Mukherji, Director of Chotushkone (Bengali).
* Best Hindi Film Queen
* Best Childrens Film - Kaakkaa Muttai (Tamil) and Elizabeth Ekadashi (Marathi).
* Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director Aditya Vikram Sengupta for
Asha Jaoar Majhe (Bengali).
* Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration Chotoder Chobi
(Bengali) directed by Kaushik Ganguly.
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Saina Nehwal Becomes First Indian Woman To Attain World No.1 Ranking
Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal on 28 March created history by becoming first Indian woman to be
ranked number one in the world in Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings in Womens
Singles category. She achieved this rare feat after Spains Carolina Marins lost her semi-final
match to Thailands Ratchanok Intanon in the Indian Open Super Series. Saina has overtaken
Chinas Li Xuerui to become the highest ranked player in the world. Saina Nehwal is the second
Indian badminton player to achieve this feat, after legendary shuttler Prakash Padukone. He had
achieved the top rank in 1980 in Mens Single Category.
ECONOMY
RBI reduced Repo Rate By 25 Basis Points To 7.5 percent
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 4 March reduced the repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.5
percent with immediate effect. 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.
Indias Billionaires To Rise 104% By 2024
According to the latest Knight Frank Wealth Report, as of 2014,Wealth creation in India is likely
to accelerate significantly with the number of ultra-wealthy individuals expected to double to
3,371 by 2024. India is home to 1,652 ultra high net worth individuals (UHNWIs), which is
likely to swell to 3,371 by the year 2024, registering a jump of 104 per cent. The number of
UHNWIs in India has increased from 622 in 2004 to 1,652 in 2014, registering a rise of 166 per
cent over the past decade (2004-2014). At 0.1 UHNWI per lakh population, India ranks a distant
84 among 97 countries globally in terms of equitable distribution of wealth.
Indian Railways Signed MoU with LIC For Rs 1.5 lakh crore Investments
Indian Railways on 11 March signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Life
Insurance Corporation (LIC) to raise Rs 1.5 lakh crore for financing the development of its
various commercially viable infrastructure projects. Under this MoU, LIC will make available a
Financial Assistance of 150000 crore rupees to the Indian Railways for implementing Railway
projects over the next five years. The Financial Assistance will be available from the Financial
Year 2015-16.
India Becomes 3rd Biggest Steel Producer Over Takes US
India has become the third-largest steel producer in the world by overtaking United States (US)
in first two months of year 2015. It was revealed in the Data compiled by World Steel
Association (WSA) on 22 March.Indias production in first two months i.e. January- February of
2015 was 14.56 million tonnes (MT). This production growth was the highest during this two
month period at 7.6% as compared to the global average of just 0.6% at 127.6 MT.China tops in
steel production and accounts for nearly half of the global steel production. During this period
China has produced 65 MT steel.
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PERSONS IN NEWS
A) APPOINTMENTS
Jagmohan Dalmiya Elected as BCCI president
agmohan Dalmiya was unanimously elected as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket
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Page 26
in India (BCCI) at Annual General meeting held in Chennai on 2 March.Dalmiya had served
BCCI as its President between 2001 and 2004. He also served as the President of International
Cricket Council (ICC) between 1997 and 2000.
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan Named as President of Britains Royal Society
Nobel laureate Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan on 18 March was named as the President of
Britains prestigious Royal Society, a communion of the many of the worlds most distinguished
scientists. Ramakrishnan, who will take up the post on the 1 December 2015, will succeed
geneticist Sir Paul Nurse, also a Nobel Laureate.
B)RESIGNS
Union Minister Dadarao Danve Resigns
Union Minister Minister of State (MoS) for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
Raosaheb Dadarao Danve on 5 March resigned from the office. Raosaheb Danve resigned from
the Union Council of Ministers following the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJPs) one-man, one-post
principle after he was appointed President of Maharashtra in January 2015. He took over as
Maharashtra BJP president after Devendra Fadnavis became the Chief Minister state who had led
the party to power in October 2014 Assembly elections.
C)DEATHS
Senior Journalist Vinod Mehta Died
Senior journalist and former editor of Outlook, Vinod Mehta died on 8 March in New Delhi. He
was 73. Mehta, who had founded the Outlook Magazine and served as its Editor-in-Chief, last
held the post of editorial Chairman of the publication. Vinod Mehta was born on May 31, 1942
in Rawalpindi, West-Punjab region of undivided India (now in Pakistan). He wrote the bestselling autobiography Lucknow Boy in 2011. He has authored a biography of Meena Kumari
(movie actress and poet) and Sanjay Gandhi- The Sanjay Story (2012).
D)VISITORS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Visited Sri Lanka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Sri Lanka on 13 14 March 2015. The visit follows
President Maithripala Sirisenas first overseas visit to India in February 2015. During his two
day visit Narendra Modi met Srilankan President Maithripala Sirisena in Colombo.In the visit,
India and Sri Lanka signed four agreements. Narendra Modi also announced e-visa on arrival
services for Sri Lankans, a $ 318 million Line of Credit to upgrade Sri Lankas railways, and a
promise to build Trincomalee as a petroleum hub, while seeking movement on the 500 MW
Sampur power project, that has been delayed for years due to environmental concerns.
E)MISCELLANEOUS
PM Narendra Modi Among 30 Most Influential People On Internet
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been named among the 30 most influential people on the
internet by Time magazine in a list which also features US President Barack Obama. The list,
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Page 27
which analysed social-media followings, site traffic and overall ability to drive news, also
includes British author of the Harry Potter series J K Rowling and singers Taylor Swift and
Beyonce. The list was released on 6 March 2015.
PLACES IN NEWS
Worlds Largest and Tallest Indian Flag Unfurled In Faridabad
Worlds largest and tallest Indian national flag was unfurled on 3 March 2015 at Town Park in
Faridabad, Haryana.It was unfurled by Bhartiya Janta Party President Amit Shah.The flag has
dimension of 96 feet by 64 feet and weighs 48 kilograms. Flag was hoisted at the height of 250
feet (75 meters). Thus, making it the worlds largest and the highest hoisted Indian flag in the
world.
ABBREVIATIONS
NABARD - National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development
BCCI Board of Control for Cricket in India
EPFO Employees Provident Fund Organization
UNICEF United Nations Childrens Fund
NSE National Stock Exchange
BOOKS IN NEWS
The Modi Effect Authored by Lance Price
Book titled The Modi Effect: Inside Narendra Modis Campaign to Transform India written
by Lance Price, former media advisor to the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair.The book
was published in the month of March 2015 in India by Hachette. The book is based on the
authors interviews with the prime minister, his Cabinet colleagues like Piyush Goyal, Prakash
Javadekar and Smriti Irani and his team of advisers and analysts.
COMMITTEES
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Page 28
Ajay Shankar Committee Constituted To Review The Existing PPP Cell In Railway Board
The Ministry of Railways appointed Ajay Shankar committee on 25 March to review the
performance of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) cell functioning under the Railway
Board.Ajay Shankar is a former Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
(DIPP) under Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
2. Monetary Policy Framework Agreement with RBI, to keep inflation below 6%.
3. GDP growth in 2015-16, projected to be between 8 to 8.5%
4. The fiscal deficit targets are 3.9%, 3.5% and 3.0% in FY 2015-16,
2016-17 & 2017-18 respectively.
5. Direct Transfer of Benefits to be extended further with a view to increase
the number of beneficiaries from Rs.1 crore to Rs.10.3 crore.
6. Target of Rs.8.5 lakh crore of agricultural credit during the year 2015-16
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>Fiscal deficit will be 3.9 per cent of GDP and Revenue Deficit will be 2.8 per cent of
GDP.
TAX PROPOSAL:
>implement GST from next year.
>No change in rate of personal income tax.
>Proposal to reduce corporate tax from 30% to 25% over the next four years,
starting from next financial year.
>Wealth-tax replaced with additional surcharge of 2 per cent on super rich
with a taxable income of over Rs.1 crore annually
>PAN being made mandatory for any purchase or sale exceeding Rs. 1lakh.
>Evasion of tax in relation to foreign assets to have a punishment of rigorous
imprisonment upto 10 years, be non-compoundable, have a penalty rate of 300%
and the offender will not be permitted to approach the Settlement Commission.
>Non-filing of return/filing of return with inadequate disclosures to have a
punishment of rigorous imprisonment upto 7 years.
>General Anti Avoidance Rule (GAAR) to be deferred by two
years.GAAR to apply to investments made on or after 01.04.2017, when
implemented.
>Domestic transfer pricing threshold limit increased from Rs.5 crore to Rs.20 crore.
>Excise duty on footwear with leather uppers and having retail price of more than Rs.1000
per pair reduced to 6%.
>Education cess and the Secondary and Higher education cess to be subsumed in
Central
Excise
Duty.
>Time limit for taking CENVAT credit on inputs and input services increased from
6
months
to
1
year.
>Service-tax plus education cesses increased from 12.36% to 14% to facilitate
transition to GST. >Online central excise and service tax registration to be done in
two working days.
>100% deduction for contributions, other than by way of CSR contribution, to
Swachh Bharat Kosh and Clean Ganga Fund.
>Clean energy cess increased from Rs.100 to Rs.200 per metric tonne of coal,
etc. to finance clean environment initiatives.
Benefits to middle class tax-payers:
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Page 31
Income-tax
Defence:
>Rs.2,46,726 crore allocated for Defence. It is 9.87 per cent greater than last year.
>Make in India campaign will take into consideration for speedy
manufacturing of Defence equipments.
Page 32
01 to 16.6% in
2010-11.
Bullet train to be introduced in Mumbai-Ahmedabad route.
CCTVs to be installed to monitor cleanliness.
eTicketing system to be upgraded. Right 2000 tickets can be booked per
second. It is
proposed to increase this limit to 7200 per second. This system will be able to handle
1,20,000
users simultaneously.
Ultrasonic system to be installed to detect problems in tracks.
17,000 toilets to be replaced by bio-toilets.
Track capacity to be increased to 1.38 lakh km.
Railways to raise finances via PPP, FDI.
4,000 women constables to be recruited in RPF.
Battery operated cars to be provided at major stations for Physically disable
people.
Nation wise helplines to be installed. Toll free number -182 (It will be active
from 01-03-2015).
Tickets can be booked 4 months prior to travel, earlier it was 2 months.
Senior citizens to get lower births.
Entry gates will be broader.
Disposable bags will be provided for sleerper passengers.
Mechanical designing of new engines that would consume less fuel.
Water vending machines to be installed at stations.
e-Tickets will be available in lical language.
WiFi facility will be provided at railway stations.
Date
12th January
15th January
24th January
25th January
30th January
4th February
28th February
8th March
9th March
Day
National Youth Day ( Birthday of Swami Vivekanand)
Army Day
National Girl Child Day
National Tourism Day/ voters Day
National Martyrs Day & World anti Leprosy Day
World Cancer Day
National Science Day
International Womens Day
World Kidney Day (celebrated on 2nd Thursday of
15th March
20th March
21st March
22nd March
23rd March
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Page 33
15.
16.
17.
18.
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29.
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45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
Vajpai)
53.
24th March
2nd April
7th April
21st April
22nd April
24th April
1st May
3rd May
11th May
21st May
31st May
5th June
1st July
11th July
6th August
9th August
12th August
29th August
5th September
8th September
14th September
15th September
16th September
2nd October
8th October
9th October
24th October
17th November
18th November
19th November
27th November
1st December
4th December
10th December
14th December
22nd December
24th December
25th December
21st June
WSTECHCAFE.C
STE
Countries
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Dushanbe Tanzania
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Hanoi
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Harare
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