Dear Readers, This is the new series which have been started by us in which we will provide you weekly compilation of the current affairs. We will publish our new document named DOUBLE GA TONIC. We really hope that you all will like this new initiative by our team. This document contains the important current affairs from November 2015, i.e. 1st November to 14th November. This tonic is useful for all those candidates who are appearing for the RBI GRADE B EXAM AND NABARD EXAM. Also, this is useful for the IBPS CLERK EXAM 2015-16.

www.bankersadda.com | www.careerpower.in | www.sscadda.com Page 1

INDIA IN NEWS Theatre. The SIAF annual festival began on 16 October The Government of India announced on 12 November 2015 and will continue till 16 November 2015. The 2015 that it signed Memorandum of Understanding culture week was inaugurated by Indian Ambassador (MoU) with six countries. These countries are: Finland, Ashok K Kantha along with Zhong Yanqun, Vice Chair of Kazakhstan, Kenya, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and The Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Oman and Ethiopia. In addition, Agreed Minutes were People's Congress. signed with , Greece, and European Commission. Sierra Leone has been declared Ebola-free by the World The Record of Discussions was signed with Brunei Health Organisation, prompting nationwide Darussalam and Qatar. celebrations tinged with sadness over the loss of 4,000 India was re-elected by the General Assembly to a six victims to the disease. The capital Freetown was year term on the United Nations Commission on transformed into a giant carnival on Friday night as International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). Apart from India, ecstatic crowds took to the streets in an emotional 22 other countries including the United States and outpouring. Pakistan were also re-elected to the UNCITRAL. President Xi Jinping of China met with Ma Ying-jeou, the The Union Government on 9 November 2015 signed president of Taiwan in the first ever encounter between 273 million US dollar loan agreement with Asian the leaders of the neighbors and longtime rivals, an act Development Bank (ADB) to continue improving rural both sides described as a breakthrough gesture meant roads in the States of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya to promote peace and mutual prosperity. Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. The loan agreement A court of asked Facebook to stop tracking the was signed by S Selvakumar, Joint Secretary (Bilateral country's Internet users who are not members of the Cooperation), Department of Economic Affairs and US-based social networking website. It gave 48 hours to Teresa Kho, Country Director of ADB. the social networking site to stop tracking people in The government approved an agreement with Belgium Belgium. The ruling was pronounced on a case lodged in for cooperation in development of new and renewable June 2015 by the Belgian Privacy Commission, which energy technologies. The objective of the Memorandum, said Facebook indiscriminately tracks Internet users it added is to establish the basis for a cooperative when they click like or share on the website. institutional relationship to encourage and promote A rare tropical Cyclone Chapala has slammed into technical bilateral cooperation on new and renewable Yemen triggering heavy flooding and causing damage in energy issues on the basis of mutual benefit, equality coastal region of the war racked country. The cyclone and reciprocity. made landfall in the south eastern provinces of India, UK announced commercial deals worth 9 billion Hadramawt and Shabwa along the Gulf of Aden coast of pounds. The deals cover retail, financial and Yemen in Arabian Sea bringing winds of speed more professional services, health and education among than 100 kms per hour. others. India, Indonesia signed MoUs on Energy, Culture Exchange. These MoUs were signed in the presence of Vice President Hamid Ansari and his counterpart Jusuf Kala in Jakarta.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS Punjabi in the first week of November 2015 became the An Indian culture week called ‘India in Shanghai’ was on third most common language, after English and French, 5 November 2015 inaugurated at China Shanghai in the House of Commons of Canada after 20 Punjabi- International Arts Festival (SIAF) at the Shanghai Grand www.bankersadda.com | www.careerpower.in | www.sscadda.com Page 2 speaking candidates were elected to the parliament in Former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, Justice Ajit October 2015. Prakash Shah, was on 9 November 2015 appointed as Cyclone Megh struck Yemeni Island of Socotra. the ethics officer (ombudsman) at Board of Control for Bosnian and Serbian Governments held first joint Cricket in India (BCCI). He will preside as the sole session post-Bosnian War in Saravejo. The joint session decision maker on all conflict of interest issues plaguing was the first since the end of the Bosnian War in 1995. Indian cricket. The aim of the session was to improve their relations Tanzania's first female Vice President Samia Hassan and contribute to the stabilization of the Western Suluhu was sworn into office. She was sworn in along Balkans. with the new President John Pombe Magufuli at the Maldives Parliament voted to Impeach Vice President swearing-in ceremony held in the country’s economic Ahmed Adeeb. All 61 parliamentarians present voted in capital Dar es Salaam. favour of the impeachment and none opposed in the 85- Navtej Singh Sarna appointed as Indian High member house. The opposition Maldivian Democratic Commissioner to (UK). Sarna is a 1980 Party stayed away from voting. batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer. 's Prime Minister Victor Ponta resigned. Since Oxford University Press India (OUPI) has appointed V September 2015, he has been facing weeks of intense Sivaramakrishnan (Siva) as the managing director, with pressure to quit after going on trial in facing charges of regional responsibilities including Bangladesh, Sri fraud, tax evasion and money laundering. Lanka, and Nepal. Maldives declared State of Emergency for 30 days. Indo-Canadian Sikh Harjit Sajjan was on 4 November Maldives president declared emergency, giving 2015 sworn-in as Defence Minister of Canada. Sajjan sweeping powers to security forces to arrest suspects succeeded Conservative Defence Minister Jason Kenney. ahead of a major anti-government protest rally. Justice T S Thakur (63) will be next Chief Justice of Hindi largest spoken Indian language in US: Census India. His name has been recommended by current CJI Bureau of US. As per the American Community Survey Justice Dattu. Current CJI Justice Dattu will retire on data, Hindi has emerged as the largest Indian language December 2, 2015. Presently, Justice Thakur is the spoken in the US with nearly 6.5 lakh people speaking it. senior most judge of the Supreme Court. He would be Nepal, US armies launched Joint Military training the 43rd CJI. Balance Nail 16-01. Since 2003, the two countries have Former Cabinet secretary T.S.R. Subramanian has been conducted about 30 Balance Nail training sessions. The appointed chairperson of a committee set up by the Balance Nail is beneficial as the training is then passed Human Resource Development Ministry to draft the on to the wider Nepalese army. new education policy. The committee has been Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) won mandated to submit the draft of the new policy no later majority in Parliamentary elections of Turkey. The than December 31, 2015. party founded by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Anil Kumar Jha today took over the charge of Chairman- secured 376 seats which was 14 seats less needed to cum-Managing Director of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd call a referendum on changing the constitution to (MCL), a leading subsidiary of Coal India. increase the powers of the president. Indian-born Harjit Sajjan sworn-in as Defence Minister of Canada. He is one of the Prime Minister Justin APPOINTMENTS (INDIA & WORLD) Trudeau’s 30-member Cabinet that was sworn-in at a Indian-origin barrister in UK, Kalyani Kaul was sworn- public ceremony held at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Canada. in as a Circuit Judge in the UK on 9 November 2015. Deepak Singhal appointed Executive Director of Reserve Now, she will be sitting at Snaresbrook Crown Court Bank of India. Singhal replaced K K Vohra who will now with immediate effect. look after the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Former Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India Subir Corporation (DICGC). Vithal Gokarn on 12 November 2015 was appointed as Air Marshal Virender Mohan Khanna took over as an Executive Director on the board of the International Maintenance Head of IAF Monetary Fund (IMF). Gokarn will replace Rakesh Mohan at the IMF. Mohan’s three year tenure ends in November 2015. Raghuram Rajan, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor who has been a vocal votary for increased co-ordination among central banks, has been elected vice-chairman of the Bank of International Settlement (BIS). Mr. Rajan will have a three-year term as vice-chairman of the BIS. www.bankersadda.com | www.careerpower.in | www.sscadda.com Page 3

STATES (INDIA) IN NEWS Phase-I of T-Hub inaugurated in IIIT-Hyderabad. After a six-day delay in the implementation of the Technology Hub or T-Hub is the country’s largest Environment Compensation Charge or ‘environment incubation centre for start-ups and entrepreneurship. cess’ on trucks entering Delhi, the concessionaire — Indian Railways signed MoU with Odisha for SYMR Consortium LLP — has begun to collect the tax at implementation of railway projects. The MoU aims at its toll booths. Apart from the toll tax, an environment forming a Joint Venture Company to develop railway tax to the tune of Rs 700 on light-duty vehicles and Rs infrastructure in Odisha. 1,300 for three-axle vehicles and above, would be charged at all entry points to the national capital. SPORTS IN NEWS However, trucks “destined to Delhi” will not have to pay India’s Heena Sindhu on 6 November 2015 won the gold the environment cess; only trucks passing through the medal in the 10m air pistol women’s event at the 13th capital would have to pay it. Asian Shooting Championship. The championship was Annual Hundred Drums Wangala Festival has begun on started on 1 November 2015 and will be held for 12 a cultural fervor at Asanang near Tura town in days in Kuwait City. Incidentally, Heena was also the Meghalaya. The three day-long started with the arrival winner of the gold medal in the 10m air pistol event in of ten Wangala Dance Troupes from various parts of 8th Asian Air Gun Championship. It was held in New Garo Hills. Significance of Wangala Festival Wangala Delhi in September 2015. Festival is an annual post-harvest festival of the Garos N Srinivasan dethroned as the ICC Chairman after the tribes of North east India. BCCI decided to recall him and nominate its recently- The Supreme Court of India (SC) upheld Kerala elected President Shashank Manohar as the chief of the Government’s ban on online lotteries. The judgment world body. The decision to remove Srinivasan was was delivered by a bench headed by the Chief Justice of taken at the BCCI’s 86th Annual General Meeting, India (CJI) H L Dattu while hearing the All Kerala Online virtually signalling the end of his hold on Indian cricket. Lottery Dealers Association Vs State of Kerala & Ors. Ravichandran Ashwin's CV has another bullet point case in which Sikkim Government is also one of the under the achievements column as he is now the fastest petitioners opposing the ban. among Indian bowlers to reach the landmark of 150 The Meghalaya High Court has asked the Centre to Test wickets in 29 Tests. Overall, former England fast consider enforcing Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, bowler Sydney Barnes is the fastest to the landmark of 1958 (AFSPA) in militancy-hit Garo Hills region in the 150 wickets, which he achieved in 24 Tests. state to help the administration restore the rule of law. Michelle Payne became the first female jockey to win Mysuru Railway Station (Karnataka, India) became the 6.2 million Australian dollars Melbourne Cup. Payne first blind-friendly Railway Station in India. The visually rode rank outsider Prince of Penzance to a famous impaired – friendly facilities at Mysuru Railway Station victory in 's richest and most prestigious horse has been inaugurated by Mysuru’s Member of race. Parliament Pratap Simha. Anuprayaas, a Non – Governmental Organisation assisted the railways in making Mysuru railway station blind-friendly. In what a major step towards tackling the menace of wheat and paddy straw burning in Punjab, the State government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up a bio-ethanol refinery. The MoU was inked with a consortium of Beta Renewables, Novozymes and CVC India Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. for an estimated project worth Rs. 950 crore, during the Progressive Punjab Investor Summit, 2015. Ace shooter Jitu Rai on 4 November 2015 won India's President approved Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and first senior medal at the 13th Asian Shooting Gausamvardhan Bill. Cow slaughter in Haryana will Championship in Kuwait City. He bagged the silver in invite rigorous imprisonment ranging from 3 to 10 the finals of the men's 50 metre pistol event. Korea’s years and a fine of up to 1 lakh rupees. Park Daehun, won the gold medal of the event. Grand Alliance won the 2015 Assembly Elections of Veteran Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, who made a Bihar with two-thirds majority. Grand Alliance of RJD, spectacular comeback into the Pakistani Test squad JD(U) and INC with thumping two-third majority after five years, has announced retirement from the emerged as the winner of the election. longest format of the game. The 33-year-old said that he www.bankersadda.com | www.careerpower.in | www.sscadda.com Page 4 wanted to vacate the place for youngsters who are Banking for all licensed cooperative banks including ready to fill in his shoes. Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs), Cooperative Banks Inzamam ul Haq, the former Pakistan captain, has been (StCBs) and Districts Co-operative Banks (DCBs). These roped in as the Afghanistan coach for a two-year period. guidelines relate to Internet Banking (View Only) Inzamam had agreed to be the batting consultant for the facility and Internet Banking with Transaction facility. Asian side during the recent tour of Zimbabwe. The cooperative banks have to report commencement Mana Patel and Virdhawal Khade emerged as the best of the service to the concerned Regional Office of RBI swimmers of the 69th senior National Aquatic (and also NABARD in case of StCBs/DCCBs) within one Championships 2015 that concluded in Rajkot on 2 month of operationalisation of this facility. November 2015. The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has The name of former footballer and Asian games gold cleared four FDI proposals worth ₹384 crore including medallist late Ram Bahadur Chetri and renowned that of pharma firm Lupin. “Based on the athletics coach Renu Kohli have been officially approved recommendations of FIPB in its meeting held on by the state sports ministry for the prestigious Khel October 19, 2015, the Government has approved four Ratna (posthumous) and Devbhoomi Uttarakhand proposals of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Dronacharya respectively this year. amounting to Rs. 384.45 crore,” a Finance Ministry Nico Rosberg claimed victory at the Mexican Grand Prix statement said. ahead of Mercedes teammate and newly-crowned world Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairperson of country's champion Lewis Hamilton. largest bank SBI, remains the most powerful woman in New Zealand cemented their status as the greatest team the Indian business sector, according to Fortune India. in rugby history when they overwhelmed Australia 34- ICICI Bank's Chanda Kochhar and Shikha Sharma of Axis 17 at Twickenham to become world champions for a Bank follow Bhattacharya at the second and third place, record third time, and the first nation to retain the respectively. Webb Ellis Cup. Nigeria won 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The championship was held across 8 cities in Chile. BCCI announced monetary benefits for former players. All retired All India Panel Umpires who have officiated in One Day International as field Umpires will get 15000 rupees per month. FIFA World Rankings 2015: Belgium topped for first time. Belgium rose from third to first after overtaking Argentina and world champions Germany. Shiva Thapa ranked World No 2 in boxing. Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Finance, is planning to 2015 Paragliding World Cup concluded. It was held for meet Chief Executives of State-run banks every 45 days eight days in Bir village of Himachal Pradesh. to take stock of various performance parameters and won 2015 men’s singles discuss evolving issues. The move comes at a time when title by defeating . Federer defeated Rafael public sector banks are witnessing increasing pressure Nadal 6-3 5-7 6-3 at the final match held at the St. on asset quality, which is eroding their capital and Jakobshalle in , . profitability. Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis won women's doubles title A leading UAE-based bank has announced a partnership of Singapore Open. The top-seeded Indo-Swiss pair deal with State Bank of India to help NRI customers in defeated eighth seed Spanish team of Garbine Muguruza the gulf to carry out their remittances instantly and and Carla Suarez Navarro 6-0, 6-3. more conveniently. Emirates NBD has expanded its partner bank network in India to include State Bank of BANKS & ECONOMY IN NEWS India (SBI) for the DirectRemit 60 seconds remittance Union Ministry of Finance on 6 November 2015 decided platform. to impose 0.5 percent Swachh Bharat Cess (SBC) on all The Reserve Bank has imposed Rs 1 crore penalty on taxable services. It will be levied in addition to the 14 Dhanlaxmi Bank for violation of Know Your Customer percent service tax that is in force now. The SBC will (KYC) and Anti Money Laundering (AML) norms. It had come into force on 15 November 2015. Its proceeds will issued a Show Cause Notice to the bank for not be exclusively used to support Swachh Bharat initiative. complying with KYC and AML guidelines “in respect of a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 5 November 2015 current account under investigation” of the Economic issued revised and uniform guidelines on Internet Offences Wing (EOW), Mumbai. www.bankersadda.com | www.careerpower.in | www.sscadda.com Page 5

www.bankersadda.com | www.careerpower.in | www.sscadda.com Page 6

BUSINESS NEWS Sameer Gehlaut led Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd. (IHFL) has acquired a 40 per cent stake in OakNorth Bank of the U.K. for $100 million, making it the largest shareholder of a full service universal bank. The investment has been identified and approved by the Strategic Investment Committee for Liability Franchise Develop- ment, headed by K. C. Chakrabarty, an independent director on the board and ex-Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. SUMMITS/CONFERENCE

Anheuser-Busch InBev says it has finalized the terms of The 21st International Conference on Frontiers in Yoga a $107 billion takeover of SABMiller that will combine Research and its Applications (INCOFYRA) will be held the planet’s two biggest brewers and create a company from 3 to 7 January 2016 at Prashanti Kutiram, that makes almost a third of the beer consumed Bengaluru. The summit will be organized by the worldwide. As part of the deal, SABMiller will sell its Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Sansthana. The 21st stake in a venture with Molson Coors. INCOFYRA will bring together the traditional and

Ministry of Railways issued a Letter of Award (LoA) to modern medical systems. The theme of the conference USA-based GE Global Sourcing India Pvt Limited for is Yoga in Integrated Healthcare Systems. setting up of Diesel Locomotive Factory (DLF) at To recognise the spirit of the persons with disabilities, Marhowra, Saran district, Bihar and for procurement first international film festival for the persons with and maintenance of mainline Diesel Electric disabilities (IFFPD) will be held in Delhi from 1 Locomotives. With this, a Joint Venture Company December to 3 December 2015. between Union Ministry of Railways and GE Global 11th National Tribal Crafts Mela Aadishilp has begun in Sourcing India Pvt Limited will be formed soon to New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Union Minister of construct and run the factory. The factory will Tribal Affairs Jual Oram. This edition of Crafts Mela has manufacture modern diesel electric locomotives of been organised by Tribal Cooperative Marketing 4500 HP and 6000 HP to Indian railways. Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) and

Internet giant Google is working with the government will be open till November 11, 2015. on a pilot project for providing Internet connectivity by 2015 Valletta Summit on Migration concluded using large balloons. Google, under its ‘Project Loon’, is in Valletta (Malta). Among the key initiatives, the EU using big balloons floating at a height of 20 kilometers Emergency Trust Fund was established with 1.8 billion above earth surface for transmission of Internet euros to deal with ongoing Mediterranean Migration services. It has already tested this technology in New Crisis. Zealand, California (the US) and . 12th ASEM Foreign Ministers' meet held in Luxemburg.

US-based social networking giant Facebook on 31 The ASEM FMM 12 was held under the theme Working October 2015 partnered with state-owned Bharat Together for a Sustainable and Secure Future. Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) to create 100 WiFi hotspots 21st INCOFYRA to be organised in Bengaluru in 2016. in rural areas of western and southern India. During the The theme of the conference is Yoga in Integrated partnership, Facebook will invest 5 crore rupees per Healthcare Systems. annum for buying bandwidth from BSNL. The hotspots International Indigenous Terra Madre 2015 started in will be set up by BSNL selected vendor Quad Zen and Shillong. Trimax.

Tata Motors has roped in Football star Lionel Messi as OBITUARIES the global brand ambassador for its passenger vehicles. To start with, Tata Motors will roll out the association Rhythm and Blues legend Allen Toussaint died at the campaign, #madeofgreat, starring Lionel Messi. age of 77 after suffering two heart attacks. Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications Ltd (R-Com) Hero MotoCorp patriarch and doyen of Indian two- is merging the telecom business of Sistema Shyam wheeler industry, Brijmohan Lall Munjal, passed away Teleservices Ltd (SSTL) that operates MTS brand with this evening after a brief illness. He was 92. itself in an all-stock deal worth Rs.4,500 crore, marking Former Israeli President Yitzhak Navon died. Navon the start of the much-anticipated consolidation in was Israel’s first Sephardic president. India’s telecom sector. NRI industrialist Swraj Paul’s son Angad Paul dead. French intellectual Rene Girard passed away. India's former Ambassador to Nepal Bimal Prasad dead www.bankersadda.com | www.careerpower.in | www.sscadda.com Page 7

Tollywood comedian Kondavalasa Lakshman Rao died. is commanded by Commandant AK Mudgal and has Colin Welland, the writer of Oscar winning Chariots of complement of four officers and 31 enrolled personnel. Fire, died at 81 Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos, with a strike-range Former England Cricketer Tom Graveney died. of over 290 kms, was test-fired from the navy's newest Former West Bengal assembly speaker Hashim Abdul stealth destroyer INS Kochi successfully hitting a Halim died. decommissioned target ship in the Arabian Sea. American actor Al Molinaro passed away. Captain Krishna Swaminathan took over command of Eminent archaeologist V.N. Misra passed away. aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. INS Vikramaditya is Indian Navy's new and formidable aircraft carrier which DAYS was commissioned at Severodvinsk in Russia on 16 The World Science Day for Peace and Development, November 2013. dubbed World Science Day, was observed on 10 November 2015 across the world. The theme for 2015 is Science for a Sustainable Future. World Pneumonia Day observed on 12th November with the theme Every Breath Counts: Stop Pneumonia Now.

DEFENCE IN NEWS Indian Army on 7 November 2015 successfully test- fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile at the Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan. It was launched from an Autonomous Mobile Launcher (AML). For BrahMos, BOOKS & AUTHORS it was the 50th test-flight. The previous test-firing was from INS Kochi off the west coast on 1 November 2015. Book titled What Happened to Netaji? authored by Indian Army’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC) on 9 former journalist Anuj Dhar was released.

November 2015 successfully test-fired surface-to- The book titled Rebooting India: Realizing a Billion surface Agni-IV missile. The nuclear capable missile was Aspirations authored by Nandan Nilekani and Viral test-fired from the Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast. Shah was released on 4 November 2015. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on 10 November Interlinking of Indian Rivers authored by Radha Kant 2015 commissioned the India Coast Guard Offshore Bharati released. Patrol Vessel (OPV), ‘Samarth’ at Vasco in Goa. It is Coast Guard’s largest OPV. The Ship built by Goa AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Shipyard limited is the first in the series of six off Shore Santoor maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma on 7 Patrol vessels. The 105m OPV is fitted with most November 2015 was honoured with the Aditya Vikram advance technology, navigation and communication Birla Kala Shikhar Award for lifetime achievement. The equipment, sensors and machinery. It has a maximum governor of Maharashtra C Vidyasagar Rao presented speed of 23 knots and has an endurance of 6000 the award to the 77-year old Santoor player in Mumbai. nautical miles at economical speed. Liberian teenager Abraham M Keita was on 10 The seventh edition India-Russia Joint Military Exercise November 2015 awarded with the prestigious ‘Indra-2015’ has begun in Bikaner district of Rajasthan. International Children’s Peace Prize 2015. He was This edition of exercise is focusing on ‘Counter awarded for his extraordinary and peaceful fight for Terrorism Operations in Desert Terrain under a United justice for child victims of physical or sexual violence, Nations Mandate’. The bilateral exercise would be held and for successfully campaigning for the Liberian between Indian Army’s Infantry Battalion and parliament to adopt the Children’s Law.

Independent Russian Motorised Brigade from 7 to 20 A team of Indian scientist led by Sameer Panda from November 2015. Odisha on 6 November 2015 won the NASA award for An Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Arinjay was on 1 an innovative technology named Burst Prevention & November 2015 commissioned by Vice Admiral Sunil Puncture Curative (BPPC) technology. Udit Bondia, KN Lanba PVSM, AVSM Flag Officer Commanding-in-chief, Panda and Smitiparna Satpathy are the other members Southern Naval Command at a ceremony held at Naval of the team. They won the award in the Create the Base in Kochi. The ship will be based at Okha under the Future Design Contest- 2015 conducted by NASA Tech administrative and operational control of the Brief in New York. Tech Brief is a contest jointly commander, coast guard region (north west). The ship organized by NASA and Society of Automobile Engineers, International. www.bankersadda.com | www.careerpower.in | www.sscadda.com Page 8

Renowned film, television and stage actor Vikram  Pension will be re-fixed for all pensioners retiring in the Gokhale was conferred with the prestigious Vishnudas same rank and with the same length of service as the Bhave Award. The actor was felicitated with the award average of minimum and maximum pension in 2013. for his outstanding contribution to Marathi theatre.  The benefit will be given with effect from 1 July 2014 to The 33-year-old “Mary Kom” actress, who has made it the ex-service men of all the three forces. to the top five, will be competing with big names like  Those drawing pensions above the average will be Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts, Marcia Gay Harden protected. and Lia Michele. In her debut American TV thriller  In future, the pension would be re-fixed every 5 years. “Quantico” the “Gunday’ star plays the lead role of a  Arrears will be paid in four half-yearly installments. young FBI recruit Alex Parish. The news of her being  All widows, including war widows, will be paid arrears one of 15 actresses vying for a final nomination in the in one installment. category came last month.  Personnel who voluntarily retire will not be covered under the scheme. NASA/ISRO IN NEWS  The estimated cost to the exchequer would be 8000 to a) Indigenously made communications satellite GSAT- 10000 crore at present, and will increase further in 15 was launched successfully by the European Ariane 5 future. VA-227 launch vehicle at 3:04 am. The launch took Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched three gold place from Kourou in French Guyana in South America. related schemes. The schemes are – Gold Monetization The Ariane-5 rocket was hired at a cost of Scheme, Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme and Indian Gold approximately 581 crores rupees. Coins. The primary purpose of the schemes is to reduce b) The 3164 kilogram GSAT-15 carries communication dependence on imported gold, recycle the unutilized transponders in Ku-band as well as a GPS Aided GEO gold in the country and most importantly, streamline Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) payload operating in the gold business in the country. At present, India is the L1 and L5 bands. An Arabsat communications satellite largest consumer of gold in the world. also accompanied the GSAT-15 on the same launch. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 November 2015 launched Imprint India, a Pan-IIT and IISc joint initiative. The project encourages the Indian technical SCHEMES/POLICIES LAUNCHED BY CENTRAL & institutions to develop a blueprint for research to crack STATE GOVERNMENT major engineering and technology challenges relevant Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on 5 to the nation. Imprint India is a 1000 crore rupees November 2015 launched the Rajasthan Agro- project, which aspires to identify areas of immediate Processing and Agri-Marketing Promotion Policy 2015. relevance to society requiring innovation and Direct The policy seeks to promote agro-processing and to scientific research into identified areas. reduce post-harvest losses at the farm gate. The policy The Maharashtra state Government has approved a aims to promote agro-processing and to reduce post- revised scheme, named APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Yojna, harvest losses at the farm gate thus ensuring maximum for pregnant and lactating women in the tribal areas of prices of farmer’s agri produce. The state government the state. The scheme aims at providing at least one full also signed 112 MoUs with private companies in hot cooked nutritious food to every pregnant lady and different sectors during the launch of policy. lactating mother. The scheme will be rolled out on 15 The Union Human Resource Development Minister November 2015. The anganwadis workers, the tribal Smriti Irani on 7 November 2015 launched the e- women and the local meal committees will implement Pathshala, Saaransh and National Programme on School the scheme. The Women and Child Welfare Department Standards and Evaluation Framework (Shala Siddhi) will spend 10 crore rupees in stipend to anganwadi web portals/ mobile apps. These portals were launched workers. during the edNEXT, the National Conference on ICT in School Education that was held at New Delhi. During the MISCELLANEOUS Conference, Shala Darpan, MDM-IVRS and Ekta project from Alwar, Rajasthan were also show-cased. The Forbes list of the World's Most Powerful People Union Government issued the notification regarding 2015 was released on 4 November 2015. The list was implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) in topped by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the respect of Defence Forces personnel. The notification is third year in a row. Putin is followed by German in tune with the modalities for implementation Chancellor Angela Merkel (rank 2) who moved up 3 announced on 5 September 2015. spots from 2014, and President Barack Obama (rank 3) Features of OROP scheme - dropped 1 spot, making it the first year a sitting US President has not made it into the top 2 spots. India’s www.bankersadda.com | www.careerpower.in | www.sscadda.com Page 9

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was ranked as the Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The report was submitted world’s ninth most powerful person. In 2014, Modi was on 9 November 2015 in Vienna, Switzerland. placed at 14th position. The Union Government on 4 November 2015 The United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) constituted an Empowered Committee to approve Disarmament Committee has adopted a draft resolution schemes proposed under the Nirbhaya Fund. The submitted by Japan calling for the abolition of nuclear Committee comprises officials from various ministries, arms. The resolution was adopted by 156 member including Women and Child Development, Home Affairs, countries, while 17 abstaining and 3 voting against it Road Transport and Railways. The Nirbhaya Fund has a including China and Russia. But it failed to secure total of 3000 crore rupees fund as 1000 crore each was endorsement US, Britain, and other key powers allocated to it in 2014-15 and 2015-16 on top of 1000 as they abstained from voting despite supporting it. The crore rupees initial corpus. resolution Stresses the inhumanity of nuclear weapons Dr T K Viswanathan Committee on Bankruptacy Law and urges nuclear powers to be more transparent in Reforms submitted its report. The report is in two their disarmament efforts. The resolution asks world parts-Recommendations and a comprehensive draft leaders to visit the two Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Insolvency and Bankruptcy bill. Nagasaki which were devastated by the nuclear attacks. Justice MB Shah-headed SIT on Black Money submitted Since 1994, Japan has been spearheading efforts UNGA its third report. The report dealt with shell companies Disarmament Committee to introduce resolutions on and beneficial ownership. nuclear arms every year. Financial Secrecy Index 2015 released; India Army Cloud, Software Defined Data Centre and moderately secretive. While Switzerland is the most Digi-Locker in New Delhi secretive jurisdiction in the world, India is moderately a) Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on 9 secretive among the 92 countries/jurisdictions November 2015 launched Army Cloud, Software surveyed. Defined Data Centre and Digi-Locker facilities for the Shekhar Kapur to head jury and Anil Kapoor to be chief Indian Army at the Army Headquarters in New Delhi. guest at IFFI 2015. The Man Who Knew Infinity, a b) The three initiatives are aimed at catalysing automation British film on Indian mathematician Srinivasa and digitization of the Indian Army and help in Ramanujan’s life, will open the 46th edition and transforming it from a Platform Centric to a Network will be the focus country of the IFFI 2015. Centric Force. The Legatum Prosperity Index 2015 released. India c) Army Cloud includes a Central Data Centre, a Near Line ranked 99 in terms of prosperity out of the 142 Data Centre, both in Delhi and a Disaster Recovery site countries surveyed. for replication of its critical data along with virtualised servers and storage in an environmentally controlled complex. d) Digi Locker will provide a secure and exclusive data storage space to all the units and formation headquarters of the Army over its dedicated data network. It is similar to e-Locker of Digital India program and has all the advanced features like digital signatures and watermarking.

COMMITTEES IN NEWS The Committee of Eminent Persons (CEP) on 5 November 2015 submitted its report. It was constituted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Council under the Chairmanship of Prof Ashok Misra to suggest reforms to the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). Richard Proud-chaired Independent Commission (IC) on Doping in Sports submitted its report to the World www.bankersadda.com | www.careerpower.in | www.sscadda.com Page 10

UDAY Scheme will be in a tripartite agreement. After doing an XRF (x- a) Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra ray fluorescence) and a fire assay test, you will be told Modi has given its nod Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojna the result. If you still wish to deposit the gold, the centre (UDAY) for financial restructuring of debt of power will give a purity certificate endorsing the weight and distribution companies. purity of gold. You have to then take the certificate to b) The Scheme aims for financial turnaround and revival of one of the designated banks. In the meantime, the Power Distribution companies (DISCOMs) and also banker will also get intimation from the centre of your ensures a sustainable permanent solution to the gold deposit and he will credit your ‘gold deposit problem. account’ with the equivalent amount of gold. The test c) UDAY scheme allows power DISCOMs in selected states centre will send the gold to a refiner who will keep the to convert their debt into state bonds as well as roll out gold in his warehouse (unless the banks choose to hold number of measures to improve efficiency at power it themselves). plants. d) Selected states would be able to sell the balance 25 per cent as state-backed power bonds or loans which will carry interest rates of g-sec plus 50 basis points. e) Thus with nod to UDAY Scheme, Union Government seeks to accelerate the process of reform across the entire power sector in order to ensure affordable and accessible 24×7 Power for All. f) The scheme has been framed by Union Power Ministry d) This deposit scheme will be available for the short term as power DISCOMs in several states have been severely of one to three years, medium term of five to seven mismanaged, resulting in a debt burden upward of 4 years and long term of 12-15 years. While deposits of all lakh crore rupees. This has taken a toll on the power as tenures will be run only by banks, for the medium and well as bank sectors. long-term deposits, the terms and conditions and rate of interest will be fixed by the Central Government. At the GOLD SCHEMES by Union Government end of the deposit period, your deposit, either in The three schemes launched by Govt. are: cash/gold (medium and long-term deposits will be (i) Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS) redeemed only in cash) will be returned to you by the (ii) Gold Sovereign Bond Scheme bank. If redeemed in cash, the rupee value of the gold (iii) Gold Coin and Bullion Scheme deposit at the prevailing market price will be paid. e) Some Key Features: a) Prime Minister Modi also unveiled the first ever Gold Monetization Scheme national gold coin minted in India with the national  KYC - a must, but income is tax-free emblem of Ashok Chakra engraved on it. The Gold  Will be melted, but returned as gold Monetisation Scheme is aimed at tapping part of an  Fixed deposit, but can break it for a fee estimated 20,000 tonnes of idle gold worth Rs. 5,40,000  Interest nominal, but it is on gold weight crore in family lockers and temples into the banking system. Gold Sovereign Bond b) The Gold Sovereign Bond will be issued by the Reserve  Earns you interest Bank of India (RBI) on behalf of the government with an  Minimal charges interest rate of 2.75%. The bonds will be sold through  Better liquidity banks and designated post offices. Describing the schemes as “sone pe suhaga” (icing on the cake), Modi said gold has often been a source of women’s empowerment in the Indian society, and these schemes will underscore that sense of empowerment. c) Gold monetisation scheme (GMS) is a deposit scheme of banks where you will be paid interest on the weight of gold you give. The minimum deposit is 30 grams (of 995 fineness). To make a deposit under this scheme, you need to first get your gold tested from one of the centres certified by BIS. These centres, gold refiners and banks

www.bankersadda.com | www.careerpower.in | www.sscadda.com Page 11

Important Days in November  Nov.13 - World Kindness Day  Nov. 14 - World Diabetes Day  Nov. 16 - International Day for Endurance or Tolerance  Nov. 1 - World Vegan Day  Nov.19 - World Toilet Day, National Integration Day  Nov. 6 - International Day for Preventing the  Nov. 20 - Universal Children’s Day Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed  3rd Sunday of November - World Day of Conflict Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims  Nov. 7 - World Cancer Awareness Day  3rd Thursday of November - World Philosophy Day  Nov. 8 - World Radiology Day  Nov. 9 - World Legal Service Day  Nov.11 - National Education Day  Nov.12 - Public Service Broadcasting Day

ALL THE BEST FOR RBI GRADE B EXAM AND NABARD ASSISTANT EXAM

www.bankersadda.com | www.careerpower.in | www.sscadda.com Page 12