Daily GK Update - 1st April 2015 1. Mustafa Kamal resigned from the post of distribution platform RupeePower for an 5. RBI penalises 16 Central Co-operative Banks President of International Cricket Council undisclosed amount. (CCBs) i. Mustafa Kamal on 1 April 2015 stepped down as the President of the International Cricket Council (ICC). He sent out the resignation letter to the ICC. ii. The Bangladeshi cricket administrator had succeeded Alan Isaac as the 11th President of the ICC in June 2014 for a period of two years. ii. Snapdeal’s entry into online financial services is a first for an e-commerce company in . i. The Reserve Bank of India penalised 16 central Following the deal, the SoftBank-backed cooperative banks with a fine of Rs 5 lakh each Snapdeal will offer consumer loans through the for non-adherence of the Know Your Customer RupeePower network. The online financial and Anti-Money Laundering guidelines. services market in India is estimated at Rs 4,500 ii. The lenders were issued show-cause notices iii. He has been associated with cricket for 30 crore. and the action was taken after going through years and served cricket in different capacities. iii. The latest development is part of Snapdeal’s the responses. In 2012, he was named as the Vice-President of $1-billion acquisition spree. Founded in 2011, iii. The penalties were imposed on these co- the ICC for the term 2012-2014. RupeePower has partnered 12 banks, including operative banks in exercise of powers vested in the State Bank of India, and non-banking RBI under the provisions of Section 47(A) read 2. Commerce Ministry releases Foreign Trade financial companies. with Section 46 of the Banking Regulation Act, Policy 1949 i. The commerce ministry announced its new 4. Kotak Mahindra-ING Vysya merger gets RBI Foreign Trade Policy for the period 2015-2020. approval 6. New Zealand cricketer Mills follows Vettori i. The merger deal between Kotak Mahindra into retirement Bank and ING Vysya Bank has received the i. New Zealand pace bowler Kyle Mills Reserve Bank's approval, which would create announced his retirement from all cricket the country's fourth largest private sector Wednesday, following Daniel Vettori in calling it lender. quits after the World Cup final. ii. The scheme of amalgamation (of Kotak ii. Mills was consistently ranked among the ii. To address the infrastructural bottlenecks, Mahindra Bank and ING Vysya Bank) shall come world's top 10 one-day bowlers throughout his complex procedures and manufacturing into effect from April 1, 2015. Following the illustrious 14-year career, and for a long time hurdles, the new trade policy announced two merger, all the tangible and intangible assets was ranked number one. new schemes -- Merchandise Exports From India have been transferred to Kotak Mahindra Bank. iii. Mills represented New Zealand in 170 ODIs Scheme (MEIS) and Services Exports From India and took 240 wickets to be the Black Caps' Scheme (SIES). second highest wicket-taker in the shortened iii. The new trade policy will boost exports, game behind Vettori, who took 297. create jobs while supporting 'Make In India' and 'Digital India'… Will focus on defence, pharma, environment-friendly products and value-added exports. iii. The Rs 15,000 crore merger deal between Kotak Mahindra and ING Vysya got the 3. Snapdeal acquires majority stake in RupeePower Competition Commission's approval in i. E-commerce marketplace Snapdeal has February. acquired a majority stake in digital financial Daily GK Update - 2nd April 2015 2. Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approved for 2014-15The total collection as on March 31 1. Odisha Government launches Aahar scheme Amaravathi as capital of the State is Rs 5,46,479 crore, based on the provisional i. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik i. Andhra Pradesh Cabinet chaired by Chief report as against revised estimates of Rs launched his government’s much-hyped Minister N Chandrababu Naidu approved that 5,42,325 crore for 2014-15. subsidised Aahar scheme on the occasion of the Amaravathi will be the new capital city of the State’s Foundation Day. state. The capital will come up at Tullur in 4. Muhammadu Buhari claims victory in ii. The scheme was launched in Bhubaneswar, Vijayawada-Guntur region of the state. Nigeria's presidential elections Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Rourkela in ii. The name of Amaravathi as state capital was i. Former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari the first phase. finalised in view of its historical, spiritual and has become Nigeria’s president elect after mythological significance. defeating Goodluck Jonathan in the first democratic change of power ever in Africa's 3. Indirect tax collection exceeds target by Rs most populous nation. 4,000 crore in FY15 ii. Mr Jonathan on Tuesday publicly conceded defeat, expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to lead the nation. iii. The Chief Minister launched the scheme in two towns — first at the Capital Hospital premises in Bhubaneswar followed by Government Hospital in Rourkela. iv. Four Aahar outlets each have been opened in i. The collection of indirect taxes has surpassed the revised estimates by Rs 4,000 crore to reach five towns where meal consisting of rice and iii. Mr Jonathan's defeat is the first time in Dalma is being provided at a subsidised rate Rs 5.46 lakh crore for the fiscal ended March 2015. Nigeria’s brief democracy that a sitting with financial assistance from three State run president has not won a second term or handed ii. The total collection as on March 31 is Rs corporations and Tata Steel. power to a nominated successor. 5,46,479 crore, based on the provisional report

as against revised estimates of Rs 5,42,325 crore 5. Punjab Government launches Padho Punjab- ii. The scheme was launched as part of the iii. Rai's appointment comes at a time when Khedo Punjab Mission National Mission for Electric Mobility to boost cyber security assumes importance in the eco-friendly vehicles sales in the country. backdrop of growing network intrusions and iii. It's main objective is to support the hybrid or hacking attempts on not just businesses but also electric vehicles market development and its on the government. manufacturing eco-system in the country in order to achieve self-sustenance in stipulated 8. Isro IRNSS-1D Launch Puts India a Step period. Closer to Own GPS-Like System i. Punjab Government has launched ‘Padho iv. The overall scheme is proposed to be i. India is set to operationalise its own Punjab- Khedo Punjab Mission’ i.e. Learn implemented over a period next 6 years i.e. till navigational system with the succesful launch of Punjab- Play Punjab Mission. 2020. IRNSS-1D, the fourth in the series of seven ii. It is a special mission launched to provide navigational satellites, onboard PSLV-C27 from school students a separate period in the 7. Gulshan Rai takes charge as India’s first Sriharikota. curriculum for playing along with studies. cyber security chief ii. The expendable rocket had a single but iii. The purpose of the mission is to encourage i. Gulshan Rai, the Director General of Indian important luggage, the 1,425 kg IRNSS-1D. more youngsters towards sports to produce Computer Emergency Response Team (Cert-In), iii. The rocket blasted off from the second quality players for the country. This will also will take over as India's first Cyber Security launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, inculcate the sportsmanship spirit and chief. around 80 km from Chennai. competitiveness amongst them. ii. Rai, who also heads the eSecurity and Cyber Law division in the Ministry of Communications 6. Union Government launches FAME-India and Information Technology, has been involved scheme to boost electric, hybrid vehicle sales in various capacities regarding cyber security for over two decades. He is part of the Department of Electronics and IT. iv. The IRNSS will provide two types of services - standard positioning service and restricted service. The former is provided to all users and the latter is an encrypted service for authorised i. Union Government on 1 April 2015 launched users. Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles (FAME) – India Scheme. Daily GK Update - 3rd April 2015 1. President gives nod to land ordinance i. Subadhra Devi Rai, a senior lecturer at the i. The land acquisition ordinance, re- School of Health Sciences (Nursing) at Nanyang promulgated, a day before it is to lapse. Polytechnic (NYP), has been named winner of ii. The government could not get converted into the 2015 International Achievement Award by a legislation in Rajya Sabha due to stiff the International Council of Nurses' Florence opposition from the other parties. Nightingale International Foundation (FNIF). ii. Kelkar was appointed on the Board of Tata iii. The fresh ordinance, which is the 11th by the ii. She was named for the award for her work in Group firm on May 30, 2012. He has also served Narendra Modi government, incorporates nine the healthcare sector of women and refugees as chairman of the National Stock Exchange and amendments that were part of the bill passed in and will receive the award on 21 June 2015 at a the 13th Finance Commission, besides being Lok Sabha. conference in Seoul. adviser to Finance Minister. iii. With this 51-year-old Rai became the first iii. He is an Indian economist and academician Singaporean to get the prestigious biennial prize who served as the Chairman of the Thirteenth since its introduction in 1999. Finance Commission constituted by the President of India. He also served as Advisor to 4. India ranks 119 on 2015 FM Global the Union Ministry of Finance (2002–2004), and Resilience Index is known for his role in economic reforms in iv. To enable re-promulgation of the ordinance, i. In recently released 2015 FM Global Resilience India. the government last week got the Rajya Sabha Index, India has been ranked a low 119 out of iv. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the prorogued. Under the Constitution at least one 130 countries. second highest civilian award, in January 2011. of the Houses has to be prorogued for Government to issue an ordinance. 6. Amitabh Bachchan honoured by Egypt's Academy of Arts 2. Former world champion hurdler Liu Xiang to i. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan feels “humbled retire and “honoured” to have received a honorary ii. India despite having scope and global doctorate from the Egyptian Academy of Arts potential was ranked 119 compared to 112th for his contribution to cinema. rank in 2014 Global Resilience Index. ii. He took to micro-blogging site Twitter to iii. India is ranked 115 position on the economic share the news. parameter that takes into account GDP, political i. ’s former Olympic champion hurdler Liu risk and oil intensity. This rank is same as in year Xiang plans to announcement his retirement 2014. next week following years of nagging injuries. iv. In the risk quality factor, India is ranked 109 ii. The 31-year-old Liu became one of China’s for its quality of natural hazard and fire risk best-known athletes by winning the 110-meter management. In this parameter, India has hurdles title at the 2004 Athens Olympics in a shown slight improvement from its 113th rank then-world record time. in 2014. iii. Liu missed previous two olympics outings due to similar problems. 5. Vijay Kelkar resigns from Tata Chemicals' iii. This is the first time that the Academy of Board Arts has given a doctorate to an international 3. Indian-origin nurse Subadhra Devi Rai i. Former Finance Commission chairman Vijay actor. named for 2015 International Achievement Kelkar has resigned from the company’s Board. Award 7. Saina Nehwal reaches Malaysia Open ii. Saina defeated Yu 21-11, 18-21, 21-17 in 1 by seven wickets at a packed MCG on March 29 semifinals hour and 11 minutes to set up last four clash but won a million fans with their ente rtaining with world no. 2 Li Xuerui of China. show throughout the 50-over showpiece event. iii. With 328 runs in nine matches at a strike 8. Brendon McCullum conferred with Sir rate of 188.50, McCullum led by example to be Richard Hadlee Medal for 2014-15 named captain of the ICC’s team of the i. New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has tournament. i. Newly crowned World No. 1 Saina Nehwal been awarded Sir Richard Hadlee medal, the continued her rampaging run with a win over country’s highest cricketing honour, for his inspirational leadership and exemplary batting China's Sun Yu to reach the semifinals of the Malaysia Open Super Series Premier. at a glittering ceremony, in Auckalnd. ii. McCullum, 33, led the Kiwis to their first World Cup final where they did lose to

Daily GK Update - 4th April 2015 1. Planet named after Indian chess i. Bharti AXA General Insurance (GI) Company 6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched grandmaster Viswanathan Anand Ltd. has launched 'Smart Traveller' that offers Give it Up campaign i. The Indian Chess grandmaster, Viswanathan global coverage for students, individuals, i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Give Anand adds another feather in his cap with a families and frequent travellers. it Up campaign. The campaign was launched at minor planet being named after him. The planet ii. The SmartTraveller Insurance policy offers a the annual energy-focussed summit Urja was discovered back in 1988 but had not been choice of two major plans catering to Individuals Sangam 2015. formally named until recently. and Families and frequent travelers through a ii. The minor planet, now known as Vishyanand, variant - known as Annual Multi Trip was previously identified as planet 4538. International travel insurance plan.

4. Union Government extends National Food Security Act deadline by 6 months i. Union Government again has extended rolling ii. The campaign seeks to extort the better off out deadline for National Food Security Act sections of society to forego their liquefied (NFSA), 2013 by six months. It was announced petroleum gas (LPG) subsidy, which would be iii. With this privilege, Anand joins former world by Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan in utilised in providing subsidised LPG connections chess champions Alexander Alekhine and order to give more time to states to roll out to the poor. Anatoly Karpov who have had a similar honour NFSA. iii. The Prime Minister asked companies and bestowed on them. ii. The extension will help remaining states banks to encourage their employees to give up adopt and implement the law within next six the subsidy on LPG. The Give it Up campaign 2. Rain-hit areas to get NREGS boost months. should be taken up on the lines of Swacch iii. It is third time, this deadline has been Bharat and Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao initiatives. extended and the second deadline was to end on 4 April 2015. 7. Saina Nehwal ends runner-up at Malaysia Open i. Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal bowed out of the Malaysia Open badminton championship i. The Union government will increase the following a semifinal defeat in a thrilling three - number of work days under the Mahatma set game against tournament top seed Li Xuerui Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee of China in Kuala Lumpur. Scheme from 100 to 150 in places where the ii. World number one Saina squandered a one - iv. 11 states and UTs that have implemented recent unseasonal rain and hailstorms have game advantage as she lost 21-13 17-21 20-22 NSFA fully or partially are- Punjab, Haryana, affected crops. to world number three Li in a gruelling semifinal Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, ii. The Finance Ministry and the Agriculture that lasted one hour and eight minutes at Putra Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Stadium. Ministry are readying a relief package that will Delhi and Chandigarh. include cash compensation for damaged crops iii. Saina, who won the India Open Super Series to farmers hit by the unseasonal rain and last week, once again failed to come good 5. Doping scandal hits Indian Weight lifting hailstorms. against Xuerui, who has now beaten the Indian iii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought nine times in 11 meetings. recommendations from NITI Aayog on how insurance can be used to protect farmers from losses arising out of crop damage.

i. 21 weightlifters have been provisionally 3. Bharti AXA General Insurance launched suspended by the Indian Weightlifting Smart Traveller Federation after testing positive for banned substances. ii. Maximum numbers of offenders were caught at the National Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships, which was held in Yamunanagar in January.

Daily GK Update - 5th April 2015 K.N. Tripathi sworn in as Governor of Mizoram ii. He was sworn in as 16th Governor of iii. Justice Michael Zothankhuma of the Gauhati i. West Bengal and Bihar Governor Keshari Nath Mizoram on 4 April 2015. High Court administered oath of office to him at Tripathi took additional charge of Mizoram . Raj Bhavan in Aizawal. iv. Tripathi was given additional charge of ii. Out of the 130 countries and regions assessed Mizoram after Union Government had sacked Malli Mastan Babu, India's ace mountaineer Norway topped the list in terms of business then Governor Aziz Qureshi. passes away resilience and Venezuela came at last. i. Malli Mastan Babu, one of India’s top iii. The Index used nine core drivers that are mountaineers passed away. His dead body was categorized into three factors namely Economic recovered in the Andes Mountains between Productivity, Risk Quality, and Supply Chain to and Chile after he went missing on assess business resilience of the countries or 24th March, 2015 during an expedition to Cerro regions surveyed. Tres Cruces Sur.

ii. Babu was regarded as the fastest “7 India’s position in the Index Pedro Cateriano Bellido appointed as Prime summiteer” that is fastest mountaineer to climb India has been placed at the 119th position in Minister of Peru summits in all seven continents from India. the 2015 Index compared to 112th rank it i. Pedro Cateriano Bellido was appointed as iii. In 2006, he had famously scaled 7 summits of secured in the 2014 Index. Prime Minister of Peru by the President Ollanta the world in record 172 days.  India is ranked at the 115th position in the Humala. iv. He was the first Indian mountaineer to Economic Productivity category that takes into ii. He will replace Ana Jara, who had lost a summit the tallest peak in Antarctica, Mt Vinson account GDP per capita, political risk and oil confidence vote and was sacked by Peruvian Massif. He was also the first person from intensity. This rank is same as in the Index Congress amid allegations of corruption. Andhra Pradesh to scale the Mt Everest. 2014. v. Babu hails from Nellore district of Andhra In the Risk Quality factor, India is placed at the Pradesh and was a 2000-2002 IIM Kolkata pass 109th position from 113th rank in 2014 which out. He also had a degree from IIT Kharagpur. took into account exposure to natural hazard, Quality of natural hazard risk management and Quality of fire risk management.  In the Supply Chain category, which takes into account control of corruption, Infrastructure About Pedro Cateriano Bellido and local supplier quality, India has improved its a. Prior to this appointment, he was serving as rank from 100th position in the year 2014 to Peru’s Defence Minister and was appointed in 89th position. FM Global released Global Resilience Index July 2012, Cateriano, by profession is a lawyer  According to the report, despite India’s huge and is specialized in constitutional law. 2015 Report i. The Index offers powerful insights to help economic potential it is placed at the 119th b. He was member of the Peruvian parliament position because one third of its population is from 1990 to 1992. Cateriano also had served as business executives target their investments towards more reliable returns and to protect still living below the poverty line-–one of the deputy justice minister from 2001 to 2002. He highest incidences outside sub-Saharan Africa. also teaches law at the University of Lima. their customers from unforeseen disruption. Daily GK Update - 6th April 2015 1. Delhi airport bags Golden Peacock National NOTE: GMV refers to the overall revenue Quality Award generated by online retailers through sale of i. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has goods on the online platforms. bagged the prestigious Golden Peacock National Quality Award for the year 2015. 4. Mumbai: Defence Minister Manohar ii. The award highlights the best in class quality ii. The meeting will deliberate on a road map for Parrikar undocks first Scorpene submarine process that we have been building up at DIAL strengthening collaboration among SAARC over the years, which have brought significant countries on a number of issues and challenges results and many awards and accolades. faced by them. iii. The award will be presented to DIAL by the iii. The health ministers will also discuss UAE Minister for culture, youth and adoption of the "Delhi Declaration" affirming development Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al their commitment to work together in identified Nahyan at a specially organized presentation areas and further strengthen health ceremony to be held in Dubai on April 20. collaboration with agreed road map and i. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar launched timelines, in the meeting scheduled to take the country's first indigenously-built Scorpene place on April 8. submarine at the Mazagaon Dockyard Ltd in Mumbai. 3. Myntra to shut website from 1 May; to be ii. The Scorpene is part of the ambitious Project 75 of Indian Navy's submarine programme, available as a mobile app only iv. Golden Peacock Awards were founded by the i. After closing its mobile website last month, undertaken with French collaboration, which Institute of Directors, India in 1991 and are online fashion retailer Myntra is now moving to will include six such vessels joining the fleet over globally regarded as a benchmark of corporate an app-only strategy by shutting down its the next few years. excellence. desktop website. iii. The submarine is expected to be v. The National Quality Award Scheme was commissioned by September 2016. instituted to encourage total quality iv. Presently, Indian Navy has 14 conventional improvements in both manufacturing and diesel-electric powered submarines which service organizations in India. include 10 Russian Kilo Class and four German HDW class vessels. 5. MoU inked for construction of BR Ambedkar 2. India to host fifth meeting of SAARC health ii. Myntra, which was acquired by Flipkart last ministers year for a sum of Rs 2,000 crores claims that i. Indian will host the fifth meeting of SAARC around 85 percent of all users come to the site health ministers next week to deliberate on key via the app anyway, and that around 63 percent issues including HIV/AIDS, prevention of of all purchases happen on the app. communicable and non-communicable diseases iii. Myntra is on course to complete Rs 2,000 and to strengthen collaborations amongst the crore in sales or gross merchandise value (GMV) nations. for the current financial year. memorial at Indu Mills land i. A three party MoU was signed between Union launched India's first Air Quality Index. The World No. 1 and Serbian ace player Ministry of Textiles, Maharashtra government index will be operational in ten Indian cities to has won the 2015 and National Textile Corporation for transfer of start with. Men’s Singles Title. In the final match he land for construction of the memorial for Dr ii. The air quality index will inform the public defeated Britain’s . Babasaheb Ambedkar memorial in Mumbai. about the level of pollution in the air on a daily Women’s singles Title ii. The MoU was signed in the presence of Prime basis in real-time. World No. 1 and American ace tennis player Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Chief has won the 2015 Miami Open Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union textile "Environment protection and development can Women’s singles Title. In the final match she minister Santosh Gangwar in New Delhi. go hand in hand," Prime Minister said while defeated ’s Carla Suárez Navarro. iii. The memorial will be constructed on the site speaking on the launch event, in New Delhi's Men’s doubles Title where the last rites of architect of the Indian Vigyan Bhavan. American and pair has Constitution, Bharat Ratna Dr Ambedkar were won the 2015 Miami Open Men’s doubles Title. performed after he had died on December 6, 7. Miami Open 2015 - Winners In the final match they defeated 1956. Men’s Singles Title () and (US) pair.

6. PM Modi launches national air quality index Women’s doubles Title India’s and ’s pair has won 2015 Miami Open Women’s doubles Title. In the final match they defeated Russian pair of and .

i. In a concerted effort to tackle the menace of air pollution, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Daily GK Update - 7th April 2015 1. RBI keeps Key Rates unchanged i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept the repo rate unchanged at 7.5% in its monetary policy review. Along market expectations, Raghuram Rajan also kept the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 4%. i. World Health Day (WHD) 2015 was observed ii. Rajan kept policy rate unchanged awaiting globally on 7 April 2015. The theme for the year clarity on impact of unseasonal rains on food is "From farm to plate, make food safe." inflation even as he wanted banks to pass on ii. The theme was selected by the World Health i. An Indian origin school boy Pratap Singh, 15, benefits of previous two rate cuts. Organisation (WHO) to bring focus on growing in the UK has been chosen for a prestigious global burden of food borne diseases and prize this year for the Institute of Physics (IOP) underscore the need for coordinated cross- Prize, that carries 500 pounds sterling and a trip border action across the entire food supply to a national physics-related activity. chain i.e. from farm to plate. ii. Pratap Singh was given the award for carrying iii. The day is celebrated every year since it was out a verifying experiment on the effect of first celebrated in 1950 to mark the anniversary Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity. iii. The RBI will await the transmission by banks of the WHO formation in 1948. iii. He was presented the award at the Bing of its front-loaded rate reductions in January Bang Fair held at the National Exhibition Centre and February into their lending rates. 4. Yuvraj set to begin new innings as (NEC) Birmingham Transmission of policy rates to lending rates has businessman with YouWeCan Ventures not taken place so far despite weak credit off i. Cricketer Yuvraj Singh is set to start his new 6. Steel Companies partnered with Union take and the front loading of two rate cuts, said innings as businessman with YouWeCan Ministry of Steel to set up Steel Research & RBI. Ventures, aiming to support young Technology Mission entrepreneurs by investing in startups across i. Major Indian Steel Companies signed a 2. Dena Bank inked MoU with Life Insurance sectors. Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Union Corporation Ministry of Steel for setting up of Steel Research i. Dena Bank on 6 April 2015 signed a and Technology Mission of India (SRTMI) in New Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Delhi. Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India to ii. The primary objective of SRTMI is to promote provide insurance cover to all Aadhaar-linked collaborative Research and Development (R&D) savings account holders of the bank in the age programmes between the ministry and steel group of 18 to 50 years. industries in priority areas of national ii. The insurance cover will be provided under importance in the steel sector. the Prime Minister’s Pradhan Mantri Jeevan ii. Yuvraj will put about INR 50 crore - mostly his iii. The participating steel companies in this Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJBY) scheme. The scheme own money - over a period of 3-5 years in the initiative are Steel Authority of India Limited will come into effect from 1 June 2015. fund, YouWeCan Ventures. The fund is expected (SAIL), Tata Steel, JSW Steel of Jindal Group, to raise around INR 300 crore from other Jindal Steel and Power Limited, Rashtriya Ispat investors during the period. Nigam Limited (RINL), National Mineral iii. YouWeCan Ventures will mainly fund Development Corporation (NMDC) and Metallurgical & Engineering Consultants (India) startups in sports products, healthcare, travel iii. The bank said that people who join the and tourism, services and fashion, e-commerce Limited (MECON). scheme before completing 50 years can and hospitality. The plan is to offer seed capital continue to have the risk of life cover up to the ranging from INR 10 lakh to INR 25 lakh. 7. Xiaomi to partner with Snapdeal and age of 55 years. Amazon, no more exclusive to Flipkart 5. Indian origin UK School Boy Gets top Physics i. Chinese phone maker Xiaomi ended its 3. World Health Day 2015 observed globally Prize on Einstein Model exclusive partnership with Flipkart and joined hands with new online partners Amazon and iii. The company has just completed five years Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy in the Snapdeal to sell its products in the country. of operations in the country. quarters.

8. Dronavalli Harika wins bronze in World Women’s chess championship i. Indian Grandmaster Dronavalli Harika won the bronze medal along with Swedish Grandmaster Pia Cramling by virtue of making it to the semi - ii. Xiaomi's India head Manu Jain announced finals of World Women's chess championship. these new partnerships on Twitter and tweeted ii. Harika lost to the eventual winner Mariya that customers can now purchase Mi products Muzychuk of in the semi -finals. from Flipkart, Snapdeal, Amazon, The Mobile iii. Muzychuk bagged the title after defeating Stores and Airtel India stores. Russian Natalija Pogonina 2.5-1.5 in the four- game final. She had earlier defeated top seeded Daily GK Update - 8th April 2015 1. SBI, ICICI, HDFC Bank heed Raghuram Rajan's finance to “Last Mile Financiers” of small/micro call, cut base rate business enterprises.

i. Mayilsamy Annadurai is appointed as Director of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bengaluru. ii. He took over as Director, ISAC from Dr SK

Shivakumar who superannuated on 31 March 3. Narendra Modi announces compensation for i. State Bank of India was the first off the block farmers 2015. iii. As the Director of ISAC he will oversee to impress the regulator by reducing its base i. Coming to the rescue of farmers hit by development of satellite technology and rate, forcing private sector peers HDFC Bank unseasonal rains and hailstorm, Prime Minister and ICICI Bank to follow suit as they took heed Narendra Modi announced higher implementation of satellite systems for scientific, technological and application of RBI governor Raghuram Rajan's stern compensation for crop damage and eased message to ensure transmission of monetary criteria for them to avail government support. missions. iv. Before the present appointment he had been policies. ii. Modi said criteria of 50 per cent crop damage the Programme Director of Indian Remote ii. State Bank of India lowered its base rate by a for providing compensation to affected farmers token 15 basis points — from 10% to 9.85%. has been reduced to 33 per cent which will help Sensing Satellites (IRS) and Small Satellite Systems (SSS) at the ISAC since 2011. HDFC Bank lowered its base rate by 15 bps to more farmers to get compensation for their

9.85%, while ICICI Bank cut it by 25 bps to crop loss. 9.75%, the lowest in the industry now. iii. Following Mr. Modi's footsteps the Reserve 6. Government raises stake in state-owned IFCI to 51% iii. SBI's new base rate is effective from April 10, Bank has instructed banks to restructure loans i. IFCI Ltd has now become a state- owned firm while HDFC Bank's will come into effect from of farmers whose crops have been damaged by with the government increasing its stake in the April 13. ICICI Bank said its existing floating rate the recent unseasonal rains and hailstorms. infrastructure financing firm to 51.04 per cent. customers will get the benefit of the new rate iv. In its first bi - monthly monetary policy on ii. Government has acquired IFCI's 6,00,00,000 from April 10, while new borrowers will get it 7th April 2015, the RBI said that the adverse from July 1. impact of unseasonal rains and hailstorms in Preference shares of Rs 10 each from certain scheduled commercial banks and has iv. HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank have also reduced March is still unfolding. consequently increased its holding from 47.93 deposit rates by 25 bps for medium-term deposits of up to Rs 1 crore. per cent to 51.04 per cent of the paid-up share capital. 4. Snapdeal acquires FreeCharge

Base rate is the minimum rate at which a bank i. Online marketplace Snapdeal acquired India’s 7. World Cup heartache fades as fresh IPL can lend. One basis point is one-hundredth of a fastest growing mobile transaction platform season starts percentage point. FreeCharge. 2. Rs 20,000 cr MUDRA Bank launched by PM ii. With this acquisition, Snapdeal has become i. The Indian Premier League (IPL), with its heady cocktail of cricket, money and glamour, Narendra Modi India’s largest mobile commerce firm with 40 begins its eighth edition on 8th April 2015. The i. PM Narendra Modi launched the Rs 20,000 cr million users and the largest mobile transactions Micro Units Development Refinance Agency base for any company. T20 tournament brings together the superstars of the game in an epic festival of club cricket at (MUDRA) Bank and said , “the aim of the bank is iii. Now Snapdeal can offer wide range of its best. to fund the unfunded small entrepreneurs and services and products including financial to strengthen savings habit in the country”. services, mobile recharge and utility payments ii. The first and final match of IPL 2015 will both be played at the Eden Gardens. The title clash ii. MUDRA Bank will provide credit of up to Rs to its growing user base. 10 lakh to small entrepreneurs and act as a will take place on May 24. regulator for ‘Micro-Finance Institutions’ (MFIs). iii. Yuvraj Singh - bought by Delhi for Rs 16 iii. The roles envisaged for MUDRA include crores - is the most expensive player in the laying down policy guidelines for micro tournament. His amount is 3.5 crores more than enterprise financing business and registration of even that of Dhoni.

MFI entities as well as their accreditation and rating. 5. Mayilsamy Annadurai appointed as Director iv. MUDRA is to be set up through a statutory of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) enactment. It would be responsible for developing and refinancing through a Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana. v. MUDRA would also partner with state/regional level coordinators to provide Daily GK Update - 9th April 2015

1. Moody's raises India outlook to 'positive', with the approval of Foreign Investment edges toward ratings upgrade Promotion Board (FIPB). i. Global ratings agency Moody’s reaffirmed India’s rating at Baa3 but raised the rating outlook to ‘Positive’ from "Stable", a step closer to an upgrade of the credit rating, as it expects actions by policymakers to lift the country's economic growth. i. Sumit Mazumder, Chairman & Managing ii. According to Moody's the policymakers are Director, TIL Limited, has been elected as the establishing a framework that will allow the iii. The RBI notification is in tune with March President of CII for the year 2015-16. He country's growth to continue to outperform 2015 decision of Department of Industrial Policy succeeds Mr Ajay Shriram as the new President. that of its peers over the medium-term and and Promotion (DIPP) regarding ii. TIL is the manufacturer of India’s largest improve India's macro-economic, infrastructure operationalisation of increased FDI limit in the range of material handling equipment in and institutional profile. insurance sector. technical collaboration with world leaders – Manitowoc Crane Group, USA; Hyster (a part of 4. President appoints Dr Nasim Zaidi as chief NACCO Materials Handling Group, USA) etc. election commissioner iii. Mazumder is also the Executive Chairman of TIPL (Tractors India Pvt. Ltd.). The company is a distributor for Caterpillar, USA, in India, Nepal and Bhutan for earthmoving, construction, iii. Moody's not only expects India's economic mining equipment and power systems. strength to be enhanced over time, but also says that the recent measures taken by 7. Gopaldas Neeraj, Uday Pratap Singh government will reduce some of India's i. President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed conferred with Sahitya Shiromani Samman of sovereign credit constraints. the senior-most Election Commissioner, Dr Uttar Pradesh Nasim Zaidi, as the next Chief Election i. Uttar Pradesh Government conferred Sahitya 2. PM Narendra Modi departs on a nine-day Commissioner (CEC). Shiromani Samman on noted Hindi poet visit to three nations ii. Zaidi will assume the charge of office of the Gopaldas Neeraj and veteran Hindi litterateur chief election commissioner with effect from Uday Pratap Singh. April 19, after the incumbent Harishankar ii. Along with the award, the duo was given a Brahma will retire on April 18. cash prize of 21 lakh rupees. iii. A 1976 batch IAS officer, Dr Zaidi has worked iii. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh in the Civil Aviation Ministry for a long time. Yadav conferred the award on Neeraj and Singh. Yadav also announced that Neeraj will be given i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flies out today 5. China's Olympic hurdles gold medallist Liu Rashtra Ratn-Sitara-e Hind award for his lifelong for his visit to , and Canada, in Xiang retires service to Hindi literature. which he plans to take his "Make in India" push i. China's Olympic gold medal-winning hurdler iv. Beside this, Yadav also unveiled the poetry to Eurozone's two biggest economies. Liu Xiang, one of the country's biggest sports book of Gopal Das Neeraj named Geetsri in ii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nine days stars, has retired. Lucknow. abroad will be the longest overseas visit that he ii. The 31-year-old won the country's first will be undertaking after becoming Prime Olympic men's athletics gold in the 110m 8. Indian-origin Sim Bhullar makes NBA history Minister eleven months ago. hurdles in Athens in 2004 and added a world i. Gursimran 'Sim' Bhullar became the first iii. The focus of the visit is to shore up as much title in 2007. player of Indian descent to play in the high- foreign direct investment (FDI) and iii. He also held the world record in 2006 with a profile National Basketball Association (NBA) technological expertise as he can for the BJP-led time of 12.88 seconds. league as he made his debut for Sacramento NDA Government's pet projects: Make in India, Kings. Smart Cities, Clean India, Skill Development, ii. The 22-year-old came on with 16 seconds Defense, Energy Security, Railways, Roads and remaining in the Kings' 116-111 victory over the Ports Management. Minnesota Timberwolves at the Sleep Train Arena. 3. RBI notifies hike in FDI cap in insurance iii. The 7-foot-5-inch Canada-born had signed a iv. Liu has been affected by an Achilles problem sector to 49% 10-day contract to join the Kings' roster. i. The Reserve Bank notified government's ever since it caused him to pull out of his first decision to raise foreign direct investment (FDI) heat at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. limit in the insurance sector to 49 per cent from the present 26 percent. 6. Sumit Mazumder is the new president of CII ii. As per the notification, FDI up to 26 percent will be under automatic route and beyond 26 percent and up to 49 percent will be allowed

Daily GK Update - 10th April 2015

1. EPFO suspends Rs 1,000 minimum monthly a flat Rs 1,000 per month for those who were iii. With the suspension of the scheme, the pension scheme getting lower amount earlier. beneficiaries will get pension at earlier rates. i. Retirement fund body EPFO has suspended iv. In a circular to its field offices, the Employees the Rs 1,000 minimum monthly pension scheme Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) said it has from this month, a decision which will hit about decided to suspend the scheme in the absence 32 lakh pensioners. of any direction from the government to ii. The scheme was launched with effect from continue this benefit beyond March 31. September 2014, hiking the pension amount to v. According to the government notification issued on August 19 last year, the benefit of minimum pension was made effective from i. Nasa's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile September 1 to March, 2015. 4. Former Air Chief Marshal Hrushikesh EvolutioN (MAVEN) probe - the first mission 2. Seoul succeeds in WWF’s Earth Hour City Moolgaonkar passes away ever devoted to understanding the Martian Challenge 2015 i. Retired Air Chief Marshal Hrushikesh upper atmosphere - has completed 1,000 orbits Moolgaonkar passed away in Pune, around the Red Planet, four-and-a-half months Maharashtra. He was 95. into its one-year primary mission. ii. Maven started its venture on November 18, 2013 and successfully entered the martian orbit on September 5, 2014. Since then its has been orbiting elliptically in the Mars’s upper atmosphere with 6,500 kilometers being the farthest point while 130 kilometers being the i. Seoul city, the capital and largest metropolis closest point to the Martian surface. of South Korea was awarded the title of Global ii. Hrushikesh Moolgaonkar had joined Indian iii. The prime objective of Maven is to observe Earth hour Capital 2015 after it won the Earth Air Force (then Royal Indian Air Force) in the Mars atmosphere and give an insight into Hour City Challenge (EHCC) of World Wildlife November 1940 as the rank of an acting Pilot how the transition from moist and warm planet Fund (WWF). Officer. He was appointed Chief of Air Staff in to dry and cold planet took place on Mars. ii. The challenge saw the participation of 163 February 1976. He had succeeded then Air Chief cities from 16 countries. The award ceremony Marshal Om Prakash Mehra. 7. Nuclear-capable Dhanush missile was held in Seoul, South Korea. iii. He had led the fly-past of IAF on successfully test-fired iii. The city of Balikpapan, Indonesia was Independence Day in August 15, 1947 and also i. India on Thursday successfully test-fired its recognized as the Most Loveable City for 2015 on the Republic Day in January 26, 1951 when nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic missile with a and Thane city was named as the National Earth he was a Squadron Leader. strike range of 350 km from a naval ship off the Hour Capital 2015 of India. Odisha coast. 5. Arun Kumar Jha appointed CEO, KVIC ii. The surface-to-surface Dhanush, a naval 3. IndusInd Bank to buy RBS India's bullion i. Arun Kumar Jha was appointed as Chief variant of India's indigenously-developed Prithvi financing biz Executive Officer of Khadi and Village Industries missile, was test fired from a ship in the Bay of i. IndusInd Bank entered into an agreement to Commission (KVIC), Mumbai. Bengal off Odisha coast by the Strategic Force acquire Royal Bank of Scotland's Diamond & ii. He has been appointed to the post of CEO Command (SFC) of the defence force. Jewellery Financing business in India and related (Joint Secretary level post) for the balance iii. The single-stage, liquid-propelled Dhanush deposit portfolio. period of his overall fi ve year tenure up to having 350 km range has already been inducted ii. This is part of ABN AMRO Bank NV’s diamond September 13, 2016 into the armed forces and is one of the five & jewellery clients [unit] that is housed in Royal iii. Jha, a 1985-batch officer of Indian Economics missiles developed by Defence Research and Bank of Scotland NV acting through its Mumbai Service, is presently working as Director Development Organisation (DRDO) under the branch in India. General, National Institute of Entrepreneurship Integrated Guided Missile Development and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) Programme (IGMDP) under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

6. Marvelous Maven completes 1000 orbits around Mars iii. ABN AMRO was acquired by RBS in 2007. Until ownership of the loans transfer to IndusInd Bank, day-to -day management of the loan portfolio will remain with Royal Bank of Scotland NV. Employees within diamond and jewellery clients in India will also move to IndusInd Bank and will ensure seamless transition of the customer base. Daily GK Update - 11th April 2015

1. India to chair 9th IRENA meet in Abu Dhabi 2. Apurvi Chandela wins Bronze in ISSF Rifle i. India has been designated to chair the ninth and Pistol World Cup 3. India's first IFSC becomes operational at GIFT meeting of the International Renewable Energy City Agency (IRENA) Council. The meeting is scheduled to be held in June in Abu Dhabi. ii. India is a founder Member of the IRENA. The body is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future. i. India's first International Financial Services i. Commonwealth Games gold medal winning Centre (IFSC) at Gujarat International Finance Indian shooter Apurvi Chandela today qualified Tec (GIFT) City in Gandhinagar district of Gujarat for next year's Olympic Games after notching up became operational today and Finance Minister the 10m air rifle bronze in the ongoing ISSF Arun Jaitley unveiled rules and regulations for World Cup (Rifle/Pistol) in Changwon, Korea. this global financial hub. ii. Apurvi shot a total of 185.6 in the finals, to ii. Jaitley also attacked the previous UPA finish behind Pejcic Snjezana of , who iii. IRENA has two main governing structures. government for being "lethargic" in giving won gold, and Ivana Maksimovic of , who IRENA Assembly takes decisions at Macro level permission to the IFSC. clinched the silver medal. and gives policy guidance to IRENA. iii. The regulations are aimed at creating a iv. IRENA Council which is the main governing iii. Pejcic eventually finished with a score of vibrant IFSC on the lines of those in Dubai and 209.1 to Ivana's 207.7 at the end of the gold body of the agency responsible for Singapore and check the flight of trading in medal match up. There were three Olympic implementing various decisions of the assembly. rupee and Indian securities to such offshore quota places to be bagged in the event. financial hubs.

4. April 11: National Safe Motherhood day i. Every year on 11 April, National Safe Motherhood day is being observed across India. ii. Main Objective of the day is:  To create awareness on proper ii. The directive was delivered by a bench healthcare and maternity facilities to i. Delhi-based JK Organisation has appointed pregnant and lactating women. headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar, NGT Bharat Hari Singhania as its new president. chairman, in order to check growing menace of  It also seeks to create awareness ii. He succeeds Gaur Hari Singhania, who died in air pollution in the NCR. about the institutional delivery, February. reducing anemia among women and iii. Bharat Singhania has been with the 7. Greenpeace India's license suspended better pre and post natal health care organisation for more than five decades. He is are necessary for mothers. i. The Indian government announced it has the chairman of JK Paper, JK Lakshmi Cement "temporarily" suspended the registration of and other group companies, apart from being Greenpeace India under the foreign on the board of JK Tyres and other companies contributions law for "under-reporting" such and entities of the organisation. funding it and conducting transaction of such

funds without informing the authorities as 6. NGT imposed ban on air pollution causing required by the law. construction activities in National Capital ii. Along with the 180-day suspension, the Region iii. It should be noted that safe motherhood also ministry of home affairs froze all seven bank i. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 10 April means to ensure that all women receive the accounts of the organisation and served it a 2015 imposed ban on all construction activities care they need to be safe and healthy show-cause notice seeking explanation why its in the National Capital Region (NCR) that do not throughout pregnancy and childbirth. license should not be cancelled. follow the guidelines provided by the then

Union Ministry of Environment and forest in 5. Bharat Hari Singhania takes over as JK 2010. Organisation President

Daily GK Update - 12th April 2015

1. Jitu Rai wins bronze at ISSF World Cup by increasing localization. It will also energy, culture, tourism, enable France to transfer of conservation, Ayurveda, skill technology to India for development development and science and of indigenous nuclear energy industry technology. Note- NPCIL (Nuclear in India. Power Corporation of India), CNES  Pre-engineering agreements (PEA) (French National Centre for Space between NPCIL and Areva- It intends Studies), ISRO (Indian Space Research i. Ace Indian shooter Jitu Rai on 12 April 2015 to bring clarity on all technical aspects Organisation). won a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol event of the plant. It will help all parties at the International Shooting Sport Federation including AREVA, Alstom and NPCIL to 3. Asteroid 316201 named after Malala (ISSF) World Cup in Changwon, South Korea. fix their price and optimise all Yousafzai ii. Rai won the bronze medal after he scored provisions for risks (still included at i. Asteroid 316201 was named as ‘316201 181.1 points in the final and had missed out for this stage) in the costs of the project. Malala’ after the youngest Nobel laureate and the gold medal shoot-out by 0.4 points.  MoU between CNES and ISRO on girls’ education campaigner Malala Yousafzai. iii. Jitu Rai after winning won silver in the 50m Megha Tropiques satellite- It extends ii. The asteroid was named after her by Amy Free Pistol event in 2014 at the World MoU for two more years of joint Mainzer, astronomer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Championships in Granada, Spain had qualified project for sharing and use of data Laboratory in California, United States under the for the 2016 Olympics. from the satellite. The satellite was International Astronomical Union rules. launched in October 2011 on board of iii. In 2010, Mr. Mainzer had discovered the 2. 17 Agreements signed between India and Indian launch vehicle PSLV. asteroid which was known as 316201. As a France during PM Narendra Modi’s visit  MOU between ISRO, CNES and discoverer of the asteroid he had owned the i. India and France on 11 April 2015 signed 17 rights to name it. ONERA- It proposes cooperation in agreements in various fields during Prime iv. Asteroid 316201 Malala is located in the Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s visit to France. the areas of satellite remote sensing, satellite communications and satellite Main Belt between Mars and Jupiter. It orbits ii. They were signed in presence of Indian PM meteorology and others field. around the Sun every 5.5 years and is more - and his counterpart French President Francois than 2 mile wide. Hollande after they had held wide-ranging talks  MoU between Union Sports Ministry in Paris. and French Ministry of Sports- It envisages cooperation and exchange of experiences in the fields of sports medicine and institutional cooperation.

 Railway protocol between Union Railways Ministry and French 4. Yuki Bhambri wins $15,000 ITF Futures National Railways (SNCF)- It seeks to tournament title Some of key agreements signed are establish cooperation between Indian i. Yuki Bhambri on 11 April 2015 has won the  MoU between Larsen and Tubro and and French Railways for semi -high 15,000 US Dollar ITF Futures tournament title. In AREVA- It aims at improve the speed rail and station renovation. the final he recorded a straight-set win over financial viability of the Jaitapur  Other agreements signed between Dzmitry Zhyrmont of Belarus played at Karshi, Nuclear plant project by reducing cost both nations in the fields of economy, Uzbekistan. ii. Bhambri defeated his rival with Bhambri with Training (DoPT) of the Union Ministry of 6-2 6-4 score. This win has pocketed 27 ranking Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. points on Bhambri which will take him to a rank iii. As the CEO of KVIC, he will oversee the day- between 215 and 220. It was also Yuki’s 10th ITF to-day functioning of the commission and Futures singles title. report about its activities to the Union Ministry iii. This win also has ensured Yuki’s entry into of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises the French Open qualifying event which will be (MSME). the Clay Court that will begin on iv. Before this appointment, he had been the19 May 2015. 6. Bharat Hari Singhania became the president working as the Director General of National About ITF Futures tournament title of JK Organization Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small i. Bharat Hari Singhania assumed the presidency  ITF Futures tournament title is a series Business Development (NIESBUD) functioning of JK Organization. The company issued a formal of professional tennis tournaments under the Union Ministry of MSME. statement on 9 April 2015 in this regard. held around the world. v. Jha is a 1985-batch Indian Economics Service ii. He succeeded Gaur Hari Singhania who died (IES) officer.  These tournaments are organized by on 4 April 2015. the International Tennis Federation iii. The JK Group is 125-year-old and has About KVIC (ITF). footprint in 100 countries. It has overseas  It is a statutory body established by  This title represents the lowest rung of manufacturing operations in Indonesia, Mexico, the Khadi and Village Industries the men’s professional tennis ladder. , , Portugal and the UAE. Commission Act, 1956.  These tournaments are incorporated About Bharat Hari Singhania  It functions under the aegis of Union into the ATP rankings which helps  He is an industrialist with over forty- Ministry of MSME. young professionals to progress on to four years of experience in managing the ATP Challenger Tour and then in various industries including cement,  It’s primary objective is to create self- ATP World Tour. automotive tyres, paper, synthetics, reliance amongst the poor and build audio magnetic tapes and high strong rural community spirit by producing saleable articles and 5. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurates yielding hybrid seeds. providing employment. ‘Songs and Dances of the North East’ festival  He has been the Chairman of JK i. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated first Lakshmi Cement Ltd., the holding 8. Lewis Hamilton wins Chinese Grand Prix of Songs and Dances of the North East, a cultural company of Hansdeep Industries and Formula One festival in New Delhi. Trading Company Ltd., since May i. Mercedes Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton ii. The day long festival was organized by 2013. Government of Meghalaya and sponsored by from Britain on 12 April 2015 won Chinese  He has been a Director of Bengal and the North Eastern Council (NEC). Grand Prix of Formula One on the Shanghai Assam Company Ltd. since February iii. The purpose of festival is to showcase the International Circuit in China. This was his 2009. culture of India’s northeast region and highlight second win of the season and his fourth Chinese  the immense contribution made by the people He is also the chancellor of JK Grand Prix win. of the region in nation building. Lakshmipat University, Jaipur. ii. It was also Lewis Hamilton’s overall 35th iv. This festival will be held by rotation in Grand Prix win. 7. Arun Kumar Jha appointed as CEO of Khadi different parts of the country as part of the iii. In Chinese Grand Prix, Hamilton was series of events planned by NEC and Union and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) followed by teammate Nico Rosberg at second Ministry of Development of North-Eastern place. Region (DoNER). v. All eight States of the northeast region will collaborate to host the festival in different parts of the country with an aim to attract investors and visitors to the region. i. Arun Kumar Jha was appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). ii. The decision in this regard was taken on 10 April 2015 by the Department of Personnel and Daily GK Update - 13th April 2015 1. Modi inaugurates German industrial fair 2. Larsen & Toubro inks MoU with AREVA i. State Bank of India (SBI), has cut the interest i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened on rate for new home loans by another 10 bps, to Sunday the Hanover Messe, the world’s largest 9.9 per cent. industrial fair, alongside German Chancellor ii. In effect, the interest rate for new home Angela Merkel. loans will be reduced by 25 bps. For the existing ii. India is the partner country of this year's ones, 15 bps is the reduction. trade fair, which brings together about 6,500 iii. The move comes amid the RBI directive that exhibitors from 70 nations. an interest rate differential will not be allowed if i. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has announced signing customer profiles are similar. a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with AREVA of France for co-operation to maximise localisation of the EPR nuclear power plant to be built at Jaitapur, Maharashtra. ii. This partnership will add new dimensions to the capabilities of India’s manufacturing sector iii. Germany is India’s largest trading partner in in the nuclear business. 4. Gujarat government launches industrial Europe and total bilateral trade between the iii. AREVA will transfer technology to utilise the tourism to showcase development two countries was valued at 16.08 billion euro forging capabilities of L&T Special Steels and i. In a first of its kind initiative in the country, (17 billion dollars) in 2013. There are currently Heavy Forgings (a joint venture with Nuclear Gujarat government is promoting a tour more than 1,600 Indo-German business Power Corporation of India Ltd.). package covering major industrial installations collaborations and 600 Indo-German joint which have earned global acclaim for the state. ventures in operation. 3. SBI Cuts home loan rate by another 10 bps ii. Some of the major attractions of this recently for new buyers launched tour package include a visit to Tata Nano plant in Sanand, Pipavav port near Amreli, ii. Grass was lauded by Germans for helping to iv. Before Sania, only Leander Paes and Mahesh Alang ship breaking yard in Bhavnagar and Amul revive their culture in the aftermath of World Bhupathi had achieved the top rank when they Dairy in Anand. War II and helping to give voice and support to dominated men’s doubles circuit in the last 90s. iii. The package, called Industrial Tour of democratic discourse in the post war nation. Gujarat, has been offered by city-based Akshar iii. Grass made his literary reputation with “The Travels Pvt Ltd, official partner of state-run Tin Drum,” published in 1959. It was followed by tourism agency Tourism Corporation of Gujarat “Cat and Mouse” and “Dog Years,” which made Ltd (TCGL), which is promoting the tour on its up what is called the Danzig Trilogy after the website. town of his birth, now the Polish city of Gdansk.

5. German Nobel laureate Guenter Grass dies 6. Sania seals historic world no. 1 rank with at age 87 Charleston title i. Sania Mirza created history by becoming the first female tennis player from India to achieve the world number one rank in doubles. ii. Sania achieved her stupendous title win at the WTA Family Circle Cup with partner Martina Hingis. i. Guenter Grass, the Nobel-winning German iii. The top-seeded Indo-Swiss pair defeated writer who gave voice to the generation that and Darija Jurak 6-0 6-4 in just came of age during the horrors of the Nazi era 57 minutes in the lop-sided final of the has died. He was 87. $731,000 clay court event.

Daily GK Update - 14th April 2015

1. Following consumer backlash, Flipkart pulls Gold, FM Rainbow, Urdu service and several out of Airtel Zero regional channels, will also be made available.

3. India’s GDP growth rate to reach 8% by 2017: World Bank i. The World Bank has predicted a GDP growth rate of 8 per cent for India by 2017 and said that i. Easing of food prices, mainly milk and i. Following popular outrage against net a strong expansion in the country, coupled with vegetables, pulled down the March retail neutrality violations to “internet apartheid”, e - favourable oil prices. inflation to 3-month low of 5.17 per cent. retailer Flipkart pulled out of the controversial ii. The retail inflation as measured by Consumer Airtel Zero preferential access platform. Price Index was 5.37 per cent in February, and ii. Flipkart was one of the partners in the Airtel 5.19 per cent in January. Zero platform which allowed Airtel's subscribers iii. It was 8.25 per cent in March last year. iv. To calculate the CPI, price data are collected to access select websites and services for “zero ii. In India, GDP growth is expected to accelerate data charges”, as long as owners of these from selected towns by the field operations to 7.5 per cent in fiscal year 2015/16. It could websites/services paid Airtel. division of NSSO and from selected villages by reach 8 per cent in FY 2017/18, on the back of the Department of Posts. iii. Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said a significant acceleration of investment growth to six-member panel has been constituted by the 12 per cent during FY 2016-FY 2018. Haryana govt to give cabinet minister status to telecom department to submit its iii. The report shows that households in the recommendations regarding the same by early Baba Ramdev region stand to gain from lower oil prices, both next month. i. The BJP government in Haryana has decided directly through lower energy spending and to give the status of cabinet minister to yoga indirectly through faster growth. 2. FM transmission of Vividh Bharati launched guru Ramdev, who was earlier made the state’s brand ambassador to promote yoga and i. The popular ‘Vividh Bharati’ services of All 4. FDI in services sector up 47 per cent during India Radio (AIR) will now be available to ayurveda. April-January listeners in and around Delhi on mobile i. FDI inflows into services sector grew by about handsets with the launch of FM transmission of 47 per cent to $2.64 billion in April -January last the channel. fiscal. ii. Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun ii. Helped with the growth in FDI in important Jaitley, who launched the FM transmission, also sector like services, overall foreign inflows in the delivered a message to the listeners of the country rose by 36 per cent to $25.52 billion channel, saying Vividh Bharati services would ii. The government’s decision was announced during the ten months of 2014-15. reach people within a range of 60-65 km with on Monday by education minister Ram Bilas iii. The other sectors where inflows have Sharma, who said the state government would much clarity at all times in all weather recorded growth are: telecom ($2.83 billion), conditions. also honour Ramdev at a function at automobile ($2.04 billion) and power ($612 Indradhanush Auditorium in Panchkula on April million). 21. iv. Government has raised the FDI cap in iii. Recently, government announced to make insurance sector to 49 per cent from 26 per yoga compulsory in all schools and equip all cent. The policy was also relaxed in other sports stadiums in every district with a yoga sectors such as defence, railways and medical centre. Municipal bodies and Huda would iii. Vividh Bharati offers a mix of film music, devices. construct yoga practice halls in their areas of skits, short plays and interactive programmes. It jurisdiction. Special coaching of physical is known to have the largest collection of film 5. Retail inflation drops to 3-month low of education teachers in yoga will be organised. and non-film songs in the country. 5.17% in March iv. Mobile applications of all channels that are North Korean foreign minister Ri Su Yong to livestreamed by AIR like Vividh Bharati, FM visit India i. North Korea’s top diplomat, Ri Su-yong, arrived in India on a rare visit where Delhi security issues, including the stability of the hosted the meet. Korean peninsula. ii. Ri became the first North Korean foreign iv. In addition to Swaraj, Ri met with Indian Vice minister to visit India in at least 25 years. President Hamid Ansari. Ri’s trip to India comes iii. In New Delhi, Ri met with his counterpart, ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. scheduled visit to Seoul, South Korea, which is According to reports, the two discussed North expected in May. Korea’s nuclear weapons program and regional Daily GK Update - 15th April 2015

1. Wholesale prices contract 2.33% in March Jnanpith award-winner Mamoni Raisom the office was administered by the Governor i. India's wholesale price index-based inflation Goswami. Srinivas Patil at Ashirwad Hall at Raj Bhavan in (WPI) provisionally stood at -2.33 per cent for iii. Apart from direction, Chakraborty acted in Gangtok. March, government data showed on several Assamese movies and serials. ii. Rai is also the third High Court judge who Wednesday. This compares with -2.06 per cent hails from the small border state. for February and 6 per cent for the same period 4. New visa scheme renamed “e-Tourist Visa” iii. This appointment of Rai as the judge of the last year. i. Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has Sikkim High Court has helped the state to get its ii. This is the fifth consecutive month of renamed Tourist Visa on Arrival -Electronic full strength of three judges after a gap of about deflation in wholesale prices, a clear reflection Travel Authorization scheme (TVoA-ETA) to e- one year. of lower commodity prices. Tourist Visa with effect from 15 April 2015. ii. With this ambiguities faced by foreign tourists 7. Union Government forms task force to especially by scheme’s nomenclature VoA, expedite work on inter-linking of rivers presuming that they would be granted visa on i. Union Government on 14 April 2015 arrival upon landing will be removed. constituted a task force on interlinking of rivers in the country. ii. The Task Force will be chaired by former Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources B N iii. Earlier Consumer Price Index-based (CPI) Navalawala and comprises experts and senior inflation for March eased to 5.17 per cent, the officials. lowest in three months. Terms of References of Task Force:

2. Govt forms panel to review Official Secrets iii. e-Tourist Visa Scheme is a pre-authorization Act of Visa to foreigners that being given prior to i. The government has formed an inter- travel. TVoA-ETA was launched in November ministerial committee headed by cabinet 2014. It had enabled Electronic Travel secretary to review the Official Secrets Act in Authorization to 44 countries at nine airports context of demands to declassify files related to  across India. Consider alternative plans in case of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's death or infeasible links in the present National disappearance. 5. Zomato acquires cloud-based data firm Perspective Plan (NPP) apart from ii. RAW, IB, Union home ministry and PMO MaplePOS examining the existing links which are officials will be part of the panel. i. Online restaurant guide Zomato announced laid out as per the NPP under both iii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met the acquisition of MaplePOS, a cloud-based Himalayan and Peninsular Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's grandnephew, point of sale product for restaurants developed components. Surya Bose, in Berlin and promised to examine by a group of techies from Delhi.  Facilitate interlinking of intra-basin the request for declassification of all files and intra-state Rivers, along with that related to events since his death or of inter-state and inter-basin links. disappearance in Taiwan on August 18, 1945.  Suggest different means of funding mechanisms for the interlinking of 3. Assamese Filmmaker Bidyut Chakraborty rivers project. passes away ii. Gurgaon based Zomato has already renamed the MaplePOS product to 'Zomato Base' which  Provide guidance norms of appraisal will help the company and its restaurant for individual projects in respect of partners to manage business into online orders economic viability, environmental and payments. impacts, socio-economic and iii. MaplePos, a sale product offers various preparation of resettlement plans. features of restaurants such as inventory and  Device suitable mechanisms in order i. Renowned Assamese filmmaker and actor menu management, and has in-built payment to bring speedy consensus among the Bidyut Chakraborty breathed his last today in a solution to accept debit and credit card states. private nursing home in Guwahati after brief payments.  To implement the interlinking of illness. Rivers, propose suitable organizational ii. In his film career he had directed several 6. Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai sworn in as structure. Assamese movies including Goon Goon Gaane first lady judge of Sikkim HC Gaane, Dwaar and Raag-Biraag. His directorial i. Meenakshi Madan Rai sworn in as the first film Rag-Birag is based on a novel written by lady judge of the Sikkim High Court. Her oath of Daily GK Update - 16th April 2015

1. Indian Prime Minister Modi inks uranium and lay a road map to complete stalled trade deal, talks trade with Stephen Harper talks. i. Canada and India have signed with a series of ii. Under an agreement signed between Modi agreements and promises that will send had Harper, Cameco Corporation will supply Canadian uranium to the South Asian nation, 3,000 metric tonnes of uranium over five years liberalize visas for Canadian travellers, “soon” to India for $254 million. iii. The two countries also decided to strengthen ratify a long-awaited foreign investment deal defence and security cooperation and decided to cooperate to stabilise the Asia Pacific region. iv. It is capable of carrying a payload weighing i. Asia Cup 2016 is set to undergo a radical Modi also announced Electronic Visa 1.5 tonnes to a distance of more than 3,000 change and will be a Twenty20 competition Authorisation for tourist visa for Canadian k.m. instead of the 50-over game. nationals. ii. It would be revamped to include more iv. Canada's Stephen Harper returns 900-year- 4. Janata Parivar announces merger Associate nations and to give some practice old Khajuraho temple sculpture to PM Narendra i. Leaders of six Janata Parivar parties prior to the T 20 World Cup . Modi announced their decision to merge into one iii. The tournament would then revert to a 50- v. The sculpture, known as 'Parrot Lady', was larger entity. Mulayam Singh Yadav will the over tournament in 2018 ahead of the 2019 handed over by Harper to Modi yesterday in head new party World Cup in England and be played as a T20 accordance with 1970 UNESCO Convention. ii. The new party will have a strength of 15 competition again in 2020. members in the Lok Sabha and 30 in the Rajya 2. RBI allows differential interest rate on Sabha. 7. Sachin Tendulkar elected as member of deposits Laureus Sports Academy i. The Reserve Bank of India said banks will have i. Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar was the discretion to offer differential interest rates inducted as one of the five new members into based on whether the term deposits are with or the prestigious Laureus Sports Academy in a without-premature-withdrawal-facility, subject glittering annual award ceremony at the to conditions. iii. With 30 MPs, the new party will be the third Shanghai Grand theatre. ii. All term deposits of individuals (held singly or largest bloc behind the Congress (68) and the ii. Besides Tendulkar, retired Chinese jointly) of Rs. 15 lakh and below should, professional basketball player Yao Ming, Kenyan BJP (47) in the Rajya Sabha, where the Modi necessarily, have premature withdrawal facility. government continues to be in a minority. long-distance runner Tegla Loroupe, Chinese iii. For all term deposits above Rs. 15 lakh banks iv. In the Lok Sabha, the party will have 15 MPs, gymnast Li Xiaopeng and former Chinese short can offer deposits without the option of track speed skater Yang Yang were the other making it the eighth largest party in the House. premature withdrawal as well. athletes to be inducted into the Laureus academy. 5. MoU to set power plant in 3. Agni-III missile test-fired successfully by SFC iii. Tendulkar, who made his ODI debut against between BHEL and Russian firm INTMA inked i. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), an Pakistan way back in 1989, retired from the format after the Asia Cup in 2013 after engineering and manufacturing company completing a century of international hundreds. announced that it has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Russian company named INTMA with an aim to set up a gas-based i. India on Thursday successfully test-fired power project in Kazakhstan as well as further nuclear weapons-capable Agni-III ballistic boost its presence in the CIS countries. missile from the Wheeler Island off Odisha ii. BHEL, currently executing 23 major projects in coast. Although the missile has a strike range of 16 countries has set its footprint in over 75 more than 3,000 k.m. countries. ii. it was tested for a lesser range, in today's iii. INTMA is one of the leading general mission. Engineering Procurement and Construction iii. Agni-III is one of the sophisticated and contractors (EPC) in and Kazakhstan. accurate missiles of its class and has already been inducted into armed forces. 6. Asia Cup 2016 to be played in T20 format Daily GK Updates - 17th April 2015 1. Modi Xi among Time's most influential rating major Moody’s pegged India’s growth at iii. the White House released a Middle Class Tax people 7.5 percent for 2015. report highlighting his budget proposals to help i. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who ii. Low inflation rate has enabled the Reserve those 44 million middle-class Americans. entered office this year on the promise of Bank of India (RBI) to cut interest rates by 50 iv. The 'Champions of Change' programme was reviving the country’s economy, is the winner of basis points in early 2015 which has helped in created as an opportunity for the White House this year’s reader poll for TIME Person of the easing pressure on the private sector. to feature individuals doing extraordinary things Year. iii. Moody’s Analytics is of the view that “India’s to empower and inspire members of their ii. In the final tally, Modi received more than state—owned companies are notoriously communities. 16% of the almost 5 million votes cast. inefficient, with significant bureaucracy and endemic corruption. 4. RIL Reclaims Tag of Most Profitable Indian Firm 3. Obama to honour Satya Nadella with i. Reliance Industries regained its status as the 'Champion of Change' award most profitable Indian company after posting an i. US President Barack Obama plans to honour 8.5 per cent rise in consolidated net profit for Microsoft's Indian-origin CEO Satya Nadella with the March quarter. the 'Champions of Change' award for bringing ii. The operator of the world's biggest refining about change within his company to support complex reported a net profit Rs 6,381 crore for iii. Readers from more than 225 countries in working families. the three months to March, 2015. total participated, with U.S. votes leading the pack at 37%, followed by India at 17% and Russia at 12%. iv. Mr. Modi was named by TIME among the 100 most influential people in the world in its annual list on Thursday, with U.S. President Barack Obama penning a flattering profile of iii. RIL had lost its crown as India's most him. profitable firm to outsourcing giant TCS in the

ii. Before being named CEO in February 2014, December quarter. 2. India to grow at 7.5 % in 2015: Moody’s 47-year-old Nadella held leadership roles in iv. TCS, which announced its March quarter i. A week after it revised its outlook on India to both enterprise and consumer businesses across numbers on Thursday, reported a net profit of ‘positive’ from ‘stable’, international credit the company. around Rs 5,900 crore (including one-time bonus for employees). 6. Pakistan, Russia to hold first-ever joint i. Senior diplomat Mohan Kumar, currently 5. UN Peace Envoy Jamal Benomar Resigns military exercises India's top envoy to Bahrain, has been i. Pakistan and Russia have agreed to hold first- appointed the next Ambassador to France to ever joint military exercises as part of their succeed Arun Kumar. enhanced defence cooperation, in a sign of increasing bonhomie between the Cold War-era adversaries. ii. The agreement was reached during a meeting i. United Nation (UN) peace envoy to Yemen, in Moscow between Pakistan Defence Minister Jamal Benomar has resigned, after losing Khawaja Asif and his Russian counterpart Sergei support from Gulf countries for his mission in Shoigu. the conflict-riven nation. iii. Asif is on an official visit to Moscow to attend ii. His resignation comes after UN Security a regional security conference. He held talks ii. A 1981-batch IFS officer, Mohan Kumar is Council adopted a resolution calling for the swift with the Russian defence minister, during which expected to take up his assignment shortly. resumption of peace talks and an end to the two ministers agreed to increase military iii. The official announcement for Mohan violence in Yemen. cooperation in training and import of arms and Kumar's appointment comes six days after iii. The adopted resolution adopted calls on the equipment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to France. Huthis to withdraw from Sanaa and all other areas they have seized. 7. Mohan Kumar appointed as new Indian Ambassador to France Daily GK Update - 18th April 2015 1. PM Narendra Modi's visit to Canada historical monuments and sites located in every generated business worth 1.6 billion dollars 3. SEBI bars 129 entities, suspects money part of the world by making collective efforts at i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to laundering international level. Canada has generated business worth more i. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) than 1.6 billion Canadian dollars, according to barred Mishka Finance and Trading and 128 official figures released by the Harper other entities from the securities market. government in Toronto. ii. These entities are estimated to have shown ii. Sixteen commercial agreements and fictitious capital gains to the tune of Rs.254 announcements were made by Canadian and crore and just 29 of them made unlawful gains Indian companies and organisations during to the tune of Rs. 92 crore on an investment of iii. The first world Heritage Day was celebrated Prime Minister Modi's visit. just Rs. 2 crore. on 18 April 1982 by the International Council on iii. SEBI has suspended trading in nearly 30 listed Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in Tunisia and companies for such violations while action has was approved in 1983 by UNESCO. been taken against more than 500 entities, iv. The 2015 World Heritage Day also marked including promoters and others, for tax evasion 50th anniversary of ICOMOS. of over Rs.3,000 crore. 6. World Hemophilia Day 2015 observed 4. Two Indians named 2015 Yale World Fellows globally in US i. World Haemophilia Day was observed globally i. Two Indians are among 16 people named by on 17 April 2015 with theme Building a family of Yale University as its 2015 World Fellows, the support. The day provides an opportunity to talk iii. Harper and Modi welcomed the progress signature global leadership development to your extended family and friends, colleagues, made on negotiating a Bilateral Foreign initiative at the prestigious US institution. and caregivers to raise awareness and increase Investment Promotion and Protection ii. Zeena Johar, SughaVazhvu Healthcare support for those living with an inherited Agreement and agreed to intensify discussions Founder and journalist and author Rahul bleeding disorder. to finalise all outstanding issues. Pandita are the Indians who are named by the iv. agreement involving Saskatchewan-based university. Cameco will see the company supply India with over seven million pounds of uranium over the next five years.

2. Vishal Sikka appointed as University Advisory Professor at ECNU ii. Hemophilia day was established in 1989 with the support of the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH). iii. The date of 17 April was chosen to honor iii. Johar founded SughaVazhvu Healthcare Frank Schnabel the founder of WFH, whose (SVHC) and IKP Centre for Technologies in Public birthday falls on the same date. Health (ICTPH) to create a primary- care delivery network through rural clinics. i. The East China Normal University (ECNU), one 7. Hinduja brothers win Asian Business Leader iv. New Delhi-based Pandita has reported of the prestigious universities in China, of the year award extensively about conflicts in Iraq and Sri Lanka announced the appointment of Dr. Vishal Sikka, i. NRI industrialists Hinduja brothers – S P and is known for his reportage on Maoist Chief Executive Officer of Infosys, as Advisory Hinduja and G P Hinduja – have won the insurgency in central and eastern India, and on Professor. Business Leader of the Year 2015 award at the the turmoil in Kashmir. ii. Professor Shijun Tong, CCP Secretary of ECNU, prestigious 5th Asian Awards for their formally conferred the Advisory Professorship outstanding achievement in the field of 5. World Heritage Day 2015 observed globally to Mr Sikka. business. i. World Heritage Day was observed across the iii. East China Normal University, commonly ii. Receiving the award, Co-Chairman of the world on 18 April 2013. The day is observed referred to as ECNU, is a comprehensive Hinduja Group G P Hinduja said this year his with an aim to create awareness among the research university in Shanghai, China. group has been winning one or two award every people to conserve and protect the valuable Established in 1951,it is the first national normal month and “each award keep us going and put assets and cultural heritage across the world. university of the People's Republic of China. more responsibility on our shoulders to do ii. The day marks the necessity of protecting the better.” He received the award from Lord Karan award for achievement in sports. Billimoria. iv. The Asian Awards honouring Asian Excellence iii. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan also is founded by businessman Paul Sagoo. received an award for outstanding achievement in cinema while Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara, who scored four consecutive centuries in the recent World Cup, won an

Daily GK Update - 19th April 2015

Maharashtra government sets up task forces iii. It was signed in the presence of Union PCI was founded in 1992 as the Physically on agriculture development and poverty Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Handicapped Sports Federation of India. alleviation Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis It was recognized in November 2011, as in Mumbai. National Sports Federation (NSF) for promotion iv. Dighi Port is the first non- major private of sports amongst the physically challenged sector seaport in Maharashtra located on the sportspersons in the country. banks of Rajapuri Creek in Raigad district over  It is also responsible for selecting athletes to 150 km from Mumbai. represent India at the Paralympic Games and other international athletic meets. i. Maharashtra government on 18 April 2015 set Andhra Pradesh Government inks MoU with Ashish Jakhar from Haryana sets National up a task force on agriculture development and IISL Company to replace streetlights in 13 Youth record in hammer throw poverty alleviation to address the issues. municipalities with LED lights i. Ashish Jakhar from Haryana on 17 April 2015 ii. It will be 12-member panel for agriculture i. Andhra Pradesh Government has signed a set a national youth record in boys’ hammer development and will be headed by the state’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the throw event and won gold medal in the 12th additional chief secretary (Agriculture). IISL Company to replace the existing streetlights National Youth Athletics Championships held in iii. Task force for poverty alleviation - State in 13 municipalities with LED lights in the state. Bambolim, Goa. government also has set up another task force ii. MoU was signed by Minister for Municipal ii. In this event, Ashish had hurled 5kg ball-and- for poverty alleviation. It will be headed by Administration and Urban Development P. chain at record distance of 72.04 metres in a principal secretary (Social Justice Department). Narayana and IISL’s representatives in second throw which made a national youth Amaravati, the new capital state. record. In his opening throw he had hurdled at a Background iii. As per the agreement, IISL will maintain distance of 71.92 metres. During the first meeting of National Institution replace and maintain LED streetlights in the 13 iii. With this, he broke the previous national for Transformation of India (NITI) Aayog held in municipalities for seven years. record of 70.35 metres which was set by February 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi iv. The all existing streetlights in all the Haryana’s Sukhdev Singh in 2009. had suggested to all state governments to set municipal corporations and municipalities will SC appoints CBI SP Vivek Priyadarshi as head of up panels for agriculture development and be changed to LED streetlights in a phased team probing IPL scandal poverty alleviation to address the issues. manner. i. Supreme Court has appointed Vivek v. By installing LED streetlights, state Priyadarshi to head an investigating team to Vankadarath Saritha, first woman bus driver of government aims to reduce the power further probe the Indian Premier League (IPL) consumption by 50 per cent. Delhi Transport Corporation season 6 spot-fixing and betting scandals. ii. Decision in this regard was taken by a SC International Paralympic Committee bench comprising Justices T S Thakur and F M I derecognises Paralympic Committee of India Kalifulla. The bench took this decision on the recommendation of a three member panel headed by former Chief Justice of India (CJI) RM i. Vankadarath Saritha, a 30-year-old driver Lodha which was appointed in January 2015. became first woman bus driver to be inducted Punjab government approves release of in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). Gharials in Sutlej and Beas rivers to promote ii. DTC has currently posted her at Sarojini Nagar eco-tourism depot and will work in day-time duty at a route i. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on in the central part of the city, starting from 20 17 April 2015 approved release of Gharials in April 2015. i. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Sutlej and Beas rives in the state to promote iii. Saritha hails from Nalgonda district in has suspended the Paralympic Committee of eco-tourism. Initially, 10 Gharials (last surviving Telengana. She had started her career as an India (PCI) for indefinite period. species of the family Gavialidae) will be released autorickshaw driver and previously had worked ii. IPC’s this move comes after PCI had provided in the Harike Wildlife Sanctuary as a part of as a bus driver in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. shoddy treatment to athletes during the ‘Gharial Recovery Action Plan’. Prior to joining DTC, she was working as a taxi National Para-Athletics Championships held in ii. Decision in this regard was taken after driver in Delhi. Ghaziabad from March 20 to 22, 2015. recommendations of the State Board for iv. Delhi government’s this step will allay its iii. This is second time PCI has been suspended Wildlife. Union Ministry of Environment Forests concern regarding women’s security in the by PCI. With this suspension, Indian para - and Climate Change (MoEFCC) also had given capital and also encourage women’s athletes will not be able to participate in any permission for release of Gharials under Section contribution to such sectors where they’re IPC-sanctioned competition, including 2016 12 of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. currently not participating. Paralympic Games at Rio de Janeiro. In this regard, Union Sports Ministry also has issued a RVNL Sings MoU with Private Sector Dighi Port show cause notice to PCI. Limited for Rail Connectivity iv. This notice was issued based upon enquiry i. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was conducted by Sports Authority of India (SAI). SAI signed on 18 April 2015 between Rail Vikas in its enquiry had reported that the sports Nigam Limited (RVNL) and Dighi Port Limited. venue did not have proper facilities to conduct About Gharial ii. The MoU will facilitate construction of 34 km National Championship and also lacked allied of railway link between Roha and Dighi Port in facilities required for differently abled athletes. The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is also known Raigad district of Maharashtra. The project cost as the gavial. It is a fish-eating crocodile and is estimated around Rs. 723 crore. About Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) belongs to one of the three crocodilian species ii. Gupta is one of three legislators of Bharatiya found in the Indian Sub-Continent. Janata Party (BJP), which has greatest numerical  It is listed in Schedule I of Indian Wildlife strength as opposition party in the legislative (Protection) Act, 1972. assembly.  It is also listed as Critically Endangered in the iii. Prior to this he was leader of the house of International Union for Conservation of Nature the party in opposition in the house. (IUCN) Red List of Endangered Species. iv. In February 2015 Assembly election, BJP had  In historic times it was present in Indus River won three seats which is less than one -tenth of i. Vijender Gupta was appointed the leader of system, including Beas and Sutlej rivers, the total strength of 70 of the Delhi assembly. opposition (LoP) in the Delhi assembly on 16 While, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had won 67 indicating healthy river system. April 2015 with immediate effect. Delhi Vijender Gupta appointed Leader of seats. Assembly Speaker has recognized him as LOP as Opposition in Delhi Assembly Gupta is a former BJP state president. In 2015 per Section 2 of the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly election he had won from Rohini Legislative Assembly of the National Capital constituency by defeating AAP candidate C.L. Territory ( NCT) of Delhi (Salary and Allowances) Gupta by around 5,000 votes. Act, 2001.

Daily GK Updates - 20th April 2015

Yechury is new CPI(M) chief Navy launches stealth destroyer INS organisations and NGOs working against drug i. Rajya Sabha member Sitaram Yechury was Visakhapatnam abuse. elected the fifth general secretary of the iii. "The state government aims to wipe out the Communist Party of India (Marxist). menace of substance addiction from our society ii. To ensure a smooth transition by averting a through 'Subodham'. If total alcohol prohibition vote, Mr. Pillai’s candidature was withdrawn could save the society, the state government is paving the way for the unanimous election of ready to forego the revenue from the sale of the 91-member CC, after which Mr. Karat liquor that is around Rs 7,000 crore per annum," proposed Mr. Yechury for general secretary i. The Indian Navy launched ’Visakhapatnam’, said Chandy. which was unanimously accepted. the first of stealth destroyers under the P15-B project. Former Bengal U-19 captain Ankit Keshri ii. The warship is 163 metres in length and has a succumbs to on-field injury displacement of 7,300 tonnes. i. In another tragic on-field incident after Phillip iii. The ship is the first of the four follow follow- Hughes' death last November, a promising up order of the Kolkata class warships. Bengal batsman Ankit Keshri on passed away iv. The total cost of the project is little over Rs owing to an injury sustained during a Cricket 29,600 crore. Association of Bengal's senior one-day knock- out match. iii. Three party veterans — two former Chief BHEL commissions 250-MW thermal unit in Ministers, V.S. Achuthanandan from Kerala and Jamnagar Budhhadeb Bhattacharya from West Bengal, i. State-owned power equipment maker BHEL and Nirupam Sen have been dropped from the has commissioned a 250-mw coal-based CC. thermal power plant in Gujarat.

ii. The unit has been commissioned at the ii. The 20-year-old, a talented right-hander, had ICICI launches NFC-enabled payment service Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Ltd's ‘Tap-n-Pay’ captained the Bengal U-19 team in Cooch Behar (GSECL) Sikka thermal power station (TPS) by Trophy and was in the 30-member India U-19 i. ICICI Bank in collaboration with Tech Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), on EPC Mahindra launched a payment service ‘Tap-n- probables list for the 2014 Colts World Cup in (engineering, procurement and construction) Pay’ based on the near-field communications the United Arab Emirates. basis, the company said in a regulatory filing (NFC) technology, enabling customers make iii. Keshri was not a part of the playing XI and today. was the 12th man of the side in the fateful over-the-counter payments without using cash. iii. Sikka TPS is located near Jamnagar, an ii. It can be used for merchant payments by match. He came to replace Railways Ranji all- industrial town in Gujarat. rounder Arnab Nandi, who had taken a break. merely tapping a NFC-enabled mobile phone or iv. Two units of 120 mw each, supplied and a tag on the counter. executed earlier by BHEL are already in Lewis Hamilton cruises to Bahrain GP win, operation at Sikka. Another 250 mw unit, Raikkonen second presently under execution at Sikka TPS, is also in i. Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton an advanced stage of commissioning. won the Bahrain Grand Prix for the second year in a row with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen back on Kerala launches project to help people the podium to deny Mercedes another one-two overcome substance finish under the floodlights. i. The Kerala government on Sunday launched a ii. The Briton's flying pole-to -flag victory at the major campaign "Subodham" to help people in desert track was his third win in four races this

the state overcome alcohol, drug and other season and 36th of his career. iii. For making payments, the user will have to substance abuse. iii. He increased his lead over Rosberg in the bring the NFC tag or the mobile phone near a ii. The project was launched by Chief Minister standings to 27 points. The Briton now has 93 device at the merchant’s facility and the amount Oommen Chandy and Art of Living Foundation points to the German's 66. will automatically get debited from the prepaid founder Sri Sri Ravishankar in the presence of account. religious leaders, representatives of student

Daily GK Updates - 21st April 2015 1. Former Odisha Chief Minister J.B Patnaik iv. A cornerstone of the project will be to passes away develop the Pakistani port of Gwadar, a warm- i. Former Governor of Assam and three -time water port run by the Chinese on the doorstep Chief Minister of Odisha Janaki Ballav Patnaik of the Middle East. passed away in a private hospital at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. 6. E-Samiksha launched to monitor rail projects ii. He was born in Puri district on January 3, iii. Satya Prabhakar is the Founder and CEO of online 1927. He was Chief Minister of Odisha from Sulekha.com. i. With an aim of monitoring implementation of 1980 to 1989 and again from 1995 to 1999. various ongoing projects including Rail Budget 4. maglev train breaks world speed proposals, railways today launched E-Samiksha, record again an online monitoring mechanism. ii. Now each and every project implementation can be monitored on real -time basis, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said here after launching the system. iii. Designed by NIC, the software is currently

being used by Cabinet Secretariat, PMO and iii. He was also the Leader of Opposition in i. A Japanese magnetic levitation train has other Ministries for monitoring progress Odisha Assembly from 2004 to 2009. broken its own world speed record, hitting implementation of various programmes and iv. Mr. Patnaik, who started his career as a 603km/h (374mph) in a test run near Mount follow-up of meetings. journalist, was a Sanskrit scholar and wrote Fuji. several books. ii. The train beat the 590km/h speed it had set last week in another test. 2. Egypt President Morsy jailed for 20 years iii. Japan is known for its shinkansen that run on steel rails, but has been investing in maglev technology which it is hoping to sell overseas. iv. Central Japan Railway (JR Central), which owns the trains, wants to introduce the service

between Tokyo and the central city of Nagoya iv. Apart from budget-related projects, the E- by 2027. Samiksha can also be used for monitoring the i. An Egyptian criminal court sentenced ousted infrastructure target and board meeting follow- President Mohammed Morsy to 20 years in 5. China Readies $46 Billion for Pakistan Trade up. prison over the killing of protesters in 2012. Route ii. The case stems from violence outside the i. Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to unveil a 7. Bharatiya Mahila Bank inks MoUs with LIC, presidential palace in December 2012. Morsy’s $46 billion infrastructure spending plan in New India Assurance supporters attacked opposition protesters, Pakistan that is a centerpiece of Beijing’s i. Bharatiya Mahila Bank Ltd has entered into sparking clashes that killed at least 10 people. ambitions to open new trade and transport MoUs with New India Assurance Company Ltd iii. 12 Brotherhood leaders and supporters, routes across Asia and challenge the U.S. as the and Life Insurance Corporation of India to including Mohammed el-Beltagy and Essam el- dominant regional power. provide insurance cover to its accountholders. Erian, also were sentenced to 20 years in prison. ii. The plan will be known as the China Pakistan ii. The insurance covers are being provided Economic Corridor. under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Suraksha Bima 3. Sulekha.com raises Rs 175 crore from GIC, iii. China sees a historic opportunity to redraw Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Jeevanjyoti NVP the geopolitical map by succeeding where the Bima Yojana schemes respectively. i. Chennai-based local listing services provider U.S. has largely failed. iii. The insurance option is voluntary and comes Sulekha.com has raised Rs. 175 crore from the at a premium of Rs. 12 for the PM Jan Suraksha sovereign wealth fund of Singapore-GIC and Bima Yojana and Rs. 330 for the PM Jeevanjyoti Norwest Venture Partners. Bima Yojana. ii. The Chennai-based company has about 50 iv. The age eligibility under the former is 18-70 lakh businesses listed on its platform. years and under the latter 18-50 years. The enrolment period under the schemes will be from June 1, 2015, to August 31, 2015.

Daily GK Updates - 22nd April 2015 two decades ago, have given way for ‘Rajbhasha 1. Indira, Rajiv names dropped from two Hindi Kirti Puraskar’ and ‘Rajbhasha Gaurav Puraskar’. awards iii. The two awards have been discontinued by i. The BJP-led NDA government has dropped the the Union Home Ministry, which instead names of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi launched two new schemes for doing and Rajiv Gandhi from two awards for outstanding work for promoting the progressive propagating Hindi. use of official language.

2. H.L.Dattu to head NJAC iii. The Commission is established by amending i. The six-member NJAC headed by the Chief the Constitution of India through the ninety- Justice of India H.L. Dattu will be constituted by ninth constitution amendment vide the the center. Constitution (Ninety-Ninth Amendment) Act, ii. National Judicial Appointments Commission 2014 passed by the Lok Sabha on 13 August (NJAC) is a body responsible for the 2014 and by the Rajya Sabha on 14 August appointment and transfer of judges to the 2014. higher judiciary in India. ii. The ‘Indira Gandhi Rajbhasha Puraskar’ and 3. Sesa Sterlite renamed as Vedanta Ltd ‘Rajiv Gandhi Rashtriya Gyan-Vigyan Maulik Pustak Lekhan Puraskar’, launched more than Day, the year when the world leaders will pass a second tiger reserve after the Corbett Tiger binding climate change treaty in Paris in Reserve. December 2015. iii. The notification was announced by iv. The treaty will be adopted to make sure the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat while future of Earth, our planet and the survival of releasing logo of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve. life on it. iv. The Rajaji National Park that came into existence in 1983 is spread across three districts 5. Tamil Nadu govt cancels plot allotted for of Uttarakhand namely Haridwar, Dehradun and i. Metals and mining conglomerate Sesa Sterlite Coca-Cola plant Pauri Garhwal in an area over 820 square km. has changed its name to Vedanta Ltd to better i. The Tamil Nadu government on Monday align with its international identity — Vedanta cancelled allotment of land for Hindustan Coca- 7. Pakistan confers Nishan-e-Pakistan on Resources. Cola Beverages Pvt Ltd to set up a bottling unit Chinese president Xi Jinping ii. Sesa Sterlite is a subsidiary of Vedanta in Perundurai, the State Industries Promotion i. Pakistan conferred the Nishan-e-Pakistan, its Resources Plc, UK. Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (SIPCOT) top civilian award, on Chinese President Xi iii. The company produces and processes oil and complex in Erode district, amid growing protests Jinping, lauding his "outstanding contribution in gas, zinc, lead, silver, copper, iron ore, by local residents over possible exploitation of the promotion of the relationship between the aluminium and commercial power and is groundwater. two countries". present in India, , Namibia, Ireland, ii. The Tamil Nadu government took the ii. President Mamnoon Hussain conferred the Australia, Liberia and Sri Lanka. decision to cancel the lease agreement, blaming award on 61-year-old Xi during a ceremony held iv. Cairn India, Hindustan Zinc Ltd and BALCO the firm for "not complying with the terms". at the President's House. are the subsidiaries of the company. iii. It was on June 21, 2013, SIPCOT allotted the iii. The ceremony was attended by Prime land first and after two amendments in the Minister Nawaz Sharif, federal ministers, 4. International Mother Earth Day observed agreement, a lease deed was executed and members of the National Assembly and Senate, registered finally by HCCBPL on January 23, the three service chief and the Chinese 2014. delegation. iv. The award was given for Xi's contribution in 6. Kudermukh and Rajaji National Parks promoting China's relationship wi th Pakistan. Xi, Declared as Tiger Reserves: Centre also the General-Secretary of the ruling i. The National Tiger Conservation Authority Communist party, was given a warm welcome (NTCA) has accorded final approval to two on his arrival in the President's House in a national parks i.e. Kudermukh National Park in traditional horse carriage. Karnataka and Rajaji National Park in i. International Mother Earth Day was observed Uttarkhand for being declared as tiger reserves. globally on 22 April 2015 with the theme It’s our turn to lead. ii. The theme highlights the need for change and seeks to inform the communities and leadership that action needs to be taken on climate by promoting a goal of environmental awareness through developing sustainable initiatives and galvanizing every human to pledge Acts of ii. In accordance to this approval, Rajaji National Green. Park is declared as India's 48th Tiger Reserve. iii. This is the 45th anniversary of the Earth’s With this notification, Uttarakhand got its Daily GK Update - 23rd April 2015 i. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was 1. Railway launches mobile app for paperless honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Film unreserved tickets Foundation Award 2015 for his performance in i. Moving ahead in line with digital India, the movie Happy New Year. The award railways launched mobile application for ceremony was held in Mumbai. paperless unreserved tickets. ii. Actor Rajkummar Rao won the prestigious ii. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu introduced award for his performance in the critically i. Auto component-maker JBM Group from here the mobile app for paperless acclaimed film Citylights, which was released in announced its entry into the solar energy sector unreserved ticketing for commuters in Egmore 2014. with plans to invest Rs 1,600 crore in the next and Tambram suburban sections in Chennai three years. under Southern Railway zone. ii. The group plans to invest Rs 1,600 crore over three years and have a combined capacity of 300 MW under the newly formed entity - JBM Solar (P) Ltd, the company said in a statement. iii. JBM Solar plans to be an independent power producer (IPP) with focus on both, ground mounted and solar rooftop projects. ii. Actress Huma Qureshi bagged an award for her memorable performance in the movie Dedh Ishiqya. 4. Union Cabinet approves lowering of age of Juveniles from 18 to 16 years for heinous iii. Developed by Centre for Railway Information iii. Bollywood actors Shreyas Talpade, Tiger Shroff, actress Jaya Prada, singer Udit Narayan crimes Systems (CRIS) "utsonmobile" - the paperless i. Union Cabinet has approved lowering of age and Pankaj Udhas were also felicitated with the unreserved ticketing feature in mobile of juveniles from eighteen to sixteen years for application aims to eliminate the need. award. heinous crimes. Decision in this regard was iv. The application provides necessary on-screen 3. JBM Group enters solar power sector taken by Union Cabinet meeting chaired by alerts to guide the passenger during the booking Prime Minister Narendra Modi. process. ii. The cabinet also approved to introduce Amendment to the Juvenile Justice (Care and 2. Shah Rukh Khan honoured with Dadasaheb Protection of Children) Bill, 2014. This Phalke Film Foundation Award amendment will propose and add special provisions to tackle heinous offences like 5. World Bank established Pollution murder and rape committed by juveniles in the Management and Environmental Health 6. Djokovic wins Monte Carlo Masters age group of 16-18 years. program i. The top-ranked Serb won the first big clay- iii. The proposed bill will amend the Juvenile court tournament of the season with a 7—5, 4— Justice Act, 2000. The parent Act clearly defines 6, 6—3 win over Tomas Berdych in the final of and classifies offences as serious, petty and the Monte Carlo Masters. heinous and defines differentiated processes for ii. Djokovic broke again for a 4—0 lead, but the each classified category. eight-time Grand Slam champion failed to hold his serve in the next game. iii. Djokovic, became the first player in tennis

i. World Bank established Pollution history to win the first three Masters Management and Environmental Health (PHEM) tournament of the year after completing the program. The program was officially launched Indian Wells-Miami sweep this spring. on Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day in Washington, D.C. iv. While the amendments in the bill adds ii. The 45 million US Dollar PMEH program will provisions that in case a heinous crime initially run from 2015 to 2020 and focus committed by a person between 16 and 18 primarily on air quality management in years, will be examined by the Juvenile Justice countries facing rapid urbanization and strong Board (JJB) to assess if the crime was committed needs for pollution abatement measures, but as a child or as an adult. also tackle water and land pollution. iii. In particular, the program will focus on air

quality management in five major urban areas in India, China, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa. Daily GK Update - 24th April 2015 ii. He succeeded Boris D. Lushniak who had Minister in charge of Finance or Taxation or any 1. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has served as Surgeon General from 2013 to other, nominated by each State government. redefined priority sector loan norms December 2014. 5. Rajya Sabha clears bill to protect rights of i. RBI has modulated PSL norms which stipulate iii. The Surgeon General of the United States is transgenders that banks operating in India must offer 40% of the operational head of the U.S. Public Health i. The Rajya Sabha, unanimously handed a all loans to farmers, small entrepreneurs and so- Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) and thus personal member’s bill to protect the rights of called weaker sections of society. the leading spokesperson on matters of public the group. ii. The old norms had stipulated that 13.5% of health in the federal government of the United ii. The personal member bill supplies for the agriculture loans should be given to the farmers States. formulation and implementation of a complete directly as crop loans and the rest, 4.5%, could iv. The U.S. Surgeon General is nominated by national coverage to guarantee general be indirect loans to the farm sector, to allied the President of the United States and improvement and welfare of transgenders by industries such as food processing and fertilizer. confirmed by a majority vote of the Senate. The the State. Now, RBI has abolished the distinction between Surgeon General serves a four-year term of iii. There are 58 clauses and 10 chapters in the direct and indirect loans. office. Bill depicting different aspects of transgenders 3. India among unhappiest countries in the life from childhood to oldage, so that they are world supported and integrated in the society. i. People from countries as diverse as Bhutan iv. A National Transgender Welfare Commission and Pakistan are much happier than Indians, and a special transgender court will also be set according to the World Happiness Report 2015. up. ii. India is one of the unhappiest countries in the world. It ranks 117 out of the 158 countries 6. 24 April: National Panchayati Raj Day surveyed for the report. i. National Panchayati Raj Day was observed iii. RBI has introduced a sub-target within the iii. In the South Asian region, the country fares across India on 24 April 2015. The day is 18% share of agriculture. Banks must give 8% better than Nepal (121st rank), Myanmar observed to mark the passing of the loans to small and marginal farmers. (129th), Sri Lanka (132nd) and Afghanistan Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 that iv. Social infrastructure, such as school and (153rd). came into force with effect from 24 April 1993. healthcare facilities in smaller towns, and iv. The top country in the list is Switzerland with renewable energy have been included in the a score of 7.587; India is at 4.565. basket of priority loans. 4. GST moved in Lok Sabha 2. Indian-American Vivek Murthy takes over as US Surgeon-General i. 37-year-old Indian-American Vivek Murthy was sworn-in as the US Surgeon General by Vice President Joe Biden at a ceremony, becoming ii. The Amendment institutionalized Panchayati the youngest-ever in-charge of the country's Raj through the Village, Intermediate and public health. Murthy, who took the oath on the i. The long-pending Goods and Services Tax District levels Panchayats. This registers a Gita, is now the highest ranking Indian- (GST) Bill was moved in the Lok Sabha for defining moment in the history of American in the US President Barack Obama consideration amid stiff resistance by several decentralization of political power to the Administration. Opposition parties. grassroots level. ii. The Bill seeks to establish a GST Council iii. On the day, the best performing Gram tasked with optimising tax collection for goods Panchayats and Gram Sabhas were honoured and services by the State and Centre. with Panchayat Sashaktikaran Award 2015 and iii. The Council will consist of the Union Finance Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Award 2015. Minister (as Chairman), the Union Minister of State in charge of revenue or Finance, and the

Daily GK Update - 25th April 2015 1. 7.9-earthquake leaves Nepal devastated ii. The day is observed to recognise the global i. A massive 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck efforts to control malaria. It is an occasion to east of Pokhara in Nepal on Saturday, causing highlight the need for continued investment and widespread damage to buildings in the capital sustained political commitment for malaria Kathmandu and killing more than 100 people in control and elimination the country. iii. World Malaria Day was instituted by World ii. The US Geological Survey (USGS) initially said Health Organization (WHO) Member States the temblor measured at 7.7 but later upgraded during the 2007 World Health Assembly. it to 7.9-magnitude. It said the quake hit at i. India has delivered three military choppers to iv. WMD is one of eight official global public 11:56 am local time (0611 GMT) at a shallow Kabul weeks ahead of the first visit by health campaigns currently marked by the depth of 15 km. Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani to New World Health Organization (WHO), along with Delhi since taking over charge. World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, ii. Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit World Immunization Week, World Tuberculosis Singh informed the Parliament that India has Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Hepatitis already dispatched the three unarmed Day and World AIDS Day. helicopters to Kabul. iii. The choppers are suited for operations from 6. Japan set to host continental champions in high altitude regions as well as areas with 2015 and 2016 difficult terrain and unprepared landing areas, i. FIFA confirmed that Japan will host the 2015 iii. The quake was followed by at least four for which Afghan pilots and technicians have and 2016 editions of the FIFA Club World Cup, aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 6.6 to been trained. the tournament that has been held annually 4.8. since 2005 among the champions of each iv. It was the worst quake in the Himalayan 4. Bank of India, New India and Star Union tie member confederation. nation in over 80 years, the world’s strongest up for Social Security Scheme earthquakes since 1900 i. Bank of India has partnered with insurance v. Tremors were also felt in north and east companies New India Assurance Co and Star India. The tremors were felt in most cities, Union Dai-ichi Life Insurance to roll out the including Delhi, Guwahati, Patna, Ranchi, government’s social security insurance schemes. Kolkata and Jaipur. ii. The New India Assurance and Star Union Dai- ichi Life Insurance Company will issue a group 2. Delhi govt to launch Labour Development policy to the bank and the policy would start on Mission on May 1 June 1, 2015 for one year. Enrolment is likely to ii. Japan has hosted six of the last 10 events, i. The Delhi government today announced that start from May 1, with the United Arab Emirates hosting in 2009- 10 and Morocco hosting 2013-14. it will launch 'Labour Development Mission' on May 1, aimed at ensuring payment of notified iii. hosted the first edition of the minimum rates of wages to all contractual tournament, played under a different format, back in 2000. workers in the national capital. ii. "The Delhi government is in the process of carrying out a review on the issue of contractual 7. Paula Radcliffe to receive London Marathon Lifetime Achievement Award employees to finalise a policy framework," Delhi i. World record holder Paula Radcliffe will Labour Minister Gopal Rai said during a public hearing with contractual workers at Shah receive the inaugural John Disley London iii. An accountholder has to give auto-debit Marathon Lifetime Achievement Award after Auditorium. request form to the bank and will get she completes the 2015 London Marathon. iii. Rai also directed all employers, including acknowledgement- cum-certificate by the bank ii. The three-time winner will run what is contractors, to upload the details of their immediately. The claim request will be employees such as category, nature of work, expected to be her final competitive race at the forwarded through the respective bank branch 35th London Marathon. bank account numbers, payment details etc on for settlement of claim. iii. Radcliffe will be presented with the trophy their websites. iv. To ensure payment of notified minimum by John Disley, who co-founded the event with 5. World Malaria Day observed Chris Brasher in 1981. wages to workers and bring transparency in the i. World Malaria Day (WMD) was observed on system, the employers were also directed to pay 25 April 2015. The theme for the 2013-2015 wages to workers by ECS/Cheque. campaign is Invest in the Future. Defeat Malaria.

3. India delivers 3 Cheetal helicopters to Afghanistan

Daily GK Update - 26th April 2015 1. Marathi novelist Bhalchandra Nemade bags globalisation, asserting the value of a writer's 50th Jnanpith Award native heritage, and language. i. Modi awarded the 50th Jnanpith Award to iv. Seventy-six-year-old Nemade hails from eminent Marathi litterateur Bhalchandra Jalgaon. Nemade whose several books, including Kosala and Hindu, have influenced Indian writing. 2. Bank of Baroda ties up with UAE Exchange ii. He was presented award comprising of 11 for instant money transfer lakh rupees and a citation plaque and a bronze i. Bank of Baroda, a leading Indian public sector replica of Saraswati by Prime Minister Narendra iii. Nemade's contribution rests in initiating bank, has tied up with UAE Exchange to offer an Modi. Deshivad, a theory of nativism that negated instant cash transfer facility to NRI customers. ii. UAE Exchange, a global remittance and and abroad during 2013-14 as the elite Financial Dilip Prabhavalkar was also bestowed with the foreign exchange company, serves over 7.9 Intelligence Unit (FIU) found all-time high cases prestigious Master Deenanath Mangeshkar million customers worldwide and currently has of suspicious transactions in the country’s Award 2015. over 750 branches across 32 countries. economic channels. iii. Master Dinanath Mangeshkar Award was ii. The agency also received a total of 87,79,082 instituted in 1999 in memory of Dinanath Cash Transaction Reports (CTRs), 3,01,804 Mangeshkar, father of Lata Mangeshkar. Counterfeit Currency Reports (CCRs) and 80,616 Non-Profit Organisation Transaction Reports 6. Ratan Tata picks up stake in Xiaomi (NTRs). iii. Following the agreement, customers can iii. CTR is fund movement of the value of more send money to their desired bank accounts in than Rs. 10 lakh in one tranche or a series of Bank of Baroda in India, within minutes. transactions internally connected to each other iv. Bank of Baroda has a network of more than in either Indian currency or foreign in the 5,000 branches across Europe, US, Africa, Asia country’s banking or any other channel. and Australia and in financial centres like New iv. A CCR pertains to an instance of usage of

York, London, Dubai, Hong Kong, and Singapore. fake currency in any bank by an entity while i. Iconic business leader Ratan Tata has acquired NTRs pertain to filing of dossiers by Non- a stake in Chinese handset maker Xiaomi, the 3. Another strong tremor hits Nepal Governmental and non-profit organisations with first investment by any Indian in the regard to their economic operations. smartphone maker. ii. Mr. Tata, who retired as head of over $100 5. Anil Kapoor conferred with Master billion conglomerate in December 2012 and Deenanath Mangeshkar Award 2015 currently serves as chairman emeritus of Tata i. Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor conferred with Sons, has emerged as a major venture capital prestigious Master Deenanath Mangeshkar investor since his retirement. i. A powerful tremor measuring 6.7 magnitude Award 2015. iii. He has already made personal investments in struck Nepal again, according to US Geological homegrown e-commerce players like Snapdeal, Survey (USGS). Urban Ladder, Bluestone and Cardekho.com. ii. The government has already declared iv. In December last year, Xiaomi raised $1.1 emergency in affected areas and announced a billion, valuing the firm at $45 billion. Often relief package of Rs.500 million. touted as the ‘Apple of China’, the company has iii. Tremors were also felt in Uttar Pradesh, grown to become a major competition to global Odisha, West Bengal, Assam and Jharkhand. giants like Samsung and Apple.

ii. He was presented the award by noted 4. FIU detects over Rs. 7,800 cr black money historian and writer Babasaheb Purandare. i. Government detected a whopping over Rs Apart from Anil Kapoor, veteran Marathi actor 7,800 crore of illegal monies within the country Daily GK Update - 27th April 2015 1. Government to amend Child Labour Capgemini’s normalized Earnings Per Share iii. The three-member panel comprises Chief Prohibition Act (EPS)1. Justice of India, Prime Minister and the Leader i. The government plans to push through an of Opposition, who are authorised to select and amendment to the Child Labour Prohibition Act appoint two eminent persons in the six-member in the current session of Parliament, which will NJAC for appointment of judges to higher allow children below the age of 14 to work in judiciary. select family enterprises if it doesn't hamper their education. 4. All MAT tax claims under DTAA to be settled ii. The bill will retain the proposal of a complete iii. iGATE is US-listed IT services company in a month ban on child labour in any organisation, big or headquartered in New Jersey. i. Central Board of Direct Taxes will settle all small. iv. This transaction would lead to a group with minimum alternate tax (MAT) matters of FIIs an estimated combined revenue of €12.5 billion coming under the ambit of Double Taxation in 2015, an operating margin above 10 per cent Avoidance Agreements within a month of filing and around 190,000 employees. of claims.

3. CJI refuses participation to choose NJAC i. Chief Justice of India H L Dattu has refused to participate in a three-member panel for selecting two eminent persons in the six- member National Judicial Appointments iii. Children between 14 and 18 years will not be Commission (NJAC). ii. The move is aimed at quickly resolving the allowed to work in hazardous industries. controversial tax issue facing foreign portfolio According to the labour ministry official, this investors. provision is in conformity with the ILO iii. The Income Tax Department has sent notices convention in 68 cases to FIIs for payment of dues totalling iv. India has seen a sharp drop in the number of Rs 602.83 crore towards Minimum Alternate Tax child labourers in the last decade, down to 4.3 (MAT). million from 12.6 million. ii. The five-judge constitution bench, headed by iv. Central Board of Direct Taxes said several Justice J S Khehar, which is hearing the issue of FIIs, which have received income from 2. Capgemini acquires iGATE for $4 billion constitutional validity of the new law on transactions in securities, claim such income as i. Capgemini and iGATE have entered into a appointment of judges to higher judiciary, was exempt from tax under the DTAAs signed definitive merger agreement under which told by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi that between India and their countries of residence. Capgemini will acquire iGATE for a cash Dattu has written to Prime Minister Narendra consideration of $48 per share. Modi that he would not participate in the 5. Bharatiya Mahila Bank Wins The Asian ii. the transaction will amount to $4 billion and meeting of the panel till the matter is decided Banker Achievement Award 2015 is expected to be immediately accretive to by the apex court. i. Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) has won The Asian Banker Achievement Award 2015. 7. BCCI to nominate Rohit Sharma for Arjuna ii. The award was presented to the BMB in the award Technology Implementation category of Best i. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Outsourcing Project (New Bank). has nominated Rohit Sharma for the Arjuna iii. Usha Ananthasubramanian, Chairman and award for 2015. Rohit has had an excellent last Managing Director of BMB received the award year for India in international cricket. at a function held in Hongkong as a part of The ii. Since January 1, 2014, he has averaged 55.05 i. The government has raised the limit of foreign Asian Banker Summit 2015. from 21 innings with 3 centuries and 5 fifties, direct investment in pension sector to 49 per with the epic 264 his highest score. cent in line with the FDI cap in the insurance iii. The decision to nominate Rohit was taken in sector. the BCCI working committee meeting in Kolkata. ii. In pursuance of the enactment of Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority Act, iv. iv. BMB is India’s first all-women public sector 2013, government has decided to permit FDI in the pension sector. bank and was formally launched on November 19, 2013. It's objective is to focus on the iii. The FDI cap in the sector has been hiked to banking needs of the women and promote 49 per cent and that includes foreign investment in the forms of FPI, FII, QFI, FVCI, economic empowerment. NRI and DR. iv. All investments in the pension sector, 6. DIPP notifies 49 per cent FDI in pension however, will have to abide by the pension sector sector regulator PFRDA. Mergers of Banks - Soon to be a reality While India claims to have escaped the global banks - from Andhra Bank, Bank of  The move has been recommended by the financial crisis, PSBs are in a mess today because Maharashtra, Dena Bank, Punjab & Sind Working Group on Consolidation and they were big lenders to many mega-scamsters Bank, Vijaya Bank, and United Bank of India Restructuring of PSBs (public sector banks). of the UPA regime and shaky infrastructure - with larger PSUs after their performance  Officials said smaller banks would be projects (telecom, coal, power, realty and SEZ). and bad asset levels improve. merged with larger banks, which needed a  The finance ministry is looking at the presence in regions where the smaller possibility of merging at least five state-run banks were strong.

GYAN SANGAM  Besides Basel, domestic banks need to  Loss-making PSU banks have been similarly merge or organically grow into larger merged with the profitable ones to create  P.J.Nayak committee - RBI had appointed a entities in the long term before the larger entities.To nudge the banks, the committee under former Axis Bank financial market is opened up to foreign government has already decided that only chairman PJ Nayak for improving banks. profitable banks with a good performance governance in the sector. The panel had  US and European countries have long been record will be recapitalised. recommended the government give up its demanding greater access to the Indian  A provision of Rs 9,555 crore has been control over these banks and reduce stake financial market in return for concessions made this fiscal for the recapitalisation of in these to less than 51 per cent. in the services sector. PSU banks, including the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, the Export-Import Bank of India, India  The smaller unlisted subsidiaries are almost banks to help them exit businesses where Infrastructure Finance Company and Small 100 per cent owned by the SBI and they were not strong or were unprofitable. Industries Development Bank of India. merging them should not pose any major Subsequently, these banks would be asked  Last year, a provision of Rs 11,200 crore problem as their functioning is similar to to concentrate on particular segments. had been made for recapitalisation, but a that of the parent.  Earlier, the government had merged the mere Rs 6,990 crore was infused into  The move, officials said, will create a larger State Bank of Hyderabad with the State banks, including the SBI, Bank of Baroda, SBI, giving the country's largest bank much Bank of India. There was also a move to Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank and more financial muscle. merge some of the other SBI subsidiaries Syndicate Bank. with the State Bank of Patiala seen to be  For reading more of Basel - III CLICK HERE next in the queue.

Case of SBI – Disadvantages of the mergers -

 SBI has five associate banks, namely State The merger and consolidation of large PSBs, if i t Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of ever happens, will further reduce the number of Hyderabad, State Bank of Patiala, State banks in the country and kill competition. This is  Bank of Travancore, besides State Bank of The drive to create larger Indian banks bad for the consumer, because banks will stems from the need to comply with new Mysore operate even more like a cartel in that situation. Basel norms that would kick off by 2019  SBI is waiting for all associate banks to turn We also need to mobilise public opinion on the and create large entities capable of taking circumstances in which having big banks, in better results in the next financial year. on competition from foreign banks with capable of funding large infrastructure projects, So, we would like them to stabilise and the opening up of the domestic financial come out at a particular level. is in India’s interest. sector. The big learning from the global financial crisis is  The government has in the past toyed with  Banks will need to raise almost Rs 4.5 lakh that ‘banks that are too big to fail’ are bailed out the idea of merging the associates of the crore in Tier-1 capital, including Rs 2.4 lakh by the exchequer and the entire country pays State Bank of India with it or creating an crore in equity capital, by March 2019 the price. "SBI-2" by merging some of these under the Basel III norms. References – The Telegraph associates. Some associates such as the  State Bank of Indore were merged with the Officials said at present the focus would be on assessing the loan portfolios of small SBI in the past. BASEL - III - It's aftermath and effects Hello Readers, Going by the new rules, the predominant The new norms are based on renewed focus of Many of you had some doubts in BASEL - III and component of capital is common equity and central bankers on macro-prudential stability. asked me to provide you guys the required post. retained earnings. The new rules restrict The global financial crisis following the crisis in So, here we are providing you the same. Hope inclusion of items such as deferred tax assets, the US sub-prime market has prompted this you like the post!! mortgage-servicing rights and investments in change in approach. The previous set of financial institutions to no more than 15% of the guidelines, popularly known as Basel II focused What are the Basel-III norms? common equity component. These rules aim to on macro-prudential regulation. In other words, These are rules written by the Bank of improve the quantity and quality of the capital. global regulators are now focusing on financial International Settlement's Committee on stability of the system as a whole rather than Banking Supervision (BCBS) whose mandate is What do these new rules say? micro regulation of any individual bank. to define the reform agenda for the global While the key capital ratio has been raised to banking community as a whole. The new rule 7% of risky assets, according to the new norms, How will these norms impact Indian banks? prescribes how to assess risks, and how much Tier-I capital that includes common equity and Indian banks are not likely to be impacted by capital to set aside for banks in keeping with perpetual preferred stock will be raised from 2- the new capital rules. The aggregate capital to their risk profile. 4.5% started in phases from January 2013 to be risk-weighted assets ratio of the Indian banking completed by January 2015. In addition, banks system stood at 13.4%, of which Tier-I capital will have to set aside another 2.5% as a constituted 9.3%. As such, RBI does not expect contingency for future stress. Banks that fail to our banking system to be significantly stretched meet the buffer would be unable to pay in meeting the proposed new capital rules, both dividends, though they will not be forced to in terms of the overall capital requirement and raise cash. the quality of capital. There may be some negative impact arising from shifting some What are the changes which have been made How different is the approach now? deductions from Tier-I and Tier-II capital to to the way in which capital is defined? common equity. Daily GK Update - 28th April 2015 1. Maharashtra collaborates with Israel on Smart Cities i. In a key stride in collaboration between the State and Israel, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai agreed to cooperate in building smart cities. iii. Mr. Fadnavis will attend an exhibition on ii. Maharashtra has decided to create agricultural technology, Agritech Israel 2015, sustainable and friendly urban spa ces that and explore areas of co-operation including in integrate the use of technology, social media, emergency preparations and crises community participation and e-governance to management technologies. 2. Haryana announces Rs 1,092 crore farmer compensation build smart cities of Maharashtra like Nagpur, iv. Agritech Israel 2015 is one of the world's Mumbai, Amravati, Aurangabad and Nashik to a most important exhibitions in the field of i. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced compensation of Rs 1,092 crore to global standard. agricultural technologies. farmers affected by inclement weather conditions, to be disbursed by May 15. ii. Of the total amount, Rs 720 crore will be in Bronx County, and Anil C. Singh of New York iii. The depth of the earthquake was 144 provided by the Centre while rest will be County Supreme Court, 1st District. kilometres, according to the meteorological provided by the state government. department. iii. 3.17 lakh acres was hit with crop loss 4. TMC emerges clear winner in Bengal civic between 76 to 100 per cent, 1.92 lakh acres polls 6. Corporation Bank, New India Assurance with crop loss between 51 to 75 per cent and i. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) party retained Company signs MoU on PMSBY 8.24 lakh acres between 25 and 50 per cent. control of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation i. Corporation Bank and New India Assurance (KMC) apart from emerging the winner in 73 Company Ltd signed a memorandum of 3. Chennai-born Raja Rajeswari is New York’s other municipal bodies in West Bengal. understanding (MoU) for implementing Pradhan first Indian-American woman judge ii. The TMC extended its tally in KMC from 93 Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana [PMSBY], central i. Chennai-born Raja Rajeswari has been sworn- seats in 2010 to 115 this year, out of a total of government`s scheme to provide security in as a criminal court judge in New York by 144 seats. against personal accidental risk and permanent Mayor Bill de Blasio. iii. The BJP managed to secure only seven seats, or partial disability. ii. She became the first India-born woman to be trailing the Left Front, which claimed twice as ii. Under PMSBY, Bank`s Aadhar-linked SB appointed a judge in New York City. many. account holders will be eligible for coverage against personal accidental risk, 5. 5.5 Magnitude Earthquake Jolts Pakistan's permanent/partial physical disability up to Rs 2 Northwest lakh. One has to pay a nominal premium of Rs i. Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was 12 plus service tax. hit by a 5.5 magnitude earthquake, with the epicenter close to the border with Tajikistan. iii. Ms. Rajeswari, 43, who had migrated to the U.S. from Chennai as a teenager, previously worked with the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office for her entire career in several iii. New India Assurance Company Ltd will issue bureaus including Criminal Court, Narcotics, a master policy under group insurance scheme, Supreme Court, and the Sex Crimes Special which is voluntary for the customers. Victims Bureau, where she last served as Deputy iv. The social security scheme is meant for all Chief. ii. Tremors were also felt in other regions such Aadhar linked SB account holders who are not iv. Currently, there are two male judges of as Malakand and Swat, leading to fears among covered under any other social security scheme, Indian descent in civil court settings — Jaya locals as it comes days after the devastating whose age is in between 18 to 70 years can Madhavan on the New York City Housing Court Nepal earthquake, that has killed over 4000. enroll in to the scheme by paying a premium amount, a bank communique here states.

Daily GK Update - 29th April 2015 1. Cabinet clears anti corruption law ii. The Cabinet has approved the Smart Cities i. Bringing corruption into the heinous crime Mission and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation category, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday and Urban Transformation of 500 cities approved official amendments to an anti-graft (AMRUT) with outlays of Rs.48,000 crore and legislation enhancing the penalty under it to a Rs.50,000 crore respectively. maximum of seven years imprisonment from iii. Under the Smart Cities Mission, each i. Online marketplace Flipkart has acquired the present five years. selected city would get central assistance of Delhi-based mobile engagement and marketing ii. The proposed amendments to the Prevention Rs.100 crore per year for five years. Smart City automation company Appiterate. of Corruption Act, 1988 provides for more aspirants will be selected through a ‘City ii. Appiterate started as an A/B testing product stringent punishment for the offences of Challenge Competition'. for native mobile apps later on expanded into a bribery--both for the bribe giver and the bribe iv. Smart City Action Plans will be implemented full-fledged mobile marketing automation taker. by Special Purpose Vehicles(SPV) to be created platform. for each city and state governments will ensure iii. Post the acquisition, Appiterate's mobile steady stream of resources for SPVs. marketing automation platform will be integrated into Flipkart’s mobile app. 3. Rs 1,000 minimum pension under EPS to continue 5. World Women Chess: Harika wins silver, bronze for Humpy i. D Harika and Koneru Humpy came up with fine individual performances to win silver and a iii. The official amendments propose to confer bronze respectively. ii. Indian eves finished fourth in the women’s the powers of attachment upon the trial Court world team chess championship. (Special Judge) instead of the District Court. i. The Cabinet approved the continuation of Rs iv. The proposed amendments would fill in 1,000 minimum monthly pension for pensioners perceived gaps in the domestic anti -corruption under the Employees' Pension Scheme beyond law and also help in meeting the country's the financial year 2014-15. obligations under the United Nations ii. The decision to continue with the pension on Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). perpetual basis was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra 2. Union Cabinet approves Atal Mission for Modi. Rejuvenation iii. The Cabinet also approved corresponding i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister grant of continuous annual budgetary support iii. China was beaten in the final round by Shri Narendra Modi today approved Central for implementing the minimum pension, which Georgia, who finished the event with an Government spending of about one lakh crore will be to the tune of Rs 850 crore per year on a impressive 17 points to clinch the gold medal. on urban development under two new urban tapering basis. Georgia drew just one and won the remaining missions over the next five years. eight matches in this round-robin contest. 4. Flipkart acquires Appiterate 6. Delhi government gives nod to farmer status for him, as demanded by the farmer's ii. The powerful version of the cryogenic engine scheme named after Gajender Singh kin. was successfully ground tested at the Liquid iii. The decisions were taken during a Cabinet Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC). meeting today, chaired by Chief Minister Arvind iii. The test was conducted for 635 seconds and Kejriwal. it was successful, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre iv. Singh, a 41-year-old farmer from Rajasthan, sources in Thiruvananthapuram. allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself iv. India has till now been dependent on foreign from a tree during an AAP rally against the land launch vehicles to send heavier satellites to the ordinance. required orbits.

7. ISRO successfully tests indigenous cryogenic i. The Delhi government today gave approval for engine with four-tonne capacity the setting up of a farmer compensation i. An indigenous cryogenic engine, that will help scheme to be named after Gajender Singh, who India put satellites of upto four tonnes in allegedly committed suicide during an AAP rally geostationary orbit, was tested successfully at on April 22. ISRO's propulsion complex at Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu. ii. The government has also decided to give job to a member of Gajendra's family and martyr Daily GK Update - 30th April 2015 2) Promotion of investment and infrastructure been passed by both houses of the Parliament. 1. Govt withdraws PDMA, RBI Bill provisions development. It was passed by the Lok Sabha on 18 December from Finance Bill 3) Further development and cooperation in 2014. i. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley withdrew the information technology. ii. The Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, clauses from the Finance Bill pertaining to 4) Enhancing cooperation in strategic sectors. 2014 that seeks to amend the Regional Rural setting up of the proposed Public Debt 5) Asia-Pacific economic integration. Banks (RRB) Act, 1976 was introduced by the Management Agency (PDMA) and the Union Minister of Finance, Arun Jaitley. amendments to the Reserve Bank of India Act. 3. RBI fines 3 banks Rs 4.5cr iii. It seeks to amend the RRB Act, 1976 which i. The Reserve Bank of India on Thursday mainly provides for the incorporation, imposed a fine of Rs 1.5 crore each on Dena regulation and winding up of Regional Rural Bank, Bank of Maharashtra and Oriental Bank of Banks (RRBs). Commerce and cautioned eight other public iv. It removes the five year limit cap that was sector banks following its investigation into last put on the sponsor banks to assist the upcoming year's fixed deposit fraud. RRBs under the RRB Act, 1976. As per the Act, ii. The fixed deposit fraud involved the sponsor banks were liable to train personnel ii. The government in consultation with the RBI perpetrators forging fixed deposit certificates of and provide managerial and financial assistance will prepare a detailed roadmap separating the large organizations and misusing cash credit for the first five years. debt management function and the market facilities against them. 6. Pak court jails 10 men for 25 years over 2012 infrastructure from the RBI. attack on Malala Yousafzai iii. The entire chapter on PDMA (Chapter VII) in i. A Pakistani court jailed 10 men for 25 years the Finance Bill is being dropped, in addition to each on Thursday for involvement in the 2012 the changes proposed in sections 45U and 45W shooting of teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, of the RBI Act. targeted for her campaign against Taliban iv. Having an independent debt management efforts to deny girls education. office is also the best international practice in countries like US and UK neither public debt is iii. The fraud, which ran into several hundred managed by central bank nor is regulation of crores, affected organizations such as Mumbai GSec, Currency and Derivative with the central Metropolitan Regional Development Authority, bank. South Indian Education Society and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. 2. India and Japan sign action plan for iv. The banks cautioned by the RBI are Central investment and trade promotion Bank of India, Bank of India, Punjab and Sind i. India and Japan on Thursday signed an action Bank, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of ii. Malala was seriously wounded and airlifted to agenda for boosting investment and trade. Bikaner & Jaipur, UCO Bank, Union Bank of India Britain for treatment, where she now lives. and Vijaya Bank. iii. Since then, Malala has become a symbol of defiance in the fight against militants operating 4. Mamata declares Nadia first 'open in ethnic Pashtun areas in northwest Pakistan. defecation-free' district in India She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. i. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared Nadia as the first Open Defecation Free (ODF) district in the country. ii. Thanking UNICEF and the World Bank for helping the district achieve this feat, Ms. Banerjee declared April 30 as the “Nirmal ii. Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Bangla Diwas” to be observed in the years to Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and come. Industry Yoichi Miyazawa signed the action iii. UNICEF India representative David agenda for India-Japan investment and trade Mcloughlin congratulated the people of the promotion and Asia-Pacific economic district for achieving the goal. integration. iii. The five agenda points included in the 5. Parliament Passes Amendment to Regional action agenda are: Rural Banks Bill 1) Development of selected townships in India i. Rajya Sabha passed the Regional Rural Banks as Japanese industrial townships. (Amendment) Bill, 2014. With this, the bill has