Career Ias Magazine May 2015

7/25/2019 Career Ias Magazine May 2015

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Career IAS presents Career ______

TOPIC

1. Appointments ...............

2. Scheme Launched By Go

3. Bill Enactment ...............

4. National News................

5. International Agreement

6. Defence..........................

7. Deaths............................

8. Awards ..........................

9. Sports ............................

10.Science & Technology ....

11.Finance Sector ...............

12.Important Days .............

Coaching

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ernment ..........................................

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s and News .......................................

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INDEX

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Page No.

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Nasim Zaidi took oveOn 19th April 2015, Nasim Zaidi

succeeded H.S. Bramha who reti

said, "I feel privileged and hono

institutions that the Indian Cons

.

Justice S.K.Sinha App

On 30th Marc

Sikkim High C

President Pra

of the Sikkim

K.N.Tripathi as Gover

Mr. K.N Tripathi has been given

Mizoram. Mr. K.N Tripathi is alr

who was sacked last week.

AP

ap

of I

In

A governor takes oath in t

relation to the State or in

Coaching

as New CECassumed charge as the 20th Chief Election Com

red on 18th April 2015 after completing his ter

red that I have been given this responsibility to

titution has provided. I am conscious of the one

inted as Chief Justice of Sikkim

h 2015, Justice Sunil Kumar Sinha was appointe

ourt. In accordance with the Article 217 (1) of th

ab Mukherjee appointed him. He was serving a

HC since October 2014

or of Mizoram

the additional charge of Mizoram thus he beca

ady Governor of West Bengal and Bihar. K.N Tri

POINTMENTS (National)

Career Backgr

1. He has served as the Pe

Representative of India

ICAO from November 2

2. He has served as the Dir

Aviation.

3. He retired from IAS as S

Government of India in

Aviation on 31 July 201

As per Article 217 (1) of the constitution of

oints chief justice of a high court after consulta

ndia and the Governor of the State.

ian constitution article 153 is associated with a

e presence of the Chief Justice of the High Cour

his absence the senior most Jud e of hi h court.

www.careerias.in

issioner of India. He

. After taking the charge he

lead one of the finest

ous task in hand"

as the Chief Justice of the

e Constitution of India,

s as the acting Chief Justice

e 16th Governor of

athi replaced Aziz Qureshi

und

manent

on the Council of

05 to October 2008.

ector General of Civil

ecretary to the

Ministry of Civil

India, the president of India

ion with the Chief Justice

pointments of Governors.

exercising jurisdiction in


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Rajeev Shukla Appointed as Chairman of IPL Governing Council

Rajeev Shukla was re-appointed as the chairman of the Indian Premier League's (IPL) Governing Council by

the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Former Union Minister and Congress leader Shukla was the

IPL chairman till 2013 when he resigned from the post in the aftermath of the IPL spot-fixing Scandal.

Saurav Ganguly was a new entrant to the IPL Governing Council while the senior national selection

committee led by Sandeep Patil was retained. Ravi Shastri, Team India Director also remained in the IPL

Governing Council.

M.Annadurai new Director of ISRO Satellite Centre.

Mayil swami Annadurai was appointed as Director of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bengaluru. He succeeded Dr

SK Shivakumar who antiquated on 31st March 2015.

Mayilsamy Annadurai will be responsible for the development of satellite technology and implementation of

satellite systems for scientific, technological and application missions

Before this Appointment- since 2011, at the ISAC he had been the Programme Director of Indian Remote

Sensing Satellites (IRS) and Small Satellite Systems (SSS).

A.K.JHA AppointedasCEO ofKVIC (Khadi &Village Industries Commission)Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and

Pensions appointed Arun Kumar Jha as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Khadi and Village Industries

Commission (KVIC). Jha is a 1985-batch Indian Economics Service (IES) officer.

IPL Governing Council

1. Rajeev Shukla - Chairman

2. Head the Marketing Committee Chetan Desai

3. Chairman of the Technical committee Anil Kumble

4. Head the powerful finance committee - Jyotiraditya Scindia

5. Incharge of the Tours and Programmes Committee - Gokaraju Gangaraju

6. Head of the Media Committee - Biswarup Dey

7. Affiliations Committee head - Anurag Thakur

8. Chair the Constitution Review Committee Ja mohan Dalmi a

The ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) is the leading centre of ISRO for design, development, fabrication and testing

of all Indian made satellites. It was established in the year of 1972 as Indian Scientific Satellite Project (ISSP) in

Peenya Industrial Estates of Bengaluru


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As the CEO of KVIC, Jha will look after the day-to-day functioning of the commission and report about its

activities to the Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). Prior to this appointment,

he had been working as the Director General of National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business

Development (NIESBUD).

Jusctice Meenaskhi Madan Rai Sworn as First Lady Judge of Sikkim HC

Meenakshi Madan Rai sworned in as the first lady judge of the Sikkim HC. Her oath of the office was directed

by the Governor Srinivas Patil at Ashirwad Hall at Raj Bhavan in Gangtok. She is also the third High Court

judge who belongs from the small border state

Sumit Majumdar elected as the President of confederation of Indian Industry for

the Year 2015-2016

Sumit Mazumder on 7 April 2015 was elected as the President of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for

the year 2015-16. He succeeded Ajay Shriram. He is the Chairman and Managing Director of the TIL Limited,

Indias largest manufacturer of material handling equipment.

Mazumder is also the Executive Chairman of TIPL (Tractors India Pvt. Ltd.) which is a distributor for

Caterpillar, USA, in India, Nepal and Bhutan for earthmoving, construction, mining equipment and power

systems.

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body formed by the Government of

India, under the Act of Parliament, 'Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956'. It is an apex

organization under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, with regard to khadi and village

industries within India, which seeks to - "plan, promote, facilitate, organise and assist in the establishment and

development of khadi and village industries in the rural areas in coordination with other agencies engaged in

rural development wherever necessary."

JusticeM.FathimaBeeviwas the first female judge to be appointed to the SupremeCourtof India

(1989) and the first Muslim woman to be appointed to any higher judiciary.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is an association of Indian businesses which works to

create an environment conducive to the growth of industry in the country.

CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization, playing a

proactive role in India's development process. Founded in 1895


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industry-led and industry

Dr. Mohan Kumar appointed as ambassador of India to France.

Dr. Mohan Kumar was appointment as Ambassador of India to France. Dr. Mohan Kumar is a 1981-

batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, earlier he was serving as Ambassador of India to Bahrain.

He will be succeeding Arun Kumar who was appointed Ambassador to the United States

He had also served as Deputy High Commissioner at the Indian Diplomatic Mission in Colombo, Sri

Lanka in 2001.

Pedro Cateriano appointed as new Prime

Minister of Peru

Defence Minister of Peru Mr. Pedro Cateriano has been named

as new Prime Minister of Peru. He was named as new Prime

Minister by President Ollanta Humala .

IOC President Thomas Bach is named ambassador of HeForShe by UN

Women

UN Women announced the president of

International Olympic Committee (IOC),

Thomas Bach as an ambassador of

HeForShe campaign. HeForShe is a

unanimity campaign for gender equalityestablished by United Nations (UN)

Women

In September 2014, the campaign was

launched by UN Women Global Goodwill

Ambassador Emma Watson. HeForShe

campaign motivate boys and men to join

in on the fight for women's rights and

gender equality all over the globe. Their

motive of the campaign is to engage one billion men and boys to become advocates for women's rightsworldwide.


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PM Launch National Air Quality Indiex in 10 citiesOn 6th March 2015, to tackle the threat of air pollution, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a National

Air Quality Index (NAQI). The information on the quality of air of 10 major cities in the country on a real-time

basis will be provided by National Air Quality Index. The ten cities where the quality of air can be monitored

are Lucknow, Kanpur, Ahmedabad, Faridabad, Chennai, Delhi, Agra, Bangalore and Varanasi. Later the index

will be extended to 22 State capitals and 44 other cities with a population exceeding one million.

The index was launched in New Delhi before the inauguration of the Conference of State Environment and

Forest Ministers. State environment and forest ministers will attend the conference.

SCHEMES LAUNCHED BY GOVT


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PM LAUNCH MUDRA Bank under PM Jan Dhan Yojana to fund the small

business person

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Ltd. (MUDRA)

Bank to fund the small business person. The Bank was launched under the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Jan

Dhan Yojana (PMJDY). The bank will provide credit of up to 10 lakh rupees to small entrepreneurs and act as

a regulator for Micro-Finance Institutions (MFIs).

The role of MUDRA Bank

1. Building a good architecture of Last Mile Credit Delivery to micro businesses

2. Assign policy guidelines for micro enterprise financing business

3. Registration of MFI entities

4. Maintain promotional & development activities in the sector

5. Accreditation/rating of MFI entities

6. Establish responsible financing practices to ward off over indebtedness and ensure proper client

protection principles and methods of recovery

7. Standardised set of covenants governing last mile lending to micro enterprises should be expanded

8. Encouraging right technology solutions for the last mile


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9. A Credit Guarantee Scheme for providing guarantees to the loans/portfolios which are being

extended to micro enterprises should be formulated.

Indian Railways Launched to monitor Rail Projects online (E-Samiksha)

Indian railways launced online monitoring mechanism named E-Samiksha to monitor rail projects. This was

designed by NIC (National Informatics Centre) and will be used by Cabinet Secretariat, Prime Minister's

Office and other Ministries for monitoring progress implementation of various programmes and follow-up of

meetings.

Its basic aim is to monitor implementation of various ongoing projects of Indian Railways on real-time basis

including Rail Budget proposals.


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Railways Launched Mobile App for paperless unreserved ticket (UTSON Mobile)

a mobile application named utsonmobile has been launched by the Railway Ministry for paperless

unreserved tickets. The aim of the mobile app is to eliminate the need for printing of unreserved tickets.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu launched the application in New Delhi as a pilot project. It will cover 15stations between Egmore and Tambram suburban sections in Chennai of the Southern Railway.

Feature of the application-

1. This app will enable the passengers to buy a ticket on the move

2. Passengers can board the train with the ticket secured on their mobile phone

3. Necessary on-screen alerts are provided by the app to guide the passenger during the booking

process

4. With the help of Railway Wallet feature in the App passengers can make the payment for the ticket

5. Every day, the ticket will have distinct colour scheme and it cannot be forwarded to another mobile


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Tourist Visa on Arrival renamed as e-Tourist visa

Tourist Visa on Arrival-Electronic Travel Authorization (TVoA-ETA) scheme was

renamed as e-Tourist Visa (eTV) scheme by Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)

MHA decided to change the name of the scheme after it observed that the name of the

scheme (TVoA-ETA) created confusion among tourists and also it had received requests

of name change from some Indian embassies.

Union Government Launched Gave it Campaign

On 25th March 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Give it Up campaign at the annual energy-

focussed summit Urja Sangam 2015.

Objective of this Campaign

1. to extort the better off sections of society to surrender their LPG subsidy, which would be employed in

providing subsidised LPG connections to the poor.

2. Gas cylinders waived by them would be transferred to the poor who use wood for cooking purpose

3. The Give it Up campaign should be taken up on the lines of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and Swacch Bharat

initiatives

Kerala Govt. Launched Subodham Project to end Liquor Abuse

On 19th April 2015, Subodham project has been launched by State Government of Kerala to help people inthe state to vanquish enslavement to liquor. Founder of Art of Living Foundation Sri Sri Ravishankar and

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy launched the project in Kochi.

Aims of Subodham Project

1. To obliterate the peril of substance addiction from society

2. To release one lakh people each year from alcohol addiction, through various awareness campaigns.

The project chase to achieve the purposeful target of making the state totally alcohol free over the

next 10 years.


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Orissa Government has launched AAHAR Scheme

Odisha Government has launched Aahar- cheap meal scheme for providing subsidised food to non-rural

poor. On the occasion of the foundation day of the state i.e. Utkala Dibasa, Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen

Patnaik initiated the scheme at the Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar.

Facts about Aahar- cheap meal scheme

1. The aim of the scheme is to provide meal at Rs. 5 to the non-rural

poor.

2. In the first phase, the scheme was launched simultaneously in five

cities of state including Sambalpur, Berhampur, Cuttack, Rourkela and

Bhubaneswar.

3. The meals under this scheme will be provided at four crowded places each in these five cities to

people visiting urban areas for various work.

Punjab Govt. Launched mission Padho Punjab-Khelo Punjab

Punjab Government has launched Padho Punjab- Khelo Punjab Mission also known as the Learn Punjab- Play

Punjab Mission. According to this mission, school students will pe provided a separate period in the curriculum

for playing along with academics. The objective of the mission is to inspire more youngsters towards sports to

produce eminent players for the country.

Features of this Mission

1. A 40 to 50 minute special period is to be assigned for sports.

2. to inspire more youngsters towards sports to produce eminent players for the country.

3. Students of middle schools will be taught various games including the games played locally during the

interval of this period.

Education Minister of Punjab, Dr. Daljeet Singh Cheema launched the Missions pilot project at a government girls

school in Rupnagar district of Punjab. For the purpose of Padho Punjab-Khedo Punjab Mission, five teachers have

been trained to give training to other teachers to train students in sports physically


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Parliament passes Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014

Parliament has passed Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014. It was first passed in Lok Sabha on

December 22, 2014 and later in Rajya Sabha on April 28, 2015. This bill amends Regional Rural Banks Act, 1976

and aims to strengthen the Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and deepen their financial inclusion.

Bill Enactment

Key facts about Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014

Authorised capital: This amendment bill increases the authorised capital of each Regional Rural Bank (RRB)

from Rs 5 crore to Rs 2000 crore divided into Rs 200 crore of fully paid share of Rs 10 each. As per the

parent Act the Rs 5 crore share capital of RRBs is split into 5 lakh shares of Rs 100 each. Issued capital.

It also provides that the authorised capital issued by any RRBs shall not be reduced below Rs 1 crore and

shares in all cases to be fully paid up shares of Rs 10 each.

Shareholding:The Bill allows RRBs to raise capital from sources other than the central and state

governments, and sponsor banks. Board of directors: The Bill adds provision that any person who is a

director of an RRB is not eligible to be on the Board of Directors of another RRB.

It also mentions that directors will be elected by shareholders based on the total amount of equity share

capital issued to such shareholders.

Tenure of directors: The bill raises the tenure of directors to 3 years from existing 2 years. The Bill also

states that no director can hold office for a total period exceeding six years.

Closure and balancing of books: The parent Act had provision which mentioned that the balance books of

RRBs should be closed and balanced by 31st December every year. However this amendment bill changes

this date to 31st March in order to bring RRBs balancing of books in uniformity with the financial year. It

should be noted that the parent Act of 1976 mainly has provisions for the incorporation, regulation and

winding up of RRBs


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Rajya Sabha passes The Rights of Transgender Persons Bill, 2014

Rajya Sabha on 24 April 2015 unanimously passed The Rights of Transgender Persons Bill,

2014 by voice vote. It should be noted that it was a private members bill moved by DMK MP

Tiruchi Shiva to protect the rights of transgender persons.

Key features of the Bill Seeks to provide framework for the formulation and implementation of a

comprehensive national policy for ensuring overall development of the transgender persons and

their welfare. Two percent reservation in primary, secondary and higher education and in

government jobs. Establishment of Employment Exchange, National and State Commissions for

Trasngender Persons and Special Transgender Rights Courts. No child who is transgender will

be separated from his or her parents on the grounds of being a transgender except on an order

of competent court. Penalty for hate speech against transgender persons includes imprisonment

extending upto one year and with fine. This bill will help government take necessary steps in

order to ensure that transgender persons enjoy the right to life with dignity and to personal

liberty guaranteed by the Constitution. It should be noted that 29 nations and leading

democracies in the world including US, UK, Canada, France, Australia, Italy and Singapore

have legislations protecting rights of transgender persons.

National Judicial Appointment Commission Act, 2014 comes into force

Union Government has brought into force the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act,

2014 along with the 99th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2014.

In this regard, notification to effect from 13 April 2015 was issued by the Union Law Ministry. 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. Facts about NJAC Act, 2014 Composition of NJAC As per Article 124A, NJAC is a 6 member

constitutional body.

Consisting of Chairman- Chief Justice of India (CJI). Members- Two senior most Judges of the Supreme

Court, the Union Minister of Law and Justice and two eminent persons. Two eminent persons will be

nominated by committee led by Prime Minister of India, the CJI, and the Leader of the Opposition in the

House of the People. As per 124B, functions of NJAC are Recommend persons for appointment as CJI,

Judges of SC, Chief Justices and other Judges of High Courts.

Recommend transfer of Chief Justices and other Judges HCs from one HC to another HC. About

Collegium system Previously, under the collegium system, five top judges of the Supreme court

recommended transfer and elevation of judges to Supreme

It is the first private members bill to be passed in 46 years. In the past, 14 Private Members

Bills have been passed. Now, the bill will go to the Lok Sabha for the passage.


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Union Cabinet gives nod to Real Estate Regulation Bill to curb

malpractices in real estate

The Union Cabinet on 7 April 2015 approved amendments to the Real Estate (Regulation and

Development) Bill, 2013 to protect the interests of consumers and curb the malpractices in the real

estate sector.

Decision in this regard was taken by Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.The bill seeks to create a uniform regulatory mechanism across the country and enhance the growth of

construction sector.

It also ensures to bring transparency and accountability in the real estate sector to access capital and

financial markets essential for its long term growth. Facts about Real Estate (Regulation and

Development) Bill, 2013 Regulates transactions in real estate projects between the promoters and

buyers. Establishes state level regulatory authorities called Real Estate Regulatory Authorities (RERAs)

and tribunals called Real Estate Appellate Tribunals to settle disputes.

Promoters and real estate agents must register project details with RERAs who intend to sell any plot,

apartment or building. All information for registered projects must be disclosed on website of the RERA.

It will include details of promoters, land status, layout plan, schedule of execution and status of various

approvals.

The bill enforces the contract between the developer and buyer and fast track the mechanism to settle

disputes. 50% of the amount collected from buyers for a project must be maintained in a separate bank

account and must only be used for construction of that project. The Bill was initially introduced in Rajya

Sabha by then UPA-2 government led by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It was only applicable

only for residential real estate and is still pending in Rajya Sabha. The approved amendments by current

Union Government seeks to bring commercial real estate under the ambit of bill.

President Pranab Mukherjee gives assent to re-promulgation of Land

Ordinance


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President Pranab Mukherjee on 3 April 2015 gave his assent to re-promulgate the Land Acquisition Ordinance as

per Article 123 of Constitution.

Earlier, in this regard Union Cabinet had made a recommendation to President as present Land Acquisition

Ordinance promulgated in December 2014 is going to lapse on 5 April.

The new ordinance includes 9 amendments that were part of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in

Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015.

Lok Sabha had passed the bill in the budget session in March 2015. However, the bill is pending before the Rajya

Sabha, where government is in minority.

Earlier, President had prorogued the 234th session of the Rajya Sabha in order to pave the way for re-issuing of

the Ordinance as per provisions of Constitution.

Article 123 of Constitution It gives legislative power to President. He can issue ordinances when Parliament is in

recess i.e. not in session if there is urgent need to have a law on some urgent public matter. The ordinance has

similar effect to an act of parliament. However, every ordinance must be laid and approved by both houses of

the parliament within 6 weeks from the reassembling. If not placed and approved by both houses of theparliament after reassembling it becomes invalid or lapses.


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India elected to four United Nations agencies

On 8th April 2015, India was elected among the four important United Nations (UN) agencies. The four agencies

include : The Governing Council of UN-Habitat, World Food Program (WFP), Commission on Crime Preventionand Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) and United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF). At the UN headquarters in New York,

USA, India was elected to these bodies at the Coordination and Management Meeting (CMM) of UNECOSOC (the

United Nations Economic and Social Council).

India was elected by a form of election that doesnt use a ballot

Results of Elections

1. India was elected to the Executive Board of the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) along with thirteen

other nations, for a period of 13 years starting from January 2016.

2. India, along with 5 other nations was re-elected to the Executive Board of the World Food Programme (WFP)

for a period of two year starting from January 2016.

3. India, along with 19 other nations was elected to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

(CCPCJ) for a period of three year commencing from January 2016. Saudi Arabia Austria, United States,

France, Sweden, Iran and Pakistan are some of the other nations that were elected to CCPCJ.

4. India, along with 13 other nations was re-elected to the Governing Council of the United Nations Human

Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) for a period of three year commencing from January 2016.

India ranked 119 according to 2015 FM Global Resilience Index

Among the important National Current Affairs, On 3rd April 2015, In recently released 2015 FM Global

Resilience Index, India has been ranked 119 out of 130 countries. India despite having scope and global

potential was ranked 119 compared to 112th rank in 2014 Global Resilience Index

NATIONAL NEWS


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Top 10 Countries in 2015 FM Global Resilience Index are Norway, Switzerland, Netherlands, Ireland,

Luxembourg, Germany, Qatar, Canada, Finland and United States

Facts about Indias ranking

1. India is ranked 115 on the economic parameter that takes into account oil intensity, political risk and

GDP and is same as in 2014.

2. India is ranked 109 in the risk quality factor, for its quality of fire risk management and naturalhazard. A slight improvement has been shown by India in this parameter as India was ranked 113th

in 2014.

3. India is ranked 89th position in the supply chain category that looks at local supplier quality,

infrastructure and corruption control. India has fallen 11 steps in ranking from the previous year

2014.

Gujarat leads in implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) during

2014-15

On 3rd April 2015, Union Ministry of Urban Developments

assessment of Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)

implementation released in which Gujarat is placed at the

top performing state/Union Territory (UT) for 2014-15

financial year. Gujarat constructed 60% of the household

toilets built in the entire country.

About Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)

SBM was launched on 2 October 2014 with the objective of ensuring cleanliness in all the 4041 statutory cities

and towns of the country by 2 October 2019 which marks the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Construction of toilets is accorded priority under the Mission to enable open defecation free urban areas

The mission is to be implemented at a total cost of 62009 crore rupees with a targeted establishment of 1.04

crore household toilets, 2.55 lakh public toilet seats and 2.51 lakh community toilet seats besides provide aid

of 37 crore urban people in solid waste management

Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry constituted Ajay Shankar

committee to simplify clearances

On 7th April 2015, to suggest simplified compliance for establishing new industries, an expert committee has

been set up under the chairmanship of Ajay Shankar by The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Ajay

Shankar is former Secretary to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP)

Terms of Reference of the committee

1. Analysing the requirement of various prior permissions with an exhaustive inventory of such

permissions

2. Possibility of replacing these prior permissions with a pre-existing (proposed) regulatory mechanism

should be inspected

3. Discovering safeguards to be put in place while replacing the system of prior permission and

integrating these safeguards in the proposed regulatory mechanism


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4. A framework of the proposed regulatory mechanism is to be suggested

5. Draft the proposed legislation

Relief measures has been announced by PM for distressed farmers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced two major measures aimed at providing relief to distressed

farmers due to unseasonal weather conditions in the rabi season.

As per the relief measures

1. If 33 percent of the crop has been damaged due to unforeseen weather conditions then farmers will

be eligible for input subsidy

2. Input subsidy will be enhanced by 50% of the existing amounts for the distressed farmers.

3. The Relief measures were announced in the backdrop of crop damage due to unseasonal weather

conditions in winter in North and Central India. According to an evaluation about 16% or 113 lakh

hectares of total crop area in the country has damaged

Visit Kerala 2015 has been initiated to promote Kerala tourism

Visit Kerala 2015 campaign has been launched to promote Kerala tourism by Union Minister of State for

Tourism Dr. Mahesh Sharma . Visit Kerala 2015 campaign is a strategy of Kerala's Government to enhance

state-specific tourism products including Spice route, Responsible Tourism and Ayurveda.

Visit Kerala 2015 Campaign

1. The aim of the campaign is to increase the number of tourist to over 1.37 crore in the state in the

year 2015.

2. The period from April 2015 to March 2016 has been declared as the Visit Kerala Year.

3. Kerala-Home of Ayurveda, the second phase of Kerala Tourisms campaign will be launched in

selected national and international markets.


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4. To market Keralas veritable cuisine, food festivals will be organized in cities like New Delhi and

Mumbai.

5. A new set of Kerala memento will be drafted and will be sold to travelers with the support of

Kudumbashree units

Union Ministry of Home Affairs suspended Greenpeace India Society

(GIS) registration for 180 days

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs suspended the registration of Greenpeace India Society (GIS) for

180 days for acting against public and economic interests of the country.

The decision of suspension has been made after an on-site inspection of the accounts and records of

GIS in September 2014 which disclosed that it has utilised its funds for unauthorised purposes as per

the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010, under which it is registered in India.

All seven bank accounts of GIS in Yes Bank, ICICI Bank and IDBI Bank have been frozen as per the

order.

India has signed Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on transportationwith USA

On 8th April 2015, US Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and Union Road Transport and

Highways minister Nitin Gadkari signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in New Delhi for

deepening partnership in the area of transport between the two countries.

About Greenpeace India Society (GIS)

GIS is an Indian chapter of Greenpeace International, which is a non-profit environmental

organization having presence in 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific.

GIS has been working in India since 2001 on various issues related to the environment


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Importance of MoC

1. For projects like multi-modal hub and developments of waterways, India will be to make use of

worlds latest technology available with the USA.

2. It aims to foster cooperative work on key issues of mutual interest for all modes of transportation

and coordinating public and private sector resources and expertise to advance efficient, secure and

integrated transportation systems.

3. It covers areas like fuel efficiency, intermodal transportation, vehicle and behavioral safety, highway

transportation, urban transportation, rail transportation, maritime shipping and safety and

environmental protections

"Songs and Dances of the North East" festival on April 11, 2015

inaugurated by - President Pranab Mukherjee

A cultural festival named "First Songs and Dances of the North East" was inaugurated by President

Pranab Mukherjee in the New Delhi. This festival was organized by Government of Meghalaya andsponsored by the North Eastern Council

This was organized with an aim to show the culture of India's northeast region and highlight the

immense contribution made by the people of the region in nation building.

Baba Ramdev to be accorded the status of Cabinet Minister by Haryana

Government

On 13th April 2015, State Government of Haryana decided to accord the Yoga guru Baba Ramdev with

the status equivalent to a Cabinet Minister. Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar made thisdecision at a meeting of Ministers.

On 21st April 2015, Ramdev will be honoured by Haryana government in Panchkula. Apart from this,

Haryana government also decided to develop herbal forest in which thousands of species of ayurvedic

herbs would be grown in the state under the supervision of Baba Ramdev

Yogshalas will be build in all the towns and villages of Haryana under the guidance of Baba Ramdev

Haryana Government notified forests in Aravalli range are not a forest

On 14 April 2015, a notification that forests in Aravalli ranges are not a forest has been released by

Haryana Government. As per the latest order, Mangarbani grove, including the vast region of forests of

Aravalli range, will not be considered as a forest

Mangarbani grove is often considered as the last remaining virgin forest in Delhi NCR and held sacred by

local villagers. The notification states that, while carrying out ground truthing exercise in Aravalli region,

only recorded forests will be shown/marked as forests

Therefore after this order, the forest clearance regulations which currently prevent the lands from being

diverted for any other activity would not apply on these lands, making it a cake walk for real estate and

other industries to chop the forests to use the lands.


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Vankadarath Saritha has joined as first woman bus driver of the DTC

On 17th April 2015, Vankadarath Saritha became the first woman bus driver of the Delhi Transport

Corporation (DTC). She is a 30-year-old driver from Nalgonda in Andhra Pradesh. From 20th April 2015,

she will start working officially in day-time duty at the Sarojini Nagar depot.

Saritha has worked as a bus driver earlier in Hyderabad and has started her career as an autorickshaw

driver. Prior to her selection in DTC, she was working as a taxi driver in Delhi.

Taskforce on farm development has been established by Maharashtra

Government

The State Government of Maharashtra constituted a taskforce on agriculture development and poverty

alleviation to address the issues.

A Government Resolution (GR) said that the 12-member taskforce on agriculture development will be

headed by the Additional Chief Secretary. Administrators of the water resources, dairy development,

water conservation, departments of cooperation, forest, and finance, planning are the members of the

taskforce on agriculture.

A separate GR said that Principal Secretary (Social Justice Department) will head the taskforce on

poverty alleviation. Taskforce comprises of following representatives from public health, labour,

secretaries of departments of tribal development, rural development, housing, urban development and

finance.

Supreme Court ordered free treatment for - acid attack victims

The Supreme Court (SC) of India instructed all the private hospitals inthe country to provide full and free medical treatment to acid attack

victims

The judgement was given by a social justice bench of the court

comprising Justices UU Lalit and Madan B Lokur in the Public Interest

Litigation (PIL) Laxmi vs Union of India filed under the Article 32 of the

Indian Constitution

The court, in its judgment, stated that the term treatment includes

free medicines, bed, rehabilitation, reconstructive surgery and aftercare. The recent order is incontinuation of a series of orders delivered by the court to deal with acid attack cases such as,

1. Insertion of a special section to deal with issues related to acid attacks in IPC (Indian Penal Code). In

February 2013, the Union Government inserted the Section 357C into the IPC.

2. A minimum compensation 3 lakh rupees to the acid attack victims.

3. Complete ban on over sale of acid.

Operation Maitri has been launched by India to help the earthquake

victims in Nepal


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India launched a relief and rescue operation in Nepal named Maitri for earthquake casualities. 24

choppers and military aircraft along with bus services through road route are involved in the rescue

operations

India also pressed nearly 1000 trained personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)

into service after Nepal on 25th April 2015 was struck by the worst earthquake in 80 years in which

more than 2500 people were killed

Parts of the Operation Maitri

1. Multi National Coordination Centre has been initiated

2. Head quarters are constituted for relief operations in PPO Pokhra.


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China signed five agreements - Sri Lanka

To deepen development partnership between

the two countries, China and Sri Lanka signed

five agreements. Sri Lankan president

Maithripala Sirisena signed the agreements in

Beijing during the maiden visit to China after

assuming the office in January 2015

Consequences of the Sri Lankan presidents visit to

China

1. Both the countries restated the shared loyaltyof the two countries to the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence or Pancha Sheela.

2. Five agreements were signed related to cooperation for special aid in public health, development of

water treatment methods and technologies in kidney disease affected areas, research and

development of the coconut industry and refurbishment of the Superior Courts Complex in Sri

Lanka.

3. Third round of negotiations will be kicked start to conclude the proposed China-Sri Lanka Free Trade

Agreement (FTA).

4. China invited Sri Lanka to become a founding-member of the Chinese proposed Asian Infrastructure

Investment Bank (AIIB).

5. 2000 training opportunities for new scientists of Sri Lanka wiil be provided by China in the next five

years.

6. Chinese language training centres will be settled up in Sri Lanka to deepen cultural partnership

between both the countries.

Myanmar Government signed draft cease-fire agreement with - 16 Ethnic

Rebel Groups.

a draft nationwide cease-fire agreement was signed by Myanmar Government and 16 ethnic rebel

groups. The aim of the draft is to end more than 65 years of civil unrest and armed conflict in the

country

The agreement was signed between the Union Peace-making Working Committee and the

Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team at the Myanmar Peace Centre in Yangon. Myanmar's

President U Thein Sein witnessed the agreement

The agreement was signed after seven rounds of meetings since 2013, accorded at resolving four points ofdispute. These include amongst others

1. Recruitment by the armed groups should come to a halt.

INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS &

NEWS


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2. Armed rebel groups territory and status were confirmed.

3. The nature and configuration of the political dialogue.

4. Now the mediator from the armed rebel groups will confer with their leaders before giving final

approval to the draft.

5. The motive behind the draft ceasefire agreement is to bring all the rebels into a process that will

lead on to talks on greater devolution of power and resources which is something that has been

resisted by the Myanmar government since 1948

Russia-Argentina signed agreements on economic & energy co-operation

Russia and Argentina signed a series of agreements on economic and energy co-operation. The

agreements were signed during the two-day visit of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de

Kirchner to Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kirchner termed the agreements as a comprehensive strategic

partnership between the two countries.

The agreements include

1. Russia agreed to provide financial support to the hydroelectric plant in Argentinas Neuquen River

2. At Argentinas Atucha 3 nuclear power plant, a new reactor will be built as agreed by Russias

Rosatom nuclear corporation

3. A Memorandum of Co-operation (MoC) was signed on defence.

India has signed Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on transportationwith USA

On 8th April 2015, US Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and Union Road Transport

and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in New

Delhi for deepening partnership in the area of transport between the two countries

Importance of MoC

1. For projects like multi-modal hub and developments of waterways, India will be to make use

of worlds latest technology available with the USA.

2. It aims to foster

cooperative work

on key issues of

mutual interest for

all modes of

transportation and

coordinating

public and private

sector resourcesand expertise to

advance efficient,

secure and


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integrated transportation systems.

3. It covers areas like fuel efficiency, intermodal transportation, vehicle and behavioral safety,

highway transportation, urban transportation, rail transportation, maritime shipping and

safety and environmental protections.

Ninth Meeting of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

Council

India was nominated to chair the 9th meeting of the

International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) council

which is to be held for two days starting from 10th June

2015 in Abu Dhabi, the capital of United Arab Emirates.

India will head the 21 member council meeting, which will

guide the agencys future programmes and activities and helps set the agenda for the meeting of the

annual Assembly to be held in January 2016

India signed agreement on supply of Uranium with Canada

India and Canada signed a nuclear agreement as a result India will

get supply of uranium. This major agreement was signed between

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister

Stephen Harper during the PM three-day official visit to Canada

As per the agreement Canadian Cameco Corporation will supply 7.1

million pounds of uranium concentrate to India till 2020 and this

deal worth 350 million US dollars

About IRENA

On 26th January 2009, IRENA was established as an intergovernmental organization to supports

countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future.

It serves as the platform for international cooperation, a centre of excellence, and a repository of

policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy.

India is a founder-member of the organization and it has 140 other members.

IRENA has two main governing structures-IRENA Assembly and IRENA Council.

The IRENA Assembly takes decisions at the macro level and gives overall policy direction to IRENA.

It is the main Governing Body of the Agency, which is responsible for implementing decisions of the

Assembly.

Adnan Z. Amin, a national of Kenya is the Director-General of IRENA.


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BHEL signed MoU with INTMA Russian firm to set power plant in

Kazakhstan

BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited) signed a MoU with Russian company INTMA to set up a

gas-based power project in Kazakhstan and as per this deal both

will assist each other in the implementation of this

With this MoU BHEL will able to further its presence in theCommonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.

BHEL is a major integrated power plant equipment manufacturer

and had attained Maharatna status in 2013. It manufactures power

plant equipment like gas turbines, steam turbines, hydro turbines

and boilers. BHEL also has robust experience in construction of power plants in India and overseas.

It has presence in 76 countries while executing 23 major projects in 16 countries.

Tennessee House voted to make Bible as official state Book

The Tennessee House of Representatives voted to make AndrewJackson's Bible as the official book of Tennessee. The book will become

an Official book of the state if the bill passes in Senate.

House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh along with six other people

abstained from voting, while Only six Democrats voted in favor of the

bill.

Time Magazine released list of - 100 most influential people in the world

A list of 100 most influential people in the world has been released by Time Magazine. American rapper and

singer Kanye Omari West topped the list. The oldest person on the list is Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi,

who finds himself the steward of the Arab world's youngest democracy at the age of 88 years


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Foreign Minister of North Korea who visited India - Ri Su Yong

Ri Su Yong, the Foreign Minister of North Korea, visited India. He was on a three-day visit to

India and this was the first-ever visit of a foreign minister of North Korea to India. The Minister

of External Affairs of India, Sushma Swaraj invited him to visit India.

During the visit, foreign minister level talks were held covering issues of mutual interest

including Indias security concerns. In this regard, India informed Yong about the significance of

peace and stability in the Korean peninsula for Indias Act East policy.

Yong admired India for its humanitarian assistance provided to North Korea and also sought

additional assistance in this regard, which was agreed by India.

The Fifth Normandy Group Foreign Ministers meet held Berlin

the fifth meeting of Normandy Group foreign

ministers was held in Berlin, the capital of

Germany. Normandy Quartet or Normandy

Group is a group of four countries including

Ukraine, Germany, Russia and France

Mahatma Gandhi statue defaced Johannesburg

the statue of Mahatma Gandhi was defaced by a group of people calling him a racist in

Johannesburg, South Africa. The group had posters that say: Racist Gandhi must fall.

The statue in Johannesburg is assumed to be the only one in the world showing Gandhi as a

young lawyer in his court robes.

The group was formed to facilitate a diplomatic

resolution to the ongoing conflict between the Ukraine Army

and pro-Russia forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine.

Normandy Group was formed on 6th June 2014 after aninformal meeting of the four heads of state on the sidelines of

commemoration of the seventieth anniversary of D Day.


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India successfully test-fired Agni III Ballistic Missile from Wheeler Island

On 16th April 2015, India successfully test fired Surface-to-Surface Agni III ballistic missile from the Wheelar

Isalnd off the Odisha coast in the Bay of Bengal. This missile has a range of 3000 km's.

SFC (Strategic Force Command) carried out this test with the support of DRDO (Defence Research and

Development Organisation).

It is equipped with the hybrid navigation, guidance and control systems along with advanced on-board

computer and was inducted in armed forces in June 2011. Specifications

Weight - 22,000 kg (Operational Version)

Length - 17 m

Diameter - 2.0 m

Warhead - Strategic

nuclear (15 to 250 kt) (2000 to

2500

kg),

DEFENCE


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India successfully test-fired nuclear-capable Dhanush missile from ship

on 9 April 2015 successfully test fired nuclear weapons-capable Dhanush missile from a ship, off the Odisha

coast. Test- The ship-based missile was launched from an Offshore Patrolling Vessel (OPV), deep inside the

Bay of Bengal to test its full range. It successfully hit the target point with high degree of accuracy

Facts about Dhanush Missile

1. Indigenously developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

2. The surface-to-surface missile is a naval variant of Prithvi missile.

3. Capable of carrying of 500 to 1000 kilogram conventional as well as nuclear payload.

4. It is a single-stage, liquid-propelled missile and has range of 350 km.

5. Capable to target both land-based and sea-based targets. gives Indian Navy capability to strike enemy

targets with great precision.

In Picture- Dhanush Fired from Ship

Two interceptor boats, FPV commissioned into Indian Coast Guards

Eastern Fleet

Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) named Anagh and Two Interceptor Boats named C-430and C-417on 29 March 2015

were commissioned into Indian Coast Guards Eastern Fleet. They were commissioned by Lieutenant General

Ajay Kumar Singh (retd), Lt Governor of Puducherry in a traditional ceremony with full military honours in

Chennai. These commissioned ships will enhance Coast Guards capability in furthering its mandate of

maritime safety and security, environmental protection. It will also enhance the coastal security capability

and add more teeth to its existing fleet on the Eastern Sea Board. Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) Anagh ICGS.Anagh is a 50 meter long vessel, propelled by water jet high speed FPV with maximum speed of 33 knots and

displacement of 290 tonnes. It is capable to undertake various tasks such as surveillance, search and rescue

operations, interdiction and medical evacuation. Interceptor Boats C-430 and C-417 Both boats have an

Dhanush is one of the 5 missiles developed by the DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile

Development Programme (IGMDP).


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overall length of 27.8 metres and have

maximum speed of 45 knots with

displacement of 101 tonnes. They are

incorporated with twin diesel engine with

twin water jet propulsion. They are

capable of taking on coordinated

operations with other sea-air units,

besides surveillance, interdiction and

search and rescue. These boats are also

fitted with state-of-the-art communication

and navigational equipment along with

main armament of 12.7 mm HMG

(Prahari). ICGS C-430 and C-417 have joined the fleet of 36 interceptor boats of Coast Guard) named Anagh

and Two Interceptor Boats named C-430 and C-417 on 29 March 2015 were commissioned into Indian Coast

Guards Eastern Fleet. They were commissioned by Lieutenant General Ajay Kumar Singh (retd), Lt Governor

of Puducherry in a traditional ceremony with full military honours in Chennai. These commissioned ships will

enhance Coast Guards capability in furthering its mandate of maritime safety and security, environmental

protection. It will also enhance the coastal security capability and add more teeth to its existing fleet on the

Eastern Sea Board. Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) Anagh ICGS Anagh is a 50 meter long vessel, propelled by water

jet high speed FPV with maximum speed of 33 knots and displacement of 290 tonnes. It is capable to

undertake various tasks such as surveillance, search and rescue operations, interdiction and medical

evacuation. Interceptor Boats C-430 and C-417 Both boats have an overall length of 27.8 metres and have

maximum speed of 45 knots with displacement of 101 tonnes. They are incorporated with twin diesel engine

with twin water jet propulsion. They are capable of taking on coordinated operations with other sea-air

units, besides surveillance, interdiction and search and rescue. These boats are also fitted with state-of-the-

art communication and navigational equipment along with main armament of 12.7 mm HMG (Prahari). ICGS

C-430 and C-417 have joined the fleet of 36 interceptor boats of Coast Guard


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First indigenously-built Scorpene Submarine Kalvari undocked

First indigenously-built Scorpene Submarine on 6 April 2015 was undocked at the Mazagaon Dockyard

Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The undocked submarine was named Kalvari and is expected to be

commissioned into Indian Navy by September 2016.

The submarine is part of the Indian Navys ambitious submarine programme- Project 75. This programme is

undertaken in collaborationFrance to build fleet of six such

submarines. Remaining 5

Submarines will delivered by

the MDL to the Indian Navy by

2020 and will form core of the

navys submarine arm for the

next two decades Features

about Scorpene submarine Has

superior stealth capability. Can

undertake various operations

including multifarious warfare,

Anti-submarine warfare,

Intelligence gathering, mine

laying, area surveillance etc.

Ability to launch attack on the

enemy using precision guided

weapons. The attack can be

launched from underwater or on surface. Designed to operate in all theatres including the tropics. Built using

special steel that can withstand high yield stress that can withstand high hydrostatic force and enabling todive deeper. Equipped with Weapons Launching tubes (WLT) that can carry weapons on board and can be

easily reloaded at sea.

BSF launches nationwide tele-medicine programme for troops

Border Security Force (BSF) on 14 April 2015 launched nationwide satellite-based tele-medicine programme

for its troops. The programme will address medical and health-related problems of its troops deployed in

far-flung frontier areas and difficult regions in the hinterland in case of an emergency or illness. Facts about

Tele-medicine programme It will be operated and hosted from the BSFs Kadamtala-based composite

hospital in Siliguri, West Bengal. The full-time team of doctors at hospital will be connected with BSF postsalong the Indo-Pak and Indo-Bangla frontiers. The hospital has been equipped with required technology

including satellite phones and the VSAT platform to host the programme. BSFs anti-Naxal operations units in

Chhattisgarh and Odisha will also be linked with the same facility. The programme will be made fully

operational in 2015 which marks 50th year of BSFs Raising.

INS Visakhapatnam, stealth destroyer of Indian Navy launched

Visakhapatnam is the Kolkata-class warship and the first of P15-B stealth destroyers which is designed

indigenously and fitted with advanced features. It is the largest destroyer commissioned in India. Features of

INS Visakhapatnam The ship is designed by the Directorate of Naval Design, Indian Navys in-house designorganization and made of entirely of Indian steel. It is 163-metre-long vessel and weighs approximately

3,000 tons


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Features of INS Visakhapatnam-

1. Propelled by four gas turbines, and capable to achieve maximum speed of over 30 knots at a displacement of

approximately 7,300 tons.

2. Propelled by four gas turbines, and capable to achieve maximum speed of over 30 knots at a displacement of

approximately 7,300 tons.

3. Also equipped with the Israeli Multi-Function Surveillance Threat Alert Radar (MF-STAR). MF-STAR willprovide it with targeting information to 32 Barak 8 long-range surface-to-air missiles on board the warship.

4. It will also be carrying 8 BrahMos missiles. It has four 30 mm rapid-fire guns which will provide the ship with

close-in-defence capability and also has an MR gun that will enable ship to provide effective naval gunfire

support.

India and France begin naval exercise Varuna

10-day naval exercise Varuna between India and France began on 23 April 2015 off the Goa coast. It is the

fourteenth edition of this naval exercise which will host of naval assets of both countries and will conclude

on 3 May 2015. Scope of exercise: It will include the entire gamut of various maritime operations from

aircraft carrier operations, maritime interdiction operations, anti-submarines warfare exercises to multi-ship

replenishment exercise

KEY FACTS OF VARUNA

FRENCH NAVY

1. Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle with its fighter aircraft Rafael M.


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2. E2C Hawkeye AWACS and helicopters Dauphin.

3. Strike Aircraft Super Etendard and Alouette 3 is going to take part.

4. it two destroyers Chevalier Paul and Jean de Vienne.

5. replenishment tanker Meuse and a maritime patrol aircraft Atlantique 2 are also going to take part

INDIAN FLEET

1. aircraft carrier INS Virat.

2. destroyer INS Mumbai.

3. stealth frigate INS Tarkash.

4. submarine INS Shankul, guided missile frigate INS Gomati

5. replenishment tanker INS Deepak and a few Fast Attack Craft are also participating.

6. Indian Navys carrier-borne fighter aircrafts like Sea Harriers, maritime reconnaissance aircraft P-8I and Dorniers along with integral helicopters Chetak and Seaking 42B are also be participating.

.

IN PICTURES- INDIAN & FRECH Fleet in WAR

exercising VARUNA


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Indian Army conducts AkramanII defense exercise in Rajasthan

26 April 2015 conducted a major exercise Akraman-II in Rajasthan. The exercise was conducted by the

Chetak Corps, a part of South Western Command based in Bhatinda, Punjab. The exercise aimed to test a

new generation of weaponry and platforms which are employed in the desert region to provide real time

battle and situational awareness to its commanders.

KEY FACTS OF AKRAMAN-II

1. In this exercise more than 300 Combat Vehicles including Main Battle Tanks, Long Range Artillery

Guns participated along with 10,000 troops.

2. The Akraman-II exercise also tested the capabilities of Indian Air Force in launching deep insertion of

helicopter-borne and airborne army units.

3. The exercise envisaged at orchestration of an integrated battle field scenario in network-centric

environment.

4. This orchestrated environment was an integration of reconnaissance, electronic warfare &surveillance and communication assets in order to provide real time battle and situational

awareness to commanders.

Russia raised a ban on delivery of S-300 Missile system

Russia raised its earlier ban on delivery of S-300 Missile System. The Missile System is a surface-to-air missile

defense system which can be used against multiple targets including jets and enemy missiles.

Russia raised the ban in the back drop

of an informal agreement reached on2nd April 2015 between P5+1, the EU

and Iran to prepare the final draft of

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action

(JCPOA) by 30th June 2015.

Under the agreement, Iran agreed to

stop developing nuclear weapons in

return for lifting economic sanctions

imposed on it by the international

community. This was the only sanctionimposed by Russia on Iran since Iran had announced its nuclear programme in 2010.

Pakistan and Russia agreed to hold first-ever joint military exercise

Pakistan and Russia as a part of their enhanced defence cooperation agreed to hold first-ever joint military

exercises. Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu signed the

agreement during the meet held in Moscow.

Main features of the Agreement

To intensify cooperation in both defence industry and military training.

Conflicts will be resolved through diplomatic means and use of force must be discouraged and abandoned.

They reached a concord that a multi-polar world would ensure peace and balance in international relations


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Sunita Tomar passes away, She was the face of Anti-Tobacco Campaign

On 1st April 2015, Famous face of India's anti-tobacco campaign Sunita

Tomar passed away at the age of 28 only. She passed away at her native

village in Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh.

she shot a video to tell devastating effect of smokeless tobacco by sharing her

experience. She teamed up with Voice of Tobacco Victims (VoTV) to produce

the video which tells about her struggle with oral cancer

Malli Mastan Babu Indian ace mountaineer passed away

On 4th April 2015, one of the top mountaineers of India, Malli Mastan Babu died at the age of 40. His dead

body was recovered from Andes Mountains in South America after he went missing from 24th March.

Throughout his endeavour to scale the Cerro Tres Cruces Sur

Mountain he was lost. Cerro Tres Cruces Sur Mountain is the 2nd

highest peak of Chile and has a height of 6749 meter.

Malli Mastan Babu was the first Indian mountaineer and the

fastest in world to climb the seven summits of the world in

record 172 days in 2006.

Between 19 January to 10th July 2006, he scaled the seven

summits of world, viz., Denali (North America), Elbrus (Europe),Aconcagua (South America), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Vinson Massif

(Antarctica) Mt Everest (Asia), and Kosciuszko & Carstenz

(Australia & Oceania).

He was also the prime Indian mountaineer to summit Mt Vinson Massif, the tallest peak in Antarctica and

was also the first person from Andhra Pradesh to scale the Mt Everest.

Veteran singer EM Hanifa Died at Chennai

On 8th April 2015, Noted singer EM Hanifa whose voice transcended religious linespassed away at Chennai at the age of 97. Hanifa 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.

Hanifa was a well known singer for popularizing the Dravidian ideals and lent his

voice for religious songs. In 2002, he did contest as a DMK Candidate from

Vaniyambadi but could not win.

Jayakanthan a Tamil Writer Died at Chennai

On 8th April 2015, literary critic, short story writer and Tamil novelist Jayakanthan died in Chennai at the age

of 81 years. The main idea of Jayakanthan writings were mainly against economic inequality and social

injustices in our surroundings. He was presented with Padma Bhushan in 2009, Jnanpith in 2002 and Sahitya

Akademi Award in 1972.

DEATHS


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Hrushikesh Moolgavkar former Air Cheif Marshal of IAF passed away

On 9th April 2015, Former Air Chief Marshal of Indian Air Force (IAF) Hrushikesh Moolgavkar passed away at

the age of 95 in Pune. On 30th November 1940, he was selected and commissioned as a Pilot Officer in Royal

Indian Air Force and on 1st February 1976, he was appointed as the Chief of Air Staff. Leading from the

Cockpit: A Fighter pilot's story is the biography of Hrushikesh Moolgavkar authored by his daughter Jyoti M

Rai was published in 2009.

Gunter Grass Noble Prize Winner Died at Germany

On 13th April 2015, Nobel laureate German novelist

Gunter Grass died in Luebeck, Germany at the age of

87. He was a graphic artist, sculptor, playwright,

illustrator, novelist, poet and 1999 Nobel Prize in the

field of Literature.

About Gunter Grass

1. Grass was born on 16th October 1927 in the

Free City of Danzig (now Polands Gdansk).

2. He started his work in 1950s and is best known

for his work, The Tin Drum published in 1959.He won Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and Palme d'Or in 1979.

Janaki Ballabh Patnaik Former CM of Odisha passed away

On 21st April 2015, Former Chief Minister of Odisha Janaki Ballabh

Patnaik passed away. He was 89 years old. He had also served as

former Governor of Assam. He was a senior leader of INC (Indian

National Congress).

He was born in Rameshwar, Puri on 3rd January 1927 and has passed

passed out with a degree in Sanskrit from the Utkal University in 1947

and then after he did MA in Political Science from the Banaras Hindu

University in 1949. He became President of the Odisha state unit of the

youth wing of the Congress in 1950 and was Union Minister for

Tourism, Civil Aviation and Labour in 1980's

The fly-past on Indias first Independence Day on 15 August 1947 and Republic Day on 26

January 1951 was led by Moolgavkar as a Squadron Leader.


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Subadhra Devi was named for 2015 International Achievement Award

On 2nd April 2015, an Indian-origin Singaporean nurse Dr Subadhra Devi Rai was in news after she was

named for the 2015 International Achievement Award by the Florence Nightingale International Foundation

(FNIF) of the International Council of Nurses.

She was named for this prestigious award for her work in the healthcare sector of women and refugees.

Delhi International Airport Limited won Golden Peacock National Quality

Award 2015

On 5th April 2015, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) won the

prestigious Golden Peacock National Quality Award. On 20th April 2015,

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister for Culture, Youth

and Development will present the award to DIAL at a ceremony to be

held in Dubai.

Delhi International Airport Limited is a joint enterprise of Airports

Authority of India, Fraport and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad

(MAHB) and GMR Group.

AWARDS

In 1991, The Golden Peacock National Awards were founded by the Institute of Directors,

India. To stimulate total quality improvements in both manufacturing and service organizations in

India, The National Quality Award Scheme was initiated.


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Pratap Singhwon Institute of Physics Prize for his Cosmic-ray project

On 12th March 2015, a 15-year-old Indian-

origin schoolboy, Pratap Singh in the United

Kingdom was awarded with the 500 pounds

Institute of Physics (IOP) Prize. A trip to a

national physics-related activity is also included

in the prize. He was honoured for doing an

experiment that verified an effect of Albert

Einsteins theory of special relativity.

At the Bing Bang Fair held at the National

Exhibition Centre (NEC) Birmingham he was presented with the award. The participants of the Big Bang Fair,

which was held from 11th to 14th March 2015, 200 students aged 11 to 18 years demonstrated their

projects to thousands of visitors

Gopaldas Neeraj and Uday Pratap Singhare conferred with Sahitya

Shiromani Samman of Uttar Pradesh

On 8th April 2015, Uttar Pradesh Government conferred Sahitya Shiromani Samman on noted Hindi poet

Gopaldas Neeraj and veteran Hindi litterateur Uday Pratap Singh. Along with the award, the duo was given a

cash prize of 21 lakh rupees.

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav conferred the award on Uday Pratap Singh and Gopaldas

Neeraj. Gopaldas Neeraj, for his lifelong service to Hindi literature, will be honoured with the Rashtra Ratn-

Sitara-e Hind award. Excluding this, the poetry book of Gopal Das Neeraj named Geetsri was also disclosed

by CM in Lucknow.

Susanta Lahiri and Kattesh V Kattitwo chemical scientists received

Hevesy Medal Award 2015

On 12th April 2015, Two scientists Susanta Lahiri and Kattesh V. Katti received Hevesy Medal Award 2015.

They were honoured for their contributions in the fields of radio and nuclear chemistry.

Mr. Susanta Lahiri is a Professor at Chemical Sciences Division, Saha Institute of

Nuclear Physics in Kolkata and he won the award for his contributions to heavy ion

induced radioisotope production, converter targets, green chemistry and tracerpacket technique.

Mr. Kattesh V. Katti is a professor at the Centre for Radiological Research, University

of Missouri in Columbia, the US. His research interests in the domain of Nano

Science and Technology include exploring chemical, biophysical, magnetic and

photo physical properties, which are unique to specific nanoparticulates, toward

the design and development of sophisticated diagnostic and therapeutic agents.


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Satya Nadellahas been awardedWhite House Champions of Change

Among the important International Current Affairs, On 16th April 2015,

Microsofts Indian-origin CEO Satya Nadella was honoured with the White

House Champions of Change. He is among the 12 local Champions of

Change who were honoured for their flawless leadership. The honour is

presented to those who support working families and help make change in

their companies or communities.

Microsoft's first Indian-origin Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Satya Nadella.

Sangeeta Bhatiahas won the 2015 Heinz Award at MIT

Among the important International Current Affairs, On 26th April 2015, Scientist, Sangeeta Bhatia won the

prestigious 2015 Heinz Award, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the Employment,

Economy and Technology category. Since 1993, this was the 20th Heinz Award which is given annually.

Artificial human microlivers for drug testing has been developed by Sangeeta Bhatia. She was honoured forher work in disease detection and tissue

engineering. Microliver is a miniature model

organ that makes it possible to test drug

reactions predictively and efficiently, and could

finally lead to an artificial human liver. Her team

founded the fabrication of artificial human

microlivers, which are used to test the toxicity of

drug candidates by many biopharmaceutical

companies.

Bharatiya Mahila Bank wonAsian Banker Achievement Award 2015

Among the important National Current Affairs, On 23rd April 2015,

Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) Ltd won the Asian Banker Achievement Award

2015 for Technology Implementation in the category of Best Outsourcing

Project.

The Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of BMB, Usha

Ananthasubramanian received the award at a function held during the Asian

Banker Summit 2015 in Hong Kong.


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Anil Kapoorhas been conferred with Master Dinanath Mangeshkar

Award 2015

Among the important National Current Affairs, On 25th

April 2015, Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor was conferred

with prestigious Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Award

2015. Noted historian and writer Babasaheb Purandarepresented him the award.

Besides this, veteran Marathi actor Dilip Prabhavalkar

was also granted with the prestigious Master

Deenanath Mangeshkar Award 2015

About Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Award

1. The award was initiated in 1999 in memory of

Dinanath Mangeshkar, father of Lata Mangeshkar.

2. The awards carries a cash prize of Rs 101 001, memento and citation.

Gopinath Pillaiis awarded with Outstanding Service Award for his

services in Singapore

Among the important International Current Affairs, On 25th April 2015, Indian-origin diplomat Gopinath

Pillai was awarded Outstanding Service Award for his services by the National University of Singapore

(NUS). Current he is serving as Ambassador-at-Large of Singapore and special envoy to Andhra Pradesh.

Pillai has served as a diplomat for more than 25 years to Singapore through his distinguished service. From1990 to 2008, he had served as the non-resident Ambassador to Iran.

Shahrukh Khanis honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation

Award 2015

Among the important National Current Affairs, On 21st April 2015, Shah Rukh Khan, for his

performance in the movie Happy New Year was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Film

Foundation Award 2015 in the award

ceremony held in Mumbai

Other Awardees

For outstanding performance in the film

Citylights, Rajkummar Rao won the

reputable award

Huma Qureshi grappled an award for her

memorable performance in the movie

Dedh Ishiqya.

Actress Jaya Prada, Tiger Shroff, Shreyas

Talpade, singer Udit Narayan and Pankaj

Udhas were also felicitated with the award


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21 weightlifters are tested positive and provisionally suspended by IWF

On 4th April 2015, 21 weightlifters were provisionally suspended after they were tested positive for

banned substances by Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF). This is

one of the biggest doping scandals in recent years.

Maximum of these wrongdoer were caught in January 2015 at the

National Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships, which was

held in Yamunangar.Sample B of these 21 lifters has been sent by IWF

for test. The first-time offenders could face a ban for four years in case

the sample tests are positive.

Excluding this, the IWF rules says that if in a 12-month period two ormore doping violations were found in tests conducted by the NADA or

IWF, a state federation could be suspended from participating in any activities of the IWF for a period of

up to two years.

Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams has won the Miami Open Tennis

Singles 2015

In first week of April, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams won the Miami Open Mens and womens

singles titles 2015 respectively. Andy Murray of Britain was defeated by Novak Djokovic of Serbia to

win fifth Miami Open title.

Djokovic became the first player to win at Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back for three continuous

years. Murray and Djokovic have combined to win eight of the past ten Miami Open mens titles

with this win.

On 4th April 2015, Serene Williams of US won the title for 8th time after defeating the twelfth seed

Suarez Navarro of Spain. Williams has won 66 singles titles with his win.

SPORTS


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Gujarat has won Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy

On 7th April 2015, the 2014-15 Syed Mushtaq

Ali T20 Trophy played at the KIIT Cricket

Stadium, Bhubaneshwar was won by Gujarat

cricket team. Gujarat defeated Punjab by

scoring 123 runs in 19.5 overs whereas Punjab

scored 117 runs in 20 overs in final match.

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is a domestic Twenty20

cricket championship in India organized by Board of

Control for Cricket in India and is played among the

teams from Ranji Trophy.

Dronavalli Harika has won bronze in World Women's chess

championship

On 6th April 2015, Indian Grandmaster Dronavalli

Harika won Bronze medal along with Swedish Grandmaster Pia

Cramling in the World Womens chess championships held at Sochi,

Russia. In the semi-finals, Mariya Muzychuk defeated Harika.

Dronavalli Harika won the Bronze medal and got 20000 US dollars.

Mariya Muzychuk of Ukraine won the World Women

Chess Championship by defeating Russian Natalija Pogonina.

Muzychuk won 60000 US dollars whereas Pogonina got 30000 US

dollars as an award.

Jitu Rai Indian ace shooter won bronze at ISSF World Cup

On 12th April 2015, Ace Indian shooter Jitu Rai won bronze medal in the

10m air pistol event at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF)

World Cup which was held in Changwon, South Korea.

He scored 181.1 points in the final to won the bronze. Jin Jongoh of South

Korea won gold medal while Naung Ye Tun of Myanmar won silver medal.

Yuki Bhambri won $15,000 ITF Futures

tournament title

Yuki Bhambri won 15,000 US Dollar ITF Futures

tournament title after defeating Dzmitry Zhyrmont of

Belarus in the finals. Final match was held at Karshi,

Uzbekistan.

This win also has ensured Yuki's entry into the French

Open qualifying event which will be the Clay Court GrandSlam that will begin on the 19th May 2015.


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New Zealand has won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup tournament

the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup mens

hockey tournament 2015 was on by

New Zealand. At the Sultan Azlan

Shah Stadium in Ipoh, Malaysia, they

defeated World Champions Australia

in the finals.

Since the establishment of Sultan

Azlan Shah Cup competition in 1983,

New Zealand has won the title for the

second time. In 2012, New Zealands

recorded its victory for the first time

against Argentina.

Earlier to this, India secured the Broze medal by defeating South Korea in a penalty shootout. After

India won the Gold medal at the Incheon Asian Games 2014 by defeating Pakistan in the final this isthe first major win for India in Hockey.

About Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

Started in 1983, The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is an annual international men's field hockey tournament held in

Malaysia. After 1998, the tournament became an annual event, following its popularity and growth. The

tournament is named after the 9th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia, Sultan Azlan Shah, who was an

passionate fan of field hockey.

Allan Donald has resigned as South Africa Bowling Coach On 14th April 2015, the bowling coach of

South Africa Cricket team, Former South

African cricketer Allan Donald resigned. The

resignation concurred with the end of his

four year tenure.

In 2011, he was authorized to the position as

a member of the teams chief coach Gary

Kirstens support staff, which he continued

to fulfill under the current coach Russell

Domingo since August 2013

In 2004, he retired from the first class cricket and he took 330 wickets from 70 Tests and 272 wickets

from 164 ODIs in his career as a right-arm fast bowler

Sachin Tendulkar elected as member of Laureus Sports Academy

On 15th April 2015, Noted Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was selected as member of prestigious

Laureus Sports Academy at the 16th Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony in Shanghai, China.

Along with him retired Chinese professional basketball player Yao Ming. Before him Kapil Dev and

Rahul Dravid has received this recognition.


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Laureus was established in 2000 and is a non-political international charity that works to improve the lives of

young people around the world through the use of sport. The first Patron of Laureus was Nelson Mandela

International Paralympic Committee derecognises Paralympic

Committee of India

After the news of shoddy treatment to athletes during

the National Para-Athletics Championships held in

Ghaziabad from March 20 to 22, 2015, The

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has

suspended the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) for

indefinite period.

Earlier also Paralympic Committee of India has been

suspended by International Paralympic Committee.

But someone who are worst affected by this decision

are the players who also had to adjust in bad facilitiesand also will not able to participate in any event now

Following the ban, the Paralympic Committee of India

has been barred from participating in any event

Khushbir, Manish, Sandeep three Indian race walkers qualified for 2016

Rio Olympics

On 19th April 2015, Three Indian race walkers, Sandeep Kumar, Manish Rawat

and Khushbir Kaur qualified for 2016 Rio Olympics. During the IAAF Race

Walking Challenge at Rio Maiorin Portugal they qualified for the Olympics.

Khushbir Kaur beats Rio Olympic qualification time of 1 hour and 35

minutes by getting clocked at 1 hour 33 minute and 58 seconds and

finished at 13th place in the race. She is the National women's 20km walk

record holder.

Manish Rawat, with a timing of 1 hour 22 minutes and 50 seconds in the mens 20km race walk and

finished in top 10 i

Career Ias Magazine May 2015

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Transcript of Career Ias Magazine May 2015